The Express. — London, England, 1853-09-20 00:00:00

Zile erpreoo. TO rOItItESPONDENTS. A S-^zlod Editl•vo of .• TAO Elpress." eostafainT the la Me " ‘a4 " .l tte," 11 polg 114 rd every Tue.'s, aid Yr.day night, In woo Ix p,-t. Adscif • -- aenta intrn led for tiprosa," London Evettini mu.t t• at the 011. r, Id, Llottoorto-otroot. by two o'ctarit on the tla) w pulossaittuo. 111011 WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE. 7,0 I. 1.4 v —Kw n.ng. 3a. I lot ....Aftersa" 41u S. To.: !WWII -M Raul, 4b. isa.........Ateeraeon. 16.311.. LONDOS, TUESDA Ir, SEPTEMBER O. Ac ,ts the news of what the English Ministry have been doing reacher the English public through a foreign newspaper. John Bull is not to be told his own busmen, but it may be told to French =n, Greeks, or Austrians. In a news paragraph of the .Inirnnt its of Sunday last it is stated that M.. ItEssr.s left London un the kith inst. with despatches fur our .Imbussador at Constantinople; that be arrived in Paris un the morning and left it on the evening of the 11111 ; that ia the interim be communicated to the French Government the instruc tions of w hich he was bearer; that these instruc tions arc " most urgent and categorical, and were adopt-.d unanimously at the celebrated meeting of Lord .11;LRDELN with Lords CLARENDON, Ea ,' roN, and I.ord Jolts RUSSELL." In an argumentative article on the state of the Eastern question, in the same number of the I);sitts, art outline is given of the " precise and formal instructions sent a few days ago to Lord STRATF ORD DE Itsui LtrrE" by his Government. They are in effect :—That the Engiish Ambassador is to demand the adhesion, "pure et simple," of the Porto to the Vienna proposals, and the retractation of the modi ficatior.s of the 19th of August; that he is to inti mate, in the event of the Porte's refusing to comply, that they must look for no support from the Four Powers in the war that will be the consequence; that he is to offer the assistance of the French and English fleets to put down any i , itieute that may break out in Constantinople on account of the Porte's complying with his demand ; that ho is to offer similar assistance should OmEa Pscit t take upon him to act without, or in disobedience to, the orders of the Divan. Both the paragraph and the article are subscribed " Anmssu Beam." It is difficult to disbelieve an account so circumstantial—told with equal firmness and absence of exaggerated phrase-- in a journal notorious for its caution. English Ministers have a stereotyped answer when called upon to contradict a newspaper report— " They cannot condescend to controversy with a newspaper." To some people there might appear to be less condescension in publicly repudiating an unfounded aspersion in the columns of a newspaper, than in privately supplying it with stories true or untrue. The point is not worth debating. The AI:II:DEEN Ministry may preserve its Spanish dig nity, and abstain from condescending to contradict the circumstantial narrative of their latest proceed ings in the Eastern question; but it they do, they must make up their minds to find that story believed. Their reticence in Parliament has awakened sus picion, and the minuteness of the details in the statements signed " Mem IND BERTIN " looks like confidence on the part of the writer in the in. formation and veracity of his authority. And yet if we believe it, what are we to think of the con sistency, integrity, and common sense of the four English Ministers who "u runaninaitA" resolved to send such instructions to their representative at Con stantinople ? To appreciate these instructions aright it is only necessary to look at what they ask and expect the SULTAN to do. The ambassadors of the Four Powers at Vienna take upon them to prepare a note which they think the SULTAN can and ought to address to the CZ tit, and the CZAR can and ought to receive as satisfactory from the SULTAN. They send a copy of this note to St. Petersburg to ask the CZAR whether or not he will be satisfied with it ; but they do not think it worth their while to ask the SULTAN whe ther he will be disposed to send it. They treat the CZAR as an equal or superior ; the SULTAN as a sub ject who must obey their orders. This difference of treatment would of itself have warranted the SCL TAN to refuse to place himself in such an undignified position. Bat in addition to this the SULTAN, by consenting to address the CZAR in the terms of the note, would virtually have confessed himself to be a vassal of the CZAR. Regard for his own dignity, regard for his independence as a Sovereign, regard for his safety from an insurrection en 111111110 of an outraged and indignant people, alike commanded the SULTAN to refuse his adhesion " pure et simple" to such a note. Hereupon the English Ministers, who have from the beginning of these troubles professed to be acting as the friends of the SuLtix,—who have declared that the occupation of the Danubian Provinces by Russia was a legitimate cants belt,—who have vowed and protested that the maintenance of the in tegrity and independence of the Ottoman Empire is a matter of European concern, despatch to their Ambassador at Constartinople a special messenger, instructing him to demand of the SULTAN to perform an act by which ho would declare himself the infe rior and vassal of the CZAS to threaten, in the event of the SuLTAN's refusing to comply with this unworthy demand, to allow Russia to violate the integrity and independence of the Turkish Empire—. European concern though it be; and to promise that if tie SULTA.`t is base and cowardly enough to comply, and his people sufficiently brave and high spirited enough to refuse, the fleets of England and France will join with Russia to compel the Ottoman people and armies to yield to the ezte and his Imperial vassal! If the English Ministers have acted thus, they have shown a want of integrity, for they encouraged the SULTA.N to ex pect far other things of them ; they have shown a want of consistency, for they declared the mainten anee of the independence and integrity of Turkey an European concern, and now affect to look upon it u a mere private aft'ur of Turkey itself ; and they have shown a want of common sense in strengthen ing the hands of Russia to carry out its hostile designs against our own trade, and against the com mon liberties of Europe. The concluding remark+ of H. Seam on the painful revelation of which he has made the co lumns of the D'buti the vehicle, are sufficiently pi yulnt, whether we consider them as an expression of grave indignant irony, or