The Express.
London, England, 1867-12-06 00:00:00

THE ABYSSINIAN EXPEDITION.

The Bombay Times (Nov. 14) believes all idea of
attempting to proceed by the Tarrant& Pass has
been abandoned. Though no additional troops
had left Bombay during the previous fortnight,
great progress had been made in the preparations
for the departure of the main body of the force,
and of the Kurrachee brigade. The fine steam
transports, the England and the Queen, arrived in
Bombay, from England, on Nov. 10, and some
13,000 additional tons of shipping had been char-
tered by the Bombay government. Several steam
vessels of three or four hundred tons, suitable for
tugs or despatch boats, had also been taken up.
" Though, therefore," says the Bombay Times,
" there may be a little seeming delay in the mean-
time, it will be found when once the main body of
the expedition does start that not a day has been
wasted."

Meantime it is satidactory to know that the captives are
all well. News has been received from Mr. Fled up to the
9th of Sept., from which we learn that Consul Cameron and
his fellow-captives remain in Matti quo. And so it was
with Theodorus too. He wunear Debra T►bor, occupying
himself with vain attempts to spread fire and sword among

his enemies, who monodic* be heminixtg him in as closely
as ever. His West, had received the Queen's second let.
ter, but delayed answering it till be should see Mr. Ru-
ms. As the " man of dollars" (as Mr. Rasura is styled)
is:aa Meals, and lbeekees at Debra Tabor, it may be
Misieleday before the EMperor's wish to have an interview
eaubs gratified. The Emperor had not at the above date
heard of any expedition being fitted out against him, so it
is yet impossible to conjecture what line of conduct he will
pursue when news of it reaches his ears.
In the Bombay Gazette we read :

It is difficult to predict the period when the more
exciting work of the campaign will have commenced, or
even when the force will have begun its march up to the
high lands of Abyssinia, and its to be regretted that a
considerable part of the cold season will have flown by
before our army is fairly in the field. We believe, how-
ever, that motives of prudence are to some extent the
c►use of the present tantalising delay, for Sir R. Napier is
stated to be decidedly unwilling to pat his foot on the
enemy's territory and place himself at the head of the
British force before a very large stock of stores has been
laid up and all proper arrangements have been made for the
accommodation of the troops and their march into the in-
terior. Rumour has been very uncertain as to the time
when the commander-in-chief will leave Bombay. It seems,
however, to be generally expected that it will be at least •
month or six weeks yet, and it is said that he will go on
board the flag-ship Octavio. Before that time we may ex-
pect that • large body of European troops will have been
sent off, for the 4th (King's Own) Royal Regiment is likely
to leave early next month. The expedition has of course
introduced considerable excitement into the ordinary
daily business of Bombay ; and those in parti-
cular who are connected with &hipping have had much
to employ and gratify them. It has been quite •
god-send indeed to shipowners who were in search of
freights and to shipping companies who had ion all hope
of ever again appearing before the world with • dividend.
A large number of steamers have been bought or chartered
by government for the purposes of the expedition, and the
coast trade may perhaps for • little time be affected by
the demands of government in this respect. An immense
fleet of sailing vessels, also, have been chartered (at rates
varying from re. 84 to n. 114 per ton monthly), and large
transport steamers which were despatched from England
have now begun to arrive. Bullocks, tatoos (ponies), and
even elephants are being collected up-country and brought
down to Bombay to be sent off as soon as possible, and we
hope—though its workings are somewhat unseen—that the
commissariat department is performing its part of the
business actively and satisfactorily.
The landing place selected for the debarkation of
the Abyssinian Expeditionary Force it is already
known is near Adulia in Annealey Bay, where there
is good anchorage at about 600 yards from the
shore. About a mile from the shore there are
some wells, and sixteen miles inland there is an
abundant supply of water in the Was. River. The
advance brigade has arrived.
Their Excellencies the Right Hon. the Go-
vernor of Bombay and Sir Robert Napier
arrived at Calcutta from Poona on Nov. 7th. The
unusual amount of anxiety and work that have
fallen to the share of Sir Seymour Fitgerald, dur-
ing this his first summer in India, had told some-
what on his health. He was compelled to adopt
the advice of his medical attendants, and leave
Poona for a few days to Mahalileshwur.

