24 AUGUST 1844, Page 4

fforeigni an (Colonial.

MOROCCO AND Anozara.—The bombardment of Tangier is still the great topic of news from North-western Africa ; and materials have been received for a faller and somewhat more connected narrative. The mediating mission of Mr. Drummond Hay, the British Charge d'Affaires, appeared to go on smoothly, though, as it proved, in vain: a gentleman who accompanied Mr. Hay writes thus, in a letter quoted by the Morning Chronicle- " After remaining seventeen days at Morocco, we left it on the 24th ultimo, with every hope that the mission had succeeded; and on the 5th August we had a personal interview with the Sultan at Rabat. He received its with the greatest kindness, seemed really grateful for Mr. Hay's interference in the French and Spanish affairs, and ended by conceding every point in question, both by France and Spain. We were therefore surprised to hear a heavy can- nonade next morning, when about fifteen miles from Tangier ; and on coming into the bay about eleven o'clock, found the Prince De Joinville, with three line-of-battle ships, a frigate, two brigs, and nine steamers, bombarding the town. Besides the English ships Albion, Warspite, and Hecht, there were also in the bay the Spanish squadron, and an American, a Swedish, a Sardinian, and a Danish frigate, and a Danish steamer. On the night of the 5th, the Prince was on board the Albion ; stated his intention of leaving for Cadiz, and hopes that all would be permanently settled; but declared that he knew nothing whatever of Ilay'a mission, and that, if necessary to proceed to hostilities, he could not wait for his return."

The French fleet consisted of three ships of the line—the Suffren, (with the Prince De Joinville on board,) the Jemappes, and the Triton ; a first-class frigate, the Belle Poule; three brigs—the Cassade, the Argus, and the Volage ; and eight war-steamers. The bombardment is thus narrated in an official summary of the despatches received by the French Government ; the despatches themselves being withheld- " The Government has received news from Tangier of the date of the 7th instant, relative to the action announced by the telegraphic despatch published in the Ilfoniteur of Thursday. "On the deb, was received the answer that the Pacha of Larache, Sidi- Bouselam, forwarded, in the name of the Emperor, to the ultimatum of France. This was not satisfactory. He said nothing touching the dislocation of the Moorish troops collected upon our Algerine frontier, and nothing of the augmentation of the number consequent upon the arrival of the Hereditary Prince, Sidi-Mohammed, who was accompanied by a corps of troops of from twenty to twenty-five thousand men. He renewed the promise of an ex- emplary punishment of the Moorish chiefs guilty of aggression upon our terri- tory, but in subordination to the recall of M. le Mukha' Bugeaud. Lastly, to that part of the letter relating to Abd-el-Kader, he made a show of admit- ting the truth of our complaints, and of a willingness to give reasonable satis- faction; but the composition was vaguely couched, obscure, embarrassed, and fall of reservations and restrictions.

"His Royal Highness Monseigneur the Prince De Joinville, and M. De Ilion, Charge d'Affaires of the King, considered the reply as unacceptable, and written for no other purpose than that of gaining time.

"His Royal Highness, therefore, in conformity with the instructions of the Government of the King, decided upon attacking the fortifications of Tangier.

"The actions which followed are described in communications addressed to M. the Admiral the Minister of Marine.

"On Tuesday the 6th, at half-past eight in the morning, the squadron under the orders of the Prince ran in under the walls of Tangier, and opened upon the works its fire, to cries of 4 Vive le Roil' In an hour, the fire of the place was silenced, the batteries were dismantled, and the guns (pieces) were dis- abled. On our aide the loss was inconsiderable.

"In spite of the difficulties of the locality, the operations of the squadron were attended with ample success. The line-of-battle ship Suffren, bearing the flag of the Prince, was placed in six fathoms and a half of water, near the rock, and took up her position nearest the batteries of the enemy—a position not usual for an Admiral.

"The fire, which began at half-past eight, did not entirely cease till towards eleven o'clock. It was continued during the whole time with an energy which was not checked for an instant, except by the coolness and precision necessary for a good aim. It is owing to this accuracy of aim, and the situation chosen ,by the Prince, that success was achieved with so much rapidity. • "The example shown by the Suffren was nobly emulated by all the ships of the squadron. Everywhere, so far as circumstances allowed, officers, seamen, find soldiers, rivalled each other in ardour and sang-froid. "The resistance offered to us was generally great and vigorous; many of the guns upon the ramparts did not cease their fire until they were disabled by our shot.