of obtuse bonhonimi,:— Doubtless it would be a strange oolution of the Oriental question which should be owing to the in tervention of the Freech and English squadrons, entering the Dardatr..lles, no longer to protect Con. stantinople from a Russian invasion, but to protect the SULTAN from a Constantinopolitan o'meute. Such a spectacle would astonish the world; and yet, on reflection, perhaps it might be admitted that the squadrons had net abandoned the original object of their mission, which was to maintain the peace of Europe. The means would be different, but the substantial result would be the same—of course it is understood if the inconveniences of the future were left out of account." The means are indeed different: peace, if preserved by acting upon the instructions said to have been forwarded to the English Minister at Constantinople, will be preserved by making com mon cause with Russia in an act of unprovoked vio lence and plutder ; whereas it was understood that peace was to be preserved by standing between Rus sia and its intended victim. Are the French and English Governments going to act lik e schoolboys, who, finding their attempts to dissaao.. l their com rades from rubbing an orchard unavailing, join with them at last rsther than go without a share .of the The persevering way in which those morning and evening London journals understood to be honoured with the confidence of Ministers, labour to pre pare the public mind of England, if not to acquiesce in such a Whourment, at least to persuade readers at a distance that the public mind of England is dis posed to such acquiescence, —is another of the circum stances which impart a painful verisimilitude to the statements in the Jmrual (ice D4buts. The morning ' organ, it is notorious, has to this end sounded alter nately every note of the gamut of misrepresentation, from insidious wheedling to more congenial brutal' bullying ; and the evening organ, no longer ago than yesterday, was mean enough to resort to gar bled extracts from the Daily Nrirs, with a view to misrepresent the sentiments of the liberal and inde pendent English press. It is very painful to have to think and speak of such things. From an ABERDEEN, perhaps, nothing better was expected ; but alas for the reputation of a RUs SELL, a CLARENDON, and a PALMERSTON, if the news be true. Their most strenuous partisans will only be able to hang their heads ani blush for them. THE EXPRESS, TUESDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 20, 1853. Bence, quite in the vigour of his age, with a shining black beard. lie spoke quite freely about his par career. I told him I looked upon him as the &ladle of the age. He said, with a sigh, " Ah! Saladin had men—l have not." Having asked him for hie auto graph, he sent me a written paper containing nine GM in Arabic, giving me his impression of myself— and with his signet seal affixed. Fancy my having my own character by Abd-el-kader ! So the Turkish Divan has scorned the combined wisdom of Europe. On Friday last, at a council of ministers, five out of six present declared for war, the Sheik of Islam leading the war party, and his decision the Sultan himself dare not oppose. How these diplomatists have blundered over this Eastern affair! Fancy talking of the independence of Turkey and then drawing up propositions without ever consulting her ! This is patting the cart before the horse. The fact is the spirit of the Turks has been quite undervalued in Europe. Here the Mohammedans declare they will fight to the last in defence of their wives and families rather than see their country insulted and degraded by the Euro pean powers. Immense preparations are still going on ; the Sultan reviews 19,000 Egyptian troops to morrow, previous to their marching to Varna. ()a the 13th of August (mark the date) 7,000 Cossacks crossed the Pruth, and the Russians have now in the principalities 130,000 men and 130 pieces of artil lery. The Turkish government are not to be hum bugged. Let European diplomacy gild the pill as much as it likes, the Turk won't swallow it. The troops are enthusiastic for war ; and even though the affair is arranged pacifically, a row must take place. P.S. So the wiseacres and far-teeing diplomatists of England say that the Russians are to evacuate the principalities on the 10th September! How very like a whale. Russia picked the quarrel, and she alone can settle the matter. Well might Chancellor Oxienstern tell his son to go forth and see " what fools governed the world." Turkey has the choice of two evils—external war or internal revolt. RUSSIA AND TURKEY. An important statement respecting the line which our own government is pursuing in the Turkish question will be found in the letter of our Paris cor- iespondent. Our Brussels correspondent, writing on Sunday, says:—" A copy of taw Russian memorandum has reached this city. As anticipated, the Czar abides by the Vienna proposals, and virtually throws on the Great Powers all the responsibility of getting those proposals adopted unconditionally in Constantinople. The impression in our political circles is that the PARIS, MONDAY EVENING. Sultan will not yield on that point." The -itistrian Corropondenre also gives an official Although the despatches from Constantinople, stamp to the statement that the Czar is still content brought by the Leonidas, re p resen t th e s t a t e o f t h e to accept the first Vienna note. public mind there as more alarming than ever, the We have letters from Constantinople to the nth Bourse is less uneasy to-day on the subject of the Eastern question than it has been for a long time. Our correspondents describe the measures of th e An article in the Assenablee Nationale, reiterating Porte to restrain the popular excitement, whi c h d a ily takes a more warlike form. A number of persons in strong language the d e t erm i na ti on o f th e E mperor have been arrested, charged with distributin g ap- of Russia to maintain peace, and representing him peals to the nation, and with placnrding th e s t ree t s as virtually a member of the Vienna conference, since with political addresses. The following is a trends.