The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-09-12 00:00:00

MILITARY REVOLT AT MADRID

The Moniteur of Monday publishes the following
TELEGRAPHIC DISPATCH :-

Bayonne, Sept. 3
In the night of the 29th to the 30th, a Battalion of the
Regiment del Principe revolted at Madrid. The men de-
manded their discharge, which had been promised to them
This battalion was immediately disarmed. Five sergeants,
two corporals, and one private, were shot on the mor-
ning of the 30th in the presence of the garrison, and ap-
peared to be devoted to the government.
The Queen and Infanta returned to Madrid on the
evening of the 30th. They were received with the warm-
est enthusiasm. Madrid was perfectly tranquil.
The Madrid Gazette of the 28th ultimo, contains a de-
cree of the Minister of the interior, prescribing that as
soon as the election for the Cortes shall have been termi-
nated, all the provincial deputations shall be renewed, and
enter on the functions the first of November next. This
decree has created considerable sensation at Madrid, as it
was considered a violation of the constitution.

MADRID, AUGUST 29.—A1l the garrison has again taken
arms during the night. Strong patrols traversed the
streets. General Narvaez, at the head of his staff, de-
spatched orders to all parts of the capital. Pots of in-
fantry were placed before several houses. The most con-
tradictory rumours were circulated as to the causes which
could have induced the government to determine on this
energetic measure, and which could have influenced this
unusual display of force. Some declared that the govern-
ment had discovered secret depots of musket and ammu-
nition. Others maintained that the government were
anxious to provoke a collision between the garrison and
inhabitants, in order that they might have a pretext for
placing Madrid under the control of exceptional laws.
During the nights of the 28th and 29th the troops were
under orders, and the greatest vigilance prevailed through-
out the garrisou.

The King of Hanover arrived on the 4th at Antwerp,
with a numerous suite, and took lodgings at the beautiful
Hotel, St. Antoine-hill. A special tr kin was ordered to
convey His Majesty to Brussels to visit King Leopold.
The Queen of Belgium was shortly expected from Eu.
A letter dated Baden, Sept. 4, published in the Times,
gives an account of a duel fought at that place between
M. Verifkin and M. de Goler, an officer of artillery, in
which the latter received a ball in his chest, and the for-
mer was shot dead.

EXTRAORDINARY BRIDGE.—We read, in a letter from
Venice :—" The construction of the bridge which is to
connect this city with the main land is urged on with
great activity. Of thirty-four arches, which it is to have,
twenty are already terminated ; and, to all appearances,
this gigantic monument will be entirely finished before the
end of next year."

A letter from Constantinople states, that " the impres-
sion is every day gaining ground in this place, that the re-
port of the Murder of Colonel Stoddart and Cap. Connolly,
at Bokhara, is altogether unfounded in fact. All the
Hajjis who pass through Constantinople, on their way to
Mecca, agree in contradicting this story, and state that
though incarcerated, these gentlemen are still alive."
COL. STODDARP AND CAPT. COOLLY.—On Thursday
last a meeting took place in London, at which it was re-
solved that efforts should instantly be made to ascertain
the fate of these two officers ; that a committee be au-
thorised to communicate forthwith with the Government,
in order still, if possible. to secure their interference ; and
if they do not succeed in that, to send out Dr. Wolff for
the purpose; a handsome subscription has already been
entered into.

EXTRAORDINARY DUEL.—A fatal but extraordinary
duel took place a few days since in the commune of Mai-
san-fort (Seine-et-Oise). Two gentlemen, named Lefant
and Maldant, having quarrelled over a game at billiards,
drew lots who should first throw the red ball at his ad-
versary's head. Chance favoured M. Maldant, who
threw the ball with such force and correct aim at the fore-
head of the other as kill him on the spot.—Galignani's
Messenger.

DEATH OF THE DAUGHTER AND THE SON-IN-LAW
OF VICTOR HuGo.—On Sunday week the newly married
daughter of the celebrated French writer, Victor Hugo,
went with her husband, M. Vacquerie, his brother and
uncle to sail on the Seine. The sheets having been made
fast, the boat was taken aback and overset, when all on
board perished. Madame Victor Hugo received the news,
on Tuesday morning, at Havre, where she has been resid-
ing some time with her two other children. She set out
immediately for Paris. M. Victor Hugo is travelling.

