The Express.
London, England, 1847-12-08 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 8, 1847.

WEST INDIA MAIL.

The Royal West India Mail-packet Forth, Captain
Chapman, arrived at Southampton yesterday, and
landed her mails under the charge of Lieut. Dennehy,
R.N., Admiralty agent.
The dates brought by the Forth are : Tampico,
Oct. 25 ; Vera Cruz, Nov. 1 ; Nassau, Nov. 13 ;
Havannah, Nov. 10; Honduras, Oct. 20; Jago de
Cuba, Nov. 6 ; Jamaica, Nov. 8; Jacmel, Nov. 10;
Puerto Rico, Nov. 14 ; Demerara, Nov. 5; Tobago,
Nov. 5 ; Trinidad, Nov. 5 ; Barbadoes, Nov. 8 ; St.
Thomas, Nev. 15; Bermuda, Nov. 21.
The Forth brings 46 passengers among whom
are Capt. Bernie, R.N., late of the Modeste, from the
Pacific ; Lieuts. Joyce, Hunt, and Patterson (2nd
West India Regt.), and Allan (Ist West India ltegt.),
on their way to Africa ; Dr. Cumming, medical staff;
Mr. Leake, of the Jamaica police ; and Mr. Reid,
English merchant, from Mexico.
'the freight on board consists of 125,810 dollars;
silver in bars and gold, valued at 182,509 dollars ;
British coin, 6211. ; silver, 108 lba. ; gold, 316 lbs. ;
platina, 54 lbs. ; one box pearls ; 40 Berens cochineal;
one case tortoise shell ; 3 Berens vanilla, &c. &c.
The Forth was obliged to slip from 'Tampico in
norther, of which she experienced a succession, till
she left for Havanna. On the Ist of December she
boarded the Amity, of Liverpool, timber laden, dis-
muted, water-logged, and abandoned, in let. 43 deg.
15 min. N., and long. 36 deg. S min. W.
The Forth's news from Mexico have been antici-
pated by the later intelligence received rid New York.
A Jamaica paper states that the national represent-
ation of Ecuador has restored the estates of General
Flores, confiscated by the Executive, to his family.
The mereantil., intelligencefrom Jamaica is scarcely
of so decided a character as was anticipated. The in-
telligence of the failure of Reed, Irving, and Co. had,
as was to be expected, excited a considerable sensa-
tion, but the market remained much as before. De
Cordova's circular of Bth Nov., states that :
The market brunet been characterised by any improvement
since the date of our last publication; it therefore continues to
present the some heavy and inactive appearance as it did at
that pi riod ; it any thing, the depression has been enhanced, by
the continuance of the s'ricture of the money market bsth
here and in England, and the distressing accounts, relative
to the state of mercautlle affairs, received by the last mail
from Great Britain.
From the same source we learn that further re-
ductions of import duties bad been resolved on by the
, House of Assembly :
I The subject of the Import Duty Bill having been again
discussed io the House of Assembly, the following reductions
of the duties on the articles enumerated were agreed to, viz.:
on butter, reduced from 12,. to 9s. per cwt ; on lard, re-
duced from 7s. to 6s. per cwt. ; on salt, reduced from 9.1. to
6d. per cwt. ; on pork and beef, reduced from 20s. to 163. per
barrel; on rice, reduced from 4s. to Ss. per cert.; on
Cypress shingles, reduced from Bs. to Os. per M. ; on cedar
ditto, reduced from 4s. to 3s. per M. ; rock salt is to be ad.
witted free of asy duty. The above reductions will not come
into operation until April 5. 1848. An attempt was made
once more to establish the drawback system, but it termi-
nated unsuccessfully.
Some measures had been introduced by the govern-
ment, and supported by several of the moat liberal
members, which had evidently excited in the majority
of the representatives a strong jealousy of a disposi-
tion to pack the elective legislature, and generally
