The Express. — London, England, 1853-09-08 00:00:00

ZEE eTorefilS• TO CORRIMPONDENTS. A iboafors.h :. ;:htatte7mg;' sun. K tune's pub: abed every Teatlay sal Vt day night, in taut Ldvi St. inets:cm•eatle4 !ar " Thilisprer." Loudon Lyman. p %per. I ..1-• • the )I .e, 10, Do ivedortre t, bJ Tura 4Aloch of the *la) 40 pub:kali:a. MOH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE. Toe. D.T SA. Ira .. Mrrows% SA. 2J+. To.soortow —Monism sb. Mks ... Afternoon. 6b. 3.a. LONDOY, THURSDA I', SEPTEMBER 8. Ar length, on September the 7th, the Board of Trade t.tbles for the month ending August the 3th, ire published! Merchants circulars, Customs' hills ',entry, and other documents, have already supplied na with much of that sort of information contained in these tables to as late a period as the 27th of August. There could be nothing to prevent all the returns being made to the Board of Trade by the Custom house a fortnight ago, and why the officials at the Board should have taken fourteen days to arrange what a merchant's clerk would have arranged in a few hours, they ought to explain to the mercantile immunity. They wish probably to keep up the distine'ion between the performance of private and public services—the former prompt, efficient, and po litely rendered; the latter sulkily gone through, never quickly, and rarely well done. However, now we hare got the tables, though several days late, we may use the information they supply. The most interesting subject now connected with trade is that of the comparative value of exports and imports as an index to its success. If the value of the imports excited* that of exports, we are carrying on a successful trade, and whatever temporary defi ciency of capital there may be, it will soon be re placed. But these returns, while they take no notice whatever ut bullion,- -now a very large item in our trade,—tell us only of the quantities of the articles imported, and nothing whatever of their value. Like too many of our official returns, they are one-sided, imeouiplete, and may mislead. They give us the alien.. of comparing the quantities imported in one spot It with quantities impor•ed in another, and the values exported in one month with the values exported in another; bat they do not give the values both of exports and imports, so that we might now compare the value brought in with the value sent out,—in the present state of the Mosey market, the great subject of interest. What , would be thought of a merchant who entered in his books only the number of hogsheads of sugar and hundredweights of coffee he imported, and took no Lode, of either their estimated or sale price, while he put down to the fraction of a penny the value of all the haberdashery and hardware he sent abroad? Oer Board of Trade tables, however, are constructed on such a principle; and reform is as much needed in !bp Statistical as in the Electoral details of our go vernment. We have an endless number of returns, — we are renowned for our enumerations, all drawn upon a similar principle, bet to reduce them into order, so that they shall throw light on each other, is a task yet to be performed by some clear head. Till some system beginning with districts and population be udopted for keeping the national accounts, it is only a waste of time and money to extend them. Comparing the month of July, 1833, with the month of July, 18.52 and 1851, and the seven months ended August 5 in the same years, it is at once apparent that the quantities of the articles imported in the month of July, 1853, and in the seven months aided August 5, 1853, exceed in the great majority of came the quantities imported in the previous years. The exceptions, which we may enumerate on account of their fewness, are ashes, bark, bones, brimstone, manufactured cottons, cotton yarn—the declared value of which is given to show us that the declared value might be easily given of every article imported—most dyes and dyeing stuffs, embroidery, currants, white flint glass, guano, hemp, mahogany, tin, rapeseed, spices (except pepper), rum, tallow, tea (in the seven months, but not in the to9nth), and turpentine. Whenever the consumption of any of these articles is known from their paying duty, the consumption hu increased, as of tea, though the importation in the seven months has been !es% while the quantities of the bulk of the articles imported, whether they are for consumption, like coffee or sugar, or the raw materials of our ma nufactures, like wool or cotton, go on increasing. Their vain', we repeat, is not stated, but in the month and in the seven months as compared to former years, we have imported larger quantities of the materials of enjoyment and of wealth. The table of foreign and colonial merchandise ex ported informs us of the transit trade carried on, and that the quantities of foreign cheese, cocoa, coffee, corn, most kinds of cotton and leather manufactures, of glass, quicksilver, pepper, spirits, tobacco, wine, cotton, woollen manufactures, &c., exported in the seven months of 1863 were greater than in the seven months of the previous year. If the quantity of cotton exported was more than in former years it wu less than the increase imported in 1863, so that • we have 147,192 owts. more to work up than in 1852, while other nations have more also. The quantity of foreign and colonial wool exported is 1,719,933 lbs. Ism in 1853 than in 1832, so that we have upwards of 14,000,000 lbs. more of foreign wool to work up already this year than to the same time last year. As no raw material has been rela tively so short as wool this increase corresponding to oar wants shows how completely we may rely on trade, when free, to supply everything for which there is a demand and which an be supplied. Between the quantities of the commodities im ported and the declared Taloa of the exports there is nocommon mimeo ; but we conclude that the increase is the latter, no less than 1,40.5,918!. in the month, and 9,723,0031. in the seven months, is relatively much greater than the increase in the quantities of imports, great though that be. A large part of oar exports has been sent in exchange for Australian gold, which does not appear in the imports; another part has been sent to Australia on a venture, for which no retern has yet been received, which accounts for • present scarcity of capital, to be hereafter abundantly supplied as the returns come home. As 00 Amer occasions, the present increase in our exports is spread over pretty equally Dearly all the articles. The declared value of the linen yarn exported in the month is a little less as com pared to July, 1852, bat in the seven months, like