- his second acceptance of the note of the Four tion of one of these placards : Powers, produced a very favourable effect. " 0 Padischah Most Mighty! for the lo v e of thy The Threes closed at 771 r. lic. bei ng a r i se of 30c. from Saturday. They w ere a t one momen t sacred person all thy subjects are ready to sacrifice as high as 77fr. 40c., but towards the clo s e a reac ti on goods, life, arid family. But are you also not bound took place, owing to a report o f a f a ll o f i t o I i n to draw from its scabbard the scymitar of the glorious Mehemet, which, like your illustrious ancestors, you Consols. Opinions are now s ingula r ly di v id e d as t o the prospects of the Bourse, and a rgumen t s wor th y girded on in the Mausoleum of Ebi Eyoub Erissary ? of attention are used both by th e "b u ll s " an d " Your ministers, loving pleasure and case more than country, hesitate. the " bears." The " bears " say that most serious " A great danger threatens. complications may arise from the non•aceept a " God, who wills our safety and prosperity, i s nce by Russia of the last propo s iti ons o f th e ready to aid and succour us : your valorous army and Porte; that the Sultan will n o t b e a bl e t o res i s t th e internal pressure which urges him to war, that the entire na•ion demand loudly to fight for your hostili contestablein- rights. ties once commenced the Russians must sooner or later cross the Danube, and that then Europe will be forced " Padischsh, open thine ear : listen to the voice of thy children." to interfere to prevent the complete absorption of the Some idea may be fcrmed of the intensity of popu- Ottoman empire by its powerful rival ; that th e lar excitement in Constantinople from this transla- augmentation in the rate of discount at L on d on t o tion of a placard of which numberless copies were 4) per cent., with the prospect of a furth er rise to d pE r cent. on Thursday next, must necessarily lead, stuck up in that capital in the night between the 29th and 30th of August. It will be an edifying within a short time, to a partial, if not spectacle if the French and English fleets are em- a corresponding, rise in the disc o u n t c h arge d played to quench in blood the zeal of these loyal by the Bank of France, for other w i se thi s subjects for the rights and the honour of their sore- establishment would find its specie rapidly ab reign, and in the name of that sovereign, too; but sorbed by the English market ; that the p re ant state of the treasury renders a loan inevitable, since the first partition of Poland the world has and that a loan could not now b e con t rac t e d grown so used with such sanguinary mockeries that it is now scarcely moved by them. upon advantageous terms ; that the deficiency of the The persons most deeply concerned in the props,. harvest is very considerable; that a large exporta- Ration of these appeals were, it was believed, known, tion of the precious metals must be the consequence ; but could not be reached on account of their hig h and that in 1847 the Three per Cents. were from position, some of them, it was said, being members of analogous causes pressed down to 72fr. To these arguments of the " bears," the " bulls" reply .as the Divan ; Mehemet Ali and Mehemet Ruschid are the parties more particularly suspected. Our corre. follows : They say that Russia, in maintaining spondent laments, that owing to the pacific character her acceptance of the Vienna note, has left of his policy Iteschid Pacha is every day more and the field open for the pacific e ff or t s o f th e more isolated, and his fall is considered inevitable Conference, and that it is impossible that the and imminent. It is to him that the injurious pie- efforts of the Conference, seconded by the am cards were intended to point. bassadors at Constantinople, should not be The Journal de Constantinople of the 4th contains crowned with success; that the precautions taken an account of the Sultan's visit to the Egyptian by the Bank of England are attributable to a purely camp. The same journal of the 20th ult. contains a local reason, namely, the emigration movement, 1 long letter from Adrianople respecting the address which now sends both men and capital to Australia; enforcing toleration, recently delivered there by the that money is so abundant in Paris that the Bank new governor. The text of this address is entirely of France has not hitherto thought of raising its dis in agreement with the translation which we gave of want, and that the moderate rates generally charged it on Thursday from the Cologne Gazette. The Pacha for the negotiation of commercial paper by private recommends the Moslems to regard the Christians as bankers prove that there is as yet no necessity for the brethren, and to practise no injustice to those whom Bank to put on the screw ; that the state of the tree the Sultan would treat on the same footing as those sury is, in point of fact, not such as to render a loan of the same religion with himself. absolutely necessary ; but that, assuming a loan to be The Vienna . papers state, that Baron Meyendorff, indispensable, the Credit Mobilier Society is in a situa who, as Russian ambassador, has been in constant tion to supply the necessary funds on terms perfectly communication with the diplomatists of the Vienna satisfactory to the government, and without causing conference, proceeds to Warsaw on the 19th to meet any financial shock; that the deficiency in the harvest the Czar. Private letters state that Count Buol is less than in 1847, and that, besides, the circulating Schauenstein will also go with the Austrian Em- medium has increased enormously since that period, peror to Olmutz, whither the' Russian Chancellor both by the importation of gold from California and esselrode is to accompany the Czar. by the issue of commercial paper , as readily ex- The correspondent of the Berlin National Gazette changeable as bank notes; and that, in short, owing writing on the 12th inst. from the Russian frontier, to the commercial and industrial movement, a large says:—" In spite of all the reports so favourable to proportion of the corn which it may be necessary to Exchange purposes, I can only repeat that, in addi- buy will be paid for, not in specie, but in merchan tion to the two corps d'arinee now stationed in the dee. Principalities, that of Moscow has been already put Several arrests have been made recently among the it =Mon. The western military colonies are all workmen in the Faubourg St. Antoine. The ostensible reedy, and the heavy cavalry stationed there is only course is a strike by the men in some of the upper waiting for orders to march. Even if the war is to manufactories. According to one account, as many as be commenced early in the spring, the arrangements thirteen factories were closed at one time owing to Est be already commenced in Russia." strike& The men, it is gait o ll a rd that their occupation 'Bs,e CWorteGlautie publishes the following letter: was unhealthy, but