"Mr. Hay, the British Consul-General, arrived during the action in the Vesuvius from Mogador. At night he waited upon his Royal Highness the Prince De Joinville, and held a conference with him.

"The Spanish division, an English line-of-battle ship and English frigate, and the Sardinian, Swedish, and American ships of war, were witnesses of the brilliant operation.

"After making the arrangements rendered necessary by the proceedings of the 7th, the squadron again pat to sea on the following morning."

The only things like circumstantial accounts from the French them- selves are scraps of private letters. One, by an officer of the fleet, is published in the Toulonnais- " On the 6th, at half-past eight o'clock a. 771., the Suffren and Jemappes alone took up a position within four cables' length of the town, and the fire Opened immediately. Only two ships of the line were engaged. We feared at an instant that they would not suffice to silence the well-kept-up fire of the enemy; for the Moors, we must confess, bravely defended themselves : but we were soon reassured, for at half-past ten o'clock the place was silent, all the artillery dismounted, and the fortifications entirely demolished. The Triton ship of the line and the Belle Poule frigate took no part in the bombardment, having been detached to destroy some low batteries erected along the coast. The brig Argus occupied a post greatly exposed to the fire of the place. The Canticle was employed in dismounting a battery of four guns, at some distance from the town. In short, the Suffren, Jemappes, Argus, and Cassade, had alone the honours of the day. The Rubis threw about fifty Congreve rockets into Tangier. We lost only two cabin-boys, one belonging to the Suffren and the other to the Argus, and twenty or twenty-five wounded."

A letter by another French naval officer, which we find in the Standard, is not materially different: the writer says-

" The enemy received us with great sang froid, and for the first hour stood well to their guns ; but we were too much for them, and at twenty-five minutes past ten all the fortifications were knocked down. I doubt much that we have put many of the enemy hors de combat: they were well protected by covered ways, and we clearly saw that about nine o'clock they had in a great measure abandoned the forts. I know not whether the town has suffered much. I should suppose it had; for the Rubis showered about fifty Congreve rockets, the greater part of which fell on that part of the city inhabited by the natives. Whilst we were attacking the forts, one of the enemy's batteries, placed at one of the extremities, took us sideways, and greatly incommoded us ; but the Triton and Belle Pottle, having placed.themselves opposite this battery, soon destroyed it. Another battery on the shore, mounted by four pieces of 80, was soon silenced by the Cassette. We had much to contend with, for the wind was against us, and a heavy sea caused our Teasels to roll most tremen- dously. The conduct of our young commander was most admirable : he never for a moment quitted the deck of the Saffron; his orders were given with great coolness; he animated the sailors, and took his station at the post of honour, where there was the most danger."

But there are other narratives. The Times publishes letters which it declares to have been written by British naval officers ; and one of these writers supplies the most minute report of the day's pro-

ceedings. His letter is dated " Her Majesty's ship Warspite, Bay of Tangier, 7th August 1844."-

