The Sun. — London, England, 1854-05-12 00:00:00

Now cOniplete, 6 V015.,.8v0., 405., with Portrait and Vignette Titles. SIR EDWARD BULNVER LYTTON'S OtT IC AL' and tr Rll3l AN itf WORKS. 'How first Collected. Containisg many Poems never hef , re publi,:ied. ..Arnon:: the shorter lyties we diii the htst and not the least strik ing evidences of the poet's genius, of the thinker's intellectual activity. Fancy add feeling are richly displayed in all, and in a few referring to- classical subjects the scholar declares himself equally with the poet in their learned felicity and imaginative subtlety of allusion." — Examiner. ** Vol. 5, completing the work, is just published, Price Bs. London: Chapman and Hall, 193, Piccadilly. • THEATRE ROYAL DRURY LANE. Lessee, Mr. E. T. Smith. THIS EVENING, MAT 12, Fifth Appearance of Mdlle. AGNES BURY. Will be performed Bellini's Opera of LA SONNAMBULA. Amine, Itdlle. Bury ; Count Rodolpho, Signor Arnoldi ; and Elvino, Signor Bettini. Followed by a BALLET DIVERTISSEMENT. Prices—Stalls, 7s; Dress Circle, 53.; Boxes, 3s. ; Pit, 2s. ; Gallery, IL; and Private Boxes, One, Two, Three and Four Guineas. The Box-office open daily from Tea till Six, where places may be secured. Private Boxes and Stalls to be had of Messrs. Leader and Cock, 63, New Bond-street. THEATRE ROYAL HAYMARKET. Under the management of Mr. ittalltOne. THIS EVENING, MAT 12, Will be performed THE LADY OF LYONS. Characters by Messrs. G. Vandenheff, Chippendale, Howe, and Rogers Miss Rey nolds, and Mrs. Stanley. Alter which, the entirely new and original extravaganza, entitled MR. BICKSTONE'S VOYAGE ROUND THE GLOBE (LN LEI HESTER-SQUIRE), written by J. R. P lanche, Esq. Principal characters by Mr. Buckatone , Mr. W. Farren, Mr. Clark, Mr. J. Marshall, Mr. H. Marshall ; yitzwillisun, Mrs. Caulfield, Miss E. Grey, Miss Lydia Thompson, Miss Laura Morris, and Miss Featherstone. (To conclude with THE PORTRAIT OF CERVANTES. Prin cipal characters by Mr. Compton and Miss E. Grey. ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE, OXFORD-STREET. Under the Management of Mr. Cuanza THIS EVENING. MAY 12, Will be performed T LIE MARRIED UNMARRIED. Characters by Messrs. W. Lacy, ItYdar. and Cathcart; and Misses Heath and Murray. Followed by FAUST AND MARGUERITE. Characters by Messrs. C. Kean and David Fisher ; Mrs. winstaniey and Miss C. Leclerc-44. To conclude vritb. A STORM DT A TEA-CUP, Principal cha racters by Mr. and Mts. W. Lacy. THEATRE ROYAL ADELPHI. proprietor, Mr. B. Webster.—Directress, Madame Celeste. THIS EVENING, 314:r 12, Will be performed TWO LOVES AND A LIFE. Supported by Messrs. C. Seiby, Leigh Murray, Benjamin Webster, Keeley, and 0. Smith ; Miss Woolgar an 3 Madame Celeste. Followed by THE IttouirAcnE MOVE &LENT. Principal cha racters by Messrs. 0. Smith, Keeley, and Farselle; Mrs. Keeley, and Miss Mary Keeley. After which, THE OVERL \ND JOURNEY TO CONirAxTr- NoPLE, A 3 UNDER'PAKEN BY LORD BA. FE MAN, WITH NTERESTING PARTICULARS OF THE FAIR 601'MA. ROYAL OLYMPIC THEATRE . Lessee and Manager, Mr. A. Wigan. THIS EVENING. MIT 12. WIII be performed FIGHTING BY PROXY. Characters by R 9 boon and Wigan; and Miss E. Turner. After whin, THE HAPPIEST DAY OF MY LIFE. Cha racters by Messrs. F. Robson,White, Leslie, and Vincent ; Mrs. Chatterley, Miss P. Horton, and Miss Marston. To be followed by TO OBLIGE BENSON. Supported by Messrs. E mery, Robson, and Leslie; Mrs. Stirling and Miss Wyndham. STRAND THEATRE. Bole Lessee Sfr. F. WW. Alicroft.—Directreas, Miss Rebecca Isaacs . THIS EVENING, MAY 12, Will he performed NELL GWYNNE. The ZULU RAFIRS, as they appeared at St. George's Gallery. After which, SUMMER FLOWERS, in which the French Ballet Troupe will appear. THE THREE TURKISH RAZOR GRINDERS. -galls, Ss.; Boxes, 35.; Pit, Is. 6d; tlallery, lid.; Private Boxes, LI 11s. 6d., , o be had of Mr. Allcroft. 15, New Bond-street. ASTLEY'S EUROPE'S NATIONAL AMP HIT REA'rltE. Lessee and Manager, Mr. William Cooke. THIS EVENING, MAT 12. Will be presented the new grald Nautical and Equestrian spec Lade. enabodyin:.; n ,vel and extraordinary el.:as (wri tai by Mr, Nelson Lee), entitled A •rm.Pl OF TIIK SPANISH VAR; or, The Horse or the Wreck. Th: horses expressly trainel by Mr. W, Cooke. Followed by an entire change of the Scenes of the CIRCLE, intro ducing Miss Emily Cooke. lidlie. Blanche, the celebrated Continental Artiste, on the TIGHT ROPE. To conclude with a Grand Ballet, entitled THE STAR OF THE R HINE. Box-office open from Eleven till Four. Stage Manager, Mr. W. West. HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE. Tau DAT —Morning 24 min.after 1 I Evening 43 min.aft. 1 TrAfoaaow—Morning 1 min.after 2 Evening 23 min.aft.. 2 TEE WEATHER.—Eva 07711:01, MAT 12. THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE. 61—highest since noon yesterday. 46—Lowest this morning and during the night. 65—this day at noon. BARomBTER, 30 . 23. Win), S.W.—Light breeze, aid fine weather. n. Zt LONDON, FRIDAY, MAY 12, 1854. The Directors of the Bank of England have again raised the minimum rate of discount. At the breaking up of the Parlour yesterday it was a nnounced that there was a further advance of i per cent., or from 5 to sf. The lead of the Leviathan was forthwith followed by the host of minor fry that follow in its wake. The great dis count houses immediately increased the allowance for money on call to 4i per cent., and, of course, there will be at least a corresponding addition to their charges for pecuniary accommodation. The effect on the quotations of the public securities was very decided. Indeed, the announcement, which, from the favourable turn in the Exchanges and the diminished demand of gold for exporta tion, was altogether unexpected, fell like a thunder bolt on the Stock Exchange. But a few hours before the funds had exhibited great buoyancy. There was an active demand for Stock for the settlement now in progress. There was a panic in the " Ursine " camp. Men who had made large speculative sales of that which they had not in their possession were eagerly buying back or borrowing stock until the next account. There was a " back wardation" of per cent. at first, the price for money being ss. then for the next settling day, the 6th June. Consols reached 881 for money, and 88 for account. This state of affairs was however, speedily changed. It soon became per ceptible that some secret was known to a select and highly favoured few—that some mysterious intimations were given by those who, without any claim to prescience, could yet accurately pre dict coming events. Influential sellers appeared in the market, and many heavy bona fide sales were effected, a large proportion whereof were attributed to the Bank of England itself. This statement was the more credible, as it was well known that on the previous settlement the " Old Lady" had taken " the bears" under her especial protection. More than a million of stock was lent, to enable "the speculators for a fall" to avoid the heavy losses they would otherwise have sustained, and large sales were also effected. It is therefore more than probable that the "intentions" of the Directors were made known to special favourites, and acted upon by the Bank itself, before the general announcement. A very questionable pro ceeding, if such were really the case. It will be in the recollection of our readers that great indig nation Was some time since expressed on what was supposed to be a line of conduct very similar to that above indicated. The consequence of the appearance of these "judicious" sellers was to send back prices a little. The " tendency to reaction " was , however con firmed, when the intelligenc e of the extraordinary and unanticipated move by th lished—a move that was e Bank was manifestlypub the result of a deliberate intention to depreciate the prices of funds and other securities, and thus to "check mate" the Chancellor of the E ze h e qtter--to . prevent him from obtaining t he money h e =er ;it red and t o exhibit in the most une quivocal in solent defiance of the si g nifican t and menacin g intima ti on s of the Right Honourable Gen tleman contained in the Budget (N n. 3), and re-echoed, with emendations and additions, that cast the celebrated echo of PADDY B LARE altogether into the shade—by his faithful man FRIDAY of the Fourth Estate. Practically, the charge was neither more nor less than a challenge to Mr. GLADSTONE to carry out his threats—if he dare ! The Directors de sired to exhibit the most contemptuous and une quivocal disregard for his power, and to brave all that he can do. The unnecessary nature of the movement was manifest from the fact that, while the Bank of England was increasing its rate from 5 to 5i per cent., the Bank of France was reducing its charge from sto 4 per cent.