The Express.
London, England, 1848-05-04 00:00:00

Dupont decided to wait until early daylight, and they foal
all his disposable force, which amounted to 100, ll'
making 101, At early daylight the force was on the busk. •
The serf being low favoured their landing, and with a few
pounder they were soon in column and on their march m
the rescue of the garrison. The guerillas, anticipttine the
landing of the crew of the Cyane, had taken their pea*,
daring the night, the route affording them abundant cove,
The column had proceeded but a short distance before the
guerillas opened their fire, which was continued upon the
column during their entire march to the garrison, Won
which they had to storm several houses of the town, whiele
the enemy had poseeslion of, in which they were aided bythe
garrison force, which sallied out, joined in routing *Ai
enemy, pursued and drove them from several eminencesfrose
near the town. The enemy then formed in a plain epee
to the ship, at what they conceived to be out of reach ae
her guns, but some well-directed shot and shells dee
great execution and dispersed them. The garrison wee
found in a most exhausted state. Lieut. Heywood Whim
so closely pressed that he was driven in with the curtel, when
a large number of the inhabitants had sought refuge. Rs
had been besieged 21 days, and his provisions were nearly
exhausted by his sustaining the inhabitants. For else days
some of them had been outside the buildings, and disease
was fast generating. Passed midshipman T. htlAnehm
had been killed on the 11th Feb. The water had been eat
off, and the garrison was in the most deplorable state, eg
the 101 that so gallantly landed, it is marvellous to state only
four were wounded, basing sustained a heavy fire for two
miles from covered positions, which they could only 'mind.
fectually return : nevertheless their fire told, and the enesa
suffered great loss. The garrison was abundantly suppliaa
with provisions and the euerillas had retired.
In congress at Washington the only point of in.
Wrest Me been the passing through the house of the
International Postage Bill, giving the departmeut,
under the direction of the President, a retaliatory
power over the government of Great Britain ...poll the
subject of international postage. The chairautia
the Poet-office committee informed the house that the
committee had under consideration a bill designed to
modify some of the more obnoxious provisions of the
present Post-office law. There is a majority in the
house in favour of a uniform postage much below the
present rate, and ere long there will be a reduction,
beginning with fic. for all distances, and ending with
2c. or 3c., with a uniform rate of newspaper postage
of lc., and all newspapers to go free in the counties
where they are printed, or for the distance of 30 miles.
The committee on post-offices have already been in-
structed upon this last subject ; but, though in.
structed, are understood to be opposed to the
provision.
The enthusiasm raised by the French republic
seems unabated. A large meeting and illuminatiou
took place in its honour at Washington, on the 13th.
Mr. Henry Clay has written a long letter, in which
he states that he will leave to the national convention,
about to assemble in June, the consideration of hie
name in connexion with that of others for selection
as candidate to the Presidency.
A letter from Washington of April 18 says :
On Saturday night a large party of slaves escaped in a m-
eet and set sail for Philadelphia. A steamer being chartered
and armed, pursuit was given, and they were overtaken near
the mouth of the Potamac river, where they were captured
without resistance. This morning they were brought beck
to the wharf, when the whole party, captain, crew, sad
seventy-seven negroes were lodged in gaol. The greatest
excitement has been occasioned, and the white men
were only saved from the violence of the crowd by
being taken to prison in hacks. the vessel was the Pearc
Captain Sears, of Philadelphia. 10 o'clock, p.m.—There
an intense excitement in town, in consequence of the
absconding of the slaves recently captured in the Bay. Thi
evenings large crowd assembled in front of the office of tha
New Era newepaper, and commenced throwing mime"
breaking windows, doors, Btc., but the progress of tle, mob
was finally stayed by the arrival of the police, NV:, di
by ,
efforts of sundry citizens, who made addresses or, the 'oce,
sion. Still hundreds lingered about the buil,'„ing, till tan
were driven home by a drenching rain.
The matter was brought before rlde house at wash.
ington on the 18th, when i 1:. Giddings, of Ohie,
moved to suspend the rules, in order that he might
offer a resolution for the woointment of a select com-
mittee to inquire why '.he seventy men, women, and
children were cast into poison that morning for
attempting to escape from the bondage in which the
were held, and wtso were found iu the schooner Pear
down the Potoraae river.—Objections were made,
the motion amid great laughter.
A letter from Pittsburg of the 12th ult. says:
Our c;:iy this morning was visited with no leas than five
terribly, destructive fires. By the first fire twenty-six hauw
were destroyed ; four houses were consumed by the second;
by the third four houses were destroyed; by the fourth, two;
by the fifth, three stables and a dwelling. The five fires were
raging in different parts of the city at the same time, prods.-
ing the utmost consternation, as the belief was general that
it was the act of incendiaries. The lots must be immense,
although no correct estimate can be made at present. For-
tunately there was no wind, or half the city would sow be a
mass of smouldering ruins. The fires are completely sub-

