The Express.
London, England, 1855-01-03 00:00:00

I (IRON Alt OCCASIONAL
3111W11.)
The quasars d annexing Santo Domingo does
not find general approbation even in the United

OP TR2 DAIL!

States, and perfect opposition at the place most in.
tweeted in the question. With regard to the former

assertion, I will only extract a short passage from
the document, which the members of Congress op•

posed to the Nebraska Bill issued as a manifesto to
the people of the United States. It must be recol-
lected that no less a personage than Mr. Solomon
Foot, the member for Vermont, presided u chairman
over the meeting, which was held at Washington, on
the 20th of June last, and the extract concerning
Santo Domingo is worded as follows: " Unmistak-
able -indications appear of a purpoes to annex the
eastern part of San Domingo and to subjugate the
whole island, restoring it to the dominion of slavery
—and this is to be followed up by an alliance with
Brazil, and the extension of slavery into 'the valley
of the Amazon."

These are weighty words, which originated in
American hearts, not agitated by the grasping de-
sire of aggrandisement, unfortunately so much pre-
vailing at this period in the Southern States of the
Union, but by hearts that beat for the natural
rights of mankind. And those words found an echo
in the New York Evening Poet, a newspaper of so-
knowledgedstanding in the United States, conducted
by a society of men, favourably known for their lite-
rary knowledge and poetry.
Nevertheless, the personalities cannot be approved
of into which that paper launzhes against the indi-
vidual selected by the Pierce administration to push
their measures of procuring a footing in Samana
forward. It was no doubt a great mistake—nay, a
perfect job—to entrust the realisation of the new-
fangled idea, to make Semen& a naval station and
arsenal for the navy of the United States,
to Mr. William L. Cazneau (by courtesy
styled " general," I do not know at whose
authority), for he has proved himself perfectly
unfit for such a mission, and his assisted, by his
numerous faux pas the persons opposed to such a
plan. Still, it is my opinton that it did not belong
to the management of a respectable paper to reveal
the secrets of domestic life, for the purpose of expos-
ing the designs of the slaveholding states, as advo-
cated by their emissary, Mr. Outman, under the Pre-
sident's warrant. These are, however, digressions
from my object, to report to you the events that have
taken place since I gave you last an account of
Santo Domingo. It seems a new crisis of this unfor-
tunate spot of land, which bountiful nature has so
richly blessed, and man renders so eminently the
field of strife, is rapidly approaching. The following
are the on dila, for the true foundation of which I
cannot warrant.

Aft** the designs of the Americans became promi-
nent, the English consul, Sir Robert Schomburgh,
ed on board of her Majesty's steam-sloop
proceeded on board of her Majesty's steam-sloop
I).vsatation to Sammie, where, I learn, he pro-
cured sufficient information to warrant his supposi-
tion that the Americans intended to establish docks,
arsenals, forts, ko., for a permanent settlement at one
of the numerous inlets of the splendid bay of Sammie,
called " Cozener° chiquito." The proposition to the
Dominican government, on the part of the United
States, was an occupation of 20 years, with jurisdic-
tion over the place, at an annual rent, the amount of
which was hereafter to be determined upon.
On the consul's return to the city, it is said an
interview took place between him and the President
of the Dominican Republic, which is described as
having been stormy, and that Interview may be
taken as the first direct opposition to the American
designs upon Semen', greatly to the rejoicing
of the generality of persons of colour, from
the deep black to the fair olive within the
Dominican Republic. In order to understand
the social relations in Santo Domingo, I must observe
that nine-tenths of a population of about 140,000
are blacks or people of colour.
It appears that France has since likewise taken
measures to counteract the American propensities of
a general annexation of the West India colonies ;
and Spain, the ancient mother country of the island
of Santo Domingo, has been awakened to the immi-
nent danger that threatens Cuba and Porto Rico
should the Americans pastes themselves of Samana
or of any other locality in Santo Domingo.
On the part of France, M. Rayband, Chargil
d'Affaires and Consul-General at Hayti, arrived here
on the 27th ultimo, and it is said that he took, in
concert with the English consul, all legitimate means
to impress upon the Dominican government the dan-
gerous step of permitting the Americans to settle at
Samanae M. Raybaud is renowned for the energetic
manner with which he knows how to make a powerful
impression upon men of such weak minds as those
that compose President Santana's administration,
and in this position he was powerfully sustained by
the arrival of a division of the French squadron at
the West Indies, consisting of the frigate Pene-
lope, 40, rOreste, 20, and the steam sloop
l'Ardent, 6, under the command of the chef de divi-
sion, Capt. Fournier. The object of this demonstra-
tion is not yet known, and the surmises of the public
are various. It is likewise rumoured that one or
more English men of war are daily expected to join
the French division, while the arrival of a large
Spanish war steamer is equally looked for. It has
been authentically reported from Porto Rico that
the Spanish government intended to send an accre-
dited agent to Santo Domingo.
These are the principal features that present them-
selves on the political horizon from without. With
regard to internal affairs President Santana has
taken his first step towards the coup d'etat of which
I spoke in my last communication. He summoned
an extraordinary session of the Congress, but, as
the members apprehended they were to commit
sn'oida upon their position as representatives of the
p ogle, and to lay violent hands upon their consti-
to ton only revised in February last, they
at owel great reluctance to assemble at the
stated period, until they were threatened with pe-
remptory measures. Santana's grand reform consists
in doing away with a national representation—he
assumes the highest authority, it may be said unli-
mited, assisted by a council of state of six member'.
This plan was presented by him to the Chamber of
Representatives in a secret session on the 13th of
this month, and the poor members were so cowed
by his discourse on recommending its adoption,
throwing the gauntlet to any person opposing him,
that out of 17 present 12 voted for its admission to
the measure being discussed in Congress, and only 5
had the courage to vote against it. One vote more
on the part of the opposition and the measure would
have been rejected, as it requires the votes of two
thirds of the members present to bring a measure GI
such importance for discussion before the Congress.
These proceedings of Santana have greatly les-
sened the feelings of attachment that formerly
existed among the Dominicans for his person. Great
uneasiness prevails—firstly, engendered by the fear
that the Americans may nevertheless succeed in theft
designs upon Santo Domingo ; next, that a struggle
between the party of ex-President Baez, now in
exile, and the aotaal President may take place.
The complication of affairs is much increased by
the discovery that four millions of false paper cur-
rency—a sum, at the present value, equal to 15,9001.
—were about to be introduced from the United
States in hogsheads of codfish. The manner in
which this fraud came to light is almost miraculous.
Unfortunately, it is now discovered that sums to a
larger amount than the above mentioned have pre-
tvionsly been smuggled into the country, and are in
sirculation. The knowledge of this fact has caused
the credit of that fictitious currency still more to sink,
and augments considerably the misery and general
&satisfaction with the government that already
penile among the population.
The presence of three French men-of-war gives
naturally great confidence to all foreigners residing
here. It would no doubt have conduced to a feeling
of greater safety were there likewise one or two of
her Majesty's ships in front of the city of Santo
Domingo.

TUE FOREIGN ENLISTMENT BILL.--The Opinion*
of Turin quotes letters from the canton of Orisons, from
which it ippon that the ides of t.;:ning "mice wader
Eilethd meta with gent *OW titbit and the adjoining
goatose.