'!jr Caottru &Italian VIIIIrtff.

Some further papers relating to the Eastern question were presented to Parliament on Tuesday. They continue the series of documents pre- sented at the opening of the session, and bring down the negotiations to that latest point, when the Emperor of Russia refused to answer the sum- mons of France and England. They include the despatches enclosing the abortive Russian proposals for peace offered by Count Orloff at Vienna, which have been already correctly stated in the newspapers; and they show the steps by which the Western Powers arrived at the determina- tion of sending to the Emperor Nicholas the final summons to evacuate the Principalities within a given time.

No. 31.—The Earl of Westmoreland to the Earl of Clarendon. (Feb. 4.) (Extract.) "Count Bud l has announced to the French Ambassador and to me, that Count Orlofrs proposition to the Emperor of Austria was, that his Majesty should engage himself to a strict neutrality in the event of the war between Turkey and Russia, in which it appeared that England and France were about to take a part. The Emperor of Austria replied to Count Orloff, ask- ing if the Emperor of Russia would confirm his Majesty's engagements not to pass the Danube, to evacuate the Principalities after the war, and not to disturb the general arrangement at present existing of the Turkish pro- vinces? Count Orloff replied, that the Emperor of Russia could take no en- gagement.

"The Emperor of Austria answered, that in that case he could take no engagement, as was proposed to him. He should remain faithful to the Principles he had adopted in concert with the other Three Powers, and should be guided in his conduct by the interests and the dignity of his em- pire."

Count Buol assured M. de Bourqueney, that if England and France would "fix a delay for the evacuation of the Principalities, the expiration of which should be the signal for hostilities," the Cabinet of Vienna would support the summons. M. de Bourqueney immediately made M. Drouyn de Lhuys acquainted with this intelligence ; in his turn M. Drouyn de Lhuys informed Lord Cowley ; who, on the 22d February, telegraphed the same to Lord Clarendon ; intimating at the same time that the French Minister thought the summons should be Bent immediately, and suggesting the end of March for the completion of the evacuation. " Silence or refusal to be considered a declaration of war on the part of Russia." Accordingly, Lord Clarendon, on the 27th February, despatched the following letter by Captain Blackwood.

No. 101.—The Earl of Clarendon to Count Ifesselrode. (Feb. 27.)

" M. le Comte—As the ordinary channels of communication between England and Russia have been closed by the recent interruption of diplo- matic relations between the two Courts, I am under the necessity of ad- dressing myself directly to your Excellency on a matter of the deepest importance to our respective Governments and to Europe.

' The British Government has for many months anxiously laboured, in conjunction with its allies, to effect a reconciliation of differences between Russia and the Sublime Porte' and it is with the utmost pain that the British Government has come to the conclusion that one last hope alone remains of averting the calamity which has so long impended over Europe. " It rests with the Government of Russia to determine whether that hope shall be realized or extinguished ; for the British Government, having ex- hausted all the efforts of negotiation, is compelled to declare to the Cabinet of St. Petersburg, that if Russia should decline to restrict within purely di- plomatic limits the discussion in which she has for some time past been en- gaged with the Sublime Porte, and does not, by return of the messenger who is the bearer of my present letter' announce her intention of causing the Russian troops under the orders of Prince Gortsohakoff to commence their march with a view to recross the Pruth, so that the provinces of Moldavia and Wallachia shall be completely evacuated on the 30th of April next, the British Government must consider the refusal or the silence of the Cabinet of St. Petersburg as equivalent to a declaration of war, and will take its measures accordingly. "The messenger who is the bearer of this letter to your Excellency is di- rected not to wait more than six days at St. Petersburg for your reply ; and I earnestly trust that he may convey to me an announcement on the part of the Russian Government, that by the 30th of April next the Principalities' will-cease to be occupied by Russian forces. "I have, Ace., CLARENDON."

No. 104.—The Earl of Clarendon to Lord Bloomfield. (Feb. 27.) In this despatch Lord Clarendon informs the British Minister at Berlin of the step that had been taken ; enclosing a copy of the summons, and in- structing him to communicate at once with Baron Manteuffel. Lord Bloom- field is further to acquaint the Prussian Minister, that France and England were animated with the siecerest desire of cooperating with Prussia ; and that they had determined not to send forward the identical letter addressed to Count Nesselrode without previous communication with the Prussian Go- vernment. Baron Manteuffel is earnestly requested to join in the requisition to Russia, or at least to give it the sanction and support of the Prussian Go- vernment.

The messenger, Captain Blackwood, is therefore placed at the disposal of Baron Manteuffel, with liberty to delay his journey for a few hours.

No. 108.—Lord Bloomfield to the Earl of Clarendon. (Feb. 25.)

Lord Bloomfield states, that he had seen Baron Manteuffel, who said he did not think the King of Prussia would perhaps object to join in the summons, but he did not think his Majesty would take part in active hostilities in the event of a refusal.

No. 115.—Lord Cowley to the Earl of Clarendon. (March 2.)

Lord Cowley informs Lord Clarendon, that on the 1st March a messenger had arrived from Berlin, bringing advices that "the Prussian Government would support the summons sent to Russia by England and France in the same measure as Austria, but that they declined signing it."

No. 119.—Lord Bloomfield to the Earl of Clarendon. (March 2.)

