The Express.
London, England, 1853-06-28 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, TUESDAY EVENING, JUNE 28, 1853

water. Ent a house on fire in London is in the very
midst of a 1 kinds of help which it might be sup-
posed would be sufficient to stifle every fear
of danger in the minds of the inhabitants. Never-
theless, there aro very few deaths by fire in the
prairies ; there are not many who perish by fire on
the open sea; but there is a number very much too
large of persons who have their life scorched out of
them within a few inches' distance of human beiugs

in the next building, who would willingly make
any sacrifice to save them—within hearing of a
numerous police, who are on the look-out to render
assistar co in cases of extremity—within a minute's
walk of fire-escapes, which would afford them

a means of withdrawing from instant death—

within reach of powerful artificial streams of water,

sufficient to drown conflagrations of far greater mag-
nitude than that which endangers their safety ;
within short distances of engines capable of extin-
guihing any amount of combustion.
And yet, in spite o all this, people arc frequently
burnt to death in London. Where the means of

safety abound most, they appear to be the least
brought into use. The daily papers are constantly
rt gistering the awful details of fatal catastrophes by
tire. Yesterday's paper contained the last incident
of ttis kind. On Saturday evening, between the
i.ours of seven and eight, a fire broke out
on premises occupied jointly by an India-rub-
ber manufacturer and a clothier in Hatton-garden.
A Mrs. Crams, occupied in the upper part of the
house, on perceiving the flames had scarcely time to
reach the street door, when she saw the tiro breaking
through the doors and windows of the ground floor.
This part of the property was, it appears, completely
filled with articles made of India-rubber, gutts-

percha, and other substances quite as inflammable,
which proved of such assistance to tho flames that
they travelled almost as quick u electricity,

cutting off ail means of escape from three
persons who had nut been able to run down.
stairs during tho brief interval that had
elapsed. Not to dwell too long on tho miserable
details, it will be sufficient to say that a young female,
named Ctlvrls, in the upper part of the house,
bcc:.me literally surrounded with flame, and was
quickly burnt almost to a cinder. A woman, who
had made for the front window, in expectation, it

may be supposed, of finding the escapes of the
society there, jumped out, and fell first on some iron
spikes, and afterwards in the area. Her life is de-
spaired of. The circumstances attending the fate of
the third vict;m, a man named STEMIENS, are
not known. It is sufficient to state that
he was found dead, with his body dread-
fully disfigured by the action of the fire.
The first consideration that strikes us upon a perusal
of a narrative of this kind is the strange indifference
to danger which is engendered by the habits of a
large town. JEAN BAr.r, the French naval hero, was
supposed to have perpetrated a deed of considerable
daring, when, to convince a few impertinent cox-
combs that he was not deficient in personal bravery,
he took his seat upon a barrel of gunpowder while
sme.eing his pipe. Bat the fire-eating JEAN had the'
filling of his own pipe, and kept a good look-out for
sparks. He knew that there was his own body and a half-
inch plank between him and destruct ion. The CURTISES,
however, who were the sufferers by what may be
with much more propriety called the expksion
than the conflagration in Hatton-garden, were sleep-
ing night after night over apartments charged with
as much danger as the powder-cask of JEAN BART,
without taking the slightest measure of precaution
against accident, or providing means of escape in the
event of ignition. JEAN BART would have been in a
position similar to theirs, if he had taken his seat on
the task with his legs in fetters and his eyes shut. A
person who should go to sleep by the side of the crater
of Mount Etna would be able to choose his path of
if awakvilea by tho noise of an eruption, but
the inmates of the gutta-percha factory had looked
themselves within an artificial Etna, ever liable to,
combustion, and thrown the key away.
Individuals will become insensible to danger by
custom. Is it right, however, that the public safety
should be endangered by private carelessness ? The
Latin proverb tells you that your house is in danger
when your neighbour's is on fire, and when
the fire has spread to your house, are
your means of escape better than those of
your neighbours? And here the majority of house-
holders in London would reply they were not. If
not, then, why not? The Legislature has not hesi-
tated to interfere with private rights, in order to
obtain a greater measure of public security, in some
cases, why should it not extend its interference when
it can be shown that such interference is absolutely
necessary for the preservation of human life? It
has been enacted that all contiguous houses shall
be separated by a party wall, and this very
enactment has prevented fires from extending in
numberless instances. What should prevent the
Legislature which has interfered once in the direc-
tion of public safety from going a little farther, and
enacting that no house shall be built without an
easy access to the roof, and that contiguous roofs
should be constructed so as to have an easy method
of communication ? It is quite evident in the case
of the Hatton-garden fire that the three deaths in
question would not have happened had the roof been
easily accessible. It is not very likely that a fire will
begin at the same time in the upper and
lower storeys of a house. There should always
bo therefore an easy approach either to the front
door or the roof, in which case the liability to death
by fire would be infinitely diminished. The danger
in the event of the staircase being in flames would
be brought down almost to nothing if the side win-
dows on every floor had a balcony communicating
with the side windows of the next house. The same
advantage has been proposed to be obtained by a
balcony running in front of every floor the whole
length of the street, but to this plan
there is the evident objection that it would
facilitate robberies. If, in addition to these improve-
ments, it were rendered imperative upon every
police-office to keep a few long coils of rope, with
rings or hooks at the end, which could be hauled up
into any room by means of a ball of thread or string,
the risk of loss of life by fire would be lessened still
more. These are suggestions which are capable of
improvement, and their number might be easily in-
creased. Our present object has been to point out the
absolute necessity of the interference of the authori-
ties in this matter, on account of tho mere interests of
humanity, and to show that the subject is not sur-
rounded with insuperable difficulties.