other things, it is greater. We see nothing else of the least importance that has declined, and the ex ports of July, as of all the previous months of the year, show that our trade is rapidly enlarging. The shipping continues much as before; that is, the total quantity employed increases very fast, and the foreign shipping rather faster than our own. In the month, as compared to July, 1852, the entries inwards show an increase of no less than 152,98.3 tons, but of this increase only 40,858 tons are British shipping, and 112,125 tons are foreign shipping. Of the foreign the principal increase is in Italian ship• ping, which has brought ns corn, and in United States shipping, which has brought us coven. For us shipping could not be more usefully employed The entries outwards in the month exceed those of July, 1852, by 90,216 tons, and of this excess 49,419 tons are British, leaving 40,797 tons for foreign shipping. There is a wonderful increase of naviga. tion, and there is no room fur envy or jealousy, for it is shared by all. It is very satisfactory also to notice the coral,. nued increase of the tonnage 4f our coastior trade, notwithstanding the immenes quantktics of goads now carried by rail /COO ono. end of the kingdom to the other. The tonnage' . engaged in the coasting trade, waived inwards and outwards, was, in the seven months of 1831, 15,021;385 ; of 1852, 15,028,1'96; and of 1853, 15,448,748. Both the coasting and foreign trade show a great additional employment for shipping and seamen, and the increase in both explains why seamen are so much in demand. Let us add, with a view to some late proceedings of our sailors, that it is quite plain, from the increase of foreign shipping in our trade, if they continue to resist the employ ment of foreign seamen in our ships, they will force the merchants to hire foreign in preference to Eng lish ships, and so drive English sailors themselves out of employment. To the usual tables we find appended this month an account of the total declared value of our exports in 1832, specifying the countries to whick they were sent; and we might be inclined to excuse the delay in publishing the tables for the sake of this addition, were we not aware that it has been, or might have been, ready some weeks, or even months ago. It is only necessary now to say of it, that it shows a con siderable increase of our exports to the United States, part of which, no doubt, went to California; and shows also a large increase to Australia. To all the British settlements in Australia, the declared value of our exports in 1852 was 4,222,2051. And in the long list of countries to which our export go them are only three—the United States, to which we send 16,134,3971.; continental India, &c., 7,352,9071.; Hanseatic Towns, 6,872,7531.—which buy from us more than the colonies that were established within memory, upon lands discovered by the men of the last generation ! If we reflect for a moment on the many hundred years it formerly took to raise up a trade of 4,000,0001., we are asto nished at the rapid progress now going on, and utterly teat in astonishment whips are ask whither is this development to lead, and vi ma will it end ? ON E domestic subject is again exciting universal remark, and must surely lead to action of one kind or another. Everybody is talking about the conti nued revelation of the brutality with which women of the working classes are treated, as disclosed by the reports of the police courts. Not a week passes without a report of some dreadful case of husbands, drunk or sober, ill-using their wives to a degree which, if practised upon brutes, would be followed up by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. One fellow cooks his steak and eats it in the presence of wife and children who are famishing for bread. One, two, three, halt a dozen, drag their wires about by the hair, knock their heads against the Boor—and, even when pregnant, kick them about the body till they are insensible. Here a woman rushes into the street in the middle of the night, followed by her scared and naked child rec. Another is thrown down stairs, and is found by fellow•lodgers half dead at the bottom. It is painful to write these things; but they are constantly being written by police reporters : and they engaged, as we know, so much notice from Parliament, whilst it was sitting, as to cause the paeans of a new law for the punishment of brutality to women. This law, however, seems to avail little or nothing. It is observable that the cul prits are often " amazed," " astounded,"and so forth, at the severity of the sentences: but such a law can scarcely suffice to keep in check men who can be so amazed, and who thereby show how insensible they are to the seriousness of their crime. To the thoughtful observer, a most painful, and by far the most pathetic, part of the business is the unwillingness of the wives to prosecute. The avowal of " who did it", which is the first natural impulse, is retracted when public justice takes up the sinner. The reason of the reluctance is only too mournfully obvious. One poor creature recently ex- claimed, when her husband was committed to prison, "Thank Clod ! I shall have quietness for two months r But for one such there are a dosen who know not how their children are to he fed in the interval, and who look forward with evident horror to the day which shall bring their husbands home again, exas perated by vengeance, full of the hatred which men feel towards those whom they have injured, to inflict a slower and more concealed torture—penalties which the law cannot take hold of—a gradual murder, which can never be brought home. We need not enlarge on this. What such a home must be, every one can imagine for himself. One obvious feature of this clam of cases amongst the lowest ranks of society is that the mistress is in a better condition than the wife. The mistress can free herself from her tyrant at any moment, while the wife has no escape. What say our moralists to this P Could human wit devise a more effectual way of discouraging marriage amongst certain classes, and countenancing illicit connexion ? And what is t►e actual effect, at this moment, in our moral and Chris tian England? If what we have to tell - shocks the moral reader, and strikes alarm into the hearts of all who truly and wisely believe that the institution of the Family is the only basis of public and private morality, it can only be said that it is time such men were shocked and grieved, for it is truth which strikes the blow to their feelings. All such should be called upon, by all their veneration for the institution of the