The Express.
London, England, 1847-09-30 00:00:00

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LONDON, TIIURSDAI', SEPT. 30.
THE descendants of CORTES and of the Spanish
conquerors of Mexico, have, after all, made no more
effectual defence against the present race of invaders
than the people of the Incas did against the Spaniards.
There could not be a city more capable of defence than
Mexico, surrounded by lakes, or chains of mountains
and mountain passes connecting those lakes. Mili-
tary skill, with the bravery that the Mexicans have
shown, might have rendered their capital and
its precious valley impregnable, at least to the ten or
twelve thousand men that the Americans could at
present have brought against it. But as the arrows
of the Mexican Indians told weakly against the fire-
arms of Coares, the nullity or treachery of SANTA
ANNA in defensive warfare has placed the city of
Mexico at the mercy of the American general.
AS SANTA ANNA had concentrated his force and
diseeted kts preeasticms towards the one strong point
ever which the road from Vera Cruz passed, to gain
the Table land, so his reliance for defending the
capital was on El Penon, a pass between the lakes
eastward of Mexico. General Scorr was put to no
very novel or astute device toovercome these obstacles.
He did in the one case precisely what he did in the
other—took another road, and turned the difficulty. In-
stead of pursuing the high road from La Puebla to
Mexico, he turned round Lake Chalco, and gained the
great southern road to the capital. In this change of
position, and side march, the American army had
moreover its flank completely sheltered by the lakes,
round whose banks it marched to St. Augustine.
Here it came upon an inferior division of the Mexi-
cans, under General VALENCIA, posted in the village
of St. Angel and the fortified position of Sat
ANTONIO.
In their first attack upon General VALENCIA, the
Americans seem to have been worsted and compelled
to retreat. The American generals spent the 19th in
vain attempts to dislodge him. To take VALEN-
CIA'S batteries was, however, with the American
general, a case of necessity. His failure would, in
his then position, have been utter destruction. Spurred
by this necessity, General WORTH'S troops did carry
the batteries on the 20th, and drove the routed Mexi-
cans with immense loss back upon the city. How far, or
how truly, SANTA ANNA supported VALENCIA remains
to be learned. But that the Mexicans fought va-
liantly, as well as the Americans, their stubborn
resistance, and immense loss, in chief officers ae well
as in men, clearly tell. The struggle seems highly
honourable to all parties, except to the Mexican
commander-in-chief.
The Americans speak of having but six or seven
thousand men, whilst the Mexican force, under SANTA
ANNA, must have been thirty thousand. With such
disparity of numbers we are not surprised to and
General SCOTT listening to terms of peace, and even
consenting to a forty-eight hours' armistice, which he
certainly would not have done were ho not most
desirous of an accommodation.
We have as yet, however, no official details, the
news being chiefly that which the American jonmals,
with their usual activity, have obtained in advance.
It seems, however, finally decided that Mexican resist-
ance in the open field is a hopeless case—that the war
party, if a member of it survives, cannot support
such opinions in congress or executive council, or
in the city, of Mexico—and that whatever be the
hatred to the foreigner, which cannot bend to the
American, it must seek refuge in local resistance
and provincial struggle. VALENCIA himself has
fled with some troops, and declares against
SANTA ANNA and peace. If the Americans pro-
voke the continuance and extension of this by im-
posing severe and dishonourable terms, they may find
very serious and very general resistance ; but if, on
the contrary, they grant such terms as a Mexican
party can accept—if they leave Mexico to the Mexi-
cans, merely contenting themselves with lopping off
the outlying provinces, and exercising that high poli-
tical influence which is not felt in the ranks of every-
day life, then the task of POLK has been completed.
Andmost toancoximonspl,efteor itth this the wareay thgeettPinresg
uidpeantpomwusetrfulhe
cry throughout the union of "No more conquests !
No Mexican territory!"

DREAD of exposure ill producing its usual effect on
parochial authorities and commissioners of sewers.
We have never had to record such activity in the
suppression of nuisances as has prevailed since the
appointment of a sanitary commission for the metro-
po.. Cesspools that had stagnated unmolested for
years are being stirred up. Innocent proprietors of
knackers'-yards and slaughter-houses stare to find
themselves pleading to indictments at the Old Bailey.
Ward inquests, hitherto the most harmless of scare-
crows, are beginning to discharge real functions.
Stinks are assailed that have hitherto poisoned with
impunity. Inspectors insist on drains, which occu-
piers have vainly asked for. Vested rights go to the
wall, unaided by their vehement partisans, or are
cruelly fallen foul of by the very authorities who
have, till now,been their staunchest defenders. Never
was each a stirring of the straw through all the
branches of Bumbledom.

If the mere terror of investigation has had this
• palpable effect, much more may be anticipated from
the investigation itself.
There is reason to apprehend, however, that this
activity, and its effects, may be pleaded against the
i probable recommendations of the commis loners.
Loral and parochial functionaries are active now, that
; they may secure the right to be apathetic hereafter.
. The Mends of sanitary improvement should be cm
the look out for arguments urged against any change
of system, on the score of what has been done under
the present system within the last throe weeks. The
sole reason for the late unwonted activity is, the
dread of existing authorities that the new commission
should lay
Their dark dominions open to the day.
It is fear of what is to come, and not shame
for the past, that summons neglectful landlords
to Guildhall, and recusant slaughtermen to the Old
Bailey. This sudden and 'unusual zeal is not to
be trusted even for perseverance in what it is doing
now, much lees for remedying the general defects in
the metropolitan sanitary apparatus. Some of these
we have already pointed out. We have ahewn, for
example, how useless any partial tampering with the
sewerageof London must be,while it continues in the
hands of seven commissions, ignorant, irresponsible,
their accounts inaccessible to the rate-payers, most
open to jobbery, governed by no uniform plan,
with areas of jurisdiction utterly irrespective of
the natural areas of drainage.. Even if the
700 members of these commissions were men
as peculiarly qualified for their work, as they
are now unfit for it—as zealous as they are now
apathetic—as honest in administration, as they are
now reckless—as harmonious in action, as they are
now jarring—it would be impossible for them, as at
present constituted, to accommodate the sewerage of
London to the wants of its inhabitants. The system
must be reformed at ore. A general survey with
contour lines must be furnished as the ground-plan of
all future sewerage operations. Means must be found
of discharging the contents of existing sewers else-
where titan into the Thames. One compact, active,
well-ishemed body of functionaries must be ap-
pointee' fix the work which is now neglected by
sews @boggling, careless, and ignorant awemblages,
misedbd eassainsioners of sewers.
liesemily, as to noisiness dangerous to life and
health. A new alosificatioa at the dillwant districts
of Louden is required, with it special Meer of nui-
sance' to sake prisdical surreys of Impaction, and
inilkis hest pressedins for their n That
afro NI tospialibk dad 7211111"e"te
whits dos ie de Work. _ ssousiisa with him,
euwsr MOM should bees its arnediesl board of health.
The Mmbhrdea of ft directing board of health, and a
properly qualified inspector, is required for the die-