The Express.
London, England, 1853-03-21 00:00:00

LONDON, MONDAY. MARCH 21.

Tor. news of the sailing of en English fleet for
Constantinople is scarcely confirmed before we are
told that our ships of war have been followed by a
fleet from France, bound to the same quarter. Now
we begin to thu fruits of the Montenegrin war
din the interests of Russia. When the Prince-
Bishop DANIEL came back from St. Petersburgh, and
without notice pounced down at night tram his moun-
tains upon the Turkish garrison of Zabljak and slaugh-
tered all the men he found there—and when the news
of that treacherous breach of the peace, that savage
butchery struggled through Vienna and was seen in
the London papers, people were scarcely prepared
for the results that were to fellow. We have now
no longer any power of indifference. We cannot
ignore this very conspicuous and undeniable conse-
quence of the Russo-Montenegrin experiment—this
sailing of the fleets of England and France for Con-
stantinople. The slaughter of the Turkish garrison
at Zebljak by the Montenegrin ROB Roy will now
be recognised as just that little distant black speck
on the horizon which warns the tried mariner to
make all snug for the coming storm. The speck has
swelled into • heavy black impending cloud,
which no one can ignore and few van mis-
understand. England and France, at all events,
have ordered off their ships to watch the centre
of that empire, the distant extremities of which
were assailed five months ago by the Montenegrin
mercenaries in Russian pay.
Let us again run over rapidly a few of the facts of
this now vital question. Russia, panting for the
possession of Constantinople--ss her Czars, since the
days of Teruo, ha.e constitutionally done—finds in
her capital Prince-Bishop DANIEL, anxious to pay
his respects to the northern head of the Greek
Church. These respects are paid, arrangements—
princely and episcopal—are made, and the Vladikir,
warm from Russian counsels, and full of Russian gold,
returns to his Montenegrin mountains only to collect
an aimed force, and butcher within their own walla
the troops of the SULTAN. The Prime Minister at Con-
stantinople at once takes the usual steps to protect the
people of the plains, who for generations have suffered
more or less from Montenegrin robbery. The officer ap-
pointed to this service is a bran of military talent and
energy. but not a native of Turkey. Ile drives the
Montenegrins into their own hills—pursues them
there, and is within two days' march of the heart of
their fastnesses, Cettigne, when other influences
wine into play. During these operations Russia has
been as active in Vienna and in London as on the
shores of the Adriatic. In Vienna the Austrian
newspapers in whose columns Vladikir DANIEL'S
people had before invariably been sp 'ken of
as Montenegrin freebooters and thieves, begin
to talk of "the oppressed Christian people '
of that regios—whilst in London our most
powerful contemporary begins to prophesy
that the hour has come for the partition of the
Turkish empire. These straws, thrown up by Baron
Baysrow and his colleagues, soon show very
clearly which way it was intended that the wind
should blow, and whilst the gagged press of Vienna
and some members of the free press in London
are talking in this fashion, an envoy, officially con-
nected with the subjection of Poland, General
Count LEININOEN, is sent by Austria to Con-
stantinople, to make demands on the SULTAN.
At that moment the Ambassador of Eng-
land, Lord STRATFORD, is absent ; a former
Modal of the embassy well versed in Turkish
matters—Larmth—is not there ; the French Am-
bassador is not there, the SULTAN is in a scrape
about the absurdly mismanaged Turkish loan (and
doubtless even Sultans—successors though they be
of ALROUN AL It•sertEri, are none the bolder when
their exchequer is deranged) —and altogether it
is the very beat of all hours for the work to be
done. Count LEININGEN hurries upon the stage,
bullies the SULTAN out of all he wanted,
causes the stopping of the military operations against
Montenegro, secures the re-call front the frontier
of all refugees serving in the Turkish Army ; and
having thus secured his turn, hastens off again
to Vienna, where he gets the decoration of the
Iron Crown for his pains. Here the curtain drops
on the first—or Austrian—act in the drama.