Family, by all their interest in the national morality, by all the principles and pre possessions which fortify and endear their interest in Home, to take heed of a sign of the times. What must be done ? We may turn first to the Commission on the Law of Divorce, whose Report was presented to Parliament early in the late session. From that report we learn, first. that it is proposed to refuse divorce to women (in England) alto- gether, except in cases of such rare atrocity as to constitute, practically, so exception at all; and next, that in Scotland, there were 95 cases of suo woeful snit for a divorce in five years,—the parties being almost all of the labouring classes, under favour of the smallness of the cost; one-third of theme divorces were at the suit of the wife. Such is the state of the law beyond the Tweed, while, on this side of it, the expense of a divorce rises from 5001. to several thousands, and, as we said, the wife is, prac tically speaking, excluded from release altogether. The Commissioners propose various and considerable relaxations; bet all in favour of the husband; and their strange doctrine is that such facilities are good for the husband, while yet the impossibility of divorce is good for the wife. Such a view will not be sanctioned by the sense and feeling of the English people, if fairly brought before their judgment ; and the present disclosures of the liabilities of wives will infuse new animation into that sense and feeling on behalf of the weaker party. It had need be so ; for in this case only one party is represented. The hus bands are the law makers; and the wife is dumb before the law, and Parliament, and the Commission which is to decide upon her interests. The case of divorce is proposed to be transferred from the jurisdiction of Parliament to that of a common law court, from being a matter of exceptional lation to a pnition within the domain of cfnumon law. Divorce is to be obtainable by the laws of the country, which now interdict it. This is good, as far as it goes ; that is, it is good for the husband. But the wife gains nothing by it. Another impor tent benefit will be that pauper suits will be admis sible in this, as in other cases, under the law of the land. But here again the wife gains nothing. Legal rparutio is to lib rt e . moti(tsttainibble by both peruse; and in this re is ,tio much of good that we are arislious to obtain it without delay. But there will be no permanent settlement of the ques tion tia English and Scotch wives are placed on the same footing. Nobody pretends that the Scotch law is profligate: and if it is not, it follows that the Eng lish law is cruel. That cruelty must be abolished, and soon, or the cruelty of husbands, at which society now stands aghast, may, within a certain space of the social area, overbear marriage altogether. One more appeal must be made—to the Catholic clergy, especially in London. It is observable that the great majority of brutal husbands sentenced in the police courts are Irishmen. We commend this fact to the notice of the priests of their religion. The Catholic doctrine is that marriage is indissoluble, and the more imperative is the obligation on the clergy of that faith to see that the institution is pre served from abuse. They have more influence over the conscience and conduct of the poor and ignorant than any other clergy ; and it is unavoidable, therefore, that any cla-s of offences which particularly dis tinguishes their flocks should be imputed to some imperfection in their discharge of their Ape. We appeal to them to look seriously into this matter, and to try whether they cannot preserve the sanctity of marriage by procuring better conduct among those whom they have admitted to that sacrament. In proportion to their dread and dislike of all relaxa tion of the bond should be their care to prevent its becoming unendurable. They can, if they will, re strain the brutality of men whom they hold in their spiritual charge; and they cannot be blind to the nature and extent of the consequences if they neglect the duty. RUSSIA AND TURKEY. THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 8, 1853. imply east fould offer pretests to the Russian government to advaltiagratensions to m 4 itself up in such things. Nii one would consent to draw down upon himself the biome of his conteinporaries, as well as of posterity, by ofiesittiag the establishment of • state of things as hurtful for the present as for the future. No servant of the august imps Mal Ottoman family would dare, would be capable of placing on paper words which would tend to weaken the glory of institutions which the Ottoman Emperors have founded by a spontaneous move ment of personal generosity and innate benevslence. The second point to be touched upon is the paragraph 1* the draft of note relative to the treaty of Kainardji. As no one can deny the existence of this treaty, and as it is confirmed i y that of Adrianople, it is abundantly evident that its precise stipulations will be faithfully observed. If in inserting the paragraph mentioned there was any intention of cmsidering the religious privileges as the natural result and the spirit of the treaty of Kainardji, the real and precise stipulation of this treaty is limited to the single promise of the Sublime Porte of itself to pro tect the Christian religion. The paragraphs that the Sub lime Porte might, with regard to religious privileges, insert in the note she will sign, ought, as it has always been declared either verbally or in writing, to express nothing but assurances calculated to banish the doubts put forward by the government of Russia, and which have formed tne subject of these discussions. But to fortify by new ties the religious identitf already existing between a great community of the subjects of the Sublime Porte and a foreign power to give to the govern ment of Russia a motive to pretend to exercise a right of surveillance and interference in such matters, would be, in some sort, to admit a participation in sovereign rights, and to endanger the existence of the empire. It is therefore totally impossible for the government of his Majesty the Sultan to assent to such a proposition ssithout being forced. If, nevertheless, the intention is merely to obtain a renewal of the treaty of Kainardje, the Sublime Porte might do this by a separate note. The imperial government, therefore, attaches the greatest importance to these points, either that the paragraph rela tive to this treaty, 4 the note seat, be suppressed, or else that, if it is maintained, the promise of protection contained in the treaty of Kainardji and the question of religious