—a difference of 1 per cent. between the operations of these great establishments, not merely within a single day, but within a single hour. If we couple this with the fact, that the Exchanges had become far mere favourable within a few days, that what was a ll eg ed to have been " the considerations that warranted a fresh movement"—that is, to say, a furtht or increase in the rate of discount existed in greater force a week or two since--it will be apparent that the true object of the various manoeuvres was to foil Mr. GLADSTONE'S Ex chequer Bond project, and to bring his character as a financier into greater disrepute, if possible, than was previously the case. In carrying out this object, they would not even allow the miser able stags who put in tenders for the novel secu rity, to gain " the ridiculously small sum of eighteen pence," or even ls. per 1,0001. sterling allotted to those distinguished capitalists. Even their insignificance could not shield them from falling beneath theblowdirected against a mightier prey The result, as we have stated, was very deci sive. Consols for money went back to 87i, a fall o f 1 per cent, within a few hours. From this " Slough of Despond" there was a partial extri cation. Quotations both for money and account rallied on the intelligence of the counter move ment of the Bank of France to 851, at which they closed, the tendency being to a small " contango," say 1-16 per cent. We have thus seen the mode in which the Bank abuses the enormous powers entrusted to its charge. There is no doubt that it would be at perfect liberty to " do what it liked with its own," but for its quasi national character, —were it merely a private Joint Stock Establish ment—as some assert it to be, the Directors would only have to look to the interests of the proprietors. Its gigantic assets would, of course, give it great influence, and we have no doubt that as large a dividend, aye, and as handsome a bonus, would be declared if its connection with Government were altogether abolished. We see that a comparatively private concern, the National Provincial Bank of England, only yesterday de dared a dividend at the rate of 8 per cent., with a bonus of 4 per cent., from profits actually realised. This is even better than anything that the "Old Lady" can do, with all her exclusive pri vileges and valuable monopolies. Let, then, these privileges be taken away, these monopolies abolished root and branch. Let the business of the nation be transferred to a really National Bank. Such a change will be beneficial to the Bank, to the Government, and pre-eminently so to the commercial and manufacturing interests of the country, which are seriously damaged by the connection, and are compelled " to pay the Piper," whether the other " contracting parties" are friendly or adverse—whether they are at open war or doubtful peace ! In the City Article of the GLADSTONE organ this day, it is stated that " Long Annuities con tinue to decline, owing to the unjust operation of the income tax on these descriptions of securities, and were last quoted at 4 9-16ths." This is in deed a fair illustration of the gross inequality and flagrant injustice of the system now in operation. Long Annuities, which will expire in 1860, are charged at the same rate as Consols—the one pound income of the one being, at yesterday's quotations, worth 41. 11s. 3d., that of the other being worth 291. ss. In other words, the holder of Long Annuities pays very nearly six-and-a-half times as much on the value of his property as the more fortunate proprietor of Consols. The latter is only required to contribute on what is entirely and absolutely interest. The other pays on his capital, of which 5-6ths of what he is to receive consists—the receiving 1-6th only being interest, or what can properly be called "income." As yet the Chancellor of the Exchequer proposes to double this iniquitous and unjust impost, with out modification or alteration, declaring that it is utterly impossible to attempt even an approxima tion to a more equitable solution, and that " the reconstructing," or, as he is pleased to term it, " differentiating," the tax is altogether visionary and impossible. Now, the distinction between Schedules A or C and D is, at least, as striking as that between Consols and Long Annuities. Many hard-working circuit-going barristers and country clergymen, and provincial medical practitioners, would be rejoiced if they could capitalise the incomes on which they are required to pay debts at the rate obtainable for Long Annuities. They feel that, taking into consideration their increasing years and decreas ing strength, the changes in their professional emoluments occasioned by legislation or fashion, or the competition of younger and more vigorous rivals, they would be but too happy to dispose of the good-will of their respective professions or occupations for four-and-a-half years' purchase. If they should entertain any doubt on the sub ject, let those even of the most unimpeachable characters, and consequently in the best credit, send their securities into the money-market, and ascertain what amount will be advanced thereon. The man willing to mortgage his Long Annuities, returning, say 5001. a year, will at once ob tain 2,0001. thereon at a moderate rate of interest, while the professional, who seeks to mortgage his labour, will find it difficult to get an advance of even one year's income—or 5001., and for that he will have to pay a higher interest than the annuitant for his 4,000/., or eight times as much in proportion to the actual amount. In comparing the cases of the annui tant with the proprietor of Consols, we do not, by any means, expose the greatest hardships or most serious grievances existing under the system, which is not only to be perpetuated, but the charges to be doubled, and the evils consequently multiplied in even a duplicate ratio. What we say then of the palpable injustice inflicted on the owners of Long Annuities will, d fortiori, apply to a large proportion of those who are assessed under Schedule D. Now, we ask any man of ordinary intelligence —any clerk capable of earning sufficient to make him liable to the impost—what can be the diffi culty of making not merely an approximation to equitable apportionment, but a perfectly fair ar rangement ? If the charge on 41. 11s. 3d. be ls. 2d. per annum, what should be that on 291. ss. ? It is obvious that the answer would be something about 7s. 4d. ; and it would require not merely a skilful actuary or experienced accountant to make the calculation, but that it would be within the power of any schoolboy who had mastered the primary rules of arithmetic. Away, then, with the flimsy pretext of " im possibility." Nothing is impossible to those zealous and energetic in a righteous cause. The word should be expunged from the Legislative vocabulary, and the party using it taught a painful but salutary lesson of the impropriety of paltering with or despising public opinion. The time has ar rived for a suitable demonstration. If the present opportunity be suffered to pass by unavailingly, we shall ever be responsible for the consequences of our own negligence and careless indifference. Last year the tax was expiring, and it was gene. rally believed that it would never have been re newed without a fair and equitable adjustment. Ministers themselves felt the difficulty, the " dear and excellent" PRIDLIER more than hinted that it should be modified—while the " Leader" in the representative branch of the Legislature was even more explicit. Little, if any, doubt remained as to the course that would be adopted. Mr. GLADSTONE alone remained " dark," and be, it appears, eventually carried his point. But how ? By inducing Parliament and the country to believe that the , tax would be reduced in 1855, and again in 1857, and eventually alto gether abolished. We now see how " visionary" were these fond an ti c ipations—how futile were indulged in. The tax was in March to be the doubled hopes for a single half-year. Now the period is to be protracted to the termination of the war, whenever that may be. The exigency of the moment, the magnitude of the emergency, justified the former concession. Nothing, how ever, would vindicate the allowancelof the present demand. What will JOSEPH HUME, who has so ably denounced the unfairness and inequality of the charge, say on the point ? We shall soon know ; and at the same time shall learn how far the representatives of the people are deservi n e, f the confidence of their constituents —how far they are faithful executants of the important duties entrusted to their charge. EXPOSITION DE L'ECOLE FRANCAISE DES BEAUX-ARTS. —Her Majesty the Queen has purchased, for 130 guineas, the small picture by Plassau, in the above ex hibition, called the Foot-bath." THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, MAY 12. 