THE CRIIIEA.

Little has recently occurred to mark the progress of events in the Crimea. With the exception of the gallant exploit of Cap- tain Osborne in destroying the Russian stores at (iiheisk, which was performed on the 13th of November, iiud the terrible ex- plosion ofthe French magazine in the vici- nity of Subustopol, which occuri-ed on the l5th of the same month, nothing ol' the slightest note has taken place to dislurl) the serenity of the winter quarters into which the Allied army seems now to be quietly and comfortably settled down.

A correspondent at Bala Clava, in speak- ing of Captain Osborn’s success, says—— “ This news has afforded us the liiglicst gratification. It seems that this gallant ollicer has succeeded in destroying, at Gheisk, fodder and grain of various kinds, piled up in stacks for the distance of no less than t-vo miles, and that the efforts ofthe 3,000 Russians stationed on the spot for the protection of tlicso prodigious stores were unavailing. The tire oftlio Vesuvius and the giinbonts, and the precision of their shell and shot practice, drove those grey- coated gentry away in confusion and dis- tnay, and they were unable to fire a shot in defence of their magazines, which our men burst before their eyes. Ollicers and sailors are said to have displayed great coolness and zeal in the affair which has more importance, perhaps, in Russian eyes than it will have in our own, hearing as it does so materially on the position ofthe enemy in the Crimea and their supplies during the winter. The exploit is all the more welcome, that it was quite unexpected, as no one imagined our gunboats would be able to remain in the Son ofAzofl'aftcr the first week in November.”

The same graphic pen gives us It vivid picture ofthe awful explosion ofthe French magazine. “ I was riding from liead—quar- tors, reading my letters, last Thursday when the explosion took place, and had just reached the hill, or elevated part of the plateau, at the time, and happened to be looking in the very direction of the park. The phenomena were so startling, that they took away onc’s breath. Neither pen nor pencil could describe them. The rush of tire, smoke, and iron attained a height I dare not estimate in one great pillar, and then seemed to shoot out like a tree, which oversliadowed half the camp on the right, and rained down missiles upon it. The colour ofthe pillar was diirk grey, lluslicd with red, but it was pitted all over with white puffs of smoke, which marked the explosion of the shells. It retained the shape of a tir—tree for nearly a minute, and then the sides began to swell out arid the overliiingiiig canopy to expand and twist about in prodigious wreaths of:-iiiiokv. which flew out to the right and left iind let drop, as it were front solution in its i-iiihraco, it precipitate of shells, carcascs, and iron pi o- jcctilrs. I clapped spurs to my ll(H‘:-At‘, and rode oil‘ as fast as I could toward: lllv spot as soon as tn_v cars had recovered the .-hock. The noise was horrible: and, when lill' aliells began to explode, the din ivas liki- the op.-ui..:_r cm,»-.|i of one of the great can-

HASZAIUYS

army is this year comfortably housed and; amply fed--that it is in the highest health‘ and discipline—-and that it bids fair to be} capable of any duty that may be demandedj ol it on the hit return ofspring. The cor-i respondent, from whom we have already: quoted, in speaking of the present condi-' tioii of the camp, further remarks:—" The health of ‘our troops is excellent; the; di-iiiiglits which arrive are rather younger than is desirable, but they will get experi- ence and vinstruction during the winter. l‘licy are admirably clothed, and fed as no army was ever fed before—-fresh meat, bread, iind vegetables are issued to all. Hcnceforth the men are to get fresh meat only three times a week, and bread only three times a week, instead ofevery day. On the other (lays, they will receive pork or salt beef, and excellent biscuit. In respect of winter clothing, hutting, and feeding, oui- men are iinincasurably better olfthan our Allies, and it is not unusual to see the latter eating in the English camp ofthe excess ot our soldiers’ cooking kettles.” This state of things, presenting so striking a contrast to the condition of the English camp at this time last year, ought at least to be satisfactory to all who profess to feel an interest in the welfare of our gallant soldicry. ,