extend the influence of the executive. A clause, declar-
ing stipendiary magistrates eligible to the House of
Assembly, baying been surreptitiously introduced
into a bill, to repeal the act of 4th Victoria, which
declares seats of members vacated under certain cir-
cumstances, the bill was thrown out by a majority of
9to 7. A bill to render chairmen of quarter sessions
eligible to the offices of vice-chancellor and assistant
judges of the supreme court, was thrown out by a
majority of 23 to 3.
Mr. Barclay's committee for obtaining statistical
information, with respect to the comparative state of
the colony now and at the time of emancipation,
was working vigorously, though it had issued no
report. The following minute, for the guidance of
witnesses, had been published :
Gentlemen who may be call, d upon to appear before this
committee of the assembly will do well to bring with them
such documentary evidence as may enable them to speak to
the following points, which, it is presumed, must engage
attention:
1. The present cost of raising sugar and coffee, as proven be the
amount of expenditure, and by the crops made, specifying, as far as
poemble, hogsheads, and their weights—and account isles? (These
must be bums foie details of each estate, and for se many years .is
be given, but the names of course not to be pull shed with-
out the sanction of the witnessee3 2. The extent of cultivr
tree and crops on plantations in 1832, and the year last
put (1846) T 3. The number of sugar and coffee proper-
ties that have been broken up since 1632 1 Extent of the freeholds of
ouch ? Estimated original cost of the factories on them? If worked
by
Thewster power, or bow otherwise ? The crops they made in 1832
umber of labourers then attached to them? What use has since
been made of the land! 4 The further somber of sugar and coffee
ploperties on which cultivation has creed, and the demolition of the
factory establiabrnentatenZ.awftsf thehgrh =Lilco( what
Iner
growing number of attachedtn such freeholds,
In 1832. " ea
above
i cal:-
tying on their cultivation, and the number now remaining .
• Public meetings to petition the imperial legislature
and bring the state of the colony before the public of
the mother country, continued to be held throughout
the island. It is evident that a healthier tone of
feeling and sounder views of commercial policy are
steadily gaining ground in Jamaica. The old school
and the Despatch as their organ are disconsolate at
the choice of members of parliament and newspapers
to promulgate and enforce these petitions. Lord
George Bentinck and the Morning Herald are well
enough, though regret is expressed that the Morn.
ing Psi and Julio Bull seem generally thrown over-
board; but horror of horrors! Messrs. Hume and
Cobden are entrusted with petitions, and the Eco-
nomist and the daily liberal papers with the publica-
tion of resolutions.
The Nassau (N.P.) journals state that in the be-
ginning of November strong refreshing breezes took
the place of the sultry south wind, and that the fever
which had been lingering in the island was disappear-
ing under their influence. The American officers
wrecked on the Abaco were still at Nassau when the
steamer left : their deportment there has conciliated
general esteem. Twenty of the emigrant labourers
who left the Bahamas some time since for Honduras,
returned to their islands on the 9th of November.
The emigrants had suffered much from ague in Hon-
duras. Some approximation had been made rewards
a more equitable management of the salt ponds in
Turk's Island, and ether outlying islands of the
Bahama.
The Bermuda papers contain nothing of general
interest.
[Tot Markets, see lug page.]