1854. Al GIVE Y SEA it KE T A 00.31:1 1 / 1 !/Z 1 7.4 L N ,"1". ' CITY, TWO o'CLOCK, The sales of cotton at Liverpool yesterday were estimated at 7,000 bales, including 1,500 American taken for export and on speculation. The market closed firmly, and prices of all kinds fully sup ported. The sales comprised 5,500 American, 100 Pernam and Maranham at 61d. to sid., 250 Bahia at sid., 300 Egyptian at 6d. to Bd., and 800 Surat at 3d. to 3id. per lb. Railway shares were dull. Colonial produce has been quiet this week. Business in sugar has been checked, in consequence of Mr. Gladstone's proposals. Coffee has been in active, and tea firm. Tallow is lower, on account of there being a prospect of getting a portion of this year's supply from Russia overland. Rice has tended upwards. Rum is firm, and saltpetre at fuller rates. _ _ _ The public sales of colonial and foreign wool have commenced, about 37,000 bales of the first-named having to be offered. The attendance of buyers has been good, but the prices rule id. to ld. per lb. lower than at the last auctions. The report of the Mexican Bondholders' Com mittee, to be presented to the general meeting next Monday, is encouraging in some respects, notwith standing past arrears and shortcomings on the part of the Mexican Government. The passing of the Gadsden treaty by the United States Senate, must stimulate the creditors to vigorous exertion in at tempting to obtain a portion of the indemnity money, we have the assurance of the committee that $3,000,000 would liquidate the unpaid divi dends, and provide for that which will be due next January. The report states : "The Mexican Agency in London has appropriated, under instructions from its Government, from the divi dend fund here 6,0831. ss. 3d., being charges on a loan for the payment of the first dividend. " The appropriations which can be specified, amount, therefore, to about a half-yearly dividend, and the list is far from being complete. • "The result of the statement in the sixth paragraph is, that the dividend fund has an available balance of 50,2011. Bs. 10d., to which will have to be added the eventual balance on Messrs. Jecker, Torre, and Co.'s account, which may be estimated at 15,0001. "On the other hand, three half-yearly dividends are overdue, viz.: those of the Ist January and Ist July, 1853, and of the Ist January, 1854, amounting together to 460,8741., and a fourth will due in six weeks hence, on the Ist July next, requiring 153,6251. more. " Now, at the present price of silver, little more than 2,900,000 dollars would be required to pay the whole four without touching the dividend fund, and that, being thus allowed to accumulate, would ensure the punctual payment also of a fifth dividend, due on the Ist January, 1855. At the cost of 2,900,000 dollars, the Mexican Government would thus be able to perform a great act of justice, which could not fail to make an immense sensation in favor of its present distinguished head, and being thereby re lieved from all care about the foreign debt till towards the middle of next year, it would gain sufficient time to secure, by the establishment of the projected National Bank, or other equivalent financial arrangements, the more punctual payment of future dividends, and with it the complete re-establishment of Mexican credit in Europe. It is impossible that an object of equal mag nitude and importance to the nation could be attained at a less cost out of the means which it is supposed that the treaty with the United States of North Ame rica, referred to in the fifth paragraph of this section, will place at the disposal of the Government. "Apart, however, from the expectations raised by the Mexican treaty with the United States of North America, the bondholders have mainly to depend upon the revenue assigned to the foreign debt in Mexico, by the decree of the 14th October, 1850. Your committee have, therefore, been continuously endeavouring to obtain a clear view of the annual produce of this assignment, butfor want of complete accounts, as yet in vain. From the Appendix, No. 7, Lr. g. p. 37, it will be seen that the remittances from Mexico to the dividend fund since the beginning of 1851, have averaged only about 805,000 dols. annually, but it will also have been seen in the preceding seventh paragraph, that the whole produce has not been duly remitted. If it had, - the remittances would probably have reached an average of 1,100,000 dols. per annum, which alone would have provided for a dividend of 14 per cent, every seven or eight months. Your committee have, moreover, reason to suppose, that the President's intimation of the improvement of the revenue is perfectly correct, and that the produce of that portion which is assigned to the foreign debt, partakes in it." Now time is afforded for a consideration of the measure adopted by the Bank of England in ad vancing the rate of discount, the opinion of the mercantile community can be better elicited, and it would certainly appear that the advance was not so generally expected as a fortnight since, for the reason that the Bank of France yesterday lowered its rate to 4 per cent., that the foreign exchanges have this week been rather more favourable, and that corn has declined. There may, howevei, be other reasons to actuate the Bank, however open to suspicion its conduct appears in reference to the project of the Chancellor of the Exchequer for his ihsue of bonds. He has obtained his first two mil- lions, and, as we presume, will not be likely to get much more, until the money market grows easier again. The question to be answered is whether it will be likely to get easier under the present measure. The higher value of money may certainly check shipments of bullion and attract it from abroad, in which case there would be a change for the better; but a preliminary process involving some pressure has to be gone through ere we arrive at this. Perhaps the rumour that France is about to make a new loan, and the fact that Austria has contracted one, may have had its weight, and the Bank possibly found itself called upon this week by parties who were preparing to ship specie again. There has been a very quiet market for English stocks after the excitement of yesterday, but some recovery from the depression which then occurred is to be noted. Consols have been 871 to 88, both for money and June, neither " backwardation" nor " contango" any longer existing. Exchequer Bills have been 2s. dis. to 2s. prem., and India Bonds 10s. to 11s. dis. East India Stock has been heavy at 233. Nothing has been done in Bank Stock. The Foreign Securities have been very dull, with a want of buoyancy. Mexican are 24 to I, and Peruvian 60. Russian 4i per Cents. have realised 801 to 8 1 ±, and Dutc 2 l per Cents. 58. Spanish 3 per Cents. have been at 37. The Railway Share Market has been flat for the English lines, but without many sales. The French shares are up ss. to 10s. in some instances, owing to the advance at Paris. Gold Mine shares are dull, Banks dull, and Land Companies' higher. BRITISH FUNDS THIS DAY.—CLOSING PRICES, ( Prom the Official Lint. ) Rumness done. Bank Stock 3 per Cent. Reduced Annuities B7 6k + 7 3 per Cent Consols Annuities B7/ 8 New 31 per Cent. Annuities B7i i 8 7/ 8 Long Annuities, Expire sth Jan., 1860 India Stock 233 5 India Bonds, £lOOO . ,Ditto, under 21000 7 11 15 d Console for Account Cth June B7+ 8 7+ Exchequer Bills, 2d. £lOOO small Exchequer Bonds Scrip PRICE OF FOREIGN FUNDS THIS DAY. Chili= Bonds, 6 per Cent... ............. 101 v,exican 3 per Cent. Peruvian Bonds, 4i per Cent. 6O Russian Bonds, 1822, 5 per Cent. £ St — Dia) 4i per Cent Bl4 80 . 4 1 Spanish Bonds, 3 per Cent 37 6i Dividends on the above payable in London. Dutch Exchange, 24 per Cent. 12 Guil..