The Express.
London, England, 1861-04-24 00:00:00

THE FAILURES AT MARSEILLES.

A letter from Marseilles says :—" Contrary to
what had hem expected, the firms of Demetrius, Balthaasl,
and Co., and Gabriel, Have, and Co., of this city, have sus.
lauded payment. The Bank of France advanced them in
one day about 3,000,000 fr., but when one of its principal
functionaries was sent to thoertain their real situation, and
found that they would require a further sum of 6,000,000 fr.
before the end of the month, it refused them any thither
discount, and they were obliged to suspend. Very few
bankers of this city are said to be compromised, owing to
the bank having for three months discounted directly for
i the two firms n question. It is stated that the bank bolds
their bills to the amount of 31.000,000 fr. The two firms,
however, have large assets ; the Sultan owes them about
2.5,000.000 fr. • sad if the French government would
authorise a Turkish loan they would be able to resume pay-
ment. It is feared that these suspensions will cause other
disasters among the Greek firms of Marseilles." Another
letter says : 'The houses in question are two of the
most eminent houses in the Levant trade, and it is be-
lieved that the aggregate liabilities will not be less than •
million and a quarter sterling. The bulk of their accept.
lances are held by the Bank of France. Any loss that may
occur will fall Wady abroad. In most quarters, how-
ever, it is believed that the two firms have
merely been overtaken by the undue extent of
their engagements, and that the assets will prove to
be very large. The excellent character for caution en-
joyed by the management of the Bank of France, who have
hitherto given them great support, affords much ground
for this hopeful view. It is mnaidered by no means
improbable that assistance may yet be extended to
them. Meanwhile, • good deal of anxiety is felt by the
Greek interest here with regard to the effect of these dis-
asters in Coustantinople, where each of the ontharressed
houses has an artablishment. It may be as well to mention
that Mean. G. Hays and Co., of *Marseilles, are under-
stood not to be partners in the firm of P. Have and Co.,
of London. Messrs. D. Balthazei and Co., of Marseilles,
have no home in London. The Bank of Fiance is said to
have installed two clerks in each of the houses at Marseilles
with a view to have the whole ramification of the business
of the houses with the Turkish government clearly brought
out."

NEW GOLD FIELD IN GIPPSLAND, VICTORIA.

The Melbourne Argus, by the last mail, states
that the report of Mr. Alfred Hewitt, the son of William
Hewitt, who was appointed to head one of the two parties
sent into Gippshind to search for fresh goldfields, had been
published by the government. It stated th►t a new and
paying gold-field had been discovered by Mr. Alfred Hewitt
on the Crooked River in Snowy Mountains. That it bad
attracted a large proportion of the population from
South Gippsland. Th►t many miners were engaged with
remunerative result', sal amongst them were the principal
portion of the men who had accompanied both Mr. A.
Howitt and Mr. Nicholson, the leader of the other party
which had been to the eastward of Gippslana, but without
emcees. The best road to the new gold-field was said to be
from Port Albert and through Sale, fifty miles from that
place, and onward by the Wasangari river. The govern-
ment prospecting party had not only discovered the new
field, but bad modes passable track through the mountains,
blaring the trees through the forests, cutting sideliag roads
along the hills, sod building up hollows with logs and stone.
This is good news for Victoria, whose old gold-fields have for
some time been falling off.

AN ENGLIEHNAN'S Furr.—At Rouen, a few days
back, two journeymen blacksmiths, named Bucher and
Begley, the former a German, and the latter an English.
man, went into a public•house to drink, and after a while
got into a discussion about the superiority of their respect-
we countries ; in the course of which the German derided
England for producing no wine. and the Englishman was
excessively bitter on the Germans for eating sourkront. At
length the disputants came to blows, and the &deaneries
were soon lying on the pound, the German by • terrific
blow from the Englishman's list, and the Englishman from
three stabs of the German's knife. For this " cutting and
wounding" the German was on Monday brought to trial
before the Tribunal of Correctional Police. "How could
you nee a knife," asked the President, "against aME who
has no arms "No arms !" replied the &caned " why
an Englishman's fist is like a club—a blow from it knocks
hau down at once! If I had not used my knife ho would
ve finished me!" The Trilraoal condemned the man to
six months' imprisonment
THE SUCPOSED MURDER AND SNICIDE IN CAR-
LIELIL—The adjourned inquiry into the death of Wm.
Henley, who was found dead in the Pack-horse Public-
house, Carlisle, on the morning of the 12th inst., and also
into the death of Mrs. Davidson, the landlady of the maid
public.houes, who died while the inquest was being held on
the body of Horsley, wee resumed on Monday morning at
11 o'clock, in the Colfee-house, Carib's. After some other
evidence had been taker', Mr. Teisperiey and Dr. Hendrie
that they had made • peet-siortest examination,
v..alsot analysed the contents of Mrs. Davidson's stomach.
They found arsenic in the cottage to such an 41100011 t 118 to
GUM death. They could not sae as to Horsley's body,
their examination not being finished. The inquiry was
then adjourned till Thursday, the tad at May.