The Express.
London, England, 1846-12-30 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 30, 1846,

The article in the Journal des Debate of Thursday
lark which, as we announced at the time, produced so
great a sensation in Paris, has revived the contro-
versy respecting the English alliance. The journals
of Pam, almost without a single exception, were
engrossed by that question on Monday, a striking
manifestation of the deep interest taken in it by the
French nation. "The English alliance or isolation!"
To that France is now reduced. The Debuts pro-
claims it; La Presse admits it. The opposition
journals echo it, casting the responsibility on the
Bpanish-marriage-cabinet.
The project to send the indigenous sugar of France
to the English market begins to excite much atten-
tion in France. There is an annual surplus, seeking
such a vent at present, amounting to 7,000 tons.
The Prince de Joinville left Paris on Friday for
Cherbourg, to witness the experiments to be made
with the new machinery of the Pomone.
It is expected that M. Guizot will lay.the diploma-
tic correspondence relating to the Spanish marriages
on the bureau of the Chamber of Deputies on the
12th. It is before the Chamber of Peers that he will
first give hie explanations of the negotiations. The
time at which this will take place will depend on the
length of thedebate oa the address in the Peers,but as
it is not likely that this will occupy more than three
or four days, it is most probable that his explanations
will precede those of Lord Palmerston.
The Chamber of Commerce of Paris had a meeting
on Saturday at which the Prefect of the Seine, I'SL
Hambutteau, presided. He opened the meeting with
a speech an the state of commerce.
A private letter from Florence, received at Paris,
on Monday, says that a revolution has broken out
at Naples, and that the people have got the better of
the troops, but it is supposed that Austrian troops
would have arrived and put down the insurrection.
We give this as it has come to us, without guaran-
teeing its accuracy.
The Bank of k ranee has given notice to M. Roths-
child to withdraw twelve millions of ingots in gold
which he had deposited ' • the bank requiring imme-
diately the amount it hadadvanced to him upon them.
The railway from Rouen to Ilavre will, it is said,
be opened for circulation on 15th January ; but the
opening of that between Amiens and Abbeville is
not probable before March.

The Madrid mails, with the journals and correspond-
of the 22nd, were received in Paris on Monday. The
frost and snow had obstructed the roads, so as to stop
the diligences, and most of the mails were three or
four days in arrear. In consequence of this interrup-
tion of the communication, the opening of the Cortes
was prorogued by royal proclamation to the 31st. The
cabinet had a meeting on the 21st, at which the heads
of the royal speech on the opening of the Cortes were
agreed on. It will be very concise. The ministerial
candidate for the presidency of the second chamber
was not yet agreed on.
The Clamor Publico s iys, that a Carlist insurrec-
tion was on the point of breaking out in Navarre.
The Bourse at Madrid was steady, but no great
I amount of business was done.

PARIS, DEC. 27.
The Prefect of the Department of the Seine has
just made known, in a speech previous to the election
of the members of the Chamber of Commerce, the in-
formation which he has been in the habit of giving
annually relative to the administration of Paris. This
document is interesting on account of the quinquennial
census of the population which has just taken place.
In 1841, Paris contained a population of 935,001) in-
habitants ; and the department of the Seine, that is
Paris and the banlieue, 1,1141,000 souls. In 1846 the
population of Paris is 1,051,000 souls, and that of the
department of the Seine, 1,357,000. In five years
this vast agglomeration has increased by 176,000,
that is, 15 per cent. If this progression should continue,
before 20 years are over the department of the Seine,
the smallest in size in the whole of France, being
only five leagues (twelve miles) in diameter, would
count above two millions of souls. The progress of
civilisation and commerce is no less extraordinary than
that of population. Paris, in 1846, will have ex-
ported a quantity represented in value by 175
millions of francs, a sum equal to one-fifth
of the total exports of all France. No account
is kept of the produce consumed in Paris, or the rest
of France ; but it may be safely said that an inhabit-
ant of Paris purchases and consumes, bread not in-
cluded, five or six times as much as the other inhabit-
ants of this country. This is owing to a general law
which seems not to have been sufficiently observed.