„, 58 Ditto 4 per Cent. Certificates ..... L EST FOREIGN :NEWS, E WA iL THE BOMBARDMENT OF ODESSA. DESPATCHES OF THE FRENCH ADMIRAL AND OF THE CAPTAIN OF THE FURIOUS. The Moniteur of yesterday evening publishes, the official report of Vice-Admiral Hamelin, Com mander-in-Chief of the Black Sea squadron, of the bombardment and destruction of the military port of Odessa. Subjoined is the report, together with the principal documents accompanying it : " Ville de Paris, Odessa Roads, April 24. " Monsieur le Ministre,—As I had the honour to inform your Excellency by my telegraphic despatch of the 16th of April instant, the two squadrons proceeded from Kavarna to Odessa to exact reparation from the authorities of that town on the subject of the unheard of aggression committed by the batteries of the port against an English frigate and boat bearing a flag of truce. " After a good passage of three days, our vessels an• chored on April 20, three miles to the east of Odessa, whose roads, on account of the little elbow room they offer, are not very accessible to squadrons• "On April2l, Admiral Dundal received, by an Eng lish steam-frigate on the look out for him, a letter dated the 14th, addressed to him by General Baron d'Osten- Sacken, aide-de-camp to the Emperor Nicholas, and Governor-General of Odessa. This letter is annexed (Enclosure No. 1). " In casting your eyes over this letter, your Excel lency will see that this general officer adopted for his defence a system of denial, at variance with all we had learned, not only from the mouth of the captain and officers of the frigate fired upon (see enclosure No. 2 annxed), but also from the captains of the merchantmen moored in the Odessa roads. It only remained for us, therefore, to summon Governor Osten-Sacken categori cally to give us, within a few hours, reparation for the proceedings he had adopted towards a vessel belonging to the combined squadron. Annexed (Enclosure No. 3) is the joint letter which Admiral Dundas and I sent to this general officer en April 21, in the form of an ultimatum. " We had then to prepare for the eventuality of an attack to be commenced the next morning, April 22, against the Imperial port of Odessa and all it contained, in case our ultimatum should remain unanswered at sunset. " We could have no thought of doing the least harm either to the town o f Od essa or i ts commerc i a l port, swarming with ships of all maritime nations. " The delegate of the Emperor of Russia was alone guilty of an outrage on the law of nations ; it was therefore the Imperial port alone, the warehouses and ships which it contained, and the batteries which pro tected them, that Admiral Dundas and I resolved to attack and destroy. " To accomplish this result we thought it best to em ploy steamers only, and in particular five English frigates, and the three French steam-frigates, which for the moment were left me, after, by Government orders, the other steam-frigates of our squadron were employed in transporting troops between Algeria and Gallipoli. " In the evening of April 21, General d'Osten Sacken having made no answer to our summons, the attack was resolved upon for the next morning. Pursuant to com binations adopted by Admiral Dundas and myself in concert, the two French frigates le Vauban, Captain d'Herbinghen ; le Descartes. Captain Darrican ; toge ther with the two English frigates Tiger, Capt. Giffard, and Sampson, Captain Jones, the senior of this division, arrived 'at half-past six in the morning, within nine or ten cables distance, before the battery of the Imperial port, which received them with a first cannon-shot ; the frigates briskly replied, but the calibre of our guns being larger than that of the enemy's bat teries, our shots were more true than theirs. While this first engagement was going on, the Engiish ship of the line Sanspareil, with the steam corvette Highflyer, moored at the extreme limit of gun-shot from the bat teries, not to take part in the fight, but to serve in case of need as a point d'appui to the frigates engaged. At the same time the French steam frigate le Mogador, Captain de Wailly, the English steam frigate Terrible, Captain M'Cleverty, the Furious, Capt. Loring, and the Retribution, Captain Drummond, the senior officer, ap proached the scene of action, to take part in it as soon as the Admiral should make the signal. " When the firing had continued for an hour and a half, the Vauban received three red-hot shots, one of which broke some spokes of her paddle-wheels, and the others set fire to her windward side ; the pumps were had recourse to to extinguish the fire, but in vain ; one of the red-hot cannon balls had penetrated the outer coating of her timbers, and was slowly burning in ternally. " Captain Count Bouet-Willaumez, head of the staff of the squadron, whom I had ordered to remain on board the Caton to watch all the phases of the affair on the spot, and take measures for cases of urgency, then went on board the Vauban, and ordered the commander of that frigate to quit the theatre of action for a time, and join the squadrons to receive the necessary assistance. " A little while afterwards the second division of four steam-frigates received orders to support the three others first engaged, and towards half-past 10 they began to execute these orders with vigour. The shells from the seven frigates fall like hail upon the battery of the Im perial port, and the warehouses and ships it contains. Very serious symptoms of a conflagration begin to show themselves already. Batteries established on the Odessa heights join their fire to that of the guns of the Imperial port. Not far from the frigate six English shallops near the port on the north-west quarter of the mole, where the enemy has no guns, and throw a great number of Congreve rockets, which appear to produce a very good effect. " It is noon, the Vauban, having extinguished the fire, has just left the squadron to rejoin the other French and English frigates which rival each other in ardour and the excellence of their fire. The French steam corvette Caton, Captain Pothuan, joins them in firing for a while. " At one o'clock the warehouses and barracks of the Imperial port are all in flames. The burning roofs fall in. Almost at the same moment the powder magazine on the port battery blows up to cries of Vivel'Ern pereur' by the French crews, accompanied by the 'Hurrahs' of the English sailors. "The work of destruction of the Imperial port goes on rapidly under the redoubled blows from the frigates, which take advantage of the confusion produced on land by the blowing up of the powder magazine to advance two cables' length nearer the shore, the better to de stroy some 15 Russian ships ensconced in the harbour. While they thus advance nearer to the batteries of the commercial port, these batteries, which had ceased firing for an instant, recommence pretty smarty, and are sup ported by mortars on the heights ; but the frigates, nevertheless, do not slacken their work of destruction, and emulate each other in the accuracy of their evolu tions and firing, sometimes fighting at anchor, and some times while in motion. In that small space, continually becoming smaller still, where nine steamers are ma noeuvring, not a false movement is to be observed. Some of the frigates change the direction of their fire in order to drive back a battery brought by the enemy on their right, on the beach near which the shallops approached with the Congreve rockets. At four o'clock this battery, routed by the shells from the frigates, fell back inland, after having been the cause of our shells setting fire to some houses in a village. All our fire is now di rected against the Russian ships that yet remain afloat in the Imperial port. Towards half-past four they have fallen a prey to the flames. In short the destruction of the port is complete, and that of the town of Odessa, at this moment at our mercy, would speedily follow if we were to give the signal to our steam squad ron to go on. But the end we aimed at is completely attained, and, on the contrary, the signal which Admiral Dundas and I give is to cease firing and to join our flags. " Such, Monsieur le Ministre, is the chastisement which we have thought fit to inflict, not upon the town, but upon the military authorities of Odessa, for the out rage of which they were guilty towards one of our ships bearing a flag of truce. Neither the thirty thousand men of the garrison of Odessa, nor the seventy guns of her fortress and batteries, could preserve the Imperial Port from the disaster we had in store for it, by the at tack of our steam frigates. "It is not without astonishment, moreover, that we remarked the absence of any Russian flag, either on the batteries or on the establishments of the port, while our colours were all hoisted. Such a forgetfulness of mili tary rules can only be attributed to the disorder which reigned in the town from the beginning of the attack. "The loss of the enemy in men must be very con siderable, in consequence of the explosions and fires which broke out on all sides. On board our steamers the loss was nil. although the Descartes received five shots, and the Vauban and Mogador four each. How ever, the Vauban has to regret two men killed and two wounded, from an accident with one of her guns. " The loss of the English steam frigates is only one man killed and ten wounded. " Such a result, Monsieur le Ministre, loudly attests the immense superiority of our steam frigate guns—both as respects calibre and accuracy of fire —over those of the enemy ; and if the perfection of the art of war con sists in doing a great deal of injury without receiving any, this maxim never received a more complete application. 