EUROPEAN NEWS TO THE 17th OF APRIL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 393, 9 August 1856, Page 7

EUROPEAN NEWS TO THE 17th OF APRIL.

PROCLAMATION OF PEACE. FRANCE. " (From the " Guardian.") Paris, March 31,1856.—The event which has been anticipated each twenty-four hours throughout the week is at last finally realised, and the conclusion of the armistice brings with it the restoration of peace to Europe. Yesterday, after morning service, while in the act ofinquiry whether th mised-second edition-of the Moniteur had yet appeared, and discussing with a friend the possibility of yet another disappointment and another day?s adjournment, the booming of the' first cannon from the Invalides struck our ears, and told us that the pens of the Plenipotentiaries had executed their last and most important flourish. Within half an hour assurance was made doubly sure, by

the appearence of panting news men in the street, running a race with each other from the bureaux of the Monit'eur, and'hawking a new edition of the official journal, hundreds of copies of which disappeared in as many seconds amongst the eager Sunday crowd, with the small advantage of some 200 per cent, above the usual price to the fortunate vendors. The readiness with which the fee was paid by all classes showed how Avelc sine was the intelligence thus purchased. Ere anothe half-hour elapsed, the same fact was proclaimed, in precisely the same language, by placards posted in every thoroughfare, headed, in large letters, " Congres de Paris;'' and as it is not every day that such tidings decorate the walls of the capital, your renders will probably desire to have placed before them the precise terms in which the news was announced to us. The placard, signed by the Prefect of Police, Pietri, ran thus :— "30th Alhi-cI), 1856. " Peace was signed this day at one o clock a the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"The Plenipotentiaries of France, "Austria, Great Britain, Prussia, Russia, Sardinia, and Turkey affixed their signatures to the treaty which puts an end'to the"piese'rit war, and also, l>v the, settlement of the Eastern question places the repose of Europe upon a solid and durable basis."

To such a fact as the above little remains to be added, and it would be hardj indeed, for anything to prove an addition -to its significance. As a matter of course, flags and streamers once more waved from many a window,and a brilliant illumination seemed desirous to prolong the hours of rejoicing of a day so welcome to all. The-tokens of satisfaction were as universal as in this case they were unmistakeably sincere and spontaneous. Accounts more or less correct of the details of ■ the concluding ceremony are put forth in various quarters. Thus, the Constituionnel tells-us that the treaty .was signed " avec une plume d'aigle" —with a pen plucked from an eagle's wing, richly decorated with appropriate emblems by the Crown jewellers, and by express desire of the Empress, who wishes to preserve the precious instrument. .'All the Plenipotentiaries attended the closing formality in uniform or other official costume. The process of signing is said to have occupied not much short of two hours. Seven separate MS. drafts of the treaty on parchment were laid on the council-table, one before the representative of each of the negotiating Powers, and after being carefully collated were each signed and sealed, first, by the party in whose possession the copy was-to remain, and subsequently by the remaining numbers of the Congress in alphabetical order. The number of times which each Plenipotentiary was required to affix his initials, besides his signature at the bottom of each copy of the treaty, is said to have been nearly four hundred. The Count Walewski signed first, in his qualitjr as President of the Congress, and immediately on his signature being affixed, the intelligence that " peace was signed" was communicated to the Emperor. The publication of the treaty awaits, of course, its ratification by the respective Sovereigns in person, and until then its contents still remain more or less a secret. In an article' signed by M. de Cassagnac, member of the Corps Legiskvif, in the Constihitionnel of this morning, we are told that the treaty amounts in reality to " a solemn and frank abandonment by the Emperor Alexander of the policy of Peter the Great and Catherine II."

(From the " Wellington Independent.")

By the Lancashire Witch, we have received English Intelligence up to the 17th April; being, 2l days later tr.an had previously come to hand. We have only received a few stray papers, however, by this opportunity, the mail- being-on- board

the Cheetah which was to leave Sydney on the 13th instant, for Wellington. A treaty of peace has been concluded by the Plenipotentiaries of the several European powers, sitting in Conference in Paris, and was declared in England on Sunday, the 30th March ; but its announcement had not called forth any great amount of rejoicing. The last Sitting of the Peace Congress took place on Wednesday, the 16th April. On the 16th April the Lords of the Admiralty reviewed the fleet off Spit-head ; but only the Gun-boats were manoeuvered, as the weather was too rough to unmoor the line of battle ships. On the 23rd April a Grand Review of the fleet was to take place, at which her Majesty and many distinguished guests were to be present.

Her, Majesty had invited Admiral Sir E. Lyons, the Commander in chief of the Mediterranean fleet, to be her guest on board the Royal Yacht at the review.

Several vessels belonging to the Baltic fleet had returned to Portsmouth, and the remainder of the fleet was shortly expected.

Oh the-I4th April a large and influential Public Meeting, convened at the instance of the General Association for the Australian Colonies, was held at the London Tavern, to determine on the best means to be taken to insure the immediate re-establishment of Steam Postal arrangements with Australia. The Lord Mayor occupied the chair, and many distinguished noblemen and gentlemen were pres.ent on the occasion. The principal speakers were the Lord Mayor, Mr; Wentworth, the Earl of Hardwick, Lord. Stanley, M.P., &c. &c-

London.—Wednesday, April 16,

The English funds this morning-opened with great dulness at the lower prices of yesterday, but subsequently experienced a iecovery owing to a disposition on the part of the public to make purchases. Consuls for money were first quoted 92^ to f, at which they remained for some time with a heavy appearance. A considerable amount of stock having been bought, the supply of money in the market increased, and a general improvement of tone then became manifest. The final prices were 93 to i for money.

