The Express.
London, England, 1867-03-11 00:00:00

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

THE EASTERN QUESTION.

We extract the following from the Joro•rurl des
Debate of to-day :

Yesterday evening La Fovea, this morning the Consfitte-
rionnd,affirm the existence of a despatch from St. Petersburg,
which announces or confirm,' the news of an understand-
ing between Russia, England, and France on the Eastern
question. Yesterday morning the Memorial Diplomatiloe
spoke of an agreement between the three Powers with the
object of demanding reforms at Constantinople in favour
of the Christians. It is to be wished, for the repose of
Europe, that these three journals have been well informed.
But unhappily the hopes they give rest on no solid femur
dation. What is this mysterious despatch announced by
the France and Conotitutionwe 1 To whom and by whom
has it been sent' How is it that neither of the two
journals which refer to it, has the kindness to give us
its text ? Why is the Menitear of to-day silent on so im-
portant a fact ? How is it that none of the Vienna jour-
nals of the fith appear to have any knowledge of it ? On
the contrary the Fremdeablatt, the Prrifre, and the Wan-
dervr agree in taking a gloomy view of the situation. Ac-
cording to the Froadenblatt Russia does not care to en-
gage on a great European war, but the only
way of making the Czar pliant is by consent-
ing to the official tearing up of the treaty of Paris
and obtaining from Turkey guarantees and special advan.,
tages for Russian vessels and Russian commerce. The
Delwitte says positively that the three powers are far from
being agreed, and that this state of things cannot but be
favourable to Russia. It is difficult to believe, after read-
ing the speech of Lord Derby in the House of Lords,
that the alleged agreement between the three powers could
be so easily and so quickly come to.

(mom% rizzaauts.l
AUSTRIA.
VIENNA, MARCH 11.

A rumour is current, although in no way au-
thenticated at present, that Baron von Beust, in
order to improve the financial position of the
empire, will mortgage the ecclesiastical property,
and an arrangement to that effect is said to have
been made with the clerical party.
The Emperor leaves to-morrow for Pesth.
It is stated that Peath, as well as Vienna, is to
be fortified.
The Ministers von Widlerstorf and Komer. von
Lindenbach intend to send in their resignation.

THE ITALIAN ELECTIONS.
FLORENCE, MARCH 11, NOON.

The result of the definitive elections known
up to the present shows that out of 88 candi-
dates returned 66 are favourable to the
government, the remaining 22 belonging to the
opposition. In 156 contested elections 108 govern-
ment candidates have been successful over the
opposition.

THE AMERICAN HOUSE OF REPRESEN-
TATIVES AND THE FENIANS.

The Timis has received the following telegram
by the Atlantic cable :
" NEW YORK, Barcaosr, ][sacs 9, 5.30 r.a.

" The House of Representatives has ordered the
immediate appointment of a committee on foreign
relations, in view of the approaching Confedera-
tion of thu British North American Provinces.

" A resolution expressive of sympathy with Ire-
land was also referred to the same committee.
" The steamers Nova Scotian and William Penn
have arrived."

MALTA.

(PROM OCR OWN COERESPONDIMT.)
MALTA, Mmtcu .3.

Her Illajesty's steam iron-clad frigate Royal Oak.
Xi, Captain the Hon. G. D. Keane, returned to Malta on
the evening of the Ist instant, from Cephalonia, whither
she had been despatched • fortnight ago with provisions
for the poor sufferers by the late earthquake which visited
that island on the 4th ultimo. The Royal Oak left Cepha-
lonia on the 28th ultimo, and the news she brings con-
firms all previous accounts received here respecting the
great havoc and destruction caused by the catastrophe.
The two towns of Lisuri and Argostoli are a mass of ruins ;
the few buildings in the latter town which bad withstood
the severe shock on the morning of the 4th were shaken
by the subsequent shocks. These continued till the (Is
parture of the Royal Oak, on board of which upwards of
seventy were registered during the stay of the frigate at
Cephalonia. It appears that the distress prevailing in the
island is not so great as previously stated ; and although
all the ovens were shaken by the earthquikke, the inhabi-
tants have managed to get bread from ships, sent to
them from Patras and the Greek continent. The King of
Greens has arrived at Cephalonia, and paid two visits to
the Royal Oak. His Majesty declined the offer of the pro-
visions which had been sent by the Royal Oak for the use
of the poor islandeis, and the frigate has brought back
the biscuit she had taken up to Cephalonia.
Her Majesty's steam despatch vessel Caradoc, 2, Lieute-
nant4'ommander Wilkinson, left Malta last night for the
Pireus, conveying the Right Rev. Dr. Trower, Lord
Bishop of Gibraltar, who is proceeding to Greece and
other parts of the East where there are English commu-
nities.

