The Express. — London, England, 1853-08-18 00:00:00

the eroress• MINTS. --- - - - a Swami iditise .4" TM P.sprese," es= ,bs same meets.% Guano," us published every Teseday aati sight. Is tins ! °r P"°l -- - - v - 17.1Lvistinktir Weeded kr "TM Kamm." fades Evertas paw, .ma tri at the Moe. 116 Ikarnerie-streM. b Two dale* es tie lay of pebtlrAlos. NIGH WATRIL AT LONDON BRIMS. Tow Dam —Morabm M. I Sam. Is . T.mm now Ita. 10a.. ........Moramoa. 21.3ia LONDON, THURSDAY, AUGUST 18. Some six weeks ago we showed what the increase off Railway Traffic oe the greater lines c' the king dom bad been during the first half of the year 1853, as contrasted with the corresponding period of 1852; end, suggesting that increase of dividend did not always follow increase of traffic, we promised to examine how railway dividends were affected by the general prosperity of the country during the last eight months. 'f he half-yearly meetings being now in full swing, we are in a position to do so. Compared with the first half of the year 1852, the North Western traffic up to 30th June, 1853, shows, we may remind our !riders, an increase of 95,8611.; the Great Western an increase of 56,7081.; the South Western of 27,9641.; the London and Brighton of 29,2741.; the Eastern Counties of 38,4631. ; and the (heat Northern of 46,9031.; or, in other words, the traffic of those lines on an average had increased something like 10 per cent. in the last half year. And, if wo look at the returns of weekly receipts since the 30th of June, it will be found probable that this rate of increase for the whole year will be more than maintained during the current half year, as compared with the last six months of 1852. Let us contrast this increase of traffic in 1853 with the dividends of these lines. In the first half of 1832 the North Western dividend was at the rate of 51 per cent. In the corresponding period of 1833 its dividend has been declared at the rate of 8 per cent. The 4 per cent. which the Great Western paid in 1852 it has only been able to maintain In 1853. The 31 per cent. which the South Western paid in 1852 it has been able to raise to 31 in 1853. In the corresponding period the Brighton has increased its dividend some four shillings a share, and the Eastern Counties and Great Northern one-half per cent each. So that, while the traffic of the first half of 1853 has increased at the rate of 10 per cent., in one case the rate of dividend has fallen one-half per cent., and in the must favourable instances has only risen one 'half. In the United Kingdom we have only one rail way company which out of its own honest earnings pays a dividend of more than 7, or that has any hopes of reaching the parliamentary maximum of 10 per cent,. viz., the Lancaster and Carlisle line; and it has acquired this high rite of profit simply by adhering strictly to its original scheme of forming an indis pensable link in the great chain of western commu nication with Scotland, and by being in a country where there was little temptation and no rival to seduce or force it into branches, or guarantees. Our highest rate, with this exception, is five per cent., with a tendency, in spite of increasing traffic, to fall, Now, if we cross the Channel and go into France, there the difficulty is to discover a line paying les s than 4 per cent. The Northern line, which carries us to Paris, pays 7 per cent.; the Paris and Rouen 9 1 per cent.; the rail to Strasbourg, 8 ; and the Western of France, no less than 13 percent. But then these French lines are cot embarrassed and weighed down by guarantees, preferences, silly leases, and either junctions or non-paying branches. Nor have they seesionally great parliamentary battles to fight, costing sums equivalent to dividends in themselves. The fine powers of analysis and system which the French possess in so remarkable a degree are brought to beer admirably on their railway man agement ; and though France is not reticulated with railways in every direction as England is, the great lines she has constructed are all worked to a substantial profit, whereas in England a railway system much more developed is rendered little profitable by the contentions and oppositions which its lawyers and engineers have created for their own profit. In England railway dividends on ordinary stock are only screwed out of such economies as railway Boards are permitted by these functionaries to prao ties. Take the sass of our greatest company as an illustration : during the last half-year its gross re ceipts were 1,298,8541. ; bat of that hugs sum little more than one-third, or only 460,9904 was profit and available for dividends. Be fore it can divide a penny among its proprie tors, it must first pay away in working charges, in dividends to other lines, in interests on loans, in law and taxes, upwards of 800,0001. a year. In the case of its chief rival, the receipts last half year were 622,4981.; of this, working charges mono polise 233,8361. ; other prior charges require 170,9631.; and it is only after the payment of these two sums that ordinary capital has any chance of dividend. And so we might go through all the companies is the kingdom and establish in the same way out of their moonlit, the that that it is only oat of economy that railway dividends can be extracted. Hence every chance of profit in England depends on good and cheap administration. Railway policy has left English shareholders no margin forexiravi ganoe, negligence, or waste: their only hope (espe cially now that increasing tragic does not bring them increasing dividends) is in directorial economy ; and that is jest the point over which shareholders have little or no power; except, indeed, by an eressite, revolt, or revolutions that will overthrow the ruling dynasties. it is in vain that receipts are large and go on increasing unless working charges can be kept down; and the reason why dividends are not rising with Irak is that those charges are increas ing. On the North Western they have risen during the last half year from 37.25 par cent. to 39.82 per cent.; on the Oreat Northern, from 44 per cent. to 45.83 per cent.; and on all the other lines (except the Eastern Counties, where there is a small decrease in the working charges) they have risen much at similar rates. For this increase, the rise that has taken place in the value of labour and of railway materials is to moms extent respoosible, but not even Boards pretend to ascribe