The Express.
London, England, 1847-02-22 00:00:00

embassy took place last night, and, as was antici-
pated, none of the cabinet ministers nor their sub-
ordinates, none of the high functionaries of state, pre-
sident's secretaries, or leading members of the govern-
ment party in the chambers, all of whom had been
invited, were present. It is said that between two
and three hundred persona bad thus declined accept-
ing the invitation. Of the Chamber of Deputies
present there were eight opposition members, among
whom were MM. Thiers, Duvergier de Hauranne, and
Rkmusat, and two ministerialista, one of whom was
Count Castellane. Of the Chamber of Peen four
attended, Count Molk, the Due de Richelieu, Alexis de
St. Priest, and the Marquis de Boiasy. The number pre-
sent is said to have been nearly &thousand, among whom
were of coarse the most distingaished of the British in
Paris and the whole corps cliplornatique. The magnificent
suite of rooms, so well known, oa the ground floor
communicating with the conservatory, were thrown
open and beautifully decorated. A concert was given
in the ball-room, and an orchestra, erected in the
conservatory, performed from time to time during the
evening. The marked absence of the entire minis-
terial party and all dignitaries of state was the
general !abject of conversation during the evening.
Notwithstanding all this, business at the Bourse
was more than usually brisk, every description of
stock undergoing a considerable rise. The Threes
rose four-tenths per cent. as compared with yesterday ;
but in railway shares of every kind the rise was much
more considerable, as may be seen by reference to
our tabular returns. The monied interests appear to
attach no great importance to the diplomatic quarrel.
Peals, Pea. 10.—Treee per coma, 7P .o; Plea per Ceara, 111 05 .
Foar.un a-lialf per Cent., Few per Ow., —, Belgian Piro per
Crow. IMO, 1011. D.. Poor.and-a•Halt, eel, Two-aan-a.lialt, t 4.
Naples new, lel , Rao. Loae, 101 l , Teems Beads, st, Baal
Beans, 3111.—Zeclange coo Loagoa, PS dam 55 10, Do.,tedays, 50.
Pear. Pas. 10. Paris awl Orissa. 1.2:0 Pure sad Hewn, 075 ,
pass Ylersoa. • Boolgroal. 040 . North. PS W.

The Madrid mail of sit 14th arrived late in Paris
on Saturday.
The new Minister of Marine had not yet been ap-
pointed. The debates of the address were to com-
mence in Congress on the 18th.
A revision was to be made by the Minister of
Finance on the labours; of M. Mon on the tariffs.
A private meeting. of deputies was held to concert
measures for opposing any restrictions on the tariff.
The banks of St. Ferdinand and Isabella have
amalgamated into one sole bank.
The Gazette publishes a decree prohibiting the
commercial junta from authorising the formation of
any secret society before the chamber had examined
the bill relative to such societies.

The 14th being Sunday the was closed.