" At daylight on the 6th August, an unusual stir and activity was apparent in the French squadron ; the whole of the steam force getting up their steam, the other ships shortening-in cable, and altogether there were unequivocal indications of a general movement. What are the French about to do ? are they preparing to depart ? This was the most natural and prevailing sup- position. But judge the unqualified and universal surprise to see, shortly after seven a.m., the steamers with the ships in tow, and arranging them in hostile position before the town of Tangier, and also various other forts in the bay I Although the Moors were at their guns, both in the citadel and various defences, still they did not offer any interruption to their opponents in taking up their position for attack, which also the French did in a very leisurely manner. Had the Moors opened fire whilst in the above predicament, there seems but little doubt that the guns from the batteries would have been most destructive upon the ships; more particularly as the ships lay for a considerable time in a raking position. At the very outset, therefore, in this early stage of the proceedings, the Prince was loudly censured for evincing so much want of judgment. " However, to come at once to the business, at forty minutes past eight a.m. the French ships, being in position, simultaneously, by signal, opened fire upon the fortifications of the town, and other adjacent batteries, castle, &c. The Suffren and Jemappes were occupied till two pan. in silencing the citadel and batteries of the town ; and it must not be forgotten that those formidable liners received during the latter part of the above period the able assistance of the Belle Poule, whilst the other armed vessels were engaging the various detached forts in other parts of the bay. At the first onset, the Moors smartly replied to their antagonists, but did not maintain the opposition much more than half an hour, excepting from one gun at the castle, and another solitary gun lower down. This latter was vigorously plied till noon. Although the Moors soon relin- quished their guns, yet these two guns afforded an obstinate resistance; which caused the French to continue a protracted cannonade; which was remarked to have been very irregular and desultory, and without precision. Indeed, at the termination of the above attack, from a distant observation, it did not ap- pear that either the castle or batteries generally had sustained very material da- mage. Very few guns are disabled. The walls, from being in a weak and decayed condition, are of course greatly shattered in a few places ; but, if those very batteries were in the possession of skilful artillerymen, they are, notwithstand- ing, in their present state, still capable of a formidable defence against such opponents. Upon the whole, it appeared the universal impression, that the Prince, with his two liners and frigate, had not displayed a good exhibition in gunnery : and, in two particular instances that occurred during the day, the impression as to the total deficiency of the French in the art of gunnery re- ceived most remarkable confirmation.

"The first case which shall be adduced was exhibited by the Triton, of 82 guns. A small fort, mounting about nine guns, standing a mile and a half from Tangier North-west along the coast, had, by repeatedly firing an occa- sional gun, attracted the notice of the belligerents ; accordingly, about noon, the said ship was ordered to proceed to silence it, towed by a steamer. As the Triton neared her object, three or four random and distant shots were dis- charged at her; and before the ship got abreast of the fort, the Moors aban- doned the guns, for they offered no resistance. The ship, however, most un- dauntedly persisted in firing five or six rounds during two hours! The gallant crew then for half an hour took rest; after which, as a parting salvo, they di,- charged at the fort two rounds more of shot, and then magnanimously moved off, taken again in tow by the steamer ! But how great was the astonishment of every one to perceive, as the smoke cleared away, such very little injury done ! The embrasures indeed were hardly touched : perhaps not more than six shots left any impression, notwithstanding the ship lay not more than three quarters of a mile distant! " The second instance presented to observation, illustrating the same ineffi- ciency with respect to gunnery, was exemplified by the Belle Poule, a heavy new 60-gun frigate. About one p.m., the Belle Poule was ordered to weigh and proceed immediately to silence a round fort on the Eastern side of the bay, right opposite the town. The frigate forthwith proceeded on the service as- signed her; and a more miserable attempt or a more contemptible failure per- haps was never witnessed, and does not cease to call forth the ridicule and jeers of all who were spectators of the transaction. As the Belle Poule ap- proached her station towards the fort, its defenders fired by way of challenge several distant shots : these, from their distant range, gave undeniable evi- dence of the heavy calibre of the guns, and induced the Frenchman to shorten sail very soon, and, creeping up timidly, drop anchor at such a distant position that the guns of the frigate could not reach the beach, much less prove effective against the object of assault. However, the Frenchman resolutely fired irre- gular rounds of shot in the direction Of the fort for full two hours, but with as much effect as though aimed at the Rock of Gibraltar! After this achieve- ment, a steamer took the frigate in tow; but the fort, in scornful defiance, gave her the last and farewell shot ! In the instance just stated, the Moors stood by their guns to the last ; and the sole reason that the French frigate escaped a most severe chastisement is entirely attributable to the want of gun- nery-science on the part of the Moors; for the fort was armed with ordnance of formidable character, and undoubtedly would, if properly directed, have com- mitted terrible execution; for the shot frequently passed right over the Belle Poule.

