FOREIGN.

Colonist, Issue 31, 5 February 1858, Page 4

FOREIGN.

The Maniteur contains a report addressed to the Emperor by M. Magne, relative to the budget for 1858. ■ There is an excess in the revenue of 48 millions of francs; 10 millions of which are applied to the liquidation of the debt. The financial view of the country is of an extremely favourable character. The reduction of the floating debt is assured, and all loans paid. Robert Houdin, the conjuror, who is also an able mathematician and mechanician, has been employed on a state'mission in Algeria—to destroy the'influence of the marabouts with the Arab tribes by performing cleverer tricks than the marabouts. He has completely outshone and vanquished these impostors, and led the Arabs to think he is Sheitari himself. Such is the story. A rumour,which' has spread in Germany, that the British Government intend to form another foreign legion, has drawn numbers of adventurous young men to Hamburg, where they in vain seek for British, agents ready to receive the offer of their services. ■ A limited measure of free trade, consisting in the admission, duty free, of iron and copper in certain shapes, when destined for the construction of ships and engines for foreign orders, has been adopted by the French Government.

The Count de Pourtales Sterger, the chief of the late Neufchatel insurrection, has returned to the King of Prussia the Grand Cross of Hohenzollern which was some little time ago conferred upon him by his majesty. He informs the king that he henceforth regards himself as a Swiss citizen, and that, consequently, he cannot accept any foreign decoration. The Austrian convents, though very rich, have been neglecting the request of the Pope that they should contribute towards the support of the Papal chair; If they, continue obstinate, they are threatened with an importation of Bavarian, Belgian, Westphalian, Italian, and Spanish nionks, who will be more pliant. The brigandages which have lately caused such-alarm in Thessaly have been vigorously repressed by the inhabitants themselves. A Dervish or Mussulman i monk," who had blasphemed the Koran and' set 'himself up as a new prophet, had col-, lected a body of from 10,000 to 12,000' men, with whom he spread terror throughout the country. Abdi Pacha was about to march against him, but the beys of the district requested to be allowed to take the matter into their own hands. They did so; and, with a force of 4000 men, attacked the band of the monk, took "him prisoner, and delivered him up to the Pacha. His partisans dispersed in all1 directions.

At a concert lately given at the court ,$- Vienna in honour of Lizst, the great artiste having left his glove on the piano, there was an instantaneous rush to the instrument to obtain possession, of the relic. The stri\ggle7araong,.the ladies was tremenduous, arid, in the bqmrre> the glove was torn in pieces, but each lady, proclaimed herself delighted with the small remnant which fell: to her share. One of the' Princesses Waldeck, who captured the top of the thumb,; has hadit set7in the handlepfjier eye-glass, where, surrounded by brilliants, it excites perpetual envy amongst her 'i(n r successful rivals. ' "-""

if}-'-. Two officers of the Swiss regiment ,m the service of the Pope have been condemned for fighting a duel—one to five years' iniprisbnnient and 1000 crowns fine, the other to four years' imprisonment and 800 crowns fine. Their seconds have also been fined and imprisoned. .

I A letter from St. Petersburgh states that ■the Emperor has decided that the valuable depot, of maps and charts shall be ho longer jwithheld from the inspection of the public. They are to be all engraved arid sold. Among others there is one of the Crimea including 93 sheets, and laid down on a large scale; there is also one of Poland, likewise on a large scale; and one of India, perfected up to the present year. A frightful catastrophe happened on the Central Railroad, United States, on the evening of the 15th October, about six miles west of Syracuse. Heavy rains had weakened an embankment at Nine-mile Creek, so that when the train came along it gave way, and the cars were thrown one upon another into the stream. To add to the horror of the scene, the mail car caught fire, and all the mail bags except one were destroyed. It is stated that, of 60 passengers who were in the cars, two or three were killed outright, and some dozen others were shockingly mutilated.

An atrocious crime has beefftomm^ted in the village of Kerbolezan,in. Brittany. While the inhabitants were' at church, an old man, 77 years of age, was murdered by some ruffian, who completely knocked his - brains out with the handle of a hatchet. A servant man employed at a neighbours ing farm was arrested !on suspicion/and confesssd that he was the murderer. He said that he had requested the deceased to allow him to light his' pipp," but was refused, and in revenge he took up' the hatchet, and struck the old man, on :the head, but without intending to kill him* He added that he afterwards broke1 open a cupboard and stole a small sum of money.

