The Express. — London, England, 1847-04-09 00:00:00

NOTICE. The Proprietors of the Daily Newt (Morning)ead Express (Evening) pap vs have been induced, in consequence 01 the re p res e a t i tions from various respected quarter., to Open Offices at No. 4, ROYAL EICHANGS-IWILDINOS, the corner of Cornhill, and fronting the Royal Exchange, in addition to their other offices. This arrangement will afford greater convenience to the numerous connexions and friends of these pipers in the City and its eastward environs, who may desire to communicate intelligence of interest and utility: and a gentleman will be in daily attendance there to receive such communications. The office will be open from nine in the morning till eight in the evening for advertisements. No. 4, Ex elainge-buildinys, corner of Cornlsill, fronting the Royal Exchange. Zht Oporto* MAILS. The Wed India mails, eteluding those for Mexico, lfotnlur►s, and she Marano:lh, wtli G. made op ou the morning of the 17th April. fox Vigo, Oparto, Lisbon, Madeira, Mail, and tlibralter, 'A be made us on the morning of the 17th April. 11v overland mails for liihralrar, Maltn,Greenr, the lonian Islands, Swept, Aden, Ceylon, India, lion -Kong. and Mina, no Southampton, will he made up on she morning of the :KM Aorii. The overland elowa mails. ma Marseille., to the Mediterranean, Egypt, Aden, Peyton. India, Hong Kong, se., will he made tip on tee evening of the 24th April. The mad. for Nee South Wales, Vin Diemen's Land, and New Zealand will he made up on the evening of the lOth April. The mails for Britidt North Americo, Bernoda, and the United States, will be made op on the evening of the 3rd Mme. The mails for the liristils the River Plate, Mown Vole°, Pernam- Mato, Ltahia, Ma !Min, and Buenos Ayres, will In made up on the evening of the 4th May. TO CORRROPONDINTS. Y.* Adeerdeementa intended Or The Repress, Loudon evedoepaper, oust be r. the Odlee by Two Wekook ea tbe day of pubboedoe. MGM WATER AT LONDON-BRIDGE. TIM MY—Morn:oA, In min. pot 7 ; Aftetroots, 5 nun. pant S. To-Mossote —ll.orning, 45 min. p 3 ; Afternoon, 30 rain. poet 9. LONDON. FRIDAY, APRIL 9. NOTWITIISTANDING the loud clamour raised by Mr. BAINES and his opponents, we from the first denied that they spoke the sentiments of the great body of dissenters in England. The Wesleyan methodists have never denounced state-interference with education ; on the contrary they have uniformly intimated that they were ready to adopt it, if it could be worked consistently with certain great principles which they feel themselves. A " Letter to the Marquis of Lansdowne," written by one of the most eminent of their body, and just published by Messrs. Aytorr and JoNes, distinctly advocates the minis terial measure as it stands ; and the Watt hman, the official journal of the Wesleyan methodists, announces that the educational committee of that body had adjourned to Manchester for the purpose of discussing the propaeitions of the government in an amicable and temperate spirit. We have reason to believe that the mutual explanations which have taken place between the friends ofgovernment, and the Wesleyan body, have led the latter to apprehend that they had fallen into the error of regarding barely possible contingencies as most probable results, while the former have ex pressed and felt a sincere desire to adopt every rea sonable and practicable precaution against possible abuse which may be suggested. We await the results of tho deliberations at Manchester not merely with hope but with confidence, for nothing can be more reasonable than the condition to which the official organ of the Wesleyans seems to attach primary im portance—that ao school sliced receive aid from the state in which the reading of the holy scriptures is prohibited by the managers. We trust that the conference to be led in Lard a oil - Tuesday w 11 exhibit an equal apprniatien of the spirit of can 'our and an egad abhorreree of the spirit of cavil. We appeal f ore their passions to themselves. On the 16th of May last, a Report of the Board for General Education was read to the Annual Ass2mbly of Congregational Union by the Rer. ROBERT Arsosue, and the adoption of that report was moved by Mr. EDWARD BAINES, jun., and se conded by the Rev. HENRY TOWNLEY. From this we shall make a few extracts, well worthy the attention not only of the coming conference but of the British nation. In May last, then, Mr. EDWARD IIAINES, in the following nervous terms, deplored the deficiency of the existing means of national education in England : Private information communicated to the board, personal observation and investigation of various localities, with the published documents of the registrar-general, and the reports of the state of prisons in England and Wales, pub. listed by order of the llousr of Commons, would furnish enough to make us modest in speaking of what bas been done for the bumbler classes, ant Mike us ashamed that England—the sons of the soil of England—should have been so long neglected, and should present to the enlightened teas eller from other shores such a sad spectacle of neglected cultivation, lost mental power, and spiritual degradation. In May last, Messrs. AINSLIE and Buses, who now assert that voluntaryism is all-sufficient, pro duced authenticated documents to show that volun taryism, though stimulated to its utmost exertion by the defeat of Sir JAMES GRADAM'S bill, could only provide schools for 25,552 children in three years, being at the rate of 8,300 per annum, and therefore falling miserably short of the annual increase of popu lation ; and even of thew- it is iworded : " Cons:der able difficulty is felt in some localities in sustaining schools when established." But the most astounding part is to come : there is no point on which Mr. BAINES and his friend, in their present agitation, have been more vehement and violent than on the danger of turning pupils in course of training, and schoolmasters, into mere state pen sioners, if the government should contribute towards the education of the former and the sustenance of the latter. Now we actually find this course not only deliberately recommended, but stated as grounds of congratulation by the Itev. ROBERT AINSLIE and Mr. EDWARD BAINES, jun., themselves. Here are the words of the report : The board disclaims all rivalry to the older and more powerful establishment in the Borough row]. The object contemplated by the board is different from that in the older establishment. The committee of the British and Foreign School Society presume on the previous education of these who miter to be, trained: but the board, knowing that scarcely any have had this previous education, are deter mined to give it, and if matters can Ins adjusted ahour the gormsonent grant, it may he that the candidates taught by the board for twelve mouths may spend two or three months in the Borough-road before they are appointed to preside over schools. Better educated and better qualified teachers must be provided _for the times coming upon us, and they must be better paid ; so that, in loving their work, they shall be rewarded in it, and not driven from it by a starring salary, nor tempted away to other employment by a salary whieA they owiht to command as schoolmasters and school mistresses in British schools. The report thus prepared by the Rev. ROBERT AINSLIE, and propoecd for adoption by Mr. EDWARD BAINES, Jun., concludes with the following eloquent appeal, which we gladly transfer to the columns of the Daily r'ev's: A great work has to be done for our beloved country. Honoured fathers and brethren ! let us not negleet nor flinch from doing what is within our power. Our fathers have laboured and we have entered into their labour., and let us aid in preparing and consolidating the high road to peace and love among Christians, and to universal education and freedom of conscience for Britain's sons and for Britain's daughters, hoping that the days will come when " the Lord shall raise up the poor out et the dust ;" when " he shall judge among the nations, and shalt rebuke many people ; and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning -hooks: nation shill not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more " (Ise. ii. 4); and when many teachers of heavenly truth, love, and mercy,shall ruu to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. Can we without shame and sorrow find the name of AINSLIE appended to the summons of a conference avowedly designed to prevent the accomplishment of the great work thus powerfully recommended? Can we without feelings so mingled that language can afford them no adequate expression, see the proposer of this admirable report engaged in a mission to keep the poor in the dust, by making them the abject re cipients of educational charity instead of the inde pendent possessors of educational rights? " Oar fathers have laboured," says the report, and verily none have laboured more zealously, more earnestly, and more consistently, in the cause of na tional education than the Puritan fathers of noncon formity; the duty of the state to educate the people, and the right of the people to demand education from the state, were the two great principles which they asserted so soon as they found freedom in the wilder ness. nese. mation on the enbject,or with persons whose prejudices put a question to M. Ducliatel respecting the alleged pme - of the newtouth Ameviian Mates is not amatterofindie the chain gang isinanaged. it. Then, all who were able to work were divided into Is the condemnation of this report to be the first areenlisted infavourofgame-preserving. That thegame change in the Greek cabinet, to which M. Duchatel ference to the people and cabinets of Europe." President BAHAMAS.—On the sth of March, addresses parties, each in charge of an officer of the ship; some to question proposed to the coming conference ? for it laws, in their present shape, cannotbe long maintained replied that the government had received no official Soublette also alluded to the recognisance by Spain of the were u nanimously voted by the Legislative Council and secure provisions, others clothes, and sears for our_ rafts."_ must be confessed that it is a very startling difficulty is obvious, even to the most ardent game-preserver. information whatever on the subject, nor had he been independence of Venezuela. O n . the let of February, an House of Assembly to Governor Matthew, on the eve of his At 10 a.m. all were gathered together on the raft, and w• in their way. Will that conference be so constituted Indeed, the evidence of the supporters of the game informed that five British vessels of war had pre-A preservation thrush ainnesfoty der ( tee: proclaimed, which w as o n a broader basis departure fur England. Both houses concurred in expresa- offered up our thanks to G for our . • as to have the right to set aide all the proceedings laws has, perhaps unwittingly to the witnesses, proved witted themselves in the Piraeus . He observed that leg a high estimation of his excellenersadministrativetalents. the eight. By 4 p.m. all the spars which could be colleetad solemnly adopted by the regular assembly of the con completely condemnatory of their cherished system. the question was at present one of some delicacy, and CHlLL—Papers from this republic to the 234 of A motion was made in the assembly on the 10th of March, together were added to our rift, and lashed togethe r, as January have been received. The public mind was still by Mr. Misiek, senior member for the Turks Island., to the well as we could manage, with odd repel picked . u p ; Int,t, gregational union in May last ? Can any body of Moreover, every day furnishes merle new instance or rather deprecated discussion upon it, saying, however, occup i e d w ith the contemplated expedition of General effect that the house would cheerfully accede to the . desire the raft was now nearly double the Size, o al ut 'd to n...: men a ff ord the loam of character attendant on each the strong feeling against the game system which that the French cabinet might be relied upon to pro- Flores to the Ecuador, although reassured ter some extent by expressed by the islanders fur a separate governmen t . in their heavrer . ; , still anyt hing but secure. W e ball of flour mixed a display of factious inconsistency ? exists in the public mind. Thus we find in a Wilt- coed in the affair with all proper fi rmness and dis- adopted here for stopping it by the memorial to the Secretary of State for the Colonies. An half a tott e o b rand y , an d a . ... e ..,,__ We ask these questions in no angry or hostile spirit ; shire paper, under the head of " a noble example," cretion. the prompt Imesaurce seizure of the vestels. The Chilian government were by amendment was carried, in which the house dec li ned, in its up with a little salt water, wine, and a little tre o f . 1.! ably occupied in the cares of finance, nod the due apportion ignorance of the negotiations which th e Turks islanders five poor fellows who still clung to the wreck wer e observed we arc sincerely anxious that those mistaken men that Lord HARRY VANE, M.P., who has recently be- A circumetailce has transpired which, though not is, meat of the mesa of revel:taste the redemption of the public are cirrying on through a special agent in London, to pledge about to leave it—they had tied together two spars, wk should take pity upon themselves and have mercy come the proprietor 0 a great portion of the land in alluded to in any of the Paris journals, is nevertheless debt. . :11 • themselves to any future decision on the subject. they had broken off, and at last committed themselves to the 1 •s .'• : • % . • ' :: :•%, -'•:• : ; • . _. • .._._ . . .. . • ..- . . - . . ...., 1., •:;• ; • : 1, '•. • • ..*: ' \, \'''...;:,•..;:::: ~ upMt their own reputations. One of their organs sets forth, " Ignorance is the cause of much vice, but by no means to the extent supposed is it the cause of crime." We do not stare at such an assertion, for we believe it to be true ; the genealogy is fairly set forth; ignorance is the cause of much vice, and vice the cause of much crime. But we do stare when a Christian gentleman wishes us to infer that because ignorance is the cause only of vice, that therefore the nation, in its jural capa city, has neither obligation nor right to at tempt its removal. Are we to understand that vice has suddenly become so sacred in the eyes of patriots that ignorance must be continued to secure its per petuation? Really, a serious proposal to convene a conference of divines for the prepense purpose of pre serving the constitutional privileges of vice, is some thing too much for the gravity of the nineteenth cen tury. The same writer seriously asks, "Is punish ment or protection the end of the law ? " We at once answer him, protection; and we further deny the right of any government to inflict punishment except for the purpose of protection. Thanks to the Christian dispensation we dwell not under the law of fear, but under the law of love ; end we trust that no conference of Christian ministers, however excited, will avow a deliberate preference for the terrors of Sinai over the divine benevolence of Calvary. THERE can be nothing more highly dramatic, or we might say histrionic, than the attitudes assumed by M. Nlussultus, the representative of Turkey, and Gen. COIITTI, the minister of Greece, towards one another. The original right to feel aggrieved is certainly on the side of NIUSSI:RUS. King Urn °, having a klepht, or old robber-chief, for prime minister, has of course a set of raking aides-de-camp, who have been all their lives making plundering excursions into Turkey, and exciting border fends. M. MUS,,URUS refused to sign one of these gentle men's passports to Turkey, for the same reason that FERDINAND VII. would have refused a passport to Sir Ron Ear WILSON. Thereat King (hlto takes the matter into his own hands, and, Nsrotzos-like, insults Mt:sot:tuts at a court ball. 