SIR ROBERT PEEL ON RUSSIA.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XIV, Issue 1029, 8 May 1857, Page 4

SIR ROBERT PEEL ON RUSSIA.

Birmingham.— On the,night of Monday, Jan 5, the 4 new fjbrafy in Adderley Park, Birmingham, was inaugurated by ft dinner shen to the niembeis of the latr bazaar cuinmittee, and subsequently by a meeting in the Mmeuin Room, at which were present Lord Lutelton, Loid Leigh, Sir Rob,^ I\d, M P., Mi. Mdorloy. M.F., Mr. M'Geachy, the Mayor of Birmingham Mr. Charle* Ratcliff, and numerous fiieuds of the institution. The great attraction of the night was a piomised lecture by Sir Rob.it Peel on the .subject of "Moscow,' which proved, upon delivery, to be highly amusing, if n >i very instructive. After appropriate addresses from Lord Lyttelton and Mr. Adderley, announcing the flattering prospect ot "the People's Park and Library," Sir R. Pehl presented. himself, and said,— " You are aware that last summer I went, in company with many others, to that distant country culled Russia. I had the pioud satistuction ot being con\ejed thither on board one of those niiignific -nt vessels which plough the ocean like queens, and gloriously assert the independence and greatness of our country [cheers] I proceeded up the Baltic, where in the year preceding such mighty fleets were assembled. I passed along the shores of Finland, and arrived within gunshot ol that tortres- winch Sii Charles Napier did not take [loud cheeis, laughter, and hisses]. Some gentlemen express dissent from what I state, but I believe it is strictly and liteially true [laughter]. We then advanced up the Neva, that great and mighty river which Hows by St. Petersburg. We arrived at St. Petersburg sufficiently tired by the journey, and expecting to bt" overcome by the heat. Although it was in the middle of summer it was bitteily cold ; the weather was Aery changeable, like everything eke in Russia, and I had the greatest difficulty to keep myself warm. St. Petersburg is built on piles, and is always veiy subject to the east wind [laughter]. When the east wind blows St. Petersburg has a chance of being done away with, as the public expected Sir Charles Napier would do away with it [laughter]— at *1L events, it then stands a good chance of being sunk in the water. It is not a very magnificent city, and does not strike one by its fine streets and buildings after all. It has nothing else but granite floors, with outsides all paint and stucco. Its edifices aie a great deception, as are most things else we have heard of in Russia [laughter]. The Admiralty is a remarkable building situated near to the Winter Palace, which palace is the residence of the Czars. It is in this palace that the Emperor Nicholaslived in the simplest manner, great as was his mind ; and it was in a poorly-furnished room on the north-east siJe that he breathed his last. The square before this palace is one of the largest in the world, and the monolith in the centre is the largest in the world, consisting of a single piece of stone, on the top of which is placed a monument to the Emperor Alexander, who died in 1825. In the Winter Palace are deposited the Crown jewels. I have travelled a good deal and seen many fine sights, but I never saw anything like these splendid jewels. In this palace there is also a number of portraits of distinguished Russians and great generals, among others the Duke of Wellington. There is likewise a splendid picture by Horace Vernet, illustrating the attack on Poland, one of the most interesting and, at the same time, most bloody episodes in Russian history [hear. hear]. Another palace is called the Hermitage It is, however, nothing like a hermitage, lor it is in the middle of the town and holds a most famous collection of pictures, originally from this country, and known as the Walpole ( collection. It is a misfortune th.it no private individual j could be found to secure such a collection for our country, and it is quite out of the question to expect Governments to be liberal on such a matter [hear, and laughter]. I vent to view the pictures one Sunday nfternoon. The man in charge of the collection pointed my attention to a quantity of works of art, and said, "Here is the Kertch collection." I said, "I thought they were all taken by our people" [laughter], to which he repli' d, "Oh, no ; they were removed by order of the Emperor two years ago." That shows the prrmrditotion of the man [cheers]. The next palace is called the Marble Palace. In everything there is deception, and in this instance there is almost another deception. It is called the Marble Palace because it is built of granite [laughter] The Marble Palace is the residence of that " frank and open-hearted sailor, " Constantine. How I laughed when I read that description of Constantine's character [laughter] ! You may remember •what has been said about the distinguished