The Express.
London, England, 1853-11-12 00:00:00

RUSSIA AND TURKEY.

The following, according to the Lloyd, is an exact
copy of the reply of Prince Gortschakoff to the first
letter of Omer Pacha, concerning which many con•
tradictory statements have been made :

Bucharest, 10th October.

Monsieur le Machir,—l have the honour to inform your
Excellency that I received, on the 9th of October, the letter
which you addressed to me, dated on the Bth.
Without entering into any examination of that communi-
cation, I think it my duty to inform your Excellency that I
have so power from his Majesty the Emperor, my muter,
to treat of peace, of war, or of the evacuation of the Princi-
palities by the troops confided to my command.
Receive, Monsieur le Mackie, the assurance of my high
copal aeration, GORTICHAILOFF.
_ .

To his Excellency Omer Pasha.
An organ of the French government states autho-
ritatively that the forces of Russia in Wallachia
number only 40,000 men, many of whom are suffer-
ing from sickness.
The Steele says:—" The general plan of Omer
Pacha's operations now begins to be pretty plainly
perceptible. The left wing of his army, supported
by a tete de pont at Widdin, will occupy Little Wal-
lachia, advancing by Craiova ; the centre will be at
Giurevo ; the right wing at Olteoitsa. When the
left wing, having fortified its rear, shall be in a posi-
tion easily to communicate with the centre, the army
will make a general movement upon Bucharest.
Then Prince Gortschakoff will be compelled either to
accept a general battle, or to retire into Moldavia to
wait for reinforcements, which, as we are assured,
cannot be brought into line in less time than six
weeks."
The Journal de Franefort, which frequently re-
ceives communications from Berlin and Vienna haviog
a semi-official origin, has an article dated Berlin,
Nov. 6, in which it is stated that the Porte has been
commended by Lord Stratford de Redcliffe to
accept the note of Vienna, or an equivalent, on condi- ,
tion of receiving
.from the ambassadors of the four
posers a note, signed by their governments, and
referring to the declaration of the five powers in
1841, that they desire to protect the sovereign rights
of the Sultan, and to consolidate the peace of his
empire. It is considered by the British cabinet, says
the Journal de Fratufort, that this note in common
by the four powers ought to tranquillise the Porte,
and to be regarded by it as a guarantee for the
future. We are told that France has approved of the
proposition, but that it is by no menus certain that
Austria and Prussia will consent to sign the note
suggested by England. Although the Czar's declara-
tion of war has cut all these friendly attempts at
arrangement into the shade, any positive assertion
respecting the secret workings of diplomacy must be
of interest. As, moreover, war cannot be a perma-
nent state of things, and new negotiations must
have a starting point, the last propositions made by
mediating power may have a more than historical
interest.

A Berlin letter of the 6th, in the Post And Gazette
of Frankfort, says :—" We can contradict the rumour
that has been current of a Congress in London. It
is equally untrue that the Russian Ambassador in
London had expressed an opinion favourable to
such a course. It has never in fact been suggested
to him."

A letter from Constantinople, 27th ult., in the
Dgbats, says: "Constantinople continues to enjoy
the most perfect tranquillity ; the salaries of the func-
tionaries and the pay of the army are regularly kept
up. The famous Smyrna brigand, Yanut Cattergi, is
to be brought to Constantinople for trial. It is pre-
tended here that this bandit could not hare so long
maintained himself unless he had been one of the
chiefs of the secret societies organised at Smyrna,
under the inspiration of Itusaia. It is the hope of
being able to find material proof of this fact that has
led to the idea of bringing him here for trial."
The Press says :
All negotiations between the European Powers upon the
Eastern question are broken off. The Czar professes now
to be solely occupiel with the design of wiping Of the dis-
grace of his defeat. No reinforcements of consequence can
reach Prince Gortschakoff before next spring; yet, until

with his present, or additional forces, be can. repair the
disasters which the liumians have sustained, the discussion
even of the preliminaries of peace is postponed. In the
meantime, there is no pretence whatever for the rumours
that the Czar has evioced any disposition to accede to pr.
pisdls for a conference on the subject of his difference with
the Porte; and it is to the last degree improbable that, it,
any contingent'', he will consent to such conference at
London or Pans.

FRANCE.