'Alyssum:B, of course, declined to eat dirt, and quitted Athens in con sequence ; and General Coutrrt has since sworn by all the gods of Olympus, which he ever chanced to learn the names of, that he would make no apology to the unbeliever. As there is no possibility of making up a quarrel between persons who know they will not be allowed to come to blows and fight it out, so the quarrel of NIUBSUBUB and CotErrt is inextinguishable. Little Greece, and its dynasty, and its frontiers, have been so trebly guaranteed, that none of them can be in the least danger. We have guaranteed OTIIO his throne, Greece its neutrality, and utterly forbade it to think of, or to fear, conquest. The threats of Gene ral CotErrt against Turkey are, therefore, pretty much those of General Tom THUMB against any pass ing giant; the dwarf knowing that his patron, Mr. 13AaNnts, would instantly interfere to prevent any real trial of strength. The poor Sultan is almost as much be-guaranteed and be-protocolised, so that the two heroes, swaggering and squaring at each other, offer the most ludicrous and unreal spectacle possible. There is no one who must not admit that the king dom of Greece has turned out a most lamentable and ridiculous failure. It has realised not one hope of its friends, but has fulfilled all that the hatred and contempt of its foes could desire. Its government has been neither dignified, nor lib- - rel, nor economical. It has conferred aeither order, nor wealth, nor content, nor education, nor enlighten ment. The king has not even performed the only duty which might be expected of him: viz., kept peace on his frontiers, and ceased to menace Turkey, but he has literally striven to do the very thing which he was elevated to prevent. The only pretext for a king at all was, that he might impose a restraint upon the military and provincial chiefs, put a stop to their rapine, introduce some order in their rule, and favour the growth of a middle and commercial class, in a country so fitted to develop such. In this, too, the successive rulers of Greece have gone pre cisely against all that was desirable. The trading class, the shipowners of the islands, the commencement of town populations, have been ruined and rooted out, and government of the ceuutry transferred to those very hleplits, those local tyrant. and ruffians, to keep down whom was the first step towards the civilisation and improvement of the country. No sworn foe of Greece could have more completely succeeded in putting the brute part of the country and the b u'e influence of it uppermost than has been done in the name of King Grim. The consequence is, that both Greek agriculturists and Greek traders prefer the government of the Porte to living under the extinguisher that the five powers have set upon their land. We have certainly the credit of the English go vernment having protested against this state and ten dency of things. We would, however, havr done more wisely in withdrawing our envoy altogether, a spirited man, who fretted and strove against a system which he could not prevent, and which ho irritated and rendered worse and more reckless by his opposition. It is disgraceful to have ministers in a come'' , where they are disregarded—where their life is a state of petty war, and where the representative of England is eternally in a fever of vexation and vain remonstrance. Better to have recalled Sir EDMUND LYONS altogether; when the French and Austrians might, perhaps, if left to themselves, have engendered some kind of government, less brutal and more favourable to pro gress and to liberty than the prestnt. The diplomatic struggle between us and France is too unequal. They support courts .nd courtiers : we support the people and popular interests. But in this combat our arms are tied, for we cannot seriously oppose or injure the monarch whose throne we guarantee ; nor can we incite the popular party to use its strength, which always goes beyond the mark, and creates a ruin, in seeking a remedy. Mu Greece and Spain present the same diplomatic spec tacle : the British envoy, huffed, slighted, and soli tary in his palace, frequented by malcontents, whilst the French ambassador is at court, uniting the high qualities of prime minister and master of the cere monies, and ruling the roast, as the tole, staunch sup porter of monarchic rights. Even if it be worth while maintaining this per petual rivalry at Madrid, Greece is decidedly not worth it. There is a lowering of dignity, and a begetting of strife, for.no imaginable purpose; and it is quite time enough—when the sovereign of Greece begins to respect the principle upon which his throne was founded, and to reign in a spirit at least as liberal and civilised as that of the Turks—it is time enough for England then to accredit an ambassador to Athens. For the present, we might as well have an envoy at the court of BEDERIIAN BEY, of Matsui, or of any other stupid and tyrannical little eastern despot, as at the court of King Onto. We are glad to see, from the reply Mr. Batonr made to a question put to him in the House of Com mons, just before the recess, that he does not intend to let the session pass away without calling the attention of the house to the evidence taken before the game km committee. Mr. BRIGRT, at the same time, er mined a hope that he should be able, during the present session, to bring in a bill for the repeal of the game laws. We hope that he will do so promptly, and before any half-measure has been propounded. It has been said that " the game laws are a great difficulty; and that difficulty has been prop used to be solved, by enacting " that if a man snares or kills game under circumstances which do not constitute • trespass, he shall be guilty of common larceny. If his offence includes a trespass, then it shall be like larceny in a dwelling-house. If it be committed at night, let it be like burglary." And each a change in the law is assumed to be sufficient to reconcile the feelings of the people to the game laws, because " every one must see that a great portion of their [the gam lame] unpopularity arises from their being misunder stood." Now the fact is that there is neither difficulty nor misunderstanding in the matter, except with 'ser mons who have not taken the means of obtaining infor mation on the subject, or with person s whose prejudices . - That Ashton Keynes, has authorised his tenants to destroy " in what manner they think proper, the rabbits on, their respective farms. So we learn from Derby shire, that the Duke of DEVONSHIRE has gone a step turther, having "ordered all the hares to I e destroyed on his grace's domain about Chatsworth:' But the noblest example —nay, the only rational and honest oourae—for the adoption of landowners, is to give their tenants full permission to kill game, without any reser vation or condition whatever. We suspect the day is not far distant when it will be an indispensable qualifica tion in candidates for counties, that they do not preserve game. We have reason to know that, in one county at least, the farmers are making preparations to contest the representation with the 'squires, by merging many shades of political opinion, in order to support an anti-game-law candidate. Let this be only once commenced with spirit, and the example will be followed. There is another class of cases which mark the current of opinion on the game questif n : we mean such as show the administration of the game laws. For instance, take the following, from Oitfordshire THE (isms-Laws.