The Express.
London, England, 1859-01-15 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, SATURDAY EVENING, JANUARY 15, 1859.

RIFLID small arms having made a rapid stride
towards perfection in a few years, the attention of
all improvers was directed to larger ordnance. Greet
difficulties were found, both in rifling the cannon
and in adapting the expansive principle to cannon-
shot. The Lancaster gun, with its oval bore and
wrought iron shot, proved an expensive failure.
Mr. W. L ARMSTRONG, a civil engineer, not a pro-
fessed artilleryman, seems now to have solved the
problem, and raised the larger ordnance to its pre-
vious pre-eminence over the smaller arm. lie
makes his gun of steel and wrought iron. Inter-
nally steel, it is surrounded externally by wrought
iron, twisted in a spiral form, as in a musket or
fowling-piece. The strength and tenacity of this
combination, as compared with gun-metal or wrought
iron, enables Mr. ARMSTRONG'S gun to project an
eighteen-pounder shot with a cannon weighing no

more than an ordinary nine-pounder. The interior
of the bore is rifled with small grooves, about forty
in number, making • complete twist as they pass
from one end to the other of the cannon. The bell
is of cast iron; it is cylindrical in shape, termi-
nated by a rounded head. The greater part
of the surface is coated with lead, securely
prevented from being driven off the shot in
its progress through the barrel. This leaden seat
sakes the shot a little larger than the bore of the
cannon. Mr. AIItSTIONG'I gun is loaded at the
breech, and the shot being propelled through the
bore by the explosion of the powder, the had in its
expansion tightly fits the ball, and the neceseuy
spinning motion is given ia the right direction. The
advantages gained by this improvement can only
be estimated by a consideration of the results
obtained.

At thir experimental trials at Shoebaryness as

lailoander shot was made over and over again , with
the greatest saes and certainty, to strike a sir feet
target at a distance of 3,500 yards. That is only 20
reds lees than two miles. This sets at met the
gumbo' • both of accuracy and length of range. The
cylindrical abet with rounded head, when made to
mole* la the right direction, suffers far less Aetna-
ties ham the resistance of the air In its speedy flight
than a spherical shot of the same weight. Mr.

AMISTRONG.s shot can be made into a shell, and of
all shells the most destructive, a percussion one.
It contains a small cavity in its centre. When
this is filled with bursting powder, and
a detonating fame is inserted in front, the
instant the shot strikes an object the detonating
powder explodes and fires the fuse. A minute span
of time, sufficient, however, to allow the shell to
travel four or five feet, takes place before the bunt-
ing powder is ignited and the shell explodes. Thus
the shell may penetrate the side of a ship entire, and
then bursting, scatter its deadly fragments in the
midst of the crowded deck. When used simply se
• shot, a head of iron or steel is substituted for the
fete. The penetrating character of the new sidle
may be judged from the following facts:—A flet
pound shot fired at a timber target three feet thick,
composed of six layers of rock elm bolted together
eo se to form a solid block, passed entirely through
it whoa fired from a distance of 1,800 yards. A 12-
pound shot at Shoebaryness fired at 800 yards die-
tance perforated a solid body of oak timber nine feet
thick.

The havoc made in the iron aides and ribs of the
Trusty, floating battery, by one of Mr. MUM RONG.II
32-pound shot we recorded on Tuesday. At a range
of 400 yards the steel-headed shot " drove in •
" portion of one of the plates, went through the
" side, tearing away one of the berms, deck, &e.,
" and pissed out over the upper deck." With seek
deadly flying steel-headed iron rams as Mr. Aix.
eruovc has invented, and with the improved cannon
for projecting them, we need fear ao floating rams
nor iron mailed batteries.
We trust that official obstructiveness will not be
allowed to worry the heart out of this enterprising
Civil Engineer. While England possesses such
men, if we only give them fair encouragement, wa
may both defend our coasts and diminish our
estimates.

Cm Court.

WINDSOR, JAI,. 14.