The great centres of consumption tend everywhere
to become centres for production. Paris is a
manufacturing town. Work will develop itself
wherever capital abounds, and where a market exists
for produce. But the market for food supply does
not keep pace with it. In despite of the increase of
population in Paris, the consumption of butcher's-
meat has been constantly on the decrease. Such
an extraordinary phenomenon is easily explained
by the high price of meat in France. Beef of
middling quality in Paris is paid seventy-five
centimes (sevenpence) per pound. The cattle
breeders in France are protected by a duty of 55
francs per head of cattle imported from abroad ;
and in addition to this there is a duty of
twenty-six francs per head on bullocks for
octroi, that is, for passing the city gates. If beef was
only worth in Paris from 40 to .50 centimes per pound,
the labouring classes, for whom it is now a luxury,
might then make use of it for food. The general
health of the population would be better, and they would
ac better able to resist the debilitating and destructive
influence of living in towns.
For the first time in the last ten years, the Pre-
fect of the Seine has had to announce an increase
in the consumption of meat in Paris during 1846.
The excess over last year seems to have been
4,000 beeves, 1,200 calves, and 30,000 sheep. This
shows that the ranks of the middling classes are
much more quickly filled up in Paris than those of
the lower class. It is one of the first results of rail-
ways upon the population of Paris.
What tends to show that the labouring classes
of Paris have not become easier in circum-
stances in 1846, is the decrease in the con-
sumption of wine and spirituous liquors. Bread'
is dear in Paris. In 1846 it has been from 10
to 15 centimes per pound dearer than in preceding
years. The inhabitants of Paris must have spent
for bread during 1846, between twenty-five and
thirty-six millions of francs more than in 1845. They
have had the less to spend in drink and enjoyments
of other kinds. It is easy to understand how the wine
and liquor trade has suffered in consequence. It may
also be easily understood how the number of articles,
pawned has increased. The increase for 1846 will be
upwards of 1,600,000 francs. The working classes
take their resources everywhere when they want
bread. They part with their clothes, in order to
provide for food. In the midst of a severe winter one
can scarcely contemplate, without shuddering, the
terrible consequences of such a state of indigence.
The revenues of the city of Paris are exceedingly
prosperous. The produce of oar(); alone will amount
for 1846, to 32 millions of francs. The finances of
Paris are most prosperous. Its revenue exceeds that
of the kingdom of Bavaria. The loans it had con-
tracted will shortly be extinguished. Besides this
(large sums are consecrated yearly for the use of
prisons and hospitals, schools, police, scavengering, and
employed in paying for great public works. There is
no city in the world where so many or so useful
works have been executed during the last 15 years.
Much, however, remains to be done. The central
quarters, inhabited by the lower classes, still want an
increase of air and light. New streets must be made ;
the old ones must be enlarged and be made more
healthy; all these undertakings of paving, lighting, and
sewerage, form a considerable source of outlay in a
town where land is so expensive. The police
is still but ill regulated in Paris. Patrols go
about, a system which requires a large amount of
men, and does little good. The English system will
no doubt be adopted at last, and it will be necessary
to establish in the divers quarters, policemen whose
duty it will be to watch and maintain order, security,
and- cleanliness. This will not prevent the city of
Paris from keeping upits municipalguard, both foot and
horse, which forms a species of army, and is, without
doubt, the finest body of troops in Europe. The sca-
vengering system is also very defective. Paris has
126,000 yards of sewer, and 1,800 fountains. This
is almost enough to olean the surface of the streets:
but could not the inhabitants be obliged to respect
decency a little more in the streets, and not offend,
as they do, the feelings of their females ? Paris, for
cleanliness, hold the middle tunkletiveen Rome and
Naples. With more severe police regulations, the
Parisians might vie in cleanliness with the English.
0.