—The Secretary of State has released John Baker and John Hunt from Oxford gaol. They were committed from the petty sessions at Woodstock, on a game law charge preferred by Elliott, head-gamekeeper for the Duke of Marlborough. At the last petty sessions Elliott preferred a game-law charge against Theme Herbert, o. Handborough, labourer, but it could not be proceeded with in conselvence of one of the two magistrates present re fusing to act. This magistrate, T. Thornhill, Esq., said, " I should be glad to see a discharge sent in every case of game law conviction." In this sentiment we believe that nine-tenths of the people of this country, not interested in game preserves, will entirely concur. Yet there are more than 4,000 game-law convictions annually in England and Wales. And an indication of the same just spirit with re ference to these highly penal laws, is to be found in the trial of a game case at Shrewsbury, before Mr, Justice MsuLr. Three men were indicted under the Night Poaching Act (9 Geo. IV., c. 69), for being toge ther armed at night in inclosed land, for the purpose of taking game. Two of them were seen to come out of one cover ; the third was not seen in the wood, but was taken in the adjoining field. All of them were armed with guns, and two of them had game in their possession. The judge told the jury, most properly, • that they must be satisfied that the three prisoners were together, acting in one common pur pose upon the land in question. Though all three were out with the same intent, yet, unless they were confederates together, they could not be convicted under the statute, which was of a penal nature, and should he construed strictly." The jury with great propriety acquitted the prisoners, for there was nothing like proof of confederacy. But does any one for a moment suppose that a bench of justices, os game-preserving justices, would have stood upon such strict legal distinctions? On the contrary, it is a matter of notoriety that the Home Secretary is con stantly called upon to direct the discharge of men convicted of poaching upon improper or insufficient evidence, accepted by justices of the peace as legal proof. Yet the game-preserving justices alone seem unable to read the signs of the times. Thus, In the comparatively small county of Hens, there were 15 cases of thiskind publicly heard within a week. In these one defendant was ordered to be committed, in case of non payment, for three months, eight for two months, one for six weeks, two for one month, two paid tho pecuniary gees, and only one was fortunate enough to secure his discharge without punishment. The gross sums which thirteen of these persons were called on to pay amounted to 331., of which the costs formed a large proportion. Possibly it may be deemed a mitigation of such a code as the game-laws to convert it into simple felony. At all events there would be this advaxtage in such a change, that every case must come before a jury. That alone would diminish game convictions sur prisingly. But a very slight examination of the sub ject will show that finch a change would be a most inappropriate remedy for the evils of the game-lawe, In truth, that change is the very alteration in the law for which the most strenuous game-preservers con tend. They want to convert the police force into gamekeepers ; which would be at once effected if any attempt was made to assimilate the interest in game to that in domestic animals. Birds and beasts of game are essentially wild creatures, and BLACKSTONE tells us that both the forest-laws and game-laws were " founded upon the same unreasonable notions of property in wild creatures." These creatures belong to no one ; they are bred on one man's land and pass, perhaps in a few days, on to the land of another man ; they cannot be identified or confined within any defined limits. They are strictly in fact, as well as in law, fcra naturre; like air or water they belong to any man no longer than they remain upon his land. And even whilst so remaining the landowner has only a qualified and imperfect pro perty in them. And there is this further peculiarity in the modern system of game preserving, that these wild creatures are preserved by one man not on his own land, but on land of which he has, for valuable consideration, surrendered the possession to another. It is one of the grievous oppressions and anomalies of the system that the landowners preserve their game at their tenants' cost ; and that most frequently in direct violation of an expressed or implied agreement that the tenants should not be injured by game. To render the taking such creatures under any cir cumstances an offence of the same nature as the steal ing property, would be an outrage on common sense. The law of trespass is all the protection which ought t) be afforded to game-preserves. Nor would there be the least difficulty in thus dealing with the subject, though it must not be sup poeed that the total and immediate repeal of the game laws would not at once remove the mischief caused by game-preserving ; but such repeal is a necessary preliminary to an abatement of the nuisance. Game preserving, in itself an evil, would, for a time, be attempted, after the repeal of the game laws ; but when the special code for the protection of game had been removed, it must be preserved at greater cost, and the good feeling and intelligent self-interest of landowners would gradually lead them to abandon this remnant of barbarism. In the next period of low prices landowners would at last discover, what all other classes connected with land have long known, Ithat game-preserving cannot co-exist with good culti vation, and that without good cultivation the present Irents cannot continue to be paid. Our Paris journals and despatehes of Wednesday have reached us. The debate on M. de Remusat's project of parliamentary reform has commenced. The object of this measure which is so cautious and mode rate as to disarm opposition, is merely to render a certain limited number of salaried functionaries of the state, ineligible to the representative chamber, among which are included ambassadors and diplo matic agents of every grade, judges of the public tribunals, and various military functionaries. There are at present 1)0 place-holders in the chamber, de pendent on the government for their existence or promotion. The present project of law would merely reduce the number to 120. Although the stage of the measure which corresponds to the first reading of a bill in the House of Commons, is granted, it appears certain that the question must fall before the deter mined opposition of the cabinet, aided by the 200 votes, against so large a portion of which the measure itself is aimed. The measure which is about to be debated, for the abolition of the stamp on such news papers as may relinquish the publication of works of &ilea in their foolletons, meets with the general ridicule of the press, and, being opposed by the government, will also fall to the ground. O correspondent writes that a rumour was pre valent in the Chamber and on the Bourse on Tuesday afternoon that the government had received, by ex traordinary courier, intelligence of the fall of the Coletti ministry at Athena, and the establishment at a government more in accordance with English views, but that being unable to trace this to any authentic quarter he abstained from sending it. On Wednesday, however, it appeared with an extensive comment in the Atitional. In the 9th bureau, where the question of the Greek loan was under consideration on Wednesday, a deputy put a question to M. Duchatel respecting the alleged certain. M. Onisot has, by a telegraphic despatch transmitted to Toulon, ordered the French fleet, under the Prince de Joinvillc, to proceed to the coat of Greece and the neighbourhood of Athens, there to cruire and remain in observation until further orders, and one vessel had actually sailed. This measure is taken as a precautionary step in the present uncertain state of the relations between the cabinets of Greece and Turkey. The journals and correspondence of Madrid of the 2nd iast. confirm what we have already given in our correspondtace of yesterday respecting the recall of M. Olozaga. The Gazette contained royal ordon nances accepting the resignation of Generals Manso and De Salcedo as Captains-General of New Castile and the Canaries. M. l'atricio FACOSSUra was defini tively appointed Political Chief of Madrid, and the Marquis de Someruelos eorregidor. The Duke of Gliieksberg, as Minister Plenipoten tiary of France, delivered his credentials to the Queen on the evening of the Ist. Et Eco del Comerein says that several Progressistas will be named senators, among whom M. °liven is mentioned. The came journal says that M. Gonzales Bravo had resigned hie embassy at Lisbon, hoping to enter the ministry. El Iferaldo says that the Spanish Minister of Fi nance has ordered an immediate payment to be made to the