The intelligent writer, from whose com- munications (penned in the midst of the scenes he describes) we have so largely borrowed, does not think it probable that Prince Gortschnkotf will succeed in extri- cating himself from the critical position in which he is now left. " The Russian Gene- ral," says he, " must be a man of extraor- dinary centidcnce if he thinks he can extri- cate his army when the spring comes from the grasp of an enemy which already clutch- es the whole ofhis coast,iii established at two points in his rear, and has four distinct bases of operations, with sufiicient troops to use them all, and to concentrate a prodi- gious force on any point he pleiises. He may err, and ifhe does, and the blot is hit, the result will be fatal. The Russian in- fantry, in spite of its stubborn endurance and passive courage, is not equal to ‘either I-‘rencli, Sardinian, English, or Turkish _troops. Every day shows us, that it has no chance even against the latter when they are led and olliceretl by Englishmen or brave and skiltul European soldiers. Their cavalry, in equal numbers, will be ridden down like grass whenever they stand against English or Frciicli squadrons; and iiotwitli- standiiig the excellence of their artillery, compared with other arms oftheir service, it cannot compete with ours for an instant as regards rapidity of motion or precision of tire. Prince Gortschakolf will be a grand strategist opposed to very weak generals if if he succeed.-i in saving his army. and

marching lll('lll .~'-catlii-less froin the Cri- iiiezi.”

Tlic.-0 opinion-', foiiiidi-tl upon oliscrva-N tions tiiado \\‘lllIlll .<i;_rht of the position: which the Rn-'.-i:iii lit-iici':il now occiipics, lIlU.~‘l he alloivi-d to hiivc CflnSl(l(!l‘tll)l'* to be (:Itl'l't't‘l. ‘

'l'iii: l'}.ui'i:i:oi: .\'.\i-oi.::ox has prcsviitcd to thi-

noiiadi-s or b«iiiibarduiciit ofthe siege." Apart from the ciilainitoiis incidi-nt, and front the daring and siici.-.c.-'sl'iil exploits of, Captain Osborn, the uttitiiuo oftliv .\l|it-si in the (Triini-a has liccoiiio oin- ofconi lwtn‘

inactivity. The wcatlit-r. we are told, l'1Illli-2 nuca to ho rcniarkably line, and l'.ivoiiralilu: in the highest (l(‘gl't‘t‘ for any kind ofopi-r-' ations that might be tiiiuli-rtakcii in the field; . but ||.'-lltillff i- :itt«-iiiptvil-—iint|iing thought

oi’--thr troop.- ill?‘ llllllt'<l, zind this (il'lllN'tlll- cainpaign of lr~'.'i.'i at no l'llIl. \\"lii»tlioi- our

}iciici'als liavo llt‘l. loll offii little too .-coon . may the open to cavil. The Tiiiituv is vi'ryl ,mg,.y upon the point, and rails at all the

Coinmaiidors in “ good set tcrins;" lint onri

cuntctnporury is not always ,|||=‘l |",,l'_'5 C9'|',‘ipi«-iit‘._\-, lIvtI'|l in it olo.~i.i upon 40 years. I'm: , M“ ,,,,.,.g

sure; and iii tlicpri-st-nt izistanct-, it is to; be borne in inind that the Allied lieticrals, g in preparing for the wiiiti-r ofthis year, had; only the experience oflai.-at your to ;:ltltl(!' them . \\/inter overtook them in the lirst. week of November in l.\‘.'il. If it has not i done so in I855, the fact is only to he attri- buted to one of lllU:lt' variations ofthe sea- son against wliich it is impossible for any

human foresight to provide with exact ac-

curacy. 1 Let us congratulate ourselves that tlie=

l'i'iiit-ass llo_\‘:tl of l'In;:land the fan ()llt"‘ hi-long-_ in; to .\l:ii~i.: .‘.iitoiiii-ttt,-, and to the l'rint-o til" \\'.il«.~-4 a siiiall watt-,li. of wliioli the case i.- t‘<)lIt]iu.\'t§tl ofzi i-:inj_v_lo i'lll'_\' split in l-all‘.

