The Express.
London, England, 1851-03-01 00:00:00

1I:.11) n ItIES.

On Monday, the royal emomissioners located an im-
portant document, of which we gave an account .0111 I: time
1.1•,,e, Vit., • find report of the sections and groups into
which articles deposited in the Glass Palave will be or-
ranged. 'fhb, ilorument is entitled Iliad Juries," and is
' compiled not only with a view to arrangement in th.
building, but also to bring the subjects in a systematic Mil
tier before the juries who hare to determine the merits ors
the article+ contained in each class. 'f he subdititiotts
the thirty scetiuns ore also useful, by showing to the exhi.
bitor the section into which the artiebs sent by him nattc
rally fall. Althonah it is rot the intention of the eaten
tire to separate the goods of an individual exhibitor by an;
dctailvil classification, still it is obvious that foridan coramil
minus, their agents, and exhibitor*, would much facilitate
the labours of the juries, and promote unity of arrange-
ment, NO etsential to the study of the thlferratt sections, if
they allotted the goods to be /317:1•4141 in the giant's+ de-
scribed in the classified lid. We have already given a lita
of the thirty sections of which the present report treats.

PROTECTION OF DEMONS EXHIBITED.

The following is the new bill, intituled "An net
to extend the provisions of the Designs Act, 18.50, and to
give protection from piracy to persons exhibiting new in-
eentions in the Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all
Nations in its.ll."
" Whereas it is expedient that Fowl protection as herein-
after mentioned ahould he afforded to persons desirous of
exhibiting new inventions in the Exhibition of the Works
of Industry of all Nations in ISM : Ile it therefore enacted
by the Quern's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the
advice and consent of the lords spiritual and temporal, and
Commons, in this present parliament usseruloled, and by the
authority of the same, as follows :
"I. he proprietor of any piece of workmanship, mecha-
nical contrivonee, or manufacture, bring a new invention
fur the rule making, exercising, vending, or using whereof
letters patent might lawfully I/V granted to him, may at any
time during the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty-
one, but not afterward', pulniely exhibit the same in any
place previously certified by the lords of the committee
of Privy Council for trade and tierrign plantations to be a
place of exhibition within the meaning of the !halms
Act, Mid, without prejudice to the validity of any letters
patent to he thereafter, during the term 01 the provisional
registration hereinafter mentioned, granted fur such inven-
tion to the pnoprictur thereof. Provided always, that ouch
piece of workmanship, mechanical contrivance, or manu-
facture have presiously to such public exhilation thereof
been provisionally registered in manner hereinafter men-
tioned; and provided Mora, that the same be not otherwise
publicly exhibited or need prior to the granting of any such
letters patent as aforesaid.
" 11. The registrar of designs acting under the Designs
Act, lain, upon application by or on behalf of the proprie-
tor of any each piece of workmanship, mechanical con-
trivance, or manufacture as aforesaid, and upon being
furnished with such drawing or deseription thereof
in writing as in the judgment of. the registrar is
sufficient to identify the tonic, and in which shall
be distinguish d what part of such piece of workman-
ship, mechanical contrivance, or manufacture is claiand
by such ,proprietors to be a new invention, and upon
being abet furnished with the name and address of the
person claiming to be the proprietor thereof, and with
satisfactory evidence that such piece of wtorkmanshipo
mechanical contrivance, or manufacture. is intended to be
exhibited in such place of politic exhibition us aforesaid,
shall register the same fur the term of one year ; and any
piece of workmanship, mechanical contrivance, Or manu-
facture so registered shall he deemed to be provisionally
registered, and the words ' pro, isionally registered' shall
Ise marked thenomon or Intuited thereto; and the said
registrar shall certify under his hand and seal of other that
such pier of workmanship, mechanind cuntrivanta., or
manufacture has been wow isionally registered, and shall
also certify the date of such registnition, and the name said
place of address of the registered proprietor.
" 111. Such pno, bional registration as aforesaid shall
during the term thereof confer on the proprietor of such
piece of workmanship, mechanical contrivance, or maim'
facture, with reepeet thereto, all the protection against
piracy and other benefits which by the Dengue Act, Ifehl,
arc conferrisl upon the proprietors of designs provisionally
registered thereunder with respect to such designs.
IV. All letters patent tee be thereafter during the term
of any such provisional registra granted to the pro-
prietor of any pieta" of workmanship, mechanical
cuu-
trivsnee, or manufacture: so pros isionally registeresl in
respect of such invention shall, notwithstanding the regis-
tration thereof, and notwithstanding the exhibition thereof
in such place of public exhibition as aforesaid, be of the
same validity as if swell piece of workmanship, mechanical
contrivance, or manufacture had not Min so registered or
exhibited.
" V. The protection and other benefits given by the said
design', act, Isar, and this act, to the proprietors of designs
and inventions pro, isionally regi"tered, and exhibited in
such place "(public exhibition as athresaid, shall extend to
all proprietors where designs or inventions shall he so
exhibited as aforesaid, whether they be subjects of her
Majesty or not.
" the provisions of the Designs Act, 1850, relating
or applivable to the designs to he provisionally registered
thereunder, or to the pnyrietoors of sigh drawls, except the
provision for extending the term of any such prosisional
registration, shall apply to the pieces of workmanship,
mechanical contrivance.", and manufactures, to be provision-
ally registered under this act and the ',kid I le.igns Act And
this act shall be construed together us one act."

