The Express.
London, England, 1852-01-09 00:00:00

ITALY.

NAPLES, Dec. 30.
The state trials are still proceeding, and from
the way in which the tnals are conducted,
it is clear the prisoners will he all sent to the gal-
leys at toast. The events of France will hasten their
lute. A batch of 54 political offenders arc now being'
tried at Salerno.

PIEDMONT.
In the Chamber of I kputies of Turin, on the 3rd,
orders of the day were proposed on the discussion of
the budget of the war department, to the effect that
the Minister of War should be called on to present
without delay a law on the organisation of the army,
its provided for by Article 2 of the law of June last
but, on the demand of the minister, the simple order
of the day was adopted.

GERMANY.

In the Second Prussian Chamber, on the Sth
instant, the retirement of the Minister of War,
General von Stockhauscn, w•as announced. A
communication was al,o read from the Minister
of Finance, stating that the government did
not intend to lay before the house any account of
the administration of the finances for the present

year ; that an account of the expenditure of 18719 and
1850 in excess of the estimates of those revenues
would lie presented during the present session (this
document was laid on the table before the sitting
of the day terminated), but that the general report
of the expenditure of 1t450 might be produced in the
next session, after it had undergone examination by
the chief court of audit. The message was gives
over to the general committee on the budget. It
did not produce a favourable impression.
M. von Vineke moved that the message, "on ac-
count of its importance," be printed, which was
agreed to.
M. von Manteuffel laid on the Lade the text of
the commercial trot• between Prussia and Holland.
Our Paris correspondent says:
" Martial law bus been proclaimed throughout
Hungary."

TURKEY AND 'TIE LEVANT.

By the Levant mail we have received Constan-
tinople journals to the 2lth, Smyrna to the 26th,
and Athens to the 27th ultimo. The former
announce the death, on the llth ultimo, of
the Murth Sultana, mother of Fathma Sultana;
and she was buried next day in the Mosque
of Yeni-Djami. Cabouli Effendi, formerly first
secretary of the embassy at Loudon, huts been
nominated Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Ple-
nipotentiary at Athens. The dissension between
Austria and the Porte on the affair of the Dardanelles
has been, as stated by the German journals. settled, !
by the dismissal of the civil governor, and by the
Porte consenting to make Ins successor visit the
I Austrian consulate, and salute the flag of the con-
sulate with the usual number of guns.
The Constantinople journals state that as a bunker
of Galata, M. C--, was, on the 19th ult., returning
from th • ministry- of finance wi:h a bag containing
bills for 305,800 piastres, be was stopped near the
Mosque of Yeni Djami, by a man who threw a hand-
ful of dust in his eyes, and then stabbed hint near
the heart. His pocket-book fortunately lessened the
force of the blow, but before he could put himself in
a posture of defence he was knocked down by two
other men, and his bag was taken from him.
Later accounts from Trebizond confirm the news
from Persia of the disgrace of the minister, Mirza
Taghi Khan, and say that it was caused by the dis-
covery of a plot, in which he was engaged, for de-
priving Persia of the province of Gillian. Orders
were given that Mirza Taghi Khan, although bro-
thet-in-law of the Shah, should be strangled, but his
life was spared on the intervention of the Ulemahs.
The Smyrna papers contain no news. The
Chamber of Deputies of Athens has adopted a resolu-
tion, calling on the ministry to take measures for
Fitting down brigandage. The journals contain
sore further accounts of excesses committed by the
brigands. The town of the Piraeus is being beauti-
fied, and measures have been adopted for improving
its sanitary condition.

