The Express.
London, England, 1851-07-12 00:00:00

FRANCE.

=eannot be Mead Its opoph; when they think fit to
*ear sentiments, thig igesl of themselves. Every
attempt at speaking for them, sad in their plasm, la a want
of respect. but at the same time that we do nut allow
ourselves, for the advocacy of our policy, to enter on such
a course of proc-edna, we do not admit either that others
are to make us: of it for the purpose of attack. The
princes of the lloure of Orleans have adopted an attitude
of reserve and ahstenticm. We are certain that on their
port that abstention is neither the refusal of anything, nor
an obstacle ti anything ; it reserves the present without
eagaginz the future. ro such persons as attempt to attri-
bute to the intentaons of the princes in question any other
, sense, or to press nt them as hostile to a fusion, we give
' and will always give a formal contradiction.
It will be remembered that when General Taylor
was in office as President of the United States of
America, a demand was made by him upon the I'or-!
tuguese government for a pecuniary indemnity for
the loss sustained by American subjects from the
authorities of Portugal during the war between
England and France, but when there was peace be-
tween Portugal and the United States. This de-
mand was made by General Taylor in a rather pe-
remptory way, but when Mr. Fillmore succeeded to
the office of President, the negotiation took a more
friendly turn, and eventually the dispute was re-
ferred lay mutual consent to the arbitration of the
President of the French republic. The award of
Louis Napoleon is favourable to Portugal; and the
son of M. liaruche has been despatched to Lisbon to
make the necessary communications to the Portu-
guese government and the American minister.
The members of the Assembly are literally be-
' sieged with requests for tickets for the debate of next
week. Some stormy scenes are expected, when the
republicans come to.hoist at the tribune the flag of
I divine right, as applied to the republic. It is thought
that the debate will last eight or ten days.
In the list of orators inscribed to speak on either
aide in the debate on revision, it may excite surprise
that many names occur which have not the remotest
amociation with eloquence. But the fact is, that the
great orators mask the places which they will occupy
is the discussion by procuring the inscription of as
sistare friend, who, when his turn comes, yields up
bin piano to the eminent speaker, just as the occupant
eta certain rank in the yesew before the door of •
&atm retires when the play-goer whom ho repre-
sents appears to take his post. Thus, M.
Dreyer, by taking the place of M. Chapot,
whose position as secretary enabled him to
inscribe himself first on the list, will avoid the incon-
venience of succeeding M. Falloux, whose arguments
would naturally bear a strong family resemblance to
his own ; while M. Ferdinand Barret will give up his
turn to Montalembcrt.

