The Express. — 1853-11-05 (London, England)

FRANCE.   PARIS, TIII:IUIDAY EVENING. The Petrie throws unqualified discredit upon the rumours that have been current all the morning that the Eastern question is settled. The Western Powers (says this government journal) sincerely desire peace, and are even now using their utmost efforts to obtain it. But, while this is the general wish, Russian diplomacy seems now, as on all similar occasions heretofore, to have but one anxiety— namely, to gain time, in order to take measures to accomplish her object with greater certainty. This is now known to all Europe, and the negotiations now going on will receive a new element from this open and apparent fact. A letter from Toulon states that the Minister of Marine has ordered a steam-frigate of the largest size to be placed on the stocks, under the name of the Imperatrice Eugenie. She is to be of SOO horsepower, and is to serve as a model for several other frigates of the same size, which are to be built at Brest, Lorient, and Cherbourg. It is also stated that another frigate, to be called the Foudre, is to be built at Toulon. The screw steam line of bat•le'.hip the Tourville was launched at Brest on the :Slat ult. She is of 040 horse-power, and is one of the nine transformed vessels, which, according to the report of the Minister of Marine, are to be launched within the next two or three months.  The Journal de Indre et Loire says the judicial inquiry following the recent arrests at Tours has led to very serious discoveries, and that at Veretz the police had seized in a deep cellar belonging to M. Moreau, one of the persons in custody, two immense wooden tubes intended to be used as cannons in case of an insurrection.  The Journal do Saint Quentin mentions a seizure at Bohain of 20 pounds of gunpowder at the lodgings of three individuals lately arrived from Belgium. Two of these persons, it is said, escaped, but the third is in custody. A prosecution bas been instituted against the Concorde of Rheims, for publishing several articles without a signature, and especially articles relative to the murder of General de Nenilly. It is to be observed that the law only requires a signature to " political" articles, and it is not easy to see how a narration of the Chalons tragedy can be brought within the statute.  A correspondence from Vienna, dated in the evening of the 30th ult., states the important fact that the Austrian government had contracted a loan with the imperial bank and several leading houses at St. Petersburg.  PARIS, FRIDAY EvastNa.  Amid all this din of war it is a curious fact that the opinion still is that the general peace will not be disturbed, and that the quarrel between Russia and Turkey will be arranged without any serious loss of life. Private letters from Belgium speak of King Leopold's efforts being earnestly directed to so desirable an end, and with great chance of success. Such a state of things has not often been witnessed. A letter from Montpellier, of the Ist inst., states that heavy rains continued to fall in that town and neighbourhood since the 213th October, and had caused considerable damage. The entire plain from Beziers to the sea is flooded. The winter sowing, fortunately, had not been commenced, and the vintage was concluded. The roads from St. Pons, Capestang, and Narbonne are rendered impassable. Ileavl rains, accompanied by a violent hurricane, fell on Thursday night in the departments of the Bouches-du-Rhone, the Corrke, Ille-et-Vilaine, Mayville, Tarn, by which enormous damage was done in the country. The Emperor, on the report of the Minister of War, has decreed that the clerks of the bureaux of the Intendence Militaire, who are chosen from the army, but whose position has heretofore been inferior to that of other administrative functionaries of the War Department, shall henceforth form a section (the 4th) of the personnel of the administrative services of that department. At the Bourse to-day the Three per Cents. fell per cent., and the Four-and-a-Half per Cents., i .per cent., below yesterday's quotations. Closing prices for money :—Three per Cent. Rentes, 73.55; ditto Four-and-a-Half per Cents., 99.40. Bank shares, 2,1300.