the whole rate of increase to these causes; and when we see in half-yearly revenue acconets items hie this : " Er remises connected witA Pa►liamentary Proceedings, 10,000 l.;" and hear Chairmen admitting that in the very same period a further ma of 34,0001. is charged to capital account under the same head of " Parliamentary Expenses." it is very clear that the limits of economy have not yet been reached. And of each charges as these on revenue or on capital, we may observe (with a series of French yearly accounts before us) that there are no such debits against French lines, and that their law expenses rarely exceed a few hundred francs a year —a state of things to which Railway Shareholders ought to reduce English lines also. The effect which these Parliamentary contests have on dividends is by no means to be estimated by their legal cats; for when the object of the great struggle has been attained, when " the bill" has been " got," and the legal charges kr 'NUN; it paid. it is way Om do THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVENING, AUGUST 18, 1853. worst follows. For the object of the bill is most likely to sanction a branch, to legalise a lease, to confirm a guarantee, or to do something else that will augment the fixed charges which must be crow. , and discharged before dividend can be thought of or hoped for. Therefore, in all human probability, defeat in these Parliamentary contests's much more profitable ultimately, or rather much less costly, than success ; and the real question and subject for congratulation for shareholders at August meetings is, not how many bills have ben " got," but how many have been lost ? In " Guy Mannering," Scorr, in his raciest man ner, describes how the last Ellangowan was not ruined, like the squires around him, by hunting, drinking, rioting, or even Jacobitism, but by "keep iny a man of business" to manage his affairs. And so it is with Railways—they are despoiled of fair dividends by "keeping lawyers" to direct their policy. Lawyers are all very well, though des perately expensive, in their proper spheres— when land is to be conveyed or actions defended, or an agreement to be drawn ; but, to em ploy lawyers to scheme the policy of railways, to bear-lead and direct directors, to plan annual Par liamentary campaigns with engineers, is simply to render all real economy hopeless, to prolong a system which has no cure at all if they are to be so employed, and in spite of increasing traffic still further to depreciate the va'ue of English Railway Stock. It was by rooting Mr. Glussin out of Ellangowan that Colonel 3lannering, restored Vanbeest Brown to his name and fortune; and it is only by rooting out our Railway Glassine, that we shall most readily revive Railway prosperity. If allowed to remain, they will intercept augmenting traffic, and. by deep-laid schemes of policy, effectually keep dividends dawn. Tut police have lately taken their share in the general movement of the working population for an increase in the wages of labour. They urged their case with great moderation, although with very little knowledge of political economy. Mr. DANIEL WHITTLE HARVEY took occasion to set them right upon the latter point, and the petitioners, convicted of arguing upon false data, retreated, leaving their case in the hands of the Commissioner, and medi tating probably upon the futility of strikes which stood upon insufficient logical grounds. It is strange that the analogy of the word "suit." did not lead them to the reflection that there was really an argument which they had neg lected, which, and although it might not be perfectly unassailable, was yet better than the one they bad put forth. The police of the present day are the great victims of " striking." Not thst metaphorical striking which perplexes capitalists, and beggars workmen, but that plain, literal, matter-of-fact " striking " which staves in the skull, shatters the arm, fractures the leg, dislocates the joints, and makes the body a mass of internal bruises. If the Police men indulge in a strike, in the politico-economic sense of the term, it must be remembered that they have suffered from being struck, or the liability to be struck, ever since they put on their uniform. The pay of most of them has been, to use a vulgar expression, "more kicks than halfpence." They might have very reasonably urged that this was not in their bond ; that if they were hired to protect the law they ought to have a guarantee that in the exercise of their powers they should not be sub ject to more than ordinary risk. They agreed to undertake a service of much hardship for a email modicum of pay; but it was never contemplated that the; were to be put up in battues, to be kicked and cuffed, and disabled for life, at the pleasure of CANNON, the sweep, and EDWARD LAUD, who figures in a report simply as "a ruffianly fellow"—being, indeed, " a lamb who bass like a bear." This amateur police-hunter has, it appears, been frequently punished for outrages upon policemen. He has lately undergone six months' imprisonment for injuring one of the objects of his excit ing sport, it is feared, for life. This adven turous person, "taking his walks abroad" on Hampstead-heath, being at the same time slightly elevated with drink, commenced ope rations on the day on which the assault for which he was last brought up was committed by upsetting a basket of fruit belonging to a man who was going over the heath. To the remonstrances addressed to him he answered by gross abuse and menaces. The disturbance, as usual, attracted a crowd, in the midst of which appeared, after a time, policeman 120 8, named WILBQM. Lao, who, it may be pre sumed, looked upon the mw of surrounding spec. I tators as a knight of old upon enemies l who had not earned their spare ; or as a modern spsle■sa upon sparrows and crows while he is on the basest for " birds," felt his martial ardour ex cited at the sight of a policeman. Upon being civilly asked by Wasox to retire, he refused, and, on being taken into custody, threw the unfortunate man down with great force, and kicked him repeatedly upon the Ina mad other parts of the body. Another }albumen same to the rescue in the shape of Ser geant Moons, 98 8., who was also kicked and hit severely. The prisoner then promised to p quietly with the °Steers, if permitted to he released from their hold, but, upon his request being granted, saidsnly made off. He was ultimately