The Express.
London, England, 1862-07-18 00:00:00

RUSSIA AND CIRCASSIA.

A letter from Sookum-Kale, under date of the 20th
ult., states :—" We have just learnt that a oolumn
of 4,000 Russians has been surprised by moun-
taineers in the defile of, Dekuako, in Abaseb, near
Schiaguaachia ; the former were utterly routed
and nearly all destroyed. A large supply of
munitions and several pieces of cannon fell into
the hands of the mountaineers. Nothing could
have been more opportune, as supplies are
much wanted and will pro►e most usefuL A
deputation of all the tribes, consisting of Kiortan
Oglou, Ismail Effendi, Osman Effendi, Sheik Ismail,
Ismail Bey,Beaki-Zadd, Hadji Hassan Effendi, Has-
san Effendi, and others will shortly leave for Con-
stantinople, and from thence proceed to Paris and
London to present a memorandum to the respective
governments, urging the European powers to in-
duce Russia to terminate the war against the Cir.
csasians—a people whose country has not been con-
quered, and a war which is pursued in a manner
which is at once an outrage on humanity, and a
violation of the law of nations."

FREE Thane nm GERMAN Y. —We have to announce
au event which will be most gratifying to those who inte-
rest themselves in the progress and well-being of the Con-
tinent. The government of Prussia has determined to enter
the Zollverein, and thus throw down the barrier of inland
custom-houses along a frontier which extends over the whole
length of Germany. This is a commercial and political
change of no small importance. By the Zollverein
the unity of the smaller states has been nearly
arcompli,hed, so far as concerns the fusing of
industry and the bringing together of the inhabit-
ants. the eyeless into which Prussia now enter has
had its man of trial, and the accession of this great king-
dom gives it a solidity which insures its permanence. The
slow and somewhat timid policy of Prussia gives the event
a still greater interest ; for, unless the King and the
statesmen of Berlin saw that the time had come for new
relations between the German states, they would assuredly
not have the
au association formed by the minor
members of the confederacy. But we believe that this is
not AIL It is said that not only has Prussia joined the
Zollverein, but that Austria meditates the same act, and
that the only difficulty with the politicians and lawyer, of
Germany relate' to the non-Federal portions of the '
Austrian territory.—Times.
1 THE SVLTAN AT A FIEL—One of the moat exten-
sive and disastrous fires that have visited Coussisustinople
for many months past, broke out on Monday afternoon.
The extreme narrowness of the streets or rather alleys—
which at many points were literally only wide enough for
two persons to onset • time—immmaely aided the progress
of the flame; and the houses being, owing both to their age
and the long summer heat, as dry as tinder, the engulph-
meat of the whole in the fiery flood was the work of almost
lase time than we have taken to tell it. At a juncture
when the barracks were virtually resigned as a prey to the
Hamm two figures were seen on the roof of the building, so
near to the rolling flood of fire that it coruscated round
them like a nimbus, threatening at each moment to suck
one or both into the blazing abyss. They were in-
stantly recognised as the Sultan and the Capitau Path;
and the effect on the labouring crowd of soldiers,
sailors, and firemen was absolutely electrical. In
• few seconds the roof of the barracks was
covered with eager combatants of the llamas, and his Ma-
jesty was actually forced back out of the imminent danger
into which his humane seal had thus drawn him.
The whole force of the engines was then turned on
the barracks and the adjoining provision stores, and
in Ism than half an hour all danger to this important
pile of buildings was averted. It is no courtly
exaggeration to say that his Majesty literally
exposed himself like • common fireman, and largely con-
tributed, by his example and his directions, to the ultimate
reduction of the oonfiagmtion. The official returns of the
calamity report 352 houses, 318 shops, 2 baths, 3 school;
2 flour mills, 1 oil ditto, 3 mosques, 1 fireman's barrack, and
1 charcoal store, as destroyed by the tire. The sufferers
from the calamity are for the present camped in the Petit
Champs, in tents provided by the government, by which
also supplies of food and other necessaries have been fur-
nished by the Sultan's orders.—Levant Herald, July 9.
Smourro ESOOI7EAGED.—The Moniteur de rindre
dates that the Emperor, In his solicitude for the comfort
of the poorer classes, has decided that tobeasco, at the re-
duced price of 4fr. the kilogramme, shell be fessiebed
the almshouses and other similar obaritable
for the use of the inmates.

The following is the Confederate route from
Corinth to Rioltroond—viz., to Meridian, 194 miles ; to
Miooa Town, Ala., 50 saw • to Selma, 30 ; to Millapop,
110; to Roma, 20 ; to Atliatio, 79; to Anpala, lit ; to
=.llo, 75; to Columbia, ;to Chartotie,l4l; to
, 223 ; to Miaowed, 163—makiagraamtal GC 1.252
miles by railroad, and 70 miles by common