'l'ii.'-: l'ol.:)_\‘l£l.I‘\' til‘ viii: l'i‘l:|lT!l lli'.~\.ti:s —-'l'h l l'ill'l oi" liur in has l)l“‘l| "-2: tr.-ll to tho lfoloii-_-l-‘ i-y of tin‘ ?3“i lio_'.’:il lri-i lil‘;ill lli'.i_'_'_«i.iti:: or llii.~sui'.-‘. \.ii-.21.: by the 1'-‘:"'lll ll ~.~.-i—= ‘ -if i-sv.t.f tirn. Sir John llrowii. Till) t'olo.i-.".v_\' (ilN'lll("l t.‘|ll‘L‘) i-. v.'o;‘tha'~o=i‘. '.‘l.l|~ll psi‘ :ll|llill't. llo ol coin‘.-‘ ' V (i ‘.|.'i.|l .ilii.:'i'. r .i,ii it --.iv..iit.t“.-l tli-- ri'_;i'-ii-or. tl..it duty li4\'I!l\lll;;' u,oii thee l.ii~iit. 4.’-ii -Bl; " : |t.i.i<'t'i'. xii oiitcriii-3 upon this in-0»-i;-is oi’ the r-'.:iiiii-iit, ihei llI.)lIl:! lord uiil li..v~.- to giio up his pay as (id-i

oral olliv--r, \i'.'.., Li Tm pi-r dii-iii. llllrd l.n- caii, now in his .'it'>th yo-.r, t‘l|lL.‘l'l‘tl the .‘il,'l'\'lt‘."‘ when illltllll. lli ya,-:i.ri~a of age. He has, t-on.~i:--;

'. V‘ ‘l.. ' i

. III‘ I':"i‘.:'..lil i..‘_

Earl of (‘:irdig:in, his brother-in-l-.iw, is thin-o _tc;irs lis senior in point of ago, but lllurc‘ ltlltul. doiible that period liisjunior, in regard to‘ t!t)l‘Vlv‘t'. l’t)l.;\.\'l). , lly into-lligcnce rcct-ivoil front I'IHllllI|ll':f, dated the 5th, we are iiifoi-iiicd, that, I-_i iinpcrial coiniiiand, a grand rcvii-w hurl been held at \Varsaw, to celebrate the an niversary ofthe victory of Russia over the Polish revolution.

.:it an end?

tspiiit ol the Ti-cnt_V of the ‘Ill of

GA Z l‘I'l"l‘E, DECEMBER 22.

THE PEACE PROPOSITIONS.

(From lVilmer's European Times).

Most ofthe papers during the week have been discussing the question whether we shall have peace before another campaign. All the accounts seem to warrant the con- clulion, that terms have been proposed, but the acceptance of these terms by Russia depends upon circumstances into which the chapter ofaccidents must necessarily enter largely. A recent telegraph despatch from Berlin states, that Prince Got-tschakoff as- sured Count Buul, that Russia was willing to coiicode largely on the Four Points; and the French Minister at Vienna is declared to have informed the Austrian Minister, that the arrangements concluded by General Canrobert are equally satisfactory to Swe- den and the Western Powers. There ap- pears now to be no doubt, that Sweden has entered into some formal compact with England and France, and such being the case, it will readily be conceived that Rus- sia is willing to “concede largely " on the Four Points. This treaty between Sweden and the Allies is the most important com- pact which has been entered into since the commencement of the war. It cannot fail to produce intense uneasiness at St. Peters- burg, and in the same degree to strengthen the probabilities of peace. A London Morning paper, of rather apocryphal autho- rity, which aometimea puts forth startling statements on slender grounds, gives this version of the terms which Austria is said to he pressing on the attention ofthe Czar: —‘,‘ That the Dardanelles should be closed to the ships of war of any Power; that the Black Sea should be declared open to the commerce and navigation of all nations; that the south angle of Bessarabia which commands the navigation of the Danube should be incorporated with Moldavia, tliiis rendering the river free from Russian con- troul; and that the Crimea should remain in possession of Russia without any naval establishments.”

