With reference to your Lordship's despatch of the 22nd instant inclosing a copy of your instructions to Sir Stratford Canning under date the 19th instant, I have the honour to state that upon communicating those instructions to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, he assured me that he would without loss of time send instructions of a similar tenour to M. de Bourqueney, although that Minister was already in possession of the sentiments of his Government relative to those barbarous executions; which are, that the Government of France had no intention of requiring of the Ottoman Government that they should abrogate any law, but they expect a satisfactory assurance in writing should be given to the Allies that the practice complained of should cease. I have, &c., (Signed) COWLEY. No. 33. _Sir Stratford Canning to the Earl of Aberdeen_.--(_Received March_ 30.) My Lord, _Constantinople, March_ 6, 1844. The confidential interview to which I was invited by Rifaat Pasha, took place yesterday, and the French Minister was also present. In order to mark more emphatically the private character of this meeting we trusted entirely to Foad Effendi, who accompanied Rifaat Pasha at my request, for the interpretation of what passed between us. I am happy to say that although the Pasha repeated all the arguments stated in M. Pisani's report, of which a copy has been already transmitted to your Lordship, nothing occurred to shake my confidence in the information previously conveyed to me and recorded in my preceding despatch. The French Minister participated fully in this impression, and gave me his support in a most frank and effectual manner. The Pasha's main position was this: if we refuse, we lose the friendship of Europe; if we consent, we hazard the peace of the empire; you come as friends, and therefore we reckon upon your helping us to find some course by which we may satisfy you without injuring ourselves. In answer we confirmed his persuasion that our intentions were friendly; but we added that our course was prescribed by the instructions; that we could not admit the supposition of our Governments having acted without a full consideration of the consequences; and that although we were not called upon to require an express and formal repeal of the law which they termed religious, we must, at the very least, require an official declaration that effectual measures would be taken to prevent the recurrence of executions for apostacy, and a disclaimer of every idea involving insult to Christianity, or the persecution of its followers, on account of their faith. This explanation appeared to produce a good effect on the Pasha's mind, and I observed with particular satisfaction, that he admitted that the Mufti had expressed to the Porte a personal opinion, which drew a very desirable distinction between the strict language of the law and the discretion warranted by State necessity.