The Express. — London, England, 1860-07-09 00:00:00

_ THE EXPRESS, MONDAY DOODNIT Ind 801113' LIVICRIIB plow ussisre ri sensoli. =kr a $ 141 Orrlrmits SuIS .. IDOODNIT asa moss. tom. u. OM lluaidies4; 11.1.14114 t 1111141.611 i• ; a. Liniiiiima-411.61114117.1. CIOLOURID PLANNIL SHIRTS. NJ SW le lI=NEI awl GLIM. 1/11. anal 112100ND-H•ND PIANO/ 1 0AM img Cs. b••• • INO• mierlianot et U m ia m d CZAlEU AZ A is t Air tie s MOSS selsonsul =Ms" ab raft Kiwi plow Beget-elnel BINBON'S W•TOHI8. Piresities sedrelea.'--WAralsa Pula. maim le IN palm edam. Bowl oire st air Ilmott% dlowIWIT• fliodos ma* *roam* W slot to otl parts Ibawa4l-112 and ImisotakilL la liebtlaied 170. 'DIEM awl LUBIN'S HUNGARY WATER. .r nii_legrowS Smut Is partigibley NOM he heeme— aloft& rialdiftep assa—k New 110•441,..W. Itte erpresiO. /MIRIAM'. Tte STIMUS. Tag OVI&LAND 11.01.7T1L Kara CIIIKees• Dee il and C. Mathews V, C. 11,Mbrira.- 11T7KK OF airirruir HALL Kr. Ouirkatcas ; Mn. 11111112 A—Amil OODITIZA OF TIM OHIO. Tbe I.4Klaraqs. ?JUNCOS& lON IMO% ILICIFELIZU. Mears. Mem F. Robinson, 0. 11141111. Cordes, sad Graham Mimes Wadhain, Now. Modi Sealk.—And SOTILLD OUT. Mr. M.Widdicomb , Mrs C. SIITANNIA. Taillnonso, OLD Or ININGESDATA. .—Tbio pat DACKSZT will eve hi. rBllol , lllla INTINTAIN NINTE—VAILIZT. TRI VIMVILL 11011[Mt Mt IN AND IDDINICS ANZAC MIR WATICILir - iirrooNßizzien. TO Dar —lllaniag, it 4n Afters*, dL am Pirmalaaip—ilaraft. M. tba Allows% IL 41a. LONDON, MONDAY, JULY 9. Tam principal topic of discussion in commercisi circles dung the past week has been the convul sion in tke hide and leather trade. It was at first apprehended, from the breadth of the area over which the disturbance extended, that the whole of this important branch of business was in an un sound and strained condition. The circumstances of the case are now, however, more correctly ap preciated. Although it is obvious that many per sons who had no part in the system of fictitious credit jest brought to light will be involved in lose, through their engagements with the insolvent firma, or through the depredation in the value of produce which must attend even like most careful realisation of their assets, features of a reassuring tendency are not wanting. The trade will be placed upon a sounder footing ; ' the reduced prices of the raw material will ulti mately give a stimulus to several departments of industry and to consumption ; the discount market will be relieved of a mass of illegitimately-created paper; and, as a negative advantage, no large bodies of workpeople will be thrown out of em ployment. In the increased soundness which will be imparted to the trade generally, there will be a considerable compensation for the uneasiness and inconvenience temporarily occasioned. It must be admitted, however, that these dis closures are calculated to moderate our commercial self-esteem. We flattered our selves that the commercial body was sound at every point, and are now startled to discover how high a system of fictitious credit may be reared without leading to detection, or even suspicion. The com mercial and monied classes are once more proved to be both blind and deaf. A mass of paper of a magnitude sufficient of itself to provoke inquiry has been kept afloat, and no one seems to have dreamt that it consisted in great part of renewals, or that new bills were put into circulation amongst the banks and money-lenders in order to provide the amens of meeting the old ones. Many such lessons have been administered before, and the slow ness with which they have been committed to heart almost precludes the hope that any increased degree of vigilance will be brought to bear upon the indica. Lions of unsoundness which may hereafter arise in any now quarter. To hint a suspicion that mew thing is wrong in any particular branch of trade is a most painful and thankless otlice, for the objector is sure to be overwhelmed with denunciations from every side. Commercial people invariably act as if they wished any unsoundness to be smoothed over up the latest possible moment. Private and individual warnings may be tolerated with equa nimity, because it is optional to act upon them or not ; but he is a bold man who ventures publicly to question the solidity of the basis of a depart ment of trade. If his information be not accurate, the triumph over him will be immense ; and if he prove a true prophet, he is sure to be condemned as the originator of any confusion that may follow. A parliamentary return recently published (and cited in the circular of Meson. Joseph MUMS and Sots) gives some statistics which place in a very striking light the wonderful growth of the trade in that important article—sugar. In the year 1839 the quantity of unrefined sugar imported and retained for home consumption in the United Kingdom was only 49 cwt. In 1849 it had risen to 496,478 cwt., and in 1859 to no less than 3,612,862 cwt. These figures afford evidence of a great change in the habits and food of the population. For these enormous supplies of an article for which the taste of the people is increasing so rapidly we are indebted principally to Cuba and Brazil. Cuba sent us in 1839, 2 cwt. of sugar; in 1849, 192,676 cwt., and in 1859, 1,626,082 cwt., being etym.] to nearly the quantity received in that year from all the rest of the world together. But, although Cuba is the largest provider of sugar, the increase in the receipts from Brazil is still more rapid, the quan tity having risen from 93,395 cwt. in 1849 to 932,073 cwt. in 1859. Lest year our trade in sugar with Cuba was eight and a half times as great as in 1849, whilst our trade with Brazil was ten times as great as in 1849. This comparison tends to confirm the belief that, as soon as Brasil has supplied herself with railway accommodation, she will be able to distance ell competitors in the sugar trade. During the