EPISCOPAL INCOMES.

TURKEY.

(sr arswasitsz TELEGRAPH.)
DA.NITBIAN PRINCIPALITIES.
JASSY, JUNE 17.
A special courier from St. Petersburgh passed
through this town on the 13th inst. on his way to
Bucharest and Constantinople. After his departure
the Russian Consul informed the Prince Ghika that
unless the Porte accepted the ultimatum the Rus-
sian General had orders to cross the Prnth and com-
mence hostilities. Ile consequently desired the llos-
podar to take the necessary measures for the victual-
ling and the general comtort of the army.
In the course of the last three days detachments
of Russian troops have marched into Skuliani, near
Jassy, in which place a corps of 40,000 men is to be
concentrated.

We have received despatches from Constantinople
via Belgrade of the 16th. The only noveltywhich they
contain is the statement that Baron Bruck, the Aus-
trian internuncio, who arrived on the 14th, was en-
deavouring to induce the Porte to make some conces-
sion to Russia. The Divan professed its readiness to
accept any expedient consistent with the honour of a
sovereign state which M. Bruck could suggest, but
was firmly resolved not to come under an uncertain,
dangerous, and dishonourable engagement to the
Czar.

The Imlependance Bete contains a statement more
categoric and absolute than our own correspondent
has felt authorised to make. We read :

The Austrian minister has induced the Divan to ad-
vance a step towards Russia. In the answer to the
Nesselrode note, the Sultan will, it is said, declare that he
considers the last imperial firman in favour of the Christians
et the empire as having an immutable character, and as
constitutieg a mural engagement on the part of the Yor te
with all the Christian powers.
Such a declaration the Porte would no doubt be
ready to make at any moment, and could we sup-
pose that in suggesting it M. Bruck was acting
under the assurance that it would be deemed satis•
factory at St. Putersbun, the fact would be a matter
for gratulation. It is well known, however, that
I the Austrian internuncio has not been authorized to
I mediate or pledge the acceptance of the Czar in any

degree. - I
We have received vitt Trieste the following letter
from our correspondent :
CONSTANTINOPLE, Jrsz 13.
" Mr. Balabine, Secretary of Legation, who had re-
mained here after the departure of Mcnchikoff,
started for Odessa on the 3rd inst., and returned here
on Thursday, the 9th inst., per war steamer Yeni
I Calif, with despatches for the Ottoman government,
I which, on the evening of that day, were delivered by
Mr. Argyropoulos to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
They consist of an ultimatum, of which the substance
lis as follows: . _

