The Express.
London, England, 1847-08-21 00:00:00

The courier bearing the despatches of Cardinal
Ciacchi, and a copy of his protestation, had arrived
in Rome, where that document was immediately
published in the official journal, the Diario di Roma
on the 10th. It received the full approbation of his
Holiness, and was officially notified to all the am-
bassadors. It was reported at Rome that a collision
had already occurred at Ferrara between a patrol
of the Austrian soldiers and a party of the National
Guard, but nothing definite on the subject had trans-
pired. Notwithstanding the universal iadignation
' expressed in Rome at the scandalous conduct of
Austria in harassing the papal government in
every quarter, not to mention the conviction
which prevails that the agents of that government
were the originators of the recent plot, which happily
proved abortive, the population "till continued tran-
quil, the public being assured that that conspiracy
will undergo severe a investigation before the regular
tribunals. The notorious spy Minardi, who was
erroneously reported to have been captured, escaped,
as it now appears, across the Tuscan frontier, and has
been lately arrested in Florence. His surrender has
been demanded of the Tuscan government by the
pontifical authorities, to whom it was said he would
be given up This individual was as important
, a
tected conspiracy
of
neitherwhasoare hoUw onel
gretirdiiOir Captaien Alai,
con-
fined in the Castle of St. Angelo.
The Semaphore, of Marseilles, says that the Aus-
trian patrols have fired on several citizens in the
streets of Ferrara, in spite of all the precautionary
measures taken by the Cardinal Legate, who imagined
that, by preventing the appearance of the civic guard,
the unarmed people of the town would be at least
respected.
Letters from Rome say, that extraordinary provin-
cial councils were to be immediately convoked in
every chief place, for the purpose of deciding on the
municipal reforms. Cardinal Ferretti desires to have
the new institutions promulged and brought into
operation as moon as possible.
Besides the notorious Gennario, whose arrest we
have already mentioned, his accomplice, Melluzzetto, is
also captured. He is charged with several murders.
Twelve of the carbiniers have also been committed to
the Castle of St. Angelo. Cardinal Allieri has been
appointed to the office of chief of the administration
of the municipality of Rome. Cardinal Ferretti has
called before him, at the Quirinal, the chief persons
known to be engaged in the use of the clandestine
presses, and having remonstrated with them in a
friendly spirit, instead of menacing them with the
legal consequences of their imprudence, has received
their word of honour that such proceedings shall not
be continued. A treaty of commerce has been con-
, eluded between the Sardinian and the Roman states.
This treaty is to continue in operation for ten years.

MADRID, Ann. 14.
At this moment a cabinet council is sitting in the
palace to discuss definitely the palace question, end the mi-
nisterial crisis which is bound up therewith. It is fully ex-
Yatethat the fate of the ministry will be terminated in a
hdours, and that, as I have often repeated, by the solu-
tion of the palace question. If it does not resolve in the
immediate reunion of the King and Queen, be will resign,
and that Patter Diaz and Vaamonde will follow him. In
this cue, Benavides and Mazarredo would attempt to per-
suade the Queen to recall Narvacz, while Salamanca would
strive to arrange a ministry of his own friends, puritans, if
possible, and if not, progresistas. Llorente, Roe de Oland,
Cordova, Escosara, `'whey, Aguilar, and Gomez de la Scene
are mentioned as likely men. Mendizabal has been seen
much in Salamanca's company for some days past, which in-
clines people to believe that even the ayneachos,
as the moderadoe nickname the old and thorough-
going progreeistas, have a chance. It seems very
certain that much depends at this moment upon the
nod of the ci-divant salt contractor. There is no doubt of
his will to work out a thorough commercial reform; and he
is the man to do it, if any man can. Ms will is immense,
and his dexterity startling. Whether the man is a Figaro
ore Napoleon, certain it is that he is a clever fellow, and has
a great game before him. The Catalans, alarmed at his late
liberal strides in abolishing internal custom-houses and gate
duties upon more than 2,000 articles of commerce, as well as
at certain rumours, which have lost nothing from being
strained through moderado agents, that native industry (the
farce of that word!) is no longer to be protected ; have
got up a petition to the Queen against the ruinous measures
In contemplation. Anybody who knows what "native in-
Zany is in this country, any one who has seen at
r the names of Barcelona houses worked into the
cloth, which circulates under the name of a sample of
" native industry," may be well amazed at the apparent
potency of the protection cry. But it is only apparent ; there
is no real hold in that cry upon national feeling: it is •
French cry, and the hypocritical mask of patriobsm worn
by a French party. The people are at length beginning to
open their eyes to this; and we shall see whether some
minister will not soon reach forth his hand boldly to pluck
the pear, for it is ripe.
The Queen arrived at the palace at 2 a.m. yesterday
morning. The ministers, captain-general, political chief,
and ethers, sat up to receive her Majesty. She supped at
three, and retired to repose at four. In the evening, at
eight, the Queen drove to the Prado without escort, accom-
panied by Count Santa Colons.
The King continues his usual visits from the Pardo to
the Palace of San Juan del Buen Retiro, arriving early in
the morning, spending the day with hie brother and sisters,
and retiring to his own residence in the evening.
A junta of senators and deputies of the liberal party have
presented a petition to the Queen, representing the state of
extreme distress to which many of the officers in the army
are reduced who were deprived of theircommands under the
reactionary system in vigour since Espartero's fall. Some
of these have just returned from banishment ; others have
remained in Spain ; but all are in distress.
The ministers have all received the application of the
junta very favourably, and it is hoped that something will be
done for those deserving men who have fallen upon such
strange and pitiable vicissitudes of fortune. Many of these
are actual mendicants, having figured in their palmy days as
captains-general, and in other 114 h grades.
I hear that not only has Senor Salamanca succeeded in
realising the loan of the 100 millions of reale, but that •
Jewish house in London has offered to furnish 140 millions
more. Acquit me of bursatile views in propagating this
rumour, which you may take con pro W. It reached me,
however, from a respectable authority.
The mail from Paris did not arrive yesterday, for what
reason is unknown. The storms which prevail at this season
are, however, supposed to have detained it.
New lines of telegraph are projected from Madrid to Bar-
celona, Parapeluna, Valencia, and Saragossa.