TILE LIBERATION OF LOUIS NAPOLEON. —A pri-
vate of the 6th Regiment of the line, named Girardin,
who clitimtd the merit of having favoured the escape
of Louis Napoleon from the fortress of Ham, in the
year ISIS, was tried by court-martial in Paris yester-
day for desertion. The following are the particulars:—
On the 210 bee...tither last, when the decrees of the Pre-
sident of the Republic were posted di=ioising the Assembly,
and the troupe in Paris were commanded tooecupy the line
of battle assigned to them, the roll was c Wed over in each '
regiment, and a report was made of the absent to the com !
mender-in-chief. The private, Ilapteste Oirardin, was set
down as absent from the 6th Regiment of the Line, rum.
mended by Colonel de Oardarens. Nut haling returned to
the regiment fur several days, he was returned as a deserter, '
and when he made his appearance clad in an old blouse he
was arrested, and hi+ trial took place yesterday. The Pre-
sident of the court-martial having in the course of his in-
terrogatory told the prisoner that his absence from his regi-
ment at such a moment had led to the belief that he had
made common cause with the anarchists, the latter replied
warmly, " Oh, no, colonel, I'm too much devoted to l'rince
Louis Napoleon Bonaparte to have entertained such an
idea. It was I who, when the prince was detained at the
fort of Ham, had the advantage, which many others envied
me, of favouring his escape. Colonel, I must tell
you that I was on guard at that moment. The
prince pawned before me disguised as a mason, bear-
ing a plank on his shoulder. When I saw him approach-
ing me, I very quickly perceived that his was not the step of
a mar, but that it was the prince himself. I was much
affected, and I turned oa my left beul to lease a free
passage for the mares carrying the plank. I was punished
for list having kept a stricter watch by one month's int-
prisonnient.' The colonel replied to the prisoner, that al-
though he had listened patiently to his statement,which was
no excuse for the desertion, he believed it was a vain boast.
The prisoner—" Colonel, it is a fact known by every inai-
vidual in the 70th Regiment of the Line, of which I formed
part at that pa riled. If I had had the means I would have
procured certificates to prove that I might if I had wished
have prevented the escape of Prince Louis Napoleon Bona-
parte, but I was ton happy to see him at liberty." Not-
withstanding an eloquent appeal front the prisoner's coun-
sel, who observed that the prisoner's previous good character
entitled him to the merciful consideration of the court,
Oirardin was found guilty, and sentenced to hard labour
for five years.

THE AIECIERA SCREW STEAM-FRIGATE AND THE
TILOOPB mot rus Care.—A letter from an officer, allud-
ing to the breaking dowu of this steamer on her first voyage,
says :—" She was sent to sea on the 3rd of January with
one of the finest regiments (the 60th Rifles) the world could
boast of on board, destined for the Cape of flood Rope. It
had for some daysilven known that this gallant and dis-
tinguished corps was to embark for immediate service for the
Cape, and a steamer large enough to convey the whole regi-
ment was ordered to Dover to receive them. Mark the re-
sult. The morning of the 3rd was fine, the sea like glass,
and this gallant band embarked amid the cheers and regrets
of the inhabitants to be landed at the Cape, and to imme-
diately take the field against the enemy. 'this steamer
(51vglicra) was one of those singled out by the Beard of Ad-
mitalty as superior to any we have ready, and so well fitted
that uo one could complain of any want of accommoda-
tion. She started, the prayers and good wishes of thou-
sands accompanied her. Night came on, with a molt ter-
rific gale—nothing stowed away—all confusion, and so
perfectly unfitted for a troop-ship was this pet of the Ad-
miralty, that she had not even a place fitted to receive the
soldiers' rifles or accoutrements, not even a locker of any
description to stow away their food ; and it is further a fact
that so shamefully has she been fitted that there was not
even a place to contain the officer' wine and stock. At
midnight we are told the scene was frightful-800 men with
no place to sleep in—beer-barrels, hampers of better cheer,
great drums, o®c•rs' stock, men's wives, baggage of every
description—all reeling and knocking about together. At
this moment the gale was at its height, the rudder became
choked, so that for a time the vessel would not steer ; her
topsides opened so much as to admit of the water pushing
in, and her decks fore and aft were up to the ankles in
water, at which moment some confusion took place in the
engine-room, from the circumstance of some of the com-
partments of the machinery catching fire, dec."
FOREIGN GOODS IN TRANSITC.—An important
communication has been made from the Lords of the Trea-
sury to the Commissioners of Customs on the subject of the
importation of foreign goods in transitu for other foreign
countries. It is their lordships' wish that the regulation
which has been applied to watches without tho foreign
maker's name should be henceforth extended to watches on
which an English maker's name is counterfeited, it being
understood that the search made by the Customs officers of
foreign goods in port, intended for transhipment, is to be
confined to the prevention of the introduction of contra-
fowrareho me
contra-
band goods into this country ; andto thatthetregulation in
viiiestittion is
respect
theto .11.1.,xleondoefda watches
intended for
exporta-
tion, and which it has been the practice hitherto only to
restore upon condition of their being returned to the place
of shipment, their lordships approve of an alteration being
made in the present regulations, and they accordingly de-
sire the Commissioners of Customs to authorise their officers
to allow the same in future to be introduced into this coun-
try upon the understanding that they are merely in transitu,
and are immediately transhipped for their destination.
THE WINE AND SPIRIT TRADE.—It appears from
the trade and navigation returns just issued that in the
month ended the fith ult. the quantity of wine imported
numbered '.03,401 gallons. In the like period of the pre-
ceding year it numbered 783,530 gallons. In the eleven
months ending the sth ult. the quantity imported was
7,8.52,167 gallons, and in the preceding year 8,043,321 gal- I
lon.. In the month ended the Sth ult. the quantity en-1
treed for home consumption was 573,013 gallons, rind in the
corresponding month of the preceding year 601,527 gallons;
whilst in the eleven months ending the sth ult. the quantity
was 6,118483 gallon., and in the preceding year 6,231,100
Fallon., showing a decrease in 1851 of 112,826 gallons. There
is a decrease in the quantity of spirits ent.•red for home con-1
sumption last year compared with 1850. In the eleven
months ending the sth ult. there were 4,2/43,790 gallons of
spirits (rum, brandy, and geneva) entered f r home con-
sumption, and in the like pa•rind of the preceding year
4,312,291 gallons, being a decrease of 28,501 gallons.
LONDON ('try I M PROV EY ENTs.—The sum pro-
posed to be raised by the corporation of the City of London,
on the credit of their estates and revenues, for widening
and improving the north end of Dowgate-hill, Threadneedle-
street, opposite Old Broad-street, the south-east corner of
Mark-lane, and the north side of Greet Tower-street, is
40,0001.