PARIS, TUCILSDAT EVISING.
I understand that M. Berryer has just returned
frown rime ntunt, whither he had been summoned in
order to promote the negotiation between the two
%ranches of the Bourbon family fur et fusion of in-
terestse.
For details on the subject of Berryers mission to
Claremont, I refer you to the following telegraphic
correspondence :—" 'Hie runner inite:stcri. of Louis
Philippe having pieced theneeelves in communication
with M. le Comte do C'hamborti, it was agreed on all;
bands that it war desirable that same of the known
supporters of the elder brunch of the House of Bour-
bon should on their part pay a visit to the princes
of the House of Orleans. The Exhibition of London
°Hired a natural occasion for this visit, and MM.
&errs, General] do Saint Priest, Benoist
d'Ary h ere been received by Queen Amelie, the
Duke; do Nemours, and the Peeve de Joinville, with
the utmost cash:elite. The Duchess d'Orleans had
just act out for Scotland as the visitors arrived at !
Claremont. I am not able to supply the details of
the conversation which passed at this interview, but
I art able to state that the situation, the wants and
wishes of France were freely talked of, and the sen-
timen.s expressed daily by the representatives of
the two brunches of the royal house were upon this ;
occasion adopted. MM. Ikrrver, Saint Priest, and
Ilenoist d'Axy left the royal presence full of con-
fidence inthe noble and patriotic sentiments expressed
by Queen Amelie, the Duke de Netnoura, and the Prince
de Joinville. The result of this interview proves how ;
little foundation there was for the assertion of the
Vnirritr Jr I's C.izeolefe, that the house of Orleans'
would repudiate the acts of the former minister of
Louis Philippe. 'flee public cannot hesitate to prefer
the witness of such men as MM. Mule, Beirut, Du-
ehatch and Salvandy on so important a subject. The
intelligence of the gracious reception of M. Berryer
and his compenions at Claremont has been received
by the majority of the Assembly and in Paris with
marked satisfaction."
The election', in the three departments of the
Seincee-Nlarne, 11prOogoie, and llsute-Vienne, which I
took piece on the lith July, furnish the most striking!
evidence which has yet tarn given of the unpopu-
larity of the ebetorel law of May. The elec-
tion in the II lute-Vienne has proved abortive
front the absence of a sufficient number of voters.
The abstention of the legitimists as well as republi-
cans has produced this failure. However little wis-
dom there may he in following out the system of
absti nt:on, which leads either to revolution ur to the
suicide of a party, unfortonately the pretest fur-
nished for such a course is but too well justified by
the unfairness of the law of May. What has just
occurred at Limoges is a useful lesson fur the party
of order. ilknou abstentions, in a department con-
taining 41),0,0) electors aciording to the last lists, and
lien!ss) aceonling to the pecvious roll, speak pretty
plainly as to the results to lee expected Irma a law
which throws, either violently or voluntarily, the
great majority of the citizens out of the pacific arena
of iimtion. rho parliamentary majority mast be
obstinate to infatuation not to sec the peril of refus-
ing electoral reform under such circumstances. Nor
are the electoral abstentions in the Haute-Vienne
only a protest against the law of May. They are
Mill more important as a manifestation agnitist the,
YJyacc, whose candidate, M. 'Satanic, they repudi-
ated. The fact is, that the candidate who would
have been prefeffed by the party of order was M.
Herons, a fusionist; but be was withdrawn in defe-
rence: to tie • government's wish, to procure the elec-
lion of M. Ilataille, who was taken prisouer in the
attempt of Louis Napoleon at Boulogne.
It is reported that M. Magne, minister of public
works, has not suceessled in the Ifordogne, euty more
than Ilatailk in the conterminous department.
Thus the only candidate of the ;ewes einient who has
triumphed is M. Pepiti-Lehalleur, who has been
elected Inc the Seine-et-Marne.
In consequence of the discoveries made by the
reizure of the clandestine presses of the Committee
of Resistance, M. Ikmesthene Olivier, member of
the constituent, and father of the young journalist
recently killed in a duel at Montpellier, has been
arrested. M. H. Olivier had recently published a
letter compluiniug of the search of his house by the
police. and their abstraction of several documents in
the handwriting of his seen, while the bereaved father
was in the that distress of ineurning for his loss.

Them is no foundation for the Nationars story of
an intervivw between the President and M. de
FaHolm

Charamaule has proposed an amendment to the
motion for revision, inserting the words " for the
amelioration awl consolidation of republican institu-
tions."
_ _

FRIDAY EYE:AIN°.
There prevails a report that General raMellane is
to suemed General Baraguny thinners in the corn-
mand of the Ist division. But I hear it is more
prohahle that General Bandon will change places
with the ea-commander-in-chief.

M. do bane( has presented the following amend-
ment to the bill for ratifying the Le Predour treaties :
Considering that the convention concluded ad referendum
August 30, lb:0, between France and the Argentine con-
federation, does not stipulate fur the reciprocity of salutes
Fruited by art. 4, and that this convention does not settle
the intl. mnitica dew to Frenchmen towards whom acts of
violence and •p diction have been ezercised—considering
that the convention conclutbal between Prance and General
tribe, September 13, 1340, engages the republic afresh in
a system of intervention, whereas an abeilnte neutrality
ought to be ulnerred between the parties which now divide
the Ameriean population on the banks of La Plata—the
National Assembly refers the two conventions back to the
committee fur reconsideration.

Yesterday the question raised by the Leiurqucs
affair as to the revision of trials with a view to the