lONIAN ISLANDS AND THE GREAT

EXHIBITION.

TO THE EPROM Of TMZ DAILY lIWS.
Sta,--.. Save me from my friends," says the well-
knows sentiment of a sententious wit. Protect no from
our protectors," is the err of the too well guarded lonians
under the auspices of Sir 11. Ward.
For thirty-five years, while her neighbours of Europe and
even Asia were fast advancing in civilisation and prosperity,
the genius of the septinsular republic has born sleeping one
long dull slumber under the British oak ; and now, that the
whole world has set out on a grand race to the Great Exhi-
bition of ISZA ; now, that every shore and island, from ice-
! bound Greenland to far ratios% are sending their products
or their handwork. to this grind show of all nation., the
lonian Islands, of all the p05,......ain5, dominions, nod roto.
nies of Great Britain, the lonian Wands alone, although
situated in the most luxuriant latitude of Europe, will re-

main unrepresented.
So far, then, as regards these, once the richest, the most
intelligent, the bravest and the noblesrt islands in the Meai-
trrranean, they might as well have been buried in the ocean
fifty fathoms deep, for all that their industry, the inudli-
gence, the activity, and the enterprise of their people, will
show of their fruits at the Great Exhibition.
' This lamentable %loaner in the long range of shelves and
' counters devoted to the British possessions in the fairy halls
' of that magnificent structure, must not, how ever,be attributed
to any supineness on the part of the lonians, but to the
culpable indifference of those who rule them. We are, it
would seem, governed and taxed only to keep up English
regiments, and pay enormous salaries to statesmen wits may
find it convenient or healthful to seek retirement. The
English young gentlemen who lounge on our espla-
nade, and 101 l in the bureaux of our administritom, I
what rare they for the low pursuits of track,
or the dull aspirations of conieueree ? Ships with them are
mere vehicics to be taxed according to their tonnage, and
trade and commerce but food tar cottotuat dues. The
people speak firc,k--so much the worse for them; and
who is to learn their modem Greek to translate news about
the great Exhibition for them ? And so no notice has been
taken of it—no official report sent round by tiwir governor,
as has been the ease in all the British possessions; our any
mention made of it in the spetwhes of the Lord high Com-
missioner to the Assembly. The billion people knew
nothing of the world's great wonder, amid the vast Ilene-
fits opentll by it to all the world's industry, simply because,
being under British protection, the Proeonsid who rules
them thought them beyond notice amongst the nations of
the earth ! . _