Admiral Constantine. With all respect to his highness, I must say that I never saw a man who gave me less of the impr.Soion of a "frank and open-hearted sailor" [cheers »ml laughter]. It is all soft sawder, you know [laughter] There is anothei great palace, the Taurida. It •was given by Catherine to the remarkable character called Potemkin— remarkable for the power he acquired o\er that most powerful empress. Potemkin secured to Russia that very spot, the Crimea, in which so much precious blood and treasure have been lately expended by the allies. Potemkin caused the Khan of the Crimea to be assassinated, and then attached that bolder of the Black Sea to Russia. It was he who first raised the post with the well-known inscription, " La route de Constantinopfe" — an inscription which it has ever been the anxious desire of the Northern Czars to cany out, and which remains for us ever to resist [cheers]. Having finished the palaces, I will turn to a more serious subject, the churches. The Izaak Church is the chief church of Russia, and £200,000 was spent in preparing for it a foundation of piles before a single stone was raised. It was commenced nineteen years ago, and is not yet finished. In the interior are eight magnificent iralachite columns, gnen by a rich Russian proprietor, Demidoff, and valued at 1,000,000 roubles. There was not much to keep us in St. Peteisbursf, we were so hoiribly fleeced by our innkeeper [laughter]. I have lived a great deal in that way, but I never in my life came across a man with suih enormous ideas of the piinciples of "doing" [loud laughter] lam a man who am satisfied with little, but our dinner every night cost us £60 sterling [i oars ot laughter]. It was perfectly monstrous. If I had not been in Russia I should have lived with the police, but I gave up that notion, after witnessing the manner in which Russian constables knock people about. (Laughter.) The police use a sort of great antique fork, which they stick into their unfortunate victims, and then leave them on the ground, instead of Uking them to a lock-up or something of that kind. (Laughter.) We were glad to get away to Moscow, that being the great good oi our anticipations. When we got to the station to start off, our luggage was so enormous that the station could not hold it. At last we started, leaving Behind what we could not take. In Russia the trains are in the habit of stopping every quarter-of-an-hour, and remaining a quarter of an hour when they do stop, (laughter.) We had most charming apartments i» the carriages. English railway directors are stingy about their accommodation, but not so the Russians, for we had every convenience that a well regulated establishment could possibly desire. (Hear.) After passing the night tolerably well, we reached Moscow, and found 10,000 troops drawn up at the station, together with an enormous quantity of footmen. We had just arrived with the imperial jewels in the same train, and it was thought necessary to surround them with this enormous pomp. 1 had made an agreement with General Sourcbokoff, a common man, whose whole anxiety was to impose upon people who trusted him. At ray command he had sent for me to the station a magnificent carriage with four magnificent grey horses. I hastened at once to our dwelling, near the English embassy, accompanied by my wife, Lord Stafford and his wife, the Duke of Newcastle's son, and Lord Shaftesbury's son. SouTouehokofF charged me £100 for the hire of each horse ; and, although 1 sfrongly objected to the impost, I was compelled to pay liis exorbitant demand. We all had enormous establishments, and lived at an enormous rate. As the great fair was being held at Nishni, and that being a matter thoroughly unique in itself, six or seven of us determined to visit it. I went to the postmaster and found him one mass of decoration:. I was quite frightened with his pomp and ceremony. He gave me what he called an official, but a man Wiould have taken for a general officer, «o splendid wa« his uniform. (Laughter.) He was to guide us, and see that everything was done,« la Russe. We started in two carriages and six on the 2nd of August for JJishni, situated on the Volga, and just had one week to do everything in. We went from Moscow without provisions, thinking we should find plenty on the road. We could not speak one word to the man who took us in charge »ud of course had to leave ourselves entirely in his hands. He te ok us at a tremendous pace. We travelled on a road »s smooth as Hyde Park from Moscow to Nishni, 400 miles, in 28 hours— ls, 16, and 17 miles per hour frequently. We were in the second carriage, and I once made signs to our richly dresspd director that we were not jgoing fast enough, and that the first carr'age was outstrip,ing us. He immediately rose from his seat, dragged the man from the box. and cast him to the ground, nearly killing