FRAINCE—NUNDATIONS.—The Cherbourg jour-
nals inform us that considerable damage has been done in
that town by the inundation from the overflowing of the
banks of the two rivers, which there find their way into the
sea. In some of the houses the water was more than a foot
and a half in depth, and all the gardens in the environs

were under water.
ITALY.--A society for the advancement of
natural history has just been formed at Trieste, especial
attention being paid to the zoological productions on the
Adr:atie. Situated on the shores of a sea abounding in tish
and vertelme of every. species, Trieste is well adapted in
every respect for experiments in natural history and for a
[zoological museum. As a seaport Trieste has every means
at its disposal for enriching its samples from foreign lands.
Count O'Donel, Aulic Councillor, has been appointed pre-
sident of the socie.y. Among the other members arc MM.
Koch, Tomazin, Manual, Luttaoth, Pooch, and Zallooi.
GEItNIANY.—M. do Kamptz, the Prussian En-
voy to Vienna relative to the commerce of Silesia, menaced
by the incorporation of Cracow, has 'retired new instruc-
tions from his Court, according to which Prussia confines
herself to the demand that the existing state of things re-
main unchanged until the definite arrangements of the corn-
mere al affairs of Cracow be finally agreed upon.
The Bavarian government has protested against
the increased duty on the exportation of corn imposed by
Austria, the more so as she allows earn to be exported into
Bavaria at a very slight rate of duty. Should Austria
maintain the increased duty, Bavaria has threatened to pro-
hibit entirely the exportation of provisions into Tyrol. This
would be most disastrous, aa many articles (salt, for
Instance) are imported from Bavaria at a much lower price
than could be otherwise obtained.
The German journals contain accounts of heavy
falls of snow in that country. Between Aix-la- Chapelle and
Cologne trains stopped running on the 19th. In the tunnel
beyond Diireu two or three engineswere buried in the snow,
and 300 men were employed in clearing the rails. On the
Bonn Railway a train was nine hours instead of one on the

road.
GREECE—A letter from Athens of December 10
(published in the Chronicle) contains the following repre-
sentation of the state of affairs under French influence,
furui,hing fresh details of tile brigandage which afflicts the
country. M. Coletti is said by his medical attendants to be
vadually getting butter, but it is not probable that he will
be able to take any personal part in the direction of public
affairs for some time ; meanwhile, the ministry which exists
but in name, goes on as it can, doing nothing, which perhaps
is a great deal better than if it were doing anything. Louis
Philippe's representatives at Athens are not, how-
ever, idle, M. Piscatory, the French Minister, and
M. Rougoux, the French consul, openly governing Greece,
as has been must admirably exposed in the Karteria, Athenian
newspaper. It says.—" Whoever wishes to have a know-
ledge of our independence, has only to go just now to the
Audit Otfi:e, where he will see the French Consul, M. Rou-
goux, composing, with the assistance of the members of that
office, the budget of 1847. This is exactly wnat took place
last year, as our readers will remember. The budget being
composed by the diplomatic agents of France, just means
this, that the government and the treasury of Greece are
under the control and immediate direction of the French
ministry ; which clearly amounts to the fact, that we are under
the influence of systematic foreign interference; or rather,
that our affairs are directly administered by the French go-
vernment." The Chambers have commenced the discussion
on the address of the King. It is nut of much consequence
what may be adopted, for, even if the Chambers should have
the good sense to forcibly point out to his Majesty the crying
evils which afflict the country, as they partly did by their
address last session, it is more than probable the same perfect
contempt will be paid to any such exposition, while Greece
is under the guidance of M. Coletti and M. Piscatory. Mr.
