The Express.
London, England, 1851-06-23 00:00:00

UNITED STATES.

ARRIVAL OF THE CANADA.
On Saturday night, at seven o'clock, the British
and North American royal mail steam-ship Canada,
Captain Harrison, arrived in the Mersey, from Bos-
ton and Halifax, leaving the latter place on the 13th
inst., with about 70 passengers, 130,000 dollars on
freight, and the usual mails from the United States
and the British provinces.
The royal mail steamer America arrived at Boston
on the mornfins of the day on which the Canada left
;;:;lock. The royal mail steamer Merlin, of the
West India service, left New York on the 9th for
St. Thomas, via Bermuda.
The intelligence by this arrival is not of great po-
litical importance.
Our correspondent says :
NEW YORK, JrNII 10.
We learn from Washington that Josiah Randall,
a respectable lawyer of Philadelphia, has been ap-
pointed minister to Russia. A semi-official docu-
ment has appeared at the scat of government, vin-
dicating the reputation of the present Secretary of
the Treasury from a supposed taint arising out of his
interest in the Mexican claims. It seems he had a
large interest in one of these, and that beforo he
took office he sold it to some friend. It is now
alleged that this sale was not &mai fide. As it
is to be presumed the commissioners decided those
claims according to equity and good conscience, I do
not see why Mr. Corwm's character should be assailed
because he happened, as a private citizen, to have a
claim, which proved to be valid, and which he dis-
posed of at a sacrifice before ho took office.
One of the government revenue cutters, the Taney,
has returned from a cruise in our southern waters.
Her presence there was the signal for the breaking
up of several predatory parties. The officers and
men exerted themselves with the greatest alacrity.
Quite a number of suspected persons were arrested
and sent off to their homes.
Cuba was all quiet on the 28th ult.
Our domestic news is not particularly interesting.
Jenny Lind has finally separated from Mr. Barnum,
who, as I said he would, has made arrangements to
exhibit himself at the World's Fair.
Our warm weather is now fairly set in, and our
townspeople arc getting ready for their summer ex-
cursions and retreats. I regret to say that the
cholera is beginniug to assume a very disastrous ap-
pearance in our western states.
The Willis and Webb affair is getting more com-
plicated than ever. Webb asserts the letters he
holds are conclusive as to the guilt of some persons.
I The question is who arc they ?
The Postmaster-General has announced an ar-

rangement, to take effect after July 1, by which
►etters to the West India Islands, ports in the Gulf
of Mexico, and on the Atlantic coast of South Ame-
rica, can be sent through the United States Post-
office, on prepayment of the United States postage
to any such ports in the British possessions, and with
the addition of the British postage, when destined
for ports belonging to other governments.
In the case of Scott, indicted at Boston for the
rescue of the fugitive slave Shadrach, the jury were
unable to agree upon a verdict. Although agreeing
as to the constitutionality of the Fugitive Slave Law,
they stood equally divided on the question of con-
victing the prisoner. The district attorney has an-
nounced his intention of putting the case on trial
again in a fev, days.
The Mississippi river has risen so high at St.Lonis
as to overflow the levee. A large amount of produce
has been damaged, and the difficulty in shipping and
landing goods has nearly caused a suspension of
business.
I fates from Mexico do not extend beyond the 20th
ult., as at our last issue, but we have more complete
details of the news. The government is in a state of
great perplexity, and there are constant rumours of
a revolution. The attempts to replenish the ex-
hausted treasury have proved ineffectual. It was
proposed to invest the President with full power to
raise funds without the concurrence of Congress, thus
making him a virtual dictator. The country seems
to be verging toward a state of anarchy similar to
that which preceded the war with the United States.
It was reported that the great commercial house of
ltondero, in the city of Mexico, had failed. The
amnesty granted to the Indians in the state of
Puebla has been attended with the most favourable
effects. The revolted Indians are surrendering them-
selves every day. The railroad from Vera Cruz to
San Juan is about to be abandoned. The war in
Yucatan is drawing to a close. The Indians are evi-
dently discouraged, and arc relaxing their efforts.
They suffered a bloody defeat at Baccalar, which
they endeavoured to take by assault, but were re-
ceived with such a heavy fire by the garrison that
they were utterly routed, and choked up the river
with their dead bodies. The whites sustained only
a trifling loss. The state of Zacatecas is in great
distress on account of the long-continued drought.
No rain has fallen since August. Provisions are
enormously dear, and a general famine is appre-
hended.

