The Express.
London, England, 1861-05-01 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING, MAY 1, 1861.

could possibly be the triumph of democratic per-
militancy, and the humiliation of the Peers. On
this ground the PALMIER urged the expediently of
closing with the proposition now made by the Go-
vernment, and so to afford an opportunity to the
Upper House of placing itself once more in har-
mony with the Lower ; and in the true Conserva-
tive sense, sound and excellent the advice must be
held to be. But Mr. DIRRAZLI and his followers
care for none of these things. They are Conner-
, vatives in the obstructive sense only. They
would preserve the gaps and breaches in the wall,
because they arc there, instead of trying to restore
them in order that it might stand the longer in its
entirety. They would not allow even small and
partial reparations to be made last year in the
constitution of the Lower House ; and now they I
would fain preserve and perpetuate a cause of
grudge and ill-will against the Upper House for
the merest party purpose. Mr. Gr.seeross is the
only man since the days of Sir RAMIIRT PILL
whom they have learned to hate and fear ; and
to be avenged on him for all he has made
them submit to, and all the ridicule with
which he has covered them as a party, they
are ready to acquiesce in any absurdity their
chiefs may advise. Nobody knows better than
Mr. Ducasaix bow to fool them to the top
of their bent. He offers accordingly to forego
office for the present, and to postpone the restora-
tion of peace between the two Houses, provided
Ministers will throw overboard their ablest and
most eloquent colleague. We cannot help think-
ing that if he was serious in making such pro-
posals, they would not have been publicly made.
But the chief of the Opposition well knows that
he will have no majority on Thursday night, sad
that consequently the case will not aria& He,
therefore, thinks it •good occasion for humouring
his party by making what they probably consider
a rather magnanimous offer.

CAPTAIN BRABAZON.

TO TIN RDITOI or saes 1199111/111.
Sts,-.-Conadering the fa'e of ay eon prejudiced
by an article in the Times of Saturday, I should feel obliged
by your giving this letter a place in your kowisal.
The day is naturally gone by when public feeling was
sensitively alive to the fate and sufferings of our prisoners
in China ; affliction now alone remains with their familiar
I have to complain that the Timm has attempted to crush
cut all hope from those noble.minded men who still see a
chance, however remote, of his restoration, and our labour.
leg to effect it. IDM even authorised in saying that cue of
the most intelligent minds and benevolent hearts in Europe
does not consider the chance a desperate one, and after the
strictest scrutiny does not think that either evidenoe or probe.
bility justifies the assumption that my son was murdered se
described, and on this opinion is the Russian government
acting, and not by any means at the solicitatim of our
ministry. Independent of the fate of my son, • question
remains unanswered, affecting the honour of Wend and
the interest of every family, of every class, connected with
be army. It is this:—Did a young soldier, who fell in the
I discharge of a desperate order (for be did not
volunteer) to aim note. in the rear of • Tartar
army drawn out in order of battle—did he, in
his struggle for life, have that consideration and protection
from his chiefs which was his due? Is the boast of Eng-
lied that she throws her shield before her sons in adverse
fate an unworthy clap.trep, merely meant to catch than
in thoughtless and heedless assemblies ? Lord Ilga shall
be judged from his own math. Three days (Oct. 27) after
the treaty was signed at Pekin, his despatch says, " All
the prisouers have now been accounted fur except Captain
Branum, of the Artillery. Manicure which reach as
from various quarters lead us to fear that ha mat have
seat with • violent death, and I am Molina to credit
the report, although I have no patties evidence of its
accuracy." Thu ends poor Captain Brahma Wirt do you
think of this, parents al sublime ? Had his lordship been
more communicative, be might have added, " Ceder exist-
ing circumstances the general and I have eaddered it expe-
dient to consult the wishes sad feelings at the Chars on
this matter, es well as to save time and trouble, and to pat
them to no further inconvenience about this soldier." He
certainly acted up to this principle. My son was lest seen
proceeding under guard to Sancolthein's army ; the Chinese
weld have found no difficulty in communicating with it had
a stern demand been made then, but they found saying
they knew nothing about him to be satisfactory to our anthir
rides. Why was not the canal, into which it was mid
his detspitated trunk was thrown, dragged ? It is shallow
and thin ; and a abadance of coolies to have executed the
ceder if given wee close at band. People do not hesitate
to say, for want of any other solution, why this obvious
step was not taken—because our chiefs well knew the
body wss not there, and it was desirable not to undeceive the
public. I admit no other conduct could have been expected
hem these gentlemen, who, at the heed of a victorious
army, remained three weeks within gunshot of the sorrow.
fel sighing of our prisoners, who were appointed to die,
without running any risk for their relief, though only
opposed by • panic.dricken, muted rabble and mouldering
walls. nodes of Napier, Havelock, Nicholson, and Niel,
look down with pity on the British arms.
Fearing that feeling might prejudice me in the matter,
I turned to the peps of the Timor, now disposed to stills
inquiry, and find in the anther of December 11 an article
that mat • tapas° in every breast in England—" Eternal
Infamy would cling to the ambassador, generals, and armies
who should cane bask from Pain without being able to
prove to the world, by the palpable evidence of seise, that
they have not left these men (Bonny and Brabeson) in the
dacha of the Chinese ; if the tack of the Emperor's
palace has produced the restoration of Mr. Parkes,
Mr. Loeb, IL L. Eicheyrec, and our thirteen
sokliere ; if the Chinese will only answer to such
perenadves, let us admisider to them day by day,
hoar by hour, so keg se aceseary ; and if there be no
milder mane of coercion, eves destroy Pekin, palace by
pale's, temple by Martha sad even house by house, until
we oasis the release of our eountrysies, or absolute proof
that they are beyond human aid." Has our ambassador or
general fulfilled any el these cooditions, and consequently
what arc we to eau* to their names sow and for ever-
more t—l am. ke., H. BB.ABAZON, Major.
Army and Navy Club, April 30.