Baillie Cochrane, the late Member for Bridport, is now here
on a visit to Sir Edmund and Lady Lyons. The interest
which Mr Crichrane has always taken in the affairs of Greece
in parliament, causes the Greeks to look upon his visit to this
country with great interest. Brigandage continues in va-
rious parts of Greece, and still accompanied by tortures and
assassinations. In the village of Diminio, in the province of
Corinth, the superintendent of the Senator Vlassie, named
Agrapidaki, and his servant, were assassinated by brigands
on the 29th of November, in the house which they occupied,
and who stole a sum of 3,000 drachmas. Accounts from
Missolonghi of the 6th instant state that a baud of thirty six
brigands entirely pillaged the small village of Vato, near
Varmaki, after having murdered two persons, and wounded
several others. A letter from Lamia, dated the 29th Novem-
ber, which has been published iu the Athens newspapers,
gives an account of a most revolting outrage com-
mitted by agents of the government. According to
this letter, a brigadier of the gendarmerie. a gen-
darme, and three militia soldiers, entered the vil-
lage of Daitza, in the night of the 26th ultimo,
and, after shutting up in his house the mayor's
assistant and other persons, the two gendarmes forcibly en-
tered the homesteads of persons named Galatopoulo and
Tigana, seized the women, tortured and beat them, and then
subjected them to the worst brutalities. In Europe, nay,
in Turkey, or Egypt, or anywhere out of Greece, the ques-
tion may and will be asked, how long are such atrocities,
which have been going on in Greece ever since M. Coletti
has assumed power, to be tolerated? It is certainly no use
a-king the question here, as it is perfectly clear that they
will continue just so long as M. Coletti's system is in force,
and is so unaccountably upheld by King Otho. The French
naval force, at present at the Piraeus, consists of an 80-gun
ship, a corvette, a brig, and three war-steamers, two of
them, the Cuvier and the Casini, being very large steam-
frigates.
ALGERIA.—THE PRISONERS OF ABD-EL-KADER.
—We borrow the following details from the Comeau-
Gonne, " The morning after the tragic cl,nouemenl of the
glorious defence of Sidi-Brahim, the Emir gave the order to
march, and it was then that the French prisoners had to
endure the most terrible of all the hardships they were
exposed to during their captivity. Abd-el-Kader having
sent in front those who were capable of walking, ordered
mules to be got ready for those who were too severely
wounded. Baskets were slung across the mules, and into
these baskets the Emir caused the heads of ten of the un-
fortunate French soldiers to be thrown. This barbarous
act is confirmed by M. Courby de Cognord, who was, how-
ever, spared the sight by the Emir. It was thus that after
three days' march our soldiers, to the number of eighty, of
whom sixty-two were wounded, reached the deira, where
they were led to the tent of Abd-el-Kader, when some food
was given them. It was there that the heads of the unfor-
tunate victims testified to the truth of the accounts given by
the troops of the line, who were present at the catastrophe of
23rd Sept. At the Beira, which had pitched its camp
on the banks of the Moulouya, they found three
other French prisoners ; a soldier of the 56th line,
taken near Mascara, a woman and her daughter named
Gilles, natives of Arles, taken near Oran in 1838, under the
following e. -eanstances : Abd-el-Kader had at that period
- the west of our possessions; one of them

numerous spies in ;
hearing that a young Frenchwoman spoke the Arab tongue
fluently wished to carry her off. To attain his end, one day
that he met the mother he asked her to show him the way to
a neighbouring place; the woman called her daughter and
served as guide to the stranger, whom they in no wise sus-
pected ; they soon, however, had reason to repent of their
confidence. Some Arabs rushed upon them, carried them
off, and they had remained ever since in the power of the Emir,
to whom they proved of the greatest service as interpreters.
But to retura to the prisoners of Djemm:ta-Ghazahouat.
Immediately on their arrival at the Deira they were brought
together and sent to a camp of regulars about two leagues
from the Deira, a measure of prudence strictly adher, d to
by Abd-el-Kader. Fifteen days afterwards 200 other French
prisoners arrived, who had been made prisoners between
Tlemcen and Ain-Temouchen. It will be remembered that
a massacre; of 255 prisoners of the deira took place on the
25th April last. M. Courby de Cognord and the other
officers were separated from the other prisoners on the 24th,
as also the men attached to their service. They
were told that they were going to the Deira
of Abd-el-Kader to be present at a festival. They were soon
aware that this was false, and no reply was given to their
inquiries respecting the fate of their unhappy compatriots.
