The Express. — London, England, 1853-01-20 00:00:00

gut exprews, TO CORILESPONDIJITIS. ♦ ...me retttes .f " Tbe espreue.' • eseudatne the ohne eveeiree ti.mete." to pablohod cowl Tuesday as 4 relay oight. le taw M pow ft ee.•u.u•tatteled fee "no ?Tr too,"taelea Erwin peen, et the 1 0 116011, lu, Uourene.etner. by Two Vika► ea 1N 448 of ribliffotka. HIGH WATNK AT LONDON BILIDOK. Ton —llorouig. Ind 4. Ationess. les. 41.. --Aftegamm. 111. WI& LONDON, TIICRSDAY, JANUARY 20. TUE attention of Lord JO UN ItrssEtt has not, it would seem, been directed in vain to the revival of the .tfrican Slave Trade from Cuba. The Admiralty, we understand, have, on his lordship's instructions as Foreign Secretary, issued orders for the despatch of some SA ift steamers to the coasts of that island, to see V 4 bother it be not possible to check in the com mencement the renewal of the infamous traffic in human beings, and at all events to show the Court of Madrid the sense which England entertains of the scandalous manner in which the Spanish colonial authorities disregard the dictates of humanity and the obligations of treaties. Driven from Brazil, the great slave-dealing capitalists for a time sought repose in Europe. Da SA, CARNEIRO, Nerro, and FoxszcA carried their illgotten wealth to Por tugal, and the persons whom its former colony had rejected—Portugal has ennobled! DE Ss has been created the Baron of VILLA NOVA DO MINIM, ANGELO CiIINEIRO Viscount LOURES; and on Narro was conferred the Cross of the Order of Noma Senbora do Conceicao. Whether these particular individuals have returned to their old habits and practices we know not; but certain it is that for some time past arrangements have been made in Cuba by persons of great experience and capital to fill up by fresh importations from unhappy Africa the void which Cholera had made in the slave population of that island. The first evidence of this movement was seen in the ship yards of Baltimore and other American ports. Thence were despatched, not to Havannah, but to the minor and less frequented ports of Cuba, clippers such as only can hope to escape the vigilance of our cruisers. These met with a ready sale in the island. The Spanish authorities closed their eyes to these significant preparations, and rejected as imper tinence all proffered information on the sub ject. It thus became only too evident that the present Captain General was ready to wink at—per haps to profit by—the traffic. The fittings for these ships were despatched in other vessels, and from other countries, to the coast of Africa, there to be transferred to the clippers as opportunity served. And the hope is that, sailing light and unequipped from Cuba, the clippers will elude the provisions of the treaties under which, when equipped, they may be seized. It is to arrest this iniquitous scheme in its first outburst that the Admiralty now orders additional steamers to the coast of Cuba. And though we have never, as our readers know, been favourable to the large expenditure that has for so many years been going on along the western and eastern coasts of Africa, we are not about to take any objections to this temporary reinforcement of the Cuban squadron. For, off the coasts of that island a check, it is possible, may be given to what it is quite impossible effectually to repress on the two shores of the great African peninsula; and it is not consistent either with the honour, or the past exertions, of England, for her government when so near, as it was anticipated, the triumph of her anti-slave trade policy, to regard with indifference or indolence these monstrous pro. oeedings of the planters and government of Cuba. Better even that the" Lone Star" of America should revolutionise Cuba; that the authority of the Court of Madrid should be expelled from its most valuable remaining colony—than that it should be allowed to renew in all its ancient abominations the out rages on Africa. And this, it is to be hoped, Lord Jolts Russr.u., and his forthcoming successor, the Earl of CLARENDON, will plainly tell the Court of Madrid. The British nation and government can take no interest in the retention of Cuba by Spain, whilst Spain refuses to do, which recent experience has de monstrated she can easily do--suppress and termi nate the slave trade in that island. It is useless longer to argue or to remonstrate with such a court as that of Madrid ; for reason and remonstrance, it is now indispensable to substitute a determination that cannot be disregarded. Unlike Brazil, Cuba is a compact and well-orger wised country; unlike the Brazilian, the Cuban go vernment has always been. and still is, a strong, powerful, and despotic government; unlike Brazil, Oak has a police, an army, and a :oast Larto enforce its policy; and yet Brazil, far favourably situated in all these 'aspects than Cubs, has terminated the Slave Trade. It is idle trifling, therefore, to say that the Court of Madrid cannot, if it have the disposition and the resolution, achieve what Brazil has accomplished. But it his sot the disposition. It is by Cuba, and the means of corruption it furnishes, that the Court of Madrid is able to carry on that system of domestic misgovern ment which is the curse and blight of Spain. It was ander the vigorous and free constitutional system of &PARTE= that the African Slave Trade was for a while suppressed in Cuba ; and until constitutional government be again restored, our cruisers may cheek, but they will not be able to terminate, this infancies trifle, unless the Court of Madrid is brought to its senses, and taught that treaties may sot be wrecked like the hopes of bondholders. Approving, then, of this step as a temporary measure, Lords Joan RUSSELL and CLARENDON main go further, if they desire to be permanently successful ; and attack the Slave Trade, where It really d. reoeives its impetus—in the camarilla of Madri We published on Tuesday a highly interestin gg paper on the Income Tax, read at the Statistic al Society. Profits derivable from various kinds at property, or the investment of capital in various ways, an only with Moses be said to be the same when the anew& et the ems are propor tionable to them oldie saw. Iserms may be said to be the interest @dig his investment i and, though two imam is a ghee year may be identi cal, th e value of tbs investment may obviously be widely dissimilar. Taking the convene aspect of the question, two aged saes may manifestly be so invested as to passe wifely dissimilar incomes. The essence of the illikestissi is than A bill of *Tammy* foe a thourrail pees& Irwin two months to run, bears a incest lateral from a bill of exchange for stamina pounds at twelve months, and to quietism the gist would convict any banker's clerk ofer ssersdrincirsele. Yet this ab surdity ha stier, se Dr. Ass justly points out, is presit is done by the present income tax. It refuses to discriminate between the various