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    January 5, 1856.] T H E LEA HE K. »

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    WA3t MISCELLANEA. Prince Mensciiikofp, b...

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

    often very atn \ t 3 iay . The walls are covered with them . ; a paatepofc , a pair of scis ^ ora , some old papers , and a little fancy—the 3 e ava materials of which a man can , make wonderful U 3 ^ ia enliveniug and decorating the wooden walls of his temporary residence . — Times ' Correspondent .

    A MUEDEft IX THE CAMP . An outrage lias be 3 ti committed at Kamiesch of a very barbarous character , and I am sorry to say the perp 3 trator was a soldier and aii Englishman . It appears that a man employed in a canteen ia the town gave some cause of offence to the sergeant of the detachment of the 11 th Hussars quartered atKa . zatch for orderly duty between head-quarters and the admiral . The sergeant , having armed himself with a pistol , went to the canteen aud accused the man of being a

    deserter from the Royal Albert , calling on him at the same time to surrender and follow him . The man denied that ho was a deserter , and refused to go , whereupon the sergeant fired at him across the counter , aud gave him a mortal wound , of which he died in a very short time in great agony . The sergeant was at ouee seized by persons in the canteen , and is now under close arrest . However , considering the vast number of all sorts and conditions of men out here , it is only astonishing that acts of violence have been so few and far between . There are not less than

    25 , 000 camp followers , including those of tie French , Sardinians , and English , belonging to the allied army , or hanging ou their skirts ; and some persons are inclined to believe that this estimate is very much under the mark . —Idem . - -

    GENERAL VIVIAN " CONCILIATING . " TUB TURKS . I have to narrate an act of Genei-al Vivian ' s , which involves , in the opinion of throe-fourths of the European officsrs here , a very great injustice . On the arrival of the Contingent at Kerfceh , Captain Guernsey —the officer in question- —who had acted for some months as deputy-assistant quartermaster-general to the force at Constantinople , was appointed provostmarshal . In this post—which was no sinecure—he remained up till the 2 nd of November , when , having received notice of an intended plundering attack upon a Tartar house in the town by some Turkish soldiers , he repaired to the spot just dn time to catch the

    scoundrels m the act * They were , of course , taken off under arrest , and were being or about to be flogged , when a mob of their fellows , headed by a colassi ( native captain ) , rushed upon Cap * . Guernsey and his guard with swords , sticks , stones , & c . The colassi , sword in hand , singled out the provost-marshal , whose only visible weapon was a heavy riding whip , and was iu the act of making a slicing blow at him , when the latter suddenly drew a revolver from his pocket and threatened to fire if the rascal advanced further . The Turk ' s "blood , however , was 'J , JCip , " , roaring " Giaour ! " he closed in . CaptatiT Guernsey fired aud missed , but , at the second discharge of his

    weapon , seat a bullet through -the fellow ' s shoulder , aud another through the neck of a second rnffian who tried a simultaneous attack iu flauk . This prompt display of firmness had the happiest effect , though it only saved the provost-marshal himself . At some distance from the scene of this personal struggle , the provost-sei'geant , an Englishman , had been attacked at the saino time as Ms chief , and after a hard backto-wall fight with a party of the sissailants yns brought to the ground , where , after having boon * kicked and bruised , ho was in the very act of receiving a crushing blow on the head from a heavy shoulder - stone , levelled at him by one of his antagonists , wheu Capt . Walker

    —an English regimental officer—dashed into the party on horseback , and by a few vigorously dealt applications of his sabre speedily cleared a ring round the sergeant . The sight of Avhiit Captain Guornsoy's Colt had effected , and his declaration that three bullets yet remained for those who offered further violence , combined , with this energetic demonstration on the part of Captain Walker , to secure an unmolested exit for the provost-marshal and his party ; and tho two wounded Turks were sent off to hospital . What was tho opinion of the Lieutenruit-Gonoral commanding ? Captain Walker was severely ropriraauded , and tho provost-marshal has , been sent homo —virtually dismissed tho force , Gonoral Vivian preferred sacrificing a most doserving offtcor , of whoso conduct in this

    matter most Englishmen vill approve , to exasperating tho troops by unnecessary floverity . " But ovon more culpable , souxo will think , was , tho display of moral woalcuoss mado by this oommandor in dealing with a yot more flagrant outrage committed during the very night preooding this attack on tlio provost-marshal . Soon after tho arrival of tho Conbingont at Kertoh , it was discovered that novorat of the gravoH in tho gouoral burial grouud outaido tlio town hud boon opened during tho night , and their iunxates plundered of tho trinkets dooko < l in which it was tho practice of tho wealthier Russian and Tartar tamlheu to inter thole dead . A guard—oornposed of aoldieiw of tho 71 st Highlanders—was placed ovor tho spot eaoh evening at sunset ; when , n , few nights Mtov this precaution was commenced , a uoieo w < va hoard ainongnt tho tombs . The guard challenged

    upon . Discipline was almost at an end . The soldiers had at on « time all but worshipped General Williams . After the action , in particular , they gathered round their gallant leader , only too happy , after the Eastern fashion , to touch the hem of his garment in token . of their submission and respect . Now these same naen refused to salute him , and turned their eyes away when they saw him approach . Still , to the last , he hardened his 'heart in hope . Omar Pacha had written to him , oti his arrival at Batouni , to hold out only another month

