The Express.
London, England, 1846-09-30 00:00:00

CANADA.

Since our last mall, the public mind has been more occu-
pied with imperial than with provincial politics, especially
since the arrival of the last intelligence from England, with
the news of the passage of the British possessions bill through
the House of Commons.
We believe all parties must unite in according the
praise of consistency to the British Government, for this
prompt and equitable measure. There appears, how-
ever, to be some doubts as to the extent to which we should
avail ourselves of it. Indeed the transition from the old

We have already alluded to the present duliness of
Canadian politics. This arises partly from the topics
brought upon the carpet, during the session of Paella-
meat, having been already pretty nearly exhausted--
from men's attention, at this season, being turned to their
business pursuits and perhaps still more from the
change in the head of the government, which naturally
induces the " wire pullers " to put oil their operations until
they can be resumed with a prospect of permanent results.
This is the time rather for preparation than for action
The arrival of L',rd Elgin will, no doubt, be the signal tor a
general move. The local papers say.
People know so little of this nobleman that there has
been no room for the expression of strong opinion on 11,s
appointment. In general he is understood to be a dis-
tant reLation of some marbles in the British Museum—and
that is nearly all. It is of more consequence that he is
in the prime of life, and likely to make a long stay here.
The frequent change of Governors has produced infinite mis-
chief. Upon the whole, Lord Elgin's comparative obscurity
is, perhaps, in his favour. It will leave him to rest upon his
acts here fur his reputation.
We have a few arrivals front among the autumn fleet for
Montreal, but it is feared many will be late. Two hundred
sail have recently reached Quebec.
H.M.S. Vindictive, bearing the flag of Admiral Austen,
is also at Quebec. lI.M. schooner Gulnare, Captain Bay..
field, is now at Montreal. Captain Bayfield having been
applied to to survey the Lake of St. Peter, upon wLich
the provipcial government has undertaken some very
cznesim works. The Lake is formed by the junction of
several riven with the St. Lawrence, and is rendered much
shallower than the stream, by the deposits brought down by
them. The object is to deepen a channel fur larger vessels
than those which now come here ; but after a great many
thousand pounds have been laid out. it seems to be generally
believed that the scheme is impracticable, or that the plan
adopted was not the best calculated to carry it out. Capt.
Bay field's advice has, therefore, been sought.
The mercantile news by the last mail has given a spur to
our market, which is at the moment rather bare in Montreal,
on account of the Lachine Canal having been closed. This
work will open ou the 29th inst., and remove the inconve-
nience.

Lieut. Waghornhasarrived in town from Marseilles
but he has not brought the Indian express. It appears
that he has travelled in advance of his Courier in
order to make arrangements for facilitating th,?,
transit of dispatches, which had not arrived from
Alexandria when Lieut. Waghorn left.

We have no farther particulars from Dundrum
Bay; but when the last accounts left, the state of the
weather was threatening, and the strong winds which
have since prevailed occssion serious apprehensions
for the ultimate safety of the Great Britain steamer.
lier position, to say the least of it, is a very critical
one. She lies upon a dangerous coast, and may suffer
irreparable damage either front the violence of the
sea or the immense weight of her, machinery and
cargo ere the next spring tides afford the slightest
chance of again placing her beyond the reach of mischief.
But how happened a catastrophe by which life and
property have been periled to such an amount as in
the present instance' In this respect the public has
a right to be informed. Some explanation is de-
manded,
and ought not longer to be postponed, seeing
that the statements current are of a most unsatisfac-
tory kind, and that some of them, too, are of a nature
to implicate parties who may not fairly be obnoxious
to censure. It is a strange fact that where the vessel
struck she was many miles out of her proper course,
in a ran of a few hours only from the port of departure ;
I and if it be true, as some aver, that the Isle of Man
was distinctly seen in the passage from Liverpool to
the Irish coast, then it becomes still more difficult to
account for what has happened. It is hoped that the
proprietors of the Great Britain will at once publish
some authentic account of the entire transaction.

The naval intelligence received from the Cape re-
ports the decease of Sir Cornwall Ricketts, com-
manding the I lelena, 16. The Commander-in-Chief,
Rear-Admiral Dacres, bad sailed in the President, 50,
for the Mauritius, where he would be joined by the
Conway, 28; Cleopatra, 20; Helena, 10 ; snake, 16;
Childers, 12; and Thunderbolt steamer. The Re-
sigance was expected, with troops, front Monte
Video.

