The Express.
London, England, 1847-08-16 00:00:00

MEXICO AND THE UNITED
STATES.

An outline of the following appeared in the
Express of Saturday. evening :
The Britannia arrived in the Mersey at a late hour
on Friday, with dates from New York to the 31st
of July ; Boston to the let of August ; Halifax to
the 3rd of August; Philadelphia to the 31st of July;
Washington to the 29th of July ; New Orleans to the
24th July; Brazos Santiago to the 19th July; Mon-
terey to the 29th June; Tampico to the 20th July;
Vera Cruz to the 18th July ; Puebla to the 3rd icily ;
and Mexico to the 2nd of July.
The American ocean steamer Washington arrived
at New York on the 30th of July ; the Hibernia war
spoke by the Britannia, and would arrive at Boston
on the 2nd of August.
The Mexican intelligence is of an uncertain cha-
racter. There had been a good deal of skirmithing
between the Americana and the Mexicans in the dis-
tricts adjoining the coast; and the news from the
interior, which is by no means recent, is neither
full nor precise.
The steamer Orleans, which left Vera Cruz on the
14th of July, found, on arriving at Tampico, on the
15th, the American forces in that state rather hard
pressed. News had reached Tampico that 190 Anse-
mean prisoners had been released and had left the city
of Mexico for that port. Later information states that
they had been stopped at an Indian village, 154) miles
short of Tampioo, by order of Santa Anna. On re-
ceiving the intelligence of their liberation, however
the officer in command at Tampico, Colonel Gates,
sent Colonel de Raney with 120 men up the river
to meet them. De Hussy landed sixty miles
above Tampico, and made his way to the
vicinity of liluejutlaf where he was surrounded
by twelve or fourteen hundred Mexicans, through
whom he cut his way, and returned to the rives to
wait for reinforcements. Col. Gates sent forward
150 men to his relief, and despatched the Orleans back
to Vera Cruz, with a requisition on. Governor Wil
for four companies of infantry.
The Orleans found the inmates of Vera Cruz in a
state of great excitement. On the 16th General
Pearce, who was understood when the steamer left
Vera Craz on the 14th to have reached Puente
Nacional with 2,500 men and 150 waggons on his
march towards Puebla, was in fact encamped only ten
miles from the city, and his scouts reported a
large force of Mexicans at Puente Nacional,
advancing towards him. Vera Cruz was placed in
state of defence, the shipping was removed from be-
tween the castle and the town, and Gen. Pearce cams
in, and, having obtained a reinforcement of 700 men,
returned to his camp. In this state of affairs, do
Orleans received only 23 marines for Tampico, where
she arrived with them on the 18th. Before that (on
the night of the 16th) Col. de Russy had made good
his retreat to the town, with a loss of 20 killed, 10
wounded, and two missing, together with some
males and pack-horses.
The communication between Vera Cruz and the in-
tenor was very precarious. Gen. Scott's express born
Puebla had been attacked and killed after a desperate
resistance ; an express of the Picayune had been
' robbed of his letters, and left for dead. The latest
news from Puebla was published in the San qf'd
sa
Imac, on July 13; the express which brought it left
, Puebla on the 3rd.
Generals Cadwallader and Pillow had been attacked
I at ',ahoy& by the Mexicans, but, after defeating their
' assailants, had pushed on to Pcrote, where the espies
found them. It was their intention to march, on the
9th of July, to join General Scott. General Scott wm
still at Puebla on the 3rd of July. He had cores reid
. intelligence on the 2nd, that the Mexicans hen
appointed commissioners to meet Mr. Trist on the 80,the
at St. Martin Teamalaucan, to learn from him
terms he was authorised to offer to the President. Tito
names of the commissioners are—Oarestiz, Boma%
, and Tornel. The peace party was understood to be
gaining the ascendancy among the Mexican
Santa Anna was represented by some as inclining
• to peace : by others it was thought that he curet,
affected such a leaning . to gain time. The ro-
pees of events in Mexico, however, precludes the
r seppoeition of a united and protracted resistance to
the Americans. An American officer and a Mexican
I are discussing the merits of the war in the co-
, limns of El Nacional of Puebla. Canalizo had been
nominated by Santa Anna governor of Puebla. with
dictatorial powers; but the actual governor of the
, state having been notified of this arrangement DI