Asa proof that I am not overstating the fact of this geese
neglect on the part ut' sir 11. Ward, as Lord High Commie..
sleeve of the lonian Islands, I LOST to enclose you copies of
a correspondence se hush has jest taken place on this sulgs et
with the Royal Commission, by which it appears that the
government of the lonian Islands, i.e. Sir IL Ward, " noti-
fied some considerable time sine,: that no space would be
required for the islands ;" consequently no space has been
allotted fur them.
Of the singular injustice done in this instants, to the skill,
industry, and products of the loniuus, 1 ueeil not speak
further to your intelligent readers. It will nut be
difficult for them to imagine how mortifying it must
be to the lonian, when he reads in the government paper of
the greet benefits and blessings conferred on his countrymen
by British government, and hears a British minister get up
iu the Howse of Commons to taunt and laud the tender care
of their interests shown by the present Lord High Colt-
missioner, whom he knew to have imprisoned, hung, and
flogged them at discretion. They can imagine, I say, how
mortified as loniau must be at reading and ieming this,
cold being expected to believe it, when he knows that in a
mutter co important to the commercial interests, if nut to
the personal titling and jealous pride of hi+ countrymen,
so utter a carelessness, so supine an indifference, has bean
exhibited by the " great praetical economist" end liberal-
minded statesman who now kid, his lash over the deatiuicer
and the backs of the prostrated lonians
In conclusion, I may ask what will be the feelings
of the illustrious prism who originated this great exhibition
of the products and industry of all nations, when he finds
that the only part of Europe unrepresented are those very
islands, in a hich his august consort hoe a personal interest
as their protectress. " What," it will be asked, in high
places " could not even a few feet of epees have been filled
with their currants and their oil, that at least the name of
the lonian Islands might have appeared in the catalogue of
nations? lu truth, u must unworthy representative have
we chosen to give expression to our good feeling and our
good wishes toward, the benefit and prosperity of a people
committed to our charge by a solemn treaty of the SOye•
reigns of Europe."
Such, I doubt not, will be the feeling, if not the expres-
sions of our gracious protectress ; a sentiment which will
find an echo in the breast of every lonian, when he re-
ceives his country jaistpuited to all the world in industry,
native wealth, mad intelligence, solely by too contemptuous
iuditferenee to her interests, or ignorance of her value, dis-
played by Sir 11. Ward.
I have the honour to be, sir, your obedient servant,
AN lON lAN.
Erectile= Club, St. James-square, Feb. 20, Otil.
TO THE HONOURABLY THE COMXISKIOICEIN FOR TILE
YAM/UM% OF THE INI/VNTIIT OF ALL EATIoNs, 1851.
"My Lords and Gentlemen,-1 have waited until the
last moment, and scorched the very latest lonian papers, in
the hope of learning that something was to be done in the
matter by the goo eminent ut Corfu,
.and am now at this
late period induced to come forward from the tact that an
opportunity is now afforded to your hon. counnission of
allotting to the productions of the lonian Islands a portion
of that surplus spare left over out of the 1,300 feet granted
to Greece, which country, so I learn on the best authority,
will net occupy the whole of that space.
"There is yet time, between this and the let of May, to
send a message and receive back articles for exhibition from
the islands ; for it would be a grievous thing that the spot
in Europe ',mocha' by Great Britain should remain even
unnoticed in the Exhibition, where all nations will bring
either their industry ur their products.
" Nut leasing observed in the report* of the proceedings
of your Royal Conunission any mention of the products of
the lonian Islands, or any reference to the articles likely to
be fomented from those states, I trust that, as an lonian
(whom a sojourn of 30 years in England has made well
acquainted with the language), 1 may be pardoued fur
drawing upon theta your attention.
" The many resources of those islands, I regret to say,
relnnin undeveloped, the attention of the Lord High Com-