the of Health being called upon to examine the question, reported that there " BELGRADE, Sin. 4. was no foundation for this idea. The strikes con " Reschid Pacha has demanded a direct and peg- tinning after this report, the leaders were arrested, five answer from the Benign Charge d'Affaires to and it is supposed, though I have not been able to the question—what would be the conduct of the tier- learn upon what round, that political agitation was vian government in case of a war ? The reply was, the real cause of a movement for which sanitary that the Serbs could not fight against the Russians, considerations were only the pretext. It is curious who were of the same religion with them ; but that that copper working should be alleged to be unhealthy the Servian government would not undertake any- at the present time, for public attention is at this thing against the Ottoman Porte." moment occupied by a pamphlet published by Dr. The Emperor of Russia has added to his many Burq, containing very carious detail. of his titles and designations that of "Sovereign fearing observations in 1849, from which it would God," (souvenirs crsignant Dieu). This title has been appear that the workers in metal and in inscribed in the Imperial Almanac. copper more especially, were comparatively ex- Very lately some German journals alluded to the empt from cholera. He mentions numerous in mission of a Persian Ambassador to St. Petersburg. stances of large copper factories in which there were It was said that by the agency of this minister the not more than two or three deaths among several bonds of amity between the Czar and the Schah had hundred men, and some of these happened on a been drawn closer, and it was even said that Persia Sunday, when the men were away from work. In was ready to cede an important province to Russia ti • t • en cilia ion of the cholera, which there is too much fora consideration. The envoy has since left St. reason to expect in Paris from day to day ninny Petersburg, and it has transpired that although p eople are now buying cholera belt s , ma d e , not of the Czar has conferred personal mar k s of dis " kennel, but of thin copper and steel plates, arranged tinction upon him the two courts are more estranged so as to envelop the ptr-on. than before. The Post Gazette, of Frankfort, has a It is understood that the Prince de Cheinay, on the letter from Constantinople of the 23th ult., stating that occasion of his complimentary visit to the Emperor Nsareddin Schah has ordered the commander-in-chief on the part of the King of the Belgians, will take an of his troops to advance towards Asiatic Turkey, in opportunity to broach the subject of a definite t rea t y I order to succour the Turks, if need be. The Persian ocsimmerce between the two countries. But,owing minister, Mirza Ahmed, arrived at Constantinople on to a circumstance which has transpired tod a y , B the 22ad ult., and had an interview with Iteschid feared that Louis Napoleon may not be in a humour Pacha, when he announced that his master's troops to receive the Princes advances favourably. M. de were on their way, and assured him that the Porte Morny, who has lately been in Belgi u m, s ought an could reckon on the aid of the Schah. interview with King Leopold for the purpose urging upon him the absolu of 1 o The .urnal of Constantinople of the 29th ult. con- t e necessity, if he would firms these statements in every particular. The be . it good jiel terms im with w E h r i a c r i e i , ae of l e o u n rbin4 the license ff same organ says : " The Governor-General of Van, Mehemed Pacha, distinguished in the campaigns of t sive to press , the Frenc h . I unde g rstan e lt s il on. Kurdistan as Kehaya-Bey, and Osman-Pacha, the . of the Belgians rep lied roundly, that he was a eon proofsfamous Seraskier of Anatolia, receives from all sides stitutional monarch,. .and that he could take no steps of the attachment of the Kurds. These belli whatever for restricting the full measure of liberty colic tribes believe that the hour is come to avenge and repair the wrongs which Russia has never of the press which his people had become accustomed ceased to inflict on their country." to enjoy. The Emperor and Empress attended mass in the An occasional correspondent writes as follows: camp of Satory yesterday, and afterwards enter- CONSTANTINOPLE, Seer. 1. tamed a large party at breakfast in the Palace of We arrived here about a week ago, after a plea- Versailles. In the afternoon the military games, sant journey. We have been seeing the maques including the famous " Jeu de l'Anguille," and bazaars, and taking steam trips about the Bow. were played by the troops in the presence phorus, which is really beautiful. No wonder the of Field-Marshal Jablonowski and the other Turks arc determined to fight for it! Last Tuesday foreign officers of distinction now in Paris. To we went over to Brousss, which is also beautifully morrow there will be grand manneavres commanded situated. There we went and smoked a pipe with by the Emperor in person ; on Wednesday there will Abd-el•Kader X., being indulged with an interview be another performance at the Hippodrome; and on with his lady. The ex-Sultan of the Arabs is a Saturday the camp will be broken up, after an ex noble-looking fellow, his countenance full of intelli- Wenn of four months. 1 FRANCE. r The fmirerfial of Boulogne states that the English i n t h e pi ne s intend to present an address of con gratulation to the Emperor and Empress on their visit there. TO , address is said to be drawn up in very warm terms:, and to have been already signed by the principal En t :lish residents. M. de Persigny ha," arrived in Paris to resume his defies at the Moistry of the Interior. N. Fortoul has left fora short vacation, and, during his absence, the Ministry of Instruction and Public Worship is confided ad interim to tho Minister of Marine. The Meniteur states that the number of persons killed by the accident on the Paris and Bordeaux Railway is five, viz.: Two engine -men, two stokers, and the clef de tram Some of the wounded pm sengers are (says the lloniteur) seriously injured. The Mundeur adds that the Court of I'oitiers has ordered a judicial inquiry as to the cause of the accident. The Cunsti'utionnel say. it has been in formed that the Minister of Agriculture and Com merce and his secretary were among the passengers, and jumped out of the carriage without sustaining any injury. The line was speedily cleared. The Bordeaux trains of yesterday evening arrived in Paris this morning at half-past nine. ' The