CANADA.
Our correspondent writes as follows:

TORONTO, June 7.
In our Legislative Assembly last night there was a
debate in committee of the whole house, upon the resolutions
of Mr. Merritt (late president of the executive couneil),for the
purpose of gaining reciprocity with the United States. The
principle of these resolutions is that the house pass an ad-
dress to the Queen praying her to impost such duties upon
the agricultural productions of foreign nations as those
nations impose upon the agricultural productions of Britain
and her dependencies. Mr. Merritt made a long speech in
support of this principle.
Mr. Robinson, a member of the ex-conservative ministry,
followed, and proposed a series of resolutions in amend-
ment, in favour of the principle of Canadian protection and
the closing of the Welland Canal against the Americans.
Mr. Ilineks, the inspector-general, followed. He ridiculed
Mr. Merritt's scheme, as being absurd, and one that would
be equally scouted by the protectionists and free traders in
England ; and contended that the house would .stultify
itself if it adopted it. Such seemed to bo the general
opinion. The principle of Mr. Robinson he also condemned,
being a free trader ; but he stated that it might be worthy
of grave consideration as a measure of retaliation. The
closing of our canals,he stated, would inflict the most serious
injury on the American western trade, that would force
them into the much-talked-of reciprocal free trade arrange-
ment. He did not state that this would be the policy of the
government, but he gave it to be understood that this would
be the probable policy. This announcement is of the
highest importance to our mercantile interests.
Every member who took part in the debate, which lasted
for several hours, was in favour of some form of retaliation.
The question was ultimately postponed for a fortnight, in
order to await the result of the negotiations with the Ame-
rican government, Mr. Mucks having stated that he
might have some important information to convey to
the house in the course of a few days that would bear upon
the matter. A bill has been introduced into the
Assembly for prohibiting the erection of any more rectories,
and for depriving the government of the power of presen-
t tation to the rectories and parsonages now in existence. A
motion for a bill to fix the time and place for the meeting
of parliament was opposed by the government, and was
finally put down by the Speaker aa out of order.
Mr. Holmes, the member for Montreal, stated as a mer-
chant he had had as many as fifty letters expressive of the
very greatest alarm, from the western Mates, lest the
Welland Canal should be closed by the Canadian govern-
meat, such course Miming been rumoured and discussed
in the newspapers. He also stated that the closing of the
canal would inflict a vital stab on the western trade of the
States.
Nothing else of interest has transpired during the week,
except that Lord Elgin gave a splendid &Incur to the
members of both branches of the legislature and a number
of ladies and gentlemen of this city on Thursday evening.
About 500 sat down. The de:framer and amusements were
of the best deseription.

[For markets ace last page.]

EGYPT AND ITS RAlLWAY.—Regarding the rail-
way from Aleiasdria to Cairo, we have heard with regret
that some trilling point of detail not having been clearly
explained to his highness the Pasha, the agent whom he
had sent over did not feel himself at liberty, under the cir-
cumstances, to commence operations without further in-
structions. We now learn with satisfaction that Mr. Robert
Stephenson, with a zeal and liberality worthy of his reputa-
tion, is about to despatch en engineer to Cairo, at his own
expense, to explain all details, and to conclude the contract
on the spot. The British commercial public, who are sen-
sible of the advantages to commerce which this undertak-
ing involves, will, we are sure, appreciate the energy exhi-
bited by Mr. Stephenson, in which they will recognize an
earnest of its speedy completion.—Morning Paper.
TEE CAPS MAILA.—A correspondent says :—"The
subject of the Cape of (}cod Hope mail-packet station is
about to be reconsidered. Although the present station
has some advantages, it has disadvantages of serious m 5.-
ment—two of which are ita distance from tho metropolis,
and its not being connected with London throughout the
whole distance by a double line of railway. Some of the
most influential of the directors of the company owning the
packets are opposed to the present station. A few days
will decide whether the important step of its removal shall
take place or not."