The Express.
London, England, 1862-03-20 00:00:00

PROCEEDINGS OF THE CONFEDERATE

CONGRESS.

In the Confederate Senate, on the 26th ult., Mr.
Henry, of Tennessee, submitted the following pre-
amble and joint resolution, which on his motion
were referred to the committee on finance :

Whereas, it is desirable to encourage the planters of
tobacco and cotton in the Confederate States, and others
who are bona. fide owners thereof, to destroy, by burning or
otherwise, those articles, rather than that they should fall
into the hands of the enemy ; be it therefore resolved by
the Congress of the Confederate States that alien&
who shall burn their cotton or tobacco, or otherwise person
the same, to prevent these articles from felling into the
bands of the army or navy of the United States, shall be
fully indemnified by the government of the Confederate
States, upon proof of the number of pounds of tobacco or
cotton so destroyed, and proof of the necessity of such de-
struction to prevent the enemy from getting possession
thereof.
In the House of Representatives of the above
date, Mr. Holt, of Georgia, offered the following
resolution, which, ou motion, was referred to the
Committee of Ways and Means :
Resolved,—That the Committee of Ways and Means be
instructed to inquire into the expediency of restricting and
limiting by law the production of cotton in the Confederate
States during the continuance of the war and bleckade, and
also the expediency of the Confederate government taking
into its own control, by purchase, advances thereon, or
otherwise, of all the cotton now on hand, or which may be
grown in mid Confederate States during the existence of the
present wet and blockade, sad that said committee report by
bill or otherwise.
Mr. Perkins, of Georgia, introduced a bill to
prohibit the importation of productions and manu-
factures of the United States into the Confederate
States. Referred.
In the Senate, on the 27th ult., Mr. Clarks of
Missouri, submitted the following joint resolution,
which was unanimously adopted :
Resolved, by the Congress of the Confederate States of
America,—That the honour of the government imperatively
demands that the existing war be prosecuted until the
enemy shall have been expelled from every foot of soil
within each and every one of the Confederate Settee ; and
no proposition of peace shall be considered which contem-
plates, however remotely, the relinquishment by this go-
vernment of any portion of any of the States of this Con-
federacy
In the House of Representatives, on the 27th,
I Mr. Miles, from the committee on military affairs,

reported a bill for the appointment of a coulinAnd-
ing-general of the armies of the Confederate States.

BRITISH AMERICA.

PRINCE EDWARD'S ISLAND, FEB. 26.

The house has voted a reply to the address, pro-
fesaing its readiness to meet the Canadian proposals
for the establishment of a reciprocal free trade
among the British North American provinces ; and
for an assimilation of their respective tariffs. It
expresses regret at the non-appearance of the Im-
perial Commissioners' award on the land tenures.
Both houses have voted an address of condolence
to her Majesty.
HALIFAX, Maus 6.
The mail steamer Canada arrived here at noon
on the sth inst.

—The Gold Mining Bill is still under discussion in
the Legislature. The financial statement shows
deficit of 125,178 dole., chiefly on customs, which
is mainly attributable to the American civil war.
The markets continue dull from protracted,
stormy weather. Railway communication trough.
the Lower Provinces has been very
lar
from snow-storms, but the rails are now clear.
The steamer .driatic, after being cut out of
North Sydney, Cape Breton, was again caught by
ice. A telegram, dated Plaster Cove, Cape Breton,
sth, however, announces that the raft of Canso
was clear of ice, and that vessels were passing.

NEWFOUNDLAND, ST. JOHN'S, Komi 3.
The government candidate Kavanagh, bah been
elected over Hogeett, the opposition candidate, by
a majority of 265.