captured, aid after much resistance handcuffed, strapped down upon a stretcher, and conveyed to the station-house. The defence was that the policemen had exercised improper and unnecessary violence. This, bowmen was disproved by the evidence of respectable wit nesses, who declared that no more violence was used than what, under the circumstances, was actually necessary. The principal wit less, who hoped that the cue might be summarily disposed of, as it would be inconvenient for him to attend upon a future occasion, professed himself ready, mention of personal trouble, to owns for ward in the event of the man being committed for big Mr. decision on this case appears to I be less intelligible than any decision of the kind which we have read for some time. He stated in the first place that he should take into account that the prisoner had been injured by being struck with the truncheon. Why, in the name of common sense—not to talk of law—was the policeman the executioner of a legal sentence P Were the blows he inflicted a portion of any penalty which the law has instituted? Was Lane under his hands receiving legal chastisement? If not, what had the blows of the truncheon adminie tend in self-defence to do with the punishment for the offence for which he was about to take the pri soner into custody ? Is not resistant* to legal authority generally considered an aggravation of a crime? The capture of a murderer has often been effected only by using a considerable portion of violence ;--hasthepain he suffered ever been considered as forming a claim for exemption from punishment ? It this principle of Mr. BacovonTote's were universally recognised, we should have our future TnuirreLto appealing to the good feelings of their judges in such terms as these : " There is no denying that I murdered Mr. WZAill in cold blood, but you can never be so hard-hearted as to record a sentence of death against me. Look what I have suffered at the bands of your police- Looh at the black-eye I received in the scuffle with A 1 before I managed to fling him down and 'sample won him. Look at this eta a all that is visible of a wound made by the truncheon of the bloodthirsty A 2, the moment that I brought him I down with a kick in his stomach, which he will remember to his dying day. Ask that pallid A 3, who is sitting there bandaged all over on account of the wounds I was obliged to Inflict when I tried to get away, whether he did not give me a rap on the knuckles ?" Nay, we cannot see why an exemp tion from punishment should not be claimed on ac count of damage to the clothing, as well as to the person, if Mr. BROUGHTON'S theory is to be acted upon. The prisoner's hat, coat, and waistcoat must have suffered considerably in tho affray. " This poor old het and breeches were, as you see, Sir, torn in the scuffle." Why not take that into the account? " The violence," Mr. Bnounierox admitted, " the prisoner had entirely brought upon himself by his misconduct." Why, then, take it into the account in coming to a decision ? Why not send the case be fore a jury when the evidence was so clear and there could be no trouble about getting the witnesses to appear? What will the man who has just suffered six months' imprisonment for injuring one policeman for life think of the law which gives him one-third of the time with hard labour as a fitting recompense for fresh brutality to two policemen ? He will ad vance to the attack in future with a certainty of diminished detect;on, and a well-grounded assurance that any trifling injury which he receives at the hands of his victims in the endeavour to protect their lives will be charitably taken into account by humane magistrates. RUSSIA AND TURKEY. CONSTANTINOPLE, Avo. 2. All here looks very like war—albeit the spirit of conciliation manifested by the Porte in every stage of these transactions, and the efforts of her allies to effect an amicable settlement. The hesitation and irresolute policy of our government is a matter of general surprise and very general comment at Con stantinople. We are accused openly as having con tributed mainly by our indecision to the advance and present position of the Russian forces. Urget prat sentia Turni. Where is Palmerston ? We are losing ground daily in this country—our credit, influence, and popularity all gone. The Egyptians are not yet come, but expected hourly. The Friedland, French three-decker, has been unfor tunately damaged, and the Magellan, station steamer, went on Sunday to tow her up and get her here into docks. The Inflexible, steam corvette, had also an accident in the sea of Marmara, and damaged, more over, considerably the bridge in passing up to the dockyard. These circumstances, it is said, affected the poor captain, whose death I mentioned in my last. The Firebrand, steam frigate, arrived on Thursday with thirty officers of our fleet. The Fury started with despatches on Sunday. Nafiz Pacha, ex-Minister of Finances, died of apoplexy. The Grand National Council has, by order of the Sultan, promulgated the following proclamation : The present proclamation showeth the state of affairs at Constantinople, and it is his Majesty's wish that it should be_promulgated in the provinces of the empire. The Sublime Porte and Russia having disagreed on cer tain points, the latter has suspended her relations, and re called her embassy from Constantinople, and, moreover, bas made great military preparations by sea and land; consequently, the Sublime Porte also has prepared herself for war, as has been already mado known. The reason as signed by Russia for her dissatisfaction is the refusal of the Porte to accord by treaty certain religious privileges to the Greek church. But then privileges were granted by his Majesty Sultan Idehemed the Con queror, and observed during the reigns of the late Sultans, and were also confirmed by his present Majesty, the Sultan of all benevolence, as well as by his prodecemon. When his present Majesty and his govern ment of their own free will granted and efinfirmed these ancient immunities, who ever thought that they would be annulled ? When a government wishes to undertake the protectorate of several millions of a neighbouring empire, it menaces its independence and interferes with its domestic affairs. The impropriety of such an act has been declared, but Russia would not forego her claim, and has even occu pied Wallachia and Moldavia, crossing the Pruth with her troop., thus