    , and he would be with him . The Muchir here , too , Selim Pacha , who had been sent from Constantinople to take the command , forwarded him a similar despatch , informing him that he was at the head of a large and well-disciplined force , all admirably equipped and eager for the fight , and that he would lose no time in marching to his relief . Tims deceived , the General determined to hold out as loug as a mouthful of food remained ; and , in fact , the last biscuit was issued out of store on the v « ry day of the capitulation . "

    " The hospitals were crowded with sick ; on the Thursday before the surrender eighty men died in one day . Many went mad or became idiots frotn sheer hunger and liar-d work . Those who preserved a remnant of health , half-starred as they were , and scarcely clothed , were obliged -to mount sentry almost every night up to the ankles in snow . Since the battle of the 29 th of September , there had been no animal food to issue to the troops . Horses had indeed been killed in the Genea-al ' s stables secretly by night , but the meat was sent to the hospitals for the sick . A pittance of bread or flour made into weak broth was all that the working soldiers had to subsist

    which , as if to add to their misery , passed almost all day within their ken . Townspeople and soldiers alike suffered all the horrors of famine . The former crowded round General Williams as he rode out of his quarters , and prayed him , with all the eloquence of despair , to seek some means of putting an end to their misery . Women forced their way into his vary rooms , and , throwing their starving children at bis feet , implored hiai leather to kill them at once than let them pei-ish thus piecemeal for want of sustence .

    . The subjoined frightful particulars of the famine which preceded the capitulation of Kars are from a correspondent of the Times at Erzeroum : — " The condition of the Rediffs and Basshi-Bazouks before leaving Kars was as wretched as it could be ; so much so ( I quote word for word from an eyewitness ) that Ifc was positively painful to stir out of doors . They wer « lying about in all directions , groaning piteously—watching the Kussian provision-waggons

    and received for answer a couple of musket shots : a volley was then poured in , in the direction of this fire , and on running up to the spot , the men found a Turkish lieutenant lying dead beside an open grave , having in his hand the ringed finger of a female corpse that he had just mutilated ; near him . lay one of the scoundrels who had been aiding in this sacrilege of the dead , but whom a bullet through the ] eg had kept from making good his retreat in company with those who had escaped . Well , General Vivian quietly let the matter drop , aud , " not to « 3 casperate the Turks , " withdrew the guard of Highlanders , and left the graves to iheir fate . Since then the rifling of the dead has been resumed . —Dally News Correspondent ( Kertch ) .

    January 5, 1856.] T H E Lea He K. »

    January 5 , 1856 . ] T H E LEA HE K . »

    Wa3t Miscellanea. Prince Mensciiikofp, B...

    WA 3 t MISCELLANEA . Prince Mensciiikofp , by an imperial ukase , dated the 21 st wit ., is appointed Military Governor-General of Cronstadt , with all the rights and powers appertaining to a General-in-Chief 5 n time of war . Sir Edmund Lttons , who baa just been promoted to the rank of Admiral , lias sot out for Franoe . He leaves the command provisionally with Admiral Ereenaantle . The squadron of Admiral Stewart , which wns at Smyrna , sailed thenoe on tho 16 th for Athens . Re-kntcebino THE Baltic—A portion of tho Baltic Hoot has boon obliged to re-enter that sen , ou account of a sxiddou change in tho wonther releasing tho ico . — " It was stated to- < lay on 'Change , " Hays a lottor from Hamburg , " that tho two English corvettes , tho last of tho squadron , which had remained in observation at Eliunore , had ro-ontored tEio Baltic , on , receipt of information that a considerable number of Finnish vossols , taking advantago of a change- iu tho woathor , which enabled thorn to put to hou , had suaooodocl in roaohiug Swedish ports with thoir cargoes , iu oxchango for which thoy woro loading colonial goods for Russia , Tho names of soyoral of thoao vessels , oapturod by tho English , woro mentioned , and nobody qppoarod to doubt tho fact , for tho Russian authorities had imprudently unnounood , in an official manner , to tho merchants that tho alliod oruiriora had withdrawn , and that consequently tha Baltic was rooponod to domestic and foreign navigation . " Health oi ? tub Ahmt .-2 ly tho last report of Dr . Hall ( dated December 10 th ) , wo loarn that tlio honlth of tho army continwoo excellent .