privileges be separated in an explicit manner, so that it shall be understood, at the first glance, that they are two distinct things. And the third point relates to the permission conceded to the Greek rite to share in the advantages conceded to other Christian rites. There can be no doubt that the imperial government will not hesitate to permit the Greek rite to share not only in the advantages which the govern ment has of its own will granted to other communions of the Christian religion professed by communises of its sub ject., but also in those which it may concede to them in future. It is superfluous, therefore, to add that the Porte will be justified in not admitting the employment of expres sions so equivocal as particular conventions or stipulations in favour of a great community of so many millions of sub jects professing the Greek rite. Such being the points which present inconvenience to the Sublime Porte, it cannot, notwithstanding the greatest respect for the advice of the high Powers its allies, and its sincere desire to renew its relations with the imperial go vernment of Russia, its friend and neighbour ; it cannot, I say, resist trusting to the equity and the justice of the great Powers the consideration relative to its rights of sovereignty and independence. If, however, the list draft of note composed by the Sublime Port; is accepted, or if that of Vienna receives the desired modifications, the Ottoman cabinet will be ready to sign either of these two drafts, and to send imme diately an Ambassador Extraordinary upon condition of the evacuation of the Principalities. The government of the Sublime Porte expects moreover a substantial gua rantee on the part of the great powers against any future interference, and any occupation from time to time of the Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia; and the object of the Ottoman government in arming itself beforehand with such excessive precautions is to prevent any OCCIIMItCe that might bring hack misunderstandings between the two empires after the Sublime Porte has renewed its relations with the court of Russia. The points of the draft of Vienna relative to the affsir of the Holy Places, and the construction ci a church and hospital at Jerusalem, have met with the complete sanction of the Sublime Porte. A copy of the Vienna note, containing also some modifi cations which the imperial government has thought fit to make, has been transmitted to your Excellency. The Sublime Porte, wishing to give another proof of its particular regards for the Powers whose signature. were affixed to the treaty of 1841, is ready—although the draft it composed lately would naturally be preferred —to accept the draft of Vienna, with the modifications it has made, and hopes that the Powers, which have always recognised from the very commencement of the question the r i g ht s o f th e imperial government, and made manifestations of their good feeling, will, appreciating these modifications, set accordingly. His Majesty the Sultan having ordered me to communi cate the above to your Excellency, as well as to the other representatives your colleagues, I acquit myself of this duty, and beg your Excellency to receive on this occasion, &v. (Signed) RESCHID. THE NOTE OF RESCHID PACHA. We are again in receipt of despatches from our correspondent at Coestantinople. In the extract which we subjoin our readers will find a distinct ex position of the view taken of the present state of the Eastern question by the intelligent and influential in that capital, stripped of the irrelevancies and verbiage with which gossipping dilettanti newsmen gen and Stock Exchange operators have perplexed it : " CONSTANTINOPLE, ACOUST 25. " In spite of the reports put forth by the papers, do not you allow yourself to be misled respecting the value of the modifications which the Turkish govern ment has thought it right to make in its conditions with Russia, and prior to accepting the proposition of the four powers. Yon may rely implicitly upon the information I give you, drawn as it is from the most direct source. " Turkey, like Russia, has accepted, in principle, peace—a peace proposed, if not, indeed, compelled by the pop era, who are sot one iota less frightened at the prospect of war than are the two oontesting par ties; but the solution of the question must follow this phase, in order to save the amour propre of each party, as well as the susceptibilities of their nations. " The note of the Porte, dated 23d ;uly, does not differ essentially from the proposition of the powers, bat it was thought, and with some show of reason, that it would be easier to modify, or even alter, pro posals made through second parties than thou emanating directly from the principals. Thus it was that the powers came to an agreement u to forms, asking first more than Russia wanted, whilst leaving to Turkey a margin secretiy arranged at Vienna, by means of which she could agree without appearing to submit. " Reschid Pacha, who, as Minister of Foreign Affairs, is the special confidant of Lord Radcliffe, and consequently first informed of the 'secrets,' strove very adroitly to profit by his knowledge to regain his popularity by pretending to bo jealous of the national honour, almost up to fighting. But it was too late—neither the Sultan nor any one else lie- toned to him. "The true national party, with the Sultan, clearly see that by accepting negotiation Turkey ha s lost an admirable opportunity of avenging her honour, and that now she must hasten to get out in the way most honourable and least compromising. But they feel deeply the wrong done them by the pusillanimous irresolution of their allies; and now their only thoughts are how to place Turkey in such a position as henceforth shall enable her to owe her independ ence solely to herself ; the future will doubtless wit- DOSS a large development of internal industry. " I send you copies of clauses inserted by order of the Divan. On the 21st the official documents were sent to Vienna, whence we await a definite agreement upon the whole, whether words or forms—the basis being considered as absolutely irrevocable. "The sane day Colonel Ruff left for Vienna with the Sultan's autograph letter, a reply to the Empe ror, in which the evacuation of the principalities was stringently insisted on. This correspondence is con sidered a tolerably strong indication of peace." The clauses alluded to in the last paragraph bat one of the above letter are the three in which the moat important modifications of the Dela Cour draft were made by the Ottoman Council of State. They agree exactly with what we published on the let inst., with that which promises Christian subjects of the Porte of the Oreek communion participation in all privileges or immunities conceded to other Chris tian sects. In the copy forwarded by our correspon dent " °chiles " is substituted for " accordes." Oar correspondent transmits also the clause of the note addressed by the Porte to the four powers, in which a guarantee is claimed for future non-interference and the evacuation of the Danubian provinces. This clause it is unnecessary to repeat here, as we subjoin the entire note. RANSLATION OF LW OFFICIAL HOTS HIGHNESS RZSCHID PASHA TO THI St XII -- --.