MASSACRE OF THE NESTORIAN CHRISTIANS.—The
expedition of the Pasha of Mosul against the Mountain
Nestorians has been attended with the most deplorable
success, and that success stained, as was to be expected,
from the co-operation of his savage auxiliaries the Kurds,
with every sort of atrocity. The houses of the wretched
inhabitants were fired, and they themselves hunted down
like wild beasts and exterminated. Neither sex nor age
met with favour or mercy; the mother, brothers, and
sisters of the patriarch were the objects of peculiar
barbarity, the former having been literally sawed in two,
and the latter most shockingly mangled and mutilated.
The patriarch himself succeeded in effecting his escape,
and has taken refuge in the house of the British consular
agent at Mosul. The number of victims who have
perished in this massacre is not yet known. The popu-
lation of the mountains amounted to 100.000. Their
fate has been truly lamentable and extraordinary. Sur-
rounded by Mussulman hordes, pent up for ages in their
native fortresses, the very existence of these children of
the primitive church had remained almost a secret to the
rest of Christendom. Happy for them, indeed, had it
continued so, for their obscurity seems to have be, n their
best protection. No sooner had their country been ex-
plored by missionaries, and the interest of learned and
scientific men been awakened with respect to them, than
this terrible visitation befel them, and the public is
called upon to sympathize with them in their destruction,
before, perhaps, it had become generally aware of their
existence. Letters from Mosul throw much of the odium
of this sad affair upon Europeans. It was the imprudent
zeal of rival missionaries that first excited the jealous ap-
prehensions of the Pasha of Mosul, and caused him to
"let slip the dogs of war" on the unfortunate Nestorians.
It is affirmed even that some of these gentlemen, with a
view of prejudicing his mind against the American mis-
sionaries, suggested to him that they were assisting the
mountaineers to raise forts, whereby they would be here-
after enabled to set the Sultan's authority at defiance.
These reports were altogether unfounded : their conse-
quences, however, have been dreadful—such, indeed, as
could never have been contemplated by the inventors of
them. who have, nevertheless, brought an awful re-
sposibility upon themselves.

ESPARTERO.—This distinguished Spaniard, whose re-
cent misfortunes have caused him to come a fugitive to
our shores, was born in 1;94, and is the son of a humble
joiner of the village of Garantula, in La Mancha. By
the aid of an uncle, of the clerical profession, he received
in his youth education to qualify him for the same calling.
The war withiFrance having broken out, he, at the age of
fifteen years, formed one of a volunteer corps of his fel-
low-students. This corps was afterwards drafted to the
regular service, and Espartero remained a few years in. a
private position, when he was placed by his uncle in a
military school at Cadiz. When twenty-three years of
age, he in due course, received the commission of ensign.
He then went over to South America with the troops sent
by Ferdinand VII sent to reduce the rebellious Spanish
colonies. He acted for along time as secretary to General
Murillo ; but obtaining leave to join in attacking a fortress,
in the assault all his superior officers were killed, and he
displayed great valour in successfully leading the storm-
ing party. He rose to the brevet rank of brigadier-gene-
ral, and became colonel of a regirotnt, and brought home

a large fortune, which was said in a great part to be the
produce of successful gambling, in which vice the Spanish
officers at the time excessively indulged. When the Car-
list war broke out in 1833, he offered his services to the
Queen Regent, and was appointed to command the Chris-
tino forces in the province of Biscay. His military ca-
reer may be described in exhibiting conspicuous valour in
actual conflict, but as a General, much procrastination,
and a desire rather to wear out the enemy, than to meet
and conquer him. After the military revolution of 1835
at Madrid, when the Queen Regent was forced to accept
the constitution of 1812, Cordova threw up his office as
Commander-in-Chief, and recommended Espartero as his
successor. This recommendation was carried into effect,
though the temporary command devolved for a time on
General Ovaa. After months of censured inactivity, an
action occurred near Bilboa, in which, by his distinguished
valour, he redeemed his credit, leading in person the last
decisive charge of horse. After this followed again in-
activity, during which Don Carlos was allowed to approach
the very gates of Madrid. After this there was a loud
clamour among his officers for a dissolution of the Minis-
try, and several intrigues followed, the result of which was
that his only rivals, Narvaez and Cordova, thought it pru-
dent to go into exile, and Alaix, and his favourite lieuten-
ant, was made Priaie Lieutenant of Spain. The war was
terminated, as our readers will recollect, by the treachery
of Maroto. He then, in 1839, received the title of the
Duke of Victory. Lie assumed the Premiership in 1840,
and demanded to be associated with Queen Christiana in
the Regency. Queen Christino abdicated her office and
left Spain, and Espartero was appointed Regent in her
stead.