The Express.
London, England, 1853-02-26 00:00:00

THE SURPLUS SCHEME.

The following five members of her Majesty's go-
vernment have been elected ex-officio members of
the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1861, in
pursuance of the charter giving it powers t, carry
out the Surplus Scheme :—The President of the
Council, the First Lord of the Treasury, the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer, the President of the Board
of Trade, and the First Commissioner of Works.
Mr. Disraeli has also been elected a member of the
Commission.

THE EXPRESS, SATURDAY E VENING, FEBRUARY 26, 1853

[ Switzerland. The Federal Council has not yet come
to any decision with regard to the affair of Ticino.
To-morrow it is to hold another sitting. It is be-
lieved that the resolution of the Council will rezoncilo
international duties with the dignity of Switzer-
land. The blockade is so vigorous that even the de-
livery of salt, stipulated by a recent treaty, is not
effected. Even salt that has been paid for is retained.
Provisions are becoming dear. The support of the
confederation is relied upon."
We have mentioned that a • seizure of arms,
[ destined for the insurgents of Milan, had been
[ effected at Poschiavo, in the canton of the Grisons.
It is now stated, in a Swis• journal, that the parties
in whose possession they were found will be tried in
the ordinary course by a Federal Court of Assizes,
in vir,uo of Article 101 of the Federal Constitution
relative to offences against international law.

TURKEY.

SERIOUS RUMOURS FROM CONSTANTINOPLE.

The Austrian Emperor appears to have openly
broken with the Sultan, and appealed to the terror
of his arms. A telegraphic despatch front Vienna
has reached Paris with the important intelligence
that, by accounts which had just arrived from
Constantinople, Count do Lciaingen, the Austrian
ambassuder extraordinary, upon receiving the Sul.
tan's refusal to accept his ultwiatuna, had left Con-
stantinople with the whole of the Austrian legation.
It is added that the Ottoman Porte immediately
placed itself under the protection of England and
France.

Let this information be confirmed, and it would
seem as if for the moment the continued existence of
Turkey were dependent on the rebulution of this
country and France. In this juncture, we have a
new Minister of Foreign Affairs, and our
ambassador to the Ottoman Porto is ab-
sent on leave. M. Lacour, who, as we yesterday
annonneed, goes as representat:‘e of France to Con-
stantinople, has the advantage of rem, ing thither
fresh from Vienna, and may have been selected partly
on account of the acquaintance which he may be
presumed to possess with the intentions of the
Austrian government respecting Turkey. Just as
Austria takes her most menacing attitude the Czar
sends Prince Nlenschikoff, to demand a full com-
pliance with Russian wishes on the subject of the
1 holy places. The character of the Prince's negotia-
' Lions appears in the fact, that, together with diplo-
matic functions, he is invested with the command in
chief of the three corps clarnitlc assembled in Bcaa-
rabia and on the Turkish frontier.

AMERICA.

ARRIVAL OF THE FRANKLIN.

Yesterday, at noon, the United States mail steamer
Franklin arrived at Cowes, having le:t New York on
the 12th instant. She brought half a million of
dollars in specie, and 80 boxes of merchandise. Her
news is four days later in date than that which has
, been previously received.
A joint session of Congress was held on Feb. 0, in
the hall of the house, for the purpose of counting tRe
electoral votes for President and Vice-President of
the United States from the ith of March next. The
tellers .having performed their duty, the President of
the Senate rose, and officially declared that Franklin
Pierce and William R. King were duly elected,
atter which the two bodies separated.
The committee on foreign relations have reported
that the encroachments of British settlers in Central
America, either with or without the consent of their
government, is a matter for adjudication between
England and those states; but that any attempt of
the former poem to extend its possessions in that
region, would be a direct violation of treaty stipu-
lations with this country. The exercise of actual do-
minion by (ireat Britain in that portion of America,
would also be a question to which this government can
never be indifferent. Upon the whole, the commit-
'tee consider it unnecessary to adopt any measures
with regard to the carrying oat of the Clayton and
Bulwer treaty. Here it is probable the matter will
rest for the remainder of the session. Not so, how-
, ever, with regard to the Tehuantepec affair ; for it
is believed that the decided and uncompromising
opposition of certain freesoil senators against the
report and resolutions of the foreign committee, has
only added to their strength; and it is therefore'
probable that something more than of a merely pas-
sive character will shortly be decided upon. Whether
the claims of the present owners of the Garay grant
will be sustained at all hazards, or whether all
existing treaties with Mexico will be repealed, and all
means for the protection of their frontier inhabitants
against the Indians be withdrawn, will doubtless
soon be made manifest.