present week attention will be re called to the Union Bank frauds. The directors have just delivered themselves of their report, in anticipation of the meeting of shareholders on Wednesday. This document is very similar in tome it the statements already put forward by them. There is the same complacent mention of the " system of checks existing in the bank," not withstanding the painful contradict ion involved in the magnitude and duration of the defalcations; and there is the none laudation of the management. Considering the occasion, there seems to be some thing too much of this. A moment when the system of the bank has been proved to be, in more than one point, extraordinarily remiss, is not the beet su it e d to the tone of congratulation which per vades all the reports of the Union Bank. The directors declare that "after the most rigorous " examination" they "can speak with confide nce id so t o the entire accuracy of all the accounts, " and they feel satisfied that the syst em now in " operation is sufficient and effectual in all re. ~ .pi x ta." They have, in some department; in. troduoed new checks, which contribute to "ensure " the greatest stringency in the administratio n of " the office." These declarations would carry the more weight had not the shareholders h ear d something of the same kind at each meeting of the company for years put. It is obvious, however, that the directors cannot glee them sore explicit assurances than those now couveyed. They tell them that "all the mounts- et esitt "department of the bank* bare been rigordwily tested and found corset. The ihareholkirs have no choice but to accept these assurances, and to hope that the lesson afforded will not be forgotten. The responsibility cast upon the manager's depart ment by the recent disclosures is, as the directors own, weighty indeed ; but it would be dealing moat unjustly with old and tried servants were the shareholders to overlook the fact that no complicity with Puturroaa's transactions has been charged upon any other offioer of the bank. The system previously prevailing in the establishment was avowedly lax, but, with one single exception, its servants are proved to have been faithful to their trust. They deserve, therefore, the full confidence of the proprietors, who cannot refrain from sympathising with the anxiety which for months past has been cast upon them. It has been justly observed that joint-stock establishments appear never to command the pre cision of system of private ones, and hence the numerous instances of fraud in connexion with public companies' accounts ; yet the present position of the Union Bank of London affords an excellent illustration of the soli dity of the joint-stock banking system. The enormous loss which has been incurred entails simply the sweeping away of a couple of years' profits, for the net profits of the establishment for the year ending the 30th ult. are now stated at 124,563/. The strength of the institution is shown in the fact that the number of its customers has increased since the late events. It would of course have been ridiculous to question its perfect ; solvency, and its customers may well argue that • the trial through which it has passed must tend to place its system of management upon a more trusb worthy footing. - . - There is room to hope that the setting in of summer weather will give a stimulus to trade. In many departments this stimulus is much needed, and has been looked for long in vain. Tb;s is especially the case with the hosiery, lace, and "fancy " manufacturing trades in the midland districts. At Manchester, the prices of cotton manufactures are still drooping, the product'on being in excen of the demand, now that the accounts from the Indian markets have become so unfavourable. The working classes in the cotton districts, however, stand out for advanced wages. ' It is mentioned that twenty-seven firms at Bolton have just intimated their intention to close their mills in a fortnight in the event of tho workpeople persisting in their demands. Abe Court. OSBORNE, JULY 7. The Queen and the Prince Consort with the Prince at Wales, Print:so Alice, Princess Helena, and the Duke of Ceboarg drove to Yenta°, yesterday, and retained to Osborne by the Undereliff and Shanklin. The Countess of Caledon, the Hon. Caroline Cavendish, Major-General the Hoe. C. Grey, the Hon. A. and Bares Hachwaechter were in attendance ont r e d ropsl tp The Han. Mrs. Grey and Major Uphill/tone, R.E., hod the ham ar al dining with her Majesty. Jun' R. Her Majesty drove in an open carriage yesterday after now to Carisbrook Castle, accompanied by Princess Alice, Princess Louise, and Prince Arthur. The Prince Consort, with the Prince of Wales and the Duke of fine Coboiarg, rode on horseback ; the Hon. Caro line tkivezehah and Colonel the Hon. A Muslims were in attendance. Her Majesty's dinner party included the Prince of Wales, Prioress Alice, the Duke of Sato Cobourg, Prince and Princess Leiningen, Prince William of Baden, the Hoe. Mr.. Hordiage, and Sir James Clark. After dinner Master Henry Ketten had the honour of performing oo the piessafarte before her Majesty amid the royal party. Dr. Adaad has method on a visit, end will emilserk to. morrow as MO at the Prises al Wales's suite to Canada. The Qum, dm Prime 13ss;ort, ihePrrisee of Wales, Primate Aliso, Prime Arthur, Prince's Helena, Princess Lours, sad the Duke of Saxe Coliourg, attended divine her vie* at Osborne the. morning. The lathe. and gentlemen is waiting were also present. The Rev. George Proth e ro cillerated. A Cabinet Council was held on Saturday at the official residence of the First Lord of theTressury, in Downing-street. The Ministers present were Vis count Palmerston, the Lord Chancellor, Earl Granville, the Duke of Argyll, Sir G. C. Lewis, Lord John Russell, the Duke of Newcastle, the Right Hon. Sidney