values out of which incomes nominally the same are de rived. And resting on the blind and unmeani ng rile that one man's three hundred a year is as as another's, it takes sersupence in the pound from both, and its advocates exclaim " What can possibly be fairer?" Of times advocates the most prominent amongst the members of the Statistical Society appears to have been Lord OVERSTONE. His lordship has the repute of being a clever man, and has certainly been a successful one. He has climbed to the top of the golden mountain, and looking some what superciliously over the plains below, declares that the varied inequalities of its surface and condi tion 'mar to him but specks undeserving of any particular notice, or of bein; marked upon the pyramid map of a statesman. Things must be taken in the bulk, says his lordship, and fiscal provisions must be general. Minor disparities there may be, but they don't much matter after all. Not much to men like Lord OVEUTONE. But they do to many thousands of thinking and struggling, intelligent and useful men, into whose heads the clear conviction has entered that they are not fairly dealt with, and that somebody else in the community pays so much lees beam* they pay so much more than their just and fair share of the national barthens. The mere reite ration of the do c trinaire dogma that it is just to tax all kinds of income equally, will do nothing towards settling the question. Neither will the attempt to confuse all plain and real distinctions sp pertaining to every day life appease the just discon- tent which already beleaguers this monstrous system of injustice and is sworn to effect its overthrow. What, for instance, can Lord OvrastoNE mean by saying that all indirect as well as all direct taxes are trupon income ? The contrary is palpably . Indirect taxes are charges upon expendi ture. That is their speelal merit the gem in the WM et the snake that has insidiously coiled itself Mmad every limb of the national indus try. The plea in defence of any expenditure tax has always been that in a grater or less degree it is op tional. All tales for instance on articles of super fluity or luxury are confessedly optional in the highest degree. When a man pays them he taxes himself ; servants and carnage., horses and dogs, are in poiut of fact rated according to their supposed degree of superfluousness ; taxes on sugar and tea have in processor time ceased to be taxes on luxuries, and have become imposts on the necessaries of life. In other words, they have gradually lost their original character and have acquired • new one. They have ceased to a great extent to be optional or self-imposed burthens, and have become unavoidable ones, and this is the reason why politicians of every sect and shade have come to agree that they ought to be brought down to the lowest possible point that the revenue can afford; in other words, they have virtually become as much taxes on income as on expenditure. But of the majority of indirect taxes nothing of the kind can accurately be said. Wine, tobacco, ardent spirits, &c , still retain their place in the optional category, and have the distinction drawn by public elu sion between them and the indispensable though imported articles of subsistence we have already named. It is the magnitude moreover of the change we are adverting to From optional to unavoidable taxation in matters like tea, sugar, coffee, tallow, and soap, that forms the ground tor wholly exempting certain large classes from payment of income-tax ; the incomes of the humbler industrial classes are taxed so much the more in proportion by way of venoms duties than the incomes of the higher classes,that it was argued by Sir ROBERT PEEL and all who have followed him, that it would hardly be fair to include them under the property tax in schedule D. We are not now defending the particular line of the exemption just drawn, but we think it is clear that the arbitrary maxim laid down by Lord OVER.. STONE and the rigid school of economists to which he seems to belong, of taking so much per cent, from every man's income without re gard to any of the circumstances of his condition, fails utterly at the very outset. Pretend ing to be peculiarly practical, it proves to be inef fably, emphatically the reverse ; indefensible on close examination in point of theory, and unworkable in point of practice. It grows daily more obvious that if direct taxation is to be permanently maintained amongst us, the blundering injustice of the present system of schedules must forthwith be dealt with. Imposed in 1841 as a temporary expedient to meet a casual deficit, the gross inequalities of the income tax were excused by Sir ROBERT PEEL on the same grounds as they had been before defended by Mr. Prrr, namely, that of necessity. As a tax in time of war, or one to meet a deficiency in the Exchequer, the impost was sub mitted to, but with a surplus revenue men's minds are in a very different mood, and it is neither the part of policy or justice to disregard such a state of feeling. We have seen the readiness of great parties to seize hold of any source of popular dissatisfaction to make it their own, as an element of political capital, and to apply it to uses at first un foreseen, and perhaps unintended. In a season of commercial activity and generally diffused comfort, the vie inertia is always on tho side of Government, and aids in the indefinite postponement of financial, as well as of all other reforms. Year after year this has been felt with reference to the unredressed wrong committed by an absurd and inequitable law of direct taxation. Yet even in the quiet and pese perous times through which we have passed, and mire progress has been made. The publii!ti ll iS has gradually been formed by discussion in Parliament and in the press ; and thus it happened that when the late Administration came to make up their Budget, they eagerly adopted the idea of proposing a re-adjustment of the classification copied by P. from Pirr, and retained, without any modification worthy of notice, by Sir CHARLES WOOD. In thus attempting to meet the wants and wishes of grad classes of the community, the late CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER did no little to redeem the other falls into which he was perhaps rather driven by the and dulness of his incapable colleagues tbaa by any illusion of his own. His repeellem mem& ing the Income-tax and the duties upon Tea Goad not save Derbyite finance from condemnation ; but they extorted cordial acknowledgments of approval from Mr. DISRAELI'S warmest antagonists among the independent section of the Liberals, whose leaders will doubtless continue to insist upon some steps being taken during the coming session to esta blish the distinction between permanent and fiuctuse ting incomes. The Governor of the Falkland Islands has just sent home despatches announcing that guano has been discovered