two degas of Active and Passive creditors. The Madrid Bourse was closed during the latter part of holy week. HAYTI, MARcit 8. Jean Baptiste Riebe, the late President of Hayti, died at Port au Prince on the 27th of Feb., to which place he had returned from Govaines on the 24th of February. He was stout seventy years of age, but apparently hale and strong, though blind of an eye and literally covered with wounds. The hard service he had seen must have, to some extent, had the effect of impairing his health and affecting generally his constitution, but , he more immediate cause o: his death was undoubtedly his conscientious and indefati gable discharge of those onerous and important duties which his high office entailed on hint. Courageous as a lion, he was also an able tactician, which enabled hint to foil and ultimately. overcome his enemies, and to restore peace and tranquillity to the island, which his after life was spent in maintaining and consolidating. The lot of March was the first anniversary of his accession to the presidency, and which was being celebrated in towns at some distance from the capital; but the day after people were employed in the churches paying a tribute of respect to his memory, and listening with apparently deep and unfeigned sorrow to the funeral oration. You will readily believe that the friends of order were much concerned to hear of the President's death, and not a little appre hensive of a return to those scenes of anarchy and confusion which the late President had so effectually sucoeeded in suppressing. Their fears, however, were soon relieved by the announcement of the election of General Faustin Soulouque as President. He published a prochuna tion on the 3rd instant, and confidence is again restored and everything going on tranquilly. 1,200 soldiers were, how ever, marched to Jacmel, in case of any disturbance. Great praise is due to the ministry (which it is reported wiil remain unchanged) for having with such promptitude secured the election of a man who is in favour of the reforms proposed by the ministry, and so energetically carried out by the late President, in addition to which he is very gene rally respected, and what is perhaps of still greater impor tance, he is a courageous man, so that the ili•disposed are afraid of him. Riche and he both occupied the same places when they were elevated to the Presidency, via., General of the Place at Port-au. Prince. An extraordinary chamber is convoked for the 10th inst. The steamer bringing from England was late, and I tun informed the cause of her detention was the having to deliver the letters outwards atthe different islands, the small steamer destined for this purpose having been wrecked. FRANCE.—PARIS, APRIL 7.—Lord and Lady Normanby yesterday gave a private dinner party. Among the company were Lord and Lady Wilti.n, the Marquis and Marchioness of Ailesbury, Lord and Lady 6almesbury, Lady Tankerville the Count de Kielmanaegge (Hanoverian Minister in London), the Marquis of Hertford, Lord anti Lady Granville, the Earl of Os tilston, Lord and Lady Herd w icke, Sir William Massey Stanley, the Comte de la Tour Dupin, the Marquise de Carman, the Comte E. de Jiiron, General Fox, Mr. Spencer Cooper, Mr. Baring, &e., &c.— The horses of the carriage of the Austria n am bassador took fright in the Champs Ely,ers, and ran on with great speed, in spite of all the efforts of tho coach man to restrain them. Fortunately they encountered no obstacle, and on arriving in the Place de la Concorde mode rated their pace, and were sopped. The ambassador then descended and returned on foot —The Council of State has just decided that the capture of the Sardinian vessel Notre Dame de Grace by the schooner Fine, off the coast of Africa, on 15th March, 1846, was illegal.—Negotiations are, it is said, about to be entered into between France and Prated& for a treaty for the protection of literary property, on the same basis as that contracted about a year ago between Prussia and England. SPANISH TURATRICALS.—A company of Spanish comedians, singers, and dancers has arrived at Paris: they are to give representations at the Italian theatre, which are to commence on the 15th instant. The manager is a M. Lombia, who is also one of the principal actors. BELGIUM.—LANDEN, APRIL 4.—ACCIDENT ON TEE BELGIAN RAILWAY.—An accident, which might have been attended with most disastrous consequences, happened on Sunday night the 4th inst. on ill 114 e! mont and Landen section of the Belgium Nations' Railway. About a mile :from the latter station the azle-tree of the tender suddenly snapped, the wheels were broken, and two luggage waggons were thrown off the rails. The damaged tender and the two other vehi cles were dragged about five hundred yards along the line before the accident was perceived, or before the locomotive could be stopped. Fortunately, the stoppage was effected without causing any very violent shock, and only a few of the passengers were slightly bruised. The road was torn up in several places, and a portion of the line otherwise da maged. After a delay of two hours and a half, the train was again set in motion. SWITZERLAND.—BASLE.—Professor Schonbein, the inventor of gun cotton, has succeeded in preparing a fluid which may be put to the same use in surgery as vapour of ether. This preparation has the advantage of being free from the danger to be feared from the use of ether, viz., that of the accidental breaking of the glass apparatus in which the ether is confined.—Allgemeine Zcilung, April 2. SPAIN.—CATALONIA, MARCH 31.—A letter in the Phare de Bayonne gives an account of a sharp skirmish be tween the column appointed to watch over the district of Viet, on the frontiers of Catalonia, and a band commanded by Gras. After a hot pursuit, the commander, Juan Gon zales, came up with the rebel., who had entrenched them selves in what they thought an impregnable position. They were however driven front it, after a brisk action, both parties leaving dead and wounded on the field. On the 24th ult., in the evening, at Saragossa, as a police-offieer was leaving the house of a commissary, in charge of a man who had been committed, a blunderbuss was fired at him, which missed him, but destroyed the lantern he carried. On hearing the report the commissary came out, but had scarcely got beyond the step of the door when he received the charge of another blunderbuss in his body, and was taken home in a hveless state. ----- GERMANY.—VIENNA, MARCH te =sorted that if the project of law on the liberty of the press, said to be presented by the Prussian minister to the German Diet, is adopted, Austria has threatened to separate herself (loathe oonfederation. The Austrian government has decided that the administration of the state railways is to be joined to that of tho poet-office general, and that the head of this new depart ment is to have the title of privy councillor of state. Baron Kraemer, head of one of the departments of the ministry of the interior, will, it is said, be appointed to this office. The society formed some time back in Posen for purchasing land, and letting it out at a moderate rate to poor Jews, in order to induce them to follow fixed labour, instead of getting their living by selling pedlar's wares, or other tuarecormed pursuit', is continuing its operations with suc cess. pto the present time more than 15,000 Jewish fami lies have demanded portions of land, and this fact proves thakthe Polish Jews are beginning to prefer agriculture to - ' The dugaburg Gazette announces that one of the Russian fortresses on the Black Sea has been taken by assault by five of the Caucasian tribes of the Abchaset. VENEZUELA.—CARAccAs, FEB. 14.