The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-07-31 00:00:00

MARITIME EXTRACTS.

LIVERPOOL, July 30.
The F. H Tucker, for Charleston,which put into Queenstown
leaky, arrived here this vnoryinZ in tow.
The Danish ship Alexan4r, frosa:Akyab for Falmouth (rice),
was spoken June 2, ST days out, in i ti, 3C S, lon. 22 10 E, in

THE DAY'S NEWS.

In the House of Lords yesterday Lord Clyde took the
oaths and his seat as a Peer of the' realm. A consi-
derable amount of business was got through.
The House of Commons last night was chiefly occu-
pied with the adjourned debate on the Indian Army
Bill.

The deliberate and reiterated misrepresentation of the
French government press that Turkey had "acquiesced"
in the French scheme of intervention, now stands con-
fessed. It is, nevertheless, announced that the convention
may perhaps be signed this day. The Pays and the
Patrie discreetly abstain from the publication of their
usual " Latest News." There is reason to believe that
the Turkish government, so far from having acquiesced
in what is asked, only on Sunday last consented to
negotiate on the question whether any, and what, con-
vention shall be entered into. Meanwhile, although
the fairest promises are made, and the most moderate
language is used by the French negotiators, in order to
gain their point, the entourage of the Tuileries boasts
in private conversation that the intervention shall take
place quand lame, and that the "Eastern Question,"
in the largest sense, shall now be propounded.
The doubts existing in the public mind as to which
party really commenced the war in Lebanon are thus
solved by an eyewitness, who left Beyrout on. the 3rd
ultimo :—Having seen a vast deal of the destruction of
property, and fighting there, I can only say that my
own—and I believe the general opinion on my depar-
ture—was that the Christians were the more in fault.
At Zahleh, their great stronghold, and the scene of the
late awful massacre, I was detained for several days,
during which time troops of about 50 each kept con-
stantly passing through to their rendezvo4s in the
mountains, which troops, I was told, were mustering
for the extermination of the Druses, whoa as I under-
stood, were supposed to be in ignorance of these pre-
parations ; on the contrary, however, theirs were going
on more rapidly, but less ostentatiously, and thus they
were enabled to strike the first blow before the Chris-
tians were prepared.
Great excitement has prevailed in Constantinople in
consequence of the news from Syria. There are those
who consider the state of that capital itself highly cri-
tical. Fears for the safety of the Christian population
are entertained in quarters where sound information
should exist, and by persons whose opinions one cannot
altogether disregard. During the last few days, says a
letter of the 18th, and especially throughout the whole
of yesterday, a conflict between the police and the schis-
matic Armenians has been imminent. Near the Adria-
nople Gate of Stamboul is an Armenian cemetery. It
has no doubt always been used as a place of interment of
the schismatic Armenians. There seems, however, to
be as little doubt that Protestant Armenians have been
constantly buried there without opposition or
hindrance on the part of the more numerous sect of their
fellow countrymen. On Saturday last, the body of an
old man, a Protestant Armenian, was carried out for
burial. No previous dispute had, as far as I can ascer-
tain, arisen between the two sects as to their respective
rights of sepulture in this cemetery. On the funeral reach-
ing this place, a large ntimber of schismatic Armenians
were found assembled there. These declared that they
would allow no Protestant to be buried among the
remains of members of their own church. The Pro-
testants persisted in their intention to proceed with
the interment, but were forcibly prevented from so doing.
The police were called in to enforce what the authorities
Tould seem to regard as the rights of the Protestants.
The nioi?
.of schismatic Armenians increased, and the
force of police present ws?s not sufficient. Through-
out Sunday and Monday the body remained on the ;

ground awaiting burial, the authorities not deeming
it prudent ttt send troops to clear the ground by
force. 'Throughout the whole of yesterday there
were between 4,000 and 5,000 persons collected, and a col-
lision was hourly expected. Matters had then assumed so
serious an aspect that Sir Henry Bulwer, who had received
ieyeated communications on the subject, deemed his per-
sonal interference necessary. His Excellency proceeded
from Therapia in the Banshee to Constantinople, where
he had interviews, first, with the Grand Vizier, and
subsequently with the Armenian Patriarch. The result
was that the body was allowed to be buried last night
by the police, 200 of whom were in attendance. These
facts are significant—in the first place, because it is
certain that, for some political purpose, the schismatic
Armenians were put upon behaving as they did;
secondly, as serving to show the extreme reluctance of
the Turkish authorities to suffer even the slightest col-
lision between their own soldiers or poliee and the
Christian population at the present time.
The Piedmontese Government has published the secret
treaty between itself and France. The Emperor consents
to the annexation of the two Sicilies "by any means ;',
and also of Ombria and the Marches in the Papal States
—preserving Rome only for the Pope. In compensation
France is to gain the islands of Sardinia and Elba and
Ligaria, including Genoa and Ls Spezia, without eon-
sultiag Me populations ! The French Emperor also
consents to the annexation of Venetia.