in large quantities in those islands. The climate there being less dry than at Lobos, the guano is not of equal value to the Peru. ma product ; but there seems to be no doubt that this discovery in the Falkland Islands will prove to be one of great value, both in a trading and an agri cultural sense. FRANCE. (BY SUBMARINE TELEGRAPH.) PLOY OVA OWN . COMILISPONDINT. PARIS, THVISILILT. The bureau of the Senate, that of the Legislative Body, and the Council of State, will meet on Satur day, at noon, at the Tuileries, in order to receive from the Emperor a communication respecting his marriage• PARIS, WIDNISDAT EYINING. "An extraordinary ' run' has been made to-day on the Bourse. All the efforts, official and semi official, that have been made of late, have been un able to prevent the occurrence to-day of decidedly the most serious decline in the Rentes, Bank Stock, Railway Shares, and all other securities that has recently taken place. Fora day or two past, the efforts made by agents and others who were believed to have been indemnified for the settlement in the highest quarters, preserved the closing quotations from very great substantial depression, as com- Wawith the published rates of the previous day. i e smorning, however, an irrepressible desire to l realise every description of stock took possession of lauldcts ; wad the approach of the settlement, com bined with disbelief in the assertions relating to the declared intention of the Imperial government not to interfere with investments, have caused a fall of more than two per cent. within two hours, in the French funds. After considerable efforts, and many heavy purchases on government account, the Three per Cents. fell, not even gradually, but at once sud denly and irredeemably, one franc and eighty-live centimes, and the Four-and-a-Half per Cents. de clined one franc sixty eentimes ; the former closing at 77f. 90c., and the latter at 103 f. 50c." One of the causes of the excitement on the Bourse is a report that the Emperor, against the advice of his ministers, has positively determined to marry Mademoiselle Montijo. Incredible as this may appear, the fast wee generally believed, and I have beard it confidently stated that the civil part of the marriage ceremony has been actually performed. It has long been rumoured that his Majesty was deeply in love with this beautiful young lady, and it is now said that she, following the example of Anne Boleyn under similar circumstances, refused to listen to his advances, except upon one condition, with so much firmness, that the imperial lover, despairing of success at less cost, has offered to share his crown with the object of his af fections. It was never supposed that a men so cold and calculating as Louis Napoleon would have made a love match. The belief that he has been capable of such a coup de tete has given a violent shock to public confidence, and the fall in the funds, as your telegraphic despatches will inform you, has been the heaviest that has ever occurred on any day since the map d'etat. It is understood to be the settled intention of the government to build the new transatlantic steamers tp such a manner as that, in case of need, they may Lbe used as vessels of war. Should this scheme be 111111111111 mm THE EXPRBSS, THURSDAY EVENING, JANUARY 20, 1853. persisted in, it will become evident to the most in credulous, that commercial enterprise is bat this pre-/- text . the establishment about to be created at Cherbourg. The French government must perfectly well know that light boats; built with a view to rapibity only, such as those of the Liverpool and Southampton companies must always beat vessels constructed to carry artillery and muniments of war. France has not to seek experience in this matter. The failure of M. Thiess's experiment in 1840 was complete. Four mixed vessels built under his orders attempted the transatlantic packet service. They were unable to carry coal enough for their consiis•p. tion during the voyage,and at the end of ridiculously long pa sages were obliged to make their way to New York with sails. These vessels are thus de scribed in a report made to the Marine Commission by Admiral Baudin : When they came to try these vessels as transatlantic pack ets it was found necessary to abandon the attempt. They had neither the necessary speed nor solidity. They were ships of grotesque appearance, and excited the laughter of every foreigner who beheld them. When they were seen in the tiaited States alongside of American ships people asked what savages in France had built vessels in ouch a form ? Thus, owing to the vice in their construction, the transatlantic packets enterprise completely failed. It is however said that great improvements have been made in ship-building within the last few years, and the performances of the famous screw steamer the Napoleon are triumphantly cited to show the degree of speed which a war vessel may now be made to attain. Doubtless this model vessel, which has cost, by the way, an enor mous sum of money, is exceedingly fast for a ship of war ; but she could not keep pace with a clipper across the Atlantic. It is impossible that any ves sel drawing the quantity of water that the lightest ship of war must do, can compete as • packet boat with vessels combining every modern improvement, and constructed for the especial purpose of carrying nothing but mails, passengers, and light but valuable freight. In such a service " time is money." The English companies have nothing to fear from com petition with hybrid ships. But this point is so clear as to force upon us the conclusion that the vessels destined to fill the port of Cherbourg will not be of that character. They may be called commercial ves sels of warlike capabilities, but they will in reality be ships of war, and nothing else. It would be affectation to suppress the .fact that " rumours of war" are now in everybody's mouth. The laborious attempts of the governmenejournals to demonstrate the peaceable policy of the Emperor, only serve to demonstrate the uneasy feeling that prevails upon the subject. There is a remarkable article to-day in the republican Sleek, well worthy the attention of those who may imagine that foreign journals alone throw doubts upon the trustworthiness of the pacific professions of the government. The government journals announce that the Portu guese government, in order to give a proof of the good understanding existing between the two countries, has suppressed a Lisbon journal hostile to the establishment of the empire in France. M. de la Rochejaquelin has received a very large , number of new-year's cards from his old legitimist friends, with the significant addition of the letters P.PC." An imperial decree, dated the 3rd, nominates Ge neral de division Allouveau de Monbreal, inspector general of infantry, to the command of the division of oocapation at Rome, in the room of General Ge