Count Nesseltode expresses, on the part of the
Emperor and his government, regret at the inter-
ruption of those amicable relations which had so long
existed between the two states—in coasequence of
the refusal of the Ottoman government to accede to
the legitimate demands of Russia, as notified by
Piinee Menchikoff. Still the Russian government,
iu the spirit of conciliation, and with an earnest de-
sire of neglecting no means in its power to arrive at
an amicable solution—has decided on allowing the
Sublime Porte a further term of eight days, to expire
on the 19th inst., for the reconsideration of these
matters; in hopes that, on mature reflection, it
will return a favourable answer, and accepter sans
variants the propositions in question. Should
it, however, unfortunately turn out otherwise, and
the Porto still persist in its refusal, the Russian
government will not even then consider the refusal
as amounting absolutely to a coatis belle, at the same
time th tt it will find itself under the disagreeable
necessity, "pour avow des assurances materirlles," to
order its forces "troccuper le territoire Ottoman."
Nothing else of importance has occurred since ray
Inst. Many couriers have arrived at the French
and English embassies, with despatches from their
respective governments. The Caradoc came in
on the 11th iust., and on the following
day the Chaptal. Tho Heron, French station
steamer, quitted port yesterday, destined for Salamis.
According to the accounts of an officer of the Cara-
doe our fleet had quitted Malta for the Levant, and
is expected, with the French squadron, to station at
Besika Bay.
The Austrian Charge d'Affaires on Saturday, the
11th inst., received despatches from his government,
promising, if required, to use its good offices and
cants, with a view to an amicable arrangement.
The greatest activity is displayed by the Porte in
its preparations for resistance; and so great is
the hatred and irritation which has been pro-
duced by the mission and pretensions of Prince
Menchikoff, that there is not, I believe, a Mussul-
man in the length and breadth of the land who is not
ready and anxious for a lee %e en masse. On this
account, great apprehensions are entertained of some
untimeiy collisions, should Russia attempt, as she
has threatened, to enter the Turkish provinces. All
the reserve forces have been called out, and arc being
sent daily to their destination. The Syrian troops
are also to reinforce the army, and orders have been
sent to Abbas Pacha to replace them ad interim by
his own.
Menchikoff, contrary to the expectation of every
one, has been approved by his government; and so
much so, that it has been intimated in Count Nessel-
rofle's despatch that the reply of the Porte must be
addressed to him. Some say he is at Odessa; others
at Sebastopol."
In the summary of Count Nesselrode's note, given
in the correspondence of the French papers, the threat
of occupying the Ottoman territory is qualified by
the addition, "in a few weeks." Our correspondent,
whose abstract was made from an authentic copy of
the " note," does not mention these words. It does
not clearly appear why Russia should volunteer a
statement so unusually specific.

FRANCE.
PARIS, MONDAY Evesixo
We remain without any decisive news relative to
the Eastern question. A telegraphic despatch ex-
pected to-day, to announce the arrival at Marseilles
of the Messagerie's Constantinople packet, has not
yet arrived. The Bourse is full of confidence. The
letters from St. Petersburg, speaking of the marked
attention paid to the English and French ambassa-
dors by the Emperor of Russia at the Hermitage,
have produced a tranquillising effect.
The Moniteur contains a list of twenty members
of the Legion of Honour who have been expelled
from the order by an imperial decree, they having
been convicted of various degrading crimes and mill.
demeanours. Among them is Colonel de Scrccy, of
the staff, wkoee trial for swindling made so much
sensation a few weeks ago. lie was a commander
of the orders of the Legion of Honour and of St.
Gregory the Great, and an officer of the orders of
Leopold of Belgium and of the Saviour of Greece.
The decree, besides degrading him front the Legion
of Honour, prohibits him from wearing any foreign
order. Colonel de Sercy is the only one in the list
whose rank in the legion was above that of a simple
chevalier.
A large audience was collected at the annual meet-
ing of the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences
at the Institute on Saturday to hear M.?dignet read a
paper on the life and labours of Jouffroy. Some
pointed political allusions were caught at with all the
eagerness that forbidden fruit provokes, and greeted
with hearty rounds of applause. M. Mignet com-
menced by saying that all times were not equally
propitious to labours of the mind. There were mo-
ments when intelligence fatigued sunk into inaction,
when humanity enervated aspired only to repose and
enjoyment, when science,: passing too precipitately
from theories to their application, was in danger of
losing its inventive power, when false systems had
' compromised true ideas, and when philosophy and
liberty had, as it were, fallen into disgrace. He de-
scribed the Institute, however, as a spot exempt from
this prostration, as the sanctuary of the human mind,
where the persevering worship of thought would be
ever preserved. He, therefore, thought it might be
"apropos" to call attention on this occasion to the
career of a philosopher who had devoted his too short
life and his vast intelligence to the study of the soul.
Jouffroy entered upon his career of philosphy and
letters at the moment of the fall of the Empire,
and under new auspices. Fur many years a man
whose genius and sword hud made him master of
France and ruler of Europe, had in some sort thought,
willed, and acted for the whole world. A favoured
child of a revolution produced by tho human mind,
ho had imposed silence upon the human mind.

