A letter from St. Petersb...
A letter from St. Petersburgh, inserted in a French pa- per, describes a curious ceremony of coronation that took placcon the Asiatic fiontier of the empire about the end of last summer. The scene is laid near Iiralsk, on the river Ural, north of thc Caspian, and the happy sovereign was a Khan of the tribe of Kirgis. Th. horde obtained permission from the EFiPERoR to elect their Khan, and the Khan permission to be elected. The tribe accordingly as. sembled en a large plain, for the purpose of the electioni, where a hustings was erected, buit where, of course, there was no rival candidate. The future chief came to this meeting escorted by a guard of fifty Cossacks or Russians, and the work of the day began. In the first place was read a letter from the ENPEROR, addressed to the horde, and another addressed to the Khan-the former giving the people leave to choose their chief. and the latter giving the chief leave to be chosen. The horde was of course quite delighte(d with the exercise of its complete sove. reignty, and the Kha-a with thepossession of his perfect in- depcndence. He kissed with joy the imperial missive ; lie held it over hiis head as if it constituted his crown ; and then he took the oath of fidelity to the Autocrat on ' bend- - ed knee." After this, his coronation took place, under the auspices and by the han<ls of three officers of the Imperial army, the first of whom threw over his sacred person the Royal mantle; the second of whom covered his head with a cap, mrade of the skin of the black fox of Siberia ; and the third of whom girt his body with the gokleni sword of state. After this august ceremony was concluded, the Rtussian Governor of Orenhourg invited the Khan and the most eminent of hiis subjects to a sumptuous entertain- rm.ent. The narrative dloes not state whether the Khan's Lord Clhaneellor proposed his healtlh with " four times four ;" but it is certain that he obtained his crown and his dinner from the Esii'EaoR on thesamne day. *Ve are thus particular in noticing these facts-not, it will easily be seen, from any regard to their intrinsic importance, but-to show what kind of independence is enjoyed under Russian in- fluence; an( this at a time when the Emperor of RUssiA has shown an extrei-me anxiety that Greece, on being eman- cipated froin the Ottoman yoke, should be divided into principalitics, and placed uiider his protectionl. I o D I,.,! I .. I - - Llte I. olv Allies; and we obscrve with regret in Colonel STANHXOPE'S work on Greece, that a party in that countrv would not be averse to see it realized. In this case the Autrocrat would issue his congl d'lire to all the principalities, nominating the Bev flospodar or Plrince of thie Peloponniesus of Eastern and Western Greece, and of the Greek Isles, as lie now no- ininates the Khan of the horde of Kirgis. WVe hope the Greeks will be oil their guard against these arts, or their abetters, either at honme or ahroad ; andI that whatever Go- verninent they may adopt, they will not go to the Cauicasus for a model, or to P'etershbirgli for an autlhority.