Her Majesty's dinner party yesterday included
the Marquis of Lreadateue, the lad sad Costar of Shel-
burne, sad Ms. A. Paget; she Yr Rat sad Counts@
Stanhope sad dr Islet Welsher. who arrived co • vlait
In the aftertaste. Wald tbe Hen. air Charles sad Lady
Phipps had the Wiser d bean imbed.

Ti. Imil lile Gook' bead ;whim' lean dim:
avow. - liaprer Time%

PdllllllllZ. " DOM al Lap.

OmNos. ' &di II

SeigiL
Ostaw.

::: iiii,.

Her MOW. Ovate bawl shamods *i le dr
tbusligiesu as harriss pars:

Oserms, " Pialon"

w-.

PAroari, "L V de Pals'
orregs. " n oar

Adis.
faidsi

The Qum, with Primes Alb. sad Primo Arthur,
valued la She Hew Perk this warn*, sad vidtmd the
Mambos ed teat al Pompom
The Primo Crowd west out 'hoods!, somoopoded by
Prises Edward of Sale Weimar and the Earl of Warlike.
Mr. A. Peet left Windsor is the forenoon.
Viecounteca Joiselys has succeeded the Countess of Os
borough a Ledy in Waiting to her Majesty.

Mr. Reuben Aytiff* had ea interim with flit Eared
Unlwer Lytton yesterday, st the ColooLl•otflae.
The Governor of the Bank of England, and the Disronty-
Governor, bad en lowniew with the Chancellor of the Xi-
chequer on Thursday, rt his dads] residence, in Dowsing-
slaste.

THE PRINCESS FREDERICK WILLIAM.--FiE Isaias
Clark left Lark. Maaday for Berth, ht order to be par
net at the appeedelag seemehetatet of the Prthatee Freda.
risk "Mem ne Priem, will be attended by the Prose=
physician who tree moat al the last accouthetheat of oar
Claeth—Yealieei new.

The DO, of Rielaseed has arrived at Portland-
pima is Mina a mak casealleke.

We regret to =mum the demise of the Dowagrr
Loly Om. which event took place on the 31. t oh., et
Worn*. How, neer Edinburgh, in her 90th year.

Lord Alexander Gordon Lennox, M.P., has left
boa, oa • visit to Lord sad Led; Churchill, at Corabary
Park Charlbw', Ono.

Lady Blanche Balfour hu arrived at the Queen's
Hoeg, Upper Norwood, from Wl)[Weems.

Mr. Augustan Paget, who has been on a visit to
bar flagasty at ilftwisee Cate* has toss lately appointed
Lair, et the Cart of Meadow. Mr. A. Paget is son of
lira km ilea Hoe. !ir Arthur Paget, L. 8., who was for
waxy pan a disaarnatted eabwander at the Courts of
Maas, Conalsathtople, de.

. .
The convocation of the prelates and clergy of the
poetics of Caaterbary was yesterday maregaed la the Jeru-
salem Chamber, WartaMaur, by ths iser-Gemeet, Dr.
Tamers Twin. trader • remmlisks Lim lie Omegas Laid
Arabella? of Cawlerbevy, Primate of ell Begird sad Me-
Meyettesa, pareasat le the royal • db. to !'rtdy, Feb. 4.

NV* us happy to loan; that Mr. John EWA, late
sholoolo at the Miami ositway, is *pia roolorod to
battik.

The general meeting of the Highland and Agri-
evienral society wW take Owe M Baggiest ill the ilkk
bet 1t M likely Is be seruelly labrectin, swift Is br-
eak dtforescee which hive meant Wines the diteeten and
lame ambles of the umbees.

Capt.. Boise awl Spoke, of the expedition to
Zoe Africa, have eaeraded, after Ph. abort trritor effqrte, le
math* sad eareerlag the great lake of the interior, and ere
oa their rotors to Zearibet.

LATEST INTELLIGENCE,

LOMBARDY.

