forrigu ulunial.

$r dart.—Lord Clarendon and Lord Cowley arrived in Paris on Sri. turday evening, and on Sunday both had audience of the Emperor. Next day Count Buol-Schauenstein, and Count Cavour, were presented by the Austrian and Sardinian Ministers; and Baron Brunow was intro- duced and presented by the Grand Master of the Ceremonies. Two of the Plenipotentiaries lagged behind : Aali Pasha, the Turk, reached Paris on Thursday ; Count Orloff, the Russian, on the same night. The first sitting of the Congress is to take place on Monday next, the 25th, at the Hdtel of the Minister for Foreign Affairs. The Paris correspondent of the Daily News places on record the names of some diplomatists who will not be present in the Conference.

"There are certain Russian ladies now in Paris, with regard to whose movements the telegraph has been silent, but who, it is right you should know, are as actively preparing for the coming diplomatic campaign as any of the recognized plenipotentiaries whose arrival on the scene of action the press has been so careful to chronicle. Indeed, I believe I may say that at the present moment the intrigues of these ladies occupy no inconsiderable share of the attention of the French Government. First on the list comes the notorious Princess Lieven. Next in importance is the Baroness de See- bach, a daughter of Count Nesseirode. This lady has for a political corre- spondent at St. Petersburg Madame Zografos, (ivhose maiden designation was Princess Soutzo,) the wife of the Greek ambassador. The Princess and Baroness have under their immediate orders the following highly .efficient and very experienced staff of feminine intriguers,—a Madame Kalergi, aniece of Nesselrode ; Madame Marazli, a Russian lady, of Greek origin, possessing large property at Odessa ; Madame Meyendorf, the wife of the Russian En- voy at Berlin. the Princess Ypsilante, a Greek Fanariot, under Russian protection, and two ladies of the Obreskof family, one of whom is married to a French Count, and the other of whom is the wife of Prince Jean Soutzo, a Greek attache at St. Petersburg." The political fact of the greatest novelty is the reprinting of an article in the Moniteur from the columns of the Republican Sleek. It arose in this way. The Journal des Debate, which has always shown Russian leanings, published an article on Monday resolving the disputed ques- tions of the third and fifth points in favour of Russia. Thus the writer concludes, that Nicolaieff is certainly not on the Black Sea, but as much in the interior of Russia as Rouen is in the interior of France. In sketching the course that Russia intends to take, it is said that she will refuse to restore Kars, refuse to pay any indemnity to Turkey for war expenses, and will talk big about rebuilding Bomarsund. The article in the Debats had all the appearance of a feeler." It extorted a reply from the Slick, stating boldly the belief that the Allies will hold firmly that Nicolaieff is included among the prohibited arsenals in the Black Sea, that Kars must be restored, that Bomarsund must not be rebuilt, and that Russia must pay an indemnity to Turkey. The Moniteur con- spicuously quoted the Sleek. Then the Constitutionnel stated that the Moniteur had inserted the article by mistake. Last in the series, a despatch from Paris, dated yes. terday, states " officially," that the Co;islitationnel is in error in attribut- ing the appearance of the article from the Sicele in the columns of the Moniteur to a mistake. The Moniteur, it is observed, is the only Go- vernment journal, and if it commits a mistake, will not leave others-to correct it.

The murder of a Duchess, as yet involved in mystery, but said to re- semble that of Madame de Praslin, was committed in Paris on Wednes- day. The Duchess Caumont Laforce was found strangled, or stabbed, some accounts say in a wood-house attached to her residence, in the Grand Avenue of the Champs Elysde. A servant is in custody.

tzrmintq.—The Frankfort Diet have adopted the Austrian proposi- tions as a basis of peace ; but they only give a conditional assent to the fifth point, uncertain what shape it may ultimately assume. In com- municating the five points to the Diet, the Austrian Government acknow- ledged that the King of Prussia " employed all his influence to bring Russia to a conciliatory decision, and that the language which the other Courts of Germany, employed at St. Petersburg contributed towards the same end." The Cabinet of Vienna did not fail to put prominently for- ward those conditions which have such an important bearing on ' the political and commercial interests of the whole of Germany." The further views of the Government of Vienna are thus expressed- " The Imperial Court entertains the firm conviction that this spirit of moderation and solicitude for the general welfare of nations will also pre- vail at the Conferences which will shortly open, and that, consequently, the right expressly reserved in the fifth point for the belligerent Powers to propose, in addition to the four points of guarantee, new conditions in an European interest, will not be exercised in a sense which might have the effect of again compromising the work of peace so happily commenced."