him. (Laughter.) I took care not to complain < again. (Cheers) There was no postilion leady for one of * the six horses when we stopped at one post house, but the director in gold im'efed that we must have six horses and bix riders, an'!, to Mipp'v the vacancy, rushed into the crowd thrt hi-d collected seize' the first person, put Mm upon the horse and started off as.iin The man had no •tockmgs or shots on, but that did not matter. (Laughter.) " : Ho soon got into a die-:'<ful state from riding, and dropped _. off the animal. The horses frequently becan c tirod, and \ ';when they fell down exhausted they were left by the road 1(i iide. The postboys suffered the treatment when they became unable to perform their duties Ido not think I evei enjoyed travelling so much in my life. (Laughter.) We , flapped quanfjties of money into their hands, and they weie well content with us. When we arrived at NMhni, which, under ordinary circumstances numbers 30,000 inhabitants, but at the fair times contains 400,000 and 500,000, we could not for tome time get lodgings. Eventually we all

got into a room ; we were compelled to rough it, »nd shook down in an inn we found there. (Laughter.) The follow, ing night some of oui pmty went to the theatre. Ihe governor was there, and, seeing strangeis, inquired who we w-rc. and as soon as lie aseeitained, be treated us with the •rreatest possible hospitality. During tiie whole time I was hi Russia I never saw such a brick .is the governor was. (.ioaisof lau-' ,ter ) While quietly walking over an lm.iiense binige at Nishin. Miioking a cigar, I was seized by * Cossack, who nearly wrung my neck off, and who, hold, ing his gr<at weapon om- my head, took me prisoner aloncr the streets. (L lucjhter.) We had nothing to bleep on but had plenty to tli ink. I never snv a man with such a capacity for drinking as this bnck of a governor. (L.iu«-. t •-) And no matter how much champagne he rank. I did not notice that h • ever appeared affected by it (Laughter.) He gave us a fete on the Vo'ga, and we had an excellent opportunity of seeing the scenery of this fine rii or, which flows into the Caspian Sea. What delighted us most was <joing into the fair. We saw there Kalmuck and lovely Circnss' ns, the latter bong paiticuInly engaging, and I was near.y engaged twice by so-ne of them. and diceis.) N:shni is the tea emporium ot Europe. We saw thousands of pounds of tea brought there. I bioughl several oases home with me, and paid 34s per pound for them upon the spot. I also saw the people fiom Bokhara with tneir precious stones, and purchased fioin them some tv quoises which I ftel sure would realise in this country all that General Sourochokoff robbed me of. (Laughter.) lam always anxious to recover, and never like to be "done '' (Renewed mirth) After alluding lo ,i purchase of caviare, which cost £100 per pound be fore it reached Moscow, and was nasty oven then ; and mentioning the various races, and the articles they offered for sale at the givnd fair, Sir Robert observed - "I saw among the crowded and vaiied people men from Manchester and Birmingham, a Stnffoidshire yeoman and a Scotch lassie, and as I gazed upon them I felt proud of my country. (Cheers,). We hurried back because we knew that on the 24th the Emperor was to enter Moscow, and after a rapid drive of 2S hours arrived in the imperial city at 5 o'clock in the morning. Shortly after that hour the Emperor and Empress armod at Moscow in giand state— nothing could exceed the magnificence of the Empress's carriage. The Emperor Alexander is a fine looking man, his appearance and the expiession of his physiognomy being mild— in fact, nothing desperate-looking about him. The homage he receives from his subjects is god like, and such as could scarcely be conceived in a tree country. At the unearthly hour of six o'clock in the morning I had to dress in uniform, to commence a series of presentations, which lasted eveiy mortal hour of the whole week. We were presented at the coronation by Count Morny, the French ambassador, a spick and span man of considerable aplomb, and who, by the way, is one of the greatest speculators in the world lie speculates m everything ; and bought a lot of pictures to sell again, and make profit of. Next to Count Morny stood the representative ot a country which dr-serves the sympathies of all civilized people,— Sardinia— (Cheeis) — General Dabormida. Then came the ambassador of the smallest kingdom in Europe, Belgium— the Prince <le Ligne, the very picture of swelling insignificance : so swelling, indeed, that he could not for the life of him look down tiom the contemplation of his own importance. Then there was that fine specimen of a man, Piince Esterhazy, the representative of Austria. Then fie representative of Naples, of whom, in charity, I will say nothing. Then the Tuikish reprcsentath c, a clever Tmk. Of course he