moan, nominated senator and placed en diaponsibilit4. The Minister of Police, in a report to the Empe ror, published in the Moniker, recommends that, in execution of the decree of the 28th March last, 738 commissaries of cantonal police shall be appointed in the different departmente,in districts specified by him; and a decree of the Emperor orders the recom mendation to be carried into effect, and approves of the limits proposed for each canton. The expense, lays the minister, will be 752,330 fr., of which the communes will contribute 576,079 fr., and the state, 178,751 fr. The salaries of the new commissaries is to vary from 800 fr. to 1,500 fr. BELGIUM. BRUSSELS, Jaw. 18. The Chamber of Representatives resumed its la bours this afternoon. As it was expected that minis ten would lay before the house a bill, or, as it is called here, prOet de loi, for the organisation of the army, numerous officers attended in the reserved gal leries. The bill, in fact, was laid on the table, but, as it was not read, its contents did not transpire. It was ordered to be referred to a special committee, for the purpose of being reported on. The organisa tion of the Belgian army hu long been a oexata guastio in this country; one party demanding the reduction of the budget, and the other maintaining that the actual one—some 32 millions of francs, if I recollect rightly—is insufficient. Another party thinks that the army might be rendered more effec tive, and with less cost than at present, by diminish ing the number of general officers, and by amalga mating certain regiments. This afternoon, also, the chamber voted two amend ments, conferring liberal pensions on those Polish officers who were lately discharged from the Belgian army. The main object of the discharge was to ob tain the good graces of the Emperor Nicholas, who, as you already know, has not been diplomatically re presented in this city since the time of the Belgian revolution. I may state that the Polish officers are now satisfied with the arrangement made in their regard. A more difficult and delicate question is that relating to the French officers in the Belgian service; but I have grounds for stating, that, unde terred by those difficulties, the Belgian government is prepared to take steps for removing from the army those natives of France who did not enter it under special agreement, and who have refused to become naturalised Belgian citizens. You will see at once how painful would be the position of those gentle men should a war break out - between the country of their birth, and the one in which their services were accepted. SPAIN. The Minister of the Interior received on the 12th the deputation of the editors of the opposition jour nals. It was not of a very assuring character. The Minister said that he was truly smry for the position in which the periodical press had been placed, but that since the present government had not promoted the legislation to which that position was due, he was not free to do for the press what he could Wish. Orders, however, should be given not to aggravate the present state of things. The journalists were obliged to retire, little satisfied with the result of their visit. Our letters from Madrid speak of growing public distrust of the new Ministry. Since its accession to office it has not committed itself by a single act to liberal views of government. It appears to bo wait ing in order to adopt in the end any policy that may out its purpose, or that of the powers behind the Throne. The ministerial candidates are losing ground daily. The Iferaido has au article in which, a ft er com- menting in severe language upon the conduct of the government towards Marshal Narvaez, it says : "Is it extraordinary that the Duke of Valencia, having been made the object of the unjustifiable measure which had been adopted towards him, should have protested against it with vigour and energy ? We think that no one will be astonished at it, and particularly if two things are considered. The first is, that documents like that signed by the general, although addressed under an official form to an august personage, whom every one respects, are in reality . directed against tho responsible ad visers of an inviolable and sacred institution; and the second is, that if this document was distributed clandestinely, the Duke of Valencia ought not to be rendered responsible for it." ITALY . The Milan Gazette of the 13th Instant publishes a notification of Count &remold°, announcing that the military contingent of the Lombardo-Vonetian pro vinces for 1853 was fixed at 13,390 recruits. In its sitting of the 14th the Chamber of Deputies at Turin commenced the discussion of a bill on mu tual insurance and joint-stock companies. The oh ject•of the bill is to lay a special tax upon them, and to regulate their operations In certain cases. The first two articles of the bill were voted without division. SWITZERLAND. The eorrespoadent of the 'Neva* writes from Bet% lin :—Prussia has come to an understanding with England respecting the course to be adopted towards Neufchatel, and is now negotiating in order to bring the French government over to its views. The King attaches great importance to this affair. GERMANY. The Austrian Archduke Rainer who has died at Botzen, on the Tyrol, where he has re sided since 1848, was, with the exception of the Archduke Louis, the youngest brother of the Emperor Francis I. He was born at Florence on the 30th of September, 1783, his fatherbeing at thatepoch Grand Duke of Tuscany. The Archduke, as colonel of the regiment which bore his name, took part in several of the wars with France; and, during the later campaigns, obtained the grade of Field-Marshal. In 1820, the Emperor nomi nated him to the vice-royalty of the Lombardo- Venetian provinces, which had been constituted by the decree in 1816 a kingdom. In the same year he married the Princess Elizabeth of Savoy-Carignan whose brother Charles Albert, in 1831, ascended the throne upon the extinction of the elder branch of the house of Savoy. Of this marriage eight children were born, two of them princesses, the elder of whom, the Archduchess Maria, died at Vienna in 1842, the other is now wife of Victor Emanuel, King of Sardinia. Of the six princes, his sons, one died in tender years at Milan, the other five have commissions in the Austrian army. One of them, Rainer, the fifth by birth, married two years ago the Archduchess Caro line, daughter of Charles, the adversary of Napoleon on the fields of Aspern and Wagram. During the twenty-seven years of the late prince's vice-royalty, no incident, except the abortive rising of 1821, arose to trouble the pacific course of his residence, one can hardly say of his administration, in Italy. The system of absolute centralisation which was in operation, called every im portant subject to Vienna for decision, rendering the power of the Viceroy all but nominal. To