THE FIELD 
441 
SWISS FETE. 
been scant fault found at home with any severity of 
visitation which might have fallen on the subjects of 
the Czar ; thus the discreet humanity of the com- 
manders of the expedition does them the more credit. 
It is hardly necessary to add, that St. Petersburg has 
put out an account of the affair, characterised by the 
regard for truth which has marked all the docu- 
ments from that quarter. The firing on the 
flag of truce is denied, and it is alleged that the 
guns did not open on the “ Furious” until she began 
to make a survey of the port. Her own officers state 
that she was “ motionless” at the time. The Russian 
version also overstates the number of frigates engaged, 
and understates the damage done at Odessa ; but this 
might have been expected. It is said that the fleets 
proceeded from Odessa to Sebastopol, to blockade that 
port. 
Lord Raglan had arrived at Scutari, where our 
troops are lodged in a magnificent barrack, which 
forms so prominent an object on the Asiatic shore 
opposite Constantinople (of which, indeed, Scutari is 
a suburb), and had taken the command of the forces. 
1 1 is lordship is now expecting his cavalry and artillery. 
If necessary, a few hours’ steaming would convey our 
infantry to Varna, to co-operate with the Turkish 
army of defence. Omar Pasha was at Schumla, appa- 
rently awaiting the onslaught of the Russians, who, 
however, appear to be in no hurry to advance. General 
Liiders was engaged in reducing various fortresses in 
the Dobrutscha ; but Rassova was safe, nor did any 
serious attack appear to have been made upon Silistria. 
( )mar Pasha is of course made aware of the arrival of 
the British commander, and knows how long the Turks 
need wait before Frank assistance can be furnished. 
Meantime, it is stated that the Russians are concen- 
trating forces in Moldavia, and their doing so is held 
lo imply apprehension of a demonstration on the part 
of Austria. The Greek insurrection continues to be 
unsuccessful, and rumour has gone so far as to declare 
that the King and Queen of Greece, deluded by the 
splendid promises of the Emperor of Russia for the 
aggrandisement of their kingdom, and perhaps its 
erection into an empire, with “ Byzantium” as its 
capital, are now in some danger of having no throne 
at all to sit down upon. 
Little news arrives from the seat of war in Asia, and 
that little is unsatisfactory. The Turkish armies there 
seem to have been demoralised, and the officers in 
numerous instances corrupted by Russia ; but at Erze- 
roum and Kars there are still assembled troops which, 
under better direction, might still be made available. 
At home, Turkey has occupied our legislators to no 
small extent. On Friday night the new estimates for 
the Navy, Army, and Ordnance, were brought forward 
by Sir James Graham, Mr. Sidney Herbert, and Mr. 
Monsell respectively ; and with slight explanation, and 
next to no discussion, nearly five millions and a-half 
were voted for the extraordinary expenses of the war, 
Mr. Cobden himself not venturing to protest, and only 
expressing his wish that the principle of sparing the 
property of neutrals might be extended to the non- 
military subjects of our enemy. But Lord John Rus- 
thought , that to do away with all the inconveniences 
of war would also do ’a way with the strongest induce- 
ments to seek peace. The debate was enlivened by a 
vast deal of indignation professed by the friends of 
Admiral Dundas at the audacity of the press in daring 
to find fault with that gallant officer’s apparent tardi- 
ness in the Black Sea. Some very hard names were 
applied to the journalists ; but the gentlemen who came 
out with these amiabilities were men of such a calibre, 
that it would be almost cruel to retort upon them, and, 
therefore, we will only say that we believe, as regards 
our contemporaries — and we are sure as regards 
ourselves — that no such ebullitions of impertinence 
will either induce us to use a single harsher or gentler 
word in reference to any officer, military or naval, 
than we should otherwise have felt it our duty to 
employ in the discharge of a function at least as re- 
sponsible as that of a member of Parliament. 
The five millions and a-half were soon voted ; but 
then came a rather important question, namely, where 
the money was to come from. On Monday night Mr. 
Gladstone answered this question, subject to parlia- 
mentary approbation of his plan. He stated that the 
whole deficit occasioned by the war expenses amounted 
to ten millions, of which the House had already, by 
its addition to the Income Tax, given him more than 
three. The balance he proposed to obtain by four 
impositions. He would double the Income Tax, 
thereby raising that pleasing impost to fourteen pence 
in the pound,— would add one shilling a gallon to the 
duty on Scotch, and eightpence on that of Irish spirits, — 
would deprive us of the reduction on sugar which was 
to take effect in July, and equalize the duties on 
foreign and colonial sugar, — and, lastly, to the great 
indignation of the opposition, would raise the malt 
tax from two and ninepence to four shillings a bushel. 
