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cestive disease . The same period of life , between 45 and 60 years of age , sees the career of this fated family cut short . . . " Paul , at first violent , and fanatical , a perfect lunatic at 45 years of age , is despatched at 47 J in 1801 . " Alexander dies at Taganrog in December , 1825 , aged 48 . For five years previously his temper and his mind had at times exhibited the parental malady by his capricious and wayward manner of treating the Polish provinces . He died of congestive fever of the brain , during which he knocked down his favourite physician , Sir James Wylie , who assured me of the fact at St . Petersburg in 1828 , because he wished to apply leeches to his temples . _
" Constantine , eccentric always , tyrannical , cruel , dies at Warsaw suddenly in July , 1831 , aged 52 years , after having caused rebellion in the country by his harsh treatment of the cadet officers . I saw and conversed with him on the parade and in its palace at Warsaw in December , 1828 . His looks and demeanour sufficiently denoted to a medical man what lie was , and what his fate would be . It has been said that he died of cholera ; again , that he had been despatched like his father . The physician-in-chief of the Polish military hospitals assured me some years after that he had died apoplectic and in a rage .
" Michael , after many years of suffering from Jhe same complaints which afflict his only surviving brother —enlarged liver , deranged digestion , and fulness of blood in the head —became in 1848-9 intolerably irritable , violent , and tyrannical to his own officers of the artillery and engineers service , of which he was the supreme chief . In July , 1849 , he consulted me at St . Petersburg . It was after he had passed in review the whole train of artillery which was leaving the capital for Hungary , at -which * review I was present and near him , and witnessed scenes of violent temper towards generals and aides-de-camp hardly equalled in a lunatic asylum . I found him as described above . I advised cupping , diet , non-exposure to the sun and to fatigue , the administration of suitable medicines , and the cessation from
drinking steel mineral waters , of which he was fond ever since he had been at Kissingen . His physician , the younger Sir James Wylie ( himself since suddenly dead ) , assented reluctantly , but did not carry-my advice into execution . The Grand Duke , in the state he was , unrelieved by any medical measure or proper treatment , joined the army , rode out in the sun , and fell from his horse apoplectic in September , 1849 , aged 48 . " Dr . Gfranville received an acknowledgment of this letter from Lord Palmerston in his own handwriting , but the warning does not appear to have had any effect . The Doctor thus concludes his communication to the Times : — -
" At an interview with Lord Palmerston , February 23 , 1854 , on matters of a private nature , his lordship was pleased to ask me before we separated , whether I still adhered to my opinion and prediction . I replied , that before July , 1855 ( the Emperor would then be 59 years old ) , what I had anticipated would happen . ' Let but a few reverses overtake the Emperor , 'I added , ' and his death , like that of all his brothers , will be sudden . ' It has proved"so . * Alina ,- * Inkerman ,-Balaklava 7- shook the mighty brain . Eupatoria completed the stroke , which has anticipated my prognosis only by a few weeks . "
THE SUCCESSION . The Cesarewitch Alexander , eldest son of the late Emperor , has received homage as successor to the throne ; and the nobles and chief officers have taken the oath of allegiance . A despatch from Konigsberg , dated the 7 th instant , and received at Berlin on the same day gives the following summary of the manifesto of the new Emperor of Russia : — " The manifesto of Alexander II . has arrived . After announcing the sudden and severe illness of the Emperor Nicholas , which terminated in his death , it saj'S that , as the deceased devoted himself incessantly for the
welfare of his subjects , ' so do wo also , on ascending the throne of Russia , and of Poland and Finland , inseparable from it , take a solemn oath before God to regard the welfare of our empire as our only object . May Providence , which has selected us for so high a calling , bo our guide and protector , that we may maintain liussia on the highest standard of power and glory , and in our person accomplish the incessant wishes and views of Peter , of Catherine , of Alexander , and of our father . May the zeal of our subjects assist us therein . Wo invoke and command the oath of allegiance to us and to the heir to the throne , our son Nicholas Aloxandrowitch . ' "
The Times Paris correspondent has tlio following speculations on the present posture of affairs : — " It has boon often said that in the Imperial family itself a wide difl'urenco of opinion existed on the policy pursued by the lato Emperor . The Grand Duke Alcnandcr , the heir to tho throno , was not believed to approvo of it so ardently as his father desired ; while his brother tho Qrand Duko Constantino ' s fanaticism , had , on the contrary , to bo rather repressed than encouraged . All reports describe the latter aa passionate , hwul . strong , and profoundly ambitious , —a despot in heart and soul , without the tact of his father , or anything of tho gentleness of his elder brother . It is related that the map of
the vast empire and its dependencies which the Emperor Nicholas ruled over , was the favourite study of the Archduke Constantine , and that when questioned he pointed out the portion of these territories which he would assign to his brother , and those which he would claim as his own , the latter having for its southern boundary the Bosphorus . If such be still the ruling passion , and , if there be means in his power to attempt to realize it , a civil war in Russia itself may ba among the consequences . "
EFFECT OF THE EMPEROtt S DEATH UPON THE FUNDS . The sudden news of the death of the Emperor of Russia caused the stock-markets to open on Saturday morning with considerable excitement , and in the English funds an improvement took place of 2 £ per cent . There was general activity in foreign securities , and prices in some cases advanced 2 or 3 per cent . Turkish and French scrip were most favourably influenced ; large operations have taken place in both descriptions . —Times , City Article , Monday .
