The Express.
London, England, 1847-02-27 00:00:00

COLONIAL.

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CEYLON.—Our flee from this colony are to the i 1
13th of January.
The session of the legislative council terminated on the I I
17th of December. Among its labours was an ordinance
"to protect sad encourage Indian labourers resorting to
Ceylon for employment." It provides for the appointment of '
• board of trustees to carry its provisions into effect: two of '
the trustees are to be nominated by the governor, and three
elected by the legislative council. The trustee. may establish
hospitals for the Coolies at Colombo and other places; they
may expend a certain annual sum to provide passages for
Coolies from India to Colombo; they may appoint rest-
houses for the Coolies along the roads. Regulations are
mode as to the number of passengers in proportion to a
ship's tonnase, and for securing to the Coolies the full use of
hospitals and rest-houses. The expenses of carrying the
ordinance into effect are to be defrayed out of a tax on cul-
tivated lands, exempting those cultivated in rice. A meeting
of planters was held at Kandy on the 19th of December to
petition against this ordinance. The statements made at the
meeting were intended to show that the ordinance would
tend to increase the dearness and scarcity of labour; and
that the complaints of Tall-treatment of Coolies, which had
led to the pawing of the ordinance were unfounded.
The Colombo Examiner of Jan. 9 contains the following
illustration of the working of the Navigation laws :—" Ao
Arab vessel entered the harbour of Colombo a week or ten
days since, with • general cargo from Bombay. The vessel
not having • British register, was of course infringing our
navigation-laws, by carrying goods from one British posses-
sion to the other, and was not permitted to land any portion
of her cargo here. The difficulty, however, WWI not of se-
rious moment, for after a little debating, it was arranged
between the master of the vessel and the native consignee,
that the ship should proceed to Cochin or Alipee on the
Malabar Coast, there to land her freight, which could be
brought down by any of the coasters, and herself to return
here for a homeward cargo. Here we see annoyance and
difficulties thrown in the way of trade, for the fancied sup-
port of our navigation-laws. We say fancied, because the
object sought is not really attained ; the foreign vessel does
' convey the merchandise to within two days' sail of the
' destined port, and those two days' employment are all that
' the British registered vessel enjoys, as a set off against the
' delays and losses of the trader."
A private letter from Colombo speaks of the sugar citifies-
, tion in Ceylon ass failure. For this we were prepared : the
, climate of a great part of the Wand is not sufficiently moist.

TRADE AT SIEGAPORE.—The Singapore Free Press
publishes a comparative abstract of the official returns of the
trade of that island for the pest and present year, of which
the following are the principal items. The total amount of
treasure and merchandise imported in the past official year,
is, in company's rupees. 28,922,276; exported, 23,668,727.
The total of merchandise imported from Great Britain
IF, in company's rupees, 7,093,890: from Continental Eu-
rope, 846,859; Calcutta, 4,786,869; China, 2,758,419: Jam,
1,426,397 ; the rest being chiefly made up by the trade with
the neighbouring islands, and Eastern Archipelaso. The
exports to great Britain ef merchandise are, in company's
tares, 2,193,403; Calcutta, 962,195; Continental Europe,
860,798; China, 6,432,603. The trade with the United
States of America is extremely small—imports, in com-
pany's rupees, 48,593; exports, 25,381. That with
New South Wales is increasing ; the imports being,
in company's rupees, 128,631; the exports, 162,762. The
whole commerce of the place is steadily increasing, and
shows what a perfectly free trade can effect in a place
having no commerce of its own, a mere wilderness. Yet
with this successful example before their eyes, our rulers
appear unwilling to extend the principle to other places
similarly circumstanced. The whole expenses of Singapore
are more than covered by an excise duty, which does not
affect is internal commerce ,• yet the mania for regulating is
allowed its full course at Hong Kong, and Aden is loaded
with duties and port-charges.