Increased ease was observable in the discount-market as well as in the StockExchange, and at the Bank of England there was scarcely any demand. The remittances of gold to Constantinople on account of the Turkish Loan are expected however to continue large for the next few weeks, and it is not till these shall have ceased that any material relief can be expected unless the arrivals should be rapid from Australia and elsewhere. The cornmarket trlils morning was dull at the decline of'Monday'. The closing quotations, of the French Three per cents, on the Paris Bourse, show an improvement of more than a quarter per cent, with a preponderance of speculative purchases. In French railway snares there has been increased activity, and a further considerable rise.— Times.

With reference to a general holiday in celebration of the ratifications of the treaty of Peace, the Times says : —

"It appears that all the ratifications of the treaty of Peace are expected at Paris by the 25th instant. The celebration of the event in London will it is said, be deferred till the following month.when the advaantage will be enjoyed of a later period of the spring. The* Queen's birthday is named as the day likely to be selected, but it is not known whether by this is meant the 24th, which is the actual birthday, or the 29th, which has been announced as the date at which it is this year to be kept. The 24th falls on a Saturday, and to many persons a holiday would, theiefore, be more acceptable then than on any other day in the Shveek; since it would afford two conse-cutive'days'-for-Visiting London- on the one

hand, or the country on the other. The selection of a- Friday, however, would probably be still more popular, since a large number of persons are now able to absent themselves on Saturdays, and in this , way would be able to secure an interval of three days. The railway companies are considerably interested in the question, since the extent of traffic, which is likely in any case to be extraordinary, will be much modified by the period of time that can be made available.

(From the " Maitland Mercury," July S.)

European news to the middle of April has reached Melbourne and Geelong by the ships Mooresfort and Lammermoor.

The Paris Conferences were, it is stated, nearly over, as far as regarded the presence of the leading plenipotentiaries, but various minor questions were to be left for. decision by the second plenipotentiaries of ' each power. But one question remained which it; was supposed might once more require the attendance of the leading plenipotentiaries. Turkey puts forward many claims respecting the occupation of the Principalities by Russia, which are not likely to be granted ; but these, together with the necessity for fixing exactly the new frontier of Bessarabia, and some uncertainty as to the desires of the inhabitants of the Principalities as to their new Government, will render requisite, it is supposed, the sending of a joint commission to the Principalities; and ■when the report of that commission is received, it is thought possible that the Conferences will have to be re-opened. The. Italian questions broached by M. Cavour, the Sardinian Plenipotentiary, are not it is stated, to be discussed, the Conference having no power to deal with questions affecting states not reoresented iii it.

, The Emperor of Austria ratified the treaty of peace on the 6ih April. The following is a copy of the alleged conditions of the treaty, in brief. ' : True the 'Journal dcs Debats' and the principal journal in Sardinia profess to publish the "articles of the treaty, ami both papers are tolerably d'accord in their statements, but they cannot be accepted as authentic. The Sardinian yersion of these articles is as follows:—

1. Neutralisation of] the Black Sea, in which Russia is allowed to maiutain armed vessels for defence of the coast. '

2. Nicholaieff to be reduced to a commercial pott. .■■«.■„

3. Russia accepts the consuls of foreign powers in the Black Sea and tbe Baltic. °

•£. Non-reconstruction of Bomarsuhd. 5. Russia gives up a portion of Bessarabia, including the fortress of Ismail.

6, Renounces the exclusive protectorate of the Principalities.

7. Renounces tlie'protectorate of the Greek subjects of the Porte.-

8. The Danube is open to the fla<*s of all nations.

A commission is t:> be sent into the Principalities to examine the state of public opinion, and the wants of t'.ie country, and to study and fix the new frontier of Bessarabia.

The 'Journal ties Debuts ' adds that Sebastopol is not to be rebuilt, ami that the Russian forts south of Caucasus are to be destroyed. It. further, appears that Turkey demands 'costs' from her antagonist, as well as arrears on account of expenses incurred in resisting previous occupations of the Principalities byßussia ; and that these claims were under discussion by the Conference, ihoim-h with very small chance of their being allowed weiear. In oder to prevent the Czar from overawing- tiie Sultan by bis naval armaments in the ...Black Sea, it is proposed that neither power shall havejnorelhiin ten aimed vessels in these waters.

Already commerce with Russia had been resumed by the W(s:ers! Powers. On the Bth and 9ih of Aoril proclamations were made by rlie Queen of England anrn.uneinjr that the blockade o." vi« Russian Ports had ceased, and that British ships were■ at-liberty to clear out for,and trade with, Russian ports in any articles, giinii.ur- proclamations were made by the Emperor of France ; and in .Russia proclamations had beejQ issued announcing that, the blockade

being raised, merchant.-ships of the Western powers, would he admitted into the Russian ports, and that the Russian flag had now unimpeded navigation. Prussia also officially announced that the Russian trade would resume its usual channels.

In the House of Lords on the 7th April, the Duke of Argyle, in answer to a question by Lord Hardvvicke, pressing the immediate resumption of steam postal communication with Australia, replied as follows :—

" The Puke of Argyle said Government were deeply impressed with the importance of establishing a regular communication with Australia. Tenders for such communications by steam vessels have been made to the Secretory of the Admiralty, and the different routes were under consideration ; but the Treasury minute did not specify the route to be taken, as it was thought advisable to leave that at present an open question, in order that the relative advantages of each might be discussed. Under the new arrangements that would be.made, the colonies would pay half the expense, and before the plans could be carried out he had no doubt the general assent of the colonies would be obtained.