The Express.
London, England, 1848-03-16 00:00:00

between the two countries. The 'tarponlance, the
ministerial print of Brussels. deemed it advisable on
its side to assert, that whilst Belgium, free and inde-
pendent, would always be happy to he on a friendly
footing with Holland, the latter nation had neither
the intention nor the desire to be nor to appear hostile
to France.
The Moniteur of this morning contains the royal
sanction of the law for extending the franchise.
The export duty on numerous articles of Belgian
produce has been reduced.
Yesterday, M. Georges Serrurier, the delegate of
the Provisional Government of the French Republic,
presented to the Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs
a letter from M. Lamartine, authorising him (M.
Serrurier) to act provisionally as the head of the
French embassy in this capital.
The Minister of War has been authorised, by royal
ordonnance, to exchange a double collection of porta-
ble fire arms and weapons, in use in the Belgian
army, for a similar collection made in the grand
duchy of Baden. His Belgian Majesty has also ap-
proved of a similar exchange between this country
and Wurtemberg.
Rather serious disturbances broke out last night in
Ghent, the Manchester of Belgium. Several windows
were broken in the church of the Jesuits in that
town, and a number of rioters, after having been dis-
persed, proceeded towards 'fronchiennes, where there
is another establishment of Jesuits. A squadron of
cuirassiers was despatched after them, and violence
was, it is said, prevented. This morning the Place
d'Armes, the great square or parade of Ghent, was
filled with dense crowds.
No business was transacted yesterday on the
Antwerp Bourse.
The Independance of this day devotes one of its
leading articles to the proving that the recent military
preparations of this country have not been made with
any unfriendly views towards France.

RUSSIA.—The Breslau Gazette of the 9th inst.
contain. the following startling paragraph: Up to the pre-
sent time we have token no notice of the long-Existing report
of the death of the Emperor of Russia. This day, however,
the report has been repeated in so positive a manner, and in
connexion with it there has been so unexampled a fall in the
Russian funds, that we feel bound no longer to pass over
the report in silence." The Silesian Gazette, moreover, con-
tains a corresrondence from Warsaw, in which it is stated
that the Polish funds fell suddenly (plotzliels) from 82
to 82. It is not a little remarkable, too, that the Peters-
burgh 6,zette, which is a doily paper, states, in the front
page of its number of the 3rd inst.' that it will not he pub-
lished again until the 7th inst. No grounds whatever are
given fer this extraordinary cessation. Both the Cologne
Garette and the Amsterdam Ilumfelsblad, of this day, give
the last piece of intelligence. The latter adds, that up to the
3rd in. t. intelligence from St. Petersburg made no men-
tion of the death of the Emperor. It may be asked, what is
the meaning of the laconic and singular announcement of the
Petersburg Gazette, that ft would cease to appear during
three clear days ? Mira abaft!
CHILL—By H.M.S. Carysfort we have news
from Valparaiso to the 3rd December. Trade was very de-
pressed th..te, on account of the news of the E glish failures.
The Carysfort left llshin on the 29th of January; trade
there was flourishing. Exchange ruling a' 27; per milreis.
The Carysfort brings two millions and a half of dollars.