46 " I must add that several commercial vessels availed themselves of the disorder occasioned by the attack to quit the commercial port, and among them the only two French ships that were there. " Yesterday (the 23d) the establishments of the Im perial port were still burning. The corvette Fury, Captain Edward Tatham, on board which I bad sent my first aide-de-camp, Lieutenant Garnault, was sent to ascertain the damage done in the Imperial port. She reports that with the exception of two or three, all the ships in the port were either burnt or sunk, that the battery constructed at the end of the mole no longer existed, and that the admiralty establishments were de stroyed or completely devastated. During this excur sion the Fury sent a few shells upon the beach where the field battery had been brought, and where some trenches were being made. These shells brought down some of the workmen, and put the rest to fight. " I will not cite any name to your Excellency, because in this little affair every one did his duty well. The ardour and enthusiasm of both officers and men were ,extreme. Under the head of direction of personnel, your Excellency will allow me to send a list of promotions extraordinary among the crews, and some recommenda , tions for decorations for the ships that took part in the affair. "3 am, with pmf:)tind. repeet. the Viee-A&ni rad Commander-in-Chiet of t'ne Mediterranean Squadren. (Signed) "B.AMELIN.". ENCLOSURE No. 1. LETTER OF OSTEN-SACKEN TO ADMITLALS DUNDAS AND HAMELIN. " ODESSA, April 14, 1854.—Aide-de-Camp General Baron D'Osten Sacken thinks it right to express to Ad iniral. Dundas his surprise at hearing that shots were fired from the port of Odessa upon the frigate the Furi ous, bearing a flag of truce. "At the arrival of the Furious two guns were fired without ball, in consequence of which the vessel hoisted its national flag, and stopped her course beyond the reach of cannon shot. Immediately a boat was sent out with a white flag in the direction of the mole, and the officer on duty, in answer to the question of the English officer, said that the English consul had already left Odessa. Without further question, the boat took the direction of the ship, when the frigate, without waiting for it, advanced towards the mole, leaving the boat at its left, and approached the batteries within cannon shot. It was then that the commander of the battery of the mole, faithful to his order to prevent any vessel from coming within reach of the guns, thought it his duty to fire, not upon the flag of truce, which had been respected to the end of its mis sion, but upon a vessel of the enemy which had ap proached the land too nearly after having been twice fired upon without ball, the signal to stop. " This simple explanation of facts, as they have been related to the Emperor, ought of itself to destroy the supposition otherwise inadmissible, that in the ports of Russia there is no respect paid to the flag of truce, the inviolability of which is guaranteed by the laws common to all civilised nations. " Baron OSTEN-SACKEN, ENCLOSURE No. 2. DESPATCH OF CAPTAIN LORING, OF THE FURIOUS. "On board the Furious, before Odessa, April 21, 1854. _ _ " Admiral,—l have read carefully the Governor of Odessa's letter on the subject of the fire directed against the flag of truce, on Saturday, the Bth of April. The contents are totally untrue. The facts are that her Ma jesty's vessel under my 'command reached Odessa at break of day, about ten minutes to six o'clock. At four or five miles' distance the English colours and the flag of truce were hoisted. " Only about twenty m;nutes at least afterwards (at about a quarter past six) two guns—blank cartridges— , were fired from the battery. " Considering that the fire was an intimation not to proceed, I stopped the ship's course immediately and drifted to larboard. " From this moment until the return of the boat the wheels made not a single revolution, and the vessel floated off by degrees, a moderate breeze from the north west blowing off shore. The stern was towards the quarantine harbour, and I took care not to open the portholes of the main deck, and to guard against any manceuvre which might give rise to the slightest suspi cion of hostile intentions on my part. " Seven shots were fired. The first was evidently directed against the boat, then at about a mile distant from the shore. It fell within about 60 or 70 yards from her, she being then south of a line drawn from the battery to the vessel. "The others followed close, and may have been di rected against the boat or against the vessel, for they were more in the straight line from that direction. " Lieutenant Alexander, as soon as he reached the mole, asked to see the English consul. He was told that be was not there ; that it was too early ; that they were going to send for the harbour captain, and they requested him to return to his ship. He asked if the English consul was still at Odessa. The officer on duty replied by begging him to return to his ship ; and a person, who was there as English interpreter, added that it was not permitted him to say anything more. " During all this time the English colours and the flag of truce were conspicuously displayed on board the ship and its boat. " What I attest here can be corroborated by the evi dence of the officer on duty, the head engineer, the en gineer on duty. and every man on board. —I am L &C, " WILLIAM LORING, Capt. R.N." ENCLOSURE No. 3. JOINT LETTER OF ADMIRALS HAMELIN AND DUNDAS. "Sir,—lnasmuch as the letter of your Excellency, dated the 14th of April, which has only reached us this morning, which sets forth erroneous statements to justify the in describable aggression committed by the authorities of Odessa upon one of our frigates and her boat, both car rying a flag of truce ; " Inasmuch as, notwithstanding this flag, the bat teries of the town fired several shots on the frigate as well as on the boat, at the moment when this boat was leaving the quay of the mole, to which it had repaired with con fidence ; " The two Vice-Admirals commanding the combined squadrons of France and England think themselves entitled to demand a reparation from your Excellency. " Consequently, all the British, French, and Russian vessels now at anchor near the citadel or the batteries of Odessa must forthwith be delivered up to the com bined squadrons. "If, at sunset, the two Vice-Admirals have received no answer, or a negative answer to this communication, they will be compelled to resort to force to avenge the flag of one of the combined squadrons for the affront offered to it, although the interests of humanity induce them to adopt this alternative with regret, and they cast the responsibility of such an act on those to whom it belongs. "HAMELIN, Vice-Admiral. "D. DUNDAS, Vice• Admiral." NAUES OF THE KILLED AND WOUNDED ON BOARD THE VAUBAN. Killed—Boisserieux, seaman : Papo, seaman. Wounded—Ram4e, seaman ; .Soyer, gunner. THE BALTIC. STETTIN, Thursday.—Sir C. Napier's fleet, after going towards Sando, off Gothland, was proceeding towards the Gulf of Finland. Ten French ships had come up. The weather was fine. Russian vessels had been moving in the gulf. The Norwe gian navy was in Swedish waters. The Swedish court was thought to be leaning to the Western Powers. Frequent meetings of the Council of State had taken place. Great meetings had occurred. COPENHAGEN, Thursday.--The French fleet was yesterday evening in sight of Nyborg, in the Great Belt. A letter from Copenhagen says :—" M. Bluhme has informed the French Minister that formal or ders had been transmitted to the Governor of the Danish Antilles to prevent the fitting out of priva teers in the colonies of Denmark, and that a ves sel of war of 46 guns, the Kordenskjolds, had just sailed for St. Thomas, with instructions to that effect." BOLDERAA, May 2.—The ice still lies packed to the northward ; but the John Bull is to-day under sail, and working her way out of it. RIGA, May 4.—The ships lately arrived here have nearly all been overhauled by English cruisers ; and a vessel under Danish colours was overhauled in the Sound, and has been ordered off. REVEL, April 13.