Herbert, Sir Charles Wood, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Duke of Somerset, the Right Hon. T. Milner Gibson, Sir ttrGrey, the Right Hon. C. P. Villiers, and ight Hon. E. CardwelL His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales is ex pected to & leave Osborne to-morrow morning at an early boar in the Victoria and Albert royal yacht, for Devonport, when her Majesty's ship Hero, Captain Seymour, awaits the arrival of his Royal Highness to sail for North America. The Hake at Newcastle, the Earl of St. Germans, sad the uteseben of the retinue of the Prince, leave town to-day. It is expected that her Majesty and the Prince Consort will accompemy the Prince some miles beyond the Needles. The Prises of Rao will pass the night of to-morrow an board the Hero, and est sail the succeeding morning. His Royal Highness the Duke of Saxe-Cobourg, who arrived at Buckingham Palace led evening from viniting her Majesty and the Prince Conscet at Osborne, will take his departure this morning on his return to per. His Royal Highness the Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenbiurfltrelits, accompanied by the radial Prince Adolphus, is expected to arrive either this afternoon or to-morrow at Si. James's Palace from Strelits. His Excellency the Anthateador of France ar rived at Albert-gate Home yesterday morning from Paris. His Excellency visited the French capital to attend the funeral of Prime Jerome Bonaparte. The Duke and Ditcher. of Sutherland left Staf ford House, on Saturday, for Chefden, their seat near Maidenhead. The Marquis and Marchionem of Kildare, Lad and Lady Blantyre, and a select family circle, have met there to pass a few days. Field-Marshal Viscount and Viscountess Corn bermere hare left Belgrave-square, for Buxton. A marriage is arranged to take place between Lnrd Skelmersdsle and the Lady Alice Valley% second daughter of the Earl and Cocain of Clarendon. Colonel Greene Wilkinson (Soots Fusilier Guards) is about to contract a marriage with the Hoe. Louisa Catherine Millbury, youngeet daughter of the late Lord Batersaa, and sister of the present peer. A marriage is agreed upon between Colonel the Hoe. C. H. Maynard, only son of Viscount Maynard, and Mies Blanche Fitzroy, second daughter of Mr. He my Fitzroy, of Balmy Lawn, Northampton. The Countess of Derby had a reception on Satur day night, at the family mansion in St. James's-square. Previously to the assembly the noble earl and oounteu were honoured with the company of her Royal Highness the Hereditary Grand Duchess of Mocklenburgli-Strelits at dinner. Theta were present to meet her royal highnees— the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough, the Marquis of Bath, the Eari and Countess of Tankerville, the Earl of Sandwich, Lord sad Lady Forester, Lord John Manners, Lord Henry Seat, Lord Stanley, Lady Blanche Egerton, Lady Emma Stanley, Hon. Algernon Egerton, Hon. Sey mour Egerton, and Mr. Allen Bathurst. Viscountess Palmeratou had an assembly on Saturday evening at Cambridge Home. Previously to the assembly the noble viscount and viscountess entertained a select party at dinner. His Zioellency the Belgian Minister and Madame Vila Ds Weyer were hosooribl, on Saturday last, with the company of their Royal Highoemmes the Duke and Duchess d'Aumale at dinner. The following were invited to meet their royal highnesse s :—The Earl and Coantoes of Cork, the Count asd Countess de Lialolf, Lord and Lady Stanley of Alderney, Vivant Hinehinbroks, Lord Gdford, and Me sad Lady Mies Vernon. Their royal highbrows wen at boodsa by M. eatassi‘ awl the enuitess de (Wier. .LATEBI INTELLIOENCE: II . Tme MASSACRES iN SYRlA.—farra-i VENTION OS FRANCS.-.') The following telegram haa been received at Mr. Reuter'a office: PARIS, XONDAY. By ,the mail steamer which left Marseilles yes terday, M. Thouvenel sent instructions to the Marquis de Lavalette directing him to inform the Porte that France, from feelings of humanity u well as in consequence of former oonventions con cluded with Turkey, is bound to put a stop to the horrible massacres of the Christians in Syria. The Turkish authorities not being capable of protecting the Sultan's own subjects, France will concert with the other powers the most efficacious means for preventing the bloody scenes of which Syria has be come the theatre. JOLT T. Advisee have been received from the Leba non, confirming the complete destruction of Zahleh and of 160 villages. It is stated that Damascus was surrounded by the Drusee, and that a massacre was apprehended. The following are extracts from a letter written by an English resident in Damascus to a friend at Beyrout, dated June 18, 1860 : The state of affairs here is anything but reassuring. The asoduct of the Turkish government at linsbeyah and else where has been so unworthy and so treecherous that we moot have any confidence in its protestations, and ought, perhaps, to expect daily and hourly a frightful massacre of all the Christians of this city. The moment would be favourable for such a deed, as the houses and streets of the Christian quarter are encumbered with multitudes of poor refugees corns from all the surrounding villages and from the mountains. The panic is general, and several times a day, on the most triffing occurrence, shops are shut suddenly, and people are seen running to and fro. They say the Turkish authorities, laving oomprornised themselves by their imoduct in the present war between the Christians and the Drumm, are anxious to oompromire the city also, so ae to appear to have been over ruled, and they fear that the Drones, on their return from Zillah, will be allowed to enter promiscuously into the city, and to plunder the Christian quarter, with the help of all the vagabonds among the Moslem,. I hear that the French consul bas entered into some arrangement with Abd-el-Keder to