"Thus ended the French operations for the day; the whole squadron hauling outside the bay During the whole of the action, the numerous steamers were idly looking on : their services were confined to that of towing the other ships, and the taking shelter among the neutral vessels! In the mean time, about half-past twelve p. tn. the Vesuvius arrived with Mr. Hay, the British Consul. Whatever the French may themselves think of their exploit in assaulting the old and ill-defended fortifications of Tangier, they have not acquired the respect of those who observed and noted their proceedings. In short, there seems to be but one and a general opinion—that the tricolor has rather been dishonoured throughout the affair. The French have evinced on this occasion both a disgraceful want of gallantry and a contemptible incapacity and defi- ciency. The Prince has made a very sorry debut as a naval commander; and, if this should characterize the future Nelson of the French Navy, France ought to welcome his resignation, for the Prince De Joinville has not main- tained the honour of the national flag, and this too in the presence of so many foreign flags. " It was generally expected, that after thus in a manner silencing those non-effective batteries of Tangier, the French would have landed and taken possession of the works and defences, if not the town, and thus have com- pleted the day's proceedings: but in not doing this the Prince has betrayed more sagacity. His Royal Highness was, it may be conceived, very doubtful as to the extent of discomfiture he had created among the Moors, notwith- standing the havoc of his guns upon the batteries. The success of a storming party was questionable, and he therefore prudently acted on that maxim so convenient to those wanting in energy and courage. "Before concluding my article, it must not he omitted tobe stated, that there was one circumstance in this transaction which affords, and did in a most striking manner give, the most unqualified satisfaction to the whole British squadron present at it,—namely, the conspicuous deficiency of the French ma- rine in thew gunnery. Yesterday, in every point did the French clearly and

indubitablyprove themselves totally insufficient to cope with the British Navy. This fact ought to be made known, nor can it be too widely circulated in Eng- land—the evident and vast disparity in every branch of naval efficiency between the French and ourselves. Before the events of yesterday, there was certainly not an officer on board this ship, perhaps not a man, but would have given our rivals credit and character for far more professional ability than they themselves displayed. Nor would there have existed any doubt in the least as to the French having requisite courage. But now it is said of them, that in this affair before Tangier they undertook and attempted more than they had ability pr dared to perform."

Another British officer, writing on the MI, is less circumstantial, and not quite so severe in the spirit of his narrative ; but he closes thus- " I myself am delighted to have had the chance of seeing a French squadron under fire, and for the future shall look on the boasting journals of France with a laugh on my face. I must say one thing more, though I am not a boaster— but one regiment from Gibraltar and a hundred Artillerymen, manning these forts, would have sent Joinville and his gang to Davy's locker."

A third officer finishes a still shorter letter with this critique- " The grand nation ' have nothing to boast of : they took up the best positions with an overpowering force against a savage and barbarous people, whose only force lies in the madness of fanaticism. I leave them still firing. The Vesuvius (from Mogador) has just hove in sight ; so I shall keep this open till the place is taken, or as the case may be. I am obliged to close, as the steamer is off. It is now five o'clock, and the French ships have hauled out of harm's way—I may say given it up—not game to land. The town is very much knocked about. Such a display of lubberly conduct as the French have shown today is beyond belief : their steamers running foul of different ships—from bad management the line-of-battle ships presenting their bows and sterns to be raked; and their bad gunnery has made us laugh. Little do they know the feel- ing against them among our men : could they he let loose, the Crapauds would rue this day ! We despise them for their conduct today, in firing at a defence- less town, as much as we laugh at their lubberly way of going to work."

The writer already quoted by the Chronicle furnishes his quota of criticism- " The French fired very badly. They began the affair with three broadsides. They have twenty men killed and wounded, and the Suffren has forty shot in her hull. The Moors fought very gallantly. After six hours' firing, the French ships were towed off by their steamers; the forts firing on them, and not a flag struck. I was on shore at Tangier yesterday. The town is scarcely da- maged at all, the defences about the water-port a good deal; but no breach anywhere. The Moors had one man killed, and one wounded, (since dead); two children killed by fall of a house. There are about three hundred regular soldiers in the town ; and they have defended it faithfully against the Kabyles, who are in great numbers outside, and wish to pillage and burn it."

According to another account, the French fired 9,060 balls and bombs, besides Congreve rockets ; yet in one battery of six brass guns four remained quite untouched. It is averred that only one gun was dismounted ! The Suffren is said by some to have received forty, by others twenty-one shots. The Commercio of Cadiz says that the French had three or four killed in the action and about as many wounded, the loss of the Moors being reckoned at a hundred and fifty wounded : the Spanish paper, however, is not likely to be so correct in accounts from the town itself as the English, who were in friendly communication. The Moorish flag, it seems, waved aloft to the last moment, and con- tinued to do so at the date of the latest accounts.

