The Express.
London, England, 1853-11-24 00:00:00

and cut steel, 1,320 f., with heavy surcharges if the
import takes place by land, or under a foreign flag. As
the first result of these imposts, the price of iron is
kept up to a level which renders the manufacture re-
munerative, even in localities where coal costs 40 or 80
flues per ton, and affords, or course, more enollooll.ll
profits where the furnaces are more favearably situated
---41 in the Aveyron, for example, where the mineral
fuel can be extracted for 41 francs. But the next
ooasequenee is this—that the whole trade languishes
for want of a wholesome stimulus, while the high
price reduces the total consumption to leas than one-
sixth of the English average, according to the pro-
portions of the population. Easily-got profits are in
the aggregate neither large nor lasting, as our own
West India colonies can bear witness. From the
lAveyron district already mentioned the whole quan-
tity of iron now consumed in France, viz., 600,000
tons annually, might easily be drawn, iron ore and
coal lying there in as rich profusion and u favour-
able proximity to one another as in the best
English localities. Bat, as it is, the product barely
reaches a tenth, or 60,000 tons a year. French in-
drafty, according to an able writer in the Dibals,
pays twelve hundred millions of francs per annum
to the iron masters beyond the natural price of the
commodity they furnish. From the agriculturists
alone, it is stated in a report of the Departmental
Council of the Hautes Aiwa, a sum equal to the
whole taxation, or 200 million francs a year, is ex-
acted directly in the enhanced prices of their tools.
Indirectly they suffer still more severely; this
enhanced pries obliging them to use smaller and
ruder implements, such as, in the words of the
Debate, " merely scratch the ground," and rendering
the very names of the most ordinary agricultural
instruments employed everywher; in England or
Belgium utterly unknown throughout whole pro-
vinces.

Railways are also visited heavily and doubly—
their shareholders suffering in purse, and the unlucky
passengers in person, through the artificial scarcity
of iron. Accidents constantly happen from the
absence of a double set of rails. One very
recently, on the Bordeaux line, which cost
several lives, was ascribed solely to this cause.
The company had long ago determined to
lay down the duplicate rails, but their contracts for
the deliveries of the requisite quantity of iron ex-
tend over the greater part of next year. Until Sep-
tember, 1834, accordingly, the travellers by this line
must encounter extra risks while waiting for the
French ironmuters to supply a weight of material
which Staffordshire or South Wales would turn out,
with scarcely an effort, in a single week. Locomo-
tion by water is injured in a great degree. Iron-
built steamers are considered extravagant luxuries
even by the Government which does not stickle for
economy ; and are made far too dear for the pur-
poses of commercial enterprise. On every bide the
system works against the welfare of Frenchmen,
diminishing their productions, crippling their indus-
try, and placing them at heavy disadvantage in their
competition with foreigcers. All this evil is incurred
for the sake of a single interest. And as usual,
the favoured interest does not flourish after
all. There may be a few rich masters and
prosperous establishments in the iron trade. But

comparing the actual results with the natural oppor-
tunities, we are forced to conclude that of all French
industries damaged by absurd legislation, the iron
business fares the worst. The reduction of the Iron
duty, therefore, is an admirable " Sign of the Times"
for France. _

A VOICE FROM HUNGARY.

PESTH, N0v.14.

Diplomacy and the Danube were puma together,
but the river was not the Rubicon of this war. The
arrogant and impudent Menchikoff note, which
startled Europe out of its winter slumbers, was the
Russian declaration of war, and was intended as such
by the modern Cmear of all the Russias. The ungodly
Mussulmans are now giving him lessons in the art of
civilisation. We here laughed outright yesterday,
when we read the newspaper account of the message
of the Ottomans to the Servians. The solemn Turks
sent a requisition for the assistance of that Principa-
lity,
and you will see that they fully comprehend
the greatness and glory of their " mission " by their
concluding answer. The Servians replied that they
were not able to go out to war against the Russians,
who were believers of the same faith with themselves.
When the imperturbable and logical sons of Islam,
who have been lately dealing out the most admirable
lessons to Europe in the moderation, sublimity, and
elegance of their public documents, surpassing all
that have appeared in this century at least, quietly
answered, that the English and French were
Christians, too, but that the heart of the question did
not lie here; as this war was not for religion, but
was simply the battle of civilisation *pint:barba-
rism" Was not that cool, convincing, and tri-
umphant ?
The other day there was no Turkey in the world ;
and I wrote you that the diplomatic boys who had
been playing at Vienna would find out that an in-
depeadmit Sultan, cad a most solemn, beard-stroking,
and immovable divan, would raise its milked head
is the midst of their deliberations, and say, " 0 ye
children of diplomacy, do ye me this Turk's
head ?" Bantam is not dead yet, end Europe begins
to look into the weird ghee with wonder; for it
shows the long Rae of the coming descendants of
the great Belvieu', and Amuraths, and the other
"Boas of the Lightning." If Omer Paella has really
tams Bucharest, be deserves the surname of
Rd/wises,' at the least. But we get no news here.
Everything is published after it has appeared in the
Moniker at Paris, and it is a remarkable and in-
structive truth that our first information as to facts
frequently comes from the London newspapers!!
though we are within fourteen hours now of the
capital of the chief principality. But let It be noted
that everybody, exospt the post-office, &c., sympathims
with the Turks. It seems to be an established fact,
that with the exception of the great power of Monte-
umro, and the unsettled kingdom of Greece, every-
bWy is on the side of the Turks. When, last June,
we saw the handsome English ships at
_anchor in
Besika Bay, while French "brothers" as well as
" men" of war, were majestically sailing in to join
them, it certainly did look probable that the broad-
sides would accomplish more than' the zealous, but
apparently over-sanguine, sons of Alcorau,who were
packing up all the old muskets in the Arsenal at
Constantinople. They told us then, weak as they
seemed in June, that their cause would not be cast
upon any assistance from the west : that they were
somewhat afraid of England and France ; that
they thought on mature consideration—and they
stroked their beards complacently—that they were
able to defend themselves against the world. The
enthusiasm was delightful, becaaae it was so grave,
solemn, and deep ; but one could not help thinking
that the Q. E. D. was not yet at the end of the
chgivenanged proposition. But now appearances have indeed
All Asia is stirred to her inmost depths, and not
a mountain so inaccessible or a valley so remote that
does not echo a war-cry which has gone forth from
Constantinople. Fate and fanaticism are turning
into fury against the
.unscrupulous invader. Think
of my old friend Deli Bash, t who told me twenty
years ago that he had been fighting a dozen years,
eves since he was twenty, and in his half-Greek half-
Turkish: "Sly i xaward Pants, Effendim"
—girding
on his old scimetar again, tucking his pistols into

• lightning. A surname of one of the old conquering
sultans. I have no books here, but I believe Noma
Ilderim.
t Literally, " Head of rnadrnen;" i.e., " Captain of
forlorn hope:'
" I never had any quiet, sir !"