The Express.
London, England, 1849-10-31 00:00:00

FRANCE.

PARIS, TUPSDAY, 5 r. Y.
Numberless rumours are flitting about Paris this
morning respecting a projected modification or the
ministry. Bomo of the journals even go so far as to
contemplate the speedy removal of toute lu boutique,
in which the government now sells iti wares and
patronage. Ido not, however, think that the time has
yet come fur M. Ihfiture to be able to make head
against the difficulties which he would en-
counter, nor that M. Mole and M. Thiers,
bicked by the whole parti pritre, would
be enabled to stem the torrent of rtpublicanient
which would pear down upon them from the
Mountain.

The cholera has almost disappeared ; end the Union
3fedicale says: "We have official returns of the
mortality in Paris to Oct. 23. in the 12 arrrn-
dissements from the 14th lest., there has not been a
single death from cholera. The epidemic MU conse-
quently be looked on as having entirely mimed.
Your correspondent at Row writes that th? French
are meking preparations to leave Rome, without
having accomplished any of the objects which they
profess to have desired.
The debate in the National Assembly this afternoonl
has been devoid of interest, bat that of yesterday
is much commented upon by the papers to-day. The
Prose says to M. Dufour* :
What does U. Durance wait for in order to take off the
state of edge which weighs en a pert of Yeanee; Is it mon
salsa and more peaceable dsys Does be not know that if
the present is an. able the future is not more certain ? Does
he believe that power can evi r have is his !lends more ek-
mints of strength and security ? Doe s he, fine, hips that
a time will come when all parties will embrace each other,
when ell passions will be extinguished, all wants initialise.
when mis.ry will diseppesr, and whill the earth, covered
ei Is flowers and finks, will be no longer anything but a
sojourn of peace and delight ? That is only seen in the
pictures drown atlas future felicities of a plialanstere. Why
then adjourn incessantly to des which will never come
the enjoyments of liberty? way sat naturalise ourselves
in that stormy atosexphere of democracy whence progress
only finds vent in toe midst of lightning end thunder? That
is necessary, however ; if you watt fur peace to reign on the
earth, in order to enfranchise the nation., you will never do
so; for satiety cannot live, grow great, and develop itself,
except in the midst of movement and struggle.

A letter from Philippeville of the 20th gives an c-
oount of a dreadful disaster which has just cc( urred in
the neighbourhood of that town. On Sunday the
14th, after nearly six mouths continued drought, a
sirocco wind commenced with greater violence than
had ever been remembered. Such of the inhabitants
as bad long resided In Algeria soon began to feel
apprehensive of danger, for they were aware that the
Arabs never failed to take advantage of the wind to
effect the clearance of their ground, both in the
plains and on the mountains, by setting tire to the
thistles and brambles with which it had become
overrun. Their teu• were alas too soon realised,
for in n short time after the sky to the south of the
town became illumioa•ed, and clouds of smoke, min-
gled with •parks of fire, were seen approaching
Use tt.wn. The whole country, from the moun-1
tains of Oned Zeranna to the nursery ground, a
space of three square leagues, appeared like one im-1
mouse furnace, the flames of it advancing towards the
gardens and the depots of fora 4e, almost beneath th-
walla of the town, destroying everything in its way.
All the farms in the neighbourhood were rapi,:ly
reduced to ashes, and the flames soon after crossed
the walls, and commenced their ravages in the
gardens within them. The flames burst out in
twenty different places at mw. The inhabitants of
the town and the troops used every exertion; the en-
gines were taken by very great efforts to the upper
gardens, and a chain formed to convey wi.ter in
which many women joined with the most devoted
courage. Others taking their children in their arms
rushed towards the sea as their last means of escipe.
Showers of. burning sand were hurled through the
air, sometimes even hiding the flame■ themselves.
Great fears were at one time felt that the whole town
and the Fort d'Orlesns would have been destroyed,
but fortunately the wind veered, and carried the
flames in another direction. Propel ty to a very large
amount has b:en destroyed. All the produce of the
late harvest has been swept off. All toe meadows of
the government, and those of M. F. Barrot, some
with the crops cut, and others a ending, have been
entirely destroyed. The banks of the o!d Roman
canal, which were covered with oltve tree', vines, and
mulberry trees, are now bare. All the plantation.
which ornamented our roads, all the luxuriant gar-
dens have nothing now left but the blackened sail.
The farms of M. de Gourzas, M. Piglia, M. Levey,
and others have been all destroyed, and had it not
been for the change of the wind,the town of Phi:ippe-
villa and a slumber of other farms would have been
destroyed; as it is, the loess is immense.
BOURSE.