The Express.
London, England, 1853-05-26 00:00:00

BELGIUM.

The Independence announces that a comm unica-
tion will be made to the chambers, at the begin Tung
of next week, respecting the marriage of the 1), dee
of Brabant and the Archduchess Marie of Austria.
At Dresden the King of the Belgians and his soil
were received at the railway station by the King of
Saxony, the Princes John, Albert, and George, the
ministers, several members of the diplomatic corps,
and a large number of generals and dignitaries.
The station was dressed out with the flags of Belgium
and Saxony, and triumphal arches were erected on
the route to the palace.

TURKEY.

(BT SUBMARINE AND ELECTRIC TELzonArit.)

A telegraphic despatch has been received from
Trieste, announcing that the packet from Constanti-
nople had entered that port on the evening of the
24th inst., bringing intelligence to the 16th.
The change in the ministry recently announced is
confirmed. The portfolio of Foreign Affairs has been
confided to Reschid Pacha.

The firmans relative to the Holy Shrine.' had been
published. Negotiations on the other subjects were
still pending.
The Sultan had granted a private audience to
Prince Nlenschikoif.

On tho 20th the French Scot had received orders
to return to Salamis.

CONSTANTINOPLE, MAY 12.

Tho political situation has become much more
serious. Prince Nfenchikoff has thrown off the mask,
and you will see by the facts R hich have come to
light, that the assurances of rectitude, equity, and
moderation given by the Russian government to the
cabinets of Europe, concerning the mission of its
Ambassador Extraordinary at Constantinople, were
not sincere, but that all have been deceived.

On Thursday, April 5, the day on which
the French steamboat departed, the Sublime
Porto addressed to Mons. de In Cour and
to Prince Alenekikoff a copy of the firman
for regulating the delicate and difficult question of
the Holy Places, accompanying it with a note from
the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The day passed
without any complaint or remark on the part of
Prince Alenchikoff, and it was believed in the diplo-
matic circle that this question was terminated, and
that the patriarchate for life and the protectorate of
the Greek church being based on no right that could
be pleaded by Russia, would henceforth give rise to
no difficulty. Unless lam misinformed, one or two
of the ambassadors took advantage of the departure
of the boat to inform their governments of the happy
termination of the affair.
But Prince Menchikoff, having received the
firman relative to the Holy Places, sent at midnight
to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and by a simple
caress, an ultimatum, in which he demanded a firman
that should comprehend the solution of the affair
of the Holy Places, and a guarantee for the future
maintenance of the privileges and immunities of the
Greek church, that is to say, the moat extensive pro-
tectorate of this church, which would have given to
Turkey two sovereigns—the Sultan for the Moslems,
and the Czar for the Christians. Although the Sultan
had just lost his much loved mother, Prince Alenchikoff
gave but four days for a reply to these demands. In
the course of the night the Prince sent off a
steamer to Odessa. The next day (Friday) the
Sultan and the ministers were informed of the
receipt of the ultimatum, and of its contents. The
Sultan was much vexed at the want of respect
evinced by the Prince in pressing him at the mo-
ment of his severe family affliction. He, however,
ordered his ministers at once to deliberate on these
strange demands, and to keep in view the rights of
the crown and the dignity of the country. On Fri-
day evening Lord Stratford was informed of what
had taken place, and in the night sent off the steamer
Wasp to Malta with despatches for Admiral Dundas.
On the following morning he had an interview
with M. de la Cour to advise with him in these
new and difficult circumstances. They after-
wards placed themselves in communication with
the Sultan's ministers, whom they counselled
to reject the demands of Russia, but in doing
so to observe the greatest moderation. The two am-
bassadors then prepared their respective despatches,
and both were sent off by the Chaptal, which started
at midnight for Marseilles, with orders to communi-
cate with the French fleet, which was at Salamis.
On Saturday the news of the ultimatum spread, and
the public gradually became excited. On Sunday
the ministers met, first at the Grand Vizier's, then
under the presidency of the Sultan, and then again
at the Porte. In each of these councils it was una-
nimously resolved that the Imperial Divan could not
and should not in any way adhere to the demands of
Prince Menchikoff. In the course of the day (Sun-
day) Lord Stratford went to the Sultan, to encourage
him to resistance, and M. de la Cour assured the
Porte that his government would do its duty with
resolution. Prince Menchikoff had withdrawn to
Bnyukdere. Lord Stratford sent on Sunday and
again on Monday to ask an interview, in order to
persuade him to moderation and reason. The request
was denied.
On Tuesday the Ministers of War and Foreign
Affairs met at the house of the Grand Vizier, who
had invited Prince Menchikoff to meet them and en-

eavour to arrive at a reasonable arrangement.
This request was refused. The Prince, however,
feeling, no doubt, that he had violated the most ob-
vious proprieties in taking no account of the Sultan's
affliction, notified to the Forte that he prolonged
bythree days the time for replying to his ultimatum.
The Sultan and his ministers said, " Our reply is
ready, and no prolongation can induce us to modify
its result." The extension of time was refused. On
Tuesday, towards midnight, exactly four days after
the receipt of the ultimatum, the negative response
of the Porte was sent to Prince Menchikoff at Bnyuak-
dere. Having read it, his colour, it is said, changed.
He immediately sent off an express to M. Ozeroff,
who was at Pera, and who left next morning to join
the Prince.

At this moment the entire Russian embassy is at
Buyukdere, and although the prince has for several
days been making a show of preparations for de-
parting, probably to intimidate the Porte, he has
not gone, and ninny persons here believe that he will
not leave abruptly.
The reply of the Porte was drawn up with much re-
gard for the personal susceptibilities of the prince and
his master. It expresses the regret of the govern-
ment that it cannot comply with the demands of the
prince, and its strong desire to draw more closely
the bonds of amity between the two cone-
tries.
It is further said that if the print*
would continue the negotiations for the pur-
pose of convincing the Porte of the lesitimair
of his demands, the latter would experience a great
satisfaction. Throughout this affair the Ottoman
ministry has acquitted itself nobly, the Grand Vizier,
the Minister of War, and the Minister of Foreign
Affairs especially, have given proofs of great ability
in esserageonsl3r sustaining their Sovereign in theme
difficult negotiations.
P.S.—Yesterday evening the prince sent a reply to
t7ne note of the Porte; it is a sign thathedoesnot has.ten
his departure. He, however, maintains his demands, in
the hope, no doubt, of obtaining some concession.
The council of ministers is at this moment delibe-
rating on the new note. M. Argyropulos, first dra-
goman of the Russian embassy, has )wt sent in a
short note to the council written in Turkish. All
things indicate that the imperial divan will remain
faithful to its original refusal. Menchikoff is still at
Buyukdere, and has gone on board the Bessarabia to
signify more clearly his resolution to quit Con-
stantinople.

JUAN

The ship Hermann, Skinner,

from Baltimore for Ban Francisco, stopped at Juan Fer-
nandes, March 27, for water, and was to sail again next
day. The Captain writes that "he arrived there after a
very tedious tame, but without any accident, and was much
surprised to find a fine settlement of about 300 persons,
headed by a goveraot. They were very kind, and fur-
Dished the ship with supplies reasonably." This ship, on
a former voyage, two years since, stopped at the ea=
Wand and found no inbabitontn.—New York Tribuno,