The screw-steam troop-ship Tamar, 5, Captain F. W.
Sullivan, C. 8., took her departure from Malta yesterday
morning for Jamaica, having on board her Majesty's 84th
(York and Lancaster) Regiment of Foot, under the com-
mand of Colonel T. Lightfoot, C.B. The Tamar will touch
at Gibraltar, for which place she carries a general mail,
and at Madeira.

The French steam-frigate Eldorado, Captain (ley. E.
Chastenet, arrived in Malta on the Ist from Toulon and
Algiers, having on board 800 French soldiers and 60 horael
for Cochin China. She left again yestenlay evening for
Alexandria. At Algiers the Eldorado embarked
Arabian horses, which are offered by the Emperor
Napoleon to the Emperor of Japan.
Si, F. Blackwood, Bart., R.N., it command of her
Majesty's ship Psyche, on this station, left Malta on the
27th ult. for Marseilles, in the Peninsular and Oriental
Company's packet &mine.

SERIOUS EXPLOSION OF GAS IN MANCHESTER.

Yesterday afternoon the Corporation Gasworks,
in Gould-street, Rochdale-road, were the scene of a die-
estrous explosion, which has caused severe injury to a
number of men and considerable destruction of property.
The accident occurred in the jourifying-house, which
abate upon Gould-street, and occupies a considerable part
of its extent. So far as could be gathered yesterday, the
facto seem to be As follow :—At regular intervals the
accumulation of impurities in the apparatus renders it
necessary to remove the gas from one purifier to another,
in order that they may he alternately cleaned. Yester-
day, about a quarter-past four o'clock. this operation was
commenced, and a man, named Thomas Histon, had
charge of the valve through which the gas was passed
from the purifier that was charged into the empty one,
both of which are under the same roof. From some un-
explained cause, a very large volume of gas escaped
through the cap of the valve, and presently filled the puri-
fying-house. Almost before an alarm could be given the
gas tired at the boiler fire, or some other exposed light, and
a tremendous explosion took place. The shock was felt in
nearly all parts of the city ; as far as Broughton the report
of the explosion was heard with great distinctness, like
of • cannon. In the works, and in the immediate
neighbourhood, the shock was alarming in the extreme
and the streets were immediately filled with excited
crowds. As soon as the dense smoke had cleared away
so as to allow the purifying-house to be entered, steps
were taken to rescue the men who bad been at work
there. Seven men were removed, suffering from burns,
and were at once taken to the Royal Infirmsry. The in-
juries that three of these men had received were so severe
that the surgeons kept them in the institution.
It was not expected that any of these cases would prove
fatal. The four other sufferers were sent home after their
hurts had been dressed. The explosion set fire to the wood-
work
in the building, and information having been Bentto the
fire-office, Mr. Tozer and the brigade attended. After working
for nearly an hour, they succeeded in putting out the
fire, which had not obtained • serious hold. The
roof of the building, which was of slate, was blown
completely off ; the wall in Gould-street was partially
destroyed ; the doors of the engine-house were blown into
fragments, and considerable damage wee done to the
roofs sad windows of the offices. It happened, however,
that the explosion had not in'ured the purifiers, and there
was consequently no serious to the worki proceed.
ing as nsuaL In Rochdale-road, Gould-street, and the
man smaller street. in the neighbourhood, there are
hum of broken windows.—Manckester Guardian.

