The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1840-04-10 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE,  EGYPT.  Private letters from Malta bring additional intelligence from Alexandria to the 22d of March. It appears that there are some political relations between Mehemet Ali and the Imaum of Sanaa, who is the Sultan of Yemen. An envoy extraordinary of this Imaum went to Egypt a few months ago, and had secret conferences with the Viceroy, the purposes of whiCh are yet unknown. He returned to his master, accompanied, on the part of the Viceroy, by Hussein Effendi returned from his mission to Cairo, and thence started at once for Alexandria, where he thought to find the Viceroy, but not finding him, he returned to 'Cairo, and on the 13th of March had a secret interview with him, in which he gave a complete account of his mission. The Viceroy seemed completely satisfied, and Hussein Effendi was again sent with fresh despatches to the Imaum. It is reported at Alexandria that the presence of. the Scheriff of Mecca on the coast of Yembo, where the Bedouins bad risen, has greatly contributed to subject them to the Egyptians. The Bishop Frederico Cao came to Cairo by the way of Suez, having accomplished his mission in Ava and Pegu. The Viceroy has returned from Cairo to Alexandria, and the preparations for war always continue. Tents, which are intended for the four regiments expected from Arabia, have already come to Alexandria, and powder and ammunition are disembarked every day at Mahmoudeh, whence they are transported by camels to the Government magazines. Exercise is gone through both by laud and sea ; 60 cannons of large calibre have been sent to Aboukir to fortify that station, and carriages for cannon are manufacturing at the arsenal. On the 20th of March Aly Gezar, an old Arab, was sent by the Viceroy to Boulaque and old Cairo to form the redif (militia). This man had been in disgrace for 15 years for a quarrel with Soliruan Aga, whom he attempted to shoot. He was exiled, but as he was an influential person, the Pasha recalled him to Alexandria, and said—" Old man, I have made you a colonel, hut you shall not wear the decoration until you have formed a regiment at Boulaque and Old Cairo." The Alexandrians have become proud of bearing the musket, and the colonels and officers are more haughty than the Pasha himself. The Capuchin priests cannot appear without being grossly insulted. Ibrahim Pasha, from never praying at all, has turned devotee, prays five times a day, and severely chastises those of his soldiers who will not do the same. The plague continues, and the doctors, not fully understanding the disease, often fall into ridiculous mistakes. An Arab, who had fallen in the street in a tit of intoxication, was sent to the Lazaretto by the health authorities' and though on coming to his senses he cried out that he was well, the guardians of health would not commit themselves, and he had to perform quarantine. Accounts from Dames state, that the murderers of the Padre Tommaso have at length been discovered, but the details of the affair are so extraordinary that it is hard to give them credit. It appears that the deceased was invited to enter the house of certain Jewish merchants, who sent his servant for a barber. They all assisted in cutting the throat of the priest; his body was hung up by the feet, that the blood might flow into a basin ; and his flesh cut into small pieces, and his head and bones heaped up in a pile. These remnants were put in sacks, to be thrown into the common sewer of the Jewish quarter, where they were found. Nine persons were apprehended, and seven, amongst whom were the barber and the servant, confessed the crime. Some turned Mussulmans in the hope of saving their life, but in vain ; five have been already hanged. According to the confessions of the murderers, the priest was killed that his blood might be used for passover bread, according to an ancient custom of their religion. However, the Israelites say that this confession is entirely false, and has been drawn forth by torture, and that the government has only wanted an excuse to despoil the rich Jews of their wealth. A singular feature has been the violent indignation of the Mussulmans of Damas, &c., at the death of a Christian. The strictest exercise of authority has been required to prevent the extermination of all the Jews in Damas.