Now was the time for Despot number Two to
appear on the scene, and down from the Crimea
where ho had been biding his time, sailed General
Prince MENCHIKOI7 to Constantinople. A French
*watch very shrewdly says:
The of of the general appears to have been to stow
IBM Astutely to lb* Turkish government, and in a more
public manner dm Count de Leinh, the Austrian
eyed. Defers ranbukiaLit
_Odo. le paned
•reviewd of Ile Bowl* Mu* Is die Ma* M. and et tbe
=,:f disembarkation "blob Russia bee kept ea a war
in tl e port et IlebesSepel sire Mt Twenty.***
vow* of wee—thips of time lone, text. or hap
steennere—and WU Milan, were athe ea this thee-
aka, and the pure* doing peril& leas often to the re.
view, with. It it sappeeed, the view et causing it to be
killers at Cionloolingis. TI • panel tbsa mewled to
Onebuituseple es heard the Amman war steamy the
Pesdroyant, mad arrived In that city on the 28th February.
Isle was acesupaeied by Count Dimitri Naeselrode
as secretary, bi=litesse of them General Nipo-
ealnidnaki, of the sth core (Vercelli, by
We Maisel, we et dim Vice-Admiral Corolla,/ cos-
eretading diensval fame In Ilse Black Sea, by two colonels
sal ten liessessat Wes& as aides-de•easep, sod by flee
2rerwasesseeededy awe the celebrated embassy
at Ibe estil Odle loot =stem se minion of
the Wed bee bees ems at theateetimple.
It can snegelee nobody that the
_despot who had
gemmed a Int-dens newspaper in London to point
out why Tinkly ma be treated a la Poland ahonld
also be able to get rap a grand demonstration in Con-
stantinople to receive the agent of thetz&n. Whilst
placid Turks gated upon the Russian show with all
the calmness of Um* sons of the Prophet—a number
of Russians and Greeks made a demonstration of
welcome tePrinee bfaxcnizon who wee conducted
. .

to the Russian embassy amidst what, in Constanti-
nople, was emisidered quite an ovation. His plan
was clear. Bullying had served Austria, and he
meant to Mow en the mine tack. Pulling aside
the ordinary politeness of nations in such oasis ob-
servable, ha would have no speech with the
Turkish Minister for Foreign Affairs. He came front
the ens, •nd would discuss his business with no
one but the Somme himself. The resignation of the
Turkish liberal minister, FLAD ErruiDi, soon fol-
lowed this Mault,but this Turkish self-sacrifice seemed
only to confirm the exacting temper of the Musco-
vite, and die SULTAN at last seeks this counsel and
support of those powers with whom he has treaties—
with England and France. Both these seemingly think
the mischief has been suffered to grow large enough.
The Ambassadors of both hurry back to their
poets at Comitantinople, and the fleets of both cleave
the waters of the Mediterranean, making speed to
the Dardanelles. To crown all, we have from Paris
what appears to be a natural result begotten of this
union of Russia and Austria—the confident state-
ment that a Convention has been arranged between
England and France fur "concerted action in the
affairs of Turkey in given eirminstanoss." No one
will be surprised, and many will be gratified by this.
A Whig tradition predisposes Whig statesmen to
feel and act against Turkey because Turkey was once
an absolute despotism. But the days of its intole-
rance have long passed away. In religion, in trade.
in politics, it is tolerant to the greatest degree, and
in comparison with its neighbour despotisms of
Russia and Austria it is a political and commercial
paradise. Its trade, both import and export, is
greater by far with England than with any
three other powerapie together, and next after Eng-
land, is greatest with France. Turkey gave free refuge
to political unfortunates whom Russia trod down, and
whom Austria would have hanged, and Turkey per
mite religious action which Austria abominates, de
nouncea, and expels. Instead of being in the state
of decay which our despotic contemporary, the Times,
would indicate, the latest statistics show that Turkish
commerce and resources in Europe are largely on the
increase. The politician, meanwhile, will not fail to
-member that if the SULTAN'S dominions in Europe
were wrested from him, those in Asia, being lees vital,
would go also—giving Russia possession of a frontier

next to our Indian dominions. In face of tjtese
facts even Whig traditions will scarcely weigla with •
the present Cabinet strongly enough to make them
shrink from what may be their duty.. iksiat said
that England and France were each in turd offered
Egypt as a temptation to join in a ribber:l4ms of
partition—to share in an infamy. akin to that
which clings to the spoliators of Poland. If either
had accepted the shameful bribe the other must
have objected to the sin it was to pay for. Both
could not have Egypt, and hence a ground of
quarrel would have arisen between England and
France. Happily both repudiated the crime, and
with both those powers unitul on the side of justice
and national faith, that crime cannot easily be com-
mitted.

