The Express.
London, England, 1851-06-21 00:00:00

doubt, that the mad will be opened for transit as far as
I Gorgon by next January ; some delay will be caused by
the wet season just set in, but not so much as anticipated,
since they find native labourers can be obtained who are
not affected by the rains. When we were at Carthageaa
on the 27th of May, 300 were waiting to proceed by the
next steamer to Chagres. From what wo have witnessed,
I think there is every probability that early in the next
year our steamers will no longer go to Chagres, but to Navy
Bay, where they have excellent and commodious wharves
to go alonedde, and also a secure anchorage, whereby
the inconvenience to which passengers are subjected at
present, by employing boats to reach Gorgona against a
strong current, particularly during the rains, will be avoided,
to say nothing of the insolence and extortionate demands of
the boatmen. As a public convenience it is likely to be, as
it deserves, the most successful undertaking of the present
day on this continent. Gorgona is about 15 miles from
Panama, end the conveyance will be by mules, as at pre-
sent, until the road is completed.
JAMAICA.

The Governor, on the 23rd of May, prorogued the
legislative, apparently in a pet. The first paragraph
of the somewhat lengthy speech he delivered on tho
occasion is as follows :
This session of unexampled duration, and marked by a
pestilence heretofore unknown in the island, CORICS this (lay
to a close, which is also of an unusual character; for it is to
be doubted whether on a consideration of all the circum-
stances by which I have to inform you it is attended, you
may not be desirous of resuming the despatch of business,
for specific purposes, and for a short time.
Sir ('harks next intimated his reasons for having
assented to 28 bills. Ito then went on to state
why he refused to sanction some other measures that
had passed the legislature. They were :—an Act to
develop the Mineral Resources of the Island; an Act
to enable Magistrates in special sessions to ren-
der effectual the services of Parochial Constables; an
Act to appoint Commissioners to raise a Loan of
250,0001. by the sale of Debentures in Great Britain ;
and an act to encourage Immigration. Having
assigned his reasons for refusing to concur in these
measures, Sir Charles concluded as follows :
Gentlemen, in these circumstances it is my intention to
prorogue the legislatureuntil Monday fortnight. If in any
way daring the interval it should be made certain to mo
that a majority of the whole Rouse of Assembly desires to
meet again for a short time to retrieve what has not been
brought to a happy conclusion, I would cause a meeting of
the legislature for the despatch of business, to be called by
proclamation on that or upon some other early day. If I
should not learn that such a wish exists on the part of tho
Assembly, the legislature will be further prorogued by pro-
clamation from Monday, the 9th day of June, for the cus-
tomary period of six weeks. For the present I do now in
her Majesty's name prorogue this General Assembly to
Monday, the 9th day of June next, and it is hereby pro-
rogucd accordingly.
The May "seasons" had arrived, to the joy of the
planters, and the benefit of the island generally-.
The ruinous effects of the long-continued drought
had been generally and severely felt, and the advent
of these seasons was hailed with every demonstration
of joy and acclamations of pleasure. 'lice fields,
wluen had been completely parched and converted
into arid stubble, have again been clothed with her-
bage, and vegetation was rapidly pisgreswing under
the effects of the ruin. '1 he parelied and sterile pas-
tures have been covered with luxuriant flowers and
herbs, and uatute seemed dressed in her holiday
clothes." It was the general expectation that want
of rain would not be immediately felt for some time.
The sugar crop of the island had 'been good, although
not equal to the anticipations of the more sanguine.
In some parts of the island it is satisfactory to learn
that the supply of labour is found to be but slightly
affected by the cholera—its victims having been in
general the aged, the infirm, and the dissolute.
BRITISH GUIANA.

The session of the Combined Court closed on the
lath of May. The governor took leave of that as-
sembly with the following address :
I cannot claw this session in the u.ual form, without
addressing a few words to you in acknowledgment of tho
zeal and assiduity with which you have attended to tho
transaction of the public business, during a period of nearly
three months, in which the court has frequently sat for
seven or eight hours without adjournment. The results of
the time and attention which you have thus devoted to your
duties, will be of lasting importance to the colony. You
have accomplished a revision of the tariff, making re-
ductions which at former rates of consumption, will
benefit consumers to the extent of nearly 120,15)0 dollars
a-year ; you have materially lightened the tonnage dues
and fees exigible from shipping; you have reduced several
of the licences affecting retail traders ; totally abolished
the income tax, and put the produce tax, fur whatever
period it maybe continued, on a sounder footing. Measures
like these must be alike gratifying and beneficial to the
eommnnity, and though the aggregate amount of the re-
ductions made is even larger than I ventured to anticipate
at the commencement of the session, I feel confident that
they are justified by the state and prospects of the revenue,
and that front the increased trade and consumption which
will in the ordinary course of things ensue, tho calculations
set forth in the report of the committee of ways and means
will be more than realised. I trust that the labouring
classes will recognise, in the great diminution of duties
on the articles which they generally use, no less than in the
modifications which you have sanctioned in the case of those
licences most nearly affieting their interests, the disposition
which I am sure pervades this court, to affordevery possible
advantage to the industrious and enterprising among them.
Thanking you in conclusion for the provision which has
been mule for the public service, 1 now declare this session
of the Combined Court to be at an end.
In the course of the fortnight iOO Coolies from
Calcutta had arrived in the Zenubia. The weather had
been showery, but the public health continued good.
Some excitement has been occasioned in the co-
lony by the resolutions passed at a meeting of pro-
prietors and others interested in British Guiana,
held in London on the 4th of April, on the subject
of a petition front a portion of the inhabitants pray-
ing for a change in the constitution. The resolutions
of these gentlemen substantially declared that,
although sonic alterations in the legislative institu-
tions of British Guiana were desirable, a council and
House of Assembly, as prayed for by the petitioners,
and based on a system of free, direct, and popular
representation, would be highly inexpedient. This
meeting had sensibly counteracted the proceedings
of the more violent section of the reform party. Tho
Court of Policy stood adjourned to the 2nd of June.
Mr. George Quayle had been elected to fill the va-
cancy in the Court of Policy caused by the departure
of 'fr. Vandergonelescher. A vacancy had also been
occasioned in the College of Financial Representa-
tives by the resignation of Mr. John Daly, who had
been appointed administrator-general of Demerara
and Esiequilio. The weather had been very showery
during the fortnight. Fur seine months past there
had been little grinding on the plantations, in con-
sequence of the wetness of the season. The rains