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Leader (1850-1860), 29th December 1855, Edition 1 of 2, Page 1243, Untitled Article

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      Untitled Article

      December 29 , 1855 . ] THE LEADER . X 243

      Untitled Article

      NAVAL AND MILITARY NEWS . Explosion of a Mortah at Si-iokbuuynuss . —The iron mortar-raft No . 1 , which was towed down to Shoeburyness oil the 21 st hist ., with a . second mortar , for the purpose of testing the efficiency of the new principle on which these boats are built , was again brought back to the Arsenal-wharf , Woolwich , on Monday evening . On her return to Sliocburyneus , preparations were immediately made to recommence the trials . Two rounds were fired successfully , but at the third discharge the mortar ( loaded with an ordinary charge of 201 b . of powder , &o . ) was shattorod ia pieces , Hcattering its fragments over the eiduB of the boat , and shivering the framework of the bed . The commander of the Lizard , who was commanding , was struck by one of the fragments of tho metal , and was severely injured . The gunner escaped serious injury , but one of tho pieces , ejected with great force , grazed and slightly oxooriated bis throat . Hardships ov the Ci . auk Mii . itia . —Tho Dahlia Mail calls attention to tho two following instances of official mismanagement : — "The Clare Militia , under orders for Newport , South Wales , loft tho Curragh at half-past eight o'clock a . m . on Saturday , tho 22 nd inst ., and upon their arrival in Dublin at half-past twolvo were marched from tho railway torminuH to tho Royal Barracks , whore they remained all day in tho open barrack square , exposed to tho -weather . At about twenty minutes past four o ' clock , they received ox-dcrrt to maroh to BoggarVbush . On arriving at Boggai ' s-bush Barracks , they found tliat no sort of preparation had boon made for them— -no food of any kind , not evon broad . Tho colonel nont ono of liin officers out , who Kuccocded in purchasing about two hundred loaves of bread , which were distributed among the rnoii , Tho men were obliged to lie oh tho floor , wrapped up in their blankets , unless they oIiohu to lio on tho hard iron bodntoads , aa no straw had boon provided for thorn . This was a severe trial for young militia Holdiors . Up to six o'clock on Sunday , no bedding hud been provided . Tho regiment wan t j embark for Birkouhoad next morning . The Rohcoimnon Militia watt sent , via Liverpool , to L « o < ln on Thursday . They were ordered and oountor-ordorod to embark on the same day , and wore sent out of

      Kingstown in a heavy gale at last . At . Liverpool , « the weather was so bad as to cause great difficulty ia . disembarking ; and when the regiment arrived at Leeds they were kept under arms in the streets for three hours before it was settled where they were to be quartered . "

      Untitled Article

      MISCELLANEOUS . Extiiaohjmnajiy Mbtkoii . —Mr . 15 . J . Lowe writes as follows to tho Times , dating from tho Observatory , Boeston , near Nottingham , Dec . 20 th : — "I beg to call your attention to ono of tho most extraordinary meteors which has ever como under my notice , and which was seen hero yesterday morning at Oh . 18 m . Its apparent size was nearly equal to that of tho moon , and during the moment that it wiih visible tho light produced was equal to that of daylight . Tho head of tho meteor wan rounded , and from it proceeded a long flame-looking tni 1 of the name width m tho meteor itself , and of a yellowish colour . It started in N . N . W . and moved to N . W . Its position when first seen would be somewhere about tho star U . 17 , Oumolopardi , and when it vanished about midway between Oapollii and u Poiwei . After tho meteor had vanished , a bright comet-lilto band of light ( of about tho width of tho moon ) remained , covering tho whole of its path , the lower part of which gradually curled round towards tho cash , while tho upper remained stationary ; before it had disappeared , tho lower part almost touched tho upper , forming a circular band enclosing a largo clear space . This gradually faded in about a quarter of an hour . No noiso of explosion was hoard . A fulling star crossed over it at _ Oh . Mm ., moving from ( Japella towards h Cassiopeia . " . ANOTHBIl ATMOHWKKIO rilKNOMKNA . -- < 1 VI * writoB to tho Tinea . ¦ - - ¦¦ " I wi . h ruliiriii » t ? " » '"" ' " »» Deal to Dover , on tho ' 23 nl ln * l ., wlion , ii » . oiit a inilo beyond Ringswond , f Mi . » . uin ^ ui y "PP" ™ al ^ geS US > V « . " "*! . ¦ t , ™ ,, a viviH f . ash of KtiE follow . *! by one heavy poal ol thunder , SS ^ n- m . i . io . The nir tl . on b , came < put « clear 5 . I im . ntimifld tho cii-Oun . Ht . iii «« to H ,, y « rul poopio So ., ' , I met on the road , ami learnt that Hovcml of thorn had observed the p henomenon ' Tin- Nkw Vaiijaih . k Stah .- Mr . J . K . Ill "" » into * that tho obj « : ct which ho l » n « r . usontly ol . Horvod In tho hcuvonH continue * to occupy the hum ... potion ; nn < l