—We pub lished, some time sinoe, an account of the arrival of the first Spanish consul at Cantos. This, however, being but an isolated fact, we take advantage of files of Venezuelan jour nals of one day's later date to fill up the gap left in our corre spondence. A new president, Jose T. Monagos, had been installed, and &commission bad gone en board the national welcomer Constitution, to felicitate him upon the attainment ofhis new dignity. The chambers were sitting, and at their opening, la message had been read from M. Carlos Soublette, tho chief of the old administration, in which mention is made as follows of the external relations of the republic of Vene zuela :—" As far as regards Venezuela, I am happy to inform you that, though this republic may have been ir.ternaily troubled by deplorable factions, her relations with foreign powers have remained entirely friendly. I think it not im isrzfewir t o m e ntion ta t t t fr e ta f, tiave l te ate l l i y a tak on en y, place which has been my constant object to maintain, has been consolidated not only by the policy and justice, but by the sympathies of the generous nations of the old world. The government has learnt with satisfaction from the protestations of the Euro pean press, and the stop pat to sn expedition projected in a hostile view a gai nst the republic of the Ecuador, that the lot else- - &nth American's' -- is WRECK OF TILE TwiiEt). (Prom an Eye {cans.) The Tweed started from Hurnnnah at n p. in. on Tues day. the 9th of February, for Vera Cruz, laying on board the English out mails of the 2nd of January; and on Fri day, February 12, while the captain wan tea deck, at half. past 3a. m. one of the look-out nun foraard called out, - breakers a-head !" Instantly the captain wa• lewa r d w i t h the officer of the watch, mids hipmen, and look.out men, arid then as quick as thought the orders were givr,i to " stop th e engines,' and "turn astern full treed," !lie helm being ordered " hard a-starboard." The ship io a few seconds went crash on the reef with almost HI hn• force , so she had been under full steam, with sails set. She went over a little to leeward on tit , : ••riking, the n uprighted, and being rsis:d by the swe'l, the way scarcely off her yet, she again crashed nu the rocks with all her weight. This seemed fatly to dub her whole bottom in, sending the machint,s, boilers, and funnel up with a jerk some inches. The engines imme diately stopped of themselves, the steam • .raping f:om the boilers, filling the engine-room, and flying op through the hatchways in a thick white cl..ud. There we , then no hope of getting the chip off the reef, and order• were given about the sails, to prepare the life-boats, and stal.,l toy th e others. All this was the work of a few minutes. T passengers and crew now crowded on deck, some almost naked, and but few dressed. On striking the second time the ship swung broad (port) side on the reef, and then fell over to windward. The sea then struck her, carrying III•oq in a moment, as if they were feathers, the cutter, at, and dingy astern. She then reeled to leeward, is 4 back to windward, each time the timbers u..,t,nseath being heard to tear, crash, and give way oitb a fearful i grating noise. The next pea dashed away the starboard paddle-box boat. By this time the Salta I, after reeling once or twice from side to side, fell over t , windward, sad the masts, as she reeled each time from side to sid e, _ wens seen to shake like willows. The captain gave ord e r s fe stand by the two remaining boats on the lee aide, to preserve them from injury as the ship rolled, but not to lower them till the last moment, although by this time they were crammed full of people. It was feund impossible to •.a.4 to pet the lee-paddle-box boat out; besides, if she could have been moved, she would have been dashed to piece , . By this time the masts had gone over the side. A few minutes more and the destruction was complete. The ship parted fore sad aft the sponsons, leaving thu machinery an 11 ho.lers standing on the reef. One or two seas tore the deck off :1 a after part of the ship, as the latter divided from the machinery. At the last moment orders were given to lower the two boats, which was done, and they drifted a little astern; hut they were without oars, it is thought, and there is no doubt the boats were much stove when swinging at the ship's side full of men. One more sea sent all the after part of the ship, boats and all, flying in a thousand pieces, end all that had remained on it were scattered in the sea. The writer recollects being seated, with the captain and a few others, on a part of the ship's side to which the netting ' was attached, with the water up to our breasts. A ftarful cry was heard, and the capta said, "Oh, thaw poor men in the boars, they are pane, God have mercy on them!" All was still In a moment more, it seemed as if tons of broken wood were hurled on the top of us, and we were scattered and buried beneath the waves. Then came a fearful chokinr struggle with death. The prayer to G. thoughts of " home," and struggles for life, all at the same moment ! _ In lees than 30 minutes from the first norm of danger the ' destruction of the Tweed was caplete. Hl4 10 many were afterwards saved, is a miracle. The writer mentions his own ease only to show the way in which many others were saved. After being all but drowned, the receding waves dashed him on a piece of wreck, which he found to be a skylight, perched on a piece of the stern-post, to which a few ragged timbers were attached. To this he clung with nine others, the sea beaching over all, until at last we found we had been drifted inside the breakers to rather smoother water. At length we got so far on the reef that one of our party, on stepping out ea a piece of wood, said he found the bottom, in only a few hat of witer. It was joyful news to hear him say he saw many people scattered about, standing on the wre c k, w hich had grounded inside the surf. It wu then about 4.30 am. When daylight fairly lame, all that remained in the surf of the once proud Tweed was the port aide from the sponson to the figure-head, over which still stood the bowsprit and jib-boom, bending, as each sea covered it, like a reed. Tke wheel was still attached to the sponson, and the paddle-'ox boat still covered the paddle box, all held together by the machinery and the shaft. To this portion of the ship there still clung about 40 individuals. We then began to think that it must he the " Alacranes" where the ship had struck. These reefs are completely under water, at low tide there being here and there small patches where there might be abeet 18 inches water, the same places at full tide being covered by perhaps 3 feet of water ; other places having four, five, and six feet, with here and there open spaces with several fathoms of water. Most providen tial was it that the wreck took place at ebb tide. At daylight on the morning of Friday, Feb. 12, the sur vivors began to creep together, and consult what was to be done. Few had escaped without severe cuts and bruises, and some poor fellows were dreadfliiy mangled, The morning was bitter cold, and few hod any clothing ; so the first act of all who could crawl about among the wreck, stones, and water, was to search for any sort of clothes to protect them from the cold ; and, on coming alongside, some poor fellow's well pack ed trunk was seized, broken open, and the clothes turned over in search of flannels, trousers, and coats. These were in great demand, but few were to be found. Atter the stragglen had been gathered together on the shoelest spot, about 250 yards inside the breaker!, information was gathered of the state of the boats. Two boats were reported unfit for use, and the trail-boat had her entire stem tern out, all the lining boards gone, and the stern, bottom, and sides stove in. Our position seemed hopeless. By 10 a.m. the tide was observed to be flowing. We had never thought of that; and now came the question from every mouth, " How far is it likely to flow?" but no one could tell! Some few at last put their heads together and said that our only hope of salvation was in getting one of the boats patched up any how, to make the attempt to reach the main coast. The mail-boat was fixed on es the only one worth attempting to make swim. She was hauled out from the wreck and pushed to the place where we steal, which had then some 12 inches of water on it. The carpenter was drowned, so the chief engineer, chief, second, aril third officers, boatswain, and