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    __ 2 THE LEADEB, [No 302, Saturday

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    '" IT HE^WAK. - The fortunes of the Russ...

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    " Pross-Purposes" Appears To Be The Ex-^...

    they have come to it by degrees , since it saved that counter-burst of indignation , which we apprehended . President Pierce had issued a proclamation , warning the citizens that they would be outlawed should they join the buccaBLeeringiexpedition which General Walker is understood to be leading upon Nicaragua from the West . CWfe do not understand the relation of that adventurous leader with Colonel KiNNEY ^ whois ^ iijj ^^^ dence andinagitation among the Mjosquito people . The real difference between them appears to be simply a geographical distinction . Walker operates from the West —Kinney moperates from the East ; Imtboth evis dently have it in design to convert Nicaragua into

    a Texas * withvultimate Yankee objects . The true assistant in . that design has been our Government , which , instead of maintaining frank and cordial relations with the Government of the United . States , has placed itself in a position that renders English and Americans almost necessarily antagonistic intliat quarter . Both English aud Nicaraguans had already become antagonistic . Thus in Nicaragua , England appears the encroaching state , while the restraint that might be placed upon the annesationists from Washington , is enfeebled by the fact that the English Government has rendered itself anti-American . The English , in Nicaragua , therefore , appear to be fighting at '¦ " once the Nicaraguans and Americans .

    The last published accounts of the revenue are satisfactory , according to the orthodox view of such tables a but according to no other view- ; They show that revenue doe * : not keep pace with expenditure . We had succeeded in extracting for the year 1854 a revenue of . ^ 56 , 000 , 009 , ; for 1855 , ^ 64 , 000 , 000 ; besides that , we spent last year ^ 16 , 000 , 000 on loansj altogether * ^ 80 ^ 000 , 000 , and yet it is understood / tie expenditure is still greater * The satisfactory view is derived from the circumstance that there is an increase on the year of , € 8 , l 30 , 00 l >; if there is a deficiency of ^ 3 , 800 , 000 , the question is ; what has been done for all that money ? There has been no stinting ; but , has the money ' s worth been got ?

    Poisoning cases are becoming common , but none rivals in interest the Rugeley case , whichappears to be complicated -with other crimes by the same hand . Coroners are inquiring into the deaths of Walter and Mary Palmer , the brother and wife of the sporting surgeon , who now lies . in Stafford gaol . Insurance offices are with holding sums payable on policiestaken out by Palmer ; and the detective police have hunted up the strange story of " George Bates , Esq ., " on whose life Palmer , had proposed to effect an insurance . There has been no death in that particular case , and yet the tale is one of the

    most revolting in its suggestions . Inspector Field goes down to Rugeley in search of George Bates , Esq ., wljose life William Palmer had proposed to insure for a large sum . the Insurance officers had become curious to know for what purpose WiLiiiAM Palmer insured the life of that particular gentleman . Everybody knows the principle of insuring a life j this power of purchasing a future advantage , subject to a chance , has suggested a very economical form of savings— -such is the insurance premium . But it may also be converted into a form of gambling . Stipulate tvith some Insurance office

    that you are to have a given sum on the death , say * of your sister ; pay the money for a few quarters ; let the sister die , and you gain immensely by the transaction . That was the principle of the now illustrious Wainwhi gut . The case , no doubt , supplied the hint for the Insurance office , and Inspector Field was sent down to inquire about ** George Bates , Esq ., a gentleman of property , with a good wine-cellar ! " " George Bates , Es < i- » " was discovered in the act of cleaning out Palmer ' s stables 1 He had heard something of

    MM Palmer ' s intention to insure his life , and probably thought — simple man ! — that his life would be th © surer for the operation ; besides , he woato have 8 o * ae money for himself , and so he « had Mt it all' to Mr . Palmer . " Perhaps the social history of this country never presented to us a more curw ^ pioturo than that , of , Inspector Field survey wg , the *««* % countenance of « George Batbs , Esq ., " whilst he — honest man !~ -waa telling how ho " left ' all . that to Mr . Palmer "quite wnconsrioua of tho fate wlvicltfhis London v » B 4 tw could so distinctly , trace out for him .

    __ 2 The Leadeb, [No 302, Saturday

    __ 2 THE LEADEB , [ No 302 , Saturday

    '" It He^Wak. - The Fortunes Of The Russ...