rehabilitation of the victim* of legal blunders, came
again before the Assembly. The committee and the
government pronounced against the bill, on the
ground that it would be neeetrary to institute new
trials for the punishment of fresh prisoners after the
law had already taken its full effect, although upon
the wrung parties. M. Casablanca presented an
amendment, proposing that in eases where it was
admitted that erroneous judgments had been given,
rehabilitation should, on the demand of the family of
the deceased, Ito formally pronounced by the Proeu-
reur-General of the Court of Cassution„and the per-
sons executed should be declared to have died in the
full integrity of their rights, their property, if they
possessed any, reverting dejare to their lawful heirs.
The debate having been adjourned was resumed
to-day. The house agreed, notwithstanding the op-
position of M. Route, by a large majority, to pass to
a second deliberation.
The Bishop of Auten, M. du Trousset d'llenri-
court, has just died at Chalons, at the age of 34. Ile
was appointed to the see of Auten in 1829.
The Archbishop of Turin, M. Franzoni, accom-
panied by one of his grand vicars, paid a visit on
Monday last to the Nenerable Bishop of Chartres.
The two prelates conversed at length upon the
strange vicissitudes of their eventful lives. M.
Franzuni supports his exile with resignation.
Baron de Rothschild has just kft Purls for Vienna.
It is said that his visit to that city is connected with
the question of au Austrian loan.
The department of public works has caused sur-
vets to I.e made nut for a great number of secondary
railway lines, destined to unite the great railway
lines. Among them is one from Abbeville to Dieppe,
by Saint Valery-sur-Somme and Eu ; front Strasburg
to the Bavarian frontier; front Langres to Belfort ;
from St. Vizier to Gray; kola to
Langres and Chainuont; from Marseilles and Aix to
Toulon and the Italian frontier; trout Langres to
Dijon ; front Dijon to Mulhouse ; front Bordeaux to
Bayonne, with branch lines; from Mont-de-Marsan
to Teems; ; from Dax to Pau and to Tarbes; from
Poitiers to Moulins; from Angouleme to Limoges;
the prolongation of the Centre railway beyond
Limoges; front Caen to Cherbourg; front Pans to
Granville; from Maintenon to Drcux ; from Mans
to Tours; from Rennes to St. Malo; front Angers to
Rheims; front Orleans to Joigny.; and from Nar-
bonne to Perpignan and the Spanish frontier, with
brunch line to Port Veudrvs.
The metallic reserve of the Bank of France has
increased about ler a million in Paris, and fallen off
nearly 3 millions in the branch-banks. The discount
accommodation bus increased nearly 3 millions in'
Paris, and has fallen off about 3 millions in the pro-,
vines*, the amount of the former being 42,400,233fr.,1
and of the latter 98,933,304 fr. On the side of the'
liabilities, the amount of notes in circulation in Paris
has increased 2; millions, and in the departments nut
altogether a million. The account-current of the
treasury has increased about 1 of a million, the pre-
sent amount being 107,994180 ft% Private accounts-
current have fallen otf in l'aris l millions,the amount
of the former being 55,392,29'Jfr., and of the latter
29,724,3151 r. The whole amount of the metallic re-
serve is now 1:5t.47 millions to 3381 millions of notes:Ai
circulation.

The report of NI. noisy on the budget of expenses,
momentarily celqwed by the question of revision, is
beginning to occupy the attention of parliamentary
circles. M. Passy Likes 14 very gloomy view of the
finemcial situation, insists strongly upon the imme-
diate necessity for contracting a loan, and makes a
slashing criticism of the system of M. Fould.
M. Ilataille has narrowly vamped the failure gene-
rally reported yesterday to have attended his pro-
peued election us representative of the Haute Vienne.
The quarter of the suffrages inscribed was 11.417.
The number obtained by M. Ilatuille being Dalai,
he: was proclaimed representative. In the Dordogne
M. Sliqr,ne, Minister of Public Works, has been,
elected. Here the quarter of the votes inscribed
amounted to 2d,0110. M. Nlagne had obtained'
al.lOO. In both departments the legitimists and
istwialists, constituting nearly three-fourths of the
electors, abstained from voting. Thus the elections
of the fah of July have resulted iu the return of
three: Beampurtists.
The Bonapartist committee of the Hue Neuve St
Augustin has published a letter in answer to the
charges of M. do Toespieville against the govern-
ment for promoting petitions for the revision of the
constitution and denies having been in the least
influenced in its operations by the ministry.
The result of the visit of Ilerrer and his two,
brother legitimists to Claremont, is regarded as a
signal cheek fur the fusion &Kitty. Accordingly the
organ of M. fluirot protests in a sour tone of disap-
pointment against the natural inference which the
public would be disposed to draw front this abortive
journey.
To-ttey M. Benoist &ArT. one of the legitimist no-
tabilities %boat:comp:flied M. Bonner on his journey
lotion:mord, WILY EUTUIIIniVdt npon'lliA appearance in
the Chamber. by a number of representatives, wheap-
reared eager to learn the result of the viait. The
Bonapartist version differs a good deal from
that of the fusionists, the former party alleging
that the Duke tb Nemours Lind the Duchess of Or.