Colonel Manteuffel has returned to Berlin from Vienna exceedingly dissatisfied with the turn of affairs. Ho is said to hold the opinion "that it is not possible to conclude a peace which can be called solid or durable without the intervention of Prussia."

firOt C 1.—The war intelligence this week comprises the de- struction of Fort Nicholas by the French, and the first despatch from the new Russian Commander-in-chief, General Luders.

Fort Nicholas stood on the South shore of the great roadstead of Sebas- topol. It was a long curved fort, stretching from the South Harbour on the East, nearly to Artillery Bay on the West. Where it touched the South Harbour it curved round to the South, so that its shape was that of a horse-shoe, one end of which has been straitened some- what, while the other retained its original curve. The sea front contained two tiers of embrasures, mounting in the whole, it is said, 192 guns. Seen from the rear, it presented a series of light and elegant ar- cades. From the base of Lis fort the floating bridge was constructed, secured on the opposite side, at the base of the Michaelof battery, so fre- quently mentioned in the letters of the Russian Sister of Mercy. On the morning of the 4th February, Marshal Pelissier drove up to the top of Frenchman's Hill, near the Picket-house, in a phaeton and four greys. General Codrington rode into the Redan ; and groisps of officers and men dotted the prominent places in the old fighting-ground, to witness the ceremony. " The weather was as fine as during the two or three preceding days it had been stormy and disagreeable. It was scarcely, possible that a more favourable day could occur for such a spectacle. The air was so brilliantly clear that every outline was sharply denfi ed of the buildings in the town, and every fort and earthwork on the North side was plainly visible. The water of the roadstead was as smooth and calm as a lake. The topmasts

of the sunken ships, and in some instances the yards and cordage, stood out from the water without the slightest evidence of movement, or causing the least ripple of the surface. The sea outside seemed equally smooth ; its uniform dark blue colour being broken only by a white line where the waves were breaking on the shoals beyond Fort Constantine. There was scarcely

any breeze, but what little there was came from the North. The ground was covered by a thin layer of snow, and in the shade it was still freezing, so that the crisp surface crackled under the pressure of the foot; elsewhere the sun, which was shining brightly, caused a slight thaw."

The explosion was announced for one o'clock, and the French engi- neers were true to time. General Codrington, in a despatch to Lord Panmure, published in Tuesday's Gazette, describes at greater length than usual the blowing-up of the fort.

"My Lord—Marshal Palmier informed me a few days ago, that this day Fort Nicholas would be destroyed ; and he sent again to say that at one o'clock p. m. the mines for this purpose would be fired. The view over the whole harbour is well obtained from the interior slope of the Medan Hill, and from other points within the Russian lines. The day was magnifi- cently clear ; every sentry on the opposite side could be seen, every work- ing-party watched, every soldier that was lounging in the sun : occasional shot and shell were sent from the enemy to the Kurabelnaia and the town, but otherwise nothing disturbed the usual appeared of quiet, almost of de- solation. On our (the South) side, we looked down on the large ruined barracks in front, on the inner creek of the Dockyard, the Quay, and the remains of Fort Paul, the spacious inlet from the harbour ou our left, be- yond which stand the roofless buildings of Sebastopol itself. There also is the well-remembered long line of pointed arches, the easemates of the in- ferior of Fort Nicholas, of which the embrasures in double tier pointed to seaward and away from us. It juts out into the harbour built on an inner tongue of land ; 'Fort Constantine forming a similar but more outward de- fence for the sea approach on the North. The scene and feeling of expecta- tion were of great interest, for another tangible proof of power and success was to take place, and 100,000 pounds of powder were in the several mines. " At the hour named, a burst of smoke, dark and thick, rolled from our left of the building; it was followed by another; the heavy sound arrived, the stones were shot into the air and to the sea ; the explosions of the extreme right and the centre mingled at little interval into one drifting cloud, which veiled the destruction below. The light of the sun played beautifully on the mass of smoke, of which the lower part lay long and heavily on its victim. The breeze passing it away over the remains of the town, showed that a low line of ruin was all that remained of the pride of Fort Nicholas, and one standing menace of the harbour lay buried under its waters. "The state of the docks has been given in detail in my letters. They are all destroyed, whilst the earth surrounding them is shaken into cracks; basins, docks, masses of broken granite, capstans, gates, beams of iron and of timber, arc tumbled into one mass of destruction.