      Untitled Article

      A GALE ON THE COASTS . The coasts of Scotland and Ireland have been afflicted with a , very severe gale , which has lasted almost a week . The wind blew from the south-east , and a heavy sea ran in the Irish , channel . Vessels traversing that sea were exposed to great peril ; several , it is feared , have been lost with all hands . Among these are mentioned the American ship Canvasback ( crew saved ) ; a brig , about three hundred tons * burden ; the schooner ltobert Boyle , of Donaghadee ( about four hands lost ); the schooner Isabella , of Cork ( one man killed ); two boats on the Dagger Bank ( with the loss of all the crew ) ; a fine ship which perished near the 'Saltees , apparently with every soul on board ; and a schooner ( as it is supposed to have been from the pieces of wreck ) , lost on the strand of Ballytigue . Of the ships wrecked near the Saltees , we are told that , with wonderful daring and skill , she ran through the dangers of the Sound between the islands , a passage never attempted even in fine weather by ships of such ' size , and brought up to her anchors inside the Great Sal tee . But even here it would seem that she perished . Several 'wrecks have come ashore on the east coast of Scotland . A small sloop was wrecked near Montrose and all hands perished . A boat on taking the harbour was swamped and four men drowned , supposed to be the crew of some vessel foundered at sea . In the Moray Frith , a good deal of timber has drifted ashoi- e , indicating wreekf ? at sea . A corresjjondent of the Times relates the following instance of he . roism in connexion with the gale : — " On the night of the 18 th inst ., the brig Phillip , of Belfast , was driven by stress of -weather on the bar at the mouth of the Dee , Kirkcudbright , and stove in her bottom ; the crew , consisting of five men and a a boy , took to the rigging , a very heavy sea washing over the vessel . On the morning of the 19 th , the men were seen from the shore on the rigging , and several attempts were made to rescue them , but failed by tho violence of the storm , when a young man named Walter Mure , accompanied by his two brothers ( young boys ) , and another man named Beatie , made a final attempt , the sea at the time running mountains high ; they succeeded in picking off the captain , three men , and a boy ; ono man in tho interval being washed off and drowned . The poor fellows were quite benumbed , having been ton hours in their perilous ponition . It is deserving of being known that Mure has been tho solo support of his widowed mother and a large family of brothers and sisters for the l * 3 t five years ; but he positively refuses assistance of any kind . "