'caws were absent from the interview designedly, and
that the legitinii,t trio met with a cold reception
Goat the Queen Marie Amelia. la the meantime
there appears at the head of the .Ixlesaht'e Nationole
a sort of manifesto tending to neutralise the inferences
unfavourable to fusion which might be drawn from
11w marked reserve of the thieuns princes, and to
prwrst against the positive construction attatehed by
the 10.-ut. and other paper's to such a negative atti-
tude.
'the Ortire say., on the subject of the visit to
Cl we matt :
Thr, e important members of the legitimist party. namely.
MM. Ilerryvr, 14 uoist-drAry, and de St. l'nest, in an in-
tention which cannot be but praiseworthy, and which does
not need to be mentioned, prorated to laremont to visit the
monist relict of Loui. l`ltil sp pc. The Queen had with her only
two of he r suns, the Duke de Ne moors and the Niue,: dc Join.
The Duke il*.twasale recently took hi. al . arttlfe fur
Naples, and th.. Duchess of Orleans is in ncotlaii.,l with her
children. The three representatives of the Right, as May
be weU supposed, received from the royal family the recep-
tion due to their characterund position. The motive which
induced them to proceed to England is a clear proof of how
mach mess's minds have Income calmed down, and of the
oblivion of many obi grievances and pnjudices which have
so -sentially contributed to the divisions of our com-
mon country. It is that, above all, which ought
to strike public opinion. It would be, in stir
opinion, a grave error to seek any other result in this un-
expected visit. Without having received on this subject
ail confidence, and without having aced of it. we'
sullen that tLe only answer which could have been rondo to
questions of a delicate nattue is this —that the bouso of
Orleans remains united in the determination to respect all
the tkeitioos come to freely by France, and never to robin- i
Wily separate from her right and her fortune.
The fusionist organ expresses itself in the follow-
ing words :

The Bourse was better to-day, and closed with
some firmness, tho Fives at oj.Bo, being n rise of
30c.; and the Three's at 36.23, with a rise of 23c.

ITALY.

The King of Sardinia has entrusted Signor De-
foresta with the portfolio of grace and fustier, become
'vacant by the resignation of Count Siocartli.
Our G-enoa correspondent states, in his letter of
the 7th. that the port duties at Leghorn had been
increased. The British steamer Dragon was in that
port. about the Aldborottgh affair.
The Monitore Toscaoo, of the sth, publishes a
concordat concluded between Rome and Tuscany, and
which does away with many of the guarantees de-
creed in the last century against the authority of the
church by the Grand Duke Peter Leopold. The
leading paints are:

Artiilel4 declares, that the ecclesiastical authorities are
perfectly free in the exercise of their sacred office, and that
I the lay authorities are to aid them in the protection of me-
i rality and religion, and in the maintenance of the episcopal
authority. By Art. 2 bi,hups are p,rfeetly free to publish
what, sir doeumints Estates to their functions. Art. 3
provides that the bishops alone shall have the right
of censorship one works treating ex-profess° of re.i
ligion, and shall moreover have the power of warn-1
ing their dock to avoid reading any book they may con-
!slider contrary to religion and morality. By Art. 4, bishops'
shall appoint those they may think proper to preach within
their dioceses. By An. 5, all communications of the bi-
shops and the fait Idol with the Holy See shall be free.
Art. 6 admits the right of lay tribunals to take cognizance
of civil eases relating to the persons and property, of eccle-
siastics, as also to the property of the church. By Art. 7,
all cases relating to the Lath, the sacraments, and other
matters belonging to the spiritual jurisdiction by the sacred
canoes, shall be deferred to the ccclesiastic.:l authorities.
Nevertheless (Art. 8), lay tribunals may take cognizance

For some time back conversations arc mentioned and
recitals are publiahed to the effect that the princes of the
Rouse of Orleans are contrary to the policy of fusion, and
reject it formally. We have scrupuously abstained from
bringing the names of the pnnees into the question. Royal

