The Express.
London, England, 1855-12-18 00:00:00

AMERICAN AFFAIRS.

(PROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.)
NEW TORE, Toaaat, DSc, s.
°Degrees met yesterday, and the House of m
mutative@ was called to order at noon by the elerk at
the last Congress, and the body proceeded, el II
usual, to the election of a Speaker. !Several back
as was expected, were made, with no definite result.
The parties, cliques, and factions are so mumeaes
that no Speaker—a test question—can be ohm,
except by fusions, coalitions, or bargain., We have
often before witnessed a similar state of things; ruts
sometimes the organisation of the house has beet
delayed for several days—woe or twice, for sung
week& But you will probably, by the last &maw*
to Halifax, on Thursday, get some definite sews,
This will give two days' later news from %shiest*
by telegraph than I can give you to-day.
Washington is a boiling political cauldron at the
present moment. The democratic party, so celled,
still holds together. They are the only men whe
even appear to sustain the President. Few of them
care anything for him. But differing as they de
on most, or all other questions, they stand together
is their vote en the Speaker, and hope thereby to pus.
serve in retreat some order of march, while they ea.
tertain no hope of a victory hereafter, except by
some skilful strategic movement.
If I should hazard a conjecture about the malt,
I should my that up to this hoar appearances meta
to pprroopise success for the men who (known se
or republicans, or anti-slavery men) are now
attempting to effect a coalition with all those dim&
footed partisans who, by going with the fusionists,
may participate in the favour of the winning
re parry.
The is not much difference in the numerical
strength of the three principal parties—the Frew
milers, the Democrats, and the Know-Nothings. ,
The sympathies of the great mass of the countky
are with, the Know-Nothings. This is as true at the
south sat the north. But while the Free-soil party
is maned to the north, and the Know-Nothings ex,
tend over every state in the Union, many of the
northern Know-Nothings are Free-soilers
Hues the impossibility of forecasting the remit es
regards the Speaker. And yet the result is most fitt.
portent, not only in respect of our own, but forte
affairs. Our policy abroad should be directed by the
Know-Nothing or American party. They alone, as
a party, are distinctively opposed to any &violet=
of new territory. They wish no more fixelgntatircz
moss brought into the administration of oar •
affairs. They are not only the most conservative, bgt
in fact the only conservative party now amongst m.
Of course the war panic got up by the Thus bee
subsided. It is here called "the London Tliner wet"
—it is known as such. It was a wicked and an is.
bulls attempt. It is gratifying to our oommercial
world to know that the shipment of gold to Europa
has ceased. It has released our banks, and removed
the severe pressure which for some weeks has home
so heavily upon our financial affairs. I learned this
morning that much larger orders for spring good.
have gone out by the last Collins steamer, or will ge
by this (the Cunard), than bad been expected. 'The
feeling of confidence among our importers is growing
stronger. The reports from the cotton ports and dia.
Mists ere quite as favourable as I represented a month
age, and your manufacturers may safely set down our
=
this year at three and one-quarter millim
It can hardly fall below this figure unless
the meson for the last pickings is very unpropitiou
Three-fourths if not four-fifths of the crop are alreadp
secured, and it will in quality equal a full avenge,
while it is believed that the fibre will be generally 116
year longer and finer than usual.
Whatever British and European joureals may lay,
the opinion of the American commercial world is that
there is now no prospect of an immediate peace. We
do not expect it. We do not see how it is liludy te
be brought about. Consequently we are
for a long European war. We have gainel=gy
it already, and we expect to gain more. hue Me
will have, and with uninterrupted friendly relatiole
we can maintain an honourable and advantage:me
position, and shoot far a-bead in our cycle of adventt
mint, while the elder nations are left to retrograde,
or merely to mark time. With all this fell in vfee
and from this point of view only, can a European sum
dentand the present drift of American affairs.
It has always been a matter of surprise to us Obi
people of the United States) that "Englishmen aid
Britons all" do not take any deeper interest in
Canadian affairs. Canada is one of the fairest and
most prosperous provinces of Great Britain. No cm
has a fairer future. Settled originally by the best
French and British stock, too loyal at all times to be
tempted from the genial restraints of British role,
wrested from France by the valour of our own
fathers (who afterwards achieved the independence
of our republic), and standing steadily and firmly by
the British throne, it has within a few years nu*
on a new career of development and prosperity. The
latest aspects of Canadian affairs are exceedingly
interesting.
A great meeting of commercial men was bald in
Montreal one week ago to-day, to consider how an
provement in the present mode of levying duties mad
best be effected. The leading merchants were about
unanimous in favour of substituting ad valorem for
specific duties. Now the poor are taxed more heavil,
than the rich, and the present system operated on.
favourably on Canadian interests. Of 363,000 pantie
io4totceneaCanisdmaP:d7rienttedhrooShyoteanheerb.UasinlifitbweudastS66itmai:oer.rtedoPrisfrougeradimotheweleassd
countries than the United States. Six thinned
pounds sterling worth of coffee, out of 42,0004 vim
imported from other countries. The meeting was
well attended, and the determination seemed to tali
to attempt vigorously. an immediate change in*
system which is operating so unfavourably on CAW
dian trade.
far