repre sent the sovereign, as well as was possible with a civil list of 1,200,000 francs, give audiences, and no minate to some secondary employments of a merely ministerial character, was all that he was required or permitted to do. Whatever concerned the army or magistracy was in other hands. He was thus neither hated nor loved by the population which had seen him placed over them by a foreign and ab sent: power. Things went on thus until the commencement of 1848, when, on the 3rd of January, a frightful occurrence ensanguined the streets of Milan. Some soldiers of the garrison bribed with money and cigars by those whose duty it was to protect the citizens, after wandering in search of provocation, drew their swords upon a miserable quarrel, and began to sabre right and left all whom they met, sparing neither age nor sex. Seventy persons were the victims of this fury. The archbishop, at the head of the prin cipal notabilities of the city, went to the civil government to demand justice. The Archduke, who was then at his villa at Monza, immediately issued a proclamation, in which he promised an inquiry and the active employment of his influence at Vienna to obtain redress for the abuse of military power. For a few days Renoir was popular, but scarcely a week bad passed when ano ther proclamation fifth , from Vienna, and lased by the Emperor himself, was placarded in the streets of Milan. It announced measures of rigour against those who considered themselves victims of the ani mosity of the Austrian soldier)! • not one word of the inquiry or redress promised by the resident Archduke. Upon this contretemps, Rainer judged it prudent to quit Lombardy and retire to the fortress of Verona. Six weeks later the revolution of Milan broke out, and some days after this Piedmoutese were before Verona. The Archduke then resigned his functions and withdrew to Botzen, where he resided till his death. . . . The Prussian government, seeing the obstacles which impede the formation of a working conven tion between France and the Austro-German post verein, has resolved to propose a postal union with Belgium, in order that negotiations with France may subsequently be resumed with greater proba bility of success. The Leipeic Gazette states, under the head of Vienna, that there is no truth in the statement made by some of the German journals of the French government having recently made an application to the Austrian Cabinet for the reduction of the import duties on certain articles of French produce and manufacture. An application of this kind was, it is added, made about a year since, and the Cham bers of Commerce in Austria having been consulted, the French government was informed that the tariff would be modified if in its turn France would reduce the duty on Austrian wool. This was refused, and since then nothing more has been said on the subject. A letter from Prague of the Bth informs us that a grand organ, constructed for the Lutheran congrega tion of that city, was opened on the previous Sun day. The instrument, which is from the celebrated manufactory of Breschkow, of Breslau, has four rows of keys, and cost 2,2001., which was raised by a sub scription in which not only Lutherans but the Archi episcopal Primate and many of his clergy with other cathohcs took part. The organ was first played at the morning service, in presence of an assembly in which many non-Lutheran notabilities, and in par ticular several Romish ecclesiastics, were observed.' M. Hess, of tke Lutheran church, executed Sebastian Bach's grand Fugue in C Minor with great precision and talent. When he had concluded he was invited to dine with the catholic archbishop. These acts of religious tolerance have caused a general satisfaction at Prague. DENMARK. Letters from Copenhagen, of the 13th, confirm the mouncement of the dissolution of the Danish Diet. MONTENEGRO. A telegraphic despatch from Trieste, dated the 15th inst., states that George Petrovit ch Negosch, cousin of the reigning prince, had arrived there on his road to Vienna and St. Petersburgh on a special mission. General Baron Hi:diner, adjutant of the Emperor of Austria, and General Mamula, governor of Dal matia, had arrived at Cattaro, accompanied by the governor of Dalmatia. Different Austrian battalions hid received orders to march to Dalmatia to strengthen the Austrian army there. Omer Packs was said to have arrived at Scutari on the 7th lan., at the head of a large body of troops, and proposed commencing the campaign at once, without waiting for the spring. Prince Daniel had gone to Orshovo to concert military operations with the Voivods of Wojatich, who has declared himself for the Monte negrines. This prince was very recently decorated by the Emperor of Russia with the order of St. Anne, third class. The Prince of Montenegro also wears Russian orders. AN AMESICAN VIEW OP 1882.—A new year. Eighteen hundred and fifty-two has gone out, shaking his hoary locks as ho went at the babe eighteen hundred and fifty-three, whom this morning ushered into a shivering existence. Clue we awhile on the tottering form of the old man as he fade' in the distance ; let us seas his share of history's dial, and grasp, if we can, in one broad view, the whole tendency of his career. A motley crew they are, these years ; some joyous, se when a period of famine is succeeded by a plenteous harvest, or a long war is terminated by a general peace, or a noble invention or happy discovery offers rich promise of new treasures to mand ; some gloomy seasons of disease, of strife, of man Miffing against the elements ; some merely dull end monotonous, neither cheered nor damped by any unusual event, and destined to burthen the memory of so future chrooologer. One year goes down to posterity as a memorable stage in she world's progress; another, like the ebbing tide of the era, is marked by a strange reaction, a seeming decay in the strength of the human intellect. Not that the world ever actually takes a retrograde step, but its fitful, unsteady progress can seldom be traced in the history of any one nation or state, and the delusion arises from our p hilosophical telescope being pointed toward the wrong object. France may seem to slide backward, bat England is advancing ; the decline of Spain may be obvious, but Russia's progress is equally man ifest ; Europe may be stationary, but America s on ward mar defies the chronicler's art. Progress ie ea in. variable la* of oar nature, and the years of reaction which fill the sensitive mind with fears, are but the recoil of the wave which Is oboist to spring forward with new vigour.