These arrangements would give him, ultimately, 
the sum required; but as a good deal of it might not 
come in so soon as it was wanted, lie proposed to take 
powers to issue a large amount of Exchequer securities 
in order to raise, in the mean time, the sums required. 
These proposals were by no means received with 
equanimity, and the malt tax plan especially called 
forth opposition from the Conservatives, who took time 
by the forelock, and divided the House, on Tuesday, 
against the malt resolution, though it was then brought 
on only as a matter of form. The Government triumphed 
by a very large majority, but it is by no means so certain 
that this will not be materially diminished when the 
principle of the budget is discussed. It is, however, 
probable that the whole scheme will be carried by the 
aid of those who object to much of it. but who feel that, 
with cannon roaring - , it will not do to be particular about 
the means of finding the money to buy powder. 
There is little other news; but we must record that 
the opening of the Crystal Palace is fixed for the 
10th of June, when Her Mujesty will open the bufld- 
ino - with great pomp, and by which time it is hoped 
that the particular species of leaf which Sir Joseph 
Paxton had forgotten amid the mass of Ins other 
botanical arrangements will be supplied to the Palace in 
sufficient quantity to satisfy the Archbishop of Can- 
terbury and Lord Shaftesbury, memorialists in that 
behalf. 
THE BUDGET AND TRADE. Bv 
Mr. Merrypeuule. 
“ Slio cried mum ! and I cried Budget."— S jiakbpbauk. 
Tue War Budget of Mr. Gladstone was well received 
in the House, end is certainly one founded on sound 
( Manciples, though we could have wished a greater 
eaniug to, and generalisation of, direct taxation. In 
these times of strikes and the pecuniary wants of the 
nation, the beverage of the poor should have escaped 
molestation ; though we question whether the brewer 
has not hitherto derived the chief advantage in all 
ameliorations of the taxes on corn, or how arc such 
incomes expended in realising landed estates. The 
present extra cost entailed upon us by this forced war, 
£6,850,000, is to be furnished by continuing the double 
Income Tax to the endof the war, by increasing the duty 
on spirits in Scotland Is. per gallon, and 8d. in Ireland ; 
ind the malt duty from 2s. 9d. to 4s. ; and deferring the 
reduction of the duty on sugar, which was to have come 
into operation on the 5th J uly. The amount thus raised, 
nrith tlie previous additions to our taxes for this year, 
viU be £10,157,000. The first instalments towards 
;his sinful struggle, are lives of ‘innocent ‘.thousands 
lacrificed for the mad passions of an unprincipled 
•uffian, whom it is the impious fashion to call a king 
<y divine right. We trust that now and hereafter 
•very nation will call malediction on him and his name 
'or throwing back nations in their prosperity and 
,eace for ten years at least. This Jason is sowing 
Iragons’ teeth, and reaping the horrors of war and the 
•urses of its victims, instead of growing corn, wine, 
md oil, and garnering up the blessings ot peace. 
However, amidst these miseries looming in the North 
xnd East, our trade returns are most cheering. In 
the month ending April 5th, our exports exceeded 
those of the same month last year by nearly one 
million sterling, — the respective sums lor the two 
periods being exactly £7,887,233, and £8,880,805. 
there has been a decrease in cotton, silk, and woo len 
yarn, oil and seeds, but a large increase has taken 
place in metals, cotton manufactures, machinery, 
beer ale, and other articles ol colonial use. In im- 
port grain is the most remarkable, quite twice as 
lunch having been taken in April 1854, as in April 1853. 
Lea has declined, owing to the impending reduction 
duty, but coffee and sugar had risen, bo that we 
ire still prospering with the fag ends of peace, which, 
ve trust, with God's help, will not be long interrupted. 
TOBY PEEP’S PREDICTIONS. 
We be* to call attention to the letters of our 
•orrespondent “Toby Peeps” on the Great Northern 
Handicap, at York, and the Chester Cup. 
For the Great Northern Handicap he indicated— 
VIRAGO AND LOUGH BAWN ! 
’or the Chester Cup— 
DOCTOPv O'TOOLE!! 
md for a Cock Boat— 
EPAMINONDAS ! ! ! 