Prefect of the Haute-Vienne has suspended the mayor of Saint Brabant, for having issued a de cree prohibiting the inhabitants of his commune from selling any corn for consumption out of the com mune till February Ist, 1854. The decree is, more. over, declared illegal, and is annulled. The Emperor yesterday gave a private audience at the Palace of St. Cloud to his Excellency Vely Eddie Rifaat Pacha, the Ottoman minister, to deliver a letter in which the Sultan notifies the birth of his last son, the Sultan Nour-ed-din; to the Marquis d'Antonini, the Neapolitan minister, to deliver the reply of his sovereign to the letters of recall of M. Adolphe Barret; and to M. Hubner, the Austrian minister, to deliver a letter from the Emperor of Aus tria, notifying the marriage of the Archduchess Maria Henrietta, daughter of the late Archduke Joseph, Palatine of Hungary, with Prince Leopold, Duke of Brabant. GREECE. THE EARTHQUAKE AT THEBES. Our own correspondent writes : ATHENS, Srxr. 7. In my recent communication respecting the disas trous shock of earthquake felt at Thebes on the 18th of August I supplied as much inf rmation as the prevailing excitement would allow me to autherti cate as well as collect. Believing that the English public will be desirous to know something more of an event not of every-day occurrence I send you the result of the investigation instituted by order of the government. On the morning of the 18th ult. two terrestrial shccke, so feeble that many of the inhabitants of Thebes were not sensible of them, announced the catastrophe which was shortly to follow. The weather was calm, the air pure, the temperature soft and somewhat humid, the people were gay, and all contributed to augment the eclat of the religious fes tival which was to be celebrated, when suddenly, at half-past 11, a terrible noise, followed immediately by a violent trembling, filled the inhabitants with alarm. The people, not knowing what to do, ran out of their houses or jumped out of their windows. 'the continuance of the trembling of the soil, the noise of falling houses, and the thick clouds of dust which rapidly enveloped the whole , 1 town, increased the prevailing terror. The most dis mal wailing's were heard from all points, and by a general instinct the people ran out of the town. When the violence of the trembling had ceased, and the cloud of dust was dissipated, the inhabitants took courage and returned to ascertain the extent and re sults of the terrible phenomenon which they had wit nessed. It was found that all the houses of the town of Thebes and of the faubourg of Peri had been ren dered uninhabitable. Many of them had been en . . tirely destroyed, and covered the remains of their former occupants. Some of the churches were pros trate; of others, the walls presented immense yawning gaps. The great aqueduct of the town was considerably injured, allowing the water to escape at many points, and all the fountains were rendered muddy for four and•twenty hours. The principal shock was succeeded by several others during the same and the following day. Citizens worthy of credit enumerate more than twenty which were kit on the night of the 19th —2oth of August. On the 20th also the government commissioner counted six shocks which were perceptible between half-past three in the afternoon and ten in the even ing. On the 21st another shock proved the con tinued activity of the disturbing force. It was observed that the loudness of the subterranean noise was also in direct ratio with the strength of the shock which followed it. To believe the statements of persons who allege that they verified the fact by watching the falling of stones from the reeling houses, the impulse of the shock was always perpendicular. In point of fact, all the houses fell directly on their foundations with out inclining to any particular point of the compass. It is worthy of note that no disengagement of gas was remarked, neither any sinking or rupture of the soil • no new spring s . were exposed, nor were those already existing diminished. Such is the account given by Dr. Orphandis, a physician of Beotia, in his report to the government. The Prefect of the same province says that he can without hesitation determine the locality affected by the shock to be the extent of country terminated on the north by Mount Atlante, on the east by the Gulf of Enbcea, on the south by the river Asopue, and on the west by Lake C.opais. The cen tral point of the impulse, or that at which it was felt with greatest force, was Mount Ptoo ; under which is a gulf of Lake Copois ; in these rocks of considerable magnitude have been detached and thrown down. It appears that so lately as the 27th ult. the earth gave such signs . of uneasiness that the inhabitants had no heart for attempting to restore the town. The Thebes of to•dav is a modern town. It was so ruined in the war of independence that scarcely one stone was left upon another. Its reconstruction dates from 1833. At the present moment there is not a house left uninjured, hundreds have fallen, and the ruin is not at an end. The government has sent aid in money, tents, medicine, and doctors. Eleven corpses have been taken out of the ruins. The bodies bore no trace of wounds or other marks of violence, and the physicians suppose that the deceased died of asphyxia. Nineteen persons were dug out alive, and are doing well. Intermittent fever has been very prevalent since the catastrophe. The extent of the mischief done to the buildings of Thebes cannot yet be stated with statistical exac titude, but, considering the superior density of its population, some idea of the terrible character of the disaster may be gained from the returns of damage done to the neighbouring communes. In the commune of Platte, two churches, a church tower, and 16 houses have fallen. In the commune of Aulyde, two churches and 23 houses have fallen, and those which remain hang in] the air. In the commune of Akrefnion 12 houses have fallen and two churches have been laid open. A rock de tached from a mountain near Kokino, in this com mune, rolled down to the village, where fortunately it stopped. In the commune of Thespiens, the ham let of Morokambo has been completely obliterated. At Erimocastro, the dwellings of sixty families have been laid in ruins. In the commune of Tanagra, 26 houses have been destroyed. These figures are irrespective of numberless houses rent in twain, many of them from roof to floor. It is needless to say that years must elapse before the havoc made in the district can be repaired. Indeed, it is doubtful whether any resource but emigration to a more solid terrain remains to its inhabitants. ANOTHER ESCAPE FROM CARLISLE CASTLE.