-- ----- - ---- -- ---- --- - ---- - OP AUSTRIA, FRANCS, OZZAT BRITAIN, AND PRUSSIA, RATIO THZ 19TH CIT AUGUST, 1863. The draft of note which has been recently made at Vienna and sent to the Sublime Porte has been read and examined at the conneil of ministers. The one previously composed at Constantinople and forwarded to the great Powers under a form adapted to put en end to the differ @noes alining between the Sabha( Ports and Russia ex cited hops of a satisfactory result The government of his Imperial Mejesty, the Sunsu i ts therefore greatly grieved to ace that this dr at has not been taken into consideration. Although the draft of note written before by the Sublime Ports io order to be forwarded to Prince Menchikoff has been need as a basis as regards the sragraph of the draft received from Vienna touching the re ' ions privileges, the question has not been circumscribed is is circle. Certain paragraphs superfluous and incompatible with the sacred rights of the government of his Majesty the Sultan having been intro. dared, the Sublime Porte is again placed under the painful necessity of making some observations on the subject. The imperial government has for • long time past been accus tomed to receive testimonies of friendship from the high Powers, its august allies. It is particularly grateful for so many efforts abounding in good-will which they have con stanatantly received since the commencement of the present question. It is evident, therefore, that it must feel a re pugnance, on account of its particular respect for these Powers, to hesitate on a point which has obtained their common consent. Bet the government of his Msjesty the Sultan, which at the commencement of the affair was de dared to be competent judge of questions relative to its r i g h ts an d it s independence, unfortunately not having been consulted upon the composition of the new draft, is placed in a difficult position . It may be said that the government of Russia, also, has not been consulted on the composition of this draft; but the rights to be defended are those of the Sublime Porte, and it is the Porte which will have to sign the note which will be given in relation to this. It belongs to the Great Powers themselves, in t h e exercise of their acknowledged equity, to judge whether it is just to treat the two parties on an equal footing in this respect. It has in consequence beta thought proper not to enlarge upon this point. The first of the points which cause the Sublime Porte to hesitate is the following paragraph: " If at all times the Emperors of Russia have manifested their active solicitude for the maintenance of the immuni ties and privilege of the Orthodox Greek Church in the Ottoman Err; ire, the Sultans have never refused to con secrate them :itre.h by solemn acts." That the Emperors of Russia should manifest their soli citude for the prosperity of the church and the reliAon that they proles. is natural, and calls for no observation ; but according to the paragraph quoted above, it might be un derstood that the privilege of the Greek church in the states of the Sublime Porte have only been maintained by the active solicitude of the Emperors of Russia. It must be remarked, however, that the fact of plating in a note to be given bT the Sublime Porte the paragraph above mentioned, as it is found in the draft, touching reli gious privileges which have been granted and maintained without the participation of any person whatever, would FRANCE. PARIS, WEDNESDAY EVENING. The Bourse has been the worst that we have had this week. With the exception of the Strasbourg Railway, in which there has been the insignificant rise of I fr. 25c., every description of security in which any business at all hes been done, has fallen. The Threes closed at 78fr. 35,1., being a fall of 55c. Some people say, to account for this continued depression, that the leading speculators are in the country shoot ing, and produce returns showing that in 18 years out of the last 20 there has invariably been a fall in September, arising purely from Languor. It is, however, scarcely to be doubted that uncer tainty respecting the Eastern question again weighs upon the market. The news that Lord John Russell's vacation in Scotland was disturbed by a telegraphic summons to London, naturally leads to the supposition that the English cabinet must con sider the present state of foreign affairs as serious. It is also to be inferred from a paragraph in the Moniteur of this morning that the French govern ment has something more to occupy its attention than ordinary vacation business. Properly speaking, there has not been since the establishment of the Empire any such thing as a cabinet in France. The ministers are wholly independent of each other, each one receives his instructions separately from the Em peror in person, and usually, when they meet in council, the Emperor presides. The Monileur, however, this day informs us that, during the Emperor's absence at Dieppe, the ministers have met several times a week at the house of the Garde des Sceaux. Some of them have also been sent for by telegraph from the departments, and at the last meeting the Ministers of Justice ; Foreign Affairs ; War ; Finance; Marine ; Agriculture, Commerce, and Public Works ; Public Instruction and Worship, and the President of the Council of State, having the rank of a minister, were present. Of course the corn question may well be supposed, in at least an equal proportion with Turkish affairs, to have occu pied their attention. Upon this there is scarcely any thing new to be said. The population of Paris is perfectly quiet, eating its relatively cheap loaf with thankfulness to the Emperor, and implicitly relying upon his will to prevent a further rise. I am bound to say, judging from the expressed opinions of the masses and the lower class of tradesmen, that if, in maintaining bread by artificial means at an under price, the Emperor runs counter to-the principles of political economy, he does not shock the conscience or the understanding