On the 7th, the French squadron remained quiet ; and on the 8th it sailed out of the bay, sheering West. In the evening, the Suffren, un- able to weather Cape Spartel, returned to Tangier. The Moors were about to fire at the solitary vessel, but they desisted on advice given to them ; matters remained quiet until the vessel was towed away ; and on the 9th all were out of sight. The destination of the fleet was under- stood to be Mogador, which was to be bombarded. Mogador is by no means contemptibly fortified.

On the 9th, the authorities of Tangier notified to the neutral Consuls that they might safely return ; and Mrs. Hay returned that day. Her husband arrived at Gibraltar on the 9th ; the communication between the two towns having been quite reopened. The Due De Glucksberg had received orders at Madrid, to proceed as Charge d'Affaires of France to Morocco, with full powers to con- clude a treaty of peace with Abd-er-Rahman. He was to set oat on the 14th instant, and to wait at Cadiz for orders from the Prince De Join- ville.

According to accounts from Algiers, of the 10th instant, the son of the Emperor of Morocco had arrived on the frontier of Algeria, with a column of troops, and established his camp at Kouliad-Si-Mouly-Ab- derrachman, within four leagues and a half of Leila Maghrina. The same letters state that Abd-el-Kader had retired to the West of Mo- rocco.

Colonel Eynard wrote on the 31st July, from Sebdou, that he had penetrated into the territory of the Oude-el-Nahr, four leagues beyond the frontier of Morocco. After a night's march through a broken country, he surprised the enemy at break of day, killed twenty men, took twenty-five prisoners, and captured three thausand bead of cattle. The chiefs had made overtures of peace, and were treating for their sub- mission, at the date of Colonel Eynard's despatch.

The Oran correspondent of the Times makes some observations on the state of the French army in Algeria, and of the colony generally, which will be read with interest just now— "A fear has seen expressed in Europe that the Algerian army, of some 100,000 men, would be a formidable affair were it called to act in Europe. This I shall perhaps prove is a mixed feeling. As to its dispositions, it might— that is, its moral feeling; but as to its efficiency, it cannot be an object of fear. N. Lebanc de Prebois, in his pamphlet entitled Conditions Essentielles du Pr-ogres en Algerie, says, (page 32)—' A war against privations, a war where the sick alone thin the ranks of the army, cannot be a school: one ought to fear rather, that if it continues, our soldiers, unaccustomed to cannon, and crushing without difficulty some groups of undisciplined Arabs, would expe- rience a fatal surprise when they should find themselves in front of an Euro- pean army, vis-a-vis formidable batteries well served. Undoubtedly, this sur- prise would not long endure. But the indecision which must necessarily follow would be apt to manifest itself even in this short time, which Napoleon would call the itineelle morale, that decides the fate of a battle, and which an able general ought to know how to produce and seize under pain of being de- feated. No war is so hard and so painful as that which we perpetuate in Africa. In Europe, after frightful turns of fortune, come some happy mo- ments; but in no part has one experienced such a monotony of misery and sufferings, whichthe catalogue unfolds in letters of grief in the registries of the hospital.' A fact is related to show the demoralization of the army- " In November last, (1843,) General Tempoure, with four squadrons of cavalry, (Saabis,) fell unawares upon 700 or 800 trained infantry of Abd.el-. Kader, commanded by his khalif (or lieutenant) the Chief Embarack, one o( the bravest of the brave of the Bedouins. The attack took place somewherei between Mascara and Tlemcen. The result was a simple slaughter of the sure prised Bedouins : 380 of them were killed, 170 were wounded; and among thp killed was the intrepid Lieutenant Embarack, who fell gloriously, after having, wounded six Frenchmen with his own hand, and making a desperate resistances The French had only one killed and eight wounded—a proof that it Was a mere slaughter of unarmed men. But now comes the fact to which I am anxious to draw your attention. I see the Algerie quotes the words of the Times, whiok states—.Le Francais est moitie tigre moitie singe. Le tigre s'est monad a, Alger, le singed Taiti.' The wind-up of this butchery of the Bedouins will help us to contest or substantiate the assertion, . Le ogre s'est montre a Alger? The Spahis, or native cavalry, immediately after Embarack fell, cut off hie head. The head of Embarack was then covered with honey by the Spahis, and sent to Oran; at Oran, the head of Embarack was then salted, and thence despatched to Algiers. At Algiers, the head of Embarack was served up ' at a soirée of Marshal Bugeand, something in the style of the serving-up on a charger of the head of John the Baptist mentioned in the New Testament. When all eyes had been sufficiently regaled with the sight of the head of the brave chief of the desert—the unconquerable enemy. of the French (conquered only by accident)—the Marshal, yielding to his instincts as a soldier, gave the head a funeral with the ceremony awarded to the rank of a Lieutenant ; and tlip head of Embarack was at last buried, either at Medeah or Minima, with all due military honours."