Late New Orleans papers confirm the telegraphic
report of the inexcusable secure, bl the Mexican
authorities at Tampico, of five Californians, who
were returning to the United States by the overland
route through Mexico. Five dollars in gold dust
were forcibly taken from the party, under the plea
that they had neglected to pay export duty. 'The
American consul, Mr. Chase, had protested against
this official outrage. It is to be hoped that our
government will promptly investigate this transac-
tion. The telegraph also reiterates the statement
that a detachment of the National Guards, under the
leadership of Colonel Rodriguez, had been captured,
after a severe fight, and executed, for having con-
spired to take possession of the city.
A despatch from New Orleans announces the
arrival of the steamship Philadelphia, with advioes
from California to the 16th ult.—two weeks later.
The news from the gold regions is still very unfavour-
able ; the miners were deterred from prosecuting
' their labours by the freshets—the roads were gener-
ally impassable, and, in many place*, flour brought
one dollar per pound. This article, however, as well
as several others, had receded in price in the San
Francisco market. The New York steamers, Ohio
and Uncle Sam, were left at Aspinwall. The former
had five hundred passengers and a million and a
half in gold dust on board. This is over three
hundred thousand dollars less than was brought by
the Georgia, two weeks ago. The decrease is, of
course, accounted for by the floods.
The New York Herald of Saturday, Feb. 12, says
tho Ericsson will leave her moorings either Monday
afternoon or Tuesday morning, and proceed to sea.
She will be kept out seven days upon a general and
prolonged trial, in order to test the working of her
machinery and ascertain her rate of speed. A discre-
tionary power is given to Captain Lowber either to
run her in at Washington or return to New York at
the end of this period.

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.
Raw You, FIB. 12.
They. was quite an actin market this morning, but
prioes were not very well sustained. The coal stocks were
in demand, but the offerings were exceedingly large, and
the operations much more extensive than usual. After •
day or two of buoyancy, Phcanix fell off 2 per cent to-day,
and closed heavy. Parker Vein meld at an advance of 5 per
cent. on the lowest price yesterday. Cumberland remains
about the same. It has not varied 2 per cent during the
last sixty days, and the daily transactions have been large.
At the lint board to-day Harlem declined 1 psr cent.; Po-
tomac Copper 1 ; Mora Yining, ; Hodson River
Railroad, 1; . . Canton Company snot
cop i Per oent.; Branewick, 1 oaken' Indiana, 1. Rail-
road Bonds were active, at slightly improving prices.
BRRADITI7I7II.-Flour was offered on easier terms, and
consequently attracted more attention. The day's business
amounted to 12,000 bbls. sour at 4 dole. 684e.1 to 4 dots.
811 e. . • superfine No. 2, at 4 dole. 75c to 4 dole. 871 c. •
rye at 4 dole. 500. to 4 dole. 621 e. ; ordinasy to choice State,
at 5 dole. 121 e. to 6 dole. 311 e. ; mixed to fancy Western,
at 5 doll. 371 c. to 5 dole. 561 e, ; common to good Ohio and
fancy Clans's., at 6 dela. 5610. to 6 dole. 6810. ; fancy Ohio
at 5 dots. 621 e. to 6 dols. 75e. ; mixed to good Southern, at
6 dole. 621 c. to 6 dole. 8110. • sates Western and favourite
Southern, at 5 dole 75c. to idols. 181 c. ; extra Genesee, at
5 dole. 76e. to 6 dole. 43/c., and fancy Southern at 6 dole.
25c. to 7 dols. 60e. About 140 bbls. Jitney meal changed
bands at 3 dole. 50e. per bbl. Wheat waa not very brisk ;
there were 12,000 bushels Southern white sold (part last
evening) at 1 del. 27c. to 1 dol. 280. per bushel. Rye and
barley continued inanimate. State and Western oats were
in demand at 46c. to 40e. per bushel. Corn remained about
the same, the sales reached 40,000 bushels, at 62c. to 63c.
for damaged, and 64e. to 680. for new Southern white and
yellow, per bushel.
Corrox.-•The market continues heavy, and to effect sales
holders must submit to lower prices. The transactions
were supposed to reach 450 bales to day.
Fazionrs wore more active, but lower for Liverpool, for
which port about 30,000 to 40,000 bushels of grain were
eugaged at 7d. in bulk, and 1,000 barrels flour were re-
ported at 2s. sd. Rates to London and Havre were quiet.
To Australia 700 bbls. flour were engird at 3 dole. 50e.,
and 500 do. to San Francisco by en ordinary sailer, at the
same figure, while rates by clippers were firm at previous
rates.