      Untitled Article

      opened at Constantinople . The only special representatives will be those of Russia and Sweden ; all the other States will instruct their ordinary diplomatic agents . The idea of getting the revenue derivable from the Sound dues capitalised and paid off by the various States interested , has been given up by Denmark , and the retention of the dues under conditions less onerous to commerce is to be the object of the coming conferences , which , it is expected , will be opened next month . The Athenian Journal , the Hope , publishes an elaborate article , defending Greece from the charges recently brought against her of being Russian at Jheart . The writer contends that Greece is neither Russian , nor French , nor English , in her policy , but that she has a policy of her own ; that the facts of her political institutions being English in their spirit , aud of her military organisation being French , would be sufficient to show that her sympathies are not purely Muscovite ; and that in her national library of 50 , 000 volumes not one Russian work exists . The insurrec ' tion and invasion of the Turkish territory in 1854 is said to have been simply for the purpose of recovering that part of the Ottoman empire which the Greeks will always look upon as being their rightful inheritance ; though it is added that the Hellenes would never have made that attempt could they have foreseen that the Western Powers would have abandoned them . They seized the opportunity presented by Turkey being engaged in repelling Russia to effect a rising with a view to the further emancipation of their race ; but , in doing so , they did no more than in their first struggle for liberty . They have since given a promise of neutrality , and will keep to it ; yet they never can , and never will , recognise the integrity of the Turkish empire . Far from desiring that Russia should absorb European Tui-key , the Greeks would oppose such a step , as being a robbery of their own inheritance . Still they entertain feelings of gratitude tp Russia , together with France and England , for aid afforded in the war of independence . With respect to the cause of civilisation , the writer points to the efforts in the way of education made by Greece as evidence that her tendencies are not towards barbarism . The state of trade in France still shows great depression in the provinces ; but the retail businesses of Paris have recovered some activity , in consequence of the approaching New Year . Great preparations have been made during the present week for the triumphal reception of the troops from the Crimea , which takes place to-day ( Saturday ) . Arches , trophies , flagstaff ' s , &c , have been erected ; and it is stated that each soldier of the army of Paris will receive extra pay , in order that he may able to treat a comrade among the new arrivals . Herr "Von Bismarck Schonhausen has recently paid a visit to the Court of Bavaria , at Munich , and subsequently to that of Wurtemburg , at Stuttgard . The object of the former visit was to confer with the Bavarian cabinet on the subject of the reforms which Bavaria desires to see introduced into the Bund—reforms to which Saxony and Hanover have signified their entire assent . Bavaria proposes to make a motion of its own at Frankfort with a view to a change of system : but Herr Von Bismarck has endeavoured to dissuade her fromthis . independent course ; and indeed on business of importanco can be transacted in tho diet without tho previous consent of Austria and Prussia . The result of the general elections which have taken place in Hanover is now known . Thirty-eight members of tho old Chamber have boon re-elected ; the ox-minister Lehzcn has been named eight times . The Chamber is composed of ninety members , of whom only eighty-six are olectod . Of tho thirty-oight members re-elected , four only ai * e Ministerial ; tho others belong to the Stuvo party and to tho Loft . The now Russian Loan , issued at 82 , has been done at Hamburg at 81 , without having been quoted at tho Bourse . That of 1854 is now at ^ 9 . A camp of 40 , 000 men will bo formed this winter at Clierbouz'g . General La Marmora is oxpeoted at Turin from tho Crimea . Tho budget of Prussia for 18 C 6 , which has just been submitted to tho Chambers , estimates tho rocoipts at 118 , 804 , 071 thalora , tho ordinary expenses at 113 , 308 , 218 thalors , and tho extraordinary expenses at C , 555 , 853 thalors . The Communal Bill , which tho Prussian Government hnB just presented to tho Chambers , proposes that mayors and other municipal functionaries shall bo olectod for life instead of for six or twelve years as heretofore . Tlio health of Prince Pawkiewitseh in improving , aud Ue is now able to attend to business . Piedmont hns juist lost ono of her moat distinguished statosmou in the person of Count Charles Berando do Pralormo , Knight of tho Order of tho Annunoiado , ox-Miniutor , &c , who recently expired at Turin after a shoi't illness . Ho wan a consistent liberal . The Spanish Infante , Don Enrique , has addroHsod a letter to tho Queen , denying tho chargori of disloyalty that havo boon brought against him . It is thought

      that this will lead to a restoration of his rank , title , and honours . The Tariff question is still occupying great attention in Spain . The budget of the Finance Minister , Senor Bruil , is under the consideration of the Cortes , and it is thought will pass . It is conceived in the spirit of free ^ trade ; but the Catalan deputation which has waited on Senor Bruil looks with great favour on the preservation of monopoly , and one of its members even hinted at an insurrection in case of the reforms being proceeded with . Some English labourers sent out to Spain to work on a railway have been thrown into great distress by the suspension of the enterprise . Mr . Otway , the English Charge" d'Affaires , having brought their case before the notice of Lord Clarendon , our Government has given orders that they should be sent home at the national expense . Father Lothar , the Franciscan monk , who escaped from his convent in Prussian Silesia , and joined the Protestant Church , has just published " a formal recantation of his errors . " Mr . Edward Murray , an English gentleman who , about three years ago , was arrested at Rome on a charge of being concerned in the murder of Count Severino . has been liberated , and sent secretly to Civita Vecchia , escorted by gendarmes , thence to be embarked on board a French steamer for Malta . - An ukase of the Emperor Alexander II . grants an indemnity to the civil and military functionaries of Poland who , in 1830 , were dismissed by the Insurrectional Government , or refused to serve it . This ukase , moreover , authorises all individuals compromised in political affairs to re-enter the service of the State . The accouchement of the Empress of the French , is expected to take place between the 15 th and the 25 th of March . " This , " says the Morning Post , " is authentic . " Her Majesty ' s health is excellent . Our readers will recollect the case of M . Rauc , jun ., which we mentioned last week . " Britannicus , " the Daily JVetvs correspondent , now reports that " M . Collet-Meygret , Director General of Public Safety , informed M . Rane , sen ., that in consideration of his eminent judicial services , the government granted him a great favour , viz ., that his sou should be transported , not to Cayenne , but to Lambessa , in Africa . M . Collet-Meygret at the same time requested M . Ranc to thank his Impez-ial Majesty for this gracious act of condescension . A father must thus , forsooth , thank the man who condemns unheard his guiltless son to the galleys of Africa ! Insult to injury ! " Such nets of wanton abuse of power will have their sure but deadly effect on the foundations of the Imperial throne . The English Ambassador at Teheran has broken of )* all relations with the Persian Government in consequence of some personal offence . It is thought that the affair will be terminated by a reparation on tho part of the latter .

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 29, 1855, page 1243, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2121/page/7/