missioner sent there to represent her Majesty, our august
protectress, having been directed rather to governing the
people (1 use a very mild expression) than increasing their
commerce, enlarging their products, or burin Mg their
general condition. %Ve exported oil and currants centuries
ago ; we do no more now, though for 3d years we have
enjoyed a sure and continual peace under British pro-
tection, and our polity has beau during that period totally
under the control of British officers.
" But on this point 1 will be silent, fur in this generous
and truly emmopolitan effort of your honourable commis-
sion and its illustrious patron, every thought of the preju-
dice of politics vanishes. 1 have only, therefore, to mention
that, though not conversant myself with commerce, I cats
point out.
"That at Argostoli, in Cephalonia, a cotton cloth, or
nankeen of strong fabric, is neinufactured, with which, in'
former times, the Venetians used to clothe their army and
navy.
" That the ancient Tyrian purple is still found on the
shores of Meganisi, and is USeil in 'lying this cloth.
it That curium grows in the islands, and that an agricul-
tural richly nos some years since formed in Cephalonia for
the encouragement of the cultivation of sugar and cotton ;
and that, were proper encuuragement given and capital
Mond, the latter ,article %mild he grown in very large
quantities. The quality is that of the tea island cotton,
nail the finest muslin, equal to that of ludic, might be
manufacturial from it.
"'That mines of coals and sulphur have been discovered,
but left unworked from want of capital, and that quarries of
grey marble hare also been worked.
" That the chicory of commerce grows wild in the is:aads,
and may be had for the gathering. It is used in large
quantities by the paesuntry, under the name of " prim-
litho." That the liquorice root abounds, and that any
quantity of what 1 we here, as Spanish liquorice, could be
supplied.
" That the wines of the country, so famous of old, though
considered too delicate to bear a sea euyage, might be
made so by common care, and are still, to a sinalldsgree, ex-
ported.
"That the Maraschino of %ante and Cephalonia is famous
throughout the world; that sweetmeats of remarkable mid'
most exquisite delicacy are a staple manufacture of the
Wands of Santa-Mauro and Corfu, sad that, were such once ,
introduced to this country, the demand fur such an article '
of luxury and taste would be very great; that the em-
broidery executed by the Lionel females is famous through-
out
the eget ; and that silk stud. and carpets of goat's hair,
such as are used in the Venetian gondolas, are still a staple
produce of Zante, which also produces fiat, wool and cotton,
pottery and soap.
" The pitch-wells of Zautc would furnish curious speci-
mens, and there are other things, which, if opportunity
were offs red me, I could point out. Should no more COTII•
p tent person 'se already directed the attention of your
lomourable eonsmission to these points, I will write to the
islands, bringing the claims and value of the Exhibition
under their notice. lam of opinion that some personal iu-
terference of this kind will be necewary, since, as I have
'before observed, in none of the 'onion newspapers have I
yet seat any referent: to the Exhibition or explatiatiuu of
.its objects.
In conclusion, I may add, that I am convinced the
lonians generully would be too h ippy to have an upportu-
nity of showing their personal loyalty to their gracious
Sovereign Protectress, by contributing all in they power to
the :clot of the Exhibition, so nobly initiated and patronised
by her illustrious Consort.
" I have the honour to be, my lords and gentlemen, your
moat obedient humble servant,
" G. DEACATO PAPLNICOLAE.
Abiugdon-street, Westminster, Feb. 12."
Exhibition Building, Feb. 18. 18.51.
" am directed by the executive committee to thank
you for your letter of February 12, respecting the con, ribu-
tion from the lonian Islands, and to say that it is nose In
their opinion too late to re-open the question, as all the
space has been allotted, in consequence of the frovemment
of those Islands having some considerable time since notified
that none would be required.
I am, sir, your obedient servant,
" W. G. DCOCOMIIE, for Mr. Rigby Wyatt.
" 0. D. Papanieolas, Esq., Abingdon-street,
Westminster."