of his people. They look upon the bakers as their natural enemies, think it quite right that they should be forced to trade at a loss, and are utterly impervious to arguments showing that the public must ultimately suffer for the violence done to trade. I was told yesterday by a tradesman ii the faubourgs, who evidently believed the story, that 43 " accapareurs" of corn had been arrested, and that in all probability " their heads would be cut off." A report that M. Darblay, one of the principal corn mer chants in Paris, had been arrested has been continually spread during the last month, and is almost uni versally received with favour. It is said, and not improbably, that parties connected with the govern ment circulate this false report, knowing that it will , be popular. Notwithstanding the assertion of the Putrie that the decree prohibiting the natural rise in bread was a purely Parisian measure, there is no doubt that extraordinary freaks of authority have been committed in the departments. It is known that the bakers at Versailles, Montmorency, and other places in the immediate neighbourhood of the capital, have been forced to adopt the Parisian tariff. The Journal de ['Aisne, of the sth, says: The markets of Seilsons and of La Fore serve as regu lators of the price of bread for the town of Laois. On Satur day a fall took place in these two places, but the price of bread, which is dependent on the price of corn for the preceding fortnight, would have undergone a rise on this day of 40c. on the i kilogrammes, had the prices of the fortnight been acted on. This would hays produced a bad effect in presence of the fall in price which had taken place en the 3rd. In consequence the Prefect, imitating the example of the Prefect of Police of Parse, has taken on him to reduce that advance of 40c. to 20c., assuring the bakers of the difference being made up to them afterwards. On the other Land, the Consalutionnel cites an act of the Prefect of the Tarn and Garonne, to show that the principle of non-interference with com merce, proclaimed by the Monileur yesterday, is re cognised by the provincial authorities: The Prefect of the Tarn-et-Oaronne, has just issued tho following order:—" Considering that M. Leepine, Commis sary of Police of the canton of Liftmen's, has several times neglected his duties and disregard& the instructions of his superiors; and that, in particular, cot Augu.t 21, at the market of Latrancaise, he acted contrary to the formal orders of the authorities, in interfering with the free sale of corn by drawing up three pewees rertwea tie said market against certain sellers woo asked far u,ei; corn a higher price than the preceding quotation; and cun►ider tug that it is important to prove clearly to the populations that the government is resolved at the same time to respect. the liberty of commerce and to repress fraudulent manoeuvre ; and as the proces•rerbaur alluded to show that there was a total absence of all improper acts on the part of the sellers, and that they only took advantage of the unnecessary alarm which had been excited by speculators in corn; the prefect, taking these things into consideration, decides that the said M. Lespine is hereby suspended from his function." In this cue the Commissary of Police has been made the scapegoat, but he, no doubt, thought he was acting for the b es t, an d his interference ;with the market of Lainincaise is a striking instance of the general prevalence of the impression that a " pa ternal goverument" is competent to regulate the re lations between buyers and sellers. The Cimatitutionnet says : "We learn that the Emperor and Empress will return to Paris on Sa turday, and again set out about the 15th for their long announced journey to Boulogne and the north of France." BELGIUM. BRUSSELS, WIDNESDLT. The Xing of the Belgians, notwithstanding that he is suffering from a severe cold, has gone with the royal family to Liege, in order to be present at the fries in honour of the marriage of the Duke of Brabant. According to some accounts from that important city, the popular discontent at the high price of provisions is not yet allayed. This day there was a fall of nearly one franc in the price of wheat in the corn-market of Brussels. Prices have also slightly declined at Louvain, Liege, and Namur. The average price, however, of wheat and rye in the thirty•four principal markets of Belgium, for the week ending September 4, has increased—the average price of the former being 28fr. 38c.; and of rye, 16fr. 9.5 c. This shows an increase of 41c. on wheat, and of 38c. on rye. The Brussels market this day was well supplied, bat the supplies went off slowly. SWITZERLAND. Some disturbances took place on the corn market of Vevey, in Switzerland, on the 30th ult. Cries were uttered against forestallers, and a baker, who was in the market, was ill-treated, and his life might have been sacrificed but for the protection that was offered him by some of the respectable inhabitants. When the authorities made their appearance calm was restored, but in the evening there were crowds in the street, uttering vociferatioss against the dealers in flour. They dispersed on the remonstrances of the prefect. SPAIN. The Madrid journals of the let bring no news. From a return published by the Gazette, it appears that the receipts of the Treasury in the month of July last were 8,329,048 reels mere than in the cor responding month of last year; but that the total receipts for the first seen months of the year end ing July were only 721,599,385 reals—whereas in the corresponding period of 1852 they were 729,414,610 reale. The ministers had gone to La Granja to attend a cabinet council ; it was considered probable that some new concessions of railways would be pro posed in it by the Minister of Public Works. ITALY. The Gazelle of Turin, under the head of Faenza, 27th ult., says:—" The Austrian Mayor of Ra venna has taken possession of the apartment just left by the head of the police, and which this latter official had previously occupied. The Gonfalonier of Forli, menaced in consequence of the scarcity of bread and the manner in which he had imposed a tax on the various trades, took flight last night, pro ceeding to Florence." AUSTRIAN ITALY. The Official Gazette of Venice, of the 30th ult., says:—" In order to contradict the exaggerated rumours which have been circulated of a scarcity, we are happy to announce that the harvest has not been so bad as was at first feared, and that there arrived last week at Venice such a quantity of corn that it is difficult to find storehouses to deposit it in. Thirty seven vessels laden with wheat