The Express.
London, England, 1864-06-20 00:00:00

MONDAY E`ditilqo, JUNE 20, 1861.

LiTESt INTELLIGESCZ.

TUX CONFERENCE.
TH PROPOSED ARBITRATION.

The Independance Beige says, with regard to this
choice of an arbitrator, that England "has deferred
this honourable and delicate office to the Emperor
of the French ; because France, having adhered in
principle to the English proposition, without, how-
ever, making it an absolute condition, appears in a
good situation towards the two parties for obtaining
• settlement. According to our information from
Paris, Fraoce has not declined the mission, but
she has demanded, before giving a definitive reply,
that her intervention as • friendly arbitrator be
accepted by the belligerent powers, and that they
agree as to the conditions of the arbitration. It is
upon this point that the negotiations now turn."
The Post thinks there is little prospect of the
proposal to submit the question of the frontier line
to arbitration being entertained by the belligerent
powers.
The Times says :

English ministers have employed, and we m►y say ex-
hausted, every means of securing a settlement of the dis-
pute ; but it cannot be denied that English feeling has
chafed and fretted under what has seemed the toe calcu-
lating prudence of those who direct and control it, and
English ministers, though in theory the servants of the
crown, are in fact the servants of the people. The feeling
of dissatisfaction which has bees slowly generated may at
any time bunt into open denunciation. More than
once or twice in our national life the action has
been taken from the hands of ministers who
were afraid of meeting the responsibility of war.
What war means to Germany cannot easily be told. The
hard-won territories of the Great Frederick fell to pie=
before the First Napoleon, and the century may yet see
another Confederation of the Rhine. Austria is vulnerable
in every quarter. Galicia, Hungary, Venetia, are so many
sources of weakness, and the stormy petrels of Europe are
already scenting the storm. To sweep the North Sea, the
Baltic, and the Adriatic free of German ships would be a
teak grateful to sailors, who know the hard but necersary
treatment which the Danes recei►d from Nelson. The
German princes stand at the parting of the ways. They
have the choice, but they should count the consequence* of
their decision. They appeal to the nations, will of Cer-
many as the warrant and justification of their acts, but the
appeal may raise au echo of which they dream not, and
may well melee them hesitate ere they " let slip the dogs of
war."

(mm's Tmasaurs.)
TUNIS.
ItARSEILLES, Jun 20.

Advises from Tangiers state that the Governor of
Tetuan has been dismissed and thrown into prison.

OUTWARD INDIA AND CHINA MAILS.
MARSEILLES, JCIFR 20.

The Messageries Imp4riales steamer Said, Captain
Brunet, left here yesterday with the India and
China mails. She took 40 passengers, 391 pack-
ages of merchandise, 188,0181, in specie fur India
and China ; and 60 paseenger4 1,774 packages, and
specie value 5,240/. for Alexandria.

THE SINKING OF THE ALABAMA.

FURTHER PARTICULARS.
ARRIVAL OF CAPTAIN SEMMES AT
SOUTHAMPTON.
(ii moonily rozasaArs.)
(nom on owl' counnerom.)
SOUTHAMPTON, Mo"DAT Armen°lr.

The steam yacht Deerhound arrived here last
night with Captain Semmes and some other of the
officers and some of the crew of the Confederate
war steamer Alabama.

The following is a statement of one of the petty
offioers of the Alabama :—The Alabama arrived at
Cherbourg on the 12th inst., 70 days from Cape
Town. The Homage arrived off Cher-
bourg on the 13th instant Challenges to
fight were reciprocated by the commanders of the
Alabama and Kearsage. The former having taken
in coal and undergone some refitting steered out of
Cherbourg at 9 a.m. on Saturday. She was escorted
by the French iron-clail Conronne, which
was appointed to see the Alabama clear
of the limits of the port of Cherbourg.
The engagement took place about 12 miles
from the port. The first shot was fired by
the Alabama at the Kearsage, at 10.30 p.m. The
latter had a chain cable triced along her
sides to break the force of the shot from
the Alabama. The Alabama was about
1,000 yards from the Kearsage when she fired the
first shot. Being the fastest ship she was able to
steam round her antagonist in continually nar-
rowing circles ; when within 500 yards of the Kear-
sage the rudder and screw of the Alabama were shot
away, and she was rendered helpless ; her colours
were shot away.

The action lasted from 10.30 am. until noon.
At the conclusion of the action nine badly wounded
men of the Alabama were sent on board the
Kearsage. The crew of the Alabama when
she went into action were 140 men
all told. After the action the Kearsage appeared
in a disabled condition. Four men were killed and
ten wounded on board the Alabama.

Captain Semmes is at Ketway's Hotel here,
and the other officers and men are about
here getting clothes and necessaries ; they
are taken charge of at the Sailors' Home
here. Captain Semmes and Chief Officer
Lee are now at Emmanuel's, the tailor in the High-
street, maktng purchases. His hand is bandaged
over, owing to a wound be received in action.
The shop is crowded with people, endeavouring to
catch a glimpse of the Confederate commander.

[R117T13.11 TILEOILiIt.)

. _
Shortly after the action commenced, a shot from
the Kearsage killed three men on board the
Alabama, cutting them to pieces, and a second shot
wounded three more men and killed another, while
• third shot carried away the Alabama's fan and
part of the rudder on her deck, disabling a gun and
causing much damage. Below and forward her
compartments were all carried away, and the fire
room was filled with water.

The Alabama fought under sail, first using her
starboard battery and afterwards her port battery.
She continued the engagement until the muzzles of
her guns were under water, and one part of her
deck was covered with dead and wounded.

When found in a sinking state the Alabama
ceased fighting, and lowered her boats, in which
the dead and wounded were placed. Shortly after
wards the Alabama sank, the officers and crew
jumping into the sea, when the Kearsage's boats
came up to assist in saving the crew. The
officer in command of the boats inquired for
Semmes, and was told that he was drowned,whereas
he had already been picked up by the yacht Deer-
hound and stowed away, the yacht having then
steamed off with all speed, expecting the K.earsage
would attempt to capture those on board.
Before the Alabama left Cherbourg to engage
the %earsage, Captain Semmes sent on shore an
iron chest containing specie, sixty chronometers,
and otlifv valuables.
The officers of the Alabama estimate their loss
in killed and wounded at from 30 to 40 wee.

WEATHER REPORT.-(THIS DAY.)

MONDAY 10-10 10.1