half a dozen men were appoin•ed to take her its hand; a copper bolt was torn out of a timber to serve as a hammer; every ene was desired to look among the broken wreck and gather together all the nails to he had; some picked up oars, others odd sails, &c., and the patching of the boat commenced. About this time tome one happened to pick up one of the ship's compasses. Wonderful to relate, it was uninjured, although it had been torn out of the bin nacle, washed on to the reef, and was found lying among the mass of wreck and stones with not even the glass broken! We hailed it as sent by Heaven to assist in our deliverance. A rough seat of bulkhead was made in the boat, about three feet from the bow, the space before it being stuffed fall of anything which could be laid hold of, such as old blanket*, pillow-cases, shirts, de. A piece of sail was then covered over the broken bows and the fore part of the boat, extend ing under the bottom some five or six feet, and there nailed on, and fastened as well as passible. The other defects in the frail boat were tinkered up as much as possible, so that by 4 p.m. she was thought fit to swim. Her mast and sail were found, and put on board, with half-a-dozen oars, a few bottles of wine, a ham. a bit of cheese, and a little oatmeal and flour, after which the chief officer was appointed to take charge of her, with six men the Admiralty agent, Mr. Davies, and Mr. Dimond, the American consul, bound for Vera Crur, being allowed also to gs in her, the first on ac count of his age and injuries, the latter to act all interpreter on the coast. Before setting off we all shook them by the hand, wishing them God weed from the bottom of our hearts, They shoved off, and we gave them three cheers, which they returned; but both sides cheered with sorrowful hearts. She set off at 5 p.m. with orders to steer south ; her chance of being kept afloat over 100 miles was very doubtful, and on her depended all our hopes ! it was now time to set about constructing some sort of fabric on which to take shelter. As the pieces drifted near, we secured them, and placed them one above another, anyhow, without any sort of order, or distinct idea at first what we could or should do. At last so many were piled up that we g it on the top, above the water, and began to arrange it in something like order. It was squared aa much as possible, and the flat boards laid along the top. The size might be ten feet square. There were no lashings to any part of it, as we had no rope. The few bottles of wine and odd previsions, fac., which we had gathered during the day, were placed on the top, by which time it began to come on dark, but still the tide was flowing, and rose to the very level dour raft. There was not room to lie down, but all huddled together in a sitting pasture as close as possible, to keep enca other warm. Some tried to talk in a cheering tone, but it was a faint attempt ; so each relapsed intosilence, busy with his own sad reflections, and longing for the morning, But all this time " the wreck" has been forgotten. Dur ing the day a few managed to reach the reef in safety, but by far the greater number were killed by the floating timber la the surf as they tried to reach us. Half-itdozen might be seen to jump off at a time to make the attempt, but seldom more than ens lived through the serf Those who came safe said that, although the side of the ship, from the figure-head to the port-sponson, might be seen by us at daylight still hanging together, or so after yet,er igh reality,damylt the aide that of thewas all that t from the t. In an browses far aft as the fore partof the sponson, was seen to move backwards and forewords with every wave, until gradually b all broke away, leaving only the spouts's and wheel, aeresonnted still by the life-heat ; but the latter was observed men to be washed away, falling to windward, and dashed to atoms in a few minutes ; so now, all that remained to be Kea above water were the sponson and the top of the wheel ; the whole only a few feet above water now and then, but oftener buried in the sea, as it broke over it every minute. To this small portion still clung some dozen people. It should have before been observed, that before the little boat left us to-day we all gathered together, and offered up our thanks to Al mighty God for our wonderful preservation. One of the passengers had saved a Prayer-book, and kindly read prayers. To-day each had a little wine and a little oatmeal. SATURDAY, Fin. 13.—8 y 6 a.m. all were up and astir. As each was cold and benumbed, a small drop of brandy was dealt round in the neck broken off a bottle, with a cork in work divided into THE EXPRESS, FRIDAY EVENING, APRIL 9, 1847. COLONIAL. JAMAICA.— The news from this colony wears rather a stormy aspect. On the 23rd of February the Re trenchment Bill, sent up by the House of Assembly, was thrown out by the council. The House of Assembly next day met in a state of great excitement. Dr. Spalding and Mr. Leslie hinted pretty unequivocally at the extreme step of stopping the supplies. Mr. Moncneffe gave notice of a bill to reduce the salaries of the public officers commensu rate with their services to the public. Mr. Geddes intimated that he intruded to introduce a bill to impose an income-tax en official salaries. The two first-mentioned proposals ema nated from members prepided to bring on a collision betwcm the houses—Mr. Geddes represents those members who would stand firm to retrenchment, avoiding measures calcu lated to paralyse public business. The opponents of the Re trenchment Bill attempted to have the house counted out, but failed. Ultimately, however, the minority and more temperate of the majority carried an adjournment ' • but amidst a scene of most "admired" confusion. On the 25th, atter some rather strong attempts by the speaker to prevent it on points of form, the house went into committee of the whole on the state of the island. Dr. Spalding moved two resolutions the fires declaring that the tame necessity for retrenchment stilllexisted as when the Retrenchment Bill passed ; the second, that the house will not proceed to pass the revenue bills. The first resolution passed. Mr. Mon crieffe moved, as an amendment to the second, the appoint.. ment of a committee to introduce a bill to impose on income tax on the recipients of public money. The amendment was, after a hot debate, carried by • majority of Di to 17. Oa the report being brought up, Dr. Spalding moved his second resolution as an amendment ; on the division, there appeared 18 for and 18 against this amendment: the Speaker's casting vote was given for Mr. Moncrieffe's In come-tax Bill. The determination of the assembly has given rise to much. angry vituperation members who adopted a course calculated to prevent the stoppage of public business have been freely de flounced as traitors. The editor of the Despot h for some rather strong but not unnatural strictures on the attempts made by the speaker to trick Dr. Spalding out of the power to make his motion, was called to the bar of the house. It is highly probable; that the bill, taxing official salaries, will share the fate of the retrenchment 101 l ; it is too obviously another way of attaining the came end for the council to give into it. But before it can come before the council, the indispensable business of the session will have been got through ; and the great question of public economy will fall to be discussed next session, when men's minds have somewhat cooled. If our Jamaica countrymen possess the good sense for which we give them credit, we believe that an arrangement will then be easily effected. That sweeping retrenchment in the public expenditure of Jamaica is neces sary, no person can deny who has examined the island ac counts: that the retrenchment bill had in its concoction somewhat of a vindictive feeling, and dealt more harshly with public officers than public faith or even common hu manity warrant, its authors must allow us to say—that the council—the parties mainly affected by the rejecting, instead of seeking to modify it, have placed them selves in an insidious position, they themselves must feel. Next year we look for just and extensive retrenchments, either (as proposed by the Jamaica Times) by the instru mentality of a general income-tax, or by concessions on the part of salaried officials, and relaxations of their extreme demands by the economical reformers. Among other im portant business making its way through the legislature, was the act to repeal the duties levied under the British Pos sessions Act, which was read a third time in the assembly on the 3rd of March, and immediately sent to the council. Out of doors the most important improvements, discerned with interest, were the establishment of central sugar manufac tories, and the repeal of the usury laws. A general anxiety was expressed that the privilege of receiving immi grants direct from the Kroo coast, conferred on Trinidad and Guiana, should immediately be extended to Jamaica. The weather was generally favourable for sugar-making the crops of the present and next year both promise well. GUIANA.