The Express.
London, England, 1847-01-01 00:00:00

i 5 5. I

672 be I WI 711 i its 73

The Madrid mails, bringing the journals and cor-
respondence of the 24th, were received in Paris on
Wednesday.
The Madrid Gazette contains a circular from the
Minister of Finance, calling on the intendents of
provinces not to assess landowners at a higher rate
that 12 per cent. upon their incomes, and command-
ing them to observe a strictly equitable mode of
assessment. The Hera!do countenances the rumour
of an approaching favourable termination to the
negociations with Rome, the immediate effect of
which will, it says, be to extinguish the hopes of the
Carlists. Some Carlist bands had appeared in Cata-
lonia. There was a rumour of an engagement !be-
tween some gendarmes and a petty band of insurgents,
near Roca Corva, in that province, to the disadvan-
tage of the latter, who took to flight.
The advices from Portugal are not so recent as those
already reeeived in London.
MADRID, Dsc. 24.—Tbree ppeerr Cents., 331; ?Int per Cents., 20l;
Plosives, el ()coupons, 19. on London, M.

We have papers from the Cape of Good Hope to
the 24th October, but the news from the seat of war
is not important. Some skirmishes with the enemy
are reported, with loss on both aides. The Bailin
were said to have become mach dispirited, so that it
was believed the war might be speedily terminated,
by a combined movement on all points. This, how-
ever, could not be undertaken; for, in the ab-
sence of means of transit, it was impossible
to conduct military operations on an extended scale.
To remedy such a state of things, the commissariat
department was actively engaged, hurrying mules,
horses, light waggons, and other means of transit
to the frontier.
A general order, issued by Sir P. Maitland, on
Sept. 18, dismissing a portion of the colonial troops,
had been made a pretext by the Stellenbosch Burgher
Force for withdrawing from the service, and abandon-
ing the poets which had been committed to their
The commandant of this carps thus reports
tooth government what passed on mustering one de-
tachment. It will show the grievances complained
of by the Burghers:
I mastered them together, and explained to them atlength
his excellency's views and intentions, using my beet en-
deavours, with the zealous co-operation of Capt. Brien, to
induce them to remain, under promise that they would soon
be relieved, and would receive a pay of 6d. per day from the
16th to the day of their reaching the district of Stellenbosch.
After using many other arguments, which I hoped might in-
dues them to continue in their duty, one as spokesman came
forward for the rest, and replied In the following drain: " Corn- I
mordant. What tithe use of our promising to stay any longer.
when in fact we cannot do so, for we have now been more
than a fortnight without soy forage for our hones, and ax
full days without meal, biscuit, or bread for ourselves. Al-
together
, we have been made to endure such continual hard-
dupe and privations, notwithstanding our repeated remon-
strewn, that we cannot remain ; and whatever you may
wish to say to the contrary, we know that by the general
order all the Burgher Force has been discharged, and being
thus released, we now must and will go—hurry home, and
save our drain from unavoidable ruin ; for if we now allow
ourselves to be persuaded toremain, and accept the insulting
offer of sixpence per day from henceforth, we know that we
shall be detained much longer; hence we are determined to
act upon the general order, considering ourselves thereby
finally and fully discharged, notwithstanding anything that
might be urged to the contrary.
The success of mining operations in other colonies
appears likely to stimulate the Cape settlers to re-
searches into the mineral treasures of South Africa.
It is stated, indeed, that an extensive bed of lead ore
was dicovered some years since in Ale Albany
division of the east coast, near Algae Bay, and
that an "experienced mineralogist,
_viho h.'ul heard
in England of these ores, purchased lands in the
vicinity of Van Staden's River," and set to work the
mines with practical men, after satisfactorily tn`ting
the producbveness of the ores. The analysis of the
ores is asid to give " 60 per tent. of lead, and a n..lt
. inconsiderable portion of silver."

Mr. Thalwitzer, the consul at Cape Town for
Hamburg, had despatched a quantity of minerals
to that city to be analysed. The experiments
were committed to the care of Dr. B. Sthamer, of
the Uftiversity of Rostock, who has found, after the
requisite processes, the details of which are given in a
letter from that learned person in the Cape papers,
that the specimens sent and operated upon yielded :
la 100 parts M.O7 of lead.
Id.
Id.
Id.