We have received from our correspondent at Con-
stantinople, particulars of the fire at Pere, mentioned
in the Express of Saturday
CONSTANTINOPLE, Jilt. 28.
Pere has just been the scene of one of those calamitous
events which are, perhaps, more frequent in Turkey than
In any other put of the world. At seven o'clock on the
afternoon of the 26th inst., a fire suddenly broke out in a
house adjoining the residence of the attaches of the British
embassy. No one who has not witnessed • scene of the
kind in this part of the world, can have any conception of its
terrible effects. At the first cry of " Fire," the whole po-
littion of the city is in motion. The panic is not con-
fined to the house where the accident fint occurs, or to
those in its immediate neighbourhood, but extends through
the whole district. Everywhere preparations are made for
Sight ,• in the streets adjacent, within the space of an hour
every house is deserted. For here the fire does not smoulder
king, or struggle slowly with walls of stone and brick ; but 1
le WHY to add to the tenon which belong to it one of those
ea sister element, for it rushes along heaving and roaring
like a mighty torrent. In ten minutes after the alarm
had been given, four houses were in flames. The
English attachés, who inhabited two of them, could
do nothing more than secure their own escape. Every
particle of their property was destroyed. At eleven o'clock,
bar hours alter the fire we. first discovered, no less than
n
houses were in ashes. The scene at times was
terrific beyond description. Pere looked like the gigantic
enter of a volcano, where nothing was seen but rolling
waves of flame. The air for a quarter of a mile round was
filed with bluing pieces of wood, which falling in showers
spin the tcharaincka, or wooden terraces on the tape of the
• houses, in many instances set them on fire. flies the con-
flagration did not proceed regularly from house to house, but
bunt out in event different places at once, so that often
those engaged in trying to extinguish the flames, er to save
same portion of their property, were in danger of Wog
bentesd in by the destroying element. At times the scene
in the streets was something like that of a town taken by
area 11. Terror-stricken people were flying in every direc-
tion; there were eyes for help from the weak, who were
biome down and trampled under foot, or from those
abed beneath the furniture, which the inmates
of seen of the houses flung in desperation from
the windows. At times, a pacba at the head of • party
of hnosemen would gallop recklessly through the erowd,
templet down alt who opposed his passage. The fire•
angineesew hen hems en men's shout ere, for it would be
immeadble ethic hem with horse* through the steep and
narrow streets of Rea. They are always accompanied by
• dense mass of firemen armed with hatchets and long poles
with hooks at the end. As they rash along thus armed and
Deering the engine between them, they inspire nearly a,
much terror as the ire itself. Numberless are the accidents
they occasion ; all Sy wildly before them to save themselves
from haetared limbo and, as it often occurs, from loss ef life.
We witnessed some heart-breaking scenes of mothen sepa-
rated from their children, and of aged and helpless persons
who in the absorbing selfishness of terror had been forgotten,
and who crawled into the thronged streets calling en the
pensers-by for help.
The British *misery is a total wreck. All the fami-
taw has been destroyed, and the house itself would have
been salaamed were it not built of solid stone, with fireproof
aeon and shutters. It caught fire several times, but owing
to the exertions of those on the spot the flames were
r ini
,skl.k extinguished. All the houses round about were
and one veld see the dames licking the lee shut-
tles, and hear them rolling up with a noise like that of a
rushing wind against the stout atone walls. The weed-work
of the windows was destroyed ; the iron shutters and doors
were red hot. In some places within the house the tempe-
rature was like that of a furnace. All the important papers
were saved. At a little before midnight the fire began to
abate, and in half-an-hour was completely got under. This,
however, was not effected till after several houses bad been
pulled down—nearly a bandied, and some of these the
largest and best in Per. hare been destroyed. The amount
of property lost cannot be ascertained, but it is supposed to
be something enormous. It was easy to judge of the esteem
entertained for Mr. and Mrs. Wellesley, not only by the
British residents here, but by the corps diplomatsee, in
the anxiety which was shown to render assistance when
it was known that the embassy was in danger of being
burned. The crew, of the French, Austrian, and
Russian men-of war were present, and were almost
constantly occupied in the interior of the build-
ing in flinging water upon the walls and windows.
Toe much praise cannot be given to Count Stnrmer, the
Austrian internnecio, for the assistance which be rendered
on the occasion. He had come with only one attendant from
kis own palace, which was a considerable distance, through
all the dangers which we have described above, to the Bri-
tish embassy, where he arrived, one of the first after the
alarm bad been given. With his own hands he assisted in
saving the more precious effects of the British minister and
of Mn. Wellesley, and by his voice and presence encouraged
those present to exert themselves is extinguishing the
flames. Mr. and Mrs. Wellesley are at present staying at
the Austrian palace, and some of the English attar/tie are
also enjoying the splendid hospitalities of the Count and
Countess de Starner. The Itaen theatre is burned down,
and it is said to be the intention of the government to have
another built upon a more extensive scale.
The Prussian cabinet he demanded its agent at Constan-
tinople to procure it an exact and eons ete return of the
Turkish forces as regards numberand • of the men
now under arms, its reserve in case of war, a list of the offi-
cers, de. The Prussian cabinet inquired, at the same
time, if smote those officers there were any willing
to enter foreign service, or who might be induced
to do so by bribery; it desired to have the names
of such officers with private notes on each. U
we bring this fact to bear upon the step taken by Russia
some time since, in demanding explanations from the Porta
es to pretended armaments, and consider well the com-
plicity which unites those two powers, more than a fortuitous
coincidencir= sopeeted. The measure relative
to the se of the sale of slaves, and the aboli-
tion of ts•
elsereineket has bee favourably received,
The Sultan has resemnsnei te the attention of his mine.
ten the necemity of Leming Union reeds of communise-
tin between the IV woolens elproduction and en-
eumption. New 'ow OM edge is he mar he tang
the exchange with . Tits goverassmit lea wain
taken a reform in the emwge, and awaiting the time when
that reform will be simple* it makes an annual sgresesent
with a banking-hoess at Contardinspie who engages limasosheine to maintain the rate a Nomnever
Noma It may exceed
110 piastres for ems peed f a 172 fora trine.
To &endue these operations,estmi to hundreds of
millions, the Pacha of Wit
she, ewes to his ins ere
exportations, is always lam Dave, has 4=
himself to pay his tribute In et enimsge ea
and Trieste. This system lm boa adonsd for Ile Lot
three years. The but agreement with M. Anna, • Preen
banker, expires at the end of February, but commies feet no
anxiety on this heed, as the urgency of fixing the rate of
exchange is urvleastood by all. The establishment of a bank
is also spoke. of. It is a project which has often been taken
up and abandoned. Besides the other advantages it would
offer, it would reduce the pries of silver, which ts as high as
12 to 10 per set. premium.

PRANCE.—M. GITIZOT AND THE BET OP TUNIK.
--A report has been spread In Paris that England, Austria,
Prussia, end Russia have resolved to protest against the
sovereignty of the Bey of Toni.. Thel3nti.h government
rsrelines to recognise the Bey in any other way than as the
vassal of the Porte.
SLAVERY IN THE FRENCH COLONIES.—A petitio:t
signed by six hundred and forty-eight members of the
Catholic clergy, demanding an immediate and total abdition
of slavery in the French colonies, has been laid before the