—On Tuesday night, not long after the shutting of the eastle gates, .one of the privates, of the 48th Foot, quartered there—a very young fellow—escaped over the wall at the aouth-west corner, by letting himself down by a rope tied to one of the spikes set up to prevent such operations. The youth was soon pursued by the picket, and took refuge in the Willow Holzer. There he had bid himself in a long, dark passage, which, being narrow, enabled him to lift himself up, and sustain himself by dint of arms and knees. This passage some of the soldiers entered in pur suit, actually passing bctween the runaway's legs, with rut discovering him' As soon as they left the deserter quitted his hiding place, some of the " natives " aiding him, and he got clear off. tie Court. BALMORAL, SECT. 19. Tier Majesty, Prince Albert, the Princess Alice, and Count Alexander Mensdorff went yesterday to the t pp of Lacban-y-ger. The lieu. Mary Butted was in attend ance upon her Majesty. Mr. and Mrs. Farquharson, of Invercauld, had the honour of dining with her Majesty yesterday. Despatches were received at the Colonial-offize )esferday from the Governors of the AVest India Uands, the Gover nor of Canada, and the Goveraor of Labuan. FLUE AT BALMORAL.—On Friday afternoon one of the cottages occupied by the masons engaged at the new Palace at Balmoral was discovered to be on fire, and being contiguous to the royal residence, the utmost alarm for a time prevailed. In a short time a number of men were on the spot, the royal family being not only present, but actively engaged in eftirts to extinguish the flames. We are assured by a spectator (says the Aberdeen Herald) that when a line of men was formed to convey water to the burning pile from the river, Prince Albert at ones took a position, and continued working steadily throughout shoulder to shoulder with a sturdy Highlandmsn. The Prince of Wales and Prince Alfred were also actively engaged, while her Majesty stood by the whole time, and gave such directions u she thought would tend to assuage the fire, seemingly deeply interested by the efforts of the men to save their clothes chests, in which many of them bad considerable 611033 of money." The fire is supposed to have originated by a spark getting among some brushwood in one of the cottages where a woman was baking, and as they were all five composed of timber the flames were speedily beyond the power of con trol. No damage has been done to the new buildings. MODEL LODGING 110 USE AT WINDSOR. Yesterday the directors of the Windsor Royal Society (of which his Royal Highness Prince Albert is the president) opened a lodging-houso for unmarried workmen and labourers. The model lodging.house formed a part of the wiginal scheme of the society, but the difficulties expe rienced is procuring suitable premises and adapting them to the purpose bays delayed until now the carrying out of the praiseworthy intention. The directors very judiciously took on lease one of the large houses in Church-street, the residence formerly of noble families attached to the court, but in latter days used for the most ignoble purposes, and suffered to fall into the last stage of dilapidation. This house they thoroughly repaired, drained, and ventilated, provided with every convenience, and fitted up with sleep ing accommodation for 50 single men. Side by side with _ . this new and commodious lodgiog.house is another house of similar dimensions, licensed under the Public Health Act, and open for the reception of tramps, so that the two establishments, when in full operation, will present much the same startling contrast as Ilogarth's celebrated paint ings of Beer-street" and " Gin-lane." The lodgers are to be admitted by the week, on payment at the rate of 2s. per week, in advance, or, in case of admission after Mon day, until the following Monday, when the occupation is to bosoms weekly. This in a town like Windsor, where lodgings for single men are not only very scarce, but exor bitantly high, will be n o slight boon to the working classes. THE. CHOLERA. The Report of the General Board of Health upon cholera in Newcastle and the neighbourhood is as (allows : NEWCASTLE: Cholera. Diarrhea. lith 18th (up to 12 p.m) .. 93 GATESIIEID.—TotaI deaths from 2nd to 17th: Gateshead 167 Heworth Whiekham Winlaton The proportion of the mortality in corresponding periods of the outbreak of 1831 and 18.33 is as follows : NEWCIUTLE, 1853.—During the first 19 days (from 31st August to 18th September) there hare been Deaths from cholera and diarrbees 5,57 1831. During the first 19 days in 1331 (9th Decem ber to 27th) there were 9l 19 days (1853) 19 days (1831) 9l Excess in 1863 4G6 The mortality far Saturday it will be seen is but little in excess of that of the day before. The complete record for Sunday has not yet reached London. A very important step has been taken to-day by the authorities in London. It has been found that in a part of Newcastle, called Sandgate, 4,000 people are living in a state of such filth, overcrowding, and absolute want of the commonest con veniences for either decency or cleanliness, that the only hope of effectually checking the progress of the epidemi among them is to remove them from the locality. The in spector of the General Board of Health has recommended, acting on the experience of 1819, when, in the small town of hlevagissey, in Cornwall, where the habitations of the poor are closely packed, and where the whole site is de scribed as one mass of filth which could not be removed in time to avert the most disastrous consequences, the in spector advised the immediate removal of the population. In this instance there was no local means of providing houses of refuge ; but the Board of Ordnance, on applica tion of the General Board of Health, kindly granted the use of tents, in which 360 of the population were accom modated. Besides these, upwards of 60J people left the locality and dispersed themselves elsewhere, Amongst the people drafted into the tents not a single case of cholera occurred, whilst 126 additional cues took place amongst the population which remained in the houses. There are no means of obtaining accurate information as to the 600 of the population dispersed, but it Is reported gene rally that they have experienced similar immunity. Ano • ther consequence of this great thinning of the population, amounting to the withdrawal of nearly one-half of the whole inhabitants, has been that the fatality has diminished