ALGERIA.

Wellington Independent, Volume II, Issue 75, 1 July 1846, Page 4

ALGERIA.

As we expected, the news of the defeat and death of Abd-el-kader is not confir mod ; on the contrary, as. far as we can judue from the highly partial .'French papers, we.are of opinion that the emir is really more powerful than ever. One tiling is clear—the French have their hands full in south, west, and east of their African possessions; and if the news be .true that a part of Morocco is in arms in favour of Abd-el-Kader, the consequence toFra.ncewill.be more serious ..than her worst enemies would wish. If France requires 100,000 men to keep the country in subjection and retain her fortified posts, (and which, indeed, it is a difficult task to prevent the Arabs from re-conquering,) how many soldiers will it require if the seven or eight millions of Moroceians should make common oause with their Algerian brothers, and, joining th« Arabs, avenge themselves lor all the evils they have suffered from the French inordinate love of conquest, military vanity, and tyranny. But even this evil produces some good. It occupies France and its-restless spirits. Algeria was, and k, the pit in which Louis Philippe has thrown.ail the dangerous overflow of a vain-glorious love of conquest and political turbulence that besets young France, and that country has dearly to pay for such a cemelry ; the rest of Europe may deplore the necessity of such policy, hut can only rejoice that the soldiers of the trj-color are occupied in Africa instead of troubling Europe.—*wo repeat, let us leave them in peace, for Abd-el-Kader will certainly not do so! As for the details of French Algerine news, we can only state that there is a perfect chaos; the paper of Marseilles for the last month, give from Algeria only a concatenation of successive -victories and extermination of the Arabs, but yet we see no effect produced by the same; one moment a few hundred head of cattle, and a few scores of prisoners, women and children included, are the result of hard fighting and severe losses of several hundred Fn.ch; at other times, a tribe has made its submission, and two or three days afterwards we are told that the same fought with great fury against some French column.; but with some local knowledge of the country, and in looking at the state of the different bulletins, we can safely assert that the position of the French armies in Algeria, in spite of the arrival of the -Due d'lsly, and the twelve thousand new troops, is far from being improved, and we can see clearly that till now., the Marshall Governor is fighting a defensive .and,.not an offensive war.—Malta Times, :December The Debats gives a letter from Algiers of the 30th, according to which matters remained in the same state, one petty insurrection springing up as fast as another was put down, while Abd-eL-Kader was still menacing the east of Algeria. A tribe called the Beni Djaas, ou the extreme east of Algeria, attempted a repetition ol the plot which proved so fatal to Colonel de Montagnae. They affected to receive General Arbonville with friendship, and when they had him in a dangerous defile attacked him with great vigour, causing him some loss. The general took fearful vengeance, for he detached some companies, who adroitly seized the village where the tribe was located, and put all they found to death. According to the same authority the Emperor of Morocco had communicated to the French Consul that the French might pursue Abd-el-Kader into the Morocco territory, but in case they did so he could , not an. swer for his power to control his own people. The Emperor, for his own part, expresses his sincere desire to maintain friendly relations with the French. The ♦♦National" gives a frightful pictute of Marshal Bugeaud's doing in Afu'ca. Acrording to the accounts published by this paper, fifty prisoners weio shot in one day in cold blood—thirteen villages burned—the Dahra massacre acted over again, for it appears that a porti n of a tribe having hid themselves in a cave, the same means were resorted to, exactly as were employed by Col. Pclissier, and all smoked and baked to death. The Mar«h.il hims<lf is the author of all these horrors—his last triumph was a monster razzia—be has ordered the most strict secrecy as to his barbarous proceedings ; and the writer of the accounts, of which we have just given a summary, calls him a second Attila, for he puts all to the sword and fire, sparing only women and infants. The " National" says:— «*Two Liters, from which we give extracts, brings us news which will awaken in the winds of our 'readers sentiments of indig-