•
tof matters concer lisseficc*. By Act til.tei• tirshttine beat, in consknettic of IA cholera at Grand'
clesisstield tribisisalsAalt take cognizance of testrickocial. Canary.
cases in so far as the validity of the bond is Grand Canar is in delorable condition.
cerned; the lay tribunals may, however, judge the I . The cholera appears to have broken out so suddenly
yp
a most
civil questioas connected with such eases. By Art. 10,
the not, S.c consents to let ecclesiastics he tried by lay tai- there that the authorities were not at all prepa ,
bunals in criminal cases not connected with r.ligion ; if and the mortality has been increased by isolation,
condemned, they are to suffer their penalty in distinct pri- abandonment, and famine. Those that could do so,
Isons purposely set apart for them in the prison establish- fl to
ea the country. The deaths are said to be 2,000
of of the state. The ecclesiastical tribunal, shall, how-
• cut of a po_pulation of 8,000. Convicts have been
ever, take cognizance of religious crimes, such as apostasy,
herov, schism, simony, the profanation of sacraments, &c., sent from Tencriffe to assist to bury the dead. Te-
and pronounce canonical penalties, the execution of whichineriffe is perfectly healthy. Every sanitary measure
shall be claimed by the bi-hop from the lay authorities. By that can be thought of has been adopted to prevent
Art. 11, lay tribunals shall only be comm tent to inflict flues the spread of this dreadful scourge, should it unfor-
• ouCces a; eocles;ins; thcs e
revenues, the
Pgcarretfaauti•s7 of minor tun. tciy vi.it till-. island. The state of the Canary
12, provides that, in the case of provisional arrest and Islands generally is deplorable. They have no trade,
imprisonment, priests are to be treated with a due regard to and, with a beautiful climate, are in a state of desti-
their office, and private rooms provided for their recep- tution for want of the common necessaries of life—in
tion. By Art. 13 church property is under the control of , fact,
with the exception of Tencriffe, they are all in
the bishops and rectors thereof. By Art. 14, in case of
a state of starvation:
vacancies, such property is to be placed under the manage-
ment of a mixed commission, composed of priests and lay- Commodore Martin, in the Prince Regent, with
men. The proceeds of such property dunng the vacancy the Hogue, Leander, and Arrogant, were in Passe
are to bo applied to the churches of the Grand Duchy, and'Arcos Bay, Lisbon ; the Phaeton and Arethusa were
no long leases are to be signed in the interval without the up the river off the town.
consent of the Holy See. Art. 15 provides that in the case
of legacies to church establishments, or of derogation from
peculiar provisions, for the purpose of changing the desti-
nation of eeelesiastical property, the secular and ecclesiasti-
cal authorities shall act in concert, according to circum-
stances, reserving always the rig..ts granted to bishops by the
Council of Trent. _

This document bears the date of the 23th of April,
1831, and is signed by Cardinal Antonelli and Signor
Baldusseroni, the Tuscan prime minister.
Our Roman correspondent states that the Pope was
expected soon to return to Rome, and to hike up his
quarters at the Quirinal, where preparations were
making to receive him.
The King of Naples was accompanied by all his''
children in his visit to the Pope at Castel Gandolfo,
who gave them his benediction. The Marquis de
Vasco, who enjoys the confidence both of the king
anti his holiness, had been several days with the
latter in the Vatican, without showing himself in
public.

SWITZ ERLAND.—Tho English minister has
offered to aid the Federal Council in constructing the
railway which is to traverse Switzerland.

THE GREAT FIRE AT SAN FRANCISCO.

The correspondent of a morning cotemporary thus
recounts this calamity :