in a greater ratio among those who are left. Tents have been supplied by the Board of Ordnance in several other lnatances, at the request of the General Board of Health, with similar beneficial results, as far as has been ascertained. Application has accordingly been made, on Mr. Grainger's urgent representation, to the War-office and the Board of Ordnance. The latter board hate promptly sent the order for the immediate dispatch of 200 tents, and the former office promise the aid and co-operation of an expe rienced officer. The directions and regulations of the General Board of Health, under the Order in Council, are prepared, and will be printed for issue by to. morrow. In raply to objections expressing apprehensions from being tented out during the wet weather, it was stated, at Chobham, during excessively wet weather, the sickness amongst the troops was much less than usual in barracks, and that, on occasions of epidemic, troops had been removed from barracks to tents always with great advantage, where the site of the tents was good. EDINBURGH. We are sorry to have to announce that there is reason to fear that cholera has at length made its appear ance in this city. Last evening i t was reported to the City Parochial Board that a young woman, residing in Macho nochie's-close, Cowgate, had been attacked by the disease, and, on examination by the medical officer, she was at once removed to the cholera hospital in the Infirmary. The ease presented all the appearance of Asiatic cholera, and such it has been pronounced. It may possibly be only a very bad case of ordinary cholera; and as this is the only one of the sort which has yet occurred, there is still room for hope that the scourge has not actually broken out here. But, looking at the fact that It is fast spreading in England, no time should be lost in adopting the requisite sanitary precautions with re ference to our own city. We are glad to say that measures have already been taken to a certain extent : our parochial boards have been bestirring themselves, and at a meeting of the General Commisssioners of Police ►nd the Resident Commissianers for each ward, it has been agreed that they shall divide their wards into sections, a general and a real. dent commissioner undertaking to visit these daily, or as often as possible, in order to ascertain that all the provisions and regulations of the Police Act with reference to the propir cleaning of the city and removal of nuisances are strictly enforced. It has also been agreed that the commis sioners may aeleel other resident inhabitants to co-operate with them.—Scotrmon of Saturday. THE ALLEGED MURDER ATvizi,.. HERD'S BUSIL COMMITTAL OF THE ACCUSED BY THE CORONER AND THE MAGIS T RATE. - --- Yesterday morning, Mr. Brent, the deputy. coroner fur the western division of Middlesex, resumed ea inquiry which he opened last Thursday (a full report of which appeared in this journal co the following days. into the circumstances connected with the death of ri,a. beth Hayes, whose death it was alleged wu can,cd by t h e brutal violence of her husband towards her on the night cf the previous Satur,lay. The Coroner (addressing inspector Cooke)—Do you know whether the accused man, Hayes, is here ? - - Mr. Cooke—l know he is not here. Mr. Pound said be had heard from the Rouse of Detec tion that the accused would not be allowed to attend. The witnesses whose evidence was reported last I•rida v , were then severally called in, and their depositions :tail over to them. The Coroner asked them whether they Lad anything to add to whet they had already said, and to home of them L o put additional questirme. . . . . . _ Johanna Link after hearing her formPr evidence, said the deceased lived in Palne•place, 1i . ..n5:., 4 t0u. She bad dye children by her first huaba.l,l, and three by Hayes. Only two were alive. She hail not lived with her husband for the last 18 months. When they liv e d t o2et h er they lived within two doors of the Star an t : G arter, in End hee r' accused wan livi ng w i th left her w i t h out street. After that they went to live at K ens i ngton. she Ma not received a limey from Hayes sinc e they parted. a H n e y t t h o ionkgh N re v l j o t t n h e e . s . away k.ew fron t ti. t another woman at Notting-hill. lle had often ill-used both witness and deceased. Ile never struck witness, but often threatened to kill deceased. The Coroner—Do ems blame any one on account of the death of your sister, D'irsbeth lIa)cb? Witness (emphatically)—Yes, i do. lam sure lye' was the murderer of my sister ; and I blame the Roman Ls was living with, for she incited him. • .. Mr. Dr"ooks, the surgeon, said the blow on deerasod•s rye, which was very severe, was caused by a man's tin. 1) ceased died either from the blow, or from a fall from the blow. The appearances inside the head were quite st 4. tient to account for death. The Coroner then proceeded to recapitulate the evidence, and the jury, after a short deliberation, returned a verdict of "Wilful murder" against James Hayee, and added thereto these words—" The jury express their hearty thank s to Viscount Palmerston, her Majesty's Secretary for the Home Department, for his support of the privileges of the coroner's court, as evinced in his assent to the request that the accused person might be produced before them ; zed they hope the legislature will anon perceive the necessity of providing by special enactment for the production of the accused before coroners' juries, as they eou•ider not only that it is essential for the ends of justice, but that the core. ner's court is insulted by that privilege being withheld." The Coroner then made out his warrant for the committal of the prisoner on the charge of wilful murder. Immediately after the c'ose of this inquiry, all the wit nesses appeared before /dr. Dkadon, at the Hammersmith Police-court, %hero their depositions were taken us they were given before the magistrate, and already reported. Tho prisoner was then fully committed for trial for the wilful murder of his wife. THE CITY STATUE OF ROBERT PEEL. The following communication has been received in answer to an application from the committee upon the " Ptel Testimonial," to he placed opposite to the Hank: " Tho Statue Foundry, Pimlico, Sent. 17, lal3. " Sir,—ln answer to your inquiry respecting the bronze statue of the late Sir Robert Peel, by Babies, for the Coy, which we have in the course of execution in our Liundry, we beg to say that it is in a very advanced state, and that every exertion on our part shall be used to hasten its com pletion