of the pasha of Egypt is an essential element of the balance of power in Europe. The whole of M. Thiers' argument on this point seems to rest on the assumption, that the continued existence of Mehemet Ali in his present condition as pasha of Egypt, is a source of strength to the sultan, and tends to enable the sultan the better to defend himself against foreign and domestic danger; because, if it is admitted that Mehemet Ali is a governor, using against his sovereign an authority which has been confided to him for the benefit of that sovereign, and employing in hostility against the supreme power of the state, the resources, military, naval, and financial, of an important portion of the empire itself; if, in short, he is, to use the words of the despatch, "a pasha disobedient towards his master, and depending upon all sorts of foreign influences," it is manifest that the continued existence of a subject in such a state of insubordination and enmity towards his sovereign, must be a source of weakness, and not of strength, to that sovereign, and must render him less, instead of more, able to defend himself against either foreign or domestic danger, and must therefore, according to the principles of M. Thiers' despatch, impair the balance of power. But the opinion of the Turkish government, which may be allowed to be a competent judge on this matter, has for some time been, that the continued existence of Mehemet Ali in his present state of military power, and with his hostile intentions towards the sultan, is incompatible with the internal peace and integrity of the Ottoman empire, and destructive of the independence of the sultan as regards his relations with foreign powers: and, undoubtedly, the experience of the last few years has too fully shown that this opinion is not unfounded. The extent of the limits within which it may be necessary to confine the delegated authority of Mehemet Ali, in order to make it probable that for the future he may be an obedient instead of a disobedient subject, and may, therefore, become a source of strength, instead of being a cause of weakness to the Ottoman empire, is a point upon which opinions may differ; and that question it is not requisite for me now to discuss. But her majesty's government conceives that whatever may be the opinions entertained on this point by foreign powers, such opinions can only serve to regulate the advice which those powers may tender to the sultan, or to determine the extent of the assistance which they may be disposed to afford him; but that it rests with the sultan, as sovereign of the Turkish empire, to decide which of his subjects shall be appointed by him to govern particular portions of his own dominions, and that no foreign power has a right to control the sultan in the discretionary exercise of one of the inherent and essential attributes of independent sovereignty. The question of principle which I have thus adverted to, may probably not have any practical bearing upon events now in progress, but her majesty's government has felt anxious that it should not, by silence on this matter, leave its opinions liable to be misunderstood. Your excellency will give a copy of this despatch to the minister for foreign affairs. I am, &c., (Signed) PALMERSTON. GERMANIC DIET. EXTRACT OF THE PROTOCOL OF THE SITTING OF THE MOST SERENE GERMANIC DIET, DATED Nov. 12, 1840. SEC. 292-COMMUNICATION MADE IN THE NAME OF AUSTRIA, PRUSSIA, RUSSIA, AND GREAT BRITAIN, RESPECTING THE CONVENTION CONCLUDED IN LONDON FOR THE PACIFICATION OF THE EAST. The envoy of his imperial, royal, and apostolical majesty, the president of the diet, announces that he has been authorised to address to the most serene diet, in the name of the courts of Austria, Prussia, and Russia, official communications relative to the treaty concluded between those powers and the Ottoman Porte for the pacification of the East, and he adds that the minister of Great Britain has communicated the same treaty to the Germanic confederacy, to which he is accredited, and which returned to him thanks for that communication. AUSTRIA AND PRUSSIA. -The envoy has been charged to communicate to the most serene diet a copy of the convention concluded in London on the 15th of July of the present year between the plenipotentiary ministers of the august courts of Austria, Prussia, Great Britain, and Russia on the one hand, and the plenipotentiary of the Ottoman Porte on the other, together with a copy of the protocol signed by the said plenipotentiaries, after the exchange of the ratifications of that conven tion. The spirit in which the high contracting parties have concluded those treaties, and the object which they proposed to themselves, are too clearly exposed in those acts, and particularly in the protocol signed in London on the 17th of September of the present year, to require further explanation. The preservation of the Ottoman empire in its integrity and independence is one of the essential conditions of the maintenance and consolidation of the general peace of Europe. It is for the sake of guaranteeing so great an interest, an interest equally precious for princes and nations, that the four powers have concluded with the Porte the convention thus communicated. The powers, in fulfilling this duty, conceive that they have acted with so much moderation and disinterestedness, that all the friends of peace and right will commend their conduct. Austria and Prussia have no doubt that the high confederates will do justice to that spirit. The note which M. d'Oubril, extraordinary envoy and plenipotentiary minister of his majesty the emperor of all the Russias accredited to the Germanic confederation, has sent in on that subject to the high diet, under date 24th of October (5th of November) of the present year, is of the following tenour: The undersigned, extraordinary envoy and plenipotentiary minister of his majesty the emperor of all the Russias, accredited to the most serene Germanic confederacy, has been charged by his august government to communicate to the diet the convention concluded between the Ottoman Porte, Great Britain, Austria, Prussia, and Russia, with a view to secure the peace of Europe, by affording the sultan an efficacious assistance against the