was not admitted into the church. A* the same time, you could not look ut him without feeling that he was the representative of an effete and worn-out nation. It is impossible for Turkey to long resist the aggression of Russia without assistance. Then came the Papal representative ; and, finally, that of this country, Lord Granville, than whom no one could more thoroughly represent a true Engli-hman He was the representati\e of the most poweitul nation in the woild. yet plainly dressed. When I saw him stand ; ng amid the decorated group aiound him I was reminded of the lines of Burns — 11 A king can makp a belted knight, A duke, a lord, and a* that; But an honest man's abune his might — A man's a man for a'thit." (Loud cheers). Then, casting the eye across the cathedral, you saw the distinguished generals of the Russian array— Todtleben , Gortschakoff. and others— and just beside the Emperor, Count Orloff. I believe he was in the palace when Paul was assassinated, and has been the favourite of three great Emperors. He possesses quality of heart and hospitality for which I am much j indebted As the E npress entered she fell on the , floor, I supposed by accident ; it was, however, to kiss some sacred stone or other ; and then she came in with her hair dishevelled, looking like Xoima in the opera. The ceremony then took place, and Emperor and Erapress were duly ciowned. At the moment when the Emperor placed his crown on his head the imperial ermine fell to his feet ; while that of the Empress fell from her head, and was bioken into pieces. The=e accidents in Rome would hare been deemed ill omens. In the evening their Majesties went out to see the illuminations, which lasted three days. Then there was a review of 140,000 men, where I figured in the full unifoira of a captain of the Burton Yeomanry. There were troops of all the tribes of Russia, Cossacks and Circassians ; and so hostile are some of them, that two regiments turned their sham fight into earnest. There was a grand charge of 40.000 cavalry en masse. Many soldiers had helmets with bullet marks ; but I suspect they must have been of their own making. (Laughter.) The next grand spectacle was an enormous dinner. There is an account of .m enormous feast somewhere in the Bible, which I look.-tl for and couldn't find, and which must have been very like the one I beheld at Moscow. Unfortunately. ti" officer who had the management of the feast thought the people would not behave themselves without a r^\ -arsal, the result of which was that it was all demolished prematurely. Of course he was tried by a drum-V^d court-martial, and if he did not lose his head he was, at all e\ents, disgraced. Then we had a grand chnsse. In this clmsse at least eight hundred horsemen were present, besides about twenty men blowing enormous horns, and some twenty dogs. They ?taited hares, and they started foxes, and they star ced wolves, but all the eight hundred horsemen, with the dogs and tiuin peters, could never manage to run down one of them. Lastly, they had eagle hunting, in which a kirghish carried an eagle on his fist, and then having started a fox, the eagle flew after him, but always missed him ; the chase nexei extended over more than twenty yards of ground." The hon. baronet next spoke of the immense size of the great bell in the court-yard of the Kremlin, twenty-one feet high, twenty-two feet in circumference, and weighing 450,000 lb., while our great Tom of Lincoln onlyweighed 10,000 lb., and the greatest bell in France 36,000 lb. The Russian bell had never been raised, and when he asked a man why it had not been elevated be said it was too heavy, and when an attempt was made it broke the scaffolding and fell 100 yards uito the ground, "but with respect to this latter point," added Sir Robert, "my informant must have been mistaken." (Loud laughter) The hon. baronet next alluded to the battle of Borodino, when Napoleon's army of 120.000 men defeated a Russian army of a like number, under Kutusoff, leaving 80,000 men dead on the field, and went on to say, looking back to history, and contemplating the present position of the Russians, they could not but feel that they were a brave people, who, under a better government and more liberal institutions, might become a mighty and nourishing nation. " What I wish to impress upon you is " said Sir Robert, " that you should not throw away your money to improve the internal condition of a country which will turn the benefits you confer to their own advantage. (Cheers), Great, however, as Russia is, when I contemplate the power of ray own country, I w >uld ten thousand times sooner repose in the lap of Britannia, the humblest citizen in the land, than own allegiance or bow the knee to thp power that sways the sceptre in Russia." The hon. baronet resumed his seat amid vehement cheering, and the meeting shortly alterwaids separated.