ALEXANDRIA, An°. 2.
The Viceroy continues to enjoy good bodily health,
,)though the infirmities of age prevent his taking that active
part in the administration of the affairs of his country to
which he has been accustomed. This is much to be re-
gretted, both for the interests of his own people and those of
the Europeans established in Egypt. Thirty years ago the
Pacha used to say, " I am obliged to do everything myself ;
I have no one to help me except Boghos Bey." If that
truism were felt then, how deeply has it been felt since
the death of that faithful servant ! The immense mass
of people at work at that gigantic undertaking, the
" barrage," are put to severe trials. For the last three
months their sole food has consisted of ground barley
mixed with straw, cut up into very fine pieces, and baked
into cakes, his highness minister having discovered when
they had arrived at their last loaf, that there was " no wheat
in the land of Egypt," except what was in private hands.
This is doubtless owing to the immense exportation made
to Europe, to pay for the enormous expense of tbe " bar-
rage," but it is nevertheless very hard upon the poor
peasantry, who are obliged to work from daylight to dark,
up to their waists in water, with nothing but the common
tarbooah " on their heads to protect them from the scorch-
ing sun of July. The real state of things is so carefully
kept from the Yachts by the crowd of Armenian dra-
gomans into whose hands he has, in his old age,
committed himself and the interests of his country,
that he really believes his people not only to be the beet fed,
but the happiest in the world, and himself the richest prince
actually governing any country. He has been led into this
last opinion by the highly flattering " Bilen " presented to
Dim by one of bis ministers, from which it would appear that
the financial affairs of Egypt are in a far more flourishing
state than of any of the European powers ; while, on the
other hand, it ismer° than suspected, by some who take care
to be well informed as to the real strength of the
Egyptian exchequer, that there is not at this mo-
ment 500 dollars in the public treasury. The latter
representation would seem to be the more probable
of the two, if judged by the old proverb, that
" A rich man never borrows," inasmuch as Anselme de
Rothschild's visit to Egypt is made with a view to a loan to
the nacho of seven millions of dollars; and he is now here
looking through the resources of the country. Meanwhile,
serious complaints are being made by the greater part of the
European merchants and others that their petitions to the
pasha, containing just reclamattons, are never fortunate
enough to fall into his hands, or come to his knowledge in
any way, while answers in the " negative " are invertably
sent in his name by one of the officials ; even the English
consuleneral ho
of ad such clear cases of neglect (to use no
stronger term) this kind made out to him, that
he has formally demanded the dismissal of Artin
Bey, one of the functionaries in immediate attend-
ance upon the viceroy, and signified his intention to
have no further communication with that individual. It his
even been said, that this latter resolution is in accordance
with instructions received from Lord Palmerston. The wea-
ther at Cairo is extremely hot, and ophthalmia very prevalent.
The fortifications of Alexandria are rapidly progressing.
The "transit administration," under the direction of Ab-
derahtnan-Rouchedy-Effendi, is in a prosperous state, and
the ameliorations introduced by the director are appreciated
by all travellers. It is generally supposed, that for his
talent, energy, and activity, he will be raised to the rank
of bey.

MALTA, Aro. 10.
A large steamer was signalled to the eastward on
the morning of the 4th ; it was at once decided to be the