-- lino rods Ihrald. AMERICA. ARRIVAL OF THE ATLANTIC. (Jr WLOCTRIC TILIORAPH.] (PEON OUR OWN COIIILZSPONDINT.) LIVERPOOL, THURSDAY. The United States Mail steam-ship Atlantic, Capt. West, has just arrived in the Mersey direct from New York, which rat she would leave on the Bth, and bring dates from that city four days later than were landed from the Canada on Sunday last. The Atlantic brings 43 passengers, but no specie. He mails will leave this by the 9 o'clock p.m. train, for first delivery on Friday morning; and those for the Continent will cross the channel at mid-day. ARRIVAL OF THE PROMETHEUS FROM THE COAST OF AFRICA. Poxysuottu, lax. 19. The Prometheus, 5, steam sloop, Commander Foote, arrived at Spithead at 4 o'clock this afternoon, from the coast of Africa, having made a very fine passage. She left Sierra Leone en the 27th of December, where were her Majesty's ships Penelope (with the flag of Rear-Admiral Bunco), the Firefly, Polyphemus, Bloodhound, Ferret, and Pluto. The mail steamer Propontis had arrived there on the 26th of December. She reported having met with the Linnet, 6 guns, at Tenerife, on the 23rd of Decem ber; the latter having experienced very bad weather. Commander Heseltine, of the Britemart, was senior officer in the Bight. He had with him the Cygnet and Alecto. On the south coast were the Harlequin, Waterwitch, Volcano, and Spy. The slave trade is re ported as extinguished, the Prometheus having only taken two prizes in her commission of two years and a half. The Prometheus put into Tenerife on the 7th inst., and sailed again on the 11th with mails for England. She has brought home invalids, among whom are Lieutenant S. W. Towsey, first of the Firefly. She has a small quantity of gold dust and some ivory, &c., on board, which she brings from Lagos. She has had much sickness on board, having lest during her commission one officer and three men, besides having sent some 60 men to the hospital. The intelligence from the coast by this arrival informs us that the boats of the Polyphemus, 6, Commander Phillips, had landed a party of men from that ship in the river Shebat., near Lagos, and bad burnt the villages on its banks on account of some acts of piracy. Just prior to the Prometheus leaving the coast Com mander Foote had returned from • mission to Abbra koutah, the object of which was to open up friendly rela tions with that people. This mission was perfectly success ful, and holds out the prospect of much good feel ing on the part of the Abbrakoutans towards the British. All the chiefs Commander Foote had met had displayed much gratification at the visit, ex pressing themselves in the most favourable terms towards the whites, and • desire to cultivate their company and good will. They had given up the slave trade, and were giving every encouragement to the missions that were being sent to them trom the coast. Abbrakoutah is 30 miles to the north of Sierra Leine, the route to it lying through a most delightful and productive country, which is stated to be capable of growing cotton, &e., in very large quantities. Dr. Irving, of the Prometheus, accompanied Commander Foote on this mission, and has collected the requisite mate rials for a work descriptive of the capabilities of the country and the characteristics of the people of Abbrakoutah, a place which bids fair to open a wide field for the civilisation of the interior of this portion of Africa. They were, however, engaged in a war with Addis, a town to the north of Badagny ; having there an army of 20,000 men who were occupied in storming that place. The King of Dahomey was, however, reported to be on the point of attacking his old enemies the Abbrakoutans, hav ing an army collected for that purpose. Trade is reported as brisk at the different ports on the coast; considerable exportations of geld dust, ivory, gum, &c., taking place. THE MORTALITY ON BOARD THE WEST INDIA PACKETS. Although the yellow fever is still very . bad in the West Indies, it must certainly be decreasing in virulence. In the Magdalena, which arrived at Southampton a fort night since, 10 had died on the homeward voyage, whereas on board the Parana, which has just arrived at Southamp ton, although 30 had been ill of the fever, four deaths only from that disease took place. It is therefore hoped that we shall have better accounts in future, and that the inertality on board the homeward bound packets will continue to decrease. The anxiety and distress that this terrible pesti lence causes at Southampton is very afflicting; nor ow this be wondered at when the hundreds of persons ea board the mail-packets in the West Indies who how i friends and relatives in the above-named town see KO adored. On Tuesday the gentleman who brought the first news ashore from the Parana was beast by a noiltitude of persons, all asking him questions. As he INS escaping from them in a cab the latter was clung to by a peer man, who earnestly asked if his son was alive. On bodn told that he was act among the list of dead, he waited until Dr. Webb., the health diner, landed, when he learnt that his son (who is the Admiralty agent's servant on board the Parana) was alive, but very ill from the yellow fever. The poor man and his wife immediately hired • boat and proceeded down Southampton Water to where the Parana h iras ue ying. The Custom authorities guarding the packet the arrival of the parents to be made known on beard, and Lieutenant Brown, the Admiralty agent, and Dr. Barton, the surgeon of the ship, very humanely caused the sick son on board to be borne, enveloped in blankets, to the sponson, where he exchanged • few words with his rents, who were in the boat by the side of the ship, and r father and mother had the pleasure of seeing and speaking to their son wive. It is expected that the Parana will be released from quarantine on Saturday. The following important circular has been issued by the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company : "Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, 55, Moorgate street, London, Jan. 11, 1853. "The managers consider it their duty to put each captain and surgeon of the company's ships arriving at South ampton from the West Indies, upon their guard (previous to being sworn on their examination by the officers of quarantine) that nothing could operate more injuriously upon the character of the company, than any attempt to mislead or misinform those authorities as to the number of sick during the voyage, the deaths that have occurred, or the precis* diseases and dates of persons being taken ill or dying on board ; and that the court of directors would unite with her Majesty's government in bringing to pun ishment any of the company's officers endeavouring by such unworthy means to escape from being placed in qua rantine. " E. Cuarrsx.s., Secretary. - . "To the Superintendents and Surgeons o f the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company." MORE DEATHS PROX YELLOW FEVER.