—Though the Court of Policy had met twice or thrice during the fortnight, the only business of moment transacted by tbcm was the unanimous adoption of resolutions moved by the Hon. Mr. Rose, recommending a drainage act for the colony. These resolutions, after enu merating the various indications of the depression brought upon the colony by the legislature of the mother country, and declaring that thorough draining, essential to the in crease of its productive power, had been rendered impossible by that depression, express a hope " that her Majesty's government will be pleased to extend to British Guiana that most necessary and judicious measure, the act 9 & 10 Vie., cap. 101, under such appointment and regulations for secur ing the fair and equitable administration of the same as may seem meet." The governor has been requested to transmit the resolutions to the secretary fur the colonies, and a peti tion, founded upon them. was preparing for general signa ture. The Combined Court was summoned to meet for des patch of business on the 23rd of March.—The business expected to be taken up by it was:—The re ontanisatinn of the scheme of customs' duties, in pursuance of the British Possessions Bill; tkemodification of the importdutieson cer tain articles of food ; and the introduction of measures fur placiug the colonial customs establishment on a better foot ing. The intelligence of the bill's initiation in parliament to permit the use of sugar in breweries awl distilleries, and reduce the rum duties', had given a fillip to the spirits of the colonists. The prices of colonial produce had advanced. There was a difficulty in finding shipping, British vessels being to generally employed in the transport of grain ; but relief was looked for to the suspension of the navigation laws. Little sugar had been made during the fortnight, owing to the tains, but the prospects of cultivation were good andthe standing crop of canes extensive. Considerable in jury had been done in Demerara by the washing away of sea walls, under the influence of continued high north winds. TRLNIDAD. " Oar planters," says the Trinidad Standard, " indeed the whole of the intelligent portion of the community, have been quite elated with the new! brought by the last packet with reference to the use of sugar in the distilleries and breweries sf the mother coantry." The same journal remarks:—" We recognise in recent des patches which have been received in the Wen Indies front the Colonial Office, a favourable disposition towards these colonies, and we are encouraged to look with some degree of confidence to the acts which must result from such a dupe , sition." The Legislative Council met on the Ist of March. A decree to suspend the ordinance fee the promotion of emigration into the island of Trinidad, and the industry of immigranta, until her Majesty's pleasure respecting it shall be known, was introduced at the suggestion of the gover nor and passed through its several stages. The ordinance thus suspended would otherwise have come into operation that day; and an impression appears to prevail, that a rigid adherence to the Mauritius system is not required in Trinidad. An ordinance to raise money for the purposes of immigration was also paned through its several stages. The attorney-general gave notice of an ordinance relating to contracts of labour, in conformity with Mr. Gladstone's , suggestions. Earl Grey's despatch, relating to immigration from Wan Africa by the Growler, was read . it is said to have given general satisfaction throughout the colony. " We are satisfied," says the journal already quoted, " that, with a sufftcient amount of free labour, we can effectually compete with slave-holding states, and prove to the world that free labour is cheaper and better than slaves labour." A circular despatch front the Secretary for the Colonies, on the subject of the education of the labouring classes, was also read : it was accom panied by a valuable paper containing suggestion by Dr. Kay Shuttleworth. The month of March (to the Bth) had been most propitious in respect of weather for agricultural purposes. The sugar and cocoa planters were well em ployed. and the crops promising. There had been a few slight showers. The change of weather had been accom panied by a slight catarrhal epidemic; in other respects the island was healthy, A subscription of 3,000 dollars for the distressed Scotch and Irish was transmitted by the packet ; several of the Portuguese immigrants had auhscribed. WIND WARD ISLANDS. BARBADOES. The governor returned on the 7th of March from a visit to St. Lucia. A commission had been appointed under an act passed by the island legislature to determine on the most judicious mode of dispensing the 2,0001. granted by that act for the relief of the distressed Irish and Scotch.- —Toneoo.—The legislature was on the 2nd of March prorogued till the 9th of that month. An impression prevailed that this step was prepa ratory to a dissolution. The supply and franchise bills had passed both houses sigultaneowly, but a belief prevailed that the governor-in-chief had instructerie from Downing street not to assent to the latter until it had been trans mitted home for consideration. It was originally intended to be merely a franchise bill, bat inasmuch as it declares that every person paying the merchant-tax (101. per annum) is a merchant—a principle not hitherto recognised—it is in reality a franchise extension bill. Much produce had been shipped on the 6th of March.—Gaimatie.--The House of Assembly had ordered the Committee of Correspon dence to forward to the island agent copies of the acts providing bounties on the introduction of agri cultural labourers, and requesting him to move the Secre tary for the Colonies to extend to Grenada a participa tion in the measures taking to supply the other colonies with labour.—Sr. Lucia.—The governougeaeral niched the island in H.M. schooner Viper on the 26th of February, and arrived at Barbadoes on his return on the 7th of March. On the 20th a public meeting of the inhabitants had passed resolutions in favour of exertions being made to procure a representative government. The governor, in his address to the council, said it was the first time he hail addressed a legislature exclusively appoiiited by the crown. He added that a long time must elapse before the island was fitted for any other kind of legislature. He urged upon the gentle men present earnest steps to introduce trial by jury, to ex tend education, and improve agriculture. The real motive of the visit appears to have been to quiet aerrities without committing himself. He visited the public institutions, Souffriere and Vieux Fort. LEEWARD ISLANDS.—ANTIGuA.—It is 'dated in the Antigua Obserrer that the governor inten•lcd soon to visit Dominica and the other dependencies of his government. —Dont:tic:A.—The lieutenant-governor had been making a tour of observation round the island. Particular attention was paid to the Caritas on the west coast and the Portuguese emigrants. Complaints were made of the manner In which the chain Jr -is managed.