After having founded his own absolute authority
upon the public lassitude, not hearing the stifled
opposition of men, and not yet encountering the
hidden resistance of things, he abandoned himself to
the ardour of his vast imagination and the impe-
tuosity of his will. As the revolution had hoped by
its id' as to change the internal form of society, so he
thought by its victories to change the face of the
external world. But he wrestled against the truth
of things and the necessities of the age, and so,
despite the prodigies of his genius, and even by the
excess of its force, when ho had sacrificed liberty,
exaggerated greatness, worn glory threadbare, and
even fatigued ambition, he fell more rapidly than he
rose. After this attack upon Bonapartism, M. Mignet
gave a sketch of the literary and scientific career, of M.
Joutfroy,alludingtohis lecture delivered to twenty ad-
miring pupils in a small room in the Rue St. Honore,
at a time when twenty-one would have been an illegal
number, and to his connexion with the celebrated
Globe newspaper. Coming to his parliamentary life,
which began after the revolution of 1830, M.
Mignct took occasion to laud parliamentary govern-
ment in general and the constitutional epoch of
Louis Philippe in particular. The representative
government consolidated by the revolution of 1830,
seemed to M. Soliffroy especially adapted to a people
monarchical by its traditions, but liberal in its ideas,
requiring to govern itself with independence and
' regularity under the common empire of its principles
and its habits. lie was not content with approving
this government, he desired to serre it. lie en-
tered the chamber in 1831, together with most of
his friends echo belonged, like hinnalf, to that gene-
ration of political men educated in the soundest
doctrine'', attached to the highest interest, who had
the rare molt of respecting in power what they had
professed in opposition, of doing themselves what they
had called upon others to do, and who, applying the
beautiful principles and realising the true promises
of 1789, gave to our country more prosperity than it
had ever enjoyed, the largest measure of liberty it
had ever exercised, and the most moderate govern-
ment it had ever known. The whole of M. Mignet's
paper• is published by the Sleek.
A M. Louis Pujos, one of the pardoned political
offenders of December, bnsjust been punished by the
Prefect of the Gers for making a turning table play
political tricks. m. Pujos, it seems, invited his
neighbours repeatedly to witness the wonderful per-
formances of his table, which prophesied the downfall
of the empire, and the triumph of M. Emmanuel
Pujos, a son of M. Louis, who is now lying in gaol at
Marseilles upon the charge of belonging to a secret
society. The prefect has sent M. Louis Pujos away
from his home, and ordered him to reside at Condom.
It is not stated whether he is allowed to take his
table with him.
In consequence of the improvements going on in
the Gth arrondissement, a house forming part of the
ancient convent of the Temple, was pulled down last
week. In the vaults underneath this house were
found the remains of eleven Lady Abbesses who bud
successively governed the convent. Tho skeletons
of all were found perfect, and it is said that from
religious ornaments and emblems found in the
coffins it wcs easy to identify each of
them. The remains were exhumed in the
presence of the municipal authorities, the clergy of St.
Elizabeth, and the chaplain of the convent ot the Holy
Sacrament in the Fauboug St. Germain (whither the
nuns of the Temple took refuge when their house
was suppressed), and removed to the Eastern ceme-
tery, where a religious service was performed over
their new graves.
It is said that the Minister of Agriculture and
Commerce has decided that merchandise absolutely
prohibited by the tariff shall be admitted for the
universal exhibition of 1855, and that, after the
exhibition, such merchandise may, at the option of
the owner, be re-exported without charge, or eo:d in
France on paying a duty of 30 per cent.
M. Partarrteu-Lafosse, the father of the judge of
that name in the Imperial Court, and a member of
the Constituent Assembly of 1790, has just died in
Paris, at the extraordinary age of 97.
Count Karnicky, Austrian chargo d'affaires in
Switzerland, left Vienna yesterday cn route for
Berne.
At the Bourse today an average amount of busi-
dess was transacted in the public securities, and at
its termination a general improvement had taken
place in prices, with the exception of the Three per
Cents. for cash, which had declined se. A rise of
23c. occurred in the Four-and-a-Half per Cents. for
money, whilst for the end of the month the Three per
Cents. advanced 25e, and the Four-and-a-Half per
Cents. 40c. In Bank of Frauce shares there was an
improvement of 20f. The concluding quotations
were—For cash, Three per Cents., 77 40 ; Four-and-
a-Half ditto, 102. For the account—Three per Cents,
77.45; Four-and-a-lialf ditto, 101.90. Bank Stock,
2670 f. Northern., 807.50 ; Orleans, lON ; Paris and
Strasbourg, 912.50 ; Paris and Lyons, 925 ; Paris
and Rouen, 1055 ; Lyons to the Mediterranean,
734. N; Western of France, 730 f.