At Paris the funds rose rapidly , and Threes went up to 73 . At the opening of the Bourse on Saturday , they were done at 72 fr ., 71 fr . 50 c . After many variations , they closed at 71 fr . 85 c .
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The degree of influence which the death of the Russian Emperor is likely to have upon the progress of the war is , of course , still uncertain , but in the mean while speculation has been busy . At * the commencement of the week , sanguine hopes were entertained of the near approach of peace , and the Funds , both in England and France , rose rapidly in consequence ; but opinion has since undergone a change , and it is questioned whether the new Uzar will not
find himself a creature of circumstances , and be forced , for sheer existence sake , to prosecute the war in spite of his own milder disposition . His declaration on ascending the throne speaks of following up the policy- of his deceased father j and , if he will not , Constantine will . J ? r © bably , in anticipation of this , the French Emperor , since the death of Nicholas , lias sent word to General Canroherfc to prosecute the siege with all vigour , and people are now beginning to look forward to the assault .
The improvement in the state of affairs before the walls , to which we alluded last week , still continues . Nearly all the regiments are now provided with huts ; and the Times correspondent says that scarcely a day now passes on which Lord Raglan does not inspect some part of the lines . The lines towards the searoad from Yalta have been much strengthened ; the siege works of the Allies are making progress ; and the condition of the men lias changed greatly for the better . So much for the " evils" of free speech and criticism . We quote the ensuing from the Tunes correspondent , writingjjn [ February 19 : —
" The drying winds continue , and the plateau to the south of Sebastopol can be traversed easily on horse or foot , even at the bottom of the ravines . With this fine weather the good spirits and energies of our men have returned ; but I regret to say the warm wind which blew the other day brought with it , or developed , the seeds of typhus fever , which broke out in several regiments lately , and soon marked some of the strongest men as its victims . The trenches are dry ; the men get all they want , provisions are abundant ; hay has arrived , and fresh vegetables have been sent up to the front to check the scurvy . The progress of the railroad is extraordinary . It is already completed out to the entrance of the village of Kadikoi , to-morrow it will have passed through it on its way out to the plateau , and on Wednesday it will be , in all probability , used for the transport of a cargo of . shot and shell out so far from Balaklava in tho intervals
of the workmen ' s labour . Tho aspect of tho town is greatly altered for tho bettor . Tho wretched hovels in which tho Turkish soldiery propagated pestilence and died have boon cleaned out or levelled to the earth ; tho cesspools and collections of utter abominations in the streets havo been filled up , and quick limo has boon laid down in tho streets and lanes , and around the houses . Tho sutlers have been driven forth to a wooden world of their own outside the town , and tho number of visitors to tho town diminished . Indeed , tho railway , which sweeps right through tho main street , very effectually clears away tho crowds of stragglers who used to infest tho placo . It is inexpressibly strange to hour tho wellknown rumbling sound of tho carriages and waggons as they pass to and fro with their freights of navvies , sleepers , and rails ; It recals homo moro strongly than anything we havo yet heard in tho Crimea . " ADDITIONAL DEPBNCKS . Strong additional defences havo been thrown up on tho heights to the right of our position , and the advanced battery , covering tlio liead . of the harbour and sweeping tho plain in all directions , is being rendered still more formidable by a now ditch nnd nbattis . Tho now tliroe-gun battery on tho left of this Ja also
completed , and it is intended to construct another oi eight guns on a very strong post between Balaklava and Kadikoi . With such defences , Balaklava would rival Sebastopol in strength if its garrison were only increased in proportion ; but , though guns have been added , there is a part of the lines , which of course I shall not specify , still very far from being efficiently manned in regard . to numbers . If this matter is much longer overlooked , our chances of holding the place may any day be seriously diminished by the sudden appearance of a strong Russian force which might succeed in a well-planned , determined attack like that of Inkerman . —Morning Herald Correspondent .
