The Express.
London, England, 1862-06-17 00:00:00

JUNE 17, 1502‘.1.1,,.;

OS= on- aux a

tiPRiCSB FROM PARIS.

PARIS, MONDAY Evsinia.
The Opinion Nationale alone of all the French

journals contains some interesting news from
Mexico, in addition to that given in yesterday's
Monifeur. According to a letter, dated Mexico,
May 12, about thirty French soldiers, wounded in
the action of the 6th, were carried off the field by
the Mexicans and taken care of in the hospitals of
Puebla, where General Zaragoza had been to see

them. The French prisoners were twenty-five in
number—one lieutenant, six sergeants, one cor-

poral, and seventeen men. They were expected in
Mexico, where it was rumoured that they would be
set free on parole. The municipal council had offered

to take them under their special protection, but
the French residents in Mexico proposed to con-
tribute the necessary expenses for their sup-
port. It is stated that the French column,
when marching to the attack of the
Guadeloupe heights, left their knapsacks at
the foot of the mountain, and that in their retreat

they were not able to get their packs again, and
that the Mexicans got possession of them. This
news, if true, is very serious indeed, for it will be

,
remembered that General Zsragosa's despatch,
published by the Monikur, speaks of a column of
4,000 men being sent against Guadaloupe. If all

those men, or even any considerable proportion of
them, lost their knapsacks, the military disaster

suffered by the French must have been very great
indeed. However, this correspondence states that
in the knapsacks were found several Crimean and
Italian medals, with which the Mexican soldiers
_ _

decorated themselves. Several of the wounded

were also stripped of medals which they wore on
their breasts. It is said that a Zouave whose leg
was cut off in the hoepital endured the operation

without a groan, but shed tears when his medals

were t‘ru off his uniform. The Mexican govern-

ment has censured the soldiers who have been
guilty of these outrages, and has ordered that the
medals taken from the wounded shall be re-
stored.

The Opinion Nationale throws the whole blame
of the French failure upon General Almonte, who
deceived General de Lorencez and the French

government as to the state of public opinion in the
country. Bo long ago as January last the Patric
asserted, on the strength of information evidently
furnished by General Almonte, that no les* than
eighteen province* out of the twenty-one of which
the Mexican confederation is composed, were ready
to adhere to the " Almonte project." "All the
towns without exception," said the Patrie, " will
vote in favour of the project as soon as the pro-
. . . . .

clamation of the allies -assures them that their
wishes shall be attended to." General de Lorences
might have seen reason to doubt General Almonte's
prophecies from what happened when the French
army arrived in Orizaba. Almoute provoked a
prnnunciamento. But in that city of from 20,000
to 25,000 inhabitants, although it was glistening
with French bayonets at the time, he only collected
92 signatures. Still, however, he persisted that
the 70,000 inhabitants of Puebla were ready to
rise and welcome the French flag as soon as it ap-
peared ; and we know that General de Lorencez
believed him ; because the Mon►teur states that it
was calculated that the attack on Onadaloupe would
be supported by a rising of the inhabitants of
Puebla. Almonte also made him believe that a
Mexican general named Cobos, at the bead of
4,000 reactionaries, would come to his aid. A
messenger from the French camp, taken prisoner
by the Mexicans on May 5, was found to be the
bearer of the following letter, written to General
Coboe by a priest, one Father Miranda :

San Diego de Is. Alamos, May 5, 1862.

Dear Friend,—Fort Guadeloupe is to be taken to-night.
Come and join Us without losing a moment, and with what-
ever tome you can bring, even it it should be only your
cavalry. FiUNCIDOO Yn►NDA.

Whether owing to the seizure of this pressing
letter, or for any other reason, General Cobos and
his band was not forthcoming in time of need. Pro-
tests against General Almonte and his scheme for
the regeneration of the country come into Mexico
from all quarters. The Lancastrian Society (au
educational body, as its name import.) and the

Geographical and Statistical Society, the majority
of whose members are conservatives, have expelled
General Almonte. Sir Charles Wyke, accompanied
by Admiral Dunlop, arrived in Mexico on May 4,
and the English legation was reopened. Sir Charles
Wyke's treaty for the settlement of all difficulties
with England has been unanimously ratified by the
Mexican Congress. _ . .

The Patriequotes complacently a Mexican cor-
respondence in the Monde, asserting that the affair
of the sth was a trivial check, due entirely to the
" rashness of some Zouaves, who converted a
simple reconnaissance into an attack with the
bayonet upon a strongly fortified mamelon."
Unfortunately for this view, the Moniteur admits
that there was a deliberate purpose to storm the
Guadeloupe forts, and that the attack failed. The
clerical journals are in favour of the expedition
from a mixed motive. They are glad to see
the government embarked in an undertaking which
they think will bring it into trouble, and they encou-
rage Almonte because he is the representative of
the catholic party, which for years oppressed the
country, and is the author of the anarchy which at
present prevails in it.
The Patric estimates the number of the reinforce-
ments ordered out to Mexico at about 5,000. The
ridiculous figure of 100,000 was mentioned the
other day in a London journal.
The debate on the budget in the Corps Legislatif
was begun to-day by M. Granior de Canaignae, to
whom the Chamber was listening with impatience
up to the hour to which the evening's report comes
down. He is supporting the substance of
an amendment already thrown out by the commit-
tee. At the opening of the sitting several members
complained that after having had nothing to do
for months they were now called upon to vote the
budget without sufficient time for consideration.
Then are, in fact, but ten working days between
this and the end of the session, June 27.
The Revue Contempornine suggests that if the
patriotism of the deputies were to prompt
them to work a few days without salary, the
Emperor would doubtless prolong the *melon-
Unfortunately, however, the imperial constitu-
tion debars the deputies from the exercise
of an initiative, and the government could scarcely
propose a bill to strip them of their pay. Should
the session be prolonged a single day beyond June
27, another month's pay rill be the right of every
member.
Although there were successive falls at the
Bourse last week in consequence of rumours from
Mexico, the positive announcement of the Moniteur
has produced a further considerable depression.
Bente fell 25e. for cash and 30a for account,
closing at OBfr. 30e. and 613 fr. 35c. Mobilier fell
7fr. 50c. In railways, with the exception of •
fall of 10fr. In Southern, and Mr. 75c. in Lyons,
there was little change.