    ' " IT HE ^ WAK . - The fortunes of the Russians seem to be looking up a littles Their success at Kars has been followed by a trifling victory neaiFKerteh » in the vicinity of which , on : , the 16 th ofc-December , two sotnias of " Cossftcks of 5 the BlaolfeSea" defeated a squadron of General Vivian ' s Angjlo-Tutikish cavalry ; . The coir » ihs . nder ? of the squedroi * ( an Ei ^ ishsoflrcei ^ and * fi (>} 5 fc 5 ? -seven rtfen \ were Bt | ade prisoners * Such is the Russian account . The Czar ' s troops in the Crimea have been reinfor-ced by a regiment of

    Hussars of the Guard , and by the Radetzky Regiment of ECussars . formerly stationed at Odessa . From- this ifr . would ! seem tiiatiGcortachakoff dbes not suffer from want of provisions . Large bodie 3 of troops are being marched" from the Crimea into Bessarabia ; but their , places , will be- filled by . other troops from the reserve , and . by the militia ; General Gortschakoff , it is said , will be l'eplaced ia the Crimea by Count Osten-Sacken , and the former will resume the command of the troops ou the : Danube . The allied gunboats which remained at Kuaburn have been frozen in .

    Notwithstanding the continued efforts for peace on the part of Austria ^ it is quite certain that Russia is making gigantic-xefforts to carry on the war . The Czar has ordered a fresh appeal to be issued , summoning the peasants of the Crown domains to form fresh regiments of sharpshooters , to bear the na ^ ne of the Imperial family . The Ministry of War has advertised for tenders for the supply of one liundred and thirty ^ nine complete mortar-carriages , and fittings for an immense number of . others * All are to be delivered early in the spring . 5 j 280 cwts . of ordnance are to he delivered at Archangel , and the arsenal is ready to contract for the delivery of 200 , 0001 bs . of Russian lead . Similar advertisements are appearing daily in the Gazette *

    In order to conciliate the Poles , the Government has authorized a commutation of the rOfcat ( compulsory services of the peasants on the lords' demesne , payments in kind , & c ) , terminable iri'three years . An imperial ukase orders a new coinage of copper to the amount of three millions of silver roubles , to he commenced as soou as the issue previously ordered shall have been completed , and , in conformity with a new ukase , the nqn- commissioned officers of the navy , who , in consequence of their wounds , can no longer serve onboard the fleet , will be employed in the batteries destined to defend the coasts of the Baltic in the approaching , campaign . The defence of Cronstadt is confided to Prince Menschikoff , who is created Military Governor .

    Omar Pacha has retreated , and , according to some accounts , has returned to Souehum-Kaleh , renouncing his intention to attack Kutais . The Journal de Constantinople states that , on the 5 th of December , Omar's army was encamped on this side of the river .. Siva , and that its advance was rendered impossible by the overflowing of that river . This was its position in the middle of last November ; but , whether or not the Turkish

    General ever advanced beyond that spot , it seems improbable that he will at present venture to corne into contact with the victorious Muscovites . His alleged retreat is said to have been caused by a proclamation of General Mouravieff , calling the entire population of Imeretia , Guriel , and Mingrelia , to wage a war of extermination against " the enemies of the Cross . " Some speculations on the present position of Omar Pacha are contained in the Vienna Military Gazette , where we read : —

    " It is probaWy no longer- doubted by any ono that our correspondent at Trebizond was well informed when he wrote that Omar Pacha had not for woeka loBfc sight of the Pontic coast , and ttmt ho hnd not advanced further than the small town of Chopi , on the right bank of the littlo rivor bearing the sctnae name . Skondor Paohn , it is true , advanced along the excellent road that runa to Abaaha , but did not venture further than Tchenitssohalo * . Ho only did this for the purpose of ascertaining whether or no the Ruaaians , undor the command of General Bagration Muharaki

    , and reinforcod by the troops of General Brunnor , had taken up n position in Lovauo and Kutyri on the left bank of that rivor . Having done thin , Omar Paoha decided on retreating % o Redoubt Kaleh and Analdes . It having at the samo time beoomo known that the RuBeiiui commandor intended Bending to Miugrelia all the troops collected in the fluvial districts of the mountains near Gori , bo that thoy may act on the offonaive , the Turkish Admiral , Ahmet Pooh ** , received ordero to place all tho diaponoble Turkish and Egyptian Bteamora at Oman