--The man on board the Parana, who was so ill of the fever when the ship arrived at Southampton, died on Wednesday evening. His wife was allowed to come on board to attend on her husband in his last moments. The poor man's name was Baverstoek He was the baker of the ship. Intelligence has reached Southampton that Mr. Thomas, a midshipman on board the Conway, died at Navy Bay, of yellow fever, on the 18th alt. THE YELLOW FEVER ON BOARD THE DAUNTLESS. Return of persons from her Majesty's ship Daunt less admitted into 34th Hospital at Bar Woes, between 6th and 26th December, 1852 :—James Knight, seaman, died 14th December; Samuel Tahoe, marine, discharged cured 16th December; John Sullivan, seaman; William Mitchell, seaman; Thomas Rowels marine , marine, died 17th December ; Francis Hope, seaman; Mr. Haswell, master's assistant, died 14th December ; Benjamin liillsden, sessnan, died 13th December; Richard Keating, seaman ; Mr. Bushby, midshipman, died 14th December; Mr. Welman, carpenter,' died 16th December; Joshua Robertson, seaman, died 22nd December; John Kelly, seaman; William Dyer, seaman ; Thomas C. Smith, seaman; John Wakeham (1), seaman ; John Wakeham (2), seaman ; Mr. Traherne, midshipman ; George Weston, seaman ; Edward Williams, seaman, died 22nd December; James Pearce, boy; Patrick Driscoll, seaman, died 26th December ; John Ricketts, seaman ; George Harris, seaman; George Prawn, seaman; John Wilson, marine ; Jeremiah M'Carthy, seaman ; Henry Hiaooek, boy; Alfred Powell, seaman; James Cater, seaman ; Patrick Barry, seaman ; Samuel Shilling, sea man. Sent to Hospital of her Majesty's 69th Regiment : Henry Lloyd, seaman ; William Swanson, marine, died 18th December; William Basel), seaman, died 17th Dec. ; Henry Jones, boy; George Stride, seaman, died 22nd Dec. ; Owen Thomas, marine ; Richard Wicks, boy, died 18th December; E dward Cooper, seamen; Richard Caunter, boy; John Chalk, marine; John Dorey, seaman died Dec. 20; Benjamia Williams, seaman ; Samuel Smith, marine, died Dec. 21 ; John Brian, seaman ; Jobn Sullivan, seaman ; Robert Brame, boy; Nathaniel Booth, boy, died 21st December; Benjamin Webb, seaman, died 21st December ; William Harden, boy; Robert Stevens, seaman; George Main, boy, died 22nd Dec. ; W. Pick, seaman ; Samuel Johnson, seaman ; Charles Ashley, seaman. Total persons remaining in Military Hospital on the 25th December, 1862 :—Ofilcers, 2 ; seamen and boys, 38; ma dam, 6; total, 66. Tend persons admitted into Military Hospital with fever between 17th Nov. and 25th Dec., 1852, 139. Total of deaths in Military Hospital from fever between 17th Nov. and 26th Dec., 1852, 60. (Signed) B. P. HALSTED, Captain. CARRIAGE RATES IN AUSTRALIA.—A correspond ent, who kas just arrived in England by the Australian, says:—" You state carriage is still paid for at enormous rates, from 81. to 101. being freely offered for carriage of goods over the distance of 100 miles. I have just returned from Melbourne, and vouch for the fact, that since the gold discovery less than 201. was never paid, and this was quite at the commencement. It has gone se high as 1801., and the gesteral average has not beeli less than Initead OK to 101., pray request the public to read 801. to 1001. The distance from Melbourne to the diggings is hardly 90 tlje Court. WINDSOR, JAW. 19. The Queen held a Chapter of the Most Noble Order of the Garter this afternoon, in the Castle. Her Majesty, wearing the mantle and collar of the Order (her robe borne bylllemirs. Crofton and Cameron, th e P ages of Honour in Waiting), and Prince Albert also wearing the insignia of the order, were conducted nt half past two o'clock, by the Lord Chamberlain and the L or d S teward, from the Drawing Room, through the north corridor, to the Throne Room, The Prince of Leiningen, who wore the mantle, hood, and collar of the Garter, accompanied the Queen. The Knights Companiew, robed in their mantles sad collars, had been called over by Garter King of Arms, in St. George's Hall, when there answered—The Manittigof Exeter, the Marquis of Salisbury, the Duko of Cleveland, the Marquis Camden, the Duke of Bedford, the Earl of Clarendon, and the Earl Eitzwilliam. The officers of the order present in their robes, chains. and badges, were the Prelate, the Bishop of Winchester the Chancellor, the Bishop of Orford; Garter Ki ng ' o f Arms, Sir Charles Young, Knt. ; Gentleman U s h er o f the Black Rod, Sir Augustus Clifford, Burt. The Knights Companions and officers of the Order, by command of the Queen, entered the Chapter Roo m , an d the Sovereign and Knights Companions being seated, bee Majesty's royal will and pleasure—that the vacant s t a ll s i n the Royal Chapel of St. George, at Windsor, should be filled—was signified by the Chancellor, and as none but a knight can be elected, the Most Noble Algernon Duke of Northumberland was introduced to the Sovereign by Garter King of Arms and Black Rod, and was knighted by the Queen with the Sword of State. His Grace kissed her Majesty's hand and retired. The Knights Companions, proceeded to the election and the suffrages were collected by the Chancellor, and by him presented to her Majesty, who commanded him to declare that the Most Noble Algernon Duke of Northumberland had been duly elected a Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. BT the Sovereign's commands his Grace was received by the Earl of Clarendon and the Earl Fitzwilliam, the two beniorKnights Companions present. and w conducted tween them to her Majesty, preceded by Garter (bear ing the ensigns of the order upon a crimson velvet cushion) and by Black Red. The Duke of Northumberland knelt near the Queen, and Garter King of Arms, on his knee, presented the Garter, and the Queen, assisted by his Royal Highness Prince Alpert, buckled it on his Grace's l e ft l eg , the Chancellor pronouncing the usual admonition. Garter in like manner presented the Ribbon and George, and her Majesty, assisted by Prince Albert, put the Rib bon over the noble Duke's left shoulder, the Chancellor pronouncing the admonition. His Grace again kissed her Majesty's hand, and having received the congratulations of each of the Knights Companions retired. The Chapter then proceeded to a second election, and the Chancellor having collected the suffrages presented them to the Queen, who commanded him to declare that the Most Hon. Charles William Marquis of Londonderry, G.C.B , had been duly elected a Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter. His lordship was introduced between the Earls of Clarendon and Fitzwilliam, and was invested by the Sovereign with the Garter, Ribbon, and George, with the like ceremonies. The noble marquis having also re ceived the congratulations of the Knights Companions, retired from the Throne-room. The Chapter being ended, Garter King-of-Arms, by het Majesty's command, again called over the Knights Com panions, who, with the officers of the order, retired from the presence of the Sovereign with the usual reverence. Their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales, Prince Alfred, the Princess Royal, and the Princesses Alice and Helena, and her Serene Highness the Princess Adelaide of Hohenlohe, witnessed the ceremony of the investiture. The court was attended by the Duchess of Sutherland, Mistress of the Robes ; the Viscountess Canning, Lady-in- Waiting; the Duke of Norfolk. K.G., Lord Steward; the Marquis of Breadalbane, K.T., Lord Chamberlain; the Earl of Jersey, G.C.H., Master of the Horse : Viscount Sydney, Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard ; the Earl of M u rave, Treasurer of the Household ; Lord Ernest Bruce, Vice-Chamberlain, Lord Elphinstnne, G.C.H., Lord in Waiting; Lieut.