The Express.
London, England, 1853-12-26 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, MONDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 26, 1853

sentinel, who immediately rushed towards the man,
and was about to seize him, when ti,e ruffian fired
another pistol, the ball from which weunded the
sentinel in the right foot. He was obliged therefore
to discontinue the pursuit. The discharge of the
pistol brought out the soldiers of the post, but thoy
were unable to discover the aggressor. The sentinel's
wound is fortunately slight.
From the returns just published by the Moniteur
it appears that the receipts of the Customs' duties
for the month of November amounted to 12,133,961 E,
being 1,189,-164E more than in the corresponding
month of 1832, and 2,942,180 f. more than in Novem-
ber 1831. The receipli of the first eleven months
amounted to 128,533,300 E, being an increase of
2,20:.023f. over the corresponding period of 1832,
and of 21,123,841 f. over 1831. The amount for im-
port duties this year may be therefore calculated at
about 141 millions, or about one million more than
last year.

BELGIUM.

- 40 -

The Journal de Francfort says :—" Some German
journals have announced that instructions hnd been
given to the superior officers of the Belgian Customs
to put an end from the 31st inst. to the effects of the
treaty of commerce now existing be•ween Belgium
and the Zollverein. We can positively state that this
statement is unfounded, and that no measure of the
kind has up to this time been adopted by the Belgian
government."

SPAIN.

-

M. de Turgot, tho French Ambassador, was re-
covering on the 20th. M. Sartorius is now quite
well.

A royal decree, published in the Gazelle of the
ltnh, gnes the force of law to the ministerial
budget, although it has not been sanctioned by the
Cortes.

THE PENINSULAIt MAILS.

• -

The Oriental Company's steam packet Tagus, Cap-
tain It. K. Joy, arrived at Southautpton on Saturday
night, and landed her mails under the charge of
Lieut. E. P. Fuge, , Admiralty agent. Her
dates are: Gibraltar, December 16; Cadiz, 17; Lis-
bon, 19; Oporto, nut able to communicate; Vigo,
20. Amongst her cargo was 4 packages of specie,
value 1,1071.
On the night of the 11th lust. and on the 12th and
13th it blew one of the heaviest gales from the S.W.
anal W. that has been known for many years along
the west coast of Spain and Portugal. The Tagus
was detained in the river of the same same from
the 11th until the 14th in consequence. No lighters
able to come alongside, and several sank in attempt-
ing to do so. At Cadiz, the American ship Emblica,
which sailed on the 10th for Boston, with a cargo of
salt, put back on the 12th in so leaky a condition
that they were obliged to strand her in the bay to
prevent her sinking. In Gibraltar Bay, a barque
and a brig were on shore on the neutral ground and
several vessels in the bay much damaged in lards
and masts. On the 18th instant off Cape Esptcher,
passed a large ship, painted black with white boats,
a full-length female, painted white, fur figure-head,
attempting to beat into the Tagus, under stay-sails
and tore-sail, having lost her topmasts, lower mast-
heads and jib-boom. Passed the Lure on the 19th,
as we were coming out of the Tagus, just going in
and showing a white ensign, also 2nd distinguishing
pendant over 8320. Also a large black brig, with
only a foremast standing, showing lit distinguishing
pendant over 3267.
There were rumours at Lisbon that the cholera
had broken out on board the British fleet. These
rumours are supposed to have originated with the
party in Portugal with whom the re-appearance of
the British fleet in the Tagus is very. unpopular.
There was not the slightest foundation for the
rumours. .