Eave.r.—The Journal des Debuts adduces confirmation of Mehemet Ali's abrupt retirement from the government of Egypt. Some time ago, he had opened all the prisons in Egypt ; and in one day 2,000 prisoners—murderers, thieves, and innocent men—were let loose upon his people. This did not tend to reform the miserable anarchy of it large portion of his dominions : but, after listening to its condition, and promising to apply a remedy, he seems to have been stricken whit bewilderment and despair. He secluded himself ; threatened to send his son Ibrahim Paeha, bound hand and foot, to Cairo ; remained shut up in the kiosque of the garden of Mohareem Bey for two days ; and suddenly departed on the 26th July for Cairo, declaring that he hall renounced Egypt for ever, and that he proposed to reside for the future at Mecca, and take the name of Hadji (Pilgrim.) The Foreign Consuls had written to Ibrahim Pacha, to ascertain if he had adopted, precautions to maintain order ; and not having received a satisfactory reply, the British and French Consuls had sent to the nearest naval stations for a protective force.

FRANCE.—The French press continues to make the most of the points of difference between France and England ; beginning, however, to admit that at Tahiti there may have been faults on both sides. The Paris correspondent of the Times confidently asserts that M. Bruat, the Governor of Tahiti, soon after Mr. Pritchard's departure, dismissed M. D'Aubigny for his conduct, as "unjustifiable, and likely to compromise his Government."

The telegraphic announcement that Tangier had been bombarded was received in Paris on Wednesday, and reached the King at Neuilly while at dinner. "His Majesty," says the Constitutionnel, "read the despatch, and, folding it up, put it into his pocket, with this brief ob- servation, C'est hien.' " The Paris correspondent of the Times, how- ever, in confirming this tale "as far as it goes," puts more words into the Royal mouth—" The King did not confine himself to that expression t his words were, C'est hien : voila qui fera taire la mauvaise presse: (` It is well : here is something that will silence the wicked or malevolent press.')" There has been a contest between the Ecole Polytechnique and the Government. The circumstances in which it originated are explained by the official paper, the Moniteur-

Five Examiners, of whom two are permanent, are every year appointed tts examine the pupils of the Polytechnic School, either in their passage from the second to the first division, or for their admission into the public services. One of the situations of permanent Examiners was to be provided for, in, con-v sequence of M. Duhamel's nomination to the place of Director of Studies at the schoel. Now, an ordinance of the 6th November 1843 requires foc the nomination of permanent Examiners that three candidates should lat presented by the Academy of Sciences, and as many by the Council of

Jn- struction attached to the school. The Council sent in the names of their candidates; but the Academy only selected one, and this election only took place on the 30th July, although called for during the last two months. The examinations were, however, on the point of commencing, and could not be delayed ; and it being impossible to submit to the King a proposition in con- formity with the ordinance, the Minister found himself under the necessity, in order to insure the regular performance of the service, to leave to M. DV hamel provisionally, the functions of Examiner of Mechanics, which he filled up to the 25th of February, when he was appointed to his new situation." The Moniteur says that M. Duhamel was impartial in the discharge of his duty ; others say that the pupils were not satisfied of his impar- tiality. Be that as it may, when five pupils presented themselves, os; Friday, to be examined, they refused to be examined by M. Duhamel; alleging that he had not been appointed conformably to the established regulations. A report was made of this refusal to the Commandant- General of the school ; who ordered the five pupils to leave it. A de' putation of the school waited upon him, and inquired whether this order amounted to an expulsion ? The General having replied in the affirm, ative, the pupils declared that the entire school identified itself with the resistance of the pupils who had been designated by lot to pass their examination, and that they would all depart with their comraded who were expelled. And they actually did go en masse. Govern- ment accepted this challenge of the whole school. The Moniteur of Sunday contained an ordinance appointing Admiral De Mackau, who is Minister of Marine, aleo Minis!er of War ad interim, in the absence of Marshal Soule Another ordinance followed, dissolving the Ecole Poly- technique, but retaining the officers of the school in their places, and announcing that a subsequent ordinance would reorganize the school; Admiral Be Miami being charged with the execution of the present ordinance.