COLONIAL.
BRITISH NORTH AMERICA.
CANADA. —An extra of the Official Gazette has
been issued, containing a royal proclamation for the reguls.
tion of the quarantine establishment at Grosse Isle during
the ensuing year. The orders are most stringent. Every
vessel having more than thirteen passengers on board is to
anchor at the quarantine ground; if there ha- been any
disease on hoard during the voyage, or if the vessel has sailed
from any port where infectious disease prevailed, the read
is to undergo • thorough purification, and the dirty emi-
grants are to be landed on the island, and they and their
clothing and baggage to undergo a compulsory scrubbing.
The islaud is placed under the authority of a military PM-,
mandent. It is stated that the new legal enactments re-
specting emigration will increase the passage money from
Ireland to America to 61., at the least, per head.
A rather cold easterly wind arose on the afternoon of the
10th of April, but the weather was again mild next day,
and the snow and ice were fast disappearing. Wheel car.
riages were generally in use. The country people say them
will be but little sugar made this spring, although the nights
are frosty; which they attribute to the small quiddity of
snow in the woods. Wild pigeons had made their appear
ante, which is very unusual at this early period of the
season.
NOVA SCOTIA,—The legislative session hos
closed. The Nova Scotian of 19th April, says respecting it:
The legislative seesion just terminated has been moat satisfactory le
the administration and their supporters, and highly beneticial to MS
country. The liberals can point with triumph tom eir la and la
creasing majority in the assembly, and the vigorogoverumen rge
and la
reflect their opinions. Never in the history of this country were a
many important and valuable measures crow Jed into so brief a period.
The old lantimarss of toryissi have been almost obttu-rated is a few
brief week; and the government of the country settled upon the ter'perishable constitutional principles enured to the people of Ultima
by the revolution of 1680. Henceforward responsible government is
Neva Scotia will be a great fact. Those who fill the
chief departments of the country must enjoy and centime
to command the confidence of the crown anti the pew*
The machinery agitation vernment may be considered
end.earl4
perfected, and for organic changes at an
congratulate the country on th see results, and also upon a number of
measures of • practical character introduced and matured by the ge,
vetninent. Notwithstanding the conservatives were in power O 1
the assembly met, and elections to be held is mid-winter, the *Mei.
nistration haveoarried their Civil List Bill, reconimmeted the remiss
departments, sad provided for a stringent audit of public meows.
They have Mao passed bills to make the judges independent of the
crown, foe regulating emigrant vowels and passengers, for meetings
electric telegraph, fur reducing the rates of postage, and for antra
tieing the tiwunesi of the crown land department, and diminLybA
the expenses thereof. These arc among the measures of the NS
session of the reformed parliament—measures which Cannot fail
ts
have an important bearing upon the future prosperity of the oniony.
NEW BRUNSWICK.—The St. John Weekly
_ .

arerve r of April 1S states :
His Excellency Sir Edmund Heed end Lady Head and family, ab
companied by the Lion. Hugh Johnston, the Hon. IL L. Hammed.
Haps, he., arrived at Fredericton about six o'clock on Monday
evening, the lOth inst. They were met a few milesbelow thatcity hy
several gentlemen who bad gone down the road to meet his meek
(ency and escort him to the seat of government. Sir Edmund, as
entering the city, was cheered heartily by large crowds of the Mali
tomtit Fredericton collected at different corners, sad the deim lam
most cordially acanowledfed. His exoelksmy proceeds& imp:sang*
to government house. Tuesday, at two Oink. pas. Wigs
the Timm of this morning) his excellency attended et the amp.
oil chamber and took the oaths of office. The rein wen Ind ep
many of the most respectable inhabitants of the city and faun
sections of the province, and a large concourse of spectators
The royal artillery were oat and flied a salute. Immediately
the ceremony his excellency was introduced to the membe2ts
executive council and to the heads of department., judge,, in
the bar, and many private gentlemen. His excellency's appri,
g, and his manner is affable and courteous."
PrTritflowing paragraph appeared in the Frekriebi
Reporter of 14th April
We team that nothing definite has been done in the present lON
of the executive council towards the organisation of the new men.
meat. Another council will be called early in May, when the
tent appointmenta so long epoten of will probably be disposed of.
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND.—This profile
was suffering severely from dearth. Meetings had Unable
to deliberate on the best means of affording relief. Oa .19
13th of April the House of Assembly went into comma*.
resume the consideration of the necessity of imposing sa
bargo on agricultural produce. After an animated diner
cussion and several amendments proposed and rejected, dle
following resolution was carried by a majority of 15 to 6.
Resolved,—As the *Moe of this *aureate., that it is indispos►
bly necessary to prohibit the malting and distillation of grins, melee
exportation from this island of all grain, meal, dour, and potatoeasse
the first day of ]July next; but that the executive government be N
W
powered to suspend the operation of ..he let to be pawed for that PO'
pose at any time after the Ist day of June next, if they shall drag
necessary so to do.
A committee was then appointed to bring in a bill in pee"
nuance of the said resolution. The chairman of the com-
mittee reported a bill prohibiting the exportation of lig+
cultural produce, and the same was read a first and sewed
time, and ordered to be eugrowed and would, it Iry ex-
pected, finally pan the house the next day.

Tut DEATHS IN LONDON during the week el..
April 29, numbered 966, the average being 913. Typhus
still prevalent, ar.d scarlatina is likewise unusually don*
tire. The number of births for the week was 1,511.
temperature. 44 dcgs.
GHAT'S INN, MAY 3.—The tmdernamed Res
tlemot
were this day celled to the degree of barrister-atlaw bythil
bon. society of Gray's Inn, via.: H. N. Cur, &4,I I
Ucalinai X+9•, sad IL C. It. bwaboy,
J..*