The Express.
London, England, 1846-10-02 00:00:00

of his government had been, that the prince selected as her
consort should be a Spaniard—such a choice being deemed
the best for supporting the independence of Spain, and also
most likely to obtain the approval of the Spanish people.
The recent general manifestation in favour of the pretensions
of his Royal Highness Don Henry, and the manly and inde-
pendent character of that Prince, combined with objections
advanced against Don Francisco de Anis, by persons at
this court competent to judge of such matters, induced the
British government to believe that Dan Henry
beyond every other candidate, the qualities ciceirabreorocrsetre
consort of Queen Isabella; and that opinion it could express,
las one friend can advise another in an important affair. I
cannot affirm what may have passed in conversations ; but
the formal protest which I have presented in the name of
my government, the notes I have written to his Excellency
the Minister of State, in which there has been no mention
whatever of Don Francisco de Assis, completely justify your
belief, that the opposition made by me, in the name of my
government, refers exclusively to the marriage of her Royal
Highness the Infanta ; and, whatever may be said to the
contrary, I have the satisfaction of declaring, with the con-
sciousness of one who knows he is stating the truth, that the
government of her Britannic Majesty will be gratified on
learning the selection of a Spanish Prince. And if this
Prince, on whom her Majesty'schoice has fallen, justifies the
opinion now entertained in his favour; if he acts as becomes
a royal prince and true Spaniard, displaying a love of liberty,
respect for the laws, and a decided regard for his country's
independence ; not only will he be considered with a favour-
able sympathy by the British government, but he will secure
' the affectionate and ardent approbation of the entire English
nation, who look upon the Spaniards as their brothers, with
whom they have divided the dangers and glories of war—as
allies, with whom they are anxious to cultivate the friendly
intercourse of peace—as men, worthy of enjoying the benefits
of liberty and independence—and, finally, as friends, to
whom (as you will perceive by this communication) their
representative can speak with sincerity and frankness."

FRANCE.-FRENCH CONSCLATES.-M.Zot
has, it is said, just completedhisarmngements for the French
Consulates, which now only wait for the Royal sanction.
The present consular establishment of France consists of
21 Consuls-General, and 96 Consuls ; those 117 agents being
classed as follows :-In Austria 3, Belgium 2, Bolivia 2, Bra-
zil 11, Chili '3, China 1, Denmark 1, Sicily 2, Equador 2, Spain
14, Roman States 2,l7nited States (Central America) 1, United
States (North America) 7, Gieat Britain and Ireland 11,
Greece 2, Hayti 2, Duchy of Hesse 1, Norway 1, New
Grenada 2, Holland 2, Peru 2, Portugal 2, Prussia 2,
Mexico 5, Russia and Poland 6, Sardinian States 4, Saxony
1, Tuscany 1, Turkey, Barbary, and Morocco 25, Venezuela
1, Hanseatic Towns 2, Uruguay 1.
ITALY.-Roue, SEPT. 17.-The whole store of
bread for the garrison of Rome, consisting of about 4,000
loaves, was distributed this day amongst the poor. Three
bakers, as well as the contractor, are in prison ; the latter is
liable to a fine of 20,000 scudi. The Pope made a personal
tour of inspection of all the barracks. In the first days of
October his Holiness intends proceeding to the castle of
Castel Gondolfo. Every arrival from Rome brings an ac-
count of some new measure for the benefit of the country.
We now learn that the Pope has appointed a commission
for the improvement of the forests and rivers. The condition
of the latter in the States of the Church is deplorable; no-
thing has been done for fifteen years to clear their beds or
strengthen their embankments, to prevent their flooding the
country. As to the forests, they have been totally neglected,
and those of Fajola and Terrucina, on the confines of the
kingdom of Naples, are literally abandoned to pillage,
whereby one of the greatest sources if wealth is rendered
unproductive.
GERMANY.-AUSTRIA, VIENNA, SEPT. 23.-The
embarrassments arising from the quest;on of the marriage of
the Infanta of Spain, have had their influence on the Vienna
bourse. The blow aimed at the entente cordiale between
France and England, is justly regarded as an infringement
of the balance of power in kurope. Austria is inclixed to
regard the articles of the treaty of Utrecht in the same light
as England, and Prussia in all probability would do the same.
As regards the conduct of Russia, as that power did not sign
the treaty of Utrecht, it will probably follow its own peculiar
line of policy. If Russia is silent, or does not refuse to re-
cognise Queen Isabella, it will be a symptom of an approach-
ing reconciliation between the cabinet of the Tuileries and the
court of St. Petersburg, which is half expected. This is the
reason why the news from l'aris is anxiously expected. All
well-informed persons at Vienna are of opinion that Louis
Philippe would not have taken such a step without having
well calculated every chance. As regards Italy, it is in the
interest of Austria to put a stop as much as possible to French
influence.