The Manitear contains a decree augmenting the
number of staff officers from 560 to 580, alleging as a
reason that the present corps is insufficient even in time
of peace for the necessities of the service; "occasioned
by the augmentation of the army. and the increase of
French territory."

EVer since the telegraph announced throughout Italy
the departure of Garibaldi on a second expedition, the
minds of all Italians have been filled with profound
anxiety. The news has spread like wildfire, and even in
remote country villages has been received with the
liveliest demonstrations of joy. Even the country people,
till now absolutely indifferent to the vital questions
agitated in the great centres of the population, pause
from their work on the appearance of a stranger, raid
inquire the latest news of Garibaldi and La Cicilia
(sic). Every one, however limited may be the circle of
his acquirements, has managed to form something like
a definite notion of the actual state and of the ultimate
aspirations of Italy.

The import duty on woollen good§ entering France
has been fixed at twenty per cent. The Leeds Chamber
of Commerce, which has lately been much occupied with
this subject, was about to send
_over, a deputation to
Paris ; but it has just received an official ultimatum,
that there is no occasion for the woollen deputation pro-
c'eeding to Paris, as the business was at an end before
the commission so far as woollens are concerned. The
Chamber is taking means to induce the Portuguese
government to reduce the. present duties charged on
woollen goods entering Portugal.
A schedule has been issued, detailing the fortifications
which the Government propose to commence this year,
and which involves an outlay of something short of five
millions. This sum includes £1,920,000 for the Ports-
mouth district; £1,200,000 for Plymouth; £220,000
for Pembrpke ; £lBO,OOO for four batteries on the
Thames ; £350,000 for sea defences and works
in front of Mile Town (Sheeiness) ; £650,000 for
Chatham ; £170,000 for Dover ; £120,000 for
Cork; and £150,000 for the purchase -of a site for
the Central Arsenal. It would, of course, be impossible
to complete the whole of these works within the next
twelve months, and therefore Lord Palmerston asks for
tfie year 1860-61 only £2,000,000, which includes a
sum of £350,000 for works already sanctioned by Par-
liament. The entire estimate for the National Defence
Commissioners' scheme is £9,000,000, so that fortiti_
cations involving an expenditure of some £4,000,000
will still remain to be execated,

Some parties feel justified in predicting that the
langour of this long and barren session is to be relieved,
almost in its last moments, by a great and fierce party
struggle. On Monday next, Mr. Gladstone brings
forward his resolution, settling the Customs duty on
paper, and it is stated that the Opposition, taking
up the case of the English paper manufacturers,
will divide in force against the arrangement to
which the right hon. gentleman will ask the
house to assent. Among the stipulations of the
commercial treaty with France is the following :
—" Her Britannic Majesty promises to recommend to
Parliament to admit into the United Kingdom merchan-
dise imported from France at a rate of duty equal to the
excise duty which is or shall be imposed upon articles of
the same description in the United Kingdom. At the
same time the duty chargeable upon the importation of
such merchandise may be augmented by such a sum
as shall be equivalent for the expenses which the sys-
tem of Excise may entail upon the British producer."
The charge on English-made paper is 14s. 9d. per
cwt. ; and Mr. Gladstone is of opinion that, in this case,
Is. 3d. per cwt. will cover the "expenses which the
system of Excise may entail upon the British producer."
He, therefore, purposes to fix the Customs duty at 165.,
an amount which our manufacturers, however, consider
altogether inadequate. This view, it is asserted, is
shared by the Conservative leaders, who " have made a
great whip," with the view of dealing a blow at once
at the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Treaty with
France.

A violent thunder storm visited the neighbourhood of
Windsor and Slough on Saturday afternoon. About
half-past three o'clock a labourer named Joseph Langley,
and three horses, at work in a field belonging to Mr.
Cantrell, Baylis Farm, near Windsor, were struck by
lightning and killed instantly. From an examination of
the bodies of the deceased and horses after the occur-
rence, it was evident that the force of the electric
current in its passage to the earth was most terrific,
the hat worn by the deceased at the time being
torn to shreds and scattered about, while the whole of
the upper portion of the body was frightfully injured.
A similar, if not the same, disturbance of the elements
extended itself to London, about eight o'clock at night.
In Sutherland-street, Pimlico, two houses, four stories
high, were struck with lightning, and although at the
time it was not anticipated any serious damage had
resulted, they fell on. Sunday morning in consequence of
the injuries they received. Had the premises been
inhabited the loss of 'life must have been very great.
It was fortunately otherwise, however, but the occur-
rence, as may naturally be supposed, created considerable
alarm in the neighbourhood.