"I have, &e. W. J. CODRINGTON, General-Commanding."

It is Otated that the Allies are about to destroy the Russian ships sunk in the harbour.

General Luders, writing on the 26th January, simply reports that Kamiesch has been fortified ; that the fire of his cannon has harassed the French in their attempts to erect batteries covering the fords of the Tchernaya -, that there had been some insignificant skirmishes on the Russian left flank ; and that, "according to accounts from Eupatoria, the Turkish cavalry is in great want of forage."

It II 5 5 t i.—The following curious paragraph has been printed with the date " Berlin, Feb. 19."

" The Emperor Alexander has approved the budget of Maritime Courts. But it is remarked, that the courts established in the Baltic ports, the White Bea, the Caspian, and the Eastern Ocean, are alone spoken of : the Mari- time Courts of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azoff are no longer mentioned in the budgets."

-ir.119W long has Russia begun the practice of publishing budgets, mari- time or military :]

Stalli.—There is an intimation that Austria is about to promulgate some measure favourably affecting the interests of the refugees of 1848. With few exceptions, the amnesty, as it is called, will be general and unconditional. It will be made known individually to those whom it may concern by Austrian authorities in foreign countries, and not by an Im- perial decree. Those who choose to return and reassume their citizen- ship will at once be put into possession of their property. Those who do not choose to return may demand permission to sell their property ; and the property of those who do not choose to do either before the end of 1866 will be handed over to their lawful heirs and successors ; but it is not intended in any case to confiscate properties to the Crown. Another statement of the effect of the measure is, that the emigrants must, return to the Austrian dominions within the year 1856. emigrants who may not wish to return will be allowed the usufruct of their pro- perty, on condition of satisfactorily explaining to the Imperial Govern- ment, before the expiration of this year's grace, the motives of their ab- sence. This measure is looked upon as a concession to France, England, Sardinia.

The tampering with silver by the authorities at Naples has now ar- rived at such a pitch as to amount to a heavy tax on foreigners, and the British residents have presented a memorial to Sir William Temple calling for action on the part of the British Government. There is a forced circulation of silver ; and the mint price for the metal is nearer eleven than ten per cent under the real value.

4nitett Obit t5.—The African arrived at Liverpool on Monday, with advises from New York to the 6th instant.

At last, on the 2d instant, the House of Representatives achieved the election of a Speaker. It was resolved that the election should be made by simple plurality of votes. As soon as this determination was come to, the House and the lobbies were .crowded to suffocation, and by the pressure one boy was nearly killed. There were several candidates, but only two who stood any chance—Mr. Banks and Mr. Aiken. The re- sult of the ballot was—for Banks, 103; for Aiken, 100; scattering 11. When the numbers were announced, "the disorder was beyond descrip- tion" ; but it was chiefly exuberant delight.

Mr. Banks is a Free-Soiler, and his party are in ecstasies at his success. Two little facts, reported by the correspondent of the Daily Nears, show how keenly the triumph is relished.

" A party of gentlemen, standing high in public and private life, when the news reached Boston on Saturday evening, chartered a railway train to proceed to Waltham, to congratulate Mr. Banks's lady upon the triumph of her husband ; and 103 cannon, the number of his votes, were fired on the occasion." The Union, Government organ, says the result of the ballot electing Banks " is one that every rational man must regret" ; and it finds conso- lation in the fact, that bad as it is, the election enables "the machinery of Government once more to move on."

The organization of the House was followed by the usual disgraceful scenes of office-seeking.

" The pressure for appointments is awful. The area round the Hall of Representatives was crowded this afternoon with hundreds of office-seekers, while others sought refuge in the rotunda of the Capitol. Members, before and even during the session of the House, were constantly signing appli- cants' papers. No sooner had Captain Darling qualified as doorkeeper, than he removed a messenger and appointed his successor. This served as a sig- nal for the crowd inside to rush upon him with importunities ' - and the scene of excitement was heightened on the adjournment of the House by the rushing in of the office-seeking forces cutside."