and maize have entered the port. The prices, notwithstanding, arc quoted higher." THE UNITED STATES. ARRIVAL OF THE HUMBOLDT. (av ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.) SOUTHAMPTON, TRERADAY MORNING. Arrived, the Humboldt. She left New York on the 27th of August. The correspondence between Lord John Russell and Mr. Crampton, respecting the triparite treaty, has excited great interest in America. It is stated that Mr. Marcy has informed Lord John that any combination of European power!, by which the interest of America would be affected, would not be viewed with indifference by the United States Go vernment. Governor Cobb is likely to be the ambassador to France. No apprehensions of hostilities are entertained at Washington against the Rio Grande. The yellow fever still rages in New Orleans with. out any diminution. At Mexico all was quiet. The crops are injured in the Southern States. Cotton has beea greatly damaged by the heavy rains. Business is suspended at New Orleans. Cotton has become a drug there. The steam-ship Cherokee, with a full cargo, bound for Panama, was burned to the water's edge in New York harbour. COMMERCIAL. NEW YORK, Aro. 28. Flour brisk at improving prices. Coffee lively. Cotton without change. Freights dull. Bills on England have advanced since the last quotations. I'oe bankers' drafts, at sixty days, 109: to 1091; other bills, 108 i to 1091. FHB BIRMINGHAM GAOL INQUIRY. TO THE EDITOR OF THE EXPRESS. Sin,—The investigation of the practices in this prison has led me to offer an opinion on the capabi lities of the governors of such places. In my expe rience I have found them always inadequate to their duties when they were army or navy officers. They receive, while in the service, so much worship from their inferiors, that they will not condescend to no tice or listen to anything in the shape of a complaint from a poor man. I have frequently bees an un willing eye-witness to cases of overbearing tyranny, which would not have taken place if the superior had been a man of experience. It is a mistake to suppose that naval or military officers make the best disciplinarians. They go round the world without going into it. Their experience of men is essentially superficial. They have no feeling what ever for a fallen fellow-creature. Yours respectfully, AN OLD WARDER. LINTON.—An accident occurred at Linton-park on Tuesday last, which, but for a most providential w►rning, must have proved fatal to many lives. A reservoir, 20 feet by 30 feet, and 8 feet deep, is in the course of construction, to receive the waver brought from a very fine spring at Lod dington, for the use of the mansion. The men had com pleted two arches of 10 feet span our the top, supported in the middle by a centre-arched wall. Several of them had gone below for the purpose of cementing the sides, when the foreman discovered a sinking and gave instant slams, when everyone from below hastened through the trapdoor, by which they descended, as quickly as possible. The last man had but Just got through when the arch gave way with • tremendous crash, and no leas than 8,000 bricks, besides 100 tons of earth, fell in.—Maidstone Journal.. Vbe Court. --. EDINBURGH, S6PT 6. Her Majeoy and Prince Albert, accompuni,d by the Prince of Wal es an d P r i nce Alf re d , l eft Holyhead yeg. Lenin) , morning, at hulf-poet eight, by railway, for Edin burgh, where the royal psrty arrived at seven o'clock, having travelled through Chester, Preston, Lancaster and Carlisle. In attendance were the Duchess of Wellington, the lion. Nary Bulteel, the Marquis of Bres.lllbace, the Earl Granville, the Hon. Col. C. B. Phipps, Lieut.-Colonel Hon. A. Gordon, and Sir James Clark. BIRMINGHAM BOROUGH PRISON. EIGHTH DAY. BIRMINGHAM, WZDNZSDAY. This inquiry was resumed this morning. The first witness called was Mr. George Underhay, from the establishment of Messrs. Bolton, engineers, of Clerkens well, who was examined in reference to the construction of the cranks. Ile swore that this firm received an order from Lieutenant Austin for a dozen cranks for the use of this gaol. The order was for the cranks of the construction which was very defective. This was pointed out to the governor, who, however, persisted in having them without the improvement, so that a five pound weight on the handle of the old crank was equivalent to 20 pounds. Any person a working a five-pound crank as in use in this gaol would have to exert a force four times greater. Was of opinion that with such a crank 10,000 turns a day would be excessive (or • bay ; with our sew crank, a stroag , healthy man would be able to do 1.5,000 turns a day. After a long examination in reference to this matter, the witness was ordered to make a close hispection of all the cranks used at the gaol, in conjunction with another en gineer, and to report the result to-morrow. The Rev. Mr. Sherwin, the chaplain, was again called, and examined in reference to prisoners who had attempted suicide. Remembered • prisoner named Plant being in the straitjacket seve ral times. This man told him he was clammed to death. Saw ano. they prisoner in his cell with the jacket and collar on and strapped to the wall. There was a quantity of bread just within his reacts, but the prisoner could only open his mouth a little way, and bite little bits off. Plant was very weak and distressed in body. Itemembi red a person named Thomas attempting to commit suicide three days before he was discharged from prison. Ile said that it was under the pressure of weakness and hunger, accost. panied by the threat of not being discharged from prison until it was too late for him to reach home. Mr. Welsby—ln the report to the Home-office this is put down u an attempt at imposition. Du jou think it was so ? Witness—No ; I do not. The man was not an idle man. He had been a hard-working man; but he was in a very weak state. Mr. Welsby—There is an entry respecting a boy named Webb, who was committed to gaol fur two months fur hying on a shed, he never having been in prison before : he was several times Sent to the crank Ilsbour and had Mead and water. There is also a case of Thomas Grieve. ' which you mentioned to Mr. Perry, who was put t o hard labour at the crank. Did that boy tell you when he was put to the crank ? Wetness—He did ; it was the day after he came to the gaol. Ha was a feeble, miserable child, utterly unfit for crank labour. I mentioned his case to Freer, and he agreed with me. Mr. Welsby—There is a prisoner named Jones, under sentence of ten years' transportation, who was sentenced to fourteen days hard labour fur stealing corn, twice attempted to bang himself. Do you remember that man ? Witness—l do; he was (he said) suffering the pangs of hunger. When I spoke of such cars to the authorities, was always told the prisoners were lic lug a part. Mr. Welsby here read a letter addressed by the chaplain to Mr. Perry, detailing cruelties in the gaol which the visiting justices had suppressed. To this it was replied by Mr. Barlow ' on the part of the magistrates, th a t th ey did not pretend to give Mr. Sherwin's evidence, but to report on the whole cue. It was shown, however ' that several cues adverted to by Mr. Sherwin hail not b een noticed at all by the visiting justices. The examiLation of Mr. Sherwin was then continued.