coolie°, replied on the 23rd of June in a strain that
indicates little disposition to acquiesoe in it. Other
states indicate a distrust m the protracted re-
siinnce of the central government, and are
papering to act independently of it. Accredited
representatives of the states of Jalisco, San Lois Po-
w, zusteca,s, Mexico, Queretaro, and Aguascalientes
(tbe last.named claiming to be a state, though not
emorbised by the constitution of 1824), met at Lagos,
-0-gAie bon of June, and formed a coalition, with a
view to prolong the war, in the event of the central
governmend concluding a peace. All these circum-
dames indicate a natural dislike to yielding on the
pond the Mexicans ; and a want of union, organise-
we, and habits of submission, even to an elective
gererninent, that renders their case hopeless.
The latest news from General Taylor were to the
29th of June. The general was still at Walnut
Springs, waiting for reinforcements. He had col-
lected 120,000 natives, 800 waggons, and 2,000
mules, but still the men promised by his go-
Tegument were not forthcoming. General Wool
bid only 2,000 at Buena Vista. The Mexican
troops at San Luis were variously reported at from
4,000 to 14,000. Rumours had been spread of a pro-
jected attack from San Luis upon Wool, which had
talks through; and Urrea was said to be again on
ths coast side of the mountains, though nothing could
be ascertained with certainty respecting his where-
goats. General Hoppin had 2,000 men at Carnargo,
and a csrep with 1,500 men had been established at
?diet The Rio Grande continued low, and few boats
could ascend above Reynosa.
The route between Missouri and Santa Fe continued
to be infested with hostile Indians. The latest intel-
ligence from that city was to the beginning of June.
Letters were received at St. Louis (Sli.) on the 19th
of Joly, from Chihuahua, dated ten days after Colonel
Doeiphrin bad withdrawn his command. Everything
was (toilet ; the citizens who fled on the entrance of the
Americas army had returned to their houses. The
American merchants had consented to pay the same
eustom-house duties as the Mexicans, and were treated
by them with deference and civility. These letters
complained of the dangers to which the writers had
been exposed by the hasty departure of the American
troops
Rather a startling piece of intelligence, purporting
to come from California, was published in the New
York Journal of Commerce of the 24th of July. It
was in effect that letters had been received in Wash-
• _

higto; stating that the Mormon settlers and Mormon
regiment in California had rebelled against the
American government, taken possession of the country,
and declared an independent government of their
own. The Washington correspondent of the Journal
of Commerce is of opinion that there may be some
foundation for the rumour. The Mormons, he says,
previous to the Mexican war had contemplated arta-
blishing an empire in California, had taken some
steps towards tho enterprise. But the Washington
Union, the government paper, throws discredit
on the story :—" It is certain that no accounts to this
effect have been received by any of the departments,
nor have we heard of any private letters that con-
firm it. The last letter from General Kearney is to
the rth of March, and it makes no mention of the
Mormons at all."

The government newspaper at Washington was
beginning to show symptoms of alarm for the presiden-
tial election. Its parry do not well know what to
make of the puttinti General Taylor in nomination.
The Whigs, a portion of whom originated that move-
ment, are not certain that the general will suit their
purpose, and the democrats seem equally undecided as
to whether he may not suit theirs. Of the slavery
question, which will have a strong influence in the
election. as little is said as possible. Meanwhile the
Union attacks the Chicago convention, and hints at a
national (i. e., a democratic) convention to prepare for
the presidential election. It is remarkable enough
that this paper sinks the claims of the present Presi-
dent to be elected for a second term. It declares that
the great object to be kept in view is "to keep the
democratic party united, and to "avoid all discus-
sions and divisions about candidates." It professes to
rejoice that there is "no disposition to name or press
any favourite candidate upon the people." It repu-
diates a " narrow, loyal, overweening attachment to
men." All this ie vague enough, but shows that the
struggle between the leading parties of therepublic for
the privilege of nominating the chief magistrate
for the next presidential term has already begun.
The fall elections were on the eve of commencing
when the Britannia sailed. The congressional elec-
tions in Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Alabama, and
lowa, and the gubernatorial elections in Alabama and
Missouri commenced on the 2nd of August. When
these fall elections are decided their results will fur-
nislian index to the state of general political opinion
in the United States.