Paris was surprised on Monday, by the issue of a Royal ordinance; dated on Sunday, signifying that Admiral De Mackau's administration of the War department ceased from that day, and that the direction would be resumed by Marshal Soult. The popular explanation of this curious shifting of Ministers is thus stated by the correspondent of the Times- "It is said and believed, that a request was made of the Marshal that he would recommend and countersign a decree or Royal ordinance for the dissolu- tion of the school, and that he declined ; and that thereupon the King, deter- mined on dissolving the school mac qui mete, suspended the Marshal in his functions of Minister of War, as you know, by a Royal ordinance of Saturday ; and appointed the Minister of Marine to that office ad interim. The latter (Admiral De Mackau) lent himself to the proceeding ; and the business being done and some apprehension of the Marshal's displeasure being entertained, the Ordinance for reinstating him appeared in this day's Moniteur."

Marshal Soult suddenly returned to town on Monday, from his country -seat.

There was an extraordinary panic on the Paris Boarse on Saturday, and the Funds fell as low as 80 francs 40 centimes : on Sunday they rose to 80 francs 80 centimes, but closed 10 centimes lower. Among the reasons assigned for the panic are—a report that on the receipt of the news from Tangier there was a fall in London of l per cent ; un- easiness about Tahiti ; abdication of Mehemet All; Count Nesselrode's visit to England ; and a report that England had seized on the Isthmus of Suez, with the consent of Russia. From whatever cause, there has not been so great a panic for years. On Monday it recurred, and the Funds fell from 80 francs 80 centimes to 80 francs 5 centimes; at- tributed to Marshal Souk's sudden return to town. The Bourse was still uneasy on Tuesday.

Fwarroae.—The Lisbon mail of the 14th instant has been received. Senhor Costa Cabral had resorted to measures of an extremely arbitrary character. A "monster prosecution" was in course of preparation, or rather series of prosecutions, for the trial of persons implicated in the last revolution. The editor of the Tribuno was tried, and acquitted ; tried again, and again acquitted. The juries, it is said, had been packed ; bet the independence of the Judges counteracted the effect of the packing; and to this defeat are attributed the measures subsequently taken by Cabral. On the 6th he issued three Royal decrees, for the extinction of the Municipal Guards of the district of Evora ; of the same force in the district of Castello Branco; and likewise in the dis- tricts of Beja, Coimbra, Santarem, Portalegre, and Villa Real. Then succeeded more startling decrees. We quote from the Morning Chro- nicle— " The above-mentioned three ordinances were followed by the publication of an edict of the Civil Governor. Senbor Cabral's brother, assuming the right of entering into private houses at any period of the day or night, without any magisterial warrant, Stc., for the purpose, professedly, of searching for gamblers, and apprehending such offenders. The assumption of such a power is in direct opposition to the terms of the Charter ; and the plea, it is well known, is a mere pretext for laying hold of political parties obnoxious to the Government. "The ordinance of the 1st of August, promulgated on the nth instant, de- crees that all the Judges of the second instancia ' of the relacaos ' of Lis- bon and Oporto, and of the commercial relacao, can be changed by the Govern- ment from one part of the kingdom to another, including the Azores and Ma- deira, with the sanction of the Council of State. That the Judges of the first instancia ' can be moved from bench to bench in any part of the kingdom, including the islands, at the pleasure of Government, after having been three years on the bench in any one place, or before that term if necessary. That no Judge shall be removed or appointed to the bench in his native place, ex- cept in Lisbon and Oporto. That the Judges in the ultra mar' possessions shall be liable to the same mutations. That all professors (in the University) shall be liable to dismissal at the will of the Government, with the sanction of the Council of State. That all commissions of officers of the army and navy, and municipal guards of Lisbon and Oporto, shall be guaranteed in the form of the laws of :March and April of 1835 and 1836; but such officers shall be sub- ject to such changes as the public service may require, to be placed among the aggregados,' and reduced to half-pay. The last article declares 'all legisla- tion contrary (to this ordinance) is hereby revoked." Signed, the Queen ; countersigned, the Duke of Terceira, Baron of Tojal, J. J. Gomez de Castro, 1 Jose Falcao.' The obvious aim and end of this ordinance is to enable the Government to pack the benches as they had done the jury-box." The step occasioned a great ferment in the public mind, greater than any. since Don Miguers time ; and disturbances were anticipated. The decree of the 9th had been thus characterized by an ex-Minister, the Viscount St da Bandeira—" This decree, abrogating the Constitutional Charter, places the nation in a similar situation to that in which it stood in 1828 in consequence of the destruction of the fundamental law of the state." The Duke of Palmella had also denounced it as an act of Dictatorship. The Government journal, the Diario' vindicates the or- dinance, on the ground that the Ministers of Great Britain, at various times, have issued extra-constitutional decrees' and have invariably ob- tained bills of indemnity from Parliament. Some people rather ap-