LITERATURE.

Dahomey and. the ThAaninna. By FIIEDEHICM E. Tenors.
2 sols., Longman",
Capt. Forbes was the commander of the Ilonetta,
in the African squadron, during a great part of
184$, and having obtained leave from the commander-
in-chief to accompany the newly-appointed vice-
consul at Dahomey to that court, proceeded thither.
In these volumes we have a full journal of his visit.
The King of Dahomey is conventionally regarded
as a sort of model savage-prince, with 2,000
wives, and a palace built round with human skulls.
It is more important here to note that he is the para-
mount ruler of the slave country, and the great pro-
tector of the trade which we are paving our thous-
ands a year to suppress. Lying inland ou the Guinea
coast, lietween the Niger and Volta, the kingdom of
Dahomey is now the greatest military monarchy
m Western Africa. The rule of its king is bused on
slavery. Slaves are the object of his wars,—they
arc the money in which he receives taxes and law-
chases stores; they are to him spoil, state, and ready,
money. Hence he is, par excellence, the ting of the
slave trade.
The Dahoman people are not a true nation, but a
vast body of banditti. Only the king and a fe.w
nobles can claim to he of the Dahuman lace. and
these are not of pure descent, the harems of all being
replenished with the fruits of war. As a military
nation theofficers are natives, but the soldiers- foreign-
ers or purchased slaves. The year is divided between
war and festival. In the months of November or
December the great slave war commences. During
the interval of feasting the army clamour for war
upon this or that neighbouring people, but the king,
in leading them out, conceals the destination of the
movement until within a day's march of the fated
town. The army, which consists of about 12,1100
regulars and as many levies, dues not receive any
fixed pay; the soldiery receive. a recompense adjusted
according to the number of prisoners or heads which
they bring in ; and the officers are rewarded according
to their valour. The peculiar feature of the Dahomun
army is The brigade of amazons, which numbers
,5,000 women. The description of this force is so
curious that we collate the. scattered accounts from
Capt. Forbes's volumes, which are illustrated with a
Ilportrait of one of these viragos, in war uniform.
grasping in her right hand a -Danish musket, and
with the left holding a gory human heatL
TUE AMAZO.MS.
The assets are not supposed to marry, and, by their
own statement, they have changed their sex. " We are
men," say they, " not women." All dress alike, diet alike,
and male and female emulate each other what the males
do, the amazons will endeavour to surpass. They ;di take
great care of their arms, polish the turrets, and, except
when on duty, keep them in covers. There is no duty at the
palace except when the king is in public, and then a guard
of amazons protect the royal person; and, on review,
he is guarded by the males; but outside the palace
is always a strong detachment of males ready for
service. The amazons are in barracks, within the palace in-
closure, and under the care of the eunuchs and the ram-
boodet or treasurer. In every action (with makes and
females) there is some reference to cutting off heads. In
their dances—and it is the duty of the soldier and the tuna-
sun to be a proficient dancer—with eyes diluted, the right
baud is working in a sawlike manner for some time, as if in
the act of cutting round the neck, when both hands are
used, and a twist is supposed to finish the bloody deed.—
Vol. 1., p. 23 and '24.
It is rarely that Europeans are celled upon to believe in the
existence of HISUITORS,— righting women, prepared to do
battle on all around, the terror of the neighbouring tribes,
dressed in the attire of music soldiers, armed with muskets
and swords. These sable ladies perform prodigies of
valour, and not unfrespontly, by a fortunate charge, I
save the honour of the male 'soldiers, by bearing down all ,
before them, discovering themselves to the astonished and
abashed prisoners to be women, exceeding their male cowl-
jutors in cruelty and all the etrunger passions.—Vol.
p. 132.
In speaking of the two armies, let not the sensualist ima-
gine that a Dahoman campaign is disgraced by a freedom it
would almost be natural to suppose to belong to %I/ curiously
disposed an army, half male halt' female. On the contrary,
the latter are in charge of eunuchs, officered by their men
sex, and scorn the softer allurements of their
nature. To use their own words, " they arc
men, not women; their nature is changed! they will con-
quer or die!" Such expressions could not be openly used,
even as mere boasts, by MutHell standing in a jealous posi-
tion, emulating the must daring acts and uchievements of
of mau, unless fundamentally true ; and with the certainty
of being openly contradicted, aud brought to Amine, by
their fellow-soldiers of the opposite sex. Such, then, are the
amazons, in whose chastity we may believe, when we bear
in mind that the extreme exercise of one passion will gene-
rally obliterate the very sense of the others. The amaxunx,
while indulging in the excitement of the most fearful
