The Express.
London, England, 1851-12-16 00:00:00

PUBLIC SALES.

Dtc. 11 —By Mr. J. ADAMS, At the Mart.—Three mon-
rdtra or 100/. each on the tolls, &c., of the United Beillint
and B.iirshot-heath Kate-roads, bearing interest at 4/. per
cent—told for 2701. each.
Two similar bondr 01 2001. each-2301.

LOCAL .HARE MARKETS.

LtviorooL, Drc. I.s.—The market has been better to-
day, and not so much pressure to sell. The following are
the transaetisms :—Blackburn (late B. C. and W.Y., pref.
6 per cent.), 161—Caledonian, 151 I—Eastern Counties, 61
—East Lancashire, 15 1-16 c.—Lancishire and Yorkshire,
56:—Ditto (filth shares), Bd.—London and North Western,
llal I—Ditto (new 1-shares), 31 p.—Midlanil, 55: e. 6 5:
ic.—North British, 7—South Eastern and Dover, 203 c.
4 c. I—South Staffordshire, 21 4.—York and North
idland, 211 2—Great Southern and Western, Mk .
MANCHVTER, DEC. 15.—Priciss opened rather low, and
there were but few transactions in the morning, but every-
thing improved after dinner, and a large business was done
at increasing prices. The sales included :—Leeds, 561 57 /
1 ; Sheffield, 32 1 ; Midland, 551 6; Caledonian, 151 1
York and North Midland, 211; )oven, 2041; Cheshire
Junction, 114 d.—Leeds Fifths, 81 ills.
LEEDS, DEC. 15.—We have had a weaker market gene-
rally this morning. Midlands, compared with Saturday's
spotations, have declined 11. They closed this morning at
ud for the account, end of Deoeniber. The other closiog sales
were as follows : Lancashire and Yorkshire (fifths), 81 dis.;
North Western (!'refs.), 12; Leeds Northern Eitensiolla
' (No. 1), 2 dis. ; North Westerns, 131 dis. ; South Lusters
and Dovers, 20.
BIEMISOHAM, DEC. I.s.—This market was rather firmer
to-day, and prices advanced. South Stafferds were done at
Wis.
Bitissot., Dec. 15.—There was a moderate amount of
business done to-day, but prices were scarcely so firm.
Bristol and Ezeter closed at 79; Taff Vales at 149; and
ditto New at 1 3-16 prem.

KOSSUTIL—To the Editor of the Express.—Sir,j-
I beg to suggest that a Bible, bound uniformly with Sheik-
spere's works, he presented to the illustrious Kossuth. This I
would meet the wishes of many of your readers and ad-
mirers of the great patriot.—l am, &c., A PROTLSTANT.—
Dec. 10.
THE GEORGE STEPHENSON TESTIMONIAL.—A meet- 1
ing of the committee of the George Stephenson Testimonial
has just taken place-3,0001. has been raised. It has been
decided that the statue shall be erected in the courtyard of
Ruston station. This is said to be the place most consonant
to the feelings of Mr. Robert Stephenson.
CURRENCY IN THE CHANNEL ISLANDS.—At
meeting of the Jersey Chamber of Commerce lust week the
following resolutions were carried; " That it would not
be advantageous to make any alteration in the present
state of the copper currency. (It bad been moved that the
copper currency of Jersey should be assimilated to the
British, the shilling to be divided into 12 pennies instead of 1
13 as at present.) That the chamber do recommended the
states to order a further issue of copper money to the ex- I
tent of 3,0001." ;
CALIFORNIA AND THE SANDWICH IsLANDS.—A
letter dated San Francisco, Oct. 31 says : " For some time
back there has been a good deal of political speculation
afloat here as to the objet's of an expedition which has been
got up for the Sandwich Islands. Many reasons have been
publicly assigned, but cone of them appear satisfactory, nor
de any of these reasons account tor the singular movement
which has taken place. Two American clipper ships—
Game Cock, of 1,392 tons, and the Witch of the Wave,
of 1,498 tons burden—sailed with a portion of this expe-
dition on the 27th ult., consisting of about three hun-
dred ' volunteers' on board. Both vessels cleared at the
Custom-house for Hong Kong, and neither reported the
number of its passengers, as usual. Of the personnel of
this collection it is sufficient to say that it is of every mixed
character; of its polities,: that the peculiar tenet of the
modern Republican creed, known by the phrase ' universal
destiny,' is entertained by all; of its pecuniary means—
although it is a fact that a few of the parties forming the
expedition possess that amount of respectability accorded
by the world to the ' man of property'—it may with equal
truth be remarked of the majority, that they hare
' everything togain, and nothing to lose,' by the result.
A third vessel, the Colonel -Fremont, a fast-sailing
brig, is preparing to follow the Game Cock and the Witch
of the Wave with another batch of volunteers in a few days.
The most mysterious tart of the affair is where the funds
come front to set this expedition afloat ; for it was argued
that even if the ' volunteers" pay was postponed—a likely
enough arrangement—yet they must hare (had and other
necessaries to ' keep them in the flesh. The only feasible
solution of the mystery is the following, which. be it
true or be it false, came from some of the princi-
pals' in the expedition : You are aware that the King
of the Sandwich Islands some time ago made a
proposition to the United States' government for
the surrender of his territories upon conditions which
would soon lead to ann..aation,' and, probably, as some
say, to an annuity to the monarch, in which arrangement
his old and faithful ministers would not be forgotten. But,
as I do not know the underplot of this little farce, I can
merely mention the current opinion. The gentleman who
was the bearer of these propositions touched at San Fran-
cisco on his way back, and gave oat publicly that he carried
a negative answer from Washington, but, at the same
time, let it be known privately and confidentially that the
government would be very glad to have the Sandwich
Islands somehow ; and would support a movement
on the part of California to accomplish the de-
sired object 'on its own hook'—to use the elegant phrase
;Amy informant. Such an intimation, coming from such a
source and through such a channel—for the envoy was the
American Consul at Honolulu—had its effect, and the cape-
dition was the consequence. Yet, still, this does not account
for the ' ways and means.' Touching my inquiries un this
point, I was distinctly told that they were supplied by the
government. The truth of this I cannot, of course, vouch
for, and can oak repeat that it is the statement of one who
ought to know all about the expedition. How else the funds
could have been raised cannot be accounted for. The alleged
object of the parties being merely, to 'spend the winter in
the more genial climate of the Sandwich Islands" is
all fudge. Why, many of them were quite adrift here, and
could not raise funds to pay the ordinary elm:met of exist-
ence. How could, then, this portion of the party afford
such • " pleasure trip," and in vessels with such " appoint-
ments ? I believe they have not taken " arms" in the
military meaning of the term, but there is such a large col-
lection of heterogeneous weapons of offence always here,
anti with some of which every man is supplied, that a con-
siderable collection could easily be made and shipped with.
oat catkin/ much curiosity. Then, remembering the elm
ratter of the inhabitants who me to be encountered, a few
of Colt's resolvers might be " calculated" upon fur doing
a good deal in such hands.