consistent with safety and the proper execution cr so. mportant a work. It will bo finished in about two months, when we skein have the honour of inviting pelmet and the committee to inspect the work at our eztablish m " Toe h rm, n t e t :yn. s e i honour ,. ro t i o ffo. bj s: s air, y a o n u a r very y r obedient rAm . sertantr, DRAMA. DRL•RY•LANE. A new five-act play was produced here last night, under the title of I/ic Betrothal. It is from the pen at Mr. George H. Baker, an American author (we believe), whose previous drama of Calaynos met with some degree of success a few years since. The plot of The Betrothal is bat of slender structure ; nor aro the incidents remarkable for either novelty, interest, or probability. The Marquis di Tiburzzi (Mr. Evans) is a decayed nobleman, whose daughter, Costanzi (Miss Anderton), resolves to restore his fallen fortunes by marrying Marsio, a wealthy and elderly plebeian (Mr. G. V. Brooke). The contract of betrothal is no sooner made than Costa.zi accidentally meets Count Juranio (Mr. Belton), who had previously, as a stranger, won her admiration by some gallant feat performed in her presence. Of course a mutual passion is awakened, sup pressed en the part of Costanzi by her resolve to fulfil her betrothal vow. An avowal of her love, however, is over heard by Juranio, who upbraids her for her apparent pre ference of Mania on account of his wealth. Rumours of the meeting of Juranio and Costanzi reach the eats of Marais, who upbraids his betrothed and threatens her with the ruin of her father, whose debts he has bought up in order to hold him in his power. Cortanai again meets her lover in order to bid lim a final adieu, when she explains the nature of the sacrifice which she is making. This interview is watched by Marsio,whose thirst for vengeance against Juranio is increased. Juranio, however, has a friend and kinsman, one Salvatore (Mr. Davenport) a light-hearted bold-fronted cavalier, with an attachment for Costanzi'd cousin and confidante, Filippia (Miss Featherstone). This Salvatore gets up a counter plot against Marsio by enlisting in his interest the services of Pulti (Mr. A. Younge), the ill-used servant of Mania. In the fourth act there is much foreshadowing of cone subtle plot, some shrewd trap by which Marais is to wreak his vengeance on Juranio and his friend Salvatore, who are invited to attend the wedding feast of the wealthy and exultant merchant. We are, however, soon let into the heart of the mystery by an interview between Marsio and his servant; and here occurs an incident, which is certainly original from its absurd improbability. Marsio, who has invariably ill-treated his servant, and knows that his retainer has none bat ill-feeling for bim, actually gives to this unlikely in strument a small phial of poison to pour into the goblets of hie two hated guests at the bridal feast! Of course the worthy retainer feigns assent, and communicates the design to Salvatore. We are now introduced to the banquet. Mario pledges his guests, himself draining the goblet to the dregs, and watching for the expected death-throes of his supposed victims. He 60(111 finds out, however (what none bat an idiot could have doubted) that he is himself the victim of misplaced con fidence, and has swallowed the draught intended for ethers. Here we have a most elaborate scene of death agony, wrought up, it must be admitted, with very great power, but much too literal in the details of physical suffering. Maraio falls, cursing his rival sad denouncing Salvatore as his murderer. This charge, however, is rebutted by Salvatore, who explains the intended assassina tion of himself and friend, and his substitution for the poison, of a powerful narcotic, which was administered to the intended poisoner. Of course matters are now all set right, and everything ends pleasantly. The dialogue is generally smoothly written, never rising to the poetic level, and too frequently disfigured by the commonest colloquialisms. The play moves heavily, especially during the first three acts; arid there is throughout but little to arouse any powerful interest in an audience. The structure is inartistic in the extreme—witness the absurd combat in the second act between Martha and his friend, induced, as it appeared, by the former having addressed the latter a, Master Rego. The thing was so utterly gratuitous, so apropos do rien, that it had positively the air of pantomime. Then the monstrosity of the catastrophe —the most harrowing details of a fearful and violent death, which we are told, after all, is no death at all, only a little stomachic pain from a strong dose of something or other very powerful, but not at all dangerous. The play was certainly received at its close with considerable demon strations of applause, but it is very questionable whether inch incidents and structure, aided even by better writing, could possess any vitality. Mr. Brooke did the utmost with the part of Mania. There was but little scope for the display of his powers, the chief points bele.: his outburst of scornful wrath and fierce invective at the offer of Salvatore to purchase the release of Costanzi, and his really terrible delineation of death agony, the effect of which, however, is immediately destroyed by the discovery that he is not dead, but only a little poorly. Mr. Brooke will certainly net add to his well-deserved English reputation by essaying such parts as that of Marsio. Mr. Davenport was graceful and vivacious as the impetuous Salvatore ; indeed, this gentleman divided with Mr. Brooke the honours of the evening. Miss Anderton as Costanzi was tender and pa thetic, but her voice will not bear the effort of strong pas sion; she is, however, a sensible and intelligent actres , . Miss Featherstone. looked well and played arch!) as Filippia ; and Mr. A. Younge as the servant Pulti was to the full as humorous as the part would allow. The house was well attended, and the principal performers were called for at the conclusion of the play. THE BIRMINGHAM BOROUGH GAOL.—.Arir'S Bir• mingham Gazette of yesterday says:—" We understand that Mr. J. Blount, the surgeon of the Borough Gaol, los resigned his appointment. Freer, the chief warder, has been dismissed by the justices; and Cotterill, jun., o,e I 't the warders, whose name has been frequently mentioned during the recent inquiry, died yesterday se'onight, after a short illness. An advertisement for a new governor and chief warder appears in our publication of this day. DEMERARA RAlLWAL—Traffic for the fortnight I ending Aug. la, 1863, 5671. Ils. Id. I .