THE LIBERTY OF THE PRESS IN FRANCE.
Prosecutions of the press, of which there have
been several of late in France, continue to increase.
The Courtier Francais is the object of two fresh pro-
secutions—one for publishing a letter from a French
soldier, who was with the army of occupation in
Rome ; the other, for an article on the subject of
the recent arrests in Paris. The Toulonnais has
also been summoned to appear before the Court of
Toulon on a charge of defamation and spreading
false news. We gave the article of the Tuidounais
in the Expreu of yesterday.

ITALIAN FEELING AGAINST THE FRENCH.
The Paris correspondent of the Inclipetutance
writes :

Count des Sartiges has expressed, in a report addressed
to IL de Meunier, his astonishment ►t the change of pub-
lic feeling in Rome. Everyone has become ► Garibaldian,
and the French are not more loved in Rome than in other
parts of Italy. The feeling against France has become so
strong that at the Hotel Trombetta, in Turin, French
dishes and French wines have been banished from the
tables d'hots. French fashions are abandoned, and, in fact,
the contrary of what we do here is done in Itals. This is
puerile as to its material effect, but it is grave as a display
of sentiment.

(MUTTS'S TLLTGILMS.)

THE DEBATE IN THE FRENCH CHAMBER.
PARIS, Dec. 6.

M. Rouher made the following additional state-
ments in yesterday's sitting of the Corps Legialatif :
—Long 'ago Italy had received a verbal commu-
nication to the effect that on the day Garibaldi put
his foot on Pontifical territory France would in-
tervene. The resolution of France was taken as
far back as the 10th of last October. Both fleet
and army were in readiness. The Italian Minister
was warned. But French journals of the oppo-
sition combating the idea of intervention deceived
public opinion abroad, encouraged the agita-
tors, and dragged the Garibaldiana on to the
battle field of Mentana. Stating the long
forbearance of France in the affairs of Italy,
M. Rouher said that it was not the wish of
the French government to confound the Italian
nation with an ephemeral government. It wished
to allow time for mature reflection. It was time
to reconstitute a liberal-conservative ministry, de-
cided to respect the faith of treaties. We thus
succeeded in shielding the Popo without having to
struggle with Italian troops. M. Rouher refuted
the statements of M. Thiera, relative to the Italian
war of 1859. Speaking of the reverses of Austria,
he said—How could we foresee them in 18691 It
is a fact which we have taken into account ,
since by aiding Austria to rehabilitate herself '
by contracting with her a sincere friendship,
which I hope will not be without its influence
upon the peace of the world. M. Rouher said that
the conquest of the Two Sicihes, accomplished by
Garibaldi, and accepted by King Victor Emmanuel,
had established a heavy joint responsibility of which
Victor Emmanuel was in a large measure now bear-
ing, he dare scarcely say, the punishment. That
conquest was a blameable means of constituting
Italian unity. M. Rouher censured the conquest
of the Marches and of Umbria, he denied that the
Emperor Napoleon had tacitly authorised it by
a sort of laisser pesscr. He reminded the
Chamber that the French government had
blamed Italy, but it could not go further.
M. Rouher justified the convention of the 16th
September, and also the intervention. He said that
if after the invasion of Garibaldi France had re-
mained indifferent, she would have sunk very low
in the opinion of the world. French intervention
was also a protection to the throne of King Victor
Emmanuel. By saving Rome from invasion France
had saved Italy from anarchy. Alluding to what
he termed the conspiracies at Geneva, M. Rouher
styled them demagogic, filthy mud scraped from
the pavements of Paris. A miserable attempt had I
been made at an appeal to arms ; but it disgrace- ,
fully fell to the ground. All sectarians know I
each other. They had three watch-words, "Rome,
Paris, Florence." France has therefore performed
a work of liberal conservatism in which all the
established Powers of Europe are interested.
Speaking of the proposed conference, M. Rouher
said We have declared to all the Powers that we
do not wish to draw up a programme ;
.we shall

present ourselves at the Conference with our pad
and our present ; the Pope has accepted
our intervention without reserve. Replying
to the dilemma that the Pope had need
of Rome and that Italy could not do without it,
M. Rouher said—We declare that Italy shall not
seize upon Rome. (Prolonged applause.) France
will exact from Italy a rigorous and energetic exe.
cution of the Convention of the 15th September,
otherwise she will provide for it herself. Is this
clear ? (Renewed applause.) M. Rouher re-
minded the Chamber that the French go.
vernment had always held the same language,
We wish (he added) at the same time that
we firmly and energeticaly respect the convention
of the 15th September, also to respect and
strengthen Italian unity. We wish the co.
existence of Italy with the Papacy. We
do not wish that the work accomplished
by our victories should be destroyed by the
second part of our reign. The French people do
not desire either the overthrow of the Pope or the
destruction of Italian unity. Let us endeavour to
convince Italy that the idea of Rome for a capital
is a sterile idea, a fictitious want, the satisfaction
of which would be a fatal acquisition to Italy.
What Italy especially wants is to constitute herself.
She must not be alarmed because an old man
addresses prayers to God under the dome of St.
Peter, for with his extended hands that old man
appeases the anxious consciences of catholic..