At anchor off Belim—The General Screw steamer Natal,
having put in to the Tagus on the 17th, with loss of furs
and m.,inmasts.
At Gibraltar—Her Majesty's ship 'Vesuvius. In the
Tagus—Rer Majesty's ships Prince Regent, Duke of We!....
Arrogant, Amphion, Imptrieuse, ILsperite,
Valorous. Tribune, Cruiser, and Odin. The St. Jean
d'Acre strived from Plymouth on the 18th—in qtrirantine
when the Tagus left.
Our correspondent writes:
LISBON, Dec. 19.
The Cortex met on the 15th, pursuant to adjournment,
when a lung communication was read from the King Regent,
informing them of the death of the Queen, his assuraptien
of the regency, his having taken the rescribed oath, and
determining to meet them on the 19th to ratify that oath.
After the formalities usual on such an occasion were di'-
posed of, a deputation was appointed to condole with the
King and the King Regent, and proceeded to the palace
for that purpose, accompanied by all the members present.
The King Regent has made his first essay ; and whether
well ur ill advised, time will show. Ile has made not only
.a attack upon the liberty of the press, but upon the right
of protest. It appears that some time age, the Chamber
emitted certain opinions regarding the patronage of the
church in Asia; the Nara* took up the matter, and pro-
tested against the opinions emitted, which the Minister of
Janice el osifies as political hostility. The litoolucian was
in a similar position some time ago, upon another
subject, but no attempt was made to interfere with the
right it then exercised, and which the Nacao has now
exercised ; and although part of the opposition press was
adverse to the course the Nacao took, yet it claims for., the
party of which that paper is the organ the right now exer-
cised, but for which it is prosecuted, it being understood to
have been the desire to have prosecuted 111,000 persons, the
number who signed the protest, but the Attorney-General
refused to cite such a number. It is also understood that
daring the life of the Queen the ministers were con-
stantly pestering her to the course now adopted, but
she said, "They are friends of my uncle Michael; let
them alone." The Regent, however, has fallen into
the error—if error it be—of alienating a whole party, who
on a recent death, laying aside all political feeling, condoled
with the head of the State. The present proceeding then,
on the part of the government, can only be viewed as an
unnecessary act of hostility; and this too at a time when,
entering on a new era, a society or party is beginning to
rear its bead which has; the talismanic word " Iberia" for
its motto, and is coming into existence in a somewhat simi-
lar form to that known as " Die tugend Bond," in the time
of Napoleon, which had for its object the deliverance of
Germany. There are 77 separate proceedings against the
Nacao ;: it was hoped that instead of this course the
Regent would have endeavoured to steer clear of all
extreme parties, ant turned his attention to the improve-
ment of the country and the colonies.
The Cortes having met, one of its first objects must be
the consideration of the finances en account of the falling
off of the revenue. There appears a slight prospect of a
reconciliation between the gov•rnment and the Bank, it
being said that proposals have been made to that end.
Admiral Curry's squadron is to go to ma on a cruise on
the 22nd, leaving the Odin and Valorous in the Tagus.
Beetling', frl ; discount of cotes, 21 per cent.

COSILY OF A Mugs PROSECUTION HETtina.a.. _
Monday last, at the Yorkshire Winter Assizes, Mr. Overend
asked the judge (Mg. Justice Coleridge) it he would all iw
the costs of the promotion in some cases against poachers
concerned in affrays at Temple Newsom and Harewood.
The learned judge replied in the negative, observing that
he thought it untair to saddle the county with the expenses
of cases of this description. Instead of the county being
galled upon to vindinte the law, It rested more properly
upon the gentlemen whose lands had been entered, as by
preserving their game in such large quantities they held
out a strong temptation to poachers to pursue their law-
less avocations. The proprietors of the preserves in
Instances of this description induced poachers to enter
their property, and therefore the, ought to bear the re-
sponsihilitits and expenses of maintaining the game laws.
His lordship said he had consulted with Mr. Justice
Wightman on the subject, and he had expressed a similar
cipini,m. He roust, therefore, not allow the costs of the
prosecution is either ease.
SUICIDE ON BOARD A STEAMER. —A melancholy
and disastrous occurrence, calculated to give rise to most
painful feelings, occurred on board the Laurel steamer
during the passage on Friday night from Glasgow to Bel-
fast. From the monist of the occurrence which has
reached u 4, it appears that a person who has attained some
notoriety for keeping a house of an abandoned character in
Queen-street, engaged passages from Glasgow for six or
seven unfortunate young females on the occasion referred
to. During the course of the voyage the party indulged
rather freely in wine, and their conductor, perhaps appre-
hi oiling that some accident might occur, succeeded in in-
ducing them all to retire for the night, with the exception
of one of the femal. a, named Elizabeth Nixon, belonging,
it is said, to Holywood. She had been in the cabin saloon
for some time, and in consequence, it would seem, of re-
peered requests that she should go to rest like her corn-
, pinions, she went on deck between eleven and twelve
I o'clock, while the vessel was off Ailsa Craig. She was foi-
llowed un deck by the female who had the patty in charge,
and while the latter was requesting the intervention of an
American gentleman who was on deck, in order to induce
1 her to go below, she suddenly caught hold of a portion of
the rigging at that part of the vessel, and flung herself
overboard into the sea. The vessel at the time was going
at full speed, and all exertions to rescue the unfortunate
creature, who thus met an untimely and premature end,
were entirely leuitless.—Northerti 1111.
WATERFORD AND KILKENNY RAlLWAY.—Traffin
return for the week ending Dec. 17, 1843:-1561. Gs. Bd. ;
(29 miles open). Corresponding week, 1842, 461.75. 741.
(13 miles open).

AMERICA.

NEW YORK, Disc. 10.