protect us with his Mograbines, but such a help would be very pirecerious. The consuls are gathering today at Mr. Brant's* to deliberate on the situation. They may ask from the government the manatee of our lives, or an escort for all the Franks to go to Beyrout together, but probably the Pacha will find a very simple way of eluding the demand by offering a delusory guarantee. May the English government at last understand their error ie having for so many years given their support to that band of foreign brigands which is called the Turkuh government. Was it not the English who turned Ibrahim Paella cost ol this country Is it not the English government which has first lost its own influence in this country, by binding the hands of its consuls, and preventing their interfering is the affairs of Christian rayahs, and then trying to get the other European powers to lose their influence also by following the same example? It may be hoped, however, that way Englishman in this country will do his beat to enlighten her Mejiaty's government on the true state of matters, sod thus to prevent England from opposing France and Russia, if these two powers should decide to take some efficient steps. I feel confident that the British r^.tion will at hut open its eyes, but not perhaps before receiving ri frightful know which history will call the Massacre of Damascus. Our liver, however, may have been usefully sacrificed if each a tragedy should close the history of the Ottoman • Mr. Brant is the English corgul at Dammam. BELGIUM. SPEECH OF THE KING. The King of the Belgians paid a visit to Ghent yesterday, and received an address from the local authorities. His Majesty made the following reply : lam greatly moved by the affectionate sentiments you have expressed. The spot on which we are assembled calla to mind ancient and simians recollections. Time old communes were the seat of commerce, indonry, and the arts, when • large portion of Eerye was still in dark , um. From the most distant times the love of country and of its independence has been preserved as • sacred fire is the hearts of their inhabitants. The most precious blood wee often spent to obtain • free and national exist •es- Smear did not crown those noble efforts. It was teeerved for us to found upon the largest basis that which Use country so much desired, alai to make it the home of all that constitutes the happiest political and social existence. It is thus that we were found by the tempest which in 1848 inantleed Europe, in which alone to our glory we escaped all dangers, our political existence remaining uninjured. Whatever may be the trials of the future, 1848 shows us how we can pus through them with honour and success. Two generations of my family have been born in your midet, and have with you • common country. My devotion for you during the long reign is known, and so long as it shall please Providence to preserve me I will remain faith ful at my poet, and immovable In my paternal affection for you. VIENNA. MONDAY. Count Rechbetg has instructed Prince Metter nich to declare to M. Thouvenel, in the name of the Austrian government, that Austria intends to maintain that Piedmont can show no title to be admitted to the Conference. SPAIN. MADRID, JOLT 8. Senor Zavala has been ap ointed Minister of Marine. NAPLEN. On the Lt instant the new Neapolitan minis presented the following whines to the King : Sire,—By the sovereign and memorable act of the 2611 s of June your Majesty announced two great ideas to your people, viz., that of putting the constitutional rlyiwie in force in these eaten, and that of entering into an undentanding with King Victor Emmanuel for the greater advantage of the two Italian crowns. Thome sublime words, which mark for your Majesty and for your reign the commencement of a great and glorious OM have resounded throughout Europa, and filled with joy the hearts of your subjects, who expect from the Metes and loyalty of their King the accomplish. meat of the grand work. Your Majesty has deigned at the sante time to call the undersigned to power as your council of ministers, in whom confidence is to be placed for the mama execution of the royal will, and who have been entrusted with the preparation of the statute for this portion of the kingdom. But your council, sire, in de voting itself to the fulfilment of this royal order, has con sidered that a constitutional statute already exists in the public law of the kingdom—namely, that which was oc• troyed by your august father, the late Ferdinand IL If this statute was atter some time suspended on account 01 some deplorable events which it is not apropos to retell to-day, it has nevertheless never been abrogated, as has been the ease in some European states. It seems to the undersigned that it is at once a simple and logical idea that this statute should be restored in full vigour. In doing this your Majesty will find agreeable and facile the work of which you desire your states to receive the benefit. The foreigner will admire the wisdom of the sovereign in this noble decision, andyour peoplee,withuut haring to wait far new document,will learn with the greatest interest what are their franchises, and will receive with gratitude this new pledge of the King for the inauguration of tke comae'. tional rfpime. (Here follow the signatures of the ministers.) On the same day the King issued decrees in consonance with the above advice of his ministers; convoking the assemblage of the national parlia ment of Naples for the 19th of September, restor ing also the laws of 1848 and 1849 with regard to the freedom of the press, and establishing commis sions to arrange the details with respect to the electoral law, the National Guard, dm. rENING, JULY S! MEIN, JOLT 7. int The N VlO % Neapolitan emigrants are siesidy all return- NA/ILES, JULY 4. T ree : m hoalamation of the constitution