ITALY.

FLORENCE, Dtc. 5.

A decree has been issued granting an amnesty to
the authors and abettors of the recent invasion of
the Pontifical territory, and pardon for all offences
connected with it.

The Opinion asserts that a restricted conference
will assemble shortly at Paris to deliberate upon
the basis of discussion on the Roman question.
The Great Powers will be represented by their am.
bassadors accredited at Paris.
FLORENCE. Dac. 5, Evcinsc.

General Menabrea, in his speech today in the
Chamber of Deputies, declared that the Italian
troops were spontaneously withdrawn from the Pon-
tifical territory. The government, he said, neither
received nor would have tolerated any intimation
that they should be withdrawn. He quoted the
words of Count Cavour :—" Rome is ours, and will
be our capital, with the concert of France, and by
moral means, without the employment of violence."
General Menabrea added that he fully associated
himself with those words. He declared that the
programme of the government was to re-establish
order and the principle of authority, to restore the
finances, to develops industry and commerce,
and to strengthen the army to the level of the
armies of neighbouring nations. The army,
the government, and the parliament, he said, will
uphold the flag of the monarchy.

SPAIN.
MADRID, D►.c. 5, Evirrucc.

The Official Gazette announces that there will be
a further reduction in the budget of the Ministry
of Marine.
Queen Christina has gone to Aranjues.
The Archduke Louis Victor is expected at
Cordova.

TURKEY.
CONSTANTINOPLE, Dm 4.

The Porte has granted a provisional concession
for a railway from Constantinople to Bussoralt,
with a 5 per cent. guarantee upon an estimated
cost of 37 millions sterling. The surveying and
the plans are to be completed in two years, when
the concession will become definitive.

The Grand Vizier is expected to return shortly
from Crete.

LETTER•WRITING IN ABYSSINIA.

The diary of Dr. Blanc, one of the Abysainiaa
captives, has just been published in Bombay. This paper,
dated Magdala, August 31, 1867, contain.; a complete
account of the varying fortunes attending Mr. Rassam's
mission, from the 20th of July, 1864—the date of their
departure from Aden—up to the end of August. The
compilation of the report was no easy matter. Dr. Blanc
says on this point—" I was obliged on two occasions to
burn my report ; first on being made prisoner in April,
1866, when we thought it advisable to destroy every note,
letter, or paper is our possession. At Oaffat I began
to write it for the second time ; but after the events
that occurred there, I seized the first opportunity of
making away with it. At Magdala it is exceedingly diffi-
cult to write ; spice are constantly peeping into our tent
on some pretext or other. The risk and penalty are great,
as the order is, that any one found writing is to be chained
hand and foot." In spite of this risk and penalty, bow.
ever, Dr. Blano's report is said to be a marvel of neatness,
exhibiting the greatest patience and care. Paper and ink
are scarce at Magdala, and be has certainly been careful
not to waste either; so closely packed are the letters,
words, and lines, that into sixteen sheets of note paper is
compressed material enough to fill three pages of the Times
less about a quarter of a column ! Bo thin likewise is
the paper, that the whole—report, covering letter, enve-
lope, and all—weighs less than an ounce.
Dr. Blane's report has been divided by him into three
principal sections, the first portion describing the journey
from Maasowah to Metemma, the experiences of the
road, the disposition and habits of the various Arab tribes,
and giving a mass of other information entirely new. The
second section is that which oontains the account of their
past and present dealings and relations with Theodor'''.
Of their prospects Dr. Blanc says little, not having then
heard that an expedition was on its way to release
them, or avenge their death. But for their being con-
stantly chained, their condition as prisoners world
be tolerably comfortable, the more so as the
Emperor can nar have but very little dealings
with them. They knew not, however, what a day
might bring forth ; the Emperor was daily rioting in bleed
and murder, and, as far as his much-crippled l ower would
admit, satiating hie one desire—revenge. Their best hope
seemed to I e that, should they clang 3 owners, they miglb
fall into the hands of some powerful chief who would know
their value, r►ther than into the hands of the ignorant and
infuriated peasantry, who, likely enough, might regard
then, as in some way connected with the terrible misery
which the wretched cultivators have lately endured at the
hands of the Negas. The last section of Dr. Bhuic's ma
moir gives a variety of very interesting details regarding
the pLysical geography of Abyssinia, its towns and popn•
lotion, the language and customs and degradation of its
people, its flora and fauna, and the personal character, ap•
pearance, and history of Theodorus.