—The following communication, addressed by the Vice-Consul at Revel to her Majesty's Consul at St. Petersburg, respecting the detention of the English brig, William Broderick, and crew, by the military authorities at Revel, has been forwarded to the Earl of Clarendon, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs : "Sir, - I hasten to inform you that his Excellency the Commander-in-Chief of this province, General Berg, considering it a measure of necessary military precau tion, advised me to-day that he intends sending Captain Warman and the crew of the William Broderick to Ples kow. At the same time his Excellency has made me the following communications respecting these men, which I copy verbatim:--- " I. The captain and crew of the William Broderick will not be considered as prisoners of war. 2. The men are led away from the coast, because they passed several months in a military port which can be attacked by the English fleet. 3. Government will take care of the men, their health, and food. 4. The men are allowed to take all their money and effects with them. 5. The William Broderick will not be confiscated, nor any embargo put upon her, but will be given under the care of the Eng lish Consul. 6. The vessel, with all the cargo, will be restored to the owners. 7. The crew will be al lowed to return to England at the first possibi lity. Captain J. H. Warman, his crew of ten men and a boy (the latter left behind in the hospi tal), from the Rival, Captain Jackson, and who has now to return home in the William Broderick, departed this morning for Pleskow, in good covered vehicles, accompanied by an officer of the governor, who has the strictest orders to furnish them, at the ex pense of the Russian Government, with everything neces sary for their maintenance and comfort during the time of their journey and their stay at Pleskow. I have given to Captain Warman a letter to my correspondent at that place, instructing him to take due care of them and assist them with what they may require. lam con tent, therefore, that their well-being is perfectly assured. The names of the crew are John H. Warman, captain ; John Hobbs, mate ; Wm. Watts, carpenter ; Thomas Barton, boatswain ; and John Kenney, Richard Fren ningham, William Draycott, Henry Gilders, Henry Tweed, Henry Holmes, seamen ; and Alfred Page, and Samuel H—, from the Rival, of Belfast. Our roads are closed, and the ice is getting more solid again, from the sharp frosts we have bad for some days. The present is forwarded by a courier of his Excellency General Berg, to whom I have communicated its contents.—l have, &C. " ED. GIRARD. "To C. E. Michalo, H.M. Consul, St. Petersburg." CONSTANTINOPLE. DEPARTURE OF TROOPS FOR ADRIANOPLE. --- - We learn by a Constantinople letter of the 30th ult. that part of the troops in the camp of Hayder Pasha were under immediate orders for Adrianople. The first detachments were to leave the camp early next morning. The order was given on the pre_ vious night, after Lord Raglan had communicated with the ambassadors, the Porte, and Generals Adams and Evans in Scutari. Many of the staff officers were then not mounted. The greatest anxiety-prevailed. for horses, and enormous sums IV Io offered and refused—the order came so sudden and unexpected. SETTLEMENT OF THE LITE DIFFERENCES. The following is the substance of a note-embody ing- the proposed arrangement between the Porte and M. Barraguy d'Hilliers. It was ratified by signature on both sides on the 30th ult. The Sublime Porte, in the preamble, expresses its gratitude to the French Government for the friendship and solicitude manifested in the present exigency, as well as the highest consideration for its representative at Constantinople, and continues to propose the adoption by mutual consent of the fol lowing resolutions : " The list of Hellenic subjects, in whose behalf was demanded a permission to remain, to be considered null and void— in order to exclude all idea of a religious ele ment in this question. "In lieu of that, the present arrangement will com prise Hellenic subjects generally, without distinction of rite—and whose names ate to be notified to a commis sion appointed to examine into the securities offered by each, in respect to morality and good conduct. "Permission to remain will be granted to all those possessing the requisite qualifications. " His Excellency Mouchtar Bey, member of the High Council, will be charged to preside over the acts of this commission, in order that it may present all the charac ters of justice and security. " In the provinces, all matters relating to this subject are to be conducted precisely in the same manner. "The Sublime Porte will confer with the French am bassador, in the first instance, should any modification of this measure be required by the exigencies of the pre sent juncture. "All documents relating to this momentary difficulty to be considered null and void ( non avenus)." THREE O'CLOCK. 87i 8 87i 8 Consols Ditto June Account AN ENGLISH PAIR-OAR EXPEDITION.—The following extract from a French paper relates to the adventurous voyagers of the Uudine, who are now making another expedition :—Among the eccentricities to which our English allies devote themselves we know of none more decided than their passion for adventurous voyages. A light pair-oar boat has just arrived at Chalons with three gentlemen from Outre Manche, who are taking a voyage of pleasure from Paris to Coblentz, by the Marne and Moselle. Their boat is so narrow and light that they easily accomplish eight kilometres an hour in remounting the canal from the Marne to the Rhine. Their costume gives rise to a number of conjectures as to their profes sion, and many people have believed that they voyage by steam. When the weather is fine this method of travelling is perhaps the most agreeable of any, for the most picturesque scenes are undoubtedly those that are met in the course of the rivers and canals. But dur ing the last three days our navigators have not been fortunate, they will, indeed, escape coups de soleil ; but they will find it difficult to preserve themselves from cold. May the patron of sailors protect them !—From L'Echo de L'lst. ADMIRAL HAMELIN NOT AN IRISHMAN.—The Consti tutionnel contains a letter denying the truth of a state ment made in an Irish paper that Admiral Hamelin was born in Ireland. " I can positively inform you," says the writer of the letter, who is a relative of the admiral, " that the present Admiral Hamelin, and his uncle, the late Admiral Jacques-Fdlix Hamelin, grand officer of the Legion of Honour, were both born at Honfleur (Calvados), of a family known there front time imme morial." AUSTRIA AND NEUTRAL FLAGS.—The Moniteur says : —" The Austrian Government has replied to the com munication made to it by Baron de Bourqueney, of the declaration of France and England relative to neutral flags during the present war. Count de Buol expresses the sincere satisfaction felt by the Cabinet of Vienna at the liberal principles established by the two great Powers, and announces as near at hand the publication ab Vienna of a law destined to establish for that empire the same rules of conduct." THE SIEGE OF SILISTRIA. A letter from Vienna, of the 7th, in Voss's Gazette of Berlin, says :—" Reports received this day at a foreign embassy, confirm the news of the Turks having gained advantages over the Russians near Silistria. The Turks, in fact, have been con querors on every point. The corps of General Luders and Engelhardt have retired, and Rassowa is no longer blockaded. It is not doubted that the Russians will be forced to abandon the siege of Silistria. Besides, the losses which they have sus tained, their gun-boats have been sunk by the guns of the fortress. Mussa Paella iu a sortie took seven guns, and drove back the Russians with a loss of 500 killed and 1,000 wounded. The wounded have been conveyed to Bucharest. RUSSIAN ARMY ON THE AUSTRIAN FRONTIER. The Post Gazette, of Frankfort, has the follow ing, dated Moldavia, the 29th ult. :—" A Russian corps d'armee of 70,000 men is to take up a posi tion on the frontiers of Bukowina and Transylvania. Within the last few days the local government has sent to the authorities of districts, orders to make in all haste the preparations necessary for these troops. They will take up a position near Herza, Barduscheni, and opposite Suczowa, Bocoscheni, Tergul, Fromos, &c. The first portion of these troops, consisting of two divisions of infantry and some detachments of Cossacks of the 2d and 6th corps d'armee, are to enter Moldavia on the sth ; they are to be followed by six batteries each of 12 guns. The news of the Russians having sustained some severe checks in the Dobrudscha, and that they are in