9972

Should these lead mines be convenient for working,
the proximity of the Cape will enable the workers to
establish excellent markets in India and China for
the lead, to the prejudice of the Americans, who now
enjoy a monopoly of the trade there.

The following is from the Graham's Town Journal:
Letters from Waterloo Bay, received to-day. contain the
distressing intelligence of the loss,at that place,of the barque
Catherine, NO tons burthen, freighted with government
supplies for the troops.
There can be no doubt but that this misfortune will bring
the greatest possible discredit on this particular part
of the coast so a landing-place, and which is to be re-
gretted, as it is certain the government must have
access to Kaffirland on some part of its coast, and if
so, the nearer to the present colonial boundary the
better for the whole community. Judging from
imisset at ibit-legi taw be
'of the r ' wfll, for lamM

coast purpoati, rtarabie—io
an indentation, inaatnnelt se in heavy swells the ocean, from
•-- confined . . . .

being within a curvature, is raised into roller,
against the force of which chain cables and anchors
appear to be of but small avail. It should, however,
be taken into account, that during the last few weeks
the weather has been unusually boisterous on every
wt of this coast, and that Waterloo Bay is not the
Only place where disaster has occurred. In ftne weather a
landing may be effected there with the greatest facility, and
of which we have ample proof in the fact, that at the
outset, and for some weeks subsequently, no difficulty
was experienced,—the success with which supplies were
landed actually saving the army from the necessity
of hurriedly falling back within the colony, in order to
escape from absolute want of food. At the Kowie the opera-
tion of landing supplies has been more successful, but still
not unattended with delay, danger, and difficulty. Still
it is evident that much of this would be at once obviated by
the simple provision of a suitable steam-tug. The river is
easily accessible to vessels of small draught of water; the
difficulty consists in the little dependence which can be
Sited on the winds, which are particularly variable and
gently altogether neutralised, by the adjacent high
. A sum of 2,0001. would furnish the n
vessel for this service, and the Kowie would then lescaev7raZ
the advantages, not merely of a harbour, but of a perfectly
wore dock. . . . Colonel Somerset and Lient.-Colonel
Lindsay arrived this day at Graham's Town, from Kaffir-
land. Their sojourn here will, it is said, only be for the
brief period of a few days. This afternoon the 73rd Regi-
ment arrived in Graham's Town. They are in general
young active men, and will prove at this moment a most
acceptable addition to the force now in the field. From
persons who have just reached town from Kaffir-
laud, we learn that a camp is about to be formed
immediately at the month of the Buffalo, where
government stores were landed, during the Kaffir
war of 1835, with perfect success, under the super-
intendence of Mr. J. Baillie, and for which exertions, and
the intelligence he displayed, in acquiring a thorough know-
ledge of that locality, he received the especial amnia of the
commander-in chief, Sir Benjamin D'Urban. Information
bad been received that several horses and csttle, the property
of Mr. L. H. Meurant, had been carried off from the
neighbourhood of Rieheek. A portion of the new levy,
'about 40 in number, raised in this district, has arrived in
Graham's Tewn. They are men of colour, and are from the
institution of Fameraeld, and as we believe also from the in-
stitution of Theopolis. The new levies have not come forward
readily, and it in thought there will be a considerable diffi-
culty in raising the number required by the requisition of the
commander in-chief. Information has also been received
that several oxen and ten horses have been taken from the
farm of Burnt Kraal. Four of them animals are the pro
petty of Mr:Enis, now reading on that place, and who is
now deprived of his last hone. Detachment of the 45th
Regiment marched from town at noon to-day, for the camp
at Waterloo Bay.

NETHERLANDS.—Tan HAGUE, Disc. 30.—1 n
the second chamber of the States General, in the sitting of
the 29th of December, some royal menagee were received
one relative to *tripe& of the greet stokes and deck in
Flushing, and the second to the following effect
and Mighty Lords,—The high price of provisions in 1845 has
occasioned extraordinary expenses for the support of the
prisoners, and, in consequence, a new project of law is pre-
tented to your mightinenes for making an addition to the
fourth chapter of the budget of the present year. According
to tables drawn up by Baron Melville Yon Corn-
bee, our trunsmarine poesessions in Asia, Africa, and
America are 26,600 geographical miles in extent, with
a population of 15.105,000 souls, of which 25,872
square miles, with 15,007,000 souls, belong to the East
Indies. These tables do nut include that part of the coast
of New Guinea which is counted as part of our pores *ons,
and the population of which is estimated at 200,000 souls.

