The Express.
London, England, 1853-10-20 00:00:00

COMMERCE OF THE LOWER DANUBE.

Letters from Galatz of the 7th inst. report that,
althcugh the commerce on both banks of the Danube had
come to a complete standstill, to which the quarantine coy_
don established by the Ottoman government, as also the
prohibition of the export of grain and chandlers' ware had
contributed, yet the traffic of the steamers on the Lower
Danube had boat nothing of its activity, and the boats to
and from Galata continued to ply with regularity. In the
Sulina Channel there were only seven feet of water.
The steamer Danubio, belonging to the Trieste Lloyd's
Company, is now stationed in the Sulina channel, in
order to transfer passengers from one Lloyd boat to
another. The transfer of goods is effected with the
aid of another craft, termed a towing-lighter. The
Russian steam-boat from Odessa comes now each
time through the Kilia or northern channel, which
is on Russian territory. The agent for the Trieste Lloyd
applied to the Russian government to permit the Lloyd
boats also to pass through the Kilia arm of the river with
mixed cargoes. It results from this statement that while
the Sulina channel, of which Russia is the trustee is not
navigable, although formerly the deepest of the three, the
Kilia channel, of which Russia is absolute owner, and
which need to be too shallow for use, has an abundance of
water. It was said that the Danubio had received orders
to explore the fit. George's Channel, where there is sup-
posed to be a greater depth of water than in the Sulina;
and if the result prove favourable the passage of the St.
George's arm of the river will be henceforth taken. The
water has now become very shallow in the Lower Danube,
from the Iron Gate downwards.

11iE NATIONAL GALLERY.—Yesterday the autho-
rities of the National Gallery, Trafalgar-square, issued a
Dotia to the public, stating that, in consequence of the ex-
tensive alterations and repairs which are now proceeding,
the gallery would not be opened to the public on Monday
next, the 24th inst., as heretofore ; but that the exhibition
would positively be re-opened on Monday, the 7th of
November next. It is expected that there will be several
valuable additions made to the gallery before its re-
openin
VERNON GALLERY, MARLBOROUGH HotrflE.—
This exhibition is to be re-opened to the public on Monday
next, the 24th inst.
ENCOURAGEMENT OP TILE DRAMA.—A M. Appffel,
of Wiseenberg, who died in 1847, left by his will property
producing more than 70,000 fr. a year to the city of Stras-
burg, for the encouragement and improvement of dramatic
and musical art. The government, however, have ordered
that one-fourth of the testator's property should go to his
family, whom he had entirely neglected, and this, with
other reductions, left about 53,000 fr. a year for the object
in question. It Is in 18.55 that the municipality of Stras-
burg will have definitively to decide in what precise man-
ner the revenue is to be employed. The testator directed
minute precautions to be taken to prevent his donation ever
falling below 60,0001 r. a year. He requested, that in order
that it should not be f rgotten, his portrait, and those of
his father and mother, should be placed, with a suitable
ineeriptioe, in the saloon of the theatre, and that nine years
after his death, and subsequently every fifty years, a printed
' account of the donation, and of the conditions on which he
made it, should be distributed amongst the principal inha-
bitants of Strasburg.

CORK AND YOIGHAL RAILWAY.—A meeting of
the landed proprietors and rate-payers of the baronies of
Kinnattalloon, Inokilly, Fermin, Condone, and Clongib-
bons, and Barrymore, was held at the Court-house of
Midleton ost Saturday. The object of the meeting, as stated
in the requiatioa by which it wu convened, was to consider
the propriety of granting a baronial guarantee in aid of the
construction of a railway from the city of Cork to the towns
of Midlatoa and Yongbal, with branches of such railway to
Queenstown and Fermoy. The meeting, after a prolonged
discussion, decided against the juarantee.
FALL OP A HOUSE IN LAMBElll.—Yesterday all
some workmen were engaged in repairing an insecure and
unoec..pied house in Tower-street, Lambeth, they were
alarmed by unmistakeable symptoms of a sp• edy downfall,
and bad hardly time to make their retreat when the build-
ing came to the ground with a loud crash. In its fall it
dragged down a considerable portion of an adjoining dwel-
ling, but the occupants of this latter having taken timely
warning, had quitted it some days before.
TILE MAINE LIQUOR LAW IN ENGLAND.—The
inauguration of a movement to procure the suppression of
the liquor traffic in this country, is to take place next week
in Manchester. The success of the Maine law, and the
adoption of its principle by four or five of the other Ameri-
can states, as well as by the British province of New Bruns-
wick, have encouraged a number of the most v alous and
influential abstainers from intoxtcating drinks in this coun-
try to form an alliance, the object of which is to promote
discussion on the Maine law, and to persuade the people of
this country to apply it in like manner. There can he no
objection in any quarter to the employment of argument for
the purpose of ascertaining truth and leading to the dis-
charge of duty; and we shall be euriour to know the
reasonings employed on behalf of this new movement, and
the prospects of success which it prewnts. We perceive in
the list of the general council of the " Alliance " the names
of not a few gentlemen who, while they cannot be accused
of fanaticism, are known to be active in every goof work.—
Manchester Examiner.

ACCIDENT TO EARL CLANWILLIAM.—On Wed-
nesday afternoon, between three and four o'clock, as Earl
Clanw•illiem and another gentleman weer ri.hog on horse-
back through the fair at Deal, :he earl's hone suddenly
became restive, kicking and rearing in a Ina,: frightful
manner, and at last threw his lordship and struck him vio-
lently on the breast. The otter gent.cmau immediately
dismounted, and both hoss:s started off at tull callop; for-
tunately no injury was done by them. alttc•rgh the road
was literally throng, 0 with children. The earl was taken
into the shop of Mr. Clarabut, chemist, and from thence to
Deal Castle. Wa. Hulke, Esq., surgeon, was quickly in
attendance, and we are glad to learn that no material injury
was austained.—South ;.Eastrris Uazette.