The Express.
London, England, 1853-03-23 00:00:00

FRANCE.

PARIS, TOINDAY Evsxixo.
We are without any further positive news on the
all absorbing question of the crisis at Constantinople.
The Telemaque is expected at Marseilles, and will
doubtless bring various versions of the affair, but she
having touched at various points of Italy during her
voyage, cannot bring intelligence of a later date than
that already received by the tAradoc and Eurotas.
Notwithstanding the vague and unsatisfactory
paragraph in the Moniteur, it has sufficed in great
measure to re-assure the Bourse, aided, however,
by a telegraphic despatch from London announcing
a rise of kto in Console. The strong repugnance
in men's minds to believe in the possibility of imme-
diate war is greatly strengthened by the compara-
tively small amount of excitement which the
intelli-
gene from Turkey, followed by the sailing orders
sent to the fleet at Toulon, seems to have produced in
England. There were, however, violent fluctuations.
The Rente Three per Cents. opened at 79, fell to
78.70, then rose to 79.10, and closed at 79.5 c. The
most conflicting opinions were expressed as to the
real terms of Prince Mentachekoffs ultima-
tum, the probability of Russia persevering in
her demands, and the nature of the contemplated
French intervention, whether in cordial concert with
England, or with isolated views. The note in the
ifoniteur in reality amounts to nothing. But it is
quite clear that the favourable news alluded to,
whatever it may be, will not prevent the departure
of the French ffeet from Toulon, for that the govern-
ment journals inform us, will sail this very day for
the waters of the Salamine.

It was composed of 8 sailing vessels of war and
4 steamers. It will be joined by the 4 steamers eta•
tiooed in the Archipelago, commanded by Rear-Ad-
miral Romain Desfoeses.

The English squadron consists of 5 ships-of-the-
line, 3 frigates, 2 corvettes, and 12 steamers ; and
the Turkish fleet, of 4 ships-of-the-line, 3 frigate,
8 brigs, and 6 steamers. The force of the Turkish
fleet will be doubled by the junction of the Egyptian
ships.
The Roman fleet at ilietastopol was composed of
13 ships-of-the-line, 8 frigates, and other vessels of
leas force.

The following extract from a Paris letter to the
Botaiscipariew of Brussels, a Catholic journal, gene-
rally favourable to Napoleon 111., will give you a fair
idea of the kind of apprehensions entertained by
many u to the possible mission of the French fleet:
The most probable, if not the most generally accredited,
version is that Preece will, in the first instance, maintain
the strictest seutzality between England sad Turkey on
the one part, sad the Russian government on the other. It
will act the part of a mediator. But if, eadratimarely,the
intentions of Russia should go the length animmisiag
the temerity of the Ottoman empire, Primes wadi Joie
England against this semi-barbarous power, which regards
the east with a covetous eye, intending at a future time to
menace at greater advantage the independence of the west,
so troubled, so divided, by a lamentable series of revolutions.
However this may be, France has a grand and splendid part
to play in the negotiations about to be opened. It has in
in its power to incline the scale in the most favourable
way for the Emperor's views, views so profound and pur-
sued with that laborious patience and taciturn tenacity
which make Napoleon 111. one of the most powerful and
mysterious political personages of the present time.
Another correspondent of the same journal, after
speaking of the profound mystery in which the
views of the French government are enveloped,
makes the uncomfortable suggestion that France
may perhaps all this while have a secret understand-
ing with Russia, who sent a diplomatic agent incog-
nito to the Tuileries about two months since.

The Delas affirms positively to-day that Colonel
Rose sent for Admiral litmus in consequence of a
formal request from the Sultan. The English fleet,'
according to the same authority, was expected at
Ourlae, in the waters of Smyrna, and Prince
Mentschikoff was to have had an audience of the
Salton to propose his ,n on the 9th. The
Assemblee, iu contradiction to its statement yesterday,
now admits, with the De&as, that the Porto applied
to Colonel Itose.