nit eclat.
The Queen and Prince Albert took their usual
early walk yesterday. His R.ll. Prince Albert rode out on
horseback yesterday. attended by the Equerry in Waithl4,
Capt. the Hon. A. H. Gordon. Their RE.H H. the Prince
of Wales, Prince Alfred, the Princess Royal, and the Prin-
ter Alice, rode on ponies yesterday in the gardens of Buck-
ingham Palace. Her Majesty and Prince Albert honoured the
performance of the French Plays with their presence yes-
, terday evening. Her K.H. the Bucher of Kent, also ho-
, enured the performance of the Preach Plays with her pre- I
untie lost evening.
ANTICIPATED VISIT OP THE KING OP TILE BEL-
GIANS TO ENOLAND.—His Majesty, who arrived at Paris
on Monday lust, accompanied by the Queen of the Belgians,
is, it is stated, expected to arrive in England in the course of
neat week, upon a brief visit to her Majesty ; the Queen of
the Belgians remaining at the Tuileries during the short
absence of her illustrious consort. The unsettled state of
the relations between France and England, caused by the
late Spanish marriage, as well as the disorganised state of
affairs in Portugal, are rumoured to be the cause of the anti-
cipated visit of her Mujirdy's uncle to this country. As the
Court will leave Buckingham Palace, according to present
arrangements, for the Isle of Wight, about Wednesday or
Thursday next, the King of the Belgians, (should the
rumour of his Majesty's intended visit to England prove
correct) will be the guest of her Majesty, during his limited
stay, at Osborne-house. A special messenger from Paris
arrived at Buckingham Palace on Thursday evening.

A cabinet council was held at twelve o'clock yea-
terday at the Foreign-office. The ministers present were—
Lord John Russell, the Marquis of Lansdowne, 81r George
Grey, Viscount Palmerston, Earl Grey, the Earl of Auck-
land, Sir John Ilobhouse, Lord Campbell, the Earl of Cla-
rendon, Viscount Morpeth, the Marquis of Clanricarde, and
the Right lion. H. Labouchere. 'The Right Hon. T. B.
Macaulsy subsequently joined his colleague. The Chancel-
lor of the Exchequer was prevented by indisposition from
attending the meeting. The council sat two hours.
PRIVY Couivett.—Her Majesty the Queen will
hold a privy council this afternoon at Majesty
Palace at
three o'clock.
CABINET COUNClL.—Summonses were issued Lot
evening for a cabinet council at the Foreign-office at four
o'clnck this afternoon.
The Duke of Wellington has left Apeley House for
Str,,thfieldsaye, HanU, where the noblo and pliant duke
will receive the judges of the western circuit this day. The
sherif and a select party are invited to meet the learned
judges, who open the assizes at Winchester on Monday. His
Grace returns to town either on Monday or Tuesday next.

(From last night's GassNs.)
WINDSOR CASTLE, FEB. 4.—The Queen has con-
ferred the honour of Knighthood upon E. V. Williams,
Esq., one of the Judges of her Majesty's Court of Common
Pleas.
Sr. JAIME'S PALACE, FEB. 24.—The Queen has
conferred the honour of Knighthood upon D. Dundsa,
Esq., her Majesty's Solicitor-General; also on C. Rauh--
son, , Recorder of Prince of Wales's Island, Singapore,
and Mgao.u.
DOWNING-811MM FEB. 24.—The Queen has ap-
pointed Major W. Caine to be Colonial Secretary and
Auditor-General of Accounts for the Island of Hong-Kong;
C. Bt. George Cleverly, Esq., to be Surveyor-General ;
W. T. Mercer, Esq., to to Chief MagiAzate of Police for
that island; and J. W. Sheriff, Em., to be her Majesty's
Solicitor-General for the island of Antigua.

ILLNESS OP MR. BARON PLATT.—During the re-
cent severe frost Mr. Baron Platt had the mitfortune to slip
down, and hurt his hip so severely that an operation woe
deemed necessary. Mr. Traver* operated on Tuesday, and
the learned baron hu since been going on favourably,