SAN FRANCISCO, M.cv 6.
We have just suffered by far the greatest cala-
mity, both in the loss of Life and property, by which this de-
voted eity hoe yet been visited. A general conflagration,
which comineacsel on last Saturday night, the 3rd inst., at
11 o'clock, and continued for two days, has laid the best,
most important, and mast ornamental portion of the city in
ruins. Long ranges of handsome end commodious brick-
houses which extorted praise and admiration from every
passer-by three days ago, arc now burning masses of ruins
and unlace, or unsightly and open shells, resembling the
mouths of active volcanoes. The scene is more horrible,
and the loss more extensive—the misery more intense, than
any language of mine can convey even an imperfect impres-
sion of. This is the most destructive awl extensive tire that
has occurred in any part of the world since the great tire in
Hamburg. None of the great London fires of this genera-
tion bear a comparison with it. It were a fruitless effort to
attempt to give a minute account of it,—such an undertak-
ing would far exceed the limits of a letter ; I will, there-
fore, endeavour to convey an idea of this sad occurrence by
relating succinctly what 1 myself witnessed of it.
I happened to be passing within 60 yards of the spot at
the moment the alarm was given, and saw the tire break
out. A small jet of flame issued from the upper Moor on
the wooden balcony of a painter's shop on the south side of
Portsmouth-square, at 11 o'clock, which in a few minutes
sprang into a thick volume of Hone, enveloping the whole
front of the house, and conintunicatiug to the adjoining
houses, all of wood, and dry as tinder. Alter the fire had
raged for half an hour in a perfect calm, a strung breeze
sprang up. which sealed the fate of the city. The tire, now
fanned by the wind, was carried in a southerly direction,
sweeping everything before it—houses of every size and
material, the brick and cat& (baked clay), as well as the
wooden fabrics and their couteme, with irresistable fury. At
this time I hurried fret Portsmouth-square to my attires,
in the house of Mr. Davidson, the agent of the Messrs.
Rothschild. situated then at the north-west corner of Com-
mercial and Montgomery-streets, and distant from the actual
scene of the tire 220 yards. 'This house, was so substantially
built, awl so protected by iron shutters, with windows and
dots hung within the walls, so as to open inwardly ; covered
on the top by a Liver of lioinau cement, and another layer
of bricks imbedded in cement; all this covered with
zinc plates soldered, and the whole guarded by parapets
carried up hr.:int-high above the roof, besides a high dead
wall behind, with a blind alley intervening between it and
the house, that it was conside-red tfreproof, and was made
the depository. of papers and other valuables by many per-
son, in the neighbourhood at the last fire. Opposite to this
house, at the south-west corner of Commercial and Montgo-
mery-streets, and fronting on the latter, stood a range of
handsome brick buildings, also considered fireproof; while
adjoining it, in Montgomery-street, stretched another row
of equally substantial brick buildings, four stories high, and
running northwardly 150 feet to Clay-street. After taking
every precaution that anipie means could enpply, we viewed
the destruction of the surrounding buildings from the roof
of Mr. Davidson's house' and awaited the approach of the
devouring element with feelings anything lint pleasant.
What a Keene that h.dr-hour so spent presented! Whole
block, blazing, crashing, and tumnling into ruins; the heat
increasing and the smoke thickeuing so as to Impede respi-
ration. Every now and again a startling noise of a house
rent asunder and demolished by the gunpowder stowed
within it ; the blazin; of liquors, oils, paints, and all sorts
of combustibles, throwing an occasional and horrid glare
on the hell beneath. We, however, felt secure, confiding
in the strength of our building, and fully expected to save
it from what we vainly thought would be only a scorching
—a confidence which we shared with the inhabitants of all
the surrounding brick buildings and their fie. nib.
The rest of the tale is soon told. Commereial-street being
filled with goods, boxes, bales, and furniture thrown out by
owners, and which the rapid ;Approach of the fire prevented
them from removing, the whole street itself of wood took
fire with the two ranges of houses on both sides simulta-
Ineously. This body of fire, in a few minutes increased by
the burning of the squarer of wooden buildings behind, ex-
I tended in one unbroken volume over a space of several acres
in extent, and, lashed into fury as it was by the strong wind
which blew right upon it from the hills and gullies in the
rear, carried everytaing before it far oat into the bay. A
house of :amine could not have withstood this heat. The
rapidity with which it destroyed everything is in-
credible,
except to an eye-wittiess. At five minutes
past twelve our house was unattacked, my offices were
quite cool, and I had the fullest confidence in
the stability of the building. Suddenly. my shutters
started into a red 11,1 t, as if struck by lightaing, the carpets
and floors iu front, Poe bedroom furniture behind, all caught
at the sometime; the rooms became filled with sparks,
suffocating smoke and steam, and I was eurruuudeil by tire
in an instant. The top of the house was on lire. The
owner saved his life by forcing his way from the roof,
through the tire, in wet clothes with a damp sponge in his
mouth, and slipping down the walls Ly MUMS of a blanket,
into Montgomery-street.
The destruction of the whale contents of tie house was
completed in 10 minutes. My furniture, library, papers,
and all the paraplierialia of a lawyer', UtfiC2, were destroyed
in this short space of time. and I rnoma myself et the end of
it limping in the streets with a sprained ankle awl a broken
shin, minus everything in the shop., of property except the
clothes on my back. My case was t.vourable comparigoos
with the misturtunes of many others. Just as I escaped
into the street a sight met my eyes which no one who saw
it could forget. llalf-a-dozen poor fellows, rushing scalded
from one of the brick houses in Mouttromeiyedreet, along
the blaring woods n side-walks, fell poll-moil on their hands
and face, over some red hut iron boxes which stood in their
way. The agony of their efforts to lift themselves, while
they scrambled over the hot iron was maoldeniug. They,
however, escaped with life. A moment after, a more hor-
rible sight appeared. The figure of a man emerged from
an alley, all on tire from head to foot. Ilis dress was all
burnt off, except his shoes and portions of his shirt, before he
reached the street, which was a sheet of Mime. Throwing
hisarms wildly alumni, be walked slowly through the fire
straight across the burning street, the flames of which
reached the gutter on the opposite side of Montgomery-
street, where his foot seined to trip, and he fell backward.
We could only hope that it wassoon all over with him. The
horror which this unearthly apparition, looking as the un-
fortunate sufferer did, like a burning harlequin, produced
on the crowd, rendered hundreds of people circles, of every-
thing but life. No effort wits afterwards made in this
quarter of the town to save anything but life alone. A rush
was certainly made as far as the flames would permit
to save the burning man, but as he was 12 or 14 yards within
the burning street, and the houses on both sides wore on
fire, the effort was fruitless.
The loss of life wee considerable. In an iron house in
Montgomery-street six men perished together. In Cali-
(omin-street two of the firemen were ballot to death, and I
saw two bodies in the 'treets charred to a cinder, and many
are injured. The number of the dead no one can teli.
Some compute it at Ali, some at 60, awl others reckon it at
hundred.. Row many moy have been lost in the houses
that stood upon the water, over a space of some 20 acres, no
one can tell ; and, in fact, the population of this city is of
so migratory a character, and there are such constant ar-
rivals of strangers by sea, that the number lost in the fire
can never be ascertained.