Meantime, we learn that a Grand Coun- cil of War is about to be held at St. Peters- hurg, at which all the Archdultea, with so- veral Generals and Admira|s,—al|, indeed, except those employed in the South,--are summoned to attend. The advices from the Russian Capital, while they speak of the misery and poverty caused by the war, and oftiic dissatisfaction which it is producing, mention at the same time the resolve ofthe Czar to prosecute it with vigoiii-, and to listen to no overtures for peace.

The leading journal of yesterday touches upon the peace propositions, but not in a tone which will induce people to think that there is much in them. “ VVliat is it, then, " says our great contemporary, .‘ “ which has sent up our funds, and lc to‘ the general belief that all our troubles arei Simply this—that now, as in the month of llecctnlier last year, we tlI‘t'f favoretl with the other of the good sci-vicrst of .\ustri.'i. This is but a siiiiily fonniliitioiii on which to rest sut-li towring hopes, and.

it may also cover a rock. last have l‘lS(‘l| soinowliat nearer to the lc-~ \'t'l oflior duties and her pl‘L'lt'll.~‘l0ltS; she} tiny at la:-t liiivo licgiin to feel that, thotighl l.l'llt‘ to the li-tti-r, she has bceii liilw to thol i)i~ct-iiibi-r,, uni] \\'t'(ll'J\' of it pvuitinii which i-' llt‘.llll(?l‘i izi iitvzil, liostilo, nor friendly, site niav‘ thi :.'t the time has arrived to seek for ll(‘t' Stll. a pit.-illutl tit tilltzc niorc secure ant inure tligtiitii-il.

the post l-iile o.-' to be anything but s:iii-'

l

"0-rs-13-...-.~...,.

thusiastic as he could desire. The spirit of the addresses which were presented to him

brcatlied a love for constitutional freedom,

and an attachment to civil and religious liberty which could not be unpalatable to a

monarch who has carried out in his owti policy the noble principles which tlicse ad- dresses reflected, The King's replies were for the most part happy and to the point, and the visit cannot fail to bind us more closely in alliance with a State the head of which in fighting with us eiicrgctically in it co-uni-iii cause. The friend;-'liip and mutual self-iiiterest thus cerncnted must long sur- vive the cause which called it into operati- on. His Majesty left our shores on the morning of Tliursday, and arrived in Paris the same evening.

Rizixroitciziuc. . or Russii\ss.—The la- test intelligence from the seat of war says, that the Russians had received a reinforce- ment by the arrival of Gen. Cll:lS.~5t:l(illp’l division, which was 12.000 strong. This force is stated to have reached the camp of St-bastopol. The English and Picdinontese camps had also received more troops. The enemy had erected batteries in his rear, on the north side of Sebastopol, anticipating the possibility of the allies landing a force and attacking in that direction the garrison which holds For-t Constantine. Sir Ed- mund Lyons, it was believed, would remain at Htiiniesch in the Royal Albert. The fleet will probably be etiiployed in contem- plated operations.

GENEIIAI. Si1urson.—Geiier:i| Sir James Simp. sonlste (‘oinmande in Chief of her Majesty‘: forces in the Crimea, arrived in London on Sun- day night, 25th inst., Sir .lames- went, on Mon- day morning, to the \Var Department, in White- hall, hut, Lord Panniure being absent, ho imme- diately lcfi and proceeded to the United Service Club, in Pall Hall, where he was cordially wel- comed by the oflicers \\ ho had the good fortune to be present. We have tiiuch pleasure in am- ing that, in appearance. the gallant General seems to have siilli-trod from tlI¢ ell".-cts of the Climate of the Crimea. On leaving the United Service Club, the gallant soldier was rcco-,ziiized by the few passcrs by, whose szilutations he acknou-led;_-rd.