LATEST INTELUGENCE. I

THE lONIAN. HILANDS.
COLLISION MIME= THE TROOPS AND

THE PEOPLE.

The Nord of to-day contains a despatch stating
that on the evening of the 24th ult. a conflict broke
out between the English garrison and the people of
Corfu. Twelve soldiers and eight inhabitants were
wounded. The Irecidpendance Beige and the Paris
papers represent the affair as having occurred at
Zante.

The Patric of last evening says :—" It is asserted
that the Lord High Commissioner of the lonian
Islands has issued a proclamation, in which he
declares that should the disturbances which have
broken out at several points continue, the country
will be placed in a state of siege."
The same paper asserts that Corfu is militarily
occupied, and that the troops are encamped in the
squares and sheets.

DREADFUL EARTHQUAKK-7,000 LIVES

LOST.

LISBON, Aram 30.

Advice. from Rio de Janeiro to the 9th instant
state that a dreadful earthquake had destroyed
the city of Mendoza in the Argentine Republic.
The number of victims were said to be 7,000. Two
thousand houses were thrown down. The loss was
estimated at 350,000,000 francs.

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

OINK OUR overt

PARM, Timmy Emma.

The IndBpendance Beige lately represented that
the absence of Prince Metternich at the first re-
ception of Vely Paella, after his arrival in Paris,
was a symptom of serious differences between
Turkey and Austria. This is altogether a mistake.
It happened that the secretary of the Turkish em-
bus), from want of knowledge of the recognised
etiquette in such cases, issued cards of invitation
to the corps diplomatique addressed to "the Em-
bassy," instead of the " Ambassador." Not only
Prince Metternich but Lord Cowley and M. de
Hisseleff thought fit not to consider themselves per-
sonally invited by a card so worded, and sent their
attache to pay the visit of ceremony. This is
nothing more than the counterpart of the old story
of • lieutenant-colonel of an English regiment ab-
senting himself from a ball to which the " officers"
only were invited, no special mention being made
lof his name. This merely formal affair has been
entirely cleared up, and Prince Metternich as well
as the other two ambassadors have now paid per-
sonal visits to Vely Pacha.
The note in the Pet►ie justifying the prolonged
occupation of Rome is considered semi-official.
The Prase describes the two first of its reasons as
"obscure though short," and regards the last—
viz., the strategetical argnment—as the only one of
any solidity. On this head the Prow calls to mind
that IL Billault lately spoke of the necessity of oc-
cupying Rome as • precaution, lest a collision
should occur between Italy and Austria. The
Monde construes the occupation as founded on the
above reason, and declines to draw any comfort
from it in its own ultramontane point of view.
There is • rumour that the Pope has bad positive
notice that the French army will come away by
July 1, but I am afraid it is not true.
The Pays, which has shown itself highly sympa-
thetic for all annexationist movements in the West
India Islands, whether in favour of France or Spain,
hastens to contradict the statement of several
foreign journals that France had protested against
the recent events in Hayti. The French consul, it
says, merely struck his flag, which is simply an
" expectatire" sot.
At the Bourse the course of transactions pre-
vious to the settlement was in favour at the ope-
rators for the rise. The Rente closed at (Mfr. 75c.
both for cash and account, with a rise of 15e. and
100. Mobilier rose 3fr. 75c. In railways there
was scarcely any change. Bank of France shares,
which, though generally so steady, have fluctuated
considerably since the Marseilles failures, fell 25fr.
General de Laweestine, the commander-in-chief
of the national guards, and who has held that poet
since the reorganisation of the force in 1852, is very
seriously ill.