The Express.
London, England, 1852-01-24 00:00:00

GERMANY.

The First Prussian Chamber assembled on the 21st,
and after an unimportant debate passed tho Disci-
plinary Bill fur officials not belonging to the judicial
class, with one amendment in favour of the officials
of the Agricultural Loan Institution, an establishment
belonging to the " Ititterschaft." The disciplinary
process against these officials is to bo commenced by
the chief of the establishment—if that can bo consi-
dered a privilege. With this amendment the law
was passed by 78 votes against i 2.
A letter, dated Berlin 21, says:

The Prince of Prussia, u Stathalter of Pomerania, re-
ceives an annual complimentary visit from the deputies of
that province. Their reception for the present year has
just taken place, and his royal highness took the opportu-
tunity to impress on the deputies his opinions as to the
necessity of increasing the efficiency of the army,
and urged them to support in the Chamber with
all their influence, that increase in the military esti-
mates the late Minister of War intended to ask, and
which his successor had undertaken to propose. Though,
said the Prince, there was much in recent events in the
west which ho did not disapprove, yet they must not give
way to that carelessness and want of foresight that seemed to
be on the increase. It must be recollected that the ruling
power in France was not a legitimate one, and might fall as
easily as it had arisen. Prussia must be prepared for all eontin •
. They must make use of the experience gained by the
geneses
tTperimental mobilisation, for he could not regard
it is any more than an experiment. The defects discovered
must be remedied. An army of 400,000 men ho should
prefer to the Lindwehr • but he knew that the financial
position of Prussia rendered the support of such an army
impossible. If, however, it would maintain its position as
agreat power, more must be done than had hitherto been
effected. The army ought not to be deficient in anything, and
the old system of saving must be abandoned. Ile did not know
what funds were at the disposition of the Finance Minister,
but he was certain they were not sufficient to cover the
considerable increase contempleted. Extraordinary means
must be resorted to, and to provide these mean, was the
affair of the Chamber. During the audience his royal
highness returned more than once to the subject, and ex-
horted the deputies present repeatedly to support the pro-
spective expenditure.

HAMBURG.
On the 18th inst. a process was instituted, by order
of the Senate of Hamburg, against the editor of the
Reform, for the publication of an adverse article and
a caricature upon M. Louil Bonaparte. The court
acquitted the editor, and condemned the public trea-
sury in the costs of the trial. This is the first cri-
minal process instituted in Germany to punish jour-
nalists for unfavourable allusions to the President.

DENMARK AND TILE DUCHIES.
We have Copenhagen advice, of the 17th. Since
the return of M. Chamberlain Dille from his diplo-
matic mission to Vienna and Berlin, cabinet councils
have been hell daily, the members of the ministry
being unable to agree upon accepting definitively the
conditions on which Austria and Prussia are willing
to conclude a treaty between Germany and Denmark.
So great is the difference which divides the Danish
cabinet, that a new dissolution of the ministry is
foreseen at Copenhagen. The great and permanent
difficulties to be apprehended from the creation in
the three great territorial portions of the lhnish
monarchy of three separate governments, often inde-
pendent of one another, and, as may be expected,
holding diverse views upon many administrative
points, and having ministers now responsible and
now irresponsible to the Danish Chambers, are too
serious to leave reason to expect from the arrange-
ment entered into by M. Bible any lasting or well
grounded settlement.

•
WEST INDIA AND THE PACIFIC
MAILS.
A telegraphic summary of the following appeared
in tho Express yesterday :

