EUROPEAN NEWS. RUSSIAN PREPARATIONS IN THE BALTIC

Taranaki Herald, Volume III, Issue 106, 9 August 1854, Page 3

EUROPEAN NEWS. RUSSIAN PREPARATIONS IN THE BALTIC

Letters from Christiana, in Norway, of the 25th February, state that the crews of the Norwegian ships of wur now fitting out arc already fully formed. Accounts from St. Petersburg of the 2nd initant state that nothing is heard of but armiugs and preparations for all events of war, on water and on land. The works of Cronstndt have been fully armed and large quantities of powder, with shot and shells, have been sent there. Large military and naval supplies also have been sent to Archangel. The sea ports, coast batteries and fortresses, were placed in the best state for defence. Tho regiments of guards were expected to leave St. Petersburg ia a few days, and also the Commandcr-in-chicl, Mar* shall Paskicwitch, the Prince of Warsaw, Fio*h offerings to the Government for conducting the war are mentioned. Amongst others 3000 silver roubles from the English Company of St Petersburg for the relief of the wounded, and 35,000 silver roubles from tho Government of VVladiuiir. The Si. Pc» tcrsburg paper, "Sammler von dor See," mentions tho progress of the Orel, of 84 guns, and 500 hone power, whoso machinery was prepared in tins works of Messrs. Napier, in Scotland ; also of tbo screw frigate Maria, of 46 guns, and 360 horse power, on the system of Pcnns Theie new reinforcements of tho war fleet arc said to be worth mentioning, on account of the greatly regretted want of war steam

era, with which tlio other fleets 80 greatly surpass the Uuminns. A letter from St. Petersburg, published In the " Cnloi»ii« Gnzittc." Bnyn: — People only occupy therm If' here with the wjrliko preparation* for nil I'ventunliticn by land or s"n. Twtnty thousand pounds nf gunpowder for the nnvy have bepn sent from Cronstadt and St. Petcisburglo Pclrnzntnock. nnd cannon nnd shell* hove boen sent to Cronstadt rind Archnnp'-l. About 40,00011)11. of gunpowder art* to leave for the latter town. The war forts are hcinf: fortified, and the coast batteries strengthened. It i» believed that Mnrohnl Pa«kii;wilch will receive diplomatic powers, and Prince Mcnchikoff al'O. A letter from Croimtndt states, tbat l>y onlor of Ihe Rimsiiin Admirnlty, another ship of the line of 120 Runs, the Empress Mnry, hns beon fitted out. Thin will mnke tho Rowan Baltic fleet amount to twenty-fight ships of tho line. The Kmprcsn Mary ia commanded by Cnptnin Bendischcft, and will form part of the first division of the fleet now at CroDßtadt. Plymouth, April 3, 1854. The all absorbing subject is the Eastern war. At this limp April 3rd, the first division of tlio northern fleet, under Sir Charles Napier, ia probably steaming up the finltic for the lOand of Aland, ot the mouth of the Gulf of Bothnia, It is in possession of the Russians, from whom it is expected to be taken. Here the first division will form their head quarters, cruising light across the mouth of the Gulf of Finland, and stopping all communication with Petersburg, while tlio traffic of the Gulf of Bothnia will be at the same time suspended. A descent on llevcl will roost likely be made. Whilst Sir Charles Napier is at the eastern pait of the Baltic, n second division of sailing mcn«oft war will occupy the Great nnd Littlo Belts, and seize any of the enemy's ships which may have ci» enpid the fnit division. Theieisno newo yet of contact, but such is hourly expected Some 12 P OOO English und French soldiers and marines will assist in the north. Tho Emperor meantime has been far from idle. All the buoys and beacons have been ieinovr.il, and while the sea was covered wilh ice large holes Here cut in diflircnt pnrtu, and immense Mocks of granite let down to impede navigation. The Gulfs of Bothnia nnd Finland arc still firmly frozen over. The re-opening of the nnvign'tion at Crointtdt last year took pluce towards the end of April ; the three preceding years in April nnd May. Thera ii littlo probability of the ice breaking earlier this year. A nationnl fast, on account of the war, ia to be recommended by the Government. The mclancl.oly intelligence has arrived in Eagland that tho Duke of Parma hns been killed by an assassin. His son has been declared Duke. Th« Duchess acts as Regent. Austria has prohibited the exportation of arms, and of every thing that can bo usrd as mnterial of war. Transylvania, which annually supplies tho Principalities with a larßO number of scythes, no longer allow* them to pass. An order for wenty thousand scythes was made nt Cronatudtby a Bucharest merchant, but they wore stopped at the frontier. A letter fiom Berlin, of (ho thirtieth of March, in the Cologne Gazette, states that the Russian Government is using every effort to obtain saltpetre and sulphur in Prussia, because the Russian wnnufacturo itsolf falls short of the demand. It will not however succeed, for the Prussian Government hn» prohibited the exportation of arms and ell materials of war, so that smuggling can nlone supply the articles. The Russian Ambassador is tinid to have made representations upon the subject. Ho han mooted the point, that when Russia laid »n embargo on tho export of corn she spared Prussia, Baron Hens, Austiinn Master of the Ordinance, will remain here some timo longer, and ho has constant interview* with the Minister of War. Vienna papers to the thirtieth of March itata that on the twenty third of that month five Russian steamers were despatched from Odessa to the St. George's mouth of the Danube, where they disem* barked four thousand troops nnd artillery on the great Dannbian island Dannrcz, below Tultsch, which spot was occupied without nny resistance being met wilh. Steamers after disembarking left again for Odfsßa. Capture op a Russian Vessel.— A letter from Waterford, published in tho Tipperary Free Prest, pivci the following; version of the loizure of the Russian ship Nordcn, an account of whioh has nlrcnily appeared in the Times :— " Wo havo had nn a(T»ir here which might well be called 'seriocomic,'partaking, in some degree, of tbo wnrliko and tho ridiculous. It appears tint the icport of a Russian morchant vcsbcl being ocen off the coast, caused our revenue cutter will manned and armed, to proceed immediately out to give n good account of her. High expectations of a rich prizo cheered tlic hcnrtii of our jolly and gallant turi>, who, tho moment they hovo in eight, ' Rave her n uliut in the locker,' soon after boaidcd her, and hauled down tit once the Russian flag— Riving ihreo cliceia for the Queen nnd a stuvc of Rule JJntunnin in prime style. Tho enptain of tho bri R quietly submitted to bio conquerors, and unitoistingly suffered his doomed ship to be steered for the port. What a singular circurautanco that the first bloodlffli victory over the Autocrat of all the Russians should 1 c thus achieved within view of the old v\\>3 intacta! No wonder that feelings of pride and exultation should predominate, but, nla» 1 they ■were only of short duration , for when tho Russian enptaiu found it convenient to make himself intelligible to his captors, they discovered to their dismny and disappointment that ' they had caught a tartor,' who had cunningly the night before struck n bargain for both ship and cargo with a Waterford merchant, for a sum said to be under MZOOO, Russia. — It hao bcon already mentioned that the Russianß arc transporting manses of rock along the ice in the I'ny of Finland to the into of tho only navigable channel i» front of Cronstidt, with the intention of their sinking Ihcnifclves into the nlrendy shallow bed ns soon as tho ice breaks up, It is i.ow understood that these gentlemen aie taking their measures already for getting vid of these raiiSJia of rock by blunting, when they shall have done part of their service in earning tho enemy's fihlpa to run a.giound. A plan him ken arranged

