The Express.
London, England, 1862-01-29 00:00:00

•
THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JANUARY 29, 1862.

of all sects, mourn together as men for their brothers
departed. Charity like Death equalises and
unites those whom fortune had divided. Verily
there is a mod of goodness in things evil when in
an age often stigmatized as corrupt and frivolous,
calamity Gan bring forth such devotion ! Happily
for England the highest example has come from the
highest place. That political society is not in
danger in which the people are bound to the
throne by the golden links of charity and compas-
sion. Her Marasrv, for whom, and with whom,
all her people mourn, had a widow's and a mother's
heart for the poor bereaved women and children at
New Hartley. Her tender words will be treasured
up in after years among that rugged and simple
but large-hearted population, and inspire them
with an affectionate gratitude stronger than any
loyalty that law, or tradition, or prerogative com-
mands. And the Bishop of Dome* has on this
occasion, by simple human kindness, done more in
one week for the glory of his MASTIMand the good
of his Church than all the controversial theology
could do in a twelvemonth to obscure the one and
to malign the other.
Never, we believe, has a great public calamity
been more acutely felt. The subscriptions for
the relief and support of the bereaved ones can
hardly fail to be worthy of the example which the
highest Lady in the land has set to all her people.
If there is to be no national subscription organized,
at least all public bodies will contribute to the
relief of the widows and orphans of the men who
saved their country as faithfully as any soldiers or
insimen that ever fought and fell under the British
hits. And yet there appears in some quarters a
slyness and a reluctance in taking up the cause
of the afflicted, which it is difficult to account
her. One would have thought that even as a
setter of fashion the Royal example would be
snarly followed at the Mansion-house. Of Mr.
Cusm'a own sympathies none will doubt ;
bet what is it that makes the Lou) MAYOR so
soy in assuming the responsibility of calling a
public meeting to promote the wishes of the bene-
volent citizens who ask him to receive and transmit
their subscriptions! Surely this catastrophe at
New Hartley appeals to public sympathy as much
as even the Irish or the Indian famine, or the inun-
dations of Lyons. Surely it is as much a national
calamity as if these poor colliers had been the
flower of our armies or our fleets, and not merely
the very pith and bone of England.
A correspondent has proposed in our columns the
institution of an Order of Merit for the heroes of
labour. The idea is a generous and sound one,
in so far as it proceeds from a sense of something
wanting to the recognition of trite valour.
Nevertheless, we freely confess the proposal has
not our entire sympathy. It is not English in
spirit (we are prejudiced enough to entertain such
an objection), but rather French ; we might almost
say Imperialist. Where despotism is disguised as
a crowned democracy, it is the fashion to flatter
popular passions and vanities with gewgaws which
serve to decorate the worthy and the unworthy
alike.

It is not thus that we would wish to see the
most disinterested of all heroimns rewarded by a
free people. The spontaneous homage of public
feeling, the spontaneous tribute of national sy.n-
pathy—is not this a nobler and more enduring
recompense than any rag of " honour" or riband
4. glory t,

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

THE WEST INDIA, MEXICAN, AND
PACIFIC MAILS.

ARRIVAL OF MESSRS. MASON AND
SLIDELL
(sT =scram =mural
(nom oos ow, oonaeommerf.)

SOUTHAMPTON, WZDNESDAY.
Mears. Slidell and Mason, the Confederate Com-
missioners, who ought to have reached this port on
Wednesday, the 27th November last, in the La
Plata, arrived here to-day, in that very ship,
exactly nine weeks afterwards. They em-
barked on board the British ship Rinaldo,
at Boston, bound for Halifax, on the 2nd
inst. Owing to a furious gale the Rinaldo could
not make Halifax, and after trying ineffectually
for four days to do so she ran for Bermuda. Here
the English Admiral on the station offered to send
the commissioners home in her Majesty's ship
Racer or convey them to St. Thomas, to catch the
West India packet. The latter was preferred.
They acknowledge having been treated in
the most handsome manner on board the
Rinaldo and at Bermuda by the British, autho-
rities. They were received at Southampton by the
officers of the Confederate steamer Nashville and
other gentlemen. A large crowd gathered together
in the dock to catch a glimpse of men who have
caused this country so much money and Englandand
all Europe such anxiety. No demonstration manmade
on their landing. They proceeded at onoe to Lon-
don, from whence Mr. Slidell will proceed to Paris.
Both commissioners are line healthy-looking old
men. Mr. Slidell is very much like the portraits
of him in the illustrated papers. They only reached
St. Thomas two hours before the La Plata left
there for England. They complain of bad treat-
ment in Boston Gaol.
The Federal war steamer Tuscarora left South-
ampton this morning for a cruise. As she was
going out the La Plata, with the commissioners,
was coming in.
(azurines rit.assaitc)