FRANCE.

PARIS. SUNDAY EVINING.

Michel de Bourges is dead.
The Pretuiaa Gazette states that Lord Westmore-
land had presented an official note to the Austrian
ministry from the English cabinet, containing a
formal expression of their intention rigorously to
suppress any conspiracy fomented by foreign refugees
against the continental powers. This paper adds, that
Austria is rapidly preparing the necessary documents
fur the legal prosecution of the proacrib►d by the
British court.

The great news of to-day is contained in the fol-
lowing two lines in the Moniteur:
The squadron now at Toulon has received orders to leave
that port and proceed to the waters of firetce.
Thu is a striking confirmation of the fact I an-
nounced to you yesterday, that Franca and England
are acting to concert in the affairs of Turkey.
The paragraph in the Moniteur has produced
an immense sensation here. Every Sunday
the most inveterate frequenters of the stock exchange
are in the habit of meeting to do business at the
Casino Paganini, in the Chausee d'Autin. On or-
dinary occasions but few transactions take place at'
this illicit bourse, but to-day the Casino was crowded,
and the utmost excitement prevailed. Bargains were
done in the Three per Cents. at 76, being a fall of
3 percent. from the lowest price of yesterday, and
the lett st quotation was no higher than 76.50. Great
indignation was expressed at a paragraph in last
night's Patrie, in which the rumours on the Turkish

question which agitated the Bourse yesterday
treated as unfounded. The Patric' it is true, only
denied specifically that the English fleet had actually
left Malta, and that the Russian fleet was at Kill,
but it said in general terms that the reports of the
Bourse were " without foundation." On the strength
of this semi-official contradiction of the Patric seve-
ral transactions at improved prices took place in the
Three per Cents. at a late hour last night, and now
it isbeheved that the Patric suppressed the fact within
its knowledge that di, fleet was ordered to leave Toulon
for speculative purposes. Theagitation which prevail( d
at the Casino to-day was a good deal increased by a
studiously mysterious article in the Pays, from which
it is impossible to collect whether the French fleet is
put in motion in concert with England, or has merely
gone to the Levant ass force of observation intended

to act according to circumstances, on account of
France alone. There can be no doubt that if it
were officially announced that the two nations
were making a demonstration conjointly, it would
produce a favourable effect on the public mind here.
M. Emile de Girardin, in an article in the Presse,
just published, assumes that France and England
i are n alliance, and looks upon the present step as
one of happy augury for the peace of the world.
The Countess de Monti)°, the Empress's mother,
left Paris yesterday evening for Madrid. She paid
la farewell visit to the Empress, at the Tuileries, a few
hours before her departure.
Latest prices :—Vienna : Emp. 1831, loci ; Lom-
bardo Venetian, 100; Bank, 1,428. Berlin : Emp.l
141 per Cent., 1032 • ditto, 34 per Cent., 931 ; Bank,
100 ; Frankfort: Bank, 1,357; hietallique 5 per Cent.,
86i; dit:o, series A, S6l ; ditto, 41, 78 11-16; Lom-
bardo Venetian 5 per Cent., 92; Ant. Deferred 150,
1061 to 137; ditto, 500, 199; Spanish 1 per Cent.
25; 3 per Cent., 441; Belgium 21, 671; ditto 41, 99i.
PARIS, SATVIDAT EVENIXO.
I am informed to-day from a source which does not
leave me at liberty to doubt of its authenticity, that
a treaty—the details of which have not transpired—
hu actually been signed between England and
France with a view to concerted action in the affairs
of Turkey in given circumstances. The English and
French ambassadors to the Porte will now lose no
time in hurrying to the post where their presence
is so much required. Lord Stratford de Hedcliffe
has left Paris by way of Vienna, to embark at
Trieste upon • steam boat waiting there to receive
him. The French ambassador, M. De La Cour, has