.-

PALMS, FRIDAY EVINING.
The Russian manifesto is considered a shade less
warlike than the telegraphic account of its purport
led one to expect. The absence of any expression di-
rectly offensive to France and Eugland is par:i-
cularly remarked. Indeed, it might be assumed
from the wording of the manifesto that the principal
Powers of Europe had expressed an opinion that the
Czar was altogether in the right. They are repre-
sented as having sought in vain to overcome the
" blind obstinacy" of the Ottoman government, and
the fact that the two Western Powers stand pledged
to support the Sultan in that blind obstinacy is
studiously ignored.
The assertion that the Porte had enrolled in the
ranks of its army revolutionists from all countries,
although notoriously untrue, may be construed as
reminder to the French Emperor that he has a common
interest with the Czar in keeping down the revolution-
ary spirit. Upon the whole the proclamation,
abstaining as it does from any allusion to the demon-
stration made by the limb,' betrays a wholesome fear
of the allies of Turkey, and ►n anxiety to bee the
theory of "localised war," which was at one time
so strenuously advocated by the French newspapers,
complacently accepted.
From the monthly returns of the Bank of France
it appears that the metallic reserve has diminished
in Paris 381 millions, and in the branch banks 11
millions. fho discount accommodation has in-
creased 6 millions in Paris and 9 millions in
the departments. The advances on public se-
curities have increased half a million in Paris,
and one-quarter of a million in the provinces.
The advances on railway shares and bonds show
au advance of 1t millions in Paris, and a falling off
of 1 million in the branch banks. On the side of the
liabilities, the notes in circulation hate declined 31
millions in Paris, and 1 million in the departments.
The account current of the treasury has declined .5!
millions, and those of private individuals 19 millions
in Paris and 6 millions in the provinces. Thu whole
amount of the metallic reserve is at present 331
millions, to 6051. millions of notes in circulation.

INDIA AND CHINA.

THE OVERLAND MAIL.

We have received our despatches from India and
China by the Overland Mail. The dates are :
Calcutta, October 4; Bombay, October 14 ; Ilurmah,
September 17; and Hong Kong, September 27.
The following is our Bombay Correspondent's
letter :
BOMBAY, Ocr. 14.

The Right Ron. Lord and Lady Falkland, and
their staff, left Poona on the 4th, and reached Maba-
buleshwar on the 6th inst.,—the Lord Bishop and
Mrs. Harding having preceded them by a few
hours. There the noble and right reverend lords in-
tend enjoying themselves for a season, leaving care
and anxiety to others not so fortunate as them-
selves. Lord Fitzclarence and his staff left Poona for
Poorundhur on the 10th, where his lordship however
only remains a few days, his visit being as much one
of business as of pleasure, he having gone up the
hill to inspect the sanatorium and the site selected
for a hospital by Dr. Kellie. Dr. Ban, of the 10th
husears,formerly personal surgeon to the right honour-
able the Governor, now lies in an alarming state at
Poona, his disease being paralysis of the whole of
the lower extremities: it is not expected that he will
ever again rise from his bed. Dr. R. De C. Peele,
just returned from Australia, has been appointed
surgeon to the Governor in room of Dr. Ross, and has
proceeded to the hills to assume his duties. Lieu-
tenant-General Staveley, now Commander-in-Ch:ef
of the Madras army, quitted Poona under a chief's
salute on the 10th, and reached Bombay on the 12,111.
He starts for Madras by the steamer on the 16th. It
is not yet quite certain who succeeds him in com-
mand of the Poona Division ; it will lie between Sir
H. Somerset and Brigadier General Schuler, the
former being now in command of the Scinde, the
latter of the southern division. A melancholy and
heart-rending occurrence has just taken place, which
has cast a gloom over society in general, and nothing
perhaps has happened for a long time which has
caused so great a sensation. Mr. A. Malet, Chief
Secretary to the government, and his wife and in-
fant child, left Bombay on the 6tb, in the Steamer
Achilles, on their way to the Hills, he having been
directed to proceed thither as secretary in attendance
on the Governor. When oft Baokote, the entire
family left the steamer, and proceeded in a bunder-
boat for the mouth of the river, up which they were
to ascend to a place called Mbar. There are two
entrances to this river, into one of which boats
cannot get unless at the higest spring tides—the
other is accessible at all times with perfect safety.
It being dark, the boatmen took the wrong channel,
the boat struck on the bar and immediately sunk.
Mrs. Malet, her infant child, the ayab, and nearly
every soul on board, including all the househould ser-
vants, were drowned. Mr. Malet reached the shore
clinging to a spar, and the lifeless body of his ill-
fated wife was brought to land by a few boatmen :
the body of the infant and those of the other persons
drowned have never been recovered.
BENGAL AND THE NORTH-WEST