SOUTHAMPTON, JAI. 29.
The Royal Mail Company's steam-ship La Plata
has arrived here with the above mails. She brings
75 passengers, 899,559 dole. in specie, and 2,083
packages of cargo.
The Rinaldo, with Messrs. Slidell and Mason
and their secretaries on board, left Bermuda on
the 10th inst., having in the first instance attempted
to make Halifax, but failed to do so through stress
of weather. She then stood for St. Thomas, which
she reached in time for the English mail steamer
Le Plata, by which the Confederate Commissioners
bed arrived.
The La Plata left St. Thomas on the 14th inst.
Her Majesty's line of battle ship Conqueror. 101
gnus, had been stranded off the Bahamas and be-
come a total wreck. It is supposed that her guns
and valuable stores would be saved.
Her Majesty's ships Nile and Donegal and other
smaller vessels had gone to render assistance to the
Conqueror.
The Mexican forces,23,ooo strong, were at Solidad,
Cordova, and Jalapa. General Crags, the Mexican
commander-in-chief, had bad au interview with the
English and French Ministers at their request. Re
gave them notice that he would attack any force
marching out of Vera Crus.
The financial crisis in Chili continued, and busi-
ness was exceedingly dull. Agricultural business
had improved. A change in the cabinet was
spoken of.
The news from Peru is unsatisfactory. The po-
litical world was unsettled. At Tacna the mob
had destroyed several distilleries owned by French-
men for their having used deleterious substances
in the manufacture of liquors, which it was sup-
posed had caused the deaths of many people.
Business was dull at Lima.
At Valparaiso exchange on London was quoted
48 to 47 ; ou Paris, 4.85.
The St. Thomas's Tilavio states that the King of
Denmark had been pleased to confer the Order of
Denebrog upon Mr. J. B. Cameron, general super-
intendent of the loyal Mail Steamship Company
at St. Thomas.
The intelligence of the death of the Prince Con-
sort had produced profound grief throughout the
West India Islands.
Trade was dull at Barbadoes. The prices of
breaclatuffs were declining. Exchange on London,
30 days' eight, was quoted 490 dols.
At Demerara the weather was wet and unfa-
vourable for the growth of the young caues. Trade
was dull and prices nominal. Exchange ou London,
thirty days' sight, was quoted 490 dole.
Business had improved at Jamaica, sad the new
year was expected to be a prozperous one.
The sugar crops were being gathered, and the
yield was excellent in quality and quantity. The
planters' prospects were cheering. For coffee 48a.
was paid. There was none at market. Sugar was
sold at 15s. for dark, and 18s. to 20s. for fair.
exchange on London, 90 days' sight, INS quoted
per cent. premium.

SOUTHAXPTON, Jaw. 29.
Mr. Slidell proceeds hence by the 11.30 a.m.
train for London.
Mr. Mason will probably leave for London by
a later train this afternoon.

who my be resident in Europe and Algeria, but '
I
not in France, and of one year to those who are not
resident in Europe or Algeria.

SPAIN.

The Madrid journals of the 24th give long details
of the public procession of the Queen to the
Chapel of Atocha, to implore the Most High to
vouchsafe to her a happy deliverance An immense
crowd bad assembled in the streets, and her Majesty
was mast warmly received. The weather was,
however, unfavourable, rain falling the whole time.
It has been the custom in Spain from ancient
times for the Queen to make such a public
visit when her pregnancy had arrived at a
certain period of advancement. The evening be-
fore, a deputation of the Lower Chamber waited on
Iher Majesty to offer their respects and congratula-
tions ; and the Queen, addressing the young Prince
Alphonso, heir to the throne, said :—" My son,
tell these gentlemen how anxious you are to render
yourself worthy of the name which you bear, and
to contribute to the prosperity of the people in the
midst of whom you have been so fortunate as to
be born." The young Prince repeated words
analogous to those quoted, and added that "having
heard that the Alphonsos bad always been excel-
lent for Spain, he hoped not to be less so than
they."

ADJUDICATION OF THE VICTORIA LOAN.

Tenders for 1,600,0001. of Victoria Government
Six per Cent. Debentures, being the remaining
portion of the total authorised to be raised under
the recent Railway Loan Act of the colonial legis-
lature, were opened yesterday soon after two o'clock,
at the London and Westminster Bank, Mr. W.
Larnach presiding, as on previous occasions. The
attendance was large, and comprised many of the
principal members of the Stock Exchange. The
opening and reading of the tenders occupied two
hours. The letter containing the official minimum

was not opened until this process had been com-
pleted, and the consequence was that the reserved
price was not known in the Stock Exchange until
four o'clock. It is urged that it would have been
much better to have announced the minimum after
all the tenders had been lodged, and before they
were opened, as was done in the case of the recent
India loans. The intimation by the chairman
that the minimum had been fixed at 102 was re-
ceived with applause being a lower price than had
been generally expected. It was known in the
Mask Exchange late in the afternoon that the ten-
ders reached a total of about 6,000,0001., and it was
believed that the offers between 1021 and 103 would
be successful ; but the exact result could not be
assertained until eight o'clock. The total number
of tenders proves to be about 900, representing an
aggregate of about 6,100,0001. All bidders at
1021. 16s. 6d. will receive allotment* in full, while
those at 1021. 16s. will get about 14-15ths. All
below 1021. 16e. will of course have none.
The highest tender was at 1061. lls., and
the lowest at 921. 13s. fiL The latter must
have been a mistake, 1021. 13e. 6d. being
probably meant. One tender was phrased as "at
the minimum fixed by the committee," but was re-
jected as informal. Amongst the largest bidden
were Messrs. Mullins, Marshall, and Co., P. Case-
nova and Co., Laurence, Son, and Pearce, Barber
Brothers, Mohan; Harrison, and Co., Hill, Yaw-
oett, and Hill, R. Raphael and Sons, Walker and
Lumaden, Scrimgeour and Co., Ellis and Co., S.
W. Waley and Co.
The Loan, no doubt, owes its success in great
measure to the low value of money, but it is worthy
of remark that the price accepted by the govern-
ment now, when the Bank rate of discount is only
24 per cent., is much below that Forked
in July last, when the Bank rate was 8 per cent,
and when 1,000,0001. of these debentures were
placed. The reserved price on that occasion was
1064, or 34 per cent. above that fixed yesterday.
This companion shows the effect of the constant
issues of the bonds. The first portions of the Loan
were placed at (in round numbers) 107 and 106.
The new Debentures were in strong demand late
in the afternoon, after the biddings, and closed
at 1034 to 4. The old issue was likewise in request,
and rose to 1061 to 106.