full retreat on the Danube, is con firmed ; but precis© details have not yet been obtained." ALLIANCE OF SWEDEN WITH THE WESTERN POWERS. The negotiations f o r an a lli ance , d e f ens i ve an d offensive, with Sweden and the allied Powers are said to progress favourably —so favourably, indeed, that they approach their termination. The Swedes would very probably have no objection to regain possession of Finland, which Russia took from them in 1809 ; and, if we may believe what is stated, the Finlanders themselves are most anxious to throw off the Russian yoke. Spain would perhaps very willin ly join the alliance, and if necessary supply a contingent. It is said that such is the case. Portugal also is spoken of, and Piedmont, but more vaguely, as her position with respect to Austria is of a more peculiar kind. GREECE. A letter from Athens, in the Moniteur, says : "The insurrection, or rather the brigandage or ganised in Epirus and in Thessaly, is completely broken up. Th. Grivas, beaten by the Turks, descended from the strong position of Mezzovo to Cartagna, at one hour's distance from the frontier, and sent to the go vernment ambassadors to say he was decided to lay down his arms it Tsavellas, Tissamenos, etc., etc., were not recalled, if he was not confirmed in the title which he had already assumed, of generalissimo of Epirus, and if money and ammunition were not forwarded to him. General Tsavellas, accused of treachery and robbery, is alone with young Karaislaki at Petra, whereas the Santiri-Strato, the Rango, the Isko, and the Serva have already returned to Valtos. On the side of Thessaly, matters are still less brilliant ; Hadgi- Petro, who happens to be in the environs of Tricala, has written to his Hellenic Majesty to state, that as far as he is concerned, he cannot keep the field unless he receives assistance in money, ammunition, and stores, and, above all, unless a certain gradation of ranks was established amongst all the insurgent leaders. Colonel Papa-Casta, beaten in all the encounters which' he has had with the Turks, has been obliged to retrograde to wards the frontier, as has the Athenian corps, the Thraco- Bulgarian corps, etc. Deeply indignant at the dis asters which have been committed around him, Papa- Costa came to blows on the matter with the troops of the Greek General Panouria, and lost one of his sons in that affair. There now remains in the field with Hadgi- Petro only the famous Catarakia, a well-known brigand leader, who has assembled round him all the former oc cupants of the prison of Chalcis. There is not a single horror that has not been committed by these pretended heroes of the cross, for not having given up their money ; women, in a state of pregnancy, were cruelly slaugh tered, and their children cut in pieces. Au Italian refugee, who has returned alone out of eight comrades who had accompanied him into Thessaly, relates on this subject the most monstrous stories. The journal in which he marked down all these facts was taken from him by one of the confidants of the ministry. From ail points of Thessaly and Epirus, the Greek raias protest against the Hellenic invasion. At Mezzovo, the Chris tian subjects of the Sultan were the first to fire on Th. Grivas. Well-disposed Greeks cover their faces, and call for foreign intervention, to put an end to so many horrors." A letter from Janina, in the Moniteur, says:— " The inhabitants of several villages, which were devastated, having taken refuge on the sum mit of Mount Tzloutza, the band of Tzami came, and placed itself in the midst of these unfortunates, in order to make a rampart of them against theArnauts who surrounded it. At the intelligence, the Con suls of England and France repaired with all speed to the spot, and succeeded in preventing the com bat and the carnage which would have been its consequence. On their observations, the Arnauts withdrew, and the greatest number of the raias of Tzami made their submission ; the leader and his companions took to flight, and the consuls carried back with them nearly 5,000 persons. The Greeks only occupy at present in Epirus, the country of the Souli, and the mountains of the Djoumerka and of Radovitzi. In addition, several defections are spoken of, which, if true, must be looked on as a sign of a complete disorganisation of the body of the rebels." FRANCE. The Moniteur of this clay (Friday) publishes a despatch from Admiral Hamelin, dated Odessa roads, April 25, announcing that the Retribution, Descartes, and Niger had captured fourteen Russian merchant vessels, which had been sent to Constantinople. The French Government grants to English soldiers the same postage reductions as are allowed for letters to Frehch soldiers. LETTER OF THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON TO KING OTHO. The bearer of the missive addressed by the Em peror of the French to King Otho of Greece, which may be considered as a species of ultunatunt, is M. de Bourre, who is about to leave, accompanied by the Baron d'Avril, for Athens. The letter is couched in the most energetic terms—in terms, the sense of which cannot be mistaken, eve n by King Otho. The Emperor addresses his Royal brother in right imperial style, and " orders" him to beware of what he is doing. It depends on the answer of King Otho to this peremptory summons to be quiet, and mind his own business, whether Greece shall be at once occupied as well as blockaded. If his Hellenic Majesty still alleges inability to put down the movement of his subjects, he will be forthwith assisted in the task by a French force. M. de Bourre, who is instructed to insist upon compli ance with the demands contained in the letter, of which he is the bearer, is well acquainted with the Levant, where he had for years been Consul-Gene ral. He is of course to communicate with the English Minister at Athens before delivering the Emperor's letter. It is said that he will be ap pointed Minister Plenipotentiaryto Constantinople in place of General Baraguay d'Hilliers. It ap pears that the camp which is about to be formed will consist of 100,000 men. It will be partly at Boulogne, on the same spot on which the cele brated camp of 1805 was pitched; and partly at St. Omer. The Emperor himself will command in chief; General Baraguay d'Hilliers will command at St. Omer. It is not known who will command at Boulogne. It is curious to find a French camp at Boulogne, commanded by a French Emperor, that Emperor being a Bonaparte, and the ally in stead of the threatened invader of England. • The i;stablisliment of the camp has excited some alarm in Prussia. The memory of Jena is revived in all its force, and it is not forgotten that the " grand army" who fought that battle was once in the camp of Boulogne, though originally intended for another object ; and that by it the whole military force of Prussia was annihilated, and the nation placed at the mercy of the conqueror. Notes, it is said, have passed upon the subject, and explanations have been demanded as to the ultimate destina. tion of that force. This uneasiness is the symptom of a conscience ill at ease, for the vacillating, if not faithless, policy of Prussia has rendered her an object of just suspicion to the rest of Europe. It is said that General de Lamoriciere has sent to the Minister of War a plan for the campaign against Russia, at the same time declaring that he has no wish to take any part in it, or, in fact, to take service at all. The Emperor and Empress are, it is said, to take up their quarters at the palace of St. Cloud on Monday next. The Bank of France has lowered its rate of dis count to 4 per cent. The interest on the Bons du Tresor, it is said, is to be reduced to 4i per cent. M. de Persigny is to leave Paris in a day or two for the country, where he will remain for two months. M. Baroche is to be ad interim Minister, and will probably retain the place permanently. There is no truth in the report that. the Comte de Chambord is to pay a visit to the Orleans family in England. A new loan of 250 millions is still spoken of. Another private letter from Gallipoli, dated the 30th April, contains some details relative to the passage and arrival in Turkey of His Imperial Highness Prince Napoleon. It is as follows : "On his landing at Smyrna the Prince was re• ceived by Ismail Pasha, a man exceedingly well-in formed, speaking French perfectly. He is Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour. Ismail Pasha placed him' self immediately at the disposal of the Prince, and provided excellent quarters for his suite. The Prince in spected the city in all its details. The Turkish regular troops quartered there are admirably disciplined, well