-Colonel Hon. Nelson Hood, Groom in Waiting; Lord Charles Fitzroy, Equerry in Waiting to the Queen; Lieut.-Colonel F. H. Seymour, Groom of the Robes; Sir William Martins, Gentleman Usher of the Sword of State; Sir George Lee, Lieutenant of the Yeomen of the Guard; Colonel Parker (lot Idle Guards), Silver Stick in Waiting; Colonel Bentinck (Cold stream Guards), Field Officer in Brigade Waiting; Colo nel Fizmaurice, Adjutant of the Yeomen of the Guard ; and the Hon. Alfred Crofton and Mr. George G. Cameron, Pages of Honour in Waiting. Her Majesty's Yeomen of the Guard were on duty under the command of Captain Sir John Kincaid, the Exon in Waiting. A Guard of Honour of the 3rd Battalion Grenathr Guards was on duty, with the Band of the Regiment, in the Grand Quadrangle of the Castle. Luncheon was served to tke whole of the noblemen and gentlemen assisting at the ceremony. The Queen entertained at dinner, in the Waterloo Gal lery, this evening, the following illustrious circle :—The Duchess of Kent, the Prince of Leiningen, the Princess Adelaide of Hohenlohe, the Duchess of Sutherland, the Duke of Norfolk, the Duke and Duchess of Bedford, the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland, the Duke of Cleve land, the Marquis of Breadalbane, the Marquis of Salis bury, the Marquis of Exeter, the Marquis Camden, the Marquis of Londonderry, the lady in waiting to the Duchess of Kent, Baroness de Speth, Earl Fitzwilliam, Earl of Cla rendon, Lady Caroline and Miss Barrington, Lady Emily Seymour, the Bishop of Winchester, the Bishop of Oxford, the Hon. Mrs. Grey, Colonel the lion. C. B. and Mrs. Phipps, Viscount Torrington, and Sir Augustus Clifford. Prince Albert, accompanied by the Prince of Leiningen, went out shooting this morning, attended by Colonel the Hon. A. N. Hood and Lieut.-Col. F. H. Seymour. The Duke and Duchess of Northumberland, the Duke and Duchess of Bedford, the Dukes of Norfolk and Cleve land, the Marquises of Londonderry, Breadalbane, Salle bury, Camden, and Exeter, Earls Clarendon and Fitt william, the Bishops of Winchester and Oxford, Viscount Torrington, and Sir A. Clifford, arrived at the Castle tffr day on a visit to the Queen. The following had the honour of dining with her Majesty yesterday:—The Duchess of Kent, the Prince of Lembo gen, the Princess Adelaide of Hohenlolse, the Lady-ft- Waiting to the Duchess of Kent, the Baroness de Speth, and Colonel the Hon. C. B. Phipps. Her Majesty's private band attended in the evening, and performed the following compositions : Sinfonia (No. 7) Beethoven—Pow sosteouto, Vlrbee, Allegretto, Presto, aid Finale Allegro coo brio Jallocto stanch Prandas. • The lion. John Ross, Solicitor-General of Canada, and Mr. W. Jackson, M.P., had an interview with the Dubs of Newcastle yesterday at the Colonial.office. A deputation from the Paving and Lighting Committee of St. Clement Danes, consisting of Mr. Jacquet, Chairman of the Paving Committee; Mr. Beachem, Churchwarden; and Mr. Leon, Clerk to the Paving Committee, had an in. terview with Si, William Molesworth yesterday at the office of Works and Public Buildings in Whitehall-place. Despatches were sent yesterday from the Colonial-offita to the Governors of Hong Kong, Ceylon, the Mauritine, Malta, and the Lord High Commissioner of the lonian Islands. Despatches were received yesterday from tti Governors of the West Indian Islands, and from the Go vernor of New Zealand. OXFORD ELECtION. FOURTIIIINTR DAT. OXFORD, WILDNDIMAT. The result of the day's polling has reduced Mr. Gladatone's majority from 124 to 119. The number of vote recorded was 39, of which 17 were fur Mr. Gladstone, and 22 for Mr. Perceval. • ITILTI CO! POLL.--7117 o'cs.o4z. Gladstone lOO4 Percival Majority for Mr. Gladstone Amongst the supporters of Mr. Gladstone to-day were, Sir Frederick Arthur Gore Ouseley, Bart., Christ Church; Rev. Edward Graham Moon, Magdalen College; Res. Frederick Faashawe, Exeter • Rev. Henry G. Liddell, Brasenosa College; Rev. T. W. Nowell, Brasenows College. THE METROPOLITAN DISPENSARY AND CUAIRD. TABU! FUND.—The triennial dinner of this institution took place yesterday evening et the London Tavern, Bishoi gate-street. The chair was taken by the Right Hon. Lord Mayor, who was supported by Sheriff Croll, Mr. Dillon, Mr. C. Pearson, the Venerable Archdeacon Hales the Rev. T. Jackson, and other active friends of the cha rity. After the preliminary toasts, including that of the Sherifli of London and Middlesex, the chairman proposed " Prosperity to the institution." In doing so, he took ma lion to observe that indiscriminate charity was, in hie ' opinion, more likely to injure than to benefit the commtmq ' at large, but that on the other hand no country was safe ! where the masons were neglected and their misfortunes tut , relieved. This institution brought under their notice not the idle and the profligate but the industrious and the de serving —those who, before requiring aid, had gained the esteem and confidence of their employers by their truthful ness and integrity. Here the sick and the diseased pro cured all the assistance that science could bestow, and the limited funds of the society were applied on their behalf iu the most useful and beneficial manner. During .the past year more than seven thousand cases had been cured or relieved, and upwards of four thousand visits had been paid to patients at their own habitations; yet the ordinary income from all sources scarcely exceeded 3501. There was an idea abroad that the benefits of the charity were confined to the City. That was not the fact ; the whole metropolis might participate in the advantages which it held out, and all that was needed to ensure ex tended usefulness was an augmentation of funds. A cor dial response was given to the toast, which was succeeded by several others, including the health of the Lord Ma ox. Among the subscriptions announced in the course of the evening were the following: The Lord Mayor, ten gui neas; Sheriff Croll, live guineas; Messrs. Morrison, Dollen, and Co., five guineas; Mr. J. Dillon, five guineas ; Mr. C. Pearson, three guineas; Baron Rothschild, ten guineas Mr. Herbert Lloyd, ten guineas ; Mr. If. Smith, fin gal ; nese; Messrs. Whitbread and Co., twenty pints, Ma. R. Chapman, ten guineas ; Mies Waller, ten guineas; Mn Beaumont, five guineas; the Rev. F. J. Blomfield. two guineas. The total amount subscribed was nosey 3001.