greatly annoying the Sublime Porte. Such • violation of trestles has called forth on the part of the Sublime Porte a protest, which has been commual cated to the different European powers, in which it is declared that such an act, contrary to treaty, will not be ac cepted by the Sublime Porte. When a question of such grave importance arises, affecting the independence of the empire, it ought to be arranged by negotiations and friendly mediation. It is not Russia's intention to make war on the Sublime Porte, but she has occupied the provinces as a guarantee until her demands are complied with. The Porte has received from the different European powers friendly advice, especially from the maritime nations of England and Francs, upon whose friendship and good faith the Porte can rely, and it is certain that she will not accept anything that will affect her integrity and independence. Until it is sees what turn affairs will take, it has been deemed advisable to assume the defensive on the banks of the Danube and the frontiers of Anatolia. _ _ Such ie the depute and the present itTie of &Hain ma re- garde Russia. On the part of the government troops and the munitions of war have been prepared. The Sublime Porte has tranquillised all her subjects, and has enjoined them to remain quiet in their several occupations of agri culture and **senores, and she requires of her subjects to obey all her commands. As has been already mentioned, the claims of Russia relate to the religious privileges of the Greeks. The Oreek sect and their chiefs have personally nothing to do with this affair, but have, on the con trary, expressed their gratitude and thanks to their government, and are sorry that such a question has ever been mooted; they must not, therefore, be looked upon as enemies. Armenians, Catholicv, Protestants, and Jews ere also the true and faithful subjects of our Lord and Padi shah, the Greeks are se also, and they must therefore live in pesos with nab ethic In short, Nosh= and all other subjects of the Porte most dwell Ispilier is harmony, and not speak of things which de est sem= Out li ner do that which is not law kkhot sub mis meet leek affairs. Marlowe arreqpimmil. gonismation. and order (tends) has boss pawed in the pressess of the Sheik-U-121am and all the leessed of the empire, of the Biteable; and all the onions of the army and viziers who were at the council of the Greed Vizier. Finally, this proclamation has been seastisami by his Majesty the Behan, and all than who are not pleased with the arrangement, and shall act contrary to it, shell ished be coaddend as insubordinate, and severely pun. [Here follow the signatures of all the pried* °facials of the empire, elvil, mi li tary, and religions.] and minister plenipotentiary of the King of the Two Sicilies, a declaration regulating questions rela tive to the arrest and delivery of sailors deserting from the vessels of the two nations. The rumoured approaching marriage of Prince' Napoleon with a daughter of Queen thristina has been repeatedly contradicted, but according to ii formation I receive to-day, confirming what I have before stated, the match may be looked upon as quite a settled thing. The attentions of the Emperor's cousin to the young lady at the fete were very marked. The settlements are already in course of discussion, and, if my information be correct, Mar shal Jerome will shortly pay a visit to Queen Christine at Havre to make a formal demand of her daughter's hand. The Petrie of this evening announces that the Emperor and Empress will go to Dieppe to-morrow. Although the credit of the Patron as a semi-official journal has been terribly shaken by the warning it received the other day, I believe its statement is in this instance correct. The presence of their Imperial Majesties at Dieppe will be a great event for that quiet little watering place. Apropos of the Po-ris I understand that the M. Fould has has condescended personally to solicit M. Delamarre not to put his threat to sell the paper into execution, and that the ex-banker has consented to continue his support to the government. Nothing more ridiculous than this system of warnings was ever invented. As a pre text to crush an opposition print while avoiding the appearance of a merely arbitrary sentence, it may be very convenient, as was shown in the case of the Corsaire ; but the occurrences of every day show the inaptitude of the invention for the practical pur pose of controlling • tolerated press. The " warn ing" power conterred upon government by the law is exhausted after being twice exercised; then nothing remains bat the extreme measure of sup pression. It is felt that the large material interests of an established newspaper cannot be dealt with lightly without proclaiming to the world that stato of siege principles are to govern in Perpetuity. Therefore the Siecle and other opposition papers have lately, as I have already mentioned, received private admonitions instead of technical warnings. Now, a ministerial journal, which having either been led into a mistake by some officious per son about the court, or presuming upon its official connection, thought itself at liberty to fabricate a telegraphic despatch containing intelligence pre sumably true, receives a warning like any other paper. If the law itself were tolerable this instance of its operation might be accepted as evidence of praiseworthy impArtiality. But the proprietor of the Patric, who lauded tne law to the skies, when he assumed it to be out of the question that it could ever be used against himself, decides in the course of two hours after being warned, that he cannot hold property upon this sort of tenure, and announces at once that he will sell the Patrie, and its six provin cial satellites. If he has retracted this resolution, he must of course have been made to understand that the warning in his case goes for nothing. One of the most absurd of the many oppressive laws invented by the present government to torment the weal is that relating to the propagation of " false news." A provincial journal very popular in Brit tany, the Journal de Rennes, being obnoxious on ac count of its legitimist opinions, was prosecuted the other day for false news, admitted by the indictment itself to have been " published with good faith, and not of a nature to trouble the public peace." This is not the first time that the government has sought to establish the principle