nation, such as the dreadful exploits of Col. Pelissier gave birth to some months back. Already have thirteen villages been; •burnt down in the neighbourhood of Tlemcen. General Bourjolly, in the, •words of one of the»letters, goes on root-; ing out the populations, and killing with-; out pity every man that falls inhis power.f As many as fifty prisoners have been; shot-in a single day. In fine, to inagurate worthily the new work of extermination, the horrible drama of the Dahra has been renewed-—two grottoes ; have been smoked out, and God only knows how, ■many poor wretches have been killed there! In place of burning men and villages, M. Buueaud would do better to direct his attention to our enemy, who profits wonderfully hy the delays of oun army j it was necessary for the Emir toj advance as far as Loha, near Tiaret, for the General-in-Chief to .consent to sendj alter him one of his lieutenants with some battalions; and to come up with his antagonist, of such known activity, he placed at the disposal of General Jossouf a column composed principally of infantry ! Jt was.with 1100 foot soldiers and 300 cavalry that this officer went in pursuit of the Emir to the skirls of the desert of Sahara. Infantry to act against a man almost unapproachable, well served also by innumerable spies, and surrounded by the best cavalry.in theprovince of tOran ! M. Bugeaud, however, deems at more useful and more glorious to renew the lamentable success of the Dahra; he is sure to be.in every 6pot were Abd-eUKader is not." The "Echo deCtfesone" gives the following from a letter written on 4he J9th ult., at Marshal Bugeaud's camp :— " The Marshal reached Bel-Assel to-day, bringing with him the spoils of a monster ra-zizie made in the environs of the Riou. General Bourjolly's column -is on the Menassa, among the Flittas, where he has fixed his camp, at a place called Dad Sidi Ben Abdallah. spot he sends out detachments in every direction, as from a centre, to the extent of twelve or fifteen leagues, harrassiog the people, and killing without mercy every man they meet with. On the 7th, forty-four Bedoins were shot in the country of the G.rboussas. Yesterday were scoured the frightful ravines of the Chautas, in the country of the Sidi Gayas, and two grottoes, in which about 100 persons had taken refuge, were filled with -suffocating smoke. We are carrying on a war in the true spirit of an ttilla. A Wom-n and children alone are spared. has become more powerful than ever."— Sydney Herald, May 30, 1846. Metropolitan Improvements. *—' Chelsea.— the numerous and vast improvements of late, and at present in' course of being carried into effect in the parish of Chelsea., an important one is to J be made in the approach from the King'sroad to the Boyal Hospital A contract has heen concluded by a party with the authorities for the emire and immediate removal of the numerous lofty trees on both sides of the avenue, the whole of which are of the description known generally as the horse chesnuf, and are very aged and shattered, having, it is supposed, ] been planted in the reign of Charles, at the time the hospital or college wa3 first] founded. Several of them have been I already rased to the ground, and as soon as their entire demolition shall be com • \ pleted, it is intended to plant some young 1 shrubs "in their room, and lay out the 1 whole of the space as an ornamental garden and promenade, for the use of the public. A handsome terrace of houses is in course of erection on the east side of the avenue, on the site of the extensive? nursery garden formerly on the spot; and when the whole is completed an unrestricted view of the college will be obtain-j able from the high road, which has not hitherto been the case. City.—At the conclusion of the proceedings at Cordwainers' assembled for the election of common councilmen, &c, Mr. Lott took occasion to allude to a matter of great interest to the citizens of London, namely, the resolution of the Court of Common Council to expend the sum of £20,000 annua'ly upon city improvements. The attention of the citizens should, he said, be expressly devoted to that subject, as he feared some of the projected implements were not of a very elegible description. Of those improvements which had been completed, Gresham-street was anything but satisfactory ; for although probably interesting to the antiquarian as a restoration of Crooked-lane, the aforesaid street led to nothing and came from nowhere. It was now p oposed to form a magnificent street to Linco'n's-lnn fields from Cheapside. Such a scheme ho could not

consider judicious, as it would const. utc the format! ,n of a thud inlet of trafho into a street already immensely .crowded. Another important question under discussion in the Corporation, was the formation railway termini within the city, He considered the granting exclusive acco-; modation in this respect to the directors' of the Direct Manchester line an unfair privilege. In his opinion all the railways oudittobe accommodated j but as the site of Farringdon Market, or the Fleet, would be far too small for them, and the intersecting great public streets would be prejudicial to trade, he thought a spacious and convenient terminus might be made on the north side of llol'.orn, from one hill to the other, and getting rid of much obnoxious property, now km.wn as Field-Jane and the neighbouring streets. . The lollowing amusing paragraph is from a late number of tbe Cincinnati Enquirer:— ft There is something peculiarly pleasant and agreeable in the sedation one feels on putting on a pair of Ipdiarubber pants. They yield so readily to every motion of the body and legs, and, then they are so cool, that you almost ft.el as if your extremities wi-re denuded. Those who have seen them must have remarked the tenacity with which they attempt to shrink into the smallest possible compass, looking for all the world only large enough for a boy three years old, but when tried, they easily accommodate themselves to common siaed men. Going up Main Street, a few days ago, we observed a man with a pair of the articles on. By some accident one of the straps broke, and one leg of his pants commenced crawling up until it had ascended above the knee, in spite of all his efforts to keep it down. His situation was decidedly unpleasant, besides being picturesque, as he did not happen to have on any drawers, and the mirth of the bystanders exhibited itself in the loudest shouts of laughter. He took the first shute in the shape of an alley close by, and that was the last seen of him. Wo have ever since entertained the impression that India rubber pants are dangerous and rather mortifying things in the streets or in a bail room, particularly if the straps give way." Wonderful Phenomenon. -=• There lives at the village of Grangeneuve, in the commune of Usson, a child little more than three years old, whose physical powers and stature L-i»e him the appearance of a youth of 10; he is endowed with herculean strength, and will carry upon bis shoulders a load of rye equal to 00 kilogrammes. Several of the curious have been to visit this extraordinary child, and have been particularly struck with the strength of his voice, which is that of a man.-~L'Obstrvateur Francis. There are two rumours about Mr. Cobden, the head of *' The League " One U, that he was offered place by Lord John, and refused, on the ground that that acceptance of office must be attended by resignation of his presidentship of the League, which, until the Corn Law question was absolutely settled, he considered of superior importance. The other rumour is, that Lord John insisted on Mr. Cobdeti having an office, but which was sejuted by the more aristocratical Whigs. Expected Visit of Qoeen Victoria, to Paris.—lt would be a pity if the ministerial crisis, which has taken place in London, should derange in its c nsequences all the charming plans formed by the Queen of England and his Majesty Louis Phillipe for the approaching spring. It is not a mere visit to the Chateau d'liu that is now spoken of. The Queen of England is coming to Paris, to the court of the Tulleries—a right royal journey-on the one hand, and a right royal reception on the other. The Queen of England will take up her residence at the Grand Trianon, and already a crowd of workmen are restoring, embellishing, and preparing for the reception of Queen Victoria the palace which was once oocupied by Louis XVI. and Marie Antoinette. Louis Philippe thinks of nothing but fetes, balls, and theatrical representations, as if he were a young king, but yesterday arrived at the throne. He directs everything-*=r3uper-intends everything. He has determined, in the fir.4 place, on a grand spectacle in Salle d'Upera at Versailles, and, like an able and provident direcior, he is taking steps beforehand, for the getting up of the representation, which he wishes to be .worthy of the best times and of the magnificence of Louis XlVi—Globe. Mr. C. G. Duffy, editor and proprietor of the "Dublin Nation " newspaper, has been called to the Irish bar.