The Express.
London, England, 1853-02-28 00:00:00

MILITARY.

The Colonelcy of the 20th Regiment has become
vacant by the death of Lieutenant-General Sir Andrew
Pilkington.
MILITARY ON Da.—That Lieutenant Colonel
Arthur is about to retire from the command of the 3rd Dra-
goon Guards, and that he is to be succeeded by Lieutenant
Colonel Jones, of the 3rd West India Regiment, and late
of the 11th Humars.—United Service Gaulle.

DRAFTS FOIL EMBARKATTON COUNTERMANDED.-
The drafts ordered to embark for the West Indies hive, on
the recommendation of the superintendent of the medical
department, been ordered to be detained, in hopes
that the yellow fever, which has proved so fatal of late,
and which by the last accounts was on the decrease, may
have the more effectually subsided.—United .Stervies
Gazette.

IT DAS BEEN DECIDED that, on the arrival in
the Mediterranean of the regiments recently sent out u
reliefs, the ships shall ho detained there for the present,
^•..d of immediately embarking those corn 7fl, '
,?.. Pod •
Ea. Thomas Arbuthnot,
caving the headquarters of the 48th Regiment on board,
is to sail for her destination, Corfu, this evening. The
cases of smallpox on board were only two in number, and
these have been sent on shore.

MARKETS.
HARDWARE.
FEB. 26.—The genenl trade of this town
remains steady, as last reported, although orders are not
coming in quite so freely as they did six weeks since. This
appears, however, to be entirely attributable to the high
price of metals, which has induced most of the manufac-
turers to withdraw or cancel their prices without fixing
others, thus leaving it a matter of uncertainty as to what
rate orders will be executed. The home trade has been
eonsiderably injured from this circumstance ; and, as mat-
ters now stand, it seems as if the mischief was only begin-
ning. At present, however, all the trades are fully em-
ployed. Arising probably out of the scarcity and high
price of copper, our attention has been drawn to a new in-
vention which seems capable of being turned to some ac-
count ; this is • process for plating iron with brass by
means of electricity. The specimens produced are so much
like the real thing as not to admit of being easily detected.
And whilst on this subject it is worth while to notice ano-
ther triumph of skill in the perfection of machinery. At
the wire mills of Mr. Walker a few days since a coil
of copper wire was drawn in one piece four miles in length.
It weighed 1231b5., and is for telegraphic purposes. In the
course of the annual report of the Birmingham Banking
Company to its shareholders, issued a day or two since,
there is the following reference to the trade of the town
and district during the past year :—" The very general
maintenance of credit in this district claims and deserves a
prominent notice as indicating application to legitimate
business, and the avoidance of speculative undertakings.l
Such, perhaps, are some of the salutary fruits of a disastrous
period still well remembered ; and it is much to be desired
that the comparatively easy state of the money market may
not again tempt those engaged in the legitimate pursuits of
business to seek inordinate gains in any of the various ad-
ventures which are, and will be, industriously pressed on
their attention. The past year has been characterised by a
good and steady demand for the numerous products of this
locality, occasioned by the opening of new markets, partly
by the abundance of money offering at low rates, and
partly by the improved condition of various classes at
home. The gradual and in some cases the rapid advance
in the prices of many products has recently increased the
returns of bankers, and thereby counteracted, in some de-
gree, the effect of low rates of profit." This bank was
established 23 years ago, and has a capital of 200,0001. ;
its net profits for the past year are put down at 33,6411.
83. 9d. The other joint-stock banks of the town and dis-
trict exhibit like evidence of prosperity. There is some
uneasiness in the iron trade, and considerable doubts have
been expressed in regard to the maintenance of present
prices; the general opinion appears to be that they cannot
long be uoheld ; prices have gone beyond a legitimate range ;
this, coupled with the scarcity of coals and other attendant
drawbacks, lus thrown the trade into anything but a
healthy condition. On the Marquis of Anglesey's estate, in
the neighbourhood of Brownhills, they are getting a large
and increasing quantity of coal, the pits in that neighbour-
hood ••• • to yield a much larger supply than had ever