RUMOURED RESIGNATIONS . It is generally stated in the camp , and commonly believed , that the whole of the principal staff officers of the quartermaster-general's , adjutant-general ' s , and commissariat departments , have sent in their resignations . Rumour likewise states that General England intends resigning .
PROGRESS OF THE RAILWAY . The railway is now progressing at the rate of a quarter of a mile per day , including all the delays which a ^ ise from bridging small streams , levelling , and filling up inequalities , &c . Half the men are employed in laying down the rails and sleepers during the day , and the remainder work all night in boxing up with earth and stones the spaces left between each sleeper . As an instance of the rapidity with which the work proceeds , a pile-driving machine was landed one evening , and carried
piecemeal up to where it was necessary to sink piles for a stout wooden bridge across a small , but very muddy stream , which runs into the harbour . The machine was erected early the following morning , and before the evening the piles were all driven , the machine removed , the bridge finished , and the rails laid down for the space of a hundred yards beyond . The course of another week or ten days must see half the line completed , and , as far as it goes , in operation . Even forwarding the heavy guns and shells three miles will be , of course , an immense assistance . —Morning Herald Correspondent .
STATE OF THE HARBOUR . There is not the least exaggeration in saying that , if the harbour was badly managed before , it is now ten times worse since the departure of Captain Powell , of the "Vesuvius . That active officer _ was gradually getting the vessels into something like arrangement , and had got the masters to observe the rules which he had laid down , when he was suddenly ordered off to Constantinople , and since then
everything has gone wrong . The ships now lie any way they please , blocking up the little landing places , impeding traffic , and injuring themselves . No vessel could now get her anciiors up , and haul out , under a week ' s notice ; and if we had anything like a severe gale , all the smaller vessels would be crushed by the large steam-ships between which they are jammed . Nothing can possibly be worse than our present arrangements for the shipping . —Morning Herald Correspondent ^
SEW BATTERIES . New batteries are being thrown up about a mile in advance of the spot where the battle of Inkerman was fought ; and it is conjectured that in that direction the greatest efforts of the Allies will be made . The new engineer , General Jones , is said to be the author of this pla n : it is known that he strongly condemned the manner in which the siege works had previously been conducted .
THE ATTACK ON EUPATORIA . A despatch from Lord Raglan , dated February 20 , and received by Lord Panmure on Thursday , encloses despatches from Omar Pacha , and from Colonel Simmons ( attached to the head-quarters of the Turkish Commander ) , giving a detailed account of the battle of Eupatoria on the 17 th . From these , it would seem that the affair was a very serious one ; and from the great superiority of the Russians in artillery and cavalry , ought to have been successful on their side . It appears that they advanced at daybreak in great force , and opened with artillery upon the entrenchments which inclose tho town .
" Tho enemy ' s artillery , " says Colonel Simmons , " opened their fire about 1200 yards from tho place , covered by skirmishers ; and supported by heavy masses of infantry in their rear , and cavalry on their flanks . Tlio artillery subsequently took up a second position moro in advance , ubout 400 yards from a « mall crown work which is being erected in front of tho mills to the north-east of tho town , and after continuing their fire for some time , tho infantry advanced to tho attack of wall about 600
having formed under tho cover a yards from tho rfff ltt of tho town . They were repulsed atiluH point , leaving from 150 to 200 dead on tho field On other points of the field a number of horses were left dead , but tho killed men wcro removed . At length , about 10 \ . M ., tho whole force retired , covered by tho artillery and cavalry . Ah many aa CO of the enomy ' a Kims must have been firing at one time , amongst them rioino 32-noundcrH . Prisoners report that they were accompanied by 100 guns . Aa yet , oil the particulars I
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THE WAR .
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I-- ¦ ¦ ¦ - . . - . Maboh 10 , 1855 . ] - THE LUPB 1 221
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Leader (1850-1860), March 10, 1855, page 221, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2081/page/5/
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