    STATE OF THE NATION . The close of the year has given occasion fo r several retrospective glances at the mercantile and trading condition of the country . Foremost among these is the official return of the Revenue for the last quarter of 1855—a document which exhibits an increase , as compared with the quartev which ended on the 31 st of Dec , 1854 , of 41321 , 475 . The various items are thus set down : — INCREASE . Excise £ 53 , 144 Taxes 52 , 706 Property Tax £ 34 , 353 Post Office - 16 , 038 Crown Lands 5 , 000 Miscellaneous 167 , 140 £ 728 , 381 DECREASE . Customs * £ 315 , 506 Stamps 91 , 400 406 , 906 Net Increase £ 321 , 475 The results , for the whole of the year just terminated , compared with those of the year 1854 , are still more satisfactory , as they exhibit an increase of £ 8 , 133 , 396 . A table showing the fluctuations in the stock and ' share market during the year 1855 has been published ; and the subjoined analysis of its contents is given in the Times City article of Wednesday : — " Throughout the whole period , the extreme range of Consols was 7 jf per cent .- —that of the preceding year having been 10 | per cent . The difference between the opening and closing prices has been comparatively moderate , Consols being only 2 f per cent , low * * " than on the 1 st of January . In railway shares , with a few exceptions , the depression has been much greater . As regards the Bank bullion , its amount at the commencemeat was £ 13 , 667 , 384 ; it reacted £ 18 , 169 , 020 in June , and has now declined to £ 10 , 981 , 745 . At the Bank of France the total at the beginning was £ 16 , 200 , 000 , which has since been reduced to £ 8 , 600 , 000 . On the Paris Bourse the fall in the Three per Cent . Rentes has been only 1 per cent . Wheat has experienced less fluctuation than in the preceding year . The price of white wheat in January was 83 s ., whence it declined in March to 72 s . In ! N " ovenxber , it reached OQh ., and it is now about 82 s . As regards the declared value of our exportations of produce and manufactures , the Board of Trade tables thus far , which comprise only ten months of the year , show only a trifling decrease , which is likely to be more than covered when the final returns are made \ ip , the total having been £ 88 , 531 , 865 , against £ S 9 , ( " 38 , 586 in the corresponding period of 1854 . The movements iu the Bant rate of discount were un-] 3 recedentedly ,, numerous , having comprised eight alterations . The ' opeuiug rate waa 5 per cent . Before the middle of June this had been gradually reduced to 3 . ^ p-e r cent . , aud in the remaining six mouths it was carried uninterruptedly to 0 per cent , for short , and 7 per cent , for long bills . " The Liverpool emigration , returns for 1855 exhibit a diminution in the number of persons sailing from that port , to the extent of nearly one half , as compared with last year ' s return . A communication from Liverpool informs us that" The total number of ships which have sailed hence for all foraign ports during the j T ear , including ' short shi ; s , ' or those which do not come under the surveillance of the Government officers , has been 576 , carrying altogether 122 ,-180 souls , against 957 ships , which took thoir departure hence for all foreign ports in the year 1854 , with 210 , 7-12 soulson board . If the former number , about 90 , 000 , or two-thirds , have proceeded to tho United Statoa , and about 27 , 000 to the Australian Colonies , tho bulk of tho remainder being oqually divided between Canada , ami Now Brunswick . 113 , 037 of those emigrants wont in passengor-ships under tho inspection of the local emigration agonts , ami of that number 5 i > , 02 ; ' 5 , or more than ono-half , woro Irish , 32 , 108 English , 14 , 513 Scotch , and the remainder , with tho exception of 1 , 304 who woro cabin passengers , and woro not classified , were natives of other countries , but oliiofly Gonnnns . Of tho 27 , 000 who sailed for . Austrafin , 0 , 8 < f >!) " were English , 8 , 158 Irish , 3 , 482 Scotch , and tho remainder natives of othov countries . It ia oxpootod that next spring there will bo a groat influx of Germans into Liverpool , for tho purpose of emigrating to the United Stntos , " Iu connection with emigration , it is gratifying to be able to announce a contemplated improvement , which was mu « h needed , in the steam transport to our Australian Colonies . Over and above the renewal aT tho clipper contract for one year with tho Liverpool shipowners , Mr . Labouchcre , it is understood , is nbout actively to inaugurate his presidency of tho coloninl department by 111 lnst

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 5, 1856, page 3, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_05011856/page/3/