by a man of the name of Jacobi, which has so fa r obtained the Emperor's approbation that a very li. beral reward has been promised him in caae of sue* ce is. It i» of this nature,— the blocks of rook are borrd, nnd oharged with blasting powder, previous to beinj? placed on tlie ice over their future bed ; tho caissons containing the charges are provided with o wire connected with an elcctiic battery in thn fortress ; and it la intended to carry into execution this Interesting blasting experiment juit when our craft aro passing over the spol where theso manses lie. Letters op MAnaorc.— Wo have been favored by a mercantile firm connected with France, with ! the copy of a telcgrnphic despatch, by tho Frenob Minister of Marine, to the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce, intimating the receipt ol an official communication from tho Pirsidenl of the I'nilod States, to the effect that his cabinet considered letters of marque, as contrary to the law of nations, nnd that none would be granted or tolerated by the Federal Government. An invention recently discovered, and described as most valuable, is tbat of the conical flour mills. It is described us milking rapid pi ogress at home and abroad. Tho Austrian patent lion been fold forX'3o,ooo. A largo mill lms been erected at Vienna, nnd is in full work. Another linn been erected for Lord Portmnn, at Brycastonc, Dorset which grinds 8} bushels per hour against nn ordinary mill belonging to his lordship, which grinds 2\ bushels, and the lame power (water) does for both, The magistrates of Hampshire arc electing v mill in the county gaol at Winchester, and in li eland Lord Talhot de Mnlahidc, celebrated Mr. Dragon, and others, take a moit lively interest in its adoption in that country, In faci, the restoration of tho flout trade, Mr. Dragon bos declared, i» " tbo wish nearest to his heart." In France Prince Murat ban be« come tin: president of a committee, consisting of the Marquis de In Roclujnquclin and other eminont men, to carry it out. New foreign patents are continually being obtained, the last making 2!) in the whole, being for Spain, Portugal, Tuscany, and Egypt. Naples, March 4. — Several earthquakes have just taken place at Calabria, and huvo excited great alarm. The damage done is immense. The num - ber of persons killed cxcrcdi 2,000. Letters from Warsatf of the twenty BCtenth of March s>tnte that a hundred thousand men ttere being concentrated in the kingdom of Poland. The corps of Lithuania bad received orders to march thither. The Russian rouble was depreciated to tlic vnlue of ani (Jollnr. Silver was disiip> pearing from trado since the reserve funds of tbo credit institution hnd been transferred to the bank, A letter from Vienna, founded on news fiom Bucharest of the twenty first of Match layi that he Consul General of Austria has by order of his ove ninent, remonstrated with Pnnen Gortschuoff about the volunteer legion in the Principalities mlir bis nufpices. Amongst the recent deaths one which excited a deep and general sensation win that of Mr. Justice Talfourd, who died of apoplexy at Stafford while in tho act of delivering his charge to the Grand Jury. The obituaries olio inelu Ie tho n«mm of the Duke of Portland, tho Earl of Lichficld, JLord Gilbert Grosvenor, R.N. , Viicount Douerailc, Dr. Robert Ilaldano, Mr. Commissioner Daniell, and Colonel Thompson, M. P.