has bull r th indifference. The refusal of Signor Manna to accept office has created a bad impreesion. The embassy with the offer of alliance has not yet left for Turin. SICILY. TURIN JULY 8. Prince Carignan has arrived here, and , will leave again on Tuesday next. Signor San (Waldo, the ambassador from Sicily to the Court of Paris, has also arrived here, and will leave again on Tuesday next. The news published by the Courrier de Marseilles, that fighting had taken place near Messina, has not been confirmed. JOLT T. Advicee have been received from Palermo to the 3rd inst. Garibaldi had held a review of 9,000 volunteers, most of whom were very young. An inspector of police had been murdered near Palermo. A decree of the Dictator threatened with banish ment, and even with death, whoever should rise against the former police, and stated that special oornmissions had been appointed to discover those functionaries who had oppressed the people. The Queen Mother would remain at Gaeta. Generals Nunziante and Bantovito had tendered their resignations. Other resignations were expected. THE PAPAL ARMY. ROME, JULY 7. The effective of the Papal army under General Latuorieiere amounts to 191,000 men. It is asserted that the commander-in-chief of the French troops at Rome has received orders from Paris not to allow any popular manifestation to take place at Rome. The Duke de Grammont is expected to return to his post as ambassador here between the 115th and 20th July. RAVENNA, JULY 7. The Adriatic journal states that desertions from the army of General Lamoriciere continue on a vast scale. Many of the deserters have arrived at Forli, and demand to be sent to Sicily. GERMANY. VIENNA SUNDAY. The Emperor of Austria and the King 'of Bavaria will be present at the inauguration of the opening of the railway between Salzburg and Munich, which will take place on the 15th Angus.. The sovereigns will meet at Salzburg, whence they will proceed to Munich, where severni other German sovereigns are expected. RUSSIA. BT. PETIMSBIMO, JOLT 8. Baron Haber, the founder of the great banking and trading company, has just arrived here, after having formed connexions with many great houses on the Continent. His arrival has produced a favourable impression in financial circles. EXPRESS FROM PARIS. ;(nom ma owl PARIS. SUNDAY EVILNIIIO. In spite of the confident assertions of the govern ment journals yesterday, there is reason to believe that the projected alliance between Naples and . . Piedmont—an alliance as unnatural as one between May and December—is in a very sickly state. Prince Petrulla, according to the Turin papers, bas refused to have any hand in the matter ; and Francis IL has now applied to Prince lachitella to undertake the negotiation with Victor Emmanuel's government, but it is not known whether the prince, who is a popular man, will accept the un promising mission. It is amusing to read the twisted phraseology in which the Pays—which has lately been quite cock-a-hoop about the alliance—admits that the people of Naples are not to be caught by the bait of a constitution. " The first experiments of the I working of the constitution leave the Neapolitan population," it says, "in a sentiment of reserve." But it takes comfort in the reflection that if in the metropolis " there is an expectative feeling, not so sympathetic as might be desired," the constitu tion and the national flag are received with enthu siasm in the provinces. The latter assertion is not easily to be contradicted, as there are very few parts of the King's dominions, with the. exception of Naples, from which letters are frequently re ceived. The Pope, who, according to some autho ritiee, was eager to grant liberal institutions to his subjects, will not, the Petrie says, go so far as the King of Naples, and will, above all tbinge, refuse to have anything to do with the King of Sardinia. Instead of the famous Villa franca scheme of a confederation being once more in the ascendant, it ie admitted that the resent ment of Pius IX. against Victor Emmanuel is too recent for it to be possible for his Holiness to come into the contemplated alliance at present. These indications are sufficient to show that the latest despatches from the French ambassador at Rome and Naples must be of a discouraging character. _ _ I am assured that Garibalde; envoy to Paris was received by the Emperor to-day at St. Cloud as a private individual—the diplomatic phrase in "in an officious character." Prince Ginaeppe will probably by this time have arrived in Lon6n on a mission from the patriotic general, and Count Cavour has just sent the eminent ex-deputy, M. Veloric, to Sicily. Garibaldi, therefore, is at this moment playing a great part on the diplomatic stage. _ . . The various reasons offered by the Opinion Nationale, within one short week of Prince Jerome's funeral, for making Prince Napoleon an active power in the state, are not in any way touched by the mild reproof administered to the responsible author of the article by the Monitenr, which merely dwells upon the indecent haste with which the claim was preferred—ri thing which struck everybody. The Pattie predicts that French bayonets will shortly make their appearance in Syria. " Who," it asks, " shall stop these Druses, who now appear as the last and most odious representatives of oriental barbarism r And, in answer to its own question, it says, " Christian Europe, and especi ally France. Thanks to this intervention, Europe while protecting the unfortunate Christians of Lebanon will render an immense service to the government of Constantinople ; it will save the Christian populations from destruction, and the Turkish empire from dishonour." The Superior Councilof Commerce has concluded its inquiry into the manufactures connected with flax and hemp, having devoted to it five sittings, averaging five hours