that a journal might at any time be made criminally responsible for a mistake in a matter of fact, although that mistake involved neither a public nor a private libel, although, in short, it related to a dry matter of fact of no interest or importance to any one in the world. This monstrous principle has been admitted and acted upon by several of the courts who thought the literal wording of the new law too strong to be got over. The Correctional Tribunal of Rennes has, however, aquitted the Journal da Rennes in the present instance, and given some very sensible reasons for its judgment. Thi/ court holds that there can be no crime without a criminal intention, that the true object of the decree of February 17, 1853, (having force of law) wee not to punish all false news, but only false news published with a bad intent, either as regards government, society, or individuals; that were it otherwise the public prosecutor would proceed against all false news, and this it is notorious he does not do; that the courts of law have equally with the public prosecutor the right and theduty to judge of the mature of false news and the intention with which it may have been published. On these grounds, it being admitted that the article in qaestien in the present case was written in good faith, and the court being of opinion that it contains nothing malicious, the court declares that the editor of the journal and the writer of the article have committed no offence, and pronounces their acquittal. The public prose cutor instantly gave notice of appeal, and the case will doubtless be carried to the Court of Caseation. ITALY. The Voce della Laterta of Turin quotes a circular of the sth, issued by the police department of Swit zerland, ordering the arrest of two refugees from Lombardy, five Hungarian deserters, and a Turk from Bosnia, to whom acts of robbery and theft s have been attributed. The refugees are to be taken to Berne under escort; the deserters are to be given up to Austria. The Duke of Modena hu issued a decree, direct ing that from the Ist of September next, saltpetre shall cease to be a government monopoly. We read in the Genoa Gazelle, of the 12th, that the Dowager Queen of Sardinia has been labouring under indisposition at La Spezia, serious enough to render bleeding necessary. Her Majesty is now convalescent. THE STATES OF THE CHURCH. ROME, Aim. 10. The panic of the government with respect to the presence of revolutionary emissaries in Rome still continues, and the exertions of the police to make sure of the suspected individuals are unremitting. Five or six more have been arrested since my last letter, and the remainder will find it very difficult to escape the clutches of the sitirri, now that they are hunting on the right scent. It is the general opinion that Signor Roselli, who, after having been recog nised by the custom-house soldier, voluntarily gave himself up, was not connected with the emissaries already alluded to, and that his only crime was that of ham g yielded to the desire of seeing his family again, and returning to Rome with a passport under a feigned name for that purpose. But such does not appear to be the opinion of the police authorities, who Rudd in considering him as leagued with the conspirators, and have even P l um, WIMNUDAT Br ia n ta . sent him out of Rome to the fortress of Civita- Lord John Russell's announcement that the Eng- Castellani', because they suspected that his voluntary fish fleet would not quit Besika till the Russian surrender was merely a feint to gain admittance to army had recrossed the Froth, produced a slight the political prison of San Michele, there to carry panic at the Bourse to-day. It was not generally into execution a plan already concocted for the Übe known at the opening, and the market opened with ration of its inmates—the fidelity of the gaolers and such animation that a great rise was expected. But of the Roman troops on guard being hardly oonsi towards half-past two copies of the speech were in dared sufficient to prevent such a disaster. The sus *Gelation, and a rapid reaction took place, which picions of the polioe are occasionally carried to a Malted in a fall in the rents of 23c. from yesterday. ludicrous excess, as recently in the case of a Roman The Prism mays of **speech in question : architect, engaged in rebuilding a large house in the Lied Jobe Bassell's deeisstisa is 'rented in appearance Via Frattina, who, uis customary in this city when .....a.. big kb lisalitY ii ....1 Waft% dm the presence of the the roof is put on a new edifioe, gave a dinner to his as Bela ems see m the least inconvenience workmen few days ago. Rejoicing . in the ex se n have say suedes ohmmeter. After, u .. 1,... • a se no she qussh of Lam Jah n Bernell, R eeve km „,, .........ting aspect of the dishes of maooaroniand flagons aim ese the usenatles of the Pri nc ip a liti es of wine, the bricklayers drew up in military order,with Ors sepumsses it M. Neeselrode's circulars. their tools shouldered, to receive the =sterol the feast, Ms Maisons. see it was by mistake that General and merrily paid him the semblance of a military L.. L. was stabs/on Monday to have been made a eelute—an honour which coat him dear, for the oc- Osaull Crow of the Legion of Hoeonr. The General currenoe was related by . one of the ever ready corps WM l ,..molid to the rank of grand officer. The only of spies, exaggerated into the regular drilling of tc: arum were General La Hitte and Admiral labourers to the use of arms for revolutionary pur poses, and the unfortunate architect is at the present The Empress's sister, the Duchess of Alba, was moment in prison for the offence. at the gratis performance at the Francais on F e ars of a more reasonable kind are entertained of t sassy. the disturbances produced by the scarcity and high The instructions of the President of the United price of corn, the general failure of the crops proving States to his representatives at the different foreign a dangerous element of popular discontent. I have courts that they should for the future appear on all already reported the government notification prohi occasions of public ceremony in plsin clothes, and not biting the exportation of corn from the Roman States, in official costume, were carried into execution in but the common people of many districts, particularly Paris on Monday for the first time. Mr. Sanford, in the provinces of La Marc* and Romagna, the