tr.rbt Court.
The Duchess of Kest arrived at Osborne at two
o'clock yisterday afternoon, on a visit to the Que ea' from
her residence, Frogmore-horse, near Windsor. Her Royal
Highness was attended by her lady in waiting and Sir 0.
Coer, Bart. The royal duchess crossed from Gosport in
, the Her_ Majesty and her royal consort walked early
yesterday in the vicinity of Osborne.
The Duchess of Gloucester visited the Princess
Sophia yesterday, at her residence at Kensington.

A deputation from the iron trade of Monmouth-
shire, consisting of Mr. T. Brown, Ebber Vale Iron Works,
Mr. Routh, New British Iron Works, and Mr. J. Brown ;
a deputation from the coal trade of Monmouthshire, con-
misting of Mr. W. 6. Cartwright and Mr. M. Morrison, Mr.
W. 8. Woodhouse, solicitor to the above. arid Mr. Coates,
vent ; had an interview with the Right lion. E. Strutt on
Monday, at the office of the Commissioners of Railways, in
the Board of Trade.
The Bishop of Cape Town had an interview with
Earl Grey on Monday at the Colonial-office.
Capt. A. Macdonald had an interview with the
Right Hon. H. Labouchett, yesterday, at the office of the
Board of Trade.
Sir Robert A. Ferguson, Bart., M.P., and a depu-
tation of Irish members of parliament, had an interview
with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, yesterday, at Ins of-
dal residence in Downing-street.
Deepatches were sent off last evening from the
Colonial-office for the Governor of Ceylon.
Mr. Beresford, M.P., and Mr. Charles Locock
Webb, bad an Interview, yesterday, with the Right lion.
Edward Struts.
The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council se
yesterday, and resumed the appeal " Logan o. Le Meaurier,"
.from Canada. The case was adjourned for further hearing
until to-morrew (Thursday).

[From last night's &netts.)
FOREIGN-OITICE, Nov. 27.—The Queen has been
graciously pleased to appoint Samuel George Bonham, Esq.,
to be her majesty's plenipotentiary and chief superintendent
of British trade en China.
WHITKIIALL, DEC. 6.—The Queen has been pleased
to present the Rev. John Hampden Gurney, M.A., to the
diatrict rectory of St. Mary, in St. Mary-le-bone, in the
county of Middlesex, and diocese of London, void by the
death of Thomas Front' Dibdin, D.D.
DOWNING-STREET, DEC. 7.—The Queen has been
pleased to appoint Thomas William Clinton Murdoch,
Charles Alexander Wood, and Frederic Rogers, Run., to
be commissioners for superintending thistle and settlement
of the waste lauds of the Crown in the British colonies, and
the conveyance of emigrants thither.

IN SPITALVIELDS.

lAst night a meeting, attended by nearly 1,000
of the operative silk weavers residing in the neighbourhood
of Spitalfialds, was held in the cipacruss school room, Hare-
street, Bethnal-green, Mr. John Hornsby, an operative, is
the chair.
The meeting was called for the purpose of adopting a me-
wand humbly craving her Majesty to take into considera-
tion the grievances of which the silk weavers consider they
have cause to complain. The petition went oar to state that
this class of operatives had been subjected to the most severe
privations and hardship. during the last twelve months, and
that thousands of their body are at the present moment out
of employ, and wandering about the district in the most
wretched condition. Deaths had greatly increased amongst
them, which increase was caused by cold and huoger. The
memorialists also considered that the Poet law Amendment
Act, which was introduced professedly for the purpose of
ranking the condition of the working classes, has had in its
operations a directly contrary tendency; and condemned
the very harsh and cruel terms on which relief can
be obtained, the tyrannical conduct of the parochial
authorities towards the unfortunate poor who, through
want of employment, are compelled w seek temporary
relief in the workhouse, the rigorous confinement, the de-
grading labour, the stinted dietary, the insults,
in privations,
and death to which the poor, who are made so by ill.advised
laws, are subjected, though an early and more fortunate
period of their lives they wen supporters of the national
revenues and re-ources of the constitutional government of
the country. The memorial having been unanimously re-
ceived,
Mr. OURNELT. remarked upon the statements made there-
in, eapeoielly with reference to the administration of the
poor law in the workhouse at St. Matthew, Bethnal-green,
where, he contended, the treatment was most severe, and
the dietary inferior to that of ether union workhouses.
Several other speakers having supported the views con-
tained in the memorial to the Queen,
Mr. OURNELL moved and Mr. FERNANDO seconded a
motiou to the elect that five operativis be appointed to
transact all business relating to the unemployed, and that
such committee report from time to timc to the trade in
general ; which committee having been appointed,
The Its,. 0. !klaxon, of Friar's Mount Chapel, moved
" That an address be presented to the nobility and gentry,
requesting their assistance to relieve the great and unparal-
wled (lists-eel which prevails among the silk weavers of
Spitalfields, 13.ittinal-green, and the vicinity, and that they
be requested to forward their subeeriptiona to the bankers
appointed by the trade to receive the same."
- Mr 811ERILARD seconded the resolution, observing, he
was gratified at seeing elergtmen coming to their meetings,
and he hoped the ezample would be followed.
The resolution was earth(' unanimously. It was proposed
and seconded that "A memorial be presented to her Maj• sty
the Queen Dowager, showing the distress of the trade, and
earnestly soliciting the assistance and patronage of her
Most Gracious Majesty."
The Chairman, in putting the resolution, which wiu
agreed to unanimously and with sedan alluded to the
benevolence of her Majesty the Queen Dowager on a former
occasion, and expressed a hope that the Queen would give
less patronage to the importation of foreign silks, and greater
encouragement to the English manufactures.
Thanks were voted to the gentleman who gave the use of
the room, after which a vote of thanks was pained to the
chairman, who briefly replied, and the meeting separated.

