The Express.
London, England, 1865-03-16 00:00:00

ALGERIA.

PARIS, KAM( 16.

Official despatches received from Algeria state
that Babois is now the only point where some
agitation exists. Rumours current at Algiers ap-
pear to have exaggerated the state of affairs, but
the suspected tribes were nevertheless strioUy
watched. The impassable state of the roads still
prevented the troops from penetrating into the
country. A battalion of rifles was marching upon

THR ROYAL COMMISSION ON RAILWAY
CRAMER.

The following is a copy of the royal or/remission
for inquiring into the charges on railways:
" Whores, we have deemed it expedient that a com-
mission should forthwith Josue for inquiry into the charges
now and heretofore made for conveyance on the several
railways of Great Britain and Ireland, and whether it
would be prectioable to effect say oonsiderable reduction in
such charges, with a dna regard to safety, punctuality, and
expn
"editioNow know ye, that we, reposing great confidence in
your seal and ability, have authorised and appointed, sad do
by theme presents sothories and appoint you the amid Wil-
liam Duke of Devonshire, Richard John Earl of Donough-
more, Edward Henry Smith Stanley (commonly called Lord
Stanley), Edward Frederick Denson Cower, Robert Lowe,
Sir Rowland Hill, John Arthur Roebuck, Thomas Berry
Randall, Robert Dalglish, George Can Glyn, Acton Scree
Ayrtoo, Douglas Galion, Edward Terrick Hamilton, and
John Robinson ?Celan, to be our commissioners for the
purposes aforesaid.
" And our will and pleasure is, that you, or any five or
more of you, shall inquire into the charges now and hereto-
fore made by the several railway companies of Great
Britain and Ireland, far the conveyance on their lines of
persenese• parcel., goods, minerals, animals, agricultural
pewits,* sad other merchandise, and into the equality or
cliffs:eons of such charges under similar circumstances,
whether as between different oompanice or by the
mime company in different maw ; and where au& in-
equality or difference exists, you are to inquire
whether there are special circumstances which
reader necessary such inequality or difference ; and
your are also to inquire into the actual cost of
such conveyance, and to compare inch costs and charges
respectively, if and so far as you shall think fit, with the
code and cbuges relatively to the sooommodation given
and service performed on the railways in any one or more
foreign countries ; and to report your opinion whether, with
a due regard to the properly* extension of the railway
system, it would be practicable, by means of any changed
in the laws relating to railways or otherwise, to effect a
mon convenient interchange of traffic between the
several systems of railways, and more economical
arrangements for the working of railways, so as to make any
considerable reduction in the said costs of conveyance, and
in the charges to the public on account thereof ; and more
effectually to provide for securing the safe, expeditious,
pulsated, and cheap transit of pawing= cod merchandise
upon the said railways with as near an approach as may be
to unformity of charge nod equality of treatment for all
persona under similar circumstanced. And, for the
purpose of enabling you our said commissioners to
make the said inquiries, we do hereby authorise
and empower you or any five or more of you, to invite all
such perms as you may judge most competent by reason of
their situation, knowledge or experience, to afford you
correct information on the subject of this inquiry, to attend
before you sad to being with them all such bode, dom.
mental, papers, and accounts as may appear to you, or any
five or more of you, calculated to Mad your researches in
the execution of the trust hereby reposed in you, and to
inquire concerning the premises by all other lawful ways
and means what:mover. And we do command and require
you, or any five or more of you, to report to us, in writing
under your bands and seals, or under the bands and seals of
any five or more of you, as soon as the some can reasonably
be, yawners& proceediage by virtue of thin our commission.
And for your further assistant* in the execution of these
presents, we have made choice of our trusty and well.
beloved William Pole, Esq., to be secretary to this our
esemniadoe, and to attend you, whose services and millst-
ones you are to use from time to time as occasion may in-
quire. And we will and command that this oar commimicn
shall continue in full force and virtue, and that you our 'Aid
commissioners, or any five or more of you, may from time
to time proceed in the execution thereof, and of every
matter and thing therein oontained, although the same bo
not continued from time to time by adjournment.
" Given at oar court at St. James's the 11th day cl
March, 1865, in the 28th year of our reign.
" By her Majesty's command.
feigned/

"G. GUT.

The Melbourne correpondent of the Times writes :
—" Mr. Charles Gavin Daffy left this colony with his family
by the steamship Great Victoria, on the 16th inst.. for
England, and will probably again see his old friends in
Dublin shortly after the arrival of the ship which bears this
letter. Mr. Duffy enjoys a pension from her Majesty of
1,030/. a year, as a retired minister who hu served two
years in oMoe in this colony. Ireland and Irish patriots
need not feel any excitement at this news, as ` the case
o innot be drawn into a precedent.' The law under which
Mr. Duffy claims and receives his pension is repealed. Poli-
ticians of the O'Connell era will have their reflections. The
world's a stage indeed; and one man in his time plays
many parte."
The King of Italy has invited, through a special
deputation, the King of Saxony to be present at the Ikea
in honour of Dante, which am to take place at Florence in
the month of May. This distinction is addressed not to
the Sovereign, but to the man of letters, as King John,
when hereditary prince, published a translation of Dante.
which is highly esteemed, and a commentary considered of
great merit.
The Duke de Morny was at the moment of his
death proprietor of one of the lariat racing stables on the
coatinent, and had a considerable number of horses
engaged in the greet races of the present year. The
• Fattish rule of disqualification by the death of the pro.
prietor does not prevail in France, Nave for entries in
i the Grand Prix de Feria; consequently all engsgementd
sad beta on the French Derby and other roost in Frame
ire maintained.

Rarrass.—Some curious observations have been
made at the Garden of Plants on the reptiles that are kept
there. The illness to which they are most subject, boss
especial , is croup or diphtheria, a singular circumstance
• the extraordinary elasticity of all the tissues in
serpents. Nevertheless they enjoy rather a long life ;
tweety-one of them having lived upwards of six years at
tit( Menagerie. But there are instances of mush ;rester ,
longevity : there im • blank trio:encephala' (a pompons
serpent closely allied to the rattlesnake, and characterised
by its having a horny conical spondee* to its tail) which
has been living at the 51 ensgerie since 1842 ; and as re-
gards soother sort of creature, a fresh-water tortoise from
Auetralia, which arrived at the Garden of Plants in 1816,
is still alive and well ; eo else is • tree frog from the same
country. Eight pythons, born in captivity, which on being
hatched, ware only 45 centimetres (18 inches) in length, or
thereabouts, have all, in the donne of foes years, attained
• length varying between 2j metres sad 3 metres 60
thatiseetres (between 8 arl 11 foie). There is also
• python that has lived sixteen years there. A south '
Awaken eseerdas or allipker, with* was only a foot in
length on its arrival la 1851, is sow 4th 10ln. long ; other
alligators beta North America. only 10 Ischia In length
when they WOO brought be 1852, are now more than three
feet beg. They ar• fad as fakes : es the °erase of Plants
i. infested with • net weber of refs ea mime, the
kiwis ere evoey eberaine seemed is heeling these para-
dise ; they kill many, het they also Übe ems abr.. Tbe
latter are kept as food fee the wake& For the same pia-
pens rabbits and guisea-plp us reared at the lieneeeris.

NG .