It was after remaining six weeks in that state of incertitude
that El-Ahjd, chief of the deira, communicated a letter of
Abd-el-Kader to them, stating that, having written repeat-
edly to the French generals without any notice having been
taken of his letters, he had given orders for all the pri-
soners, the officers excepted, to be put to death. Abd-el
Kader at the same time requested M. Courby de Cog-
nord to write to Marshal Bugeaud, informing him of
what had taken place, and demanding an exchange
of the eleven prisoners that remained in his hands. That
letter not having reached General Cavaignac, who was to
have remitted it to the Marshal, remained unanswered. The
prisoners continued to endure greater hardships since the
massacre, the only food they received during the remainder
of their imprisonment being a scanty daily ration of corn,
which they were obliged to grind themselves, and of which
they made cakes and soup. The details 'of the negotiations
for the ransom of the prisoners are already known
to the public. A few days after the negotiations,
M de Cognord had an interview with Abd-el-Kader,
at which he gave proofs of great daring. One even-
ing two troopers arrived at the camp from the deira,
bearers of an order summoning M. de Cognord to the
presence of the Emir. Two hours afterwards M. de Cognord
was in the presence of the Emir, who was attended by some
of his chiefs, and through the interpretation of the woman
Gilles, the Emir addressed him as follows As thy country
has forsaken thee, and refuses to make an exchange of pri-
soners, wilt thou remain with me? I will make thee
great, aad provide thee with fine arms and beautiful horses."
M. de Cognord refused the offer with contempt, and
replied that not being aware of the course of events
in his own country, he thought that probably reasons
of high policy had as yet prevented an exchange
of prisoners, but that he never could be persuaded that
France had abandoned them to their fate. He declared his
intention of never serving any country but his own. After
this reply, Abd-el-Kader gave his haud to the gallant
colonel, and said, " It is well; thou shalt shortly behold
thy country." M. de Cognord took the advantage of this
occasion to reproach the Emir with the massacre of
his prisoners, and said,. that such an act was unheard
of even amongst the most barbarous states. Abd-el-
Kader replied, that if he had been present at the
deice, the massacre would never have taken place.
Two days after this interview, at which Abd-el-Kader never
made the slightest allusion to the pecuniary negotiations
which were going on, and of which he must have been
aware, M. de Cognord, was apprised by the cornmandsnt of
Melilla, that the money was ready. M. de Cognord imme-
diately informed the chiefs of the fact, which was immedi-
ately made known to the Emir. It will easily be imagined
with what an.ciety the prisoners looked forward to the day of
their deliverance. The woman Gilles obtained leave of the
Emir to accompany the prisoners, but this was not accorded
to her daughter, who had become tho wife of all
Arab chie£ Before their departure, Abd-el-Kader

sent for the colonel, recommending to his care his envoys,
Coda-Ben-Osmin, who had a mission to Marshal Bugeaud,
being the bearer of a letter from Aba-el.Kader, containing,
it is said, aiother letter enclosed for the King of the French,
demanding peace. The forces of Abd-el-Kader at that time
consisted of 300 horsemen and 300 infantry. The state of
equipment of those men was miserable in the extreme, many
of them not having a shoe to their foot. The escort eon•
sisted of 200 infantry and 100 horsemen. On the demand
of the eoloael, each of te French officers w provided with
a hone. Lieutenant Eihllerin, who was illas , was conveyed
in a litter, but he died the eve of his deliverance.
The prisoners arrived at last on the 25th Nov. on the coast
of Melilla, where they were received by the governor of that
place. M, do Cognord there wrote to announce his arrival
to the Emir, as he had promised him, and returned him a
horse and two bournous, presents from the Emir. The
envoyes of Abd-el-Kader, whom the marshal had ordered to
be detained at Oran, after a short stay in that town, will be
reconducted to Tlemcen, from which place they can reach
the Beira. They beheld not without a painful surprise the
good condition of the Arabs under the French dominion.
This visit will no doubt greatly contribute to scatter the poor
remnants of the Emir's army.