The Express.
London, England, 1863-10-23 00:00:00

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

SYRIA.
DISTURBED STATE OF THE PROVINCE.
The Levant Herald of the 14th contains the fol-
lowing letter from Beyront :

%mut, Oct. 4.

I am sorry to say that affairs wear a very ominous aspect
at present in Syria, and I trust they will receive the prompt
and earnest attention of the Porte, In order that some wise
and speedy remedy may be devised and put into immediate
execution. The danger of a union of some of the discon-
tented tribes has been long since pointed out, and now
seems to be on the eve of a disastrous realisation. The
Arabs of the Desert, the Druses and the fietualis, are
spreading commotion throughout the two provinces ; and ru-
mours continually reach us, from various districts, no doubt
highly coloured, but founded unfortunately on painful facts,
of serious encounters between the troops and the Arab
tribes, in which the latter are too deep victorious—of cattle

plundered, village§ pillaged, and human life ruthlessly sacri-
ficed. On the one hand, we are told that the Bodoni= of the
Haman and the tribes of the banks of the Jordan are ripe for
revolt ; and on the ether, we find an imperial war- teanter
landing reinforcements of military in our port. No woods,
then, that the merchants of Benoit tremble for the ad-
Minces they love made on the cotton crop, and that • wide-
spread towline of uneasiness prevails. Many lay the blame of
existing state of things at the door of the Vali of Damas-
cus, who is charged with great realism= and want of
judgment in his conduct towards the tribes. A new broom
tWOOFO clean ; and the governor of Damascus signalised his
.111CCISSIOO to office by a series of irritating expeditions
against the Syrian sects—now against the Wahabeee of the
Bedouins, now against the Metualis of Itaalbec, and at
other times against the Druse peasants of the villages in the
neighbourhood of Damascus—expeditions provoked oe very
slight ground, and even sometimes, it is freely affirmed,
without any substantial reason whatever. It is easy to
conceive the exasperation which these expeditions excited
amongst these various sects. At length the Vali dew at
higher game, and (for what purpose except for notoriety it
is difficult to imagine), undertook an expedition against the
babe of Beniaaker, living to the ganef lake 'Tiberias. This
tribe took refuge in the province of &vont. The mnchir, in
assisting the Vali of Damascus to get rid of Beni-Saker.
does not assn to have reflected that he was nachos them
oo to the Paths of Beyrout, and that he had sot supplied
alma Perla with the necessary forcer to resist them. In
this strait, Cahoon Pacha was constrained to make the beat
use be could of the material at his command, but, at the
most critical moment, the chief of the irregulars, the famous
free-lance Agbil Agho, refused to act ; donbtlem, he felt in
his heart that the day which sees the 'remade, of the desert
crushed, will seal his fate also ; but he hypocritically feigned
to be offended at having his aid sought merely ►t the last
moment, and, in Lammed indignation, threw up his
command. Sines then the oeighbourhoods of Kaiffa, St. Jean
d'Acre, and Jerusalem, bare been • prey Ito great disorder.
The match had bees applied—and the train was fired. The
chiefs of the Menasha smarting under • seen of sheer
ill-
tresimentat the handed the Puha of Damascus, had already
fled to the Houma, and allied themselves there with the
disented Bedouins of the Ledja under the leadership of the
no of Bina, who war killed last year by a Kurdish officer
of Bmahi.Bazuks, and with the Drums refugees from Mount
Lebanon. And so Syria is plunged again into
confusion. The troops ■re harassed and attacked in
differ rat directions ; communications are interrupted ;
and several sharp engagements have taken place, in
which the number of killed and wounded is said to be
considerable. The other day nineteen wounded iol-
discs from the Mauna were brought into Damascus ;
and it is • significant fact that on the 28th ult., the
exportatiou of breadstuffs from that city was forbidden.
The conduct of the muchir is most vacillating and purpose-
less, and one would almost fancy that be was emulous of
the fate of Ahmet Pads. He has, however, despatched the
governor of Daimons to the Routh to endeavour to patch
rap matters there, and Cabonli Pacha, our local governer, has
jnet started for St. Jean d'Acre with • battalion on a similar
errand.

(azons's mamma)
FRANCE.

TOULON, Oct. 22.

The squadron which has been recalled from
Ajaccfo will arrive here this evening, and be pre-
sent at the departure of the King of the Greeks.

PARIS, Oct za

The Mositeur of this morning states that the
Emperor has received the Mexican deputation,
charged to express the sentiments of g.atitude felt
by Mexico and the new government ofjthat country.

RUSSIA AND TURKEY.
ST. PETERSBURG, Oct 7.3.

The Journal de St. Petersbourg of to-day declares
as completely false the rumours circulated by the
Austrian press, relative to an interview of a
threatening character between the Russian ambas-
sador and A'ali Pacha on Polish affairs, and says :
—"Neither the attitude of the Porte nor the pre-
sent relations of Russia and Turkey justify such a
report"

TURKEY.
CONBTANTINOPLE, Ocr. 22.
The publication of the budget has again been
postponed.

It is said that the Sultan now proposes a reduc-
tion in the direct taxes equal to the amount of the
surplus.

PASSENGERS FOR THE CAPE AND INDIA.
PLYMOUTH., Ocr. 23.

The screw steamer Golden Fleece passed off this
port yesterday afternoon, with over 100 passengers,
for the Cape and India. Among the former are
Lieutenant-General Sir Percy Douglas, the newly-
appointed Commander-in-Chief, and snits.