ANOTHER NARRATIVE OF THE ESCAPE
OF LOUIS PHILIPPE.
The following etas communicated to the Hampshire
Inaepeadcat by one who was on board the Express steamer,
in which the ex-King and Queen of the French made their
escape from France.
The South Western Company's steamer Express, Captain
Paul, left Southampton on Tuesday, the 25th of February,
at about half-past right in the morning, and proceeded
direct to Havre. We took our station alunriele the quay,
opposite the Custom-house. The South Western Company's
new steamer the Dispatch, Captain Goodridge, was also in
the harbour, she having arrived from London. We re-
=Lined in port two days, an unusually long tiro^ for our ves-
sel. This stoppage at Havre, together with the silent and
anxious manner of the captain, and his mysterious move-
ments to and from the vessel and the Rue de la Gaffe, ex-
cited my suspicion, and made me conjecture that we were
waiting for some special and important purpose.
Nothing particular, however, occurred before Thursday,
towards dusk, when I found the steam was getting up. At
about eight o'clock that evening the steam was blowing off
as noiseteeely as possible. The night was rather dark, but
not sufficiently so to prevent me from seeing Capt. Good.
ridge sauntering about the quay in the neighbourhood of
our vessel. While be was than employed I saw a stranger,
well muffled up, approach and speak to him, and soon after-
wards leave him to speak to a gendarmes, who had ap-
proached near to the spot where they bad been talking. The
stranger, while in conversation, appeared to be peering
about, and shifting his position, till at length he could com-
mand a sight of any one who come to the vessel round the
left hand corner of the Custom house, while the back of the
gend'armes was turned towards that spot.
The convereation between the stranger and gend'armes
continued for a short time, when a party came round the
left band corner of the Custom-house and approached our
gangway. Without any hesitation one of the party, an old
man, apparent y lame, dressed in a large travelling cloak,
and his face nearly covered with a 'heal, a pair or green
spectacles, and a travelling cap, came on board, assisted by
the British consul and Captain Goodridge. While coming
on board I heard the consul say to him : " Take, rare,
uncle," as if he was speaking to a relative, and warning him
to be careful how he stepped on the ladder. The passenger
was immediately conducted to the engineer's room (a most
unusual place for a passenger to be shown into), but owing
to its small site and a fire burning in it, he was unable to
retrain there, and was obliged to go into the saloon. The
consul spoke to him, end of him, as if he were Ma relative.
Aa soon as the old gentleman was on board, Capt. Good-
ridge escorted an elderly lady down the gangway. I heard
her say to him, " I am obliged to you," and from her pronun-
ciation I knew she was not an English woman. She woo
very plainly dressed. Her hair was as white as silver, and I
thought I never saw a c metenance in which anxiety,
fatigue, and fear were so vi-ibly depicted. As soon as she
was in the saloon I could perceive that she had been, and
still was, weeping.
As soon as these two were on board, and the rest of the
party had joined them, I saw the stranger to whom I have
before alluded leave the gend'arrnes and approach our gang-
way, and at the same time watch the gen o 'armee walking away
from the vessel. The stranger got on bored rapidly, and
immediately crouched down under the naddle-box, as if to
prevent the gendarmes from observing where he was. The
only luggage brought on board was a small box, which
weighed very heavy, a reticule and bag which appeared to
contain memo., and two or three cloaks of a rich and costly
description. The instant the party were on board, and the
consul and Captain Goodridge had gone on shore, prepara-
tions were quietly made for slipping iron the quay. This
was a very anxious moment. The strange way in which our
passengers came on beard—their having no luggage—their
silent manner and anxious countenances—our leaving with-
out the proper officers coming on hoard to examine pass-
pens—the respect paid to the gentleman a d lady who first
came on board—together with the captain giving his orders
in a subdued tone of voice—convinced me that our paasen-
gen were persons f distinction, and that we were leaving
Havre surreptitiously.
During the time we had been at Havre I had felt a dread
of going on shore. The people of the place appeared to have
left their usual occupations, and Ind a moody and discon-
tented look. Groups of the lower orders were to be seen in
different parts of the town, some of them armed with mus-
kets and other weapons. I confess, therefore, that just as
we were leaving the quay, I felt rather nervous, and was
every moment expecting some alarm, and that our departure
would be prevented. Just as we were leaving, our progress
was impeded by some French barges, and my fetus. I sup-
pose, got the better of my senses, but I could not help fan-
cying that the men on board the barges were assailing us in
unusually loud language, and were most remarkably unwill-
ing to get out of our way.
-When we got out of the harbour, all on board seemed so
breathe more freely; the captain spoke louder, and our pet.
setters seemed in better spirits The person who first came
or. boa ad had now tsken off his cap, eha'el, and spectacles ;
and although he had no whiskers, and had en a skull-cap be-
cause his head had been shaved, I was too well acquainted
with the heads on French coins not to be emtvincea that we
had on board no less a personage than Louis Philippe, the
proscribed and discrowned King of the French ; and from
the respect paid to the lady whom I had seen weeping, I felt
certain that she was the aged and unfortunate Marie Amelia,
his dethroned Queen. The gentleman whom I ease talking
to Captain Goodridge, I found out afterward', was General
Dumigny.
The King now became talkative, and 1 heard him say
that he always felt safe under the English nee. It was the
captain's intention, I believe, to proceed to Southampton;
but it was the earnest wish of his Majesty to he landed at
Newhaven, on the coast of Sussex. He said he knew the
coast well, and he had confidential friends in the neighbour.
hood. When we got outside the harbour the sea was exceed-
ingly rough, the wind blew hard, and the vessel tossed and
heaved violently, which made all the party in the saloon very
ill. The King became very unwell, and worse than any of
the rest, and was repeatedly held by the steward oa his knee.
The Queen, with a lady attendant, entered the ladies cabin
about 10 o'clock. A bed was made on the floor of the saloon
for his Majesty. The other gentlemen and servants were
very ill, and were lounging about in different parts of the
saloon. None of the party undressed, not even the Queen.
About midnight we were nearly run down by a large brig.
No vessel ever had a more narrow escape ttan ours. We
wire within three or four yards of the brig. Fortunately
we were going at about half speed. Tne noise and con-
fusion on deck arising from this disaster aroused the pas-
eengers. Her Majesty rushed out from her cabin into the
silken exclaiming •• Oh! where is my dear gentleman!
Oh! where is my dear gentleman !" The King endeavoured
to console ker. She embraced him affectionately, crying
bitterly, and talked to him, lamenting that his dangers were
not yet once, u ass itlettanding the many he had escaped.
The King was much affected and he wept and subbed Tio.
lently. Her Majesty was implored U. return to her Cabin,
but she thalami' tha• she would no' again leave the King,
and she lay down by h:s side on the floor of the saloon during
the remainder of the night.
I sLould observe that the cx-King and Qaeen spoke prin.