POST-OFFICE NOTICE.—The following important
notice to the public was issued yesterday morning at the
Post-office, by command of the Postmaster. General :—" In-
formation having bent received from the Direetor-General
of the French Poet-office, that letters from the:United King-
dom for Austria would be accelerated, fee some time to
come, by being sent through Prussia, Viti Belgium, instead
of by way of France, through which country they are now
forwarded, the Postmaster Gene. al thinks it necessary to
make thi+ intimation to the public, and to give notice, that
letters of this description will be forward, d by the route
pointed out, provided they be specially addressed."
GRAND JUNCTION CANAL COMPANY.—The usual
half-yearly meeting of this company was held this day, at
the Crown sad Anchor Tavern, the Hon. W. Bouverie in
the chair. The report woe read, by which it appeared that
since the special meeting held in Jane last the company had
become carriers, and that they had made advantageous ar-
rangements for facilitating their through traffic with the
following navigation companies, namely, the Oxford, the
Coventry, the Warwick and Napton, the Warwick and Bir-
mingham, the Grand Union, the Leicester, and the North-
amptonshire Union ; and that they had commenced Imainees
since the let inst. That the tonnage for the half-year end-
ing 30th June last amounted to 60,2921. 18a. 13d., which was
considerably over that of the same period of last year ; the
expenditure, 19,6871. 21. 10d. ; leaving a balance of
30,6061. 15s. 10d., out of which a dividend of 21. 10s. per
share was to be paid, which would amount to 28,6371. 10e.
free of income tax, to be paid on the Bth January, 1818.
That the sum received for tonnage for the mouths of July,
August. September, October, and November, 1847, amounted
to the gross sum of 86,5441. 13a. 7d. The report was unani-
mously adopted, and the meeting separated.
LONDON COFFEE AND EATING HOUSE KEEPERS'
BENEVOLENT ASSOCULTION.—YFILETday evening a meet-
ing of the members of the above association was held
at the Freemasons' Tavern. The report stated that
the institution was established in the year 1837, for
the purpose of relieving aged and decayed mem-
bers of the trade, their widows and orphans. The balance-
sheet for the year ending July last showed the receipts from
all sources to be 2821. 16s. 10d., whilst the expenditure
amounted to 2721. 12a. There are at present four pensioners
on the funds. The capital of the society amounts to near
2,0001.
ANTIQUITY OF THE INFLUENZA.—Of this now ani-
versally prevailing malady we have (rsys the Glasgow Consli-
tutional) the following account, in a letter from Randolph, the
English ambassador at the court of Nary Queen of Scots, to
Cecil (afterwards Lord Burghley), dated Edinburgh, 30th
Nov., 1662: " May it please your honour. Immediately
upon the Queen's arrival here she (dl acquainted with a
new disease that is common in this town called The New
Acquaintance, which passed also through her whole court,
neither sparing lord, lady, nor damsel, not so much as either
French or English. It is a pain in tilt it heads that have
it, and a soreness in their stomachs, with • great eoagh : it
remaineth with some longer, with others shorter time, as
it findeth apt bodies for tne nature of the disease. The
Queen kept her bed Fix days: there was no appearance of
danger, nor many that die of the disease, except some old
folks. My Lord of Murray is now presently in it; and lam
ashamed to say that I have been free of it, seeing it seeketh
acquaintance at all men's hands." The letter is printed at
pp. 105-7 of the " Selections from Unpublished Manu-
scripts illustrating the Reign of Mary Queen of Scotland,"
presented to the Maitland Club, in the year 1837, by the late
Mr. Kirkman Finlay of Castle Toward.—The last freak of
the distemper, according to the Edinburgh Register, was the
seizure of the master of the Duddingston mills, near Edin-
burgh, and at the same time all his millers, and the mill
stood still. To complete the adage that misfortunes never
come single, the millers' wives were also almost all ill, and
unable to nurse their husbands.
INQUEST, YESTERDAY.—FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE
MEHL—Before Mr. Baker, coroner, at the Five Bella,
Limehouse, on the body of D. Spade, aged 36 years, who
was drowned off Limehouse. On Saturday morning, at 1
o'clork, the deceased and four other men, ballast-getters,
obtained a boat to go on board a ballast lighter moored in ,
the middle of the river, off Limehouse. On reaching the
lighter, one of the party rose from his seat, and attempted
to step on the gunwale, when he slipped, and was in the
act of falling between the boat and the lighter, when three
of his companions rose at the same time to catch him. The
boat gave a sudden lurch, and the five men were all thrown
into the river. They caught hold of each other, and three
of them almost immediately sank. Two others were seen
clinging to each other a short distance from the lighter, and
they also sash before assistance could reach them. Nume-
rous watermen put off, but were unable to save any of them.
The body of deceased, Spale, was recovered on Saturday
morning, and the corpse of one of his companions, named
Hamer, was taken out of the river, off Poplar, on Monday
morning last. The only witness who saw the occurrence
was the wife of one of the men, who was on board the
lighter, waiting their return, and whose screams caused the
watermen on both shores to hasten to the spot. She was not
in attendance, and the coroner deeming it advisable that she
should give her testimony, adjourned the inquest.