DENNIAIiK.—CoensitSGEN, SEPT. 21.—The
King of Sweden and his youngest eon arrived on the 17th at
Gothenburg. His Majesty was enthusiastically received.
He was to continue his journey to Norway on the 221. The
accounts from Iceland and the Ferree Islands are anything
but satisfactory. Never in the memory of man has there
been a more disagreeable summer in Iceland than the pre-
sent; torrents of rain and storms succeeded each other with-
out intermission. The measles and the dysentery carried off
almost the fourth of the inhabitants, especially on the
coasts, which caused the cultivation of the land to be para-
lysed, and the fishery, which would have otherwise been
most abundant, to be neglected. The bad weather pre-
vented the Danish, German, French, Belgian, and English
sevens from pursuing their les( arches into the state of
Mount Heels, but they have decided on passing the winter
in Iceland, in order to profit by the cold and dry weather to
carry on their investigations. Towards noon on the 22nd
ult. there was a sudden and violent eruption of Mount
Heels, the commencement of which was accompanied by
several shocks of earthquake, extending to a radius of about
three miles. The eruption lasted about forty minutes; the
flames rose to an immense height, and all the country round
the volcano was covered with a thick layer of ashes.
SWEDEN.—STOCKIIOLM, SEI'T. 18.—The .21-ortre-
gian Constitutional says that the Bishop of Drontheim
would prefer giving in his resignation to crowning the
Queen of Sweden.
HOLLAND.—Tnie HAGUE, SEPT. 29.—We have
received the following from Surinam :—Ever since August,
1845, to April this year, that is, for eight months, this colony
has been visited by a severe drought. This very phenome-
non, for which the people were not prepared, has caused
great inconvenience and injury. Water for the people and
cattle was extremely difficult to be obtained. All branches
of agriculture have suffered severely, and some ships were
obliged to go away in ballast, on account of the non-
production of staple articles, while others waited long for a
cargo. The general scarcity of provisions has been hard
upon the population. In almost all the plantations there
are sufficient banana fields, from which both the labourers
in the plantations and the indigent natives of the town of
Paramaribo derive their principal sustenance. These, as
well as the corn, rice, vegetables, &c., having for the most
part failed, we have been obliged to supply the want by
purchasing in the neighbouring colonies, and that at very
high prices, because there, too, the drought had been felt;
and, in consequence of the failure of the potato crop in
Europe, our supplies from North America were very
scanty. The health of the population has not suffered
during this time, nay, it acorns that the provisions
imported, though scarce and dear, have had a
favourable effect. This seems to confirm what hes
been asserted by competent judges respecting the ill effects of
the excessive use of bananas as food in an unripe state. The
epidemic has entirely disappeared among the European colo-
nists on the banks of the river Sarumaca. The rains, which
set in in April, have had a good effect on the vegetation ;
provisions are by no means so scarce, but it is feared that the
bad consequences of the drought may still be felt for some
time yet.
ARNIIEIM, SEPT. 26.—A traveller, who arrived
yesterday by the last train of the Rhenish railway, relates
that near Driebergen, a horse, which had probably strayed
from a neighbouring meadow, was run over by the locomo-
five, the tender, and luggage waggon, none of which were
thrown off the rails, but that two carriages full of passengers,
which immediately followed them, were not so fortunate, but
ran off the rails and were dragged for 10 minutes through
the sand ; great confusion prevailed among the passengers,
two of whom were so imprudent as to leap out of the car-
riages, by which they received much injury--one is said to
have had both his legs broken. This accident caused such
delay that the train, which should have arrived at eleven
o'clock last night, did not come in until a quarter past three
this morning.
POLAND.—WARSAW, SErT. 18.—The Russian
government has just booed an order for all the sign-
boards of the shops at Warsaw to be in the Russian lan-
guage. This measure caused a great sensation, as most of
the shopkeepers are completely ignorant of the Russian
language. The police insists rigorously on the order being
obeyed.
THE LEBANON.—The Augsburg Gazette of the
2Gth ultimo has accounts from Beyrout. The Lebanon, and
Syria in general, are tranquil. To settle the affair of the
tribes in that part of the Lebanon inhabited by the Druses, a
commission has been appointed consisting of Kiamil Pacha,
the deputy-governor of Saida, an employil of the financial
department, a member of the council of the Druses, and a
member of the council of Beyrout. A committee of the
tribunal of commerce is occupied at the present moment in
drawing up a commercial code.