Chargé d'Affaires of the United States, appeared not content with these general measures, forcibly at the seance of the Emperor, as also at the dinner oppose the removal of corn in any quantity from given previously by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, their own special localities. These vi et armis ar in the plain dress of an American citizen. gements of course call for the interference of the The in of Foreign Affairs yesterday ' 9 soldiers and police, and conflicts arise which fill the witit tho Murk trAntai f savoy a as authatitits with aastiass. At Yoligno gado= dl.. lIAVIOATION OF THE DANUBE. The correspondence between the British and Ru g= governments respecting the navigation of the Baling Channel of the Danube wee published es terday. It amply establishes the injury sa by British commerce from the state into which the na vigation of the Salina Channel has been allowed to fall by Russia, and also the charge of malicious and intentional neglect which has been advanced against the Russian government. FRANCE. turbanees have already taken place. To alleviate public dissatisfaition, the importation of foreign wheat into the provinces of the Adriatic is now al lowed at a duty of one scud° per rubbio—about tour and-sixpence a quarter—aithough the hungry people, in the present moment of distress, would fain have had it in duty free, and accuse the government of keeping on the import duty to favour those mono polists whose storehouses are now full of high-priced wheat. The aspect of the vineyards causes equally gloomy forebodings with respect to the vin tage, the epidemic disease having made great havoc amongst the vines. Hitherto the wea ther has been most sultry, and the ther mometer has ranged between 90 and 100 Fah renheit ; but on Saturday, the 6th instant, about nine &slack, a.m., a smart shock of earthquake took place, sad was distinctly felt in Rome and the environs, lace which event the atmosphere has suddenly become unnaturally cool for the season. I was sitting at break fast at the time, and clearly perceived an undulatory rumbling motion is the whole house, Ps if some ex tremely he. ivy furniture were being moved about, bat without the noise there would have been in such a case. The motion lasted five or six seconds, and was not sufficiently violent to produce any damage to the edifices of the city. M. de Lichtenfelt, the Dutch catholic minister of worship, leaves Rome to-morrow, the result of his negotiations being that the question remains pretty much as he found it on his arrival at the Eternal City. He has obtained what the Court of Rome professed itself ready to accede to before he under took the mission—that is to say, an authorisation for the catholic bishops to take the oath of fealty accord ing to the formula required by the Hutch govern ment, and an assurance that the Archbishop and Bishop of Utrecht and Haarlem will be recommended by his Holiness not to take up their residences in those cities for the present ; but as to any change in the sees, or any other important modification of the bull, it is in vain to attempt to break through the passive resistance of Pio Nono, and the sacred college. The long dormant works of the Pia-latina Railway are actually to be resumed in the beginning of next month, and, thanks to English capital and activity, the Romans may expect to traverse the Campagna per rail, at least to Frascate, before another year. Messrs. Mastermans, Uzielli, and the other direc tors have entrusted the execution of the line to Eng lish contractors, and the English engineer, Nichols, will superintend the work. The line will pass by Frascate, Albano, and Velletri, to Frosinone, where for the present it will end, the jealous fears of King Ferdinand having interposed to prevent its being brought any nearer to his frontier. His maxim is, "evil communications corrupt good manners," and to avoid foreign contact as much as possible his first study, so that both he and the Popo mean to limit their lines for the present to the interior of their re spective states,where they will allow their subjects to run about with the paternal advice ,nedio tutissimus ibis. The rapid transmission of news however appears not to present so many objections as the rapid transmis sion of travellers, for the electro-teiegraphic line from Naples to Rome is now complete, and the mask wires have actuallyentered the Eternal C ity at the Lateran gate, and stretch across the ample piazza to the hol' staircase of Pontius Pilate. The communication with Tuscany is less advanced, and the whole of the interior arrangements are yet to be made. The Austrians are busy repairing the fortifications of Ancona, where they are beloved by the inhabit ants, neither more nor less than usual. Two Austrian ships of war arrived in that port on the sth instant, with pupils on board from the Imperial Naval Col lege of Venice. They were cruizing about the Adriatic for practical, nautical information—a very excellent plan. GERMANY. The National Gazette of Berlin of the 13th states that it has been informed on good authority that the affair of the mixed marriages has been arranged in a manner satisfactory to all parties. Pope Pius IX., having well weighed the dangers to which he would expose himself by insisting on the affair, has, it is said, declared that he should decide in favour of the Prussian government in order to maintain peace be tween the different creeds. The Journal de Franefort of the 14th says: Prince Christian of Schleswig Holstein, Eenderbond Glucksbourg, heir ➢resumptive to the threes of Denmark, who had been sent for by the King to Copenhagen, left Runpenheim the day before yesterday with his family, who have been residing there for the last six weeks. The Prin cess accompanies him as far as Flensburg, where she will remain. Its stated in political circles that this departure of the prince is connected with the publication of the law on the succession, a law which names hint heir to the throne, and confers on him the title of Prince of Den mark. A letter from Vienna, dated Sunday, states that the Duchess of Brabant left early that morning by a special train for Brussels. The mother, sister, and brother of her Royal Highness were to accxnpany her as far as Moravia. The Archdukes John, Francis Charles Regnier, William, and Charles Louis, and the Count de Grunn, and a numerous suite, were at the station to take leave of them. The Emperor