. IRELAND.
Drum, Die. 6.
The following singular advertisement appears in
the morning papers :
Tam Lamoan's Ts. na Osturswv.—The daffy resisethely
ereseeesewet. ot settiodearke that are sow dingrodag the esestry,
sad dr sr rasters mottled to troth seer eel &sty the law,
ha Wool me le we sereereseel a Broamt dist mot,"
• tact every omen be pedaled rad asehled M I the Ike of
the stesteek awl dot sees oat a step le tee eswerdt, seeded which
issi at le mow s Istria Item spread-
be term sad lou.efees three. the esestry. I lisps le a few days
to Lee a spears parseeet cc view at =lf wareroome.
The " shot and ball proof" palatot is quite a no-
velty of its kind, quite as useful as the invention of
Roper, which let out no air and let in no water. The
Irish landlords are now safe from the bullet of the
assassin. The " paletot" stands between them and
destruction. But the excellence of this rare contri-
' vanes is that the wearer will be enabled to return the
fire, and with more deadly effect, for, relying on his
invulnerability, he may operate on the assassin with
a keener eye and a steadier hand! People are asto-
nished at this remarkable discovery of sartorial
genius, and, to remove all doubts about the matter,
the patentee will attend in Regley's shooting gallery,
and let a platoon of the Rifles practise on his mar-
velous paletot. The day of trial, however, is not yet
fixed.
At a meeting of the creditors of Messrs. W. S.
Hamilton and Co., the eminent West India merchants,
who failed lately, the liabilities were ascertained to
be 160,0001., and the assets 200,0001., including,
however, bad and doubtful debts to the amount of
132,0001. Their bankers, the Metals. la Conde, are
creditors for 67,0001., of which 24,0601. an motored.
The feeling of all the creditors was in favour et the
affairs of the firm being wound up by the pertain,
subject to inspection, a course which was subse-
quently frustrated by the Messrs. Stovall laying on a
city attachment on the ship Kingston for dock
charges. Another eminent firm, the Mesas. Wiens,
woollen manufacturers, are reported in difficulties.