each. More than fifty manu facturers and merchants belonging to the principal town" where the linen trade is chiefly earried ou, presented themselves before the council, and gave full expression to the wants and wishes of the in dustries which they represent. The council also heard a number of English and Belgian manufac turers. The inquiry touching cotton and woollen manufactures will begin on Monday next. 12 "7" leek • SYRIA. CAPTURE OP Milan AND GREAT . MASSACRE OF CHRISTIANS. BEYROUT, JUNI 21. Would that I had better news wherewith to open my letter; but the last intelligence we have here is of the fall of Zahleh, a large Christian town of ten thousand inhabitants, into the hands of those bloodthirsty hordes of Druses who have invested the town for six days. The Christians fought bravely, but were out-numbered ; and of the Turkish troops sent to assist them, half halted some miles short of the place, and the remainder took part against them. But full details are not known yet, although I may be able to supply them ere I close this. . . . . . As the Austrian steamer to Trieste was leaving this on the 16th instant, a boatload of men wearing, not blood-stained, but blood-saturated garments arrived from Tyre. These individuhls, only thirty four in number, were all that remain of the Chris tian male population of Hasbeiya, a village at the foot of Mount Harmon, which a week before, could muster nearly two thousand fighting men. These poor creatures were the first to bring to Beyrout detailed and true accounts of the bloodthirsty ruffianism of their Druse enemies, and of the fearful treachery of the local Turkish authorities. The tale 1 give you is taken from the very words of the men themselves, examined separately by a first-rate Arabic scholar. Hasbeiya is a beautiful village at the foot of Hermon, and close to the source of the Jordan. It contains, or did before the massacre, a population of s,oooChristian souls, chiefly of the Greek " ortho dox " church. To protestant Christendom Hasbeiya should be a place of the utmost possible interest, for it was here that the preaching of evangelical truth had borne more fruit than anywhere else in Syria. The protestants numbered in this village upwards of , two - hundred ; they had a native pastor and a re gular church of their own—the latter having been built chiefly by their own contributions. Of that protestant community which a fortnight ago was full of spiritual as well as material life, two men now live to tell the tale of their butchery, whilst of their 4,000 Greek fellow-Christians but 33 men have survived, and the fate of their wives and chil dren is worse than uncertain. _ _ . The village was attacked by an overwhelming body of Drums on Saturday, the 2nd instant. The Christians armed to repel them, and for two days held their own, on the third driving back the enemy. Hitherto the commander of the Turkish troops had stood aloof, although—as was the case at Sidon, at Deir-el-Kamar, and at Rasheiya—lie had troops enough at his command to repel and defeat the Drums, had he so wished. When he saw that the Christians were gaining the day, he called them back, and in the name of the Sultan ordered them to retire within the seraglio (a large building covering nearly an acre of ground, and containing the resi dence of the commander, as well as the barrack), and to give up their arms, as he, the local repre sentative of the government, would conduct them all safe to Damascus, where they would be better than in Haabeiya whilst the civil war lasted. The Christiana obeyed him, returned, gave up their arms, which were immediately packed up, and sent towards Damascus, but with so absurdly small au mood, that the Drums took pos session of both the muskets and the mules that carried them within an hour of their leaving the place. The Christians asked again and again to be sent with their families, as promised, to Damascus. For nearly a week they were put off with some pre text or other, until, on the sixth day after their being disarmed (during which time the Turkish soldiers had prevented any of them from leaving the precincts of the seraglio), two Drum sheiks of great influence arrived, and had a conference of several hours with the Turkish commander of the troops. No sooner was this conference ended than the Christians observed that the hareem (wives, women, and children), as well as the property of the commander, was removed from the seraglio, and that the Turkish soldiers also removed their baggage outside. Suspecting treachery many of the Christians tried to escape from the place, but were prevented by the bayonets of the troops, whilst their women and children were ordered, and compelled to remove to the large upper chambers of the buildings, the men being forced to remain below. By this time it was known that many hundreds of armed Druses were close to the town. The troops had hardly made the afore said arrangements when the Druses were admitted into the seraglio, and rushed like hungry tigers upon the unarmed mob in the court-yard. No man was spared. In ten minutes the very stones were inch deep in human blood. No butchery ever known in history equalled this in ferocity and oowardioe. In half an hour upwards of a thousand strong men were hacked to death. Some few tried again to escape, but wore driven back by the bayo net& of the Turkish sokliers (regular troops, not Bashi Bazouks), and the Drums had their revel of blood undisturbed ; mothers, wives, daughters, and young children witnessing from above the massacre of their relatives. I could enter into more details, but sicken at the task. Would to heaven that it were a fable or a dream ! In the slaughter some few hid in out-of-the-way chambers ; others escaped notioe from being heaped over by the dead, and these by God's mercy managed in the night to escape, wandered down to the ooast, where