has sent the insignia of the order of the Golden Fleece to the Duke of Brabant. After the celebration of the mamsge by proxy of the Archduchess Henrietta with the Duke de Bra bant, the Emperor of Austria presented the Grand Cross of the Austrian Order of Leopold to Count O'Sullivan de Grass, the Belgian Ambassador at Vienna. Nubar Bey, the secretary of the Viceroy of Egypt; Halim Bey, the brother of Said Pacha, and Arakel Bey, arrived at Vienna on the 10th. Nubar Bey is charged to present a splendid horse to the Emperor of Austria on the part of the Viceroy, and to make purchases of various manufactures. Arakel Bey has a similar mission to Berlin. The Presse of Vienna, of the 12th, states that an Austrian courier had arrived there that day from St. Petersburg, and also French and English couriers on their way to Paris and Londoa with the confirma tion of the news of the Emperor of Russia having accepted the propositions of the conference of Vienna in the way previously announced by the Monileur of Paris. The Prerse of Vienna hu the following from Jassy, sth: The merchants of this place have addressed a petition t the Emperor of Russia, praying him to remove the restric tions which now shackle the commerce of Moldavia with foreign countries. They remark to his Majesty that if these restrictions continue their ruin is inevitable. They particularly desire to have facilities given to them for ex porting their merchandise. This petition has been backed by the Miamian authorities, and forwarded to Bt. Peters burg, and the commercial world calculate on its sum—. The refusal of payment of the tribute to the Ottoman Porte has produced a mat sensation here. It is positively stated that the Hospodars have been threatened with dismissal, and that the Sultan had it in contemplation to appoint others. Prince (Mika and Stir Bey have, it is said, sent excuses to the Ottoman Porte, and declared that they had only acted from necessity, and that se soon as existing cir minuteness should cases they would eagerly fulfil their obligations towards the Sultan. A letter from Smyrna of the 3rd states that the Austrian brig of war, the Artemisia, had left that port to cruise in the Archipelago. It is stated in a letter from Constantinople of the let, that the Pacha of Bosnia has informed the Porte that General Meyerhoffer, inspector of cavalry of Austria, had assured him that in the event of pub lic tranquillity being diatuzbed, either by a foreign or domestic enemy in Bosnia and Herzegowine, Aus tria would send troops into those provinces. The 21-ieste Gazette contains a letter of the let, which says : A proof of the desire of the Porte to be agreeable to Aus- tria has just been given. &vont! Montenegrins, arrested for a quarrel between them and some Turkish workmen of Constantinople, were in prison. On the application of thr Austrian Internuncio, such of them as had no other charge against them were set at liberty. SLAVE TRADE TREATIES WITH SPAIN AND PORTUGAL. The select committee appointed to inquire into the treaties and engagements between Great Britain, Spain, and Portugal, respecting the slave trade, and the sums allowed and paid by Great Britain to those governments for their assistance or concurrence to abolish that trade; also to inquire how far these stipulations have been carried out by the governments of Spain and Portugal ; and were further empowered to report the evidence taken before them, and their observations, to the house: have corn. pleted the inquiry into the matters referred to them, and have unanimously agreed to a report, in which, after refer ring to a variet of evidence, they corn* to the conclusion that a *US invo lving a shameful breach of national honour hu bees ludo oat against those remarks. THE WEST INDIA MAILS. SOUTHAMPTON, WrnsRADAY. The Parana arrived this afternoon at Southamp ton. Her dates are—Chagres, July 21 ; Jamaica and Demerara, July 27 ; Trinidad, July :'6; and St. Thomas's, August 1. She has brought 75 passengers. Amongst her cargo is specie to the value of 767,576 dollars. The Parana obtained pratique immediately on her arrival. Tho Parana has not had a single death since she left England. The yellow fever was on the decline in the West Indies. At Jamaica the dissension still exists be tween the Governor and the House of Assembly. The revenue is inadequate to meet the common municipal expenditure. Fever still prevails at Spanish Town. Several deaths had taken place amongst the artillery force. Surinam was healthy. Some cases of yellow fever had occurred at Do minica and Antigua. Barbadoes was very healthy. Sugar was still shipping from thence. - - News had reached St. Thomas that an earthquake had destroyed a great portion of the city of Cumuua, in Venezuela, and that more than fire hundred per. eons had been buried in the ruins. At Demerara the weather was favourable. Planters state that the yield of crops is indifferent. Trade is dull. AUSTRALIAN GOLD DIGGINGS. GEELONG, MAY 30. A correspondent says :—I am just returned from the Eureka diggings at Ballarat, where some few have been doing " heavy stroke.." My last sinking was on a new flat nearly opposite the commissioner's camp, which was turning out very well—generally two ounces to the tub ; and but for the autumnal rains, many hundreds of pounds, troy, would have been taken out. However, one day's rain turned some 700 or 800 diggers out of their rich holes. I remained down in mine so long, that I only es caped being drowned by the activity of my mate in drawing me up, for as I ascended the water followed me within a foot of the surface, and thus my only prize since I have been at Ballarat escaped from me just when I had made sure of some pounds weight of gold. So thick did it lay in one gutter in the pipeclay that I could see it glisten in the hole, and when it arrived at the washing place it resembled currants in a plum pudding. This hole was 32 feet deep. and up to the moment o f the rains was as dry as any cellar . One fact is becoming daily more apparent, that no fresh gold fields are being found out, and that the old and once prolific ones, such as Ballarat,Golden Point, Eureka, Bendigo,White Horse Gully, Eagle Hawk Gully, Mount Alexander, &c., are daily becoming exhausted, and unless some new fields ate discovered, some great crash will occur, I am certain, with emigration at such an increase. At Ballarat it is scarcely possible to live, unless good wages at gold digging