— lie spoke positively on the subject of the opinion which the magistrates entertained of these attempts at suicide: in his judgment they always looked upon them as "attempts at imposition." With reference to the case of Andrews, he said that Mr. Lucy, one of the visiting justices, remarked that it was "an attempt at imposition carried too far." That appeared to be the prevalent idea amongst the magi , striae' and gaol authorities whenever a prisoner attempted to commit suicide. Mr. David Malin*, another of the magistrates, had expressed an opinion to that effect. Capt. Williams—Were you not aware, Mr. Sherwin, that the act of parliament prescribes that your duty was to report on any abuse or impropriety that came within your know ledge, to the visiting justices ? Mr. Welsby—l suppose Mr. Sherwin thought they were not abuses, seeing that the visiting justices were aware of all that was going en in the gaol. Witness-1 th night that in the ordinary tonne of prison discipline there were abuses, but as regards the discipline of this prison what was done iu accordance with it? The visiting justices were remarkably vigilant, so was Lieut. Austin, so that he must have known everything that was going on. Capt. Williams—Did you ever see such punishments at Wakefield prison as you saw in this ? Witness—No; I did not. Mr. Welsby—:l think it due to this gentleman to say, that my own opinion is, that as everything done at this prison was a part of the discipline carried on there well known to the visiting justice•, Mr. Sherwin might fairly think it was not necessary for him to interfere. Mr. Sherwin, in the course of a further examination, mentioned that he remembered a prisoner named Twam!ey, who had been long ill, and under medical treatment, being found dead in the morning in a sitting position in his cell. The man had never had his clothes off. The reverend gentleman mentioned other instances where prisoners bad died in the cell', though the return to the Secretary of State was that they had died in the infirmary. Alfred Webb, a youth 15 years of age, was next called. lie is a very little boy ; judging from his appearance he would not be thought more than 12 years old. lie said—l recollect being sent to the gaol for two months for getting into a shed where there was some lead. I went to get cap which one of my companions had thrown there. I had never been in a prison before. My father had worked for Mr. Bacchus for several years, and I had worked there fur some time. I was punished in the gaol very severely. Three days after I entered it I was put on bread and water and sentenced to the strait , jacket. This was for saying " good bye" to a boy in an adjoining cell. When I was in the jacket and was strapped to the wall the first time was on a Sunday, from chapel I time is the morning until night. I had a leather collar round my neck. My legs were strapped together. The jacket and straps hurt my neck, arms, and chest very much. After this I was set to ten days' work at the crank, to be turned 10,000 times a day. I worked in the cell from six in the morning until ten at night, in the dark. On those days when I did not do the work I had nothing to eat all day; at night they gave me a little bread and water. Mr. Cotterill, jun., said he'd keep me on the crank till I did the work. Mr. Welsby—Are you sure you had nothing to eat all day Witness—Ne ; nothing. Dr. Baly—Row much bread did they give you when you were taken from the cell at night ? Witness—Sometimes six and sometimes eight ounces. Dr. Baly—And you had nothing to cat all day ? ---• _ Witnea—Nothing. Mr. Welsh —No gruel, little boy ? Witness—No, none. Mr. Welaby—Did you ever have the strait jacket put on you after you had been at the crank till ten at night? Witness—Yes ; it wu put on by two of them. Mr. Welsby—Did they pull it tight ? Witness—Yes ; my arms were strapped, but I was not strapped to the wall. I lay on the floor on my bed ; it was on all night, and in the morning they took it off and sent me to the crank. I had had no sleep. I was "in such agonies and pains," and was so hungry they had given me nothing to eat all the day; they put 8 ounces of bread in the bed My arms were bound. I bit at the bread as well at I could. Dr. Daly—Are you quite sure you had had no food be fore that day ? Witness—Not a bit. They would not give me a drop of water. Capt. Williams—Moat monstrous and chocking ! Mr. Welsby—lt's the most diabolical thing I ever heard of in my life. Capt. Williams--Here's one day he does all his work but 500 turns, and they give him bread and water at night. There is an entry that on one of the days when he was un dergoing this punishment they gave him his food. I dare say it's incorrect, for they were not in the habit of dojos that sort of thing. Mr. Welsby—Did they ever give you your food when you didn't do your work? Witness—No. I had bread and water on three Sundays. Capt. Williams—Did you ever tell the doctor you couldn't turn the crank ? Witness—Yes. He said 1 could, and turned it once or twice himself. I said " Please, sir, take it otl ; 1 would turn it if I could." He said, " Oh ! it's your gammon. Dr. Daly—Are you sure the surgeon used those words: Witness--Ifss, sir. William Taylor, a youth about 16 years old. who had been in the gaol and made two attempts at suicide, Wl' next called. After having been punished and deprived of his bed, recollected the governor saying to him " that he would make his life a second hell to him." Attempted to hang himself with his braces ; afterwards made an attempt to strangle himself with his hammock, and was found in that state insensible. Told the warder that be had had frightful dreams, ani that the words "child of hell in letters of fire appeared before him." Collected portions of hair which the barber had cut from his head, and wrote on the slate "Good bye, my friends, we'U meet in heaven. In his attempts at suicide, fully intended to kill himself. Mr. Kettle said that as Lieutenant Austin was prepared