one Ali Bey, a Metaali chief, protected them, and so to Tyre, where they took ship to Beyrout, and arrived here on Satur day evening, the 16th instant. Of the fate of the women and children nothing is yet certain, but from what is known of Turkish soldiers it is feared that the fate of the former will be one worse than death. Of the protestant community not a man escaped, but more than one of the Greek Christian refugees bears witness how they met their fate, ex horting others to turn to the Saviour and to pray to Him in their last hour, Comment on the above would be useless, but I may ask, as every Englishman, Frenchman, Rus sian, or American—merchant, missionary, priest, or private individual—throughout Syria does, and as thousands of native Christians do, can such things be allowed to continue ? Here are the fruits of the twenty years' reign of Turkey over this pro vince, the promised laud of God's people in olden days, the finest and most fruitful country perhaps in the whole world, if the curse of Islam rule was removed from her shores. Can Christian Europe, can protestant England, stand by and see such deeds in order to support any system of policy 1 May we do evil that good may come of it ? Are we allowed by the laws of God or man to uphold a government which crushes out a whole people rather than that the balance of European power should be destroyed? Caa we leave a whole Christian population at the mercy of Drum tigers and Turkish wolves, who only ask for opportunity to commence again their shedding of Christian blood ? We have blamed and allowed others to punish the misrule of Austria, the Pope, and the King of Naples—must we uphold the government of the crescent in these lands which it has done its very utmost to destroy ? Let the evidence of every English mer chant, of every American missionary, of every French or Italian priest who has lived more than ten years in Syria be taken, and if one such bears witness in favour of the Turkish rule, from the day it was established over this province in 1840 to the present time, or be in favour of preserving that government in Syria, then am I no true pro phet. If the moral and divine law of blood call ing aloud for vengeance be not a fable, what should be the fate of a government—foreigners and aliens, remember, iu country, creed, and language—which has directly and indisputably connive(' at, not one, but fifty such deeds of blood within Cm last few weeks 1 But I have not yet done ; let me now re late the fall of Rasheiya, another village situated near the foot of Hermon, and containing a popula tion of 2,000 Christians. Iu this place the Chris tians were unable to repel the Druses,who at'acked them. They tried to take refuge w ithiu the enclosure of the barracks, but were driven back by the bayonets of the Turkish troops, who even fired upon them. About a third escaped towards the coast during the night ; of the rest, neither man, woman, uor child now lives. Between Sidon, Hasbeiya, Rasheiya, and the Christians murdered in trying to escape from Dabeiya to Beyrout along the vomit, Turkish troops and Turkish officials have to account to Christian Europe for the cold-blooded murder of more than two thousand of our co-religionists. What will they say in England 1 If France and Russia demand a reckoning for this, cas we say them nay 1 As regards our—the English—policy iu Syria, there has been a rumour—for the honour of England I hope it is unfounded— the last day or two, that true to some obsolete policy of 1840, we shall still uphold the retaining of the Druse feudal rule in the southern part of Lebanon. If this be true, no language can be too strong to express the national iniquity we shall be guilty of in again leaving hundreds of Christian villages and thousands of Christian men to the mercy of so bloodthirsty a horde of lawless ruffians as these Druse chiefs have shown them selves to be, and such willing instruments of murder and rapine as they have been in the hands of the Turks, whose natural and national policy it is at all times to embrace every opportunity of destroying Christians. That the Druses, under certain re strictions, be allowed to remain in their villages on Lebanon would be but just, but " God do so and more also" unto England, not only if she permit any Druse sheik or chief whatever to ex ercise power on the mountain, but if she does not insist upon the exile from Syria of every mis creant who ie proved to have had the slightest share in attacking or pillaging the Christians. And if this is carried out—as we have every reason to believe France and Russia will justly insist upon —there will not remain in Lebanon one-fourth of those Druse chiefs who have for so many years been its curse. _ _ isnow absorbed in the news about the fall of &bleb, where five to six thousand Christians had for five or six days been holding out against an im mense horde of Druses from the Hauran and from Anti-Lebanon, as also of Kurds and Arabs from the desert. The Pacha of Beyrout, at the urgent and repeated representations of the five consuls-gene ral—representations made again and again for the last eight days—sent off a small force of three hundred soldiers and two guns to drive off the Druses from Zahleh. , The troops left this at daybreak on the 17th, and might with ease have reached the scene of action next day very early, the distance from this to Zahleh being but 32 English miles, of which 25 are over an ex cellent road. But at seven o'clock this morning the force was still halted at about half way to their destination, proving that their being sent at all was a mere blind. If Zahleh has fallen, the whole horde of miscreants—the very scum of these regions—will no doubt sweep down on Damascus (they would come to Beyrout were it not for the men-of-war now here), pillage and burn the place, after putting every Christian in