be got. When 1 left, a few days since, flour was at 101. and 111. the 200 lbs. ; sugar, 10d. to Is. per lb. ; meat, Gd., and likely soon to be Is. per lb. ; tea, 3s. and 3s. Gd . per lb. ; coffee, 45. per lb. ; potatoes, the only vegetable come-at-able, 101. and Is. per lb. ; onions, ls. per lb. ; and everything high in proportion. To support a family at such prices a digger should get his 3 oz. per week ; yet I will venture to say not one out of ten gets an ounce. It is calculated there are from seven to ten thousand diggers at Ballarat, many of them living in a very distressed state with only a canvas dwelling to protect them from the rain; and winds that continue at this season for weeks incessantly. I got so invalided from dysentery, that had I remained up tare Served° 1 called in told me I should never see Gee long again, for no healing comforts are to be got there, and with the best constructed tent wet and wind will find a way in. I sincerely pity hundreds, who, like myself, hav e had to endure hardships that would make the heart ache. Surely by this time some accounts must have reached home, giving a correct picture of the state of the colony. In Melbourne there is a regular town of tents, called Canvas Town, and a friend writes me that women and childen are dying in dozens daily, acorn fever, &c., brought on by the damp and poverty that is suffered by hundreds who have been deluded out by shilling book writers and false news paper accounts. In Geelong things are little better nature has done everything for the place, the autho rities scarcely scything—no sewerage, no water, roads overshoe deep in mud, and every here and there dead horses, sheep, and dogs, the latter by dozens, since the prevalence of the distemper. Medical men boast of snaking their 701. per day, boa storekeepers make double that sum by buy ing up flour, sugar, potatoes, and other necessaries as soon as they are landed from vessels, and storing them till prices run at riot as they well can. For instance, a fortnight since a man, a sideman/ convict, who is possessed of a large ca pital, bought up every bag of sugar he could get, and when every oae wanted and no one could supply, he poured out his stock and sold it at exorbi tant prices. This is the game daily amongst some dozen merchants, as they call themselves. True it is that carpenters get from 20s. to 30s. per day, and blacksmiths and others even more, but as some with families have told me little can be saved, with house rent so high and neces saries so dear. A two-roomed house, with an apology for a kitchen, lets for 31. 10s. per week, water 10s. and 12s. per load, and wood 31. per load. A friend of mine has just taken a house, consisting of a small shop, dismal parlour, and one bed-room with no fireplace, for which he is to pay as much as a house would bring in one of the fashionable squares is London. Let the yield of gold continue small for three months, as it has been lately, and some strange scenes will be witnessed in this town and Melbourne, where matters are even more anomalous than in Geelong. The various constituencies are about to elect 14 members. The aspirants for Geelong are a Mr. Carr, auctioneer, who has made all his money within three years by land specula tions, and the present mayor, Mr. J. Cowie, saddler, also a lucky land dealer. I attended a meeting of the People's Association a night or two since at the Theatre, and to de scribe fully the noise, confusion, and interruption would fill pages. Stich a gathering of the truly great unwashed was likely to create a scene. Dead cats and dogs were thrown about ; howling, screeching, and every term that could be offensive, were applied to the would-be members. The days of nomination and polling, I expect, will bring forth another bear-garden scene. The Irish abound in this place to an extraordinary extent ; many are doing well, although to sign their names would be a pursle to most of them. Boots and shoes bring high prices here, and will repay any one to send ont a quantity of thick lace-up boots, midi as navvies wear. Horse rugs and blankets are in great demand. I believe if I had some thousands of the former I could sell them readily at high prices. Canvass, also, is scarce. Bottled beer is scarcely to be had for money ; poor thin beer is bringing 65. and 7s. the bottle—a fortune migh t almost be made by a large stock just now. Butter is re tailed at 6s. and 65. 6d. the lb., which cost in Limerick, when I was there, about 6d. in the barrel. The winter in these latitudes appears very strange com pared to the ones in England. Duriag the night it is cold to an extreme, yet as the sun breaks out all cold is dis_ pelled, and a warm sunny day is the result. I have known it to freeze throughout the night, and the thermometer a t midday to be 110 in the sun and 96 in the shade. I often see new "chums" from England, with very awkward and useless tools brought eut front thence. What a digger wants is a pair of high mud boots, and a pair of navvy's lace-up boots, a good square tent, two American shovels, one puddling spade strong in the back, a strong iron bucket or two, miners' picks with short handles, iron wedges and beetle rings for splitting slabs, some good rope about 80 ft. long for windlass, a pump, iron bedstead, crow bar and American axe. Tin dishes for washing gold, &a., can be better got here, as can the cradle and tubs. Let the clothing be moleskin coat and trousers or worsted cords, as the most lasting. Broadcloth is at a great discount ten miles round any diggings. Had I 500 f. capital here, I could do wonders, for this I. essentially a land where money makes money. PEACE WITH AVA. India Board, August 15, 1853. A despatch has been this day received at the East India House from thy Governor.Oeneral of India in Coun cil, encloeing the notification, of which the following are the chief portions: NOTIFICATION. Fort William, June 30, 1353. In the proclamation ky which the province of Pegu was annexed to the British dominions in the East, the Governor- General in Council declared that he desired no further con quest in Burmah, and was willing to consent that hostili ties should cease. Therefore, the Burman troops were everywhere with drawn, the king was dethroned by his brother, the Meng doon Prince, and an envoy was sent from Avis to sue for peace. The Borman Envoy, confessing their inabilit; to resin the pow of the British frovernment, and subdatadvidy