Lord Cowley, contradicting a statement in the
Post, says his retirement from the public service w..s
wholly voluntary on his part, and, if he may judge from
the efforts—very flattering to him, however unieberved—
made to induce him to remain at Paris, was effected against
the desire of the Secretary of State.

The Italian government, the Florence journalS
date, has contracted for the supply of 300,000 Chassepo4
muskets, to be delivered at the rate of 50,000 a year.
The Cuban cable is 90 miles long. It is proposed
that a cable be laid from Cuba to Jamaica, a distance of
143 miles, and from thence to Colon, a distar.ce of GOO
miles. This will accelerate information between Chili,
Peru, and all Central America. It is proposed also that
cables shall connect Jamaica with St. Domingo, Porto
Rico, St. Thomas, ()nadaloupe, Martinique, Trinidad,
and Demerara, when from the latter place telegraphic,
communication could be effected with St. Roque, in
Brazil. The distance between St. Roque and the Cape de
Verdes is 1,200 miles, and from the latter to Cadiz, in
Spain, GOO miles. It would not be difficult, therefore to
connect Europe and America telegraphically by means of
two cables between Spain and Brazil, via the Cape do
Verdes.

is.'ESE IX THE FRENCH CORPS LEGISLATIP.

Ist Wednesday's sitting of the Corps Legialatif,
:I,c minutes of the previous sitting being read by one of
-erretaries,
t illanitliS DE FIRE rose and laid—When M. Gumslt
.ter.lay stigmatised the defenders of the Pope as
I was absent from the Chamber and could
. •. therefore protest. I do so at present with the indigna-
:., of a deputy representing a department (Ile-et-
, Lane) which has supplied generous soldiers to the Pope,
: of u mss proud of having relatives among the Ponti-
• I Zonaves.
•1. Et rummy—l have also to make a remark. When
6,1,:r0u1t, speaking of the temporal authority, men-
the agony of an expiring power," M. Granier de
• • mic made an observation which is differently re-
( - •
the analytic account and in the Moniker.
nmliug to the latter, he used parliamentary
but in the former he overleaped the
.a of propriety. The former makes him say,
• ,t %%ill inter us ( nowt) all ;" whereas the other
the word The former expression is the affirms-
; oof a political man setting forth his opinion ; whereas
t other is a direct apostrophe to his colleagues, and
i,ly reprehensible. (Noise. Interruption. " Enough.")
7„ ar P-iiimir—l certainly thought the hon. gentleman
„ I saw nothing personal in the words, as, if I
!. I shoal have made an observation on theexpreseion.
M. GICVNIEII DE CASSACSAC—The Atonifelir has ren-
-Imy words most faithfully. (Movement.) When I
.r.l IL Gueroult treat the Pontifical power as on the
..t of eipiring, I—who believe firmly in its indefinite du-
, ...on—l at once retorted, "It will inter you (roes) all,"
ming that it would inter not only your persons but
Mctrints. (Interruption, noise, mingled approbation
Mama )
M. PELLETAN—Then you make the Pope a gravedigger.
I.:e I'ELSIDENT—M. Pelletan, do not disturb the
• To.l.dinga,
• M. CILLNISI DE CASSAGNAC—The Papacy has buried a
heel heresies, and yours will only cost it another
...Ifni of earth. (Continued noise. Cries of " The
r of the day l")
M. Ilmirsion—l have to say in reply. (Noise—inter-
-:prima.)
M. JULES FAVRE —Do not trouble yourself, Al. Ileth-
_rut ; such words need nos be noticed. France will judge
..r. matter. (Noise.)
AL Ttexintost—l only wish to say that I, in my turn,
.id, " And you also ; that will be our only consolation."
Noise and laughter.)
The minutes were then adopted.