The Express.
London, England, 1853-01-03 00:00:00

SWITZERLAND.

The Grand Council of the Venal,' has completed
the revision of the constitution ; the difference of the
work as compared with the last constitution is so
small as to be almost imperceptible. However, it is
well understood that the intention of the late Grand
Council, in subjecting the constitution to revision,
was to show the reactionary party that the people
were still for liberal laws, and that a constituent
council, elected anew by universal suffrage, would
not go back to old exclusiveness.
At Basle au unsuccessful attempt has been made
to light the town with gas obtained from the carbo-
nisation of wood.

The federal ride contest will take place this year
at Lucerne on the 4th July.
The Mint Committee have given notice that they
will pro in the Federal Council the coinage of
two miln one-rappen pieces.

TURKEY.

A telegraphic despatch from Trieste, epitomising
Constantinople news to the 19th ult., appears in the
German papers, to the effect that on the 15th the Porte
had notified to the foreign minister, at Constanti-
nople, its intention of blockading Montenegro, and
also of sending against it a powerful military force.
The .sure despatch states that a flotilla, with troops
and ammunion, had sailed for Castel-Nuovo and
Klech, intending to land in Albaina. It is not easy
to say how the Sultan's forces can blockade Monte
negro, seeing that the port of the district is under
the sovereignty of Austria, which, little as it may be
inclined to the Montenegrins, will not lend any
assistance to her Mahomedan neighbour.
The Bank of Constantinople had entirely sus-
pended its operations, and the difference between the
value of Xaisin and foreign paper had increased.
A commission of ten members, including several
European merchants, and having Kyani Pacha for
its president, has been named to examine the ac-
counts of the bank.

Letters from Tauris, of Nov. 10, state that the
cholera was then raging violently in Persia. The
number of deaths per day at Tauris was not lees
than 1,000.

SURRENDER OF A MURDERER.—At Stalybridge,
near Manchester, a man named Robert Thornley, a muffin
and crumpet dealer, has delivered himself up to the police
as having been implicated in a murder which took place in
1847. He states that the murder was that of James Brooks,
of Godley, near Hyde. At that time, he says, he had an
Improper intimacy with Brooks's wife, and that she asked
him if he could not get some kind of herbs which would
be a slow poison. He told her he did not know of anything
that would act as a slow poison except laudanum, which
would be a slow poison if given in small doses. That she
requested him to got some laudanum ; and that he pur-
chased some at Oldham, and gave it to her. That she gave
it to her husband, but he threw it up, and it did him no
harm. That ho then purchased her threepennyworth of
arsenic from Mr. Sutcliffe, druggist, Stalybridge, which
he gave her, and that she told him she bad made some
puddings ; and that she had put the arsenic into one
one of them, and given it to her husband. That the
husband died at the time, and an inquest was held
over him, but nothing was found out, and he was
interred at Mottram Church. That the husband
did not eat all the pudding ; that what he left rose
thrown out, and that a quantity of hens belonging to a man
named Stott were poisoned by eating this pudding. About
a week after the death of the husband, he met the wife at
Chapel Hill, Dukinfield, when he asked her if she were
not afraid, and she answered, " No, only through Btott's
hens being poisoned," and that he replied that he had been
very uneasy ever since, and that he married the woman
throe months afterwards. It appears that, at the time of
the alleged murder, a man of , the name of Imes Brooks
did die very suddenly, and an inquest was held before Mr.
Hudson, coroner, and the jury decided that he died from
the effects of a hurt in the head which he had received
when working as a collier. The self-accused murderer has
not been living with Brooks's widow for the last eighteen
months, and he now says that he is conscious of the dange-
rous position he places himself in by making the confes-
sion, but that he is determined the woman shall be
punished whatever may be the result. Ile has been handed
over to Mr. Little, constable for Hyde, who has a commit-
ment against him for some misdemeanour ; and Mr. Little
is engaged in strictly investigating the statements made by
Thornley, who still persists that all that he has stated, the
substance of which we have given, is strictly true.
TUE NEW INDIAN MAIL CONTRACT.—Among
the passengers who went out in the Oriental Company's
steamer, the Haddington,• which left Southampton on
Saturday fur the Mediterr..nean, was Lieut. Whipple, R.N.,
who is gone out as Admiralty agent to take charge of the
first mail between Marseilles and Malta, under the new
Indian mail contract.

THE AUSTRALIAN MAIL PACKETS.—The Austra-
lian, Captain Hoseason, now nearly • month overdue with
the mails from Australia, is daily expected at Plymouth.
From the delays which she bad sustained before arrival
out, and whilst in Australia, she was not expected to arrive
until early in January. The Adelaide, Captain Jackson,
was not ready (or the trial cruise on Saturday, as was
anticipated. It was expected at Devonport on Sunday
morning that she would be taken out for trial on the after-
noon of that day, and if found to answer, that she would
sail with the mails, dc., in the evening, or on Monday
morning. The principal cause of the delay has been the
preparation and the fitment of the new rudder, in the place
of the newly-invented one, which was found so inefficient
as to be useleu. The repairs have been all effected by the
artisans of the Royal Devonport Dockyard, and ander the
superintendence of Capt. J. Henderson, R.N., the newly-
appointed marine superintendent of the Royal Australian
Steam Company.

ANOTHER FALL OF • CLIFF ON TILE BOUTS
Et?WON RAILW•Ir.—Ez EVIL SATURDAY.—The rftlainder
of the cliff at the Halconibe Tunne', between the towns of
Teignmo;:tb and Dawlish, fell this morning, with a tremen-
dous creel, urn the South Devon line. It was no more
than was expected by every person who had witnessed its
frowning aspect. Fortd.uately it fell before the arrival of
the mail train, which is due at that placo about two hears
after the time at which the accident occurred.

AMERICA.
ARRIVAL OF THE NIAGARA.

[at aLscratc TILIOIIAPH.)

(nem ova owx

LIVERPOOL, MONDAY MOUSING, 11.30.

The British and North American Royal Mail
steam-ship Niagara, Leitch, commander, was off Holy-
head this morning at ten o'clock, and may be ex-
pected to enter the Mersey at about five o'clock this
afternoon.

She left Boston on the 22nd ult., and Halifax
on the 24th, bringing the mails and passenger
from the United States, Canada, the Lower Pro-
vinces, and Bermuda.

Her news will be seven days later than previously
received by the Europa, on Sunday the 26th. Her
mails for London and the continent m iil be landed and
despatched by the up mail train, which leaves to-
night at 9 o'clock, and will be destributed in London
by the early delivery on Tuesday morning.

PORTUGAL.

ARRIVAL OF THE MADRID.

(By ELECTRIC TzLloaArit.)

SOUTHAMPTON, MONDAY MORNING.
The Madrid has arrived here. She left Lisbon on
the 29th ult., previous to the issuing of the decree
respecting the Portuguese finances. The Portuguese
Fives were at 391, the Fours being 33, and the
Threes 32. The Fives have gone down 31 per cent.
Exchange 54.