We noticed in our second edition last week, the fall
of Algiers, and the capture of 1500 cannon with the ships in the harbour; which were the only particulars mentioned in the telegraphic des- patch received at' the French Embassy. The despatches of the commanders of the- expedition have since arrive. They are dated at the...Cassaba or citadel of the town; From these we learn, that thcbglittleinvestment of the fort of the Emperer commenced on the 29th, it was not until the 4th that the batteries were mi., masked. It was the judicious plan of Count BOU'RMONT to open with as formidable a fire as his means enabled him, in order that the impression On the enemy might be the more immediate. The firing commenced at daybreak ; and at eight o'clock the guns of the fort were silenced, with great loss on the part of the enemy, whose embrasures, from their width, offered a fair mark to their assailants. It appeared afterwards, that when the cannonade ceased, the soldiers left the fort in a body, complaining aloud that they were sacrificed for no purpose, and that in consequence the Dey ordered the magazine to be fired. The explosion took place at about ten o'clock ; and the noise that accompanied it is said to have been heard for sixty miles round. The smoke and dust were no sooner cleared away, than the general commanding in the trenches advanced and took possession of the ruins. At two o'clock, a flag of truce was brought to General Bo URMONT; and after some delay, in which several attempts were made to pro- cure better terms, the Cassaba mid other forts of the town were agreed to be given up to the French at discretion ; the only con- dition stipulated being the personal freedom of the Dey and his family, and the secmity of the religion, liberty, and property of the inhabitants. The surrender took place at noon or the 5th. While Bounmoxr was attacking the fort of the Emperor, Ad- miral RosamEe, with a detachment of the fleet, cannonaded the sea-batteries. He was proceeding to renew the cannonade after the blowing up of the magazine, when the flag, of truce that afterwards went to (74eneral BOUEMONT prevented him. No hear despatches than those of the :5th and 6th have boon re- ceived ; but the Illessager des Clic:mires, on the faith of private letters, asserts that the treasures found in the Paclialik will more than suffice to defray the expenses of the expedition. If this be the case, the French General has been successful in every point or view. It was at first thought that he had granted more favourable terms than the Turks Were entitled to ; but it had been asceeteined that the defences of the town were mined, and that the Dey was determined, had any attempt been made on his personal freedom, to blow up the town, and trust to the confu- sion that must have ensued for his safety. He is described, by the officer who visited him to make arrangements tbr the staff at the Cassaba, as little, old, and u0y. No accounts of the French losses have been received ; but they are not supposed to be great. On the whole, we may repeat, now that we are in possession of the details, the observation which we used when the first intelligence of the fact reached us:—" General BOURMONT has done all that could be asked of a prudent leader and a brave soldier; and must be ranked henceforth among the first of the long list of honourable names of which the military history of France justly boasts. We bade God speed him, when he set out, for his warfare was one which humanity and religion could contemplate without disappro- bation. We sincerely rejoice with him and his country in the issue of his great undertaking. Compared with his achievement, even that of our own gallant EXMOUTH seems little. We only scotched the snake, our neighbours have killed it." The question of what is to be done with the Afrfcan conquests, is stilt keenly agitated by the Parisian journals ; but, as it seems to us, more zealously than wisely. Tire Opposition prints clamour for their colonization ; which call, they imagine, the Ministry, dare neither obey nor refuse. If they, obey it is argued that,, England will interfere ; if they refuse, the advantages and fame of the expedition are lost. We believe that the Ministry will retain Algiers, and we believe that they had no other intention from the beginning. Neither do we think that any one has a right to dis- pute their resolution, whatever may be his opinion of its expedi- ency. England may interfere by her Ambassador—she may ask for explanations—she has already done so, but she will not inter- fere in any other way. The Paris papers which arrived last night, mention an approach- ing congress to be held in that metropolis, the principal object of which will be to arrange the form of occupation. The Duke of WELLINGTON, in Parliament last night, alluded to the same sub- ject. The readers of our second edition will recollect that we an- nounced last week the fact of a congress being in contemplation. It is supposed that it will very speedily assemble. It will, how- ever, be an affair of substance rather than form : the parade of a meeting such as that of Verona or of Laybach would not suit the ideas of the Parisians nor their present inclinations towards Government.
The elections go on as they did before the news of General Bouamaaris victory was received. The Ministry had talked of setting up Admiral DUPERRE for Paris ; but from the predomi- nance of the Constitutional party, such an attempt would be quite hopeless.
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