cruelties, forget the other desires of our fallen nature.—Col.
1., pp. 133 and 134.
In the I)ahoman kingdom the soldiers, male and
female, are all slaves, with just privilege's enough to
give them a direct interest in the number of prisoner!,
captured. War in Dahomey is thus made a trade.
fo get the slaves down to the coast and change
them for their value in cowries, a number of Por-
tuguese merchant!, lend their aid. lu Whydah, the
chief port, there arc, however, five very wealthy
native slave merchants, who own thousands of slaves,
and supply whole regiments to the annual war or
ltunt: This natural bias of the African to the slave
trade is thus remarked on by the author :
AIUICAM LOVE OF THE SLAVE-TRADE.
The Africans are by nature great traders, and require
this habit to be encouraged. If not supplied by legal trade,
the mercantile traffic in slaves occupies their attention. Of
this trade there are sevensl classes, the highest of which is
that of Dahomey, which, in a warlike view, has an apprisech
of honour in it. In the ancient feudal times the prisoners
were detained until ransomed, the conqueror deeming he
had a right to enrich himself by his prisoners: but in Daho-
mey there arc no natives to ransom, and the Dahoman war
becomes a war of extermination, and with the conquest falls
the very name of the kingdom, never more to be revived.
The more degenerate aro those that Imre been easiest up-
rooted, and probably less lucrative to the gamblers—the sale
of relation,. Strength ever predominated, and the father
either sold his son in his boyhood, or ran the risk of age
changing the positions, when the son, now the strongest,
bound the father and sold hint to foreign slavery. Such
seentes are even WOE at times enacted in south-western
Africa, but the laws of Dahomey turbid such an unnatural
sole of human bein,gs.
Of all the =nous of Africa, the greatest traders are those
lying cast and west of Dahomey; the Akan' on the one
side, and the Krems on the other. The Akoos are the Jews
of Africa, and have ma end very rich representatives in
Sierra triune. The Erma are the Gallegos, and prosper in
parts where the natives starve, by undertaking any kind of
tabour, and perforating it well. There is no reason why
labour should nut be introduced into the central position,
or that the neighbours of the Akuos should not learn the
value of accumulating wealth.
With the Delta of the Niger on the east, and Ashantee
en the west, Dahomey may be said to lie between the two
grated pillars of the dethroned slave traffic. While in Da-
homey silks arc eeldorn imported, and nothing but the re-
lax': of the market, greatly increased iu price by the addi-
tional duties aud freights of a voyage and lauding yin
Brazils, is found in trade, it is far ditkrent with her neigh-
bours. The must choice articles are selected, silks of India
and China, corals of immense value, champagne and all the
higher wines, silver and gold ornaments; in short, all the
higher order of trade in its perfection is to be found OH
board some of the largest trailing ships in the world, in the
Bonny and its neighbouring rivers, in order to be ex-
changed for palm oil.
Captain Forbes's business brought him into direct
intercourse with Gezo, the King of Dahomey. He
describes him in the subjoined extract:
HIS HAIIUMAN MAJESTY.
King Giro is about forty-eight years of age, good-looking,
with nothing of the negro feature, his complexion wanting
several shades of being black; his appearance commanding.
soul his countenance intellectual, though stern in the ex-
treme. That he is proud there can be no doubt, for he
treads the earth as if it were honoured by its burden.
Were it not for a slight cast in his eye, he would be a hand-
some man. Contrasted with the gaudy attire of his minis-
ter*, wives, aud caboutreni (of every hue, and laden with
carol, gold, silver, and brass ornaments), the king was plainly
dressed, in a loose robe of yellow silk, slashed with satin
stars and half-moons, Mandingo *ambits, and a Spanish hat
trimmed with gold are; the only ornament being a small
gold chain of European manufacture.
His Majesty seems to ape the airs of his European
brethren with tolerable success. He has his dwarfs
and giants, and also u court tool. During Captain
Furbes's visit he was kind enough to propose the
health of Queen Victoria, " greatest monarch of
of whites, as King Gezo is of the blacks." During
the festivals which are continued throughout the
peace season, the Amazons daily surround his throne,
and fill his ear with the most ludicrous praise—
" Glory be to King Gezo, who can beat all other
kings. and sell them for rum:" Such is savage

s • .... .._. _
flattery.
At these feasts the king is in the habit of indulg-
ing his subjects with the sacrifice of prisoners. Cap-
tain Forbes was compelled to witness ono of these
brutal scenes.

HUMAN VICTIMS.
During the royal absence, a dead silence reigned, as if by
zoneral consent; when by accident it was broken, it was
reinforced by the cuauchi sounding their metal bells, tolling
the knell of eleven human being.. Out of fourteen now
brought on the platform, we, the unworthy instruments of