The Express.
London, England, 1859-06-16 00:00:00

CONSTANTINOPLE.

(71011 OUR COI

JUNE 1.

In spite of the hard times, the Christian
merchants are betaking themselves to their charm-
ing residences on the Bosphorus; the crinolines of the
Perot* ladies are as colossal, and their general " get
up" u ultra Parisian, and as regardless of cost, as ever.
Under the auspices of the municipal council, which
seems to work admirably, Galata and Pets are re-
idly acquiring a new face. A system of sewerage
is on foot ; scavengers' carts are established, cleansing
the streets of part of the filth which has disgusted
travellers for years ; and the European quarter is
well lighted with gas. This has had the effect of
diminishing the numerous crimes formerly committed
there ; but the Greeks and lonians still contrive to
maintain almost a monopoly of murder and robbery,
our fellow-eubjecte, the Maltese, being their only
serious rivals. The dirty old houses of Galata are
fast disappearing, giving way to new and handsome
stone edifices, in which cleanliness and ventilation
are thought of ; but, at the same time, it is to be con-
fessed that Pere is becoming one of the dearest lo-
calities in Europe. Rents have risen enormously
with the value of land. Some small shops in the
Grande Rue di Pert are let at prices which would
be thought exorbitant in the Palsie Royal, and
three indifferent rooms on a first floor in the same
street fetch 2201. per annum ; and you must not
imagine that this grand* rue is a grands rue at all,
except in name, for it is as like Fetter-lane as to
width and dinginess as two peas, but infinitely
dirtier and mines the foot pavement. At the foot
of the hill, by the shore of the Golden Horn, prices
are still higher apparently, for the municipal council
purchased some ground at Kam Keni, on which the
bridge from Stamboul opens, for 15 millions of
piastres, which represents something like 540,0001.
per acre, a price which is still more astounding when
we consider that they are confident, after taking so
much as may be necessary to secure the facilities for
traffic, of selling the remainder at a large profit. In
a short time the labours of the council will extend to
the Turkish side of the Golden Horn, and there is
no lack of *cope for their operations, for it seems to
me that the old repositories of filth have had a year's
addition made to them, and how the people escape
fever I cannot divine ; it is clear that the prophet
watches over them, and luckily for them their
religion prohibits pig keeping. In one or two places,
however, they have begun of themselves to re-edify,
but unless stirred up by the council, the process will
be a slow one.

SYRIA.

(nOll 001 Wont

BEYROUT, MAT 26.
I mentioned to you about ten months ago that an
American Protestant Missionary had been turned
with violence out of the town of &Ale in Lebanon,
by the bigoted Oreek catholic population of the
place. For some reason or other the American con-
sular authorities took no active steps in the matter,
and the consequence is that the offences has been
lately repeated, with considerable aggravation of
circumstances. This time the victim is the Reverend
Mr. Benton, a missionary of the Presbyterian church
belonging to the Syrian mission, and employed by
the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign
Missionaries. This gentleman's place of residence
is at Bhamdoon' on the highest ridge of Lebanon ; but
in company with his wife and family he paid a visit
to the town of Zahle fur change of air, intend-
ing to reside there a few weeks for the benefit of his
health. No sooner did it get noised abroad
that Mr. Benton was a protestant clergyman than
his house woe surrounded by a mob of fanatics, who
declared he should not remain another hour in the
piece. No plea that he could urge was listened to
for a moment ; and on his declining to move for
threats, he was, with his wife and three young chil-
dren, forcibly ejected from the house he had hired,
and afterwards from the town. As in the previous
case, when the Rev. Mr. Dod was turned out of the
same town for the same reason, the French Jesuits
—of whom there is a large establishment in Zahle—
never offered to help Mr. Beaton in the least ; and it
has since been found that they were the chief, if
not the only, instigators of the disturbance. It is
hardly to be believed that in a foreign, half-savage
country like this, a body of men calling themselves
ministers of Christ would stand by and see a clergy-
man, although of another denomination, together
with his wife and family, ill-treated, and ejected
from a place in which they had great influence, and
at the hands of a bigoted mob who, at half a dozen
words from them, would have ceased altogether from
their ungodly work. But no; to their eternal
shame be it said these French Jesuits have now on
two separate occasions stood by and seen gentlemen
and tilt ir families treated like felons, simply because
they were protestants, and without so much as
offering them a glass of cold water. Mr. Benton
arrived in Beyrout last week, and laid his
complaint before the English and American consuls,
the former being the official protector of proteatants
in Syria, the latter the representative of the nation
to which the injured party belongs. It is to be
hoped that this time the affair will be taken up in
earnest, and if it be true that the French Jesuits
have been instigating the people to commit this out-
rage, the protestant consuls should insist upon their
being turned out of this province.