plaud the step, as attesting the "rigour" " Cabral's Government.

Other recent measures are more unequivocally to be approved. One decree prohibited plurality of salaries in the holders of public offices ; wide& would strike off Costa Cabral's own salary as Councillor of State, and would in the aggregate save 22,0001. a year. Another decree regulated appeals against the assessment for the decimar of which no fewer than 72,000 cases were under trial ; removing irregularities and pretexts for appeal, and thus tending to save about 600 contos a year. A Royal Commission had been appointed to inquire into the feasibility of eco- nomical reforms in the Treasury.

Seem; emulates Pennsylvania. The Madrid Gazette of the 13th instant published a long-threatened decree for suspending the sales of the national property, which had been pledged to the public creditor. Much of this was ecclesiastical property ; but the clergy are not satisfied ; for they say that they are not allowed the administration of the property, which they once enjoyed, but have now only the rent. The great " conspiracy " at Madrid is now admitted to have been a /elusion. When this confession had been made, news arrived from Pampeluna, that several of the principal officers of the Staff in that city had been arrested for participation in the supposed plot! The Madrid papers say that an emissary of the Government has been discovered at Gibraltar, endeavouring to seduce the refugees at Malta into an invasion of the country ; in which they would certainly be un- successful, and which would as certainly cost them their lives. The principal instigator of this scheme had been discovered ; and his papers and letters left no doubt that the Madrid Cabinet were participators and encouragers of his malepractices.

Atorrata.—The Augsburg Gazette of the 15th instant announces the arrival of the King of Prussia at Vienna, on the evening of the 11th. He alighted at the hotel of his Minister, the Baron de Canitz ; and pro- ceeded to Schoenbrunn on the following day, dressed in the uniform of the Tenth Regiment of Hussars, which bears his name. The Prince Von Metternich was expected at Vienna.

Russre.—Intelligence has been received in London, of the death of the Grand Dutchess Alexandra Nicholaewna, third daughter of the Emperor Nicholas, in childbed. The Princess was born in 1825; was married on the 22d of January last to Prince Frederick, heir-apparent to the Electorate of Hesse Cassel, and heir presumptive to the throne of Denmark ; and died on the 11th instant. The child also died. Besides the natural regrets, Russia must also grieve over the lost chance of a useful alliance with Denmark, the keeper of the portal of the Baltic.

SWEDEN is the scene of a Reform Bill agitation. At a Diet of the four Orders of the State, (nobility, clergy, citizens, and peasants,) a re- organization of the Legislature was proposed, of which these are the heads. The four Chambers, which form the actual representation, are to be transformed into one, and composed of two hundred and fifty members. This House will elect from among its own members a second Chamber, composed of seventy-five members ; of which a third (twenty- five) is to be reelected every three years by the first. The Presidents of these Houses are to be elected by the Houses themselves, and changed every month. The ballot is to be established. In a collision of opinion between the two Houses, they are to vote together. Property worth ten rix-dollars (I5s.) is to be the electoral qualification. All employes, civil and military, from Ministers downwards, are disqualified from being Deputies.