Cerrospondcnce from Constantinople states that Vioount Stratford do Rcdclitlb has protest- ed encrgctically against. the late arrest of Colon- el Turr by the Austrian Coniiiian-lcr at Buch- arst. The Porto also has expressed itself to the Austrian Minister at Constantinople as deeply aggreived by this outrage, seeing that the Tar- kish territory was the scene, and that the ofiicer

‘arrested is attached to an allied army, the in-

dividual iiiembcrs of which, by virtue ofa treaty have the right to circulate throughout the Sultan's dominions. The U5! D<u.'si-lie Post says, that on the 30th ult, Colonel '.l‘iiri- was in prison at l\'i'r-nstiidt, and that :i (‘oloiiel of War had pronounced his sentence ofdcath.

l’lllD.\l0N'l.‘ AND 'l‘l.'b'C.\.\'Y. By the inediatoiy lllllllt‘llC0 ot'I-‘rancc and

wci}_:ht, Let us trust that thi-v will prove , yet though the sand may be ii quicksaiid, , Ellgltllld. the point in dispute between Sar- }\u.-tria l|lll_\‘ at ;‘ diiiia and Tuscany has been adjusted.

Tin: Coi.oxi:i.cv or 'riii: Einiir Huss- .\ns.-——'l‘hc Earl of l.ui:.'iii has been ga-

7.t)l.l(‘.tl to the Colonclcy of the 8th Royal

Irish l.iglit Dragoons or llussars, vacant

by the l'(‘t2l‘lll tit-iiii-‘r: of Lictit-(icii. Sir ' i.lol:n l;.'t)\\'.'l. The Coiozit-icy (a sinccure) ];i.s' worth alioii! £l.lOt) poi‘ aiinuiii. He All is as yet lll|(,‘(:['lul|]; ,‘ of i-oiirsc, l\"lll_L_' :i General ollii-ct, cannot coiiiiiizind the rt-gciiieiit. that duty (level-

-_-.iiiit-, and tin- future, llI)Wt‘\‘(‘l‘, l~:'i,:l:: it \-i,,._: "PU" the Lit-:12, Colon:-l’ or own-

iiiziy’ id‘, is yet iiiipi-iii-ti-zililo. " This in all piobiibility. is the prcsi‘itti 2-‘talc of tlio'q-.ii-.-‘tioii. All i.-' iinct-rtaiiity,'l but llw inoiii-y lllitl'lit‘l is .<t-ii.-'iti\'c, and the] lt't’ll|l_'_{ of the in--iii-y inarket has a pacilici hearing. lt is now stated that l’ai-liaincnt no the Illst of .lannary l'or the

ll(‘S[|ltlt‘..lt of litisiiii-s~i.

The visit oftliv King of H.ii-diiiia has hr; t '

pmi '\t : m present work in that state ofcx- whicli the (Iockiicyt-i love, and if 1' hi. tsikon place at a more genial season ..' :m- year, the itiipi-cs.-iuii produced on the 4 llillltl of our Italian ally Wollltl l!€l\'c been lll;till_V liivoi-alilc. As it was. all the pnblici bodies, and more especially the pcople,: gave the king a greeting as hearty and en-

-vz--=.-:-’ t:

i

illltllltllllg o{',~’i.:ut'. rvceiptsoftlio regiment the iiohle lord will have to give up his pay as General ofliccr, viz.,

On ciitt,-iiiig; upon the

£l 5s per (ll(‘.ll’l. Lord Lucan, now in his 56th year, entered the service when but 16 years of age. He has, consequently, been in it close upon 40 _voar.<. The Earl of Cardigan, his ll|‘t)lllt‘l'-lll-l(\\\', is three years his se-

,t|..- lil'lll."il iiietropolis during the gro:iti~r nu".inpm,”,,[,,gc,|m[more1|mn double

that period his _pinior in regard to service.

Sir Archibald Alison has received a let- ter from Sir Colin Campbell, stating that, owing to his leaving for the Crimea in a few days, he will not be able to come to Scotland. ‘