menaces and encroachments of one of his rebel vassals. The text of this convention, which the undersigned has the honour to enclose herewith to his excellency count de Munch Bellinghausen, president of the diet, will prove to that high assembly that the allies have neglected none of the stipulations calculated to render their assistance efficacious for the Ottoman Porte, and at the same time to convince Europe, that none of the powers, parties thereto, have been actuated by personal views, and that the interest of Europe alone has prevailed in the combinations and resolutions which they were under a moral obligation to grant the Porte, since the latter had demanded and obtained the promise of their support, and had consequently relinquished the intention of treating separately with the rebel pasha. The undersigned has the honour to invite his excellency count de Munch to place this convention, in the name of the imperial government of Russia, under the eyes of the ministers composing the diet, and he trusts that this illus. trious assembly will recognise in that act the object for which it was concluded, namely, the maintenance of legitimate authority, and the re-establishment of peace in the Levant, on which depends that of the entire of Europe. The undersigned, congratulating himself on being charged to give by this communication to the most serene German confederacy a mark of the special confidence and consideration of the emperor, his august sovereign, flatters himself that his excellency count de Munch will soon enable him to report to his court the sentiments with which it was received. He avails himself of this opportunity to renew to his excellency the assurances of his high consideration. The president here read the draught of a reply to be addressed to the extraordinary envoy plenipotentiary minister of his majesty the emperor of all the Russias, which was adopted by the diet. Agreeably to the proposition made by M. de Mieg, envoy of his majesty the king of Bavaria, it was agreed that a becoming reply should be returned, in the name of the confederacy, to the courts of Prussia and Russia, expressive of the sentiments consigned in the answer which it had been resolved to give the imperial envoy of Russia. In conformity with those resolutions it was unanimously decreed : 1. To make known to the courts of Austria and Prussia, through the medium of their respective legations, that their communications have been received by the diet with the liveliest interest. In doing entire justice to the noble and disinterested intentions which the four powers have manifested on the occasion, the diet, full of confidence in the wisdom and moderation of the powers who have proposed to themselves the pacification of the East, hopes that the general peace of Europe will be preserved; a peace which, during a quarter of a century, has been the pride of the monarchs, and has ministered to the prosperity, and the deeply-felt wants of nations: 2. To forward, in the name of the president, to the imperial envoy of Russia the following reply: The undersigned, minister of Austria, president of the High German diet, has not failed to submit to the latter, at its sitting of this day, the note of his excellency M. d'Oubril, extraordinary envoy and plenipotentiary minister of his majesty the emperor of all the Russias, of 24th of October of the present year, having for its object the communication of the convention, which Great Britain, Austria, Prussia, and Russia concluded with the Sublime Porte on the 15th of July last. This communication has been received by the high diet with the liveliest interest. The diet acquiesces in the elevated and disinterested views manifested by the four powers, in the present circumstance; and, confiding in the wisdom and moderation of the powers, who have undertaken the task of pacifying the East, it indulges a hope that this convention will insure the maintenance of the peace of Europe-of that peace, which, during a quarter of a century, has been the pride of the sovereigns, has ministered to the prosperity of nations, and is for all a deeply-felt want. The undersigned, &c. Frankfort, Nov. 12, 1840. DESPATCHES. SYRIA. BOMBARDMENT OF BEYROUT. EXTRACT OF A DESPATCH FROM ADMIRAL THE HONOURABLE SIR ROBERT STOPFORD, TO R. M. O'FERRALL, ESQUIRE, DATEd PrinCESS CHARLOTTE, D'JOURNIE BAY, NEAR BEYROUT, SEPTEMBER 20, 1840: I arrived off Beyrout on the morning of the 9th, where I found commodore Napier with the ships and vessels named in the margin.* The Turkish expedition under R. Admiral Walker of the Ottoman navy, joined at the same time from Cyprus, consisting of a line of battle ship, two frigates, and two corvettes, with twenty-four transports, carrying 5,373 troops, commanded by Selim pasha. Commodore Napier having previously examined the coast and selected a position, accompanied by lieutenant Aldridge of the engineers (for I lament to say lieutenant colonel sir Charles Smith has been so extremely ill since his arrival as to incapacitate him for any active duty) I directed the commodore to complete his plans and arrangements; and the same night the marines were removed to the steamers, and the whole amounting to about 7,000 Turks and allies, were in • Powerful, Ganges, Edinburgh, Revenge, Benbow, Pike, Gorgon, st. v. Hydra, st. v. readiness to land in the morning; when after manœuvring some time before Beyrout, lined with Egyptian troops, in order to distract their attention the commodore hastened to the point of disembarkation, and succeeded without opposition or accident of any kind. For a more minute detail of this operation, I must refer you to the commodore's letter of the 16th, a copy of which is herewith inclosed. Great praise is due to commodore Napier, whose indefatigable zeal and activity in securing his position were well seconded by the officers and men under his command. In order to protect the landing, and insure the safety of the troops exposed to a sudden attack of an overwhelming force till the requisite defences were completed, I found it necessary to occupy the attention of the Egyptian army, which made a formidable appearance in armed masses along the hedges, and under cover of the gardens and broken ground between the town and sea, and |