SOUTHAMPTON, FRIDAY.
The Clyde, Captain Moss, has arrived; Admiralty
agent, Lieutenant Percival, R.N. Her dates are :
Jamaica, Dec. 30; Demerara, 27; Trinidad, 29; Ila-
vannah, 21; Santa Martha, 26 ; Grey Town, 20;
Chagres, 2.5; Barbadocs, 30 ; Grenada, 29 ; St. Viu-
' cent, 30; Antigua, Ike. 30; St. Thomas, 4th inst.
Amongst her cargo is specie to the value of one
million three hundred and fifty-three thousand four
hundred and forty-Nix dollars worth of gold dust,
jewellery, and platitia on merchants' account.
It would appear from the last accounts from
Yucatan that there was a temporary cessation of
hostilities between the Indians and the Yucatans,
and that the town of Baader still continues in the
possession of the latter. This town has been com-
pletely surrounded by a low wall and ditch, but
it is not calculated to resist a determined attack of
the enemy. The spirit of animosity between the two
races is by no means quenched, and there is not at
present the slightest probability of a termination of
the war. The Indians can place no confidence in
the promises of the " Yucatacos," by whom they have
frequently been deceived. There is nochance, there-
fore, of any amicable settlement of their differences.
There is a desire on the part of the Indians to annex
that portion of the country which they claim to the
British territory of Honduras; and, if that cannot
bo accomplished, the majority seem disposed to emi-
grate to that country.
According to Jamaica newspaper accounts
the weather had changed, and it was hoped
that cholera would soon disappear. It was
still, however, very virulent in some places;
the smallpox is also scourging some parts of the
island. A public meeting had taken place at King-
ston to make arrangements for the establishment of
a steam-packet communication between Jamaica and
the Spanish Main.
From Ikmerara we learn that the election fur
Fssequibo has terminated in the triumphant return
of the government candidate. In reference to this
event the Zwal Gazette of Dec?.mber 27 has the
following:
In reviewing the history of the past fortnight in Bri-
tish Guiana, the occurrence that merits most attention is,
unquestionably, the election for Essequibo which has just
terminated in the triumphant return of the government
candidate. A more determined election contest never, per-
haps, took place in the colony. On the 2ith the poll was
closed, and the numbers then proved to be :—For Craig,
50 ; Cameron, 45 ; majority for Craig, 5. The Essequibo
constituency, as may be inferred, is not numerous ; in fact,
' it is as at present composed an aristocratic body, consisting
for the most part of the local gentry, with slight sprink•
ling of independent tenant farmers and imall traders. Now,
it is a remarkable circumstance, that this is just the sort of
body from which former governments in this colony were
sure to encounter oa occasions like the present the most
determined opposition. Ileoce the inference is, that had
the constituency been more numerous, and had more of the
popular element been infused into it, the triumph of Mr.
Craig would have been even more marked and sigeal than
it is.

There is a reasonable prospect of a sugar crop in
the dependency this year superior to that of the last.
A Georgetown paper says:—
During the past fortnight the weather has been delight-
ful; genial showers, bright sunshine, and cool breezes
having been agreeably intermixed. Our planters are taking
every advantage of the season, and pushing on both in the
cane field and the boiling house as fast so they car. The
present year's crop will considerably exceed that of 18-50, as
no doubt, if things go on smoothly, and the seasons are
tolerably fair, that of next will the present. As an instance
of the improvement that has been effected within the last
twelvemonths on most estates, we may particularise one
property, several miles distant from town, on the rust
coast of Demerara; we mean plantation Lusignan. That
estate made last year 020 hogsheads of sugar. It completed
its crop for the present year, on the oth of this month,
when it had made 1,010 hogsheads, exceening the crop of
1850 by 20 hogsheads.
On December 30th a public meeting was to take
place in Georgetown, for the purpose of co-operating
with the Anti-Slavery Society in London. in making
two appeals—one upon the British parliament, the
other upon the British government. Parliament
will be called upon to prevent that further eduction
of duties in slave-grown sugars at present proposed
to take place on the sth July next; and government
will be called upon to renew their demands upon
Brazil and Spain for the fulfilment of their treaty
engagements for the suppression of the slave trade,
notifying to them at the same time that till this be
done the present sugar duties will be rendered per-
manent, and those countries held responsible fur all
the sums advanced to them to secure the abolition of
that traffic. And it is further contemplated, in the
event of the treaties with Spain and Brazil not being
at once and fairly acted upon, to call upon parlia-
ment to reduce the rates on British sugar to the low-
est point compatible with the public interest.
At Barbadoes the House of Assembly met on the
23rd ult. There was no business of importance
transacted, and the house adjourned for a month.
Sugar making has been commenced on several estates
in this island. The weather is everything the planter
could wish, and the yielding of the cane so excel-
lent as to authorise the prediction that the present
sugar crop will yield a return for shipment exceed-
ing 40,000 hogsheads. The first vessel with sugar
of this season's manufacture will leave Carlisle Bay
between the 12th and 13th proximo.
From New Grenada we learn that the law by
which slavery is abolished throughout the republic
will go into effect on the Ist of next January. It
provides that "all persons liberated shall be entitled
to the same privileges, and
_governed by the same
laws, as are other citizens of New Grenada. No slave
under forty-five years shall bo valued at a greater
sum than one thousand six hundred reals if a male,
nor over one thousand two hundred reals if a female ;
over forty-five, the value of a male slave shall not
exceed one thousand two hundred realm, and a
female slave eight hundred reals, which compensa-
tion is to be paid to the owners by the
government." The Bogota Gazette (official) says
a decree has been addressed to the Boards of Manu-
mission, which specifies the manner in which the
provisions of the above law shall be carried out.
The slave, whose owner is not capable of proving his
right of ownership, shall be liberated without farther
legal proceedings; and the boards will have the au-
thority to pronounce his manumission. Owners of
slaves, who are to be emancipated from time to time,
will receive a remuneration, to be apportioned from
the funds appropriated by law for this purpose. The
price of the slave must previously be ascertained by
two appraisers—one appointed by the board, and the
other by the owner.