The Express.
London, England, 1858-05-28 00:00:00

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EVENING MAY 28, - 1858. f.;

LAT.

INT ELLIG:

THE ,1

EGYPT.

THE FATAL ACCIDENT TO AHMET
PACHA.

(nom OOR OWN

;1111.)

ALEXANDRIA, M 16.

My telegram of to-day's date will have informed
your readers of the great loss this country has ins-
tinned. It is certainly a most unfortunate circum-
stance that his Highness Ahmet Pacha should happen
to be the victim of the first railway accident we have
had here ever since the line was opened. According
to report, he very reluctantly allowed himself to be
persuaded by hie relatives to ooroe down from Cairo
to pay his respects to his uncle, the Viceroy, on the
occasion of the Beira festival' ; and immediately
after having gone through the mull ceremony on
the morning of the 14th current, he hurried to the
railway station, accompanied by several distin-
guished personages, including his Highness Halim
Pasha, brother to the Viceroy, and reached the
place just in time to catch the up-train that was
to bring him to his untimely death. The train, as
usual, started and arrived safely at Kafer-Lain,
where passengers generally alight to crow the Nile
in a steamer, bet, as on all occasions when princes
are on the line, the ferry is held in readiness to con-
vey them across in their carriages. The Arabs in
charge, on pushing the waggons on the ferry, very
carelessly omitted to put on the shappens, and the
four waggons, one after the other, dropped into the
Nile. As soon as it was perceived that the wheels
of the first carriage had got over the side of the
ferry, the alarm was instantaneously given, but,
alas! too late to be of any avail, as Ahmet Penh*,
with his smite, together with Rifest Bey, Minister
of Commerce, and Kernidin Pacha, formerly director
of the transit administration, perished. Halm
Pasha very miraculously escaped by jumping into
the Nile, whence he was rescued by some of the
English railway employes, whose indefatigable ex-
ertions in trying to save some of their fellow-
creatures merit great praise. This disastrous news
was received shortly after the accident occurred, and
both the European colony and the whole Arab
population could not help manifesting how deeply
they felt the sudden lass of the man in whom the
hope of Egypt rested. He was the eldest son of
the late Ibrahim Pacha, and the eldest living prince
of Mehemet Ali's family, consequently, successor to
the present Viceroy. Under his rale the prosperity
of the conntry would have been certain. Besides
his many good qualities, he was the only one of the
Egyptian princes who acknowledged that it was to
England that Egypt was indebted for her present
improved condition. He was a great admirer of
all that was Engliah, sympathised with English
ideas, and knew that there was much to be gained
by cultivating the friendship of the British cabinet.
Twenty-four hours before he ceased to exist, he was
heard to say that the cutting of the Isthmus of Suez
would be the ruin of Egypt.

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

("nom OVI °war

PARIS. Ta1776/DAT IiVINDIO.

The Conference will, I believe, meet again to-
morrow, although there is a report that it has ad-
journed till Saturday week.
Within a fortnight that powerful, capricious, and
as yet imperfectly-tested political engine—universal
seftrege--will have an opportunity of showing its
mode of working in every department of France.
The triennial elections of the Councils-General and
the councils of arrondissement, are fixed for the 12th

and 13th of June. Since the establishment of the
empire these elections have never been of the
slightest interest. Except in very rare instances,
the government candidates have walked over the
course. It has been all but universally considered
either impartible or useless to oppose the mandates of
the prefects. In the present state of feeling in France
these elections will not be so unimportant as they
have hitherto been. lam far from thinking that
anything like a considerable majority of votes will
be given against the government. For such a
remit the time is by no means rife. The opposition,
which thought itself crushed, is only just beginning
to have a consciowiness of its strength, but there is
as yet ne strength to make a demonstration on a
large scale against a government based upon mili-
tary power, and which is known to have accorded
forms of popular election, only because it believed
in the possibility of always moulding them accord-
ing to its will. Nevertheless there is, I am con-
vinced, a feeling now prevalent throughout the
country which will make itself felt in an appreciable
degree at the local elections now coming off. Any
considerable motes against a government aocus-
tomed to look not for an overwhelming majority,
but for all but unanimity in its favour, will be very
important as a guide to the state of public
opinion in the country. The Slick ventures to
publish an article exhorting the electors not
to abstain from voting. It does not dare to tell
them which way they are to vote, but the counsel
will be understood. The &isle, in dwelling upon
the importance of the mission of the Councils-Ge-
neral, calls attention to the curious fact that, by the
. existing constitution, they have in one particular a
greater power than the legislative body. They have
as "initiative," although • restricted one. They
may peas resolutions telling the government what
they want, whereas no member of the Corps Legis-
latif can bring forward any motion whatever. The
legislature can only my " yes" or "no" to questions
proposed to them by government. Mild as this
article is, its influence will be great, and I have no
doubt that private orders will be given to the press
not to dwell upon the subject.

An important piece of news reaches me this
evening from Alencon. The prefect of the depart-
ment in which that town is situated has, it is said,
announced that the government will not designate
any eandidate, but will leave the electors free to
vote according to their personal sympathies.
Whether this policy is to be general or merely local
I cannot say. If the former, I can only commend
the wisdom of the innovation.
The r.mperor has given it to be understood that
he does not intend to visit Lorient this summer. as
wallet one time expected, and the local authorities,
wbs wave shoat to isms to Paris to give him as
limitation, ham been ordered not to take the tioable.
The Bourse eistinsea to be exceedingly dull. The
Reale fell 6fr. for cash, and 10e. for account, closing
at 01Mr. 6k. in each ease. There was scarcely any
business doing. Mobilise rose 2fr. 60e., but was far
from buoyant. The railways were depressed by the
returns of the first quarter's receipts for 1868, which
dew a diminution al 18 per east as simpered with
the earrespondiag period of 1867. The lest week's
receipts are also =favourable. Nevertheless the
Northern Railway roes 6fr. and Orleans 2fr. 50e.
The other lines were a trifle lower.

'ED STATIO.

NT =sand° 121.101API.)
(nom °us own 0011.1111PONDI

SOUTHAMPTON, FRIDAY.
The Ariel, with the American mails, hen arrived
The advioes are anticipated.