Their acceptances were not met last week. The sus-
pension of a firm, which gave such extensive employ-
ment, and on such liberal terms, would be severely
felt in the present Beason of disaster.
The books of the Shannon Navigation Commission
have not come oat pore under the hands of the publie
accountant. A deficiency in the cash to the amount
of 8,0001. is reported, for which it appears the com-
missioners are liable.
Instructions have been received by the Dublin
Post-office authorities, from the head office, London,
directing that all unpaid and returned letters should
be delivered, from the dead letter office, in envelopes
of a particular description, containing the reason why
the letter was returned. The object is to enforce pos-
tage from the writer, who, in the event of refusal,
will be summoned, and put to the proof that the hand-
writing was not his, the defence most likely to be
made under such circumstances. The regulation will
he in force in a fortnight.

STATE OF THE COUNTRY.
The Wezford Guardian of this day reports that a man
named Moran occupied, under a gentleman named Whitney,
20 acres of land. His ancestors occupied the same farm for
several srenerstions, and were comfortable and improving
fir :people of their claps. The potato blight came, and
Moron fell into arrear. In last spring he stinted himself and
his family to sow the land with corn and othercrope. In July
hat he owed about 341., but previously a second gale having
fallen due he was proceeded against, an ejectment was had,
and the sheriff came to give possesaion to the landlord.
Moran offered to lay out corn to the amount of the rent
claimed and costs, and this he could do, as an abundant
harvest crowned his sowing, and the corn on the land was
worth over 1001. This was refused, for it was not a legal
tender, and the landlord would have money or the lend.
, Mona offered, when the crops were severed, to carry into
the landlord's farm-yard corn so fii cient to cover the claim until
he realised money by dhposi og of the remainder in the market.
This also was refused, and Moran was evicted. The poor
man hovered about the neighbourhood, erecting a hovel with
hoards in one of the dykes of his own farm, and he is said to
have reaped some of the corn he had sown as food for his
own family. The account which I have paraphrased thus
concludes He continued about the premises until the Ist !
of September, when the sheriff appeared again: his houses
were thrown down, his corn reaped and carried away,
valued, it is state.: to us, at from 801. to 1001., and the poor,
unfortunate man, his wife and eia children, and an aged
father, 85 years old, driven on the world, without a roof
to shelter them, without a day's food to sustain life."
This a saddening picture, and proves) how much the
law of landlord and tenant needs revision. The case is cer-
tainly an extreme one, but similar cues are by no means so
untrequent as you in England would be led to suppoae.
Moran was tenant at will, or from year to year ; had he had
• lease it would of course have been more troublesome legally
to evict him.
The Northern Standard of this day states that the Rev.
Mr. Mayne, a clergyman of Monaghan, had been fired at;
and the Westmeath Guardian records a ease in which a
desperate attempt, fortunately unsuccessful, was made upon
a bailiff in that county by two men, one of them armed with
a sword. The Dean of Elphin, the Rev. E. Hoare, whom
works on bilious.' education have bad much celebrity, has
had a notice from " Molly Maguire," threatening him with
the fate of Major Mahon, for some presumed delinquencies.

REPEAL Aasocianow.—Mr. John bay presided st the
meeting of this body to-day. The proceedings were notpar.
titularly important. The repeal rent nearly reached 301. A
letter from Mr. John O'Connell was read, in which he dis-
cusses the " crime end outrage " bill, which he approves for
he confession of the partisanship of the local magistracy.
The power of augmenting the police, and the keeping of
arms at home under license in disturbed districts, he wi'l not
object to ; but the power of search he will oppose, or if per-
mitted only in the daytime by a stipendiary magistrate.—
This is the marrow of the letter.