THE FENIAN INSURRECTION:

(egos OUR OWN CORRESPOND/LIR. )
CORK, 54 _art RI 'AI.
Tranquillity in this county has been completely
restored. Since Wednesday evening, when the
encounter between the troops and the Fenians took
place at Bottle-hill, a few miles from the line of
the Great Southern Railway, between Blarney
and Mallow, no bands of insurgents have been met
with, and none are left lurking anywhere in
the county. Mr. Ryan, R.M., reported this morn-
ing that the county from Midleton to Youghal was
perfectly quiet. The Midleton Fenians have disap-
peared into the county Waterford, and are believed
to have joined the main body of the insurgents in the
Galtees. Thinned as they have been by desertions,
their numbers must have become very insignifi-
cant before they reached their destination. The
parties a hich were to have risen in the west of the
county failed their leaders at the List moment.
On Tuesday night an inconsiderable body of
men are said to have assembled at Slecom
Hill and at Macroras ; but they appear to have
dispersed at once without attempting any en-
terprise. Of the Bellincollig Fenians, who were
to have seized the powder mills with the assistance
of contingents from Blarney and Cork, there
was only a partial rising, and the Dien, discouraged
by their small number, separated after a few hours
of indecision. A detatchment from Passage and
Cannegaline were to have joined a force from Cork
at Rochetown, on the Cork and Passage Railway,
to have destroyed the track of the railway, torn
down the telegraph posts, and then to march on
Passage, where the police-station was to have been
attacked ; but only fifty men assembled at the
rendezvous, and their captain—a Cork man—de-
cided that they had better disperse quietly, which
they accordingly did. From the city of Cork a
body of two or three thousand men—tradesmen,
ahopmen, and labourers—went out to the
various rendezvous on the night of the
rising ; but three-fourths of them were un-
armed, and more than half returned the
same night. Numbers of others who remained
out until the neat day have re-appeared at their
homes since Thursday, and more are still coming
in. From the statements of these men it seems
that the bulk of the insurgents were highly in-
censed at the manner in which they had been duped
by their leaders. Want of arms was the chief cause
of the sudden collapse of the movement, which, as
far as regards mere numbers, was of the must for-
midable character. Not a tenth of those called
on had any description of arms—not even pikes.
" What can we do without arms 1" was the universal
cry. It seems that the leaders relied upon obtaining
large quantities of arms from the country homes,
but theraid upon theseyielded only a veryfew really
serviceable weapons, the guns usually obtained
being fowling-pieces, with an occasional blunderbuss
of the time of our grandfathers, and pistols
which had been preserved solely as heirlooms.
In conducting this raid for weapons the Fenians
were careful to observe a strictly military aspect.
No attempt at indiscriminate plunder was per-
mitted. The leader, attended by a small body of
men, entered the house marked out for attack,
and demanded the surrender of the arms contained
in it, his men remaining outside prepared to back
Iris request by force if necessary. On receiving
such weapons as were to be had—guns and farmyard
Pi kea in sonic instances—the party derail' ped without
doing mischief. In each case the leader left with
the proprietor of the house an acknowledgment
of the weapons taken and a pass to secure him
from further molestation. One of the latter
documents left with Mr. Dyce, of Birch-hill, a
Roman catholic gentleman, was signed " Francis
Loners, commanding 2nd division Cork infantry,
Irish Republican army." Lomas is an Irish-
American, and several of his subordinates were
of the same hybrid nationality. The party were
armed one-third with pikes and two-thirds with
guns, of which only a small proportion were
rifles.

It is asserted that there is a considerable number
of men in the Fenian ranks who have joined merely
for fearthat if they held back they would be shot. In
this city several young men applied for permission
to sleep in the police barracks and in the houses of
their employers, in the apprehension that they
would be taken out of their beds if they remained
at home. There were numerous cases in which '
men were called fur by armed parties, and com-
pelled to go out. Those men of course waited for
the first opportunity to desert.
Tipperary and Limerick are the only southern
counties in which the insurgents still hold out.
A small party was reported to have been seen in
the county of Waterford, but these may have been
the Midleton detachment to route to the Gaite4-11.
In Kerry there has been but one outrage,
the attack by a small party ou the railway
station at Millstreet, where the telegraph wires
and instruments were destroyed, but great ;
apprehension prevails in the county, and
special constables have been sworn um for the pro-
tection of Tralee. This evening a small detach.
meat of soldiers was sent front the Mallow Junc-
tion to Millstreet, on which another attack was
expected to be made. The hills in this district
afford facilities fur the assembling of an insurgent
force.