The Washington Union of 21st July, gives the
following account of the state of the national
finances :—" The augmentation of revenue under the
new tariff, for the first seven months and seventeen
days, compared with the same period of time pre-
ceding under the tariff of 1842, is 1,337,597 dol-
lars, exclusive of half a million of dollars of duties
accrued on warehoused goods. As the same rate of
augmentation for the year, the total increase of reve-
nue would exceed three millions of dollars. Last
week the duties received in New York and Philadel-
phia were 672,000 dollars against 336,000 for the
same week last year, being exactly double ender the
tariff of 1846, as compared with the tariff of 1842." I
The general condition of the country was pros-
perous in the extreme. The harvests of the Euro-
pean cereals had been completed throughout the west-
ern states, and the yield was indisputably far
above an average crop, and of excellent quality.
The Indian corn harvest does not take place till Oc-
tober; bat, according to the New York Courier nial
Enquirer, the crop " is of most abundant promise ;
so that if, u is possible, a much less quantity next
year &ball be demanded by Europe, our farmers must
turn the excess to the fattening of beef and pork,
and thus export the article in its Manufactured
state." It was expected, according to the same
journal, one of the most talented and beat informed
in the States, that the quarterly return of the banks,
to be made on the Ist of August, would show a consi-
derable increase in the circulating medium—" mainly
through the institution of new banks, and a diminu-
tion of the specie on hand, by reason of the large
amounts sent south for the use of the armies, and the
falling off of imports from abroad." The rate of ex-
change on England continued to have a downward
tendency, and shipments of breadstuff., in addition to
the ordinary shipments of cotton, it was thought,
might cause a farther drain of specie from Europe,
unless the orders for manufactures shall keep pace
with the accumulation of American capital in the
London market. As to cotton, the backwardness and
the (in some districts) unpromising appearance of the
growing crop, caused holders in the New York
market to be firm, although the stock on hand in the
port exceeded 120,000 bales. There had been a strange
Irregularity of weather in the cotton-growing states:
the crop was mere advanced in North Alabama and Ten-
nessee than in Georgia. Complaints of too much rain
were made in the Atlantic States, Eastern Alabama,
Northern Mississippit and Western Tennessee: there
were no suck complaints from Louisiana or Northern
Alabama. A worm had appeared, but it was said not
the Worm ; though fears were entertained that the
latter might show itself in August.
The Secretary of the Treasury has sent per Bri-
tannia a Commission to collect information respecting
the law and practice of English bonded warehouses,
with a view to the improvement of the American
system.

The members of this Commission are : Mr. D. T.
Bsrhydt, registrar of the New York bonded ware-
s ; and Mr. C. C. Walden, an experienced clerk
of the Custom-house. Mr. Barhydt is spoken of as a
Woof great talent and experience: it is to be hoped
thlt our treasury will arrange in order that he may
Piet as well as get, information.
The New Fork Courier and Inquirer says :
ne Pennsylvania interest will be punctually paid—though
swalf, we sze ashamed to say, as heretofore in relief notes,
tilth ars from one to two or three per cent. below par.
s_.`" h to pitiful a saving for a great state, that one taunt
Irma it should be aimed at. It is the less justifiable in
162,..Prekat state of the treasury of Pennsylvania, as it is
rmatood that after paying the semi-annual dividend now
a.Ol, them will be a quarter of a million of dollars on hand
lsrsgp NOVA SCOTIA.—The nominations of candidates
is the new House of Assembly took place simulta-
"*".l w all the constituenci, s on the 29th of July. The
‘...9* to be taken on the sth of August, two days after
...111.01t of the Britannia.
a lIEW BRUNSWICK.—The arrangements for the
pti..Llev'e Railway go on briskly. The New Brunswick
_cnivoons increase daily, and the subscribers pay up
f..."'"P 'I. There are six parties now in the forest, pushing
like survey of the trunk line from Halifax to Quebec as
4°4147