Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-10-16 00:00:00

tinily declared to be his most earnest wish. To
Nocedal was due the tyrannical law on the press,
which has unquestionably been one promin nt
cause of the fall of the Ministry. Moyano, the
Minister of Public Works, although less bitterly
disliked than Nocedal, brought discredit on the
Government by his. notorious jobs. In short, there
was no redeeming feature in the Cabinet, no one
member of it to whom the Spanish public accorded

its confidence or esteem.
A long report by M. Faidherbe, Governor of
Senegal, of his expedition against the Arabs of the
upper country, has just been published. The chief
exploit of the expedition was the capture of the
town and fortress of Somsom. This fort was sur-
rounded by a wall 300 metres in circumference,
five metres high, and about four feet think at
the base. , The wall was made of stones.
clay, chopped straw, and wood, and had eighteen
towers serving as bastions. Within there was a
smaller enclosure, defended by four towers,. The
place was impregnaHe to native attacks, mountain
howitzers were insufilcient to• make a breach, and
it was necessary to bring up larger artillery. An at-
tack by a native chief in the French service WAS
unsuccessful, but he continued -to blockade the
place, pending the arrival of reinforcements.
These, consisting of about 500 men, with 40 mules
and three howitzers, • ascended the river Senegal,
and landing on the 13th of August, commenced
their march by getting into a swamp, where they
had to wait the arrival of daylight. They then
moved on through a most magnificent country,
rich in wood an 1 water, and in a luxuriant vege-
tation, fig and tamarind trees rising to su:h a
colossal height as.would render any one of them
a wonder in Europe. The sight of the fort did not
inspire the besiegers with great conadence of its
capture, but it was resolved to sluing a mine and
• try the assault by the baach thus made.
The Arabs, however, intimidated by the arrival
of fresh enemies evacuated the place in the
night. There was some skirmishing, but
with slight loss on either side. Somsom
was sacked, the towers blown up, and part,
of the wall knocked down. After this success a
razzia was resolved upon against a chief who had
first induced Al Hadji, the great saint and warrior
of thatpart of Africa, to enter the district and
attack the French fort of- Medina. The French
were nearly 2,000 strong, including some native
troops and volunteers. Their march was attended
withall the difficulties to ba expected in that country
and climate The troops had to cross numerous
watercourses and to struggle through dense forests,
which sudden cataracts of rain often convert into

lakes. At last they came in sight of the village
which was the object of their march, and which
was protected by two large " tatas" or forte. A
stream intervened, swollen by recent rains, and
f among as it r tshed alcng its rocky channel. Two
or three shells were thrown, and the infantry

plunged, in a body, into the water. The razzia vas
completely successful and the booty considerable,'
consisting .of jewels. household utensils, 800
women and children, 500 cows, and a great number
of sheep, asses, and other animals. The cattle
served to revictual Medina, which had been block-
aded for three months. The unlucky Arabs fled, pet-
fectly ruined, and the expedition returned to St.
Louiß, taking with them a great number of
sick, but having lost few men by the enemy's
fire. It is observable that the French have of
late displayed great activity in all their African
possessions, and are evidently determined to
get rid of troublesome neighbours, and to
give security to their colonies, if not to extend
them. It would not be surprising if, at no distant
period, measures were to be adapted to stimulate
settlement in Algeria, by the concession of certain
advantages to settlers. It might not be difficult
to devise some plan of the kind, beyond what
has been already done in that way. The Em-
peror seems to take a strong interest in the
African possessions of France, and to be anxious
to civilise and
.Frenchify them. To this end it
would, doubtless, be desirable to get persons of the
better classes to establish themselves there, but to
do this, notwithstanding, the proximity of Algeria
to France, strong inducements must be held out.
A. survey is now being made of the land bordering
'on the railways proposed to' be constructed in
Algeria These lands will in time, dotibtle;s,
become very valuable, and it is said that out'of
them will,he„earved.gnajerats, to be bestowed on tlie
great dignitaries of the empire.
I am assured that the sentence of death passed.
on Captain D3ineau has been commuted by the
Emperor to perpetual imprisonment in a fortress.

PRUSSIA:

BERLIN, Oct. 13.

The interest attached here to the varying state of
the King's health is too absorbing. to admit of any
,other sul j let attaining any thinensions in men's
minds. This, period.of the year is, under ordinary
circumstances, of no par iCnlar interest ; the visit-
ing about of Royal or other influeneial personages
has generally ceased by this time, with the return of
short days and col weather, and nevertheless it is
too early in the winter season for politics to have es
yet resumed' their wonted place in the attention.
of the coinmnnity. No wonder, then, that the
presence of so important an event to the State
of Prussia as the severe illness of the King,
actually endangering his life, should exelud,! all
,
other topics, even if tney were interesting, which
they .are not.
In order to keep the population of Berlin
correctly informed of • the state of the' Kula's
health, copies of the offi !jai bulletins are exhibited
in all the district police offices, together with tither
reliable information on the subject. This, fore
thought to prevent anything lika panic, has ex-
tended itself so -far as to cause one of the early
bulls tins, although drawn up by his Majesty's own
physicians, to be cancelled, because it mentioned
that the King had been bled, and the s ime watch-
ful anxiety for other persons' equanimity, prevents
any but the most guarded and favourable news
being forwarded by the telegraph.
The following is the latest bulleine of the
King's health received by telegraph
:
"SANS SOUCI, Om 13, 7.30 flit

"During the course_ of to day His Majesty the
King has been free from further attacks of conges-
tion. On -the whole, however, there is- no marital
change in the condition of His
SCHONLEIN.
'6 GItI xI,M.
" WEISS."