The President has deliver& his message, and it
proves, as was anticipated, an ext. emely peaceful one,
wholly anti-fillibuster, and highly conservative;
atisfactory to the general public, without eliciting
much excitement., The Secretary of the Treasury
has propounded his new tariff measure, which is on
the whole favourable to an extended free trade;
though it is more protective than at first blush ap-
pears, inasmuch as while it abolishes the taxes on all
imported raw materials of manufacture, while it only
reduces the tax on imported mauutactured goods
per cent., from 30 to 25, at the same time it
raises ahem up to 25—such as cotton manu.
factures and others whereon only a duty of 15
or 20 per cent. is now payable. On silk, the duty
of 15 per cent. on the raw staple is to be taken off,
while the several duties of 15 and 20 and 25 per

cent. on the various stages of its manufacture drill
be more uniform at 23 per cent. This certainly is
not a step much in favour of free trade, but is highly
protective to our growing silk industry.
The change is one highly favourable however to
our manufacturers, and as such will be favourably
received. As the democrats are in full
power M both houses of Congress, this mea-
sure of the administration will doubtless be
passed; especially as numerous Whigs will support it.
The measure has many incidental advantages: it
si

,mplifies the levying Of duties greatly, and will re-
duce the expenses of their collection. There arc to
be only three schedulev. A free list of articles enu-
merated ; a list of enumerated articles, comprising
brandies and other spirits, of cent, per cent.; and a
list not enumerated, comprising every article not
enumerated in the other two lists, of articles paying
23 per cent. duty.
The following is a list of articles which have
llsitberto poid a duty, but which the Secretary of the
Treasury now proposes to udmit free:
Amount Amt. duty
Names of Articles. Imported. yielded.
Dols. Dols.

Anemic
,3.3
Barks wed for imdieina awl tu-
ning 318,000
Brimstone
Backs
Matiegany, and all ornamental
wood mid tiri.wo•al
Brazil woods, other dyewoods in
ii,icks
Cochineal
Codislla or hemp of tow or Ilea,
• t.
Cream of tartar 311,000
Engraving., etching, or plate
Flassetd and linseed
Hatters' furs
Hair 348,000
India rubber 631,000
In iv) 1,281,000
Ivory
Linens 8,897,317
Oils of palm, cocoanut, and olive „ 45.5,000
Raw hides and skins of all kinds

.---
and in all conditions
It.tgs
Salt
Saltpetre and potash
Raw silk 712,000
Spices of all ktr.tk
Steel bars, cast shear or German
Tin, in plates or sheets
Tin, in pigs 721,000
Watches and parts of watches 3,217.000
Zinc, apelter or teutenenne
Wines, except champagne and adul-
t, rated wines 2,111.000
-

Opium '316,000
Sulphate of quinine 223,000
Soda ash
Wool worth los than 10 cents per
pound
141'011.0 ELM 1853.
Value.
Dols.
Woollens
Cott.ons

•
Ilimpen goods
479,171
Iron and manufacture et 27,015,364
Sugar
Kemp 329.122
Snit 100,09,432
Coal

47,720
29,000
141,700

92,600

17,000
41,000
78,000
60,000

lo;000

64,000
162,000

35:000

63,060
120,000

1,.0J0
1,700,000
80,000

201,000

Duty.
7,514,530
6,658,337
95,831
8,104,609
4,49i,333

98,737
211,886
147,003

Torsi, doll►r► 193,462,609 27,337,269

The charges are to be made to take effect only from
the Ist January,lBs4.
On other subjects there is a great barrenness of
topic. There is nothing in the political horizon indi-
cative of excitement. The President's message
seems to operate as a sedative, and the talk of the
Washington Union, and one or two other of our
newspapers, respecting the Africanizing of Cuba by
Great Britain is at a discount. No reply has been
attempted to the statement in Lord Howden's letter
to Mr. Corbin, received by the Europa.
Domestic matters also are very quiet. Congress
will not commence business in earnest till after New
Year's day, there being nothing urgent. Business is
very quiet. The Californian trade has been over-
done. Many clippers and other ships have been
withdrawn from this line,: owing to the scarcity of
cargoes. Many failures of merchants engaged in
shipping to San Francisco have occurred, and Cali-
fornia credits are in disfavour. The market for bread-
stuffs exhibits no decline, in consequence of the
Niagara's advices, but are sustained from the scanti-
ness of stocks and the high rate of sterling ex-
change. Our Money Market is growing quietly, but
steadily easier, and rates have a downward tendency.
Prime grades of bills receivable, of desirable dates,
are negotiated freely at ten per cent., and other de-
scriptions at 12 to 13.
Our stock market is steadily improving. Confi-
dence is growing again ; and the advances to the
west for bringing forward produce are beginning to
be returned to us in Wall-street. Our railway in-
terest continues the most depressed, being most in
want of money, and being also unable, like other in-
terests, to contract their obligations and contracts
suddenly within the altered state of the money mar-
ket as compared with that when they contracted
their engagements.