clothed and armed, full of enthusiasm, and ins' nceuvre with much regularity. They are well fed and well lodged, and the Prince was struck by their soldier-like appearance. On the 29th the Rolland put again to sea, at 3 o'clock p.m. The weather was most unfavourable, and the cold rain fell in torrents. The moment we reached Gallipoli the clouds melted away, and we had a beautiful sun. We could easi l y. discern the squadron of Admiral B rua t, th e crews of which manned the yards, and welcomed his Imperial Highness with loud shouts. At mid-day the Prince, accompanied by Lord Raglan, General Prim, and Go' Devil Canrobert, reviewed the 22,000 French troops who are here. There are about 5,000 English, and 6,000 more at Scutari. It is said that the bombardment of Odessa has produced an immense effect in Southern Rus , ia, and particularly if the attack be made on Sebas topol as supposed. We are all astonished at the slow and uncertain manner in which the Russian batteries fired." The Minister of War has addressed a circular to the military authorities throughout France, recom mending that the 80,000 recruits called into active service by a recent Imperial decree should leave their families to join their respective corps between. the sth and 15th of June. Of these, 4,915 are in tended for the navy, and the remainder, 75,085, for the army, namely—lnfantry, 62,134 ; cavalry, 3,780 ; artillery, 6,003 ; engineers, 1,501 ; waggon train, 1,667. We . read in the Moniteur :—" The following note appeared in some numbers of the Moniteur of the 9th, but was suppressed in the rest, be cause the news which had arrived explained the misunderstanding which appeared to exist be tween the Porte and French embassy. That mis understanding was soon cleared up. Every one must, in fact, comprehend that the Porte and its allies could not wish to have the political ques tion change its character, and become a religious one ; and, in consequence, it has been decided that the Porte should designate by name the inoffensive persons who should not be subjected to the gene ral measure : " Some journals have spoken of a difference having arisen between General Baraguay d'Hilliers and the Ottoman Porte, and in consequence of which the French Ambassador, it was said, had threatened to leave Constantinople with all the persons belonging to the Legation. The Government has not received. sufficient details to enable it to form an exact opinion as to the character off the difference. it knows only by a telegraphic despatch of April 24 that there had been no interruption of relations between the embassy of the Emperor and the Ottoman Porte. It appears that the incident in.question took place rela tive to the exceptions connected with the measure deter mined on by the Ottoman government for the expulsion of the Greek subjects establi s h e d on th e T ur ki s h terri tory. It belonged to the Divan to decide who were the persons whose presence might or might not be attended with danger. If, in that conjuncture, the Government of the Emperor had to give any counsel, it would be that of not transforming into a religious question a question of public safety. Such is the sense of the instructions sent to Constantinople, as soon as it was informed of the resolution adopted by the Porte." Public securities and railway shares continued to rise yesterday. The Three per Cents, closed at 65f. 30c. for the end of the month ; the Four-and a-Half per Cents. at 92f. 90c. ; and the New Loan at 66f. sc. ; Orleans Railway Shares, I,oBof. ; Rouen, 902 f. 50c.; Havre, 440 f. ; Great Northern, 780 f. ; Strasburg, 727 f. 50c. ; New Shares, 566 f. 25c. ; Paris and Lyons, 862 f. 50c. ; Lyons to the Mediterranean, 700 f. ; Western of France, 592 f. 50c. ; Bordeaux and Cette, 540 f. ; Great Central of France, 447 f. 50c. ; Lyons to Geneva, 4451. ; Bank of Credit Mobilier, 5401. GERMANY. The Government of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, which, by a decree of April 15, had prohibited the exportation of contraband of war, has just issued an ordonnance relative to privateers, and destined to interdict their admission and victualling in the ports of the Grand Duchy. The Prince of Prussia arrived at Baden on the Bth. A letter from Hanover of the Bth says :—" The Assembly of the States has just adopted the bill relative to the neutrality of Hanover in the Eastern war. It declares that Hanoverian subjects cannot accept letters of marque or make any use of them. No privateer is to be admitted into Hanoverian ports, except under stress of weather." SPAIN. The Madrid journals of the 6th contain nothing of political interest. A royal decree in the Gazette re-establishes the community of monks called the Gcronimos of the Escurial. They are to be sup ported out of the royal estates, and are to be ex clusively employed in taking care of and preserving the magnificent building of the Escurial, which of late years has been greatly neglected. It is on the special request of the King Don Francisco that the appointment of the monks has been made. The surveys of the railway from Avila to Segovia, an embranchment of the Valladolid line, have been completed. Reports had been received from the Captains-G enera l o f C u b a an d Porto Rico to the Bth and 14th ult. ; they stated that perfect tran quillity prevailed in both islands, and that t heir sanitary condition was excellent. EXTENSIVE CONFLAGRATION, AND IMMENSE SACR OF PROPERTY AT BRISTOL.—BRISTOL, May 11.—Os l e of the most extensive and destructive fires that has; oc curred in Bristol for the last half -century broke o nit at an early hour this morning, at the extensive auger refinery of Messrs. Eyre, Stock, and Co., in the Old Market-street. The or i g i n of the catastrophe is wrapped in the most profound mystery, no one being able in any way to account for its occurrence ; and the loss to the proprietors of the firm, as well as to some of the leading fire insurance companies, will be veil' great. A ni g ht wa t c h man, w h o i s kept on the pre mises, states that at three o'clock this morning he went over them, and found everything right. At a little after four o'clock he observed fire near a stove, at part of the factory where the workmen usually depo sited their coats and hats. In this stove no fire had been kept for some time past, nor had there been lights of any kind in the place. As soon as be discovered the fire the night watchman gave an alarm, and the po lice engine, and those of the Norwich Union, West of England, Sun, Crown, Imperial, and other offices were speedily on the spot. The fire, however, spread with the utmost rapidity, and the whole of the . extensive premises were soon wrapped in one mass of flames, which towered to an immense height, overtopping the great stack of the engine-house, and illuminating the prominent objects of the city to its furthest extremi ties. The process of refining is carried on in different compartments, and it becoming soon apparent that the bulk of the premises would be destroyed, the efforts of the firemen and others were mainly directed to saving the boiling house, in which was machinery of an exten sive and costly description, and also some warerooms, in which were stored a large amount of manufactured stock. Happily these exertions were in a great degree successful, for although an immense range of buildings running through the entire depth of Old Market-streetnd Jacob street, were reducedto a heap of ruins, the boiling house and much of the refined goods were rescued from des truction The spectacle presented by the conflagration when at its height was of the grandest kind. The peculiarnature of the materials imparted to the flames a hue of the deepest crimson, while the smoke ascended in black inky volume s , th a t great l y h e i g h tene d t h e b r illiancy of the fire. The loss has not as yet been correctly aster' tained, but it is believed it will fall but little, if anything, short of 20,0001. Th e b u ildi ng w hi c h wa s saved was , with its ma c hi ner y, i nsure d i n th e West of Englan d Office for 4,0001. The only insurances on the destroy s portions of the property, were 5,0001. in the Imperial, i n th e Gl o b e , an d 2,0001. in the Birming ham office. The immediate money loss is not the whole tent of the calamity, as from 100 to 150 workipenw o ll_D b e thereby suddenly deprived of their weans of live lihood' r i CB Punch Stiletto Typ e , .. Domino )117agee Lord Al Yewtick Ypee . Barrel *Vander( Annie S Mishap .., 411 tever vra ot , .. Pa s t rya trideki, Sine ha ve ar „ TRD B k iAlantl Ilettl e d SVB, ruandc mgaell It des them gun -b , operas where lea nc i by th, th e g It, speed Wore