• -
The Dutch Trading Company has caused an an-
pounce/neat to be made at Rotterdam, to the effect that the
200,000 bags of coffee withdrawn at the last sales will be in
the market, for disposal, from Jan. 1, 1847, till further
notice, but not in quantitne of less than 10,000 bags. The
first 50,000 bags will be offered at the price at which they
were bought in ; the following 60,000 bags will be placed
only at an advance of per cent., and non.
GERMANY. CUIRAVEN, Dec. 23. Several
vessels have entered the harbour ; the channel is free
from ice.

AMERICA.—RELIGIOI3B MovEweT.—A meeting
of Germans was held at the Tabernacle, in New York, on
the Dec. 13. It consisted of a body of about 200 German Ca-
tholics, who resolved on a formal secession from the Roman
Church. The movement appears to be similar to that of
John Rouge and his adherents in Germany. These se-
ceders, one of whom was s Catholic priest, had been in the
habit for some time put of holding meetings, for the purpose
of studying the Bible. They profess to believe that a Ca-
tholie Church was established by Christ and his apostles,
and that Rome has superadded to that church some things
not only unauthorised, but forbidden, by the primitive insti-
tution. Their plan, it is understood, is to return to the true
primitive church, not Protestantism, nor union with any
Protestant sect. This, however, is but their first movement
in public.
SOUTH AMERICA.—FALMOUTH, DEC. 30.—Her
Majesty's packet Swift, Lieut. Douglas, arrived to.day from
Rio de Janeiro, whence she tailed on Nov. 6. Pessengers.
Captain Barker and Mr. Tomlinson, R.N., and Mr. Con.
She brings on freight about 14,5001. There is nothing of
interest by this arrival. Preparations on a grand scale had
been made in Palace-square for the christening of the royal
princess, which was shortly to be celebrated with much

imm
Thix
e Swift brings no mails from the River Plate, the
branch packet haring been signalised...4.We Rio
as the Swift came out; but the Onus there, was
expected to leave in a week after, by TM* mail will
arrive. As to the affairs in the River Phds, neribiag would
be done until Mr. Hood's return, or ram am bulimia! se
to the policy to be adopted by the Aeglo-Froork satboritho
at Monte Video. At Buenos Ayres, the Thelma& romoised
blockading; and et Monte Video, the Eagle, Vomos, Mods,
Melampus, Rally, and Grecian. It was roporrod that some
of the above were under orders for the gad Ladies. The
royal princess would be christened in a day ee two at Rio,
for which much preparation had been made.
RIO DE JANEIRO PRICE CURRENT, Nov. 4.—From
the date of our last circular, of the lit nit. up to the 27th of
the same, the exchange maintained itself steady at 28 pence,
though several transactions were effected at 27; pence and
28j. To-day priscipallp at the latter rate. •We estimate
the amount of transactions since our last at 245,0001. In
October were shipped 178,306 Mgr of coffee (against
127,403 in October, 1846) ; 1,362 cues, 2,863 barrels, and 92
begs of sugar; 28,000 bidet. Coffee : The transactions
during the put month were considerable ; the sales
amounted to about 160,000 bags. During the last fortnight
the supplies have not come forward so abundantly as En-
viously, and the stock is reduced to about 35,000 begs. The
market in consequence is rather firmer, chiefly for first and
superior qualities. The shipments during the last three
months amount to 482,664 bags, showing an excess on those
in the same period list year of 147,547 bags. Clear-
ance. in October, 174,925 bags, and 1,120 barrels, Prices,
washed, 38s. M. • superior, Ns. 2d. • first gotd, 275. 10d.
—Sugar: The snivels ante our last ;mount to about 4,000
cases; the stock on band about 3,000 cases. Hides: Sales
limited to about 18,000 ; the arrivals had been considerable.
Stock : Six per cent. stock has continued to advance, and
may be quoted firm at 83 per cent. On the sth November
a moderate amount was done in exchange at 281. Freights
for the Channel, 62a. 6d. to 555. ; for Wamburgh, 50e.