The accuracy of recent reports of the appear/oleo
of Fenian/. in large numbers in the t;:iltees begins
to he doubted. A large number persons assert
that they saw the Fenians front a di.stmtec massed
on the slopes of the mountains, but the detach-
ments of troops and police sent up to the passes
have been unable to meet with any insurgent par-
ties. The explanation given of this failure to
reach the insurgents is this. The mountain in
which the Fenians were seen, the Galteemere
Peak, is in advance of the main range, and it is
said that on the approach of the troops the Fenians
retired to the mountains in the rear, when
amongst the steeps and crags they were secure from
pursuit and even from observation.
Yesterday the Fenians were reported to be
moving gradually away as if dispersing, but it is
possible they may be only moving farther hack
into the mountains to stronger psitions. At
Pallas and Kilfeacle parties of relals of no cmt-
siderable number have been seen, but no
collision between the insurgents and the troops has
occurred since Wednesday evening. The farmers
in the two countiesare in great apprehension fbeing
pressed into the Fenian rinks, as several are said
to have been ; and those who can do so are coming
for safety into the towns. Reinforcements, c..n-
sisting of three companies of the 48th Regiment, a
party of the Military Train, and a party of Etig't-
ewers, arrived in Tipperary to-day.

A telegram from Cork, dated last night, says
The Fenian on the hills are broken up into foraging
parties, pillaging farmers and villagers and stealing arms,
the rebels occasionally concentrating at distant points•
The military and constabulary We said to be harassed day
and night.
♦ dwelling in a populous part of the city, owned by a
nun named O'Beily, is reported to has,: hero enteml be.

•• ....'clock 134 rvening by a ar.l
tut. ~theta, all armed, who carried off a gun.
A trtn•hoU•P at Mitchelidown, on the border of the
I: • ick, ha. been attacked by insurgents ,le.
The farmer replied with three shots, kill.
_ r.•I wounding another. The rest ilea.

hels found in arms have been committed for

It ;mph wires to Valencia and Fennoy have Hgain
lion• are rumours of another outhrmik, and
1,1..nt of s.nu.• outrages in the extreme west of
• sir. hut I h•Lkil, have not curie to band.
k •;•,,,al ei.rresinmilent telegraphs last night
I:nnrrick Junction :—" Everything is quiet
N.. fresh detn..nstrat ions of any kind have
~ n place. Flciug eulumnb of tr. sups left Tipp...,
-;-, this He .ruing to scour the Galley mountains.
• :• thought that the Fenians are returning to
• -r homes as fast as they possibly can. The !nag.
.;• •n le the whole affair appears to me to have
n iunnenecly exaggerated."
.1 private telegram fr.olll Limerick, dat....1 7 o'clock
,•. ening. reports that the churches were well
.1t....i.•.1. The Romanist dutunciatiens of the
Femurs were severe.

DUBLIN, Sus!,.‘i. ErrsiNG.

There hare been no reports received to-day it
;:ny Fenian movements, except that the police bar-
at Mount NTullick, Queen's County, was
s:tde'seil on S:thlriLly night. The police returned
the Fenim fire and shot tw.. men.
A ..:.tilant capture of nine Fenians WM made at
Saturtlay night, in Dublin, by four
d The Fyne:UPl were apparently in
mcil in a public-house in Camden-street. Some
• them were armed with revolvers. The police
hril a sharp struggle with them. One is said to be
the centre it Manchester.

Proclamations are out to-day offering a reward
2:01. for the apprehension of the leader of the
itimis :it Killmallock, calling himself Captain
Dunn, ; and a reward of LOW. for the apprehension
the others who took part in the proceedings.