The Traitor Lover.—During the'siege of Damascus, Derar was appointed' to' jpatrol around the city and camp, with two thousand horsemen. As a party of these were one night going their rounds near the walls, they heard the distant1 neighing of a horse, and looking narrowly around, they descried a horseman coming steadily from the gate Keisan. Halting in a shadowy place1 they waited till'he came close to them, when rushing forth, they made him prisoner. He was a youthM Syrian, richly arrayed, and apparently a person of distinction. Scarcely' had they seized him when they beheld another issuing from the same gate, who in, a soft voice called upon their captive1 by the the name of Jonas. They commanded the latter to invite his companion, to advance. He seemed to reply, and' calling out something in Greek, upon hearing which the other turned bridle, and'galloped back into the city. The Arabs, ignorant of Greek, and suspecting the worda- to be a warning, would have slain their prisorier^on the spot, but on second thoughts, conducted him to' Khaled. The youth avowed .himself a nobleman of Damascus, and betrothed to a beautiful maiden named Eudoces; but her parents, through some capricious reason had withdrawn their consent to their nuptials, whereupon the lovers had secretly*agreed to fly from Damascus. A sum'of golci had bribed the sentinels who" kept; watch that night at the gate. The damsel disguised in male attire and accompanied by two domestics, was following t her lover at a distance, as he sallied in advance. ' His reply in Greek when she called upon him was,'" that the bird is caught,"—a'warnihg at the hearing of which she fled back to the city. Khaled was not moved by £' lovetale ; but he gave the prisoner his alternative. 'Embrace the faith of Islam,' 6aid he, *and when Damascus falls, into our power, you shall have your betrothed; refuse arid yp'ur head is the forfeit.' The youth passed out between a scimitar and a bride. He made immediate profession of faith between'the hands of Khaled, and thenceforth/ fought zealously for the capture' of the city, since its downfall was to crown his hopes:. Wnen Damascus yielded to its foes, he" sought the dwelling of Eudoces and learnt a new prpbf of her affection." Supposing on his capture by the Arabs, that he had fallen, she shut herself up in a convent: but when the lofty minded maiden beheld him a renegade, sne turned from him with scorn, returned to her cell,' and refused to see him anymore. She was among the noble ladies who followed Thomas and H'erbis into exilel Her.'lqver, , frantic at the thought of losing her, reminded Khaled of his promise to restore her to him, and entreated that she might be detained by Khaled at the convent of Abed Obediah, according to which all had, free will to , depart. When Jonas afterwards discovered that Khaled meditated a pursuit of the exiles, 1 but was dispirited by the lapse of-time, he offered to conduct him by short and'secret passes through the mountains, which would ensure his overtaking them. His offer,was accepted. On the fourth day after,.the departure of the exiles, Khaled set out in pursuit with four thousand chosen horsemeri, who, by the advice of Jonas' "were disguised as Christian Arabs. For some time'they traced the exiles along the plains, by-the numerous footprints of mules and camels, and by the articles thrown away, to enablb them to travel more expeditiously. At length the footprints turned towards • the mountains of Lebanon, and were 4lostin the arid and rocky defiles. The Moslems began to faulter. " Courage!" cried Jonas/ "they will be entangled among the mountains'; they cannot now escape." In the midst of the carnage and confusion, Jonas hastened in search of his betrothed. If she had treated him with disdain as a renegade, she now regarded him with horror, as the'trait'oiiwho had brought this destruction upon his unhappy countrymen.- All his entreaties for her forgiveness were of no avail. • She solemnly vowed to repair to Constantinople' and end her days in a' convent. Finding supplication fruitless, he seized her, and after violent struggle, threw her-,'oh" the ground, and made her a prisoner., 'She made no further resistance, but submitting to captivity, seated herself quietly on the the grass. The lover flattered himself that she relented; but watching her opportunity> she drew forth a poignard, plunged it into her breast, and fell dead at his feet.