Tge Grand Duke Constantine arrived here on the
24th inst , with a fleet consisting of a screw line of
battle ship, a screw frigate, and a small paddle
wheel steamer. There was much ceremony observed
at the landing of the Duke and Dasher. AU the
consuls first proceeded on board in uniform, and
were introduoed to the Duke, the Pacha and Turkish
authorities waiting for him at the landing
place. The Greek bishop in his ecclesiastical robes,
surrounded by numerous priests and deacons, bearing
cendlea, censers, &e., was ready to bless their Royal
Highnesses as they stepped from their boat. Sur-
rounded by the Greek clergy, by numerous naval,
military, and civil Russian officers of their suites, and
by nearly all the members of their creed in Be rout,
the Duke and Duchess then proceeded to the Greek
church, where they returned public thanks for their
safe voyage. This being over they proceeded
through streets lined and guarded by Turkish
soldiers to the house of the Russian Consul General,
where they hare been since living. The whole affair
was of the most public and ostentatious kind, and
formed a very great contrast with the landing and
sojourn of Prince Alfred here in Be rout.
Trade is exceedingly dull, and exchanges on
London high. The silk crop has been greatly in-
jured by a very strong hemreen, or hot wind, which
blew for upwards of twenty-four hours, on the 20th
and 21st instant.

THE FRENCH JOCKEY CLUB AND THE WAIL—
.. Save& members of the Jockey Club" guys the Sport,
" have been either wounded oe killed la Italy. One of the
latter, M. de Fraidefond, noted for Me personal courage, woe
the orderly officer of General Kepteasee. The Count de
Grammat wee wounded with s musket-ball at Magenta, and
remain. it Milan. His brother-in-law, Count Horace de
Choiseul Praelin, greatly distinguished himeelf on the mole
occeeton, end attar being for a length of time in the midst of
the miler, .nly received a Blight contusion. Both of them
troutlemen fought in the Crimea ; and there Moo, while the
Muer a soaped unhurt, the Count de Gramma was Keenly
wounded. Id Nicholas Clary had hie foot badly sprained,
in consequence of his horse felling from placiug one of Ito
forelegs to a rut. M. Peulze d'lvol was killed ins bayonet-
charge. M. Alphote lb strand wee wounded, and M. de la
Tour d'Auvereve had his shoulder dislocated. M. de
Champlouis. orderly eflirer to General Leireirault,
wo toded bye bullet is the cheek, but only • alight seer will
mark the spot.
M. Koicel.l:Tit.—Yesterday the diatioruished Hun-
' traria* sal* M. Kossuth, visited the well-known establish-
ment et Mr. kg TA h Regent•Mrsat, for the purpose of
having s lik-wrs plsoe.Areph taken previous to his departure
ea Ma sew Mill• 4011. T)t. light being very fevoarebte, Mr.
Mayall we:wetted in produeOff II wonderfully striking pm-
trait of the Illustrious exile. ate leaves to-day re route for
Italy, having Madame boasuttt lB England.