TURKEY and RUSSIA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IV, Issue 162, 11 February 1854, Page 10

TURKEY and RUSSIA.

(From the "Sydney Empire," Jan. 9.) The steamer " Australian," from London, October 15, with the English mail&, arrived at Melbourne on the Ist instant. By the " Hellespont" last evening we have nine days' later intelligence by this arrival, for which we are indebted to our Melbourne contemporary the Argus. Every person who has made himself acquainted with the state of affairs in the east of Europe, at the date of the " Harbinger's " departure, will be prepared for the great fact of the later news—the declaration of war on the part of Turkey. ...:■.. The division in the Grand Council on the question is reported to have been 160 for war against 3, and the enthusiasm of the Turks appeared to have reached a pitch of. perfect rage. A correspondent of the Times, writing from Malta, Oct. 10, communicates the most important particulars, as follows:—■' *'On the 4th, the declaration of war was published in the mosques, with a delay to the Russians of fifteen days, to enable them to evacuate the Principalities if they chose. In the meau r time, the greatest enthusiasm prevailed anionothe Turks, and the Christians were proportionately alarmed and many were packing up to get away. "Notwithstanding the positive announcement by some of the English papers, that the fleet was ordered to the Bosphorus, it was lying at Besika Bay on the sth, and there is little probability of a move before the 25th the period at which the delay granted to the Czar will expire, as our ambassador has full power to convey his orders to Admiral Dundas to move up with his fleet, or to retrograde, as he may deem necessary." A correspondent from the banks of the Danube, writing on the 18th September, gives the following details respecting the Russian flotilla at Ismail .-—The first division of gunboats sailed on the 12ih, to exercise on" the river, ; bnt the state of the Danube, and the unsteadiness of the winds, and particularly the want of steamboats, prevented them "from ascending to Giilatz. as their commander, Capt. Sistreti, had been commanded to do. This flotilla is consequently regarded as a failure, being unable to act mi the Upper Danube." The Morning Chronicle, October 14, contains the following from its correspondent at Paris: "The last news from Constantinople has at length opened the eyes of the French public to the real dangers of the Eastern question. We now hear no laudations of the moderation of the Czar—no predictions of the success of the negotiations. Every one is convinced that the sword must he drawn, and the question is no longer as to whether there will be a war or not buras to whether the war will be confined to J iirkey and Russia alone, or will include the other powers <,f Europe. The parties inclined to take the most favourable view of affairs go

no further than to say that in the collision which must take place, England and France will, in the first place, appear only in the character of mediators; and that, although their respective fleets will necessarily appear on the sceue of action, they will observe a sort of armed neutrality, which at a more advanced period will enable the belligerent parties to come to terms. Every one must hope that, as fighting seems now to be inevitable, the persons who argue in this fashion may be in the right; but it cannot be concealed that, if it once commences, it is difficult to see where it is to end, or how these nations which have, with their eyes open, placed themselves on the edge of the whirlpool, can escape being drawn into the vortex. "I mentioned two days ago that General de Guyon and the other officers who had gone to Olmutz had returned to Paris. It appears that General de Guyon and his brother officers were invited by the Emperor of Russia to visit the camp at Warsaw, and that they had actually accepted the invitation ; but after accepting, it was discovered that no English officer had been invited to Warsaw. A telegraphic despatch was consequently sent to General de Guyon, directing him and the other officers not to proceed to Warsaw, and ordering them to return forthwith to Paris. The reason of this order was that it was felt that the invitation to the French officers, while the English officers were excluded, was a direct insult to Great Britain, and was one of the means adopted by Russia to create jealousy and distrust between England and Fiance. It is to be hoped that Russia will fail in all her other intrigues to create a schism between the two nations as completely as she has done in this." Letters from Bucharest state that the movement of Russian troops goes on increasing. Fifteen battalions of infantry and a park of 32 pieces of artillery had just passed through that place. General Luders had arrived there. The Russian army occupies four camps—one at a short distance from Busharest, the second at Majerela, the third at Kaloskaren, and the fourth at Secbanetaki. Prince Gortshakoff had recently inspected them. "It is positively stated that Debenski will have the command of 20,000 in the Turkish army." In the same issue of the Morning Chronicle the following later telegraphed intelligence from Vienna is published : — " Despatches have been received here to-day from Constantinople to the 6th instant. They state that a Turkish courier will immediately bring the manifesto which Oiner Pasha has been ordered to send to Prince Gortschakoff, requiring the evacuation of the principalities by the Russian troops. "A proclamation, addressed to the Turkish nation, is to follow the manifesto, justifying the proceedings of the Porte, and repeating that if, fifteen days after the receipt of the manifesto, the principalities are not evacuated, hostilities will immediately follow"TheEuxine is not closed, except to vessels under the Russian flag. "The Russian Consuls and officials have been called upon to leave the dominions of Turkey. : ;-:"The Turkish fleet is to be stationed at Battshik." The following also appears by express from Paris :— " A telegraphic despatch, dated Trieste, Oct. 12, brings the following news from Constantinople, without indicating1 datei: "The declaration of war is approved of by an imperial proclamation. A new levy of 150,000 men has been ordered. The Russian functionaries remaining in Turkey are preparing to leave. The declaration of war states thai the navigation of the Danube and Black Sea will remain open to neutral flags."