By this despatch Lord Clarendon learned, on the 4th, that Baron Man- teuffel would on the 3d submit a draught despatch addressed to General B.ochow [Prussian Minister at St. Petersburg] instructing him to support the summons. Lord Bloomfield, unwilling longer to delay Captain Blackwood, sent him on the night of the 2d to Vienna.

No. 127.—Lord Bloomflekl to the Earl of Clarendon. (March 4.)

This despatch states that the King of Prussia had, on the 3d, forwarded an instruction to General Rochow to support the summons. "This in- struction, he [Baron Manteuffel] said, was sent to St. Petersburg last night by the post, and was drawn up in very pressing language. It urged the Russian Government to consider the dangers to which the peace of the world would be exposed by a refusal, and declared that the responsibility of the war which might be the consequence of that refusal would rest with the Emperor. Baron Manteuffel added, that the King, in approving the draught of the despatch which had been laid before him, observed that he felt it to be his duty to give all the support in his power to any measure which might still hold out a hope, ever so slight, of the maintenance of peace."

On the 4th March, the Vienna Conference rejected the last preliminaries of peace offered by Russia. The last document in the blue book gives an ac- count of the reception of the summons at St. Petersburg.

No. 137.—Con8ul Michele to the Earl of Clarendon. (March 19.) Mr. Michele states that Captain Blackwood arrived at St. Petersburg at a few minutes after eleven on the morning of the 13th March ; that within an hour the Consul placed the despatch from the French Government in the hands of the French Consul, and that before another hour elapsed they both waited on Count Nesselrode ; by whom they were requested to call at noon the next day. Accordingly, they then presented themselves ; and were told that Count Nesselrode wished to see the English Consul alone. The Chan- cellor received the Consul "with his usual courtesy," and informed him that the Emperor was then absent from St. Petersburg, and would not return until the 17th; when Lord Clarendon's letter should be laid before him, and a reply forwarded to the Consul. Count Nesselrode, observing the date of the letter, [27th February,] asked what had detained the messenger so long on the road ; and was informed of his having called at Paris, Berlin, and Vienna.

The Emperor returned on the 17th from Finland, where, with his three sons, he bad been inspecting the fortifications of Wiborg. Helsingfors, and Sveaborg; and at ten o'clock on the night of the 18th, Mr. Michele was re- quested to call on Count Nesselrode at one o'clock on the 19th. When he arrived, he found that the French Consul was with Count Nesselrode.

"After waiting a short time, I was told Count Nesselrode would receive me. On entering the room, his Excellency's greeting was of the most friendly description. He said—' I have taken his Majesty's commands with reference to Lord Clarendon's note, and the Emperor does not think it be- coming to make any reply to it.' I replied= M. le Comte, in a matter of so much importance, I am sure I shall be excused for desiring to convey to my Government the exact words employed by your Excellency:' The Count at first used the words His Majesty does not think it becoming in him to give any reply to Lord Clarendon's letter' (tie le croit pas convenable de donuer aucune reponse a la lettre de Lord Clarendon). Upon my repeating this phrase after Count Nesselrode, his Excellency said, L'Empereur tie jugs pas convenable,' &c. ; and I again repeated after him the entire sen- tence. After I had done so, the Count said, ' Yes, that is.the answer I wish you to convey to your Government—'L'Empereur ne juge pas convenable de donner aucune reponse a la lettre de Lord Clarendon.' " The official message having been delivered, Count Nesselrode desired the Consul to sit, and asked him when he proposed to despatch the Queen's mes- senger. The Consul replied, that afternoon, if the passports were ready. Count Nesse!rode said, they had been already sent to the Baron de Plessen, [the Danish Envoy.] "In the course of our subsequent conversation, I asked Count Nesselrode what the intentions of his Government were with refer- ence to the Consular arrangements between the two countries in the event of a declaration of war? -His Excellency replied—' That will entirely de- pend upon the course her Britannic Majesty's Government may adopt: we shall not declare war.'"

Among the papers collateral to the present story, is a letter from Sir Hamilton Seymour, which puts one of the Russian discrepancies, often noticed, in a light novel from its glaring distinctness.

No. 95.—Sir G. H. Seymour to the Earl of Clarendon (Extract) "St. Petersburg, Feb. 15. "In the Russian projet de protocole, the Russian Plenipotentiary declares —‘Que si divers notes de la Porte, et notanunent ;1 regard des lieux saints, ayant paru a l'Empereur indiquer des dispositions pen favourables au culte professe, avaient engage sa Majeste a demander, en memo temps quo r arrangement special des dits lieux, one garantie generale des droits, privi- leges, et immunites relizieuses accordees a rEglise Orthodoxe.' These few words contain a tardy tribute to veracity.

"In the early days of Prince Menschikoff's mission, it was stated to me repeatedly and most positively, that he had no other object in view than to reestablish and secure the rights of the Greek Church at Jerusalem. "When the real motives which had carried Prince Menschikoff to Constan- tinople became known, I was next informed that I had no right to consider that I had been misled, inasmuch as what was claimed for the Greek Church was the necessary confirmation of the Greek rights at the Holy Places : and only now it comes to light that the special arrangement regarding the Holy Places is considered by the Russian Cabinet as a question quite distinct from that of the guarantee to be demanded of the rights, privileges, and immuni- ties of the Greek Church.

"I feel grateful to the Imperial Cabinet for having made this admission before my withdrawal from St. Petersburg."