PORTUGAL.
By the Tay, we have dates from Lisbon to July 7.
A new ministry had been formed. Our correspon-
, dent writes:

LISBON, ILLY 7.
On the afternoon of the 3rd, the ministers had a meeting
at Saldanha's house, sh,:n he frankly told them him his
generals had abandoned him, and the state of things was
fearful. On his asking their advice, they told him they had
already given it many times, and pie had not taken it.
They then left him, and proceeded to the palace and ten-
dered their resignations ; at which the Queen was extremely
iurprised, and it is said disliked it nur2h ; but as
the situation was unsustainable, there was no resource;

thm Co/tieministers are therefore politically deud—Pes:
tans, Franzini, and Sourd ; and two, Loul6 and Jervis
d'Atoug.nin, dying; therefore if Saldanha survives, as it is
said ho is ill, he talk into the nct so long prepared fur him.
To trace tite causes of these sudden events, it M only
necosmry to ret.r to the electoral decree. It was too li-
beral in the consideration of the party to whom I have

attributed intrigue in rny previous Itttc.rs ; that
party caused di-satisfaction by their representation that
rt had its origin in the Septembrista ascendancy, or gene-
rals commanding division+, colonels in common,' of regi-
ments, and government contractors would not have been
declared ineligible. ; this brought upon Saldanha nearly the
whole of the influential commanders and the monied in-
terest, who could see nothing but a constant move towards
sentiments of a democratic nature,while he was taxed with his
(violated)pmniist to impport theCartista influence; th is power-
ful array could not be withstood, and consequently it may
now be considered that we stand in the position of 1516, with
only this difference, that the events which followed that
period are matters of history, while now each om looks
round and asks what will be done? To this, of course,
no positive reply can he given, but the in ,jority think
Om the electoral law will be revised, and the grand march
will be through the high road of ('artiest to the sutra-
eating and gagging road of Cahralism ; for discoveries that
are making must be hidden ; they arc too irritating ; com-
missioners to inquire into and reform abuses must
,not be
permitted to pry into the past or prevent intro.,. abuses; the
1161eano of national desire must he choked and filled up like
• waterless well ; but who will undertake, or who can bring
Is perfection such a fearful task? The reactive work is,
liewsver, in hand.
LATEST Ilt;cn.—The ministry is formed: Saldanha,
War and President; ltodrigo Nlagalhaes, Interior;
Franzini remains with Finance; and Jervis
d'Atouguitt, Foreign Affairs; Fontes Pereira de
Mello, Marine ; Bishop of Algarve is nominated to
Justice and Ecclesiastical Affairs, but, not being
here, the portfolio is reserved for him.

LA PI ATA AND BRAZIL.

PREPARATIONS FOR WAR BY ROSAS.

The royal Brazilian mail packet, Tay, Captain
Chapman, front the Brazibc, arrived at Southampton
yesterday, and landed her mails under the charge of
Lieut. Serivcn, R.N., Admiralty agent. Iler dates
of sailing are: Buenos Ayres, May 28th; Monte
Video, 31st ; Rio do Janeiro, June 11th ; Bahia, 16th;
Pernambuco, 18th; St. Vincent, 26th; Tenerife,
,July Ist; Madeira. 3rd; Lisbon, 7th.
[A summary of the news appeared in yesterday's
Express.]
The defection of Urquiza front Rosas, upon which
doubts had been thrown, is now confirmed beyond a
doubt, the Resist journals' bile overflowing to abuse
hint with that virulence for which they are so well
known. Urquiza's pronuncianutito against Rosas,
although unexpected, says the Rio Journal do Coal-
mereio, had created a great sensation at Buenos
Ayres On .
the 25th of May, the anniversary of the revo-
lution, four groat Hags were exhibited in the Square
da Victoria, in Buenos Ayres. on which were in-
scribed, Death to the traitor, Urquiza," and bands
of men, headed by music, paraded the streets,
uttering all the insults they could invent against the
chief of Entrerios.