the town to the sword. But the fact is, that the Turkish government has called into being a devil, which they cannot now get rid of. In their fanatical haste to strike a blow at and if possible crush for ever the Christian popu lation of Lebanon, they invoked secretly the help of the Druaes, knowing that they could not them selves act openly as they wished, having the eyes of Europe upon them. This Druse weapon has served their turn, and served it only too well, for they now are puzzled how to lay it aside. Three months ago all the horrors of this civil war might have been saved by the moat ordinary energy on the part of the Pacha of Beyrout. Urged by all the consuls general to inquire into the murders taking place in Lebanon—warned again and again what must be the consequences it Druses were allowed to murder Christians and Christians Druses without any more notice being taken of such events than if dogs of different breeds had every now and then killed each other—he obstinately refused to move in the matter, seemingly glad that Dresses and Christians were working each other's extermi nation from the land, until at last the flame broke forth, when he did all he could to help the Druses, his subordinates in the interior doing more than their master. _ . The American missionaries at Dheir-el-Kamer have been obliged to remove to their station at Abeigh, three hours nearer Beyrout, the former place being considered no longer safe. A French paddle-wheel corvette arrived yester day, and her Britannic Majesty's steamer Firefly left for her surveying duties on the coast. We have now in the roads La &noble, French 50-gun frigate, a Russian of same size, English steam-sloop Gan net and gunboat Mohawk, besides French steam brig La Bentinelle , and paddle-wheel corvette above ' mentioned • in all six men-of-war, mounting about 130 gum, and having 800 seamen. As I write a large line-of-battle ship with English colours is coming in under sail from the north. But we have not a man or a gun too much ; for what between the ferocity of the blood-thirsty Drusee, their love of plunder, rapine, and every horror, and the obstinate determination which the Turkish authorities have shown to help the destruc tion of all the Christians, we are not in a happy position. The fall of Zahleh places Damascus at the mercy of the Drums and Moslems. Of the state of mind people were in there even before Zahleli fell I send you an example, in an extract from a letter writ ten by au Englishman in that town three days ago to a friend here. At Zahleh matters are quite as bad, and we expect every hour to hear that the Prunes have put some five thousand Christian souls to the sword. When the news of Zahleh having fallen reached Beyrout last night, and it was known that the Druses were surrounding Dheir-el-Kamer, I volunteered to proceed there with a small escort, and bring the Christians down to Beyrout. The English consul sent me a very civil answer, and it is quite possible I may start to-night for the place. Miscreants as they are, the Drums respect, orrather fear, a European, and although no native Christian could show his face within the limits of their districts, I don't believe that with a suitable escort of Moslem horsemen there would be any danger, although nodoubt the Druses would do their utmost to murder the refugee Christians on their way down. But mark what I say, horrible as it is to contem plate, we shall yet see the Christians of Dheir-el- Kamer murdered, although they are only seven hours' journey from Beyrout. The English, French, Russian, Austrian, and Prussian Consuls General, have again and again, within the hint twenty days, demanded from the Pacha of Beyrout an escort of soldiers to briug the Dheir-el-Kamer Christians down to this place, but their demand has been each time either evaded, or directly refused. Nay more, to my certain knowledge, some of the Christians of Dheir-el-Kamar managed ...- to provide au escort for themselves, and—the D,uaes being all away from the vicinity—were ready to start down to Beyrout. But the Turkish governor of the town ordered them not to leave the place, giving as a reason that if they did so the other inhabitants of the town would be frightened, and a panic would ensue. A panic where men's lives had not been worth an hour's purchase for the last two mouths ! Now, it is a hard thing to say, but it is the simple truth, the Pasha of Beyrout and every other Turkish authority in Syria have from the very first shown a wish, nay an eagerness, for the Christians to be butchered, whilst the Druaes have throughout been the willing instru ments of murder in their hands. Everyone is asking, whore will all this end ? Even suppose the blood-shedding of the Draws stopped, and the Turkish Government shamed, or forced, into putting au end to this state of affairs, what next 1 Are thousands of Christian peasants in Lebanon to be again left to the mercy of these murder-loving Druses, and their more guilty sheiks! Let us suppose for a moment that instead of being of the Greek and Roman churches these poor people were protestauts, instead of being under Russian or French protection they were under the care of England. Would we allow them to be again put under Druse rule Or would anything justify Fritioe or Russia in not allowing England to interfere 1 And shall we prevent, or even try to prevent, thaw, powers from seeing the Christians, who look to them for pro tection, righted 1 Moreover, let us remember that in Ibuibeiya 200 fellow-protestauts were first dis armed by the treachery of the Turks, and then murdered in cold blood by the Druses. England is the protector of protestauts iu Turkey, just as Russia is of the Greek Church and France of the Papal aorta. And is the blood of thew pour pro testauts to call in vain for justice One thing is certain, that the Turkish government r 1