WEST INDIA AND MEXICAN
MAILS.

The Thames, Capt. Abbott, Admiralty agent Lieut.
Ilay,arrived at Southampton last night, with the West
India and Mexican mails. Dates: Vera Cruz, Hec.
M; Tampico, oth; Chagres, 10th; Carthagena, 12th;
Jamaica, 11th; Demerara, 12th; T. iiiidad, 14th;
liarbadoes, 17th ; Antigua, 17th; Martinique, 17th;
Grenada, 1 lth ; Porto Rico, 17th; St. Thoueut, 20th;
Guayra, 12th.

Amongst her cargo is specie to the value of
1,000,019 dollars from Tampico, Vera Cruz, and
Chagres, of which 81,000 dollars are on account of
Mexican dividends. She has 31 passengers ou board.
Also, gold dust, and gold value, 193,671 dole.; gold
coin, 27,610 dull. ; silver, 28,113 do's.

There is nothing of political importance from tlw
islands+ excepting that rains had fallen, and the crop.,
are healthy and promising. Fever prevails a! St.
Thomas's, but fatal cases are rare. At Grey Town
the usual fever and ague continual to swell the sick
list of the shipping.
A letter, dated Grey Town, Dee. +l, says;—,\
schooner, named the Jessy, was commissioned for
the service of the Musqitian government. Salulis
of 21 guns were fired on this neeasion by iI M. brig
Exprt WI and royal mail ste.mer Trent. A dematnl
had been made by Capt. Feud, of the Express, on the
commander of the American steamer Hamel Wehster
for the amount of port charges which had until the
late affair with the Prometheus been resisted by the
United States steam•vessel+, after much negotiation,
the captain of the Daniel Webster paid the said
dues, under protest
The river steam-boats are constantly plying Is..
tweet' Grey Town and Machucha Rapids, thirty
miles from the Nicaraguan Lakes. Passem,,er
to an from this port to San Juan del Sud is fast in-
creasing, every ship to and from the States being
literally crammed with human beings. Land ut
Grey Town is now valuable property, and it is not
difficult to foresee that this route to California will
crc long be the favourite one. The river stainers
are well adapted for their work, the paddle's-heel
being placed astern, and their draught of water not
exceeding 15 inches.
At Chagres the excessive rains had caused an in-
undation on the banks of the river, and much pro.
periv had been destroyed at Cruces and Gorgona.
At the former Dia,• the inundation swept away the
lower part of the hotels, effiees, &e.; the water
rose to 21 feet, reaching the ceiling the American
lintel, which, on receding, involved a serious lot, of
property to the owner. At Gorgona (says our cor-
res(ondent) the damage has been equally great, and
it is believed that several persons are ruined by this
disaster.

't he weather had been so unfavourable that com-
munication with Chagres and the steamers was on
many occasions impossible. The Georgia (as an-
nounced some days since) was compelled to land bar
liassengers for Calitbrnia at Navy Bay, her boats
having been swamped in an attempt to pass over
Chagres liar. No less than four vessels arc on shore
on the bar, having been driven from their anchors
by the heavy "freshets" down the river. Fort
Lorenzo is occupied by a small force of artillerymen
to hold in cheek the unruly and extortionate Yankee
boatmen who on a recent occasion wero the MUM: of
the riots.