Roma was making active preparations to oppose
hostile attacks. Levies were being made in the
country round Buenos Ayres, the militia had been
replaced or training. 70.1 men had been ordered from
Santa F. under the command of Col. Lagos, who was
to be joined by Generals l'acheco and Mancilla with
what force they could muster. An American officer,
named Coe, had been appointed to command the Ar-
gentine squadron which was expected shortly to
leave the Parent..
Intelligence from Cerrito announces that Oribe
had declared his readiness to combat all the ene-
mies of Roses to the death. Ile was about
to concentrate at San Jose all the forces
on the Rio Negro, and all those divisions were to
unite on the Uruguay, the frontier of Brazil being
abandoned, and the corps under Dionizio Coronet at
Cerro Largo being withdrawn. A general system of
recruiting had also been organised all over lc coun-
try by General Oribc.
The Brazilian squadron was in the waters of the
Plate, but had taken no active step. Au alliance
has decidedly been entered into between Urquiza
and the republic of Monte Video. Paraguay has
also joined. and will furnish, it is said, 15,000 men to
join Urquiza's army. Letters from Monte Video de-
scribe a demonstration at the capital of Entrerios,
where Urquiza was carried in triumph by the people,
who shouted " Death to Roses, and Long Life to the
Emperor of Brazil," "Long Life to the Federal Al-
liance of the Argentine People." This demonstra-
tion, when known at Monte Video, gave rise to a
popular manifestation of gratitude to Urquiza for
joining the cause of the Montevidcans.
The news from Fntrerios was of the 6th May, and
that horn Monte Video of the 11th.
The yellow fever had disappeared at Rio, and the I
coast generally was considered healthy. The Brazil
government have recalled their minister from Buenos
Ayres, and everything indicated the approach of
hostilities. One of Roses' generals had declared
against him, and others were expected to follow. A
German battalion of from 300 to 400 men arrived at
Rio a few days before the Tay. They were well
received, and are for the prctent quartered in the
town, but are to be sent to the frontier as soon as
possible. Great things scent to be expected of these
troops; they are certainly a line body of men, and
arc to be followed by another body of same num-
ber from Germany.
At Rio, a heavy fall in the price of coffee is
expected, on account of the unfavourable news
brought by the Tay, and the somewhat heavy stocks
on hand.

'fo continue a minute description any further would only
tire your readers. Suffice to say that after the period last
above spoken of nearly all efforts to check the tire were
abandoned. The lire-engines could not travel through
the burning streets, and in parts into which they could be
brought there was no water ; besides which, gr, at quantities
of the hose were burnt. :Never were there such materials
for a great conflagration. Everything favoured the fire.
The streets, and the sewers beneath them, and side•walks
being of wood, covered, in many places, with furniture,
piles of goods, and other combustible materials, and all
burning furiously at the same time, compelled the people to
desert the burning districts and fly to the square and to
the surrounding bills, and it was not until the fire had spent
itself next day that the extent of the destruction could be
Ken.

The Cormorant steamer made a capture in tho
bour yesterday of the steam tow boat Carolina. She
was in the set of conveying slave irons and provi-
sions on board a vessel waiting outside. The Caro-
lina is the property of Jose Antonio d'Alvarenga, a
Portuguese shipehandler.
No intercourse took place with Teneriffo on the
home voyage except receiving the mails from the qua-

At the first breaking out of the fire it was quite practi•
cable to have arrested its progress by simply cutting away
the houses on two sides; 30 to 40 men judiciously working
in this manner could have saved the city ; but the chief
enuineers of the fire company were absent, and the firemen
(who were all volunteers), although they were promptly on
the spot and worked with much enemy, and disi.lol,l great
daring, yet, their efforts being ill-derected,•:snd confined to
pumping and the use of the hose, the fire soon spread
beyond their control.
fhe space devastated is about, at a rough guess, aided by
a perusal of the city map. 8,000 square yards, or, in other
words, about a mile in length by a quarter of a mile in
depth, including two sides (all but two houses left standing)
of Portsmouth-square, 12 of the principal streets, besides
a great many houses on the water. The loss of property is
incalculable; including merchandise, it is estimated at