    Pacha ' s serviced . It is possible that a re-embarkatioa of . the troops de to be made . " Miistagha-Faclia has , in a similar way , retreated to Batoumj yiixv'Orcler to pass the winter in that unhealthy coaatf station . Ma ^ vre cannot suppose Omar Pacha means , to persist in wintering where he is at present , seeing : that ; hp is exposed to the danger of being ., attaqked by the Russians , and unable ftp mal ^ e aj ) $ s gregbJcgsistance , Anaklea and Redout ^ Kja ^ bK ? lj ^ % i- ^ nl jr smaii forts , it is highly probable jtliafci " the jeofc & e ^ urluBlgjarmy will be brought to the U & mnieljan harbfeurs , and * stationed there in winter quarter s * The Russians took will' do no more thau garrison iffiaKa ^ - ' and will not advance ou the offensive in the wide radius between the Western and the

    Eastern Euphrates . General Mouravieff has detached onft division to -Achalkalak and Aehalzik , whilst another division lias escorted the captui'ed garrison of = Kac 6 ^ to- Tiflis . The Pachas , and a few superior officers ^ . will / be tmttsfen * ecL > to Moscow ; the remaining officer s * with the men , will probably have to pass the . winter in tha government of Tifiis . ' From Erzeroum , intelligence is contradictory , It is said that many persons have abandoned the city

    in the fear of a Russian attack * and have taken refuge at Trebizond ; but the Journal de Constantinople affirms that the garrison of Erzeroum amounts to 16 , 000 men , and that the . Egyptian contingent will raise that number to 2 r > 000 , while other corps sent there from different points will place the Turkish forces at 35 , 000 men . Another authority states that Erzeroum is abundantly supplied with provisions , and possesses an excellent artillery .

    As a reproof to the idea of peace being at all probable or even desirable , the Siecle has been blowinga tremendous war-trumpet , and , strange to say , chiefly as regards England . There can be no repose for England , says , the Paris journal , until the utter destruction of Cronstadt , and of the Baltic fleet be effected . When people talk about peace , the Sitele simply points to the Baltic . It is no time , says the writer , to talk about the sufety of the English empire in India : England herself may be imperilled . The Baltic menaces England ; and " peace will not and cannot be made so long

    as there exist , within a few hundred leagues of London , fortresses reputed impregnable , which can send out fleets as 7 iumerous as those of France and England put together . " But the English nation has seen the danger , and exclaims , ' War , war to ^ the end ! war for our Salvation !" " Such is the trumpet-note of the Sidcle . That the \ estimate of the Russian Baltic fleet is greatly exaggerated there can be no doubt ; for why did not this overwhelming armament forcibly raise the blockade ? But that Russia is vigorous and energetic in north and south , east and west , is very evident ; and England and France will have to look narrowly to the future .

    CAMP GOSSIP . This will be a joyous Christmas , as far as it cau bu away from friends and hoine . Solitary subalterns ride out to Miskomia , and gaze gloomily on the beautiful mistletoe which grows ou all the wild pear aud apple trees in these lovely valleys , but their contentment returns when they think of the fat goose who , tied by the leg , is awaiting his doom by the kitchen tent or bakehouse , or of the tender pig , who Las been reared up > from his childhood for the sole object of doing honour to the coming fqast , and who is "just fit to be killed . " Already contrasts are drawn between dinners in the trenches , on dreary outposts , on remote guard *

    and pickets last year , and the luxuries which are forthcoming for the grand English festival . Men remember " that tough ojld turkey , whioh cost 40 a ., and that turned the edge of tho carver like plate glass , " and laugh over the fate which seemed somehow to attend most efforts to be jolly lost Christmas , and theu turn and look round their huts , which are generally , it must bo confessod , very like retail grocers' establishments , backwood stores , or canteen men ' s magazines ; tho shelves which are placed along the -walla in layers , tho cupboards made of pnekiugcasos or powdor-boxes , are filled with jpafca in Str . isburg ware , hams , tins of floupa and preserves , niadu

    dishes , vegetables , long-necked bottloa of Fronch manufacture , aud tho stumpier sturdier work of tho English glaasblower . There is a stove or houio nubstitu-te for a fireplace in each hut , and it always eujoyn tho advantage of a famous draught from tho door aud walls . As to the latter , the embellishments upon thorn wilo away many an idle hour , and afford opportunities for the exercise of taato , good and hnil , the monuments of whioh muat perish with the spring . They consist chiefly of illustrations from tho pictorial papers of Punch , whioh are transposed ingeniously by the introduction of facen , figures , and bits out of different engravings , with the view of giving them a ludiorpue or . wbimeical character , and tho result i »

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 5, 1856, page 2, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_05011856/page/2/