The French papers state that Marshal Bugeaud has
been ordered fotthwith to Algeria to watch the move-
ment of Abd-el-Kadir, on the frontiers of Morocco ;
and it is also mentioned that a division of the French
fleet, under the Prince de Joinville, is ordered from
the Mediterranean to the coast of Spain.
The price of wheat is rapidly rising throughout
France. In the markets contiguous to Paris tt has
advanced from 33e. to If. per hectolitre, and 'at
Orleans the rise has been as high as 2f. The price
of bread is increasing in all the towns. At Lille
it is 42;e. per Kilogramme; at Rouen 47c.; at Cha-
lons-sur-Saone 52e. ; and the price is rapidly ad-
vancing even at Marseilles, where large supplies of
grain have been imported from the Black Sea.
When the last account left Madrid it was generally
expected that a modification of the Ministry would
immediately take place. Narvecz, Bravo Murillo, and
according to sonic Maoel Concha will be included
in the new Cabinet.

ELECTION OF LORD MATOR.—CLOSE OF
SECOND DAY'S POLL.
Wood 6')2
Cnrr01l
Hooper l3O

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.
More Mr. Sorjrant Adam,.
STEALING LEAD AND GAS-FITTINGS.—Patrirk Read,
aged SO, was indicted for stealing 13Ihn. of lead, and a quan-
tity of gas-fittings, the property of Charley Hooker. It ap-
peared from the evidence that the prisoner was employed as
a plumber, in a house in Marylebone-lane, that he went and
sold the property in question at a marine store shop, and that
on its being exposed for sale the prosecutor recognised it
as his property, and the marine-store dealer identified the
prison, r as the man of whom he made the purchase. Several
witnesses were called, all of whom gave him an excellent
character, having known him for many years. He was found
Guilty, and on account of his former good character, sen-
tenced to only one month's imprisonment.
WHO STOLE me MUTTON ?-211artha !Toscani, was in-
dicted for stealing Sibs. weight of mutton from a butcher's
shop. The evidence went to prove that she was seen to take
the mutton fr-an a hook, put it in her apron, and walk away
with it. Prisoner, in her defence, said she took the mutton
from the hook for the purpose of taking it into the shop and
having a piece cut off, and as there were a great many people
round the shop, she had to walk past them, and before she
could get into the shop, she was taken into custody.—Mr.
Sergeant Adams s-lid he never yet knew a prisoner who was
charged with stealing mutton, that did not say that it
dropped from a hook and caught in their clothes. The first
ease be ever heard was so, but the difficulty I.r them to get
over was, although the mutton fell down, it could not walk
away. The prisoner was found guilty and sentenced to six
week's imprisonment.

TRADE OF I,o\D:2l\.—lt is quite refreshing to wit-
ness the activity and animation exhibited on the river and in
the docks for the last day or two, and at present. About
two hundred and thirty vessels are reported inwards for yes-
terday and the day before only. They came from almost
every part of the world, laden with precious cargoes of all
sorts of fruits and products, of immense value.
FREEMASON RY.—The provincial grand-romter, the grand-
officers, officers, and brethren of the several lodges of Hamp-
shire, assembled at the Town-hall, Gosport, yesterday, and
marched in procession to Trinity church, where the provin-
cial grand chaplain, the Rev. T. T. Haverfield, rector of
Goddineton, Oxford, preached a most eloquent discourse.
The brethren, after divine service, returned to the Town-
hall, when the business of the grand lodge was resumed.

COMMERCIAL 4. MARKETS.

MONEY MARKET & CITY INTELLIGENCE.

The -Austrian Lloyds, a journal published at
Trieste, in an article said to be founded on official documents,
gives the following summary of the aggregate foreign mari-
time commerce of all the states of Europe. The European
merchant marine, coasting vessels not included, is rated
at 260,000 ships, measuring 33,49.5,000 tons. The
value of the merchandise carried is estimated at 4,600,000,000
florins, or say nearly 480,000,000 sterling. The proportion
per cent., in which the various European states participate
in this gigantic aggregate of commerce is represented
by the following figures : England, for 51 13-16 ;
France, for 13 3-5 ; Holland, for .5 7-9 ; Hamburg,
for 4 4-5 ; Russia, for 3 8.9 ; Sardinia, for 3 1-6 ;
Belgium, for 2 15 ; Prussia, for 2 1-9 ; Austria, for 1 4-5
the Two Sicilies, for 14 ; Sweden and Norway, for 11-5