VIENNA, FRIDAY.
Advioes have been received from Padua to the
12th inst.

On the occasion of the burial of Professor Zambra,
a seditious disturbance took place among the students
of the university, which was however immediately
suppressed. The lectures at the university were at
once stopped. The inhabitants remained quiet.

SERVIA.

BELGRADE, FRIDAY, JAR. 14.

Kabuli Effendi has communicated to the Skupts-
china the Porte's approval of the election of Prince
Milosch, which communication wu followed by
rejoicings among the people.

NAPLES.

(711011 OVA ORM

NAPLES, FRIDAY.

The following edict has been issued --" Any per-
son or pumas taken in the act of an attempt
(stunts° against the internal safety of the State
will be tried immediately by a council of war.
Persons messed of conspiring against the safety of
the State will be tried before the ordinary 000ru."

AUSTRIA.

VIENNA, JAN. 13.

A great riee took place to-day in public securities.
Five pat Cent. Metalliques, 80, being 1 per cent.
higher than yesterday, and exchange on London
improved 2 per cent, viz., 103.80.

SPAIN.

A telegram, u follows, was remised last night:
MADRID, JAN. 14.

The Queen has granted certain lands, portion of
the royal patrimony, for the site of the termini), of
the Northern Railway of Spain.

TURKEY AND BERVIA.

CONSTANTINOPLE, hs. 5.

The Servian deputation has arrived hire for the
purpoee of representing to the Porte the wiehee of
the nation.

The Prince Miksch hu written to the effect that
he will not accept any dignity from the Skuptachina
which has not been ratified by the Porte.
The telegraph to Crete is finished.
The news is confirmed that the agent of the
English loan contractors has protested in vain
against the new loan of 15 million franca contract d
for by the Porte.

MARSEILLES, THURSDAY, JAN. 13.
Advice:B have been received from Constantinople
to the bth inst.

Ali Packs and Fnad Puha have become recon-
ciled, and all reports of ministerial changes have
essisti.

The example of Seffill has given rise to agitation
in the Empire.

A new loan of 15 millions bas been contracted for
by the Porte on ruinous conditions. The delegate of
the contractors for the great English loan remon-
strated against it, but in vain.
The Persian Government bee ratified an agree-
ment concluded between FeronkKhan and a French
house for working up pert of the silk produce of
Persia.

BELGRADE, J*x. 13.

The Skuptschina has addressed a demand to
the Senate, calling upon it to accelerate the
arrival of Prince Miloech and to grant him power
as an hereditary i tiler. It is asserted that
the Porte has refused to recognise him in that
character, and that on account of this refusal the
Skuptschina has just summoned an extraoro;nary
sitting to consider the question.

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

(raox ova OWN

PARIS, TWEET EVENING.

M. Rente's long semiofficial article in the Coe-
stigutioenel has been as unsuccessful in its professed
object of reassuring the public mind av was the
laconic paragraph in the Monittur. Like the Moni-
tour, the Conatitutioniel is evidently insincere, and

does not wish to be believed. It says that the
alarm which exists is founded " more upon imaginary
fears than upon facts." Three facts only it pretends
are before the public—the Emperor's address
to M. de Hubner on New Year's-day, the King
of Sardinia's speech, and the marriage of
Prince Napoleon. It gravely repeats the
hackneied official absurdity, that what the
Emperor said meant only a sincere regret for the
peat, and indicated nothing for the future. As to the
King of Sardinia's speech, it pretends that his
Majesty could not have said less with sin-
'
mity, considering that he broke off diplomatic
relations with Austria eighteen months ago.
Then the alliance of the French imperial family with
the house of Savoy is represented as the most natural
thing in the world, and we are told that " if"
entastances should arise calling for the interference
of France in Italy, she would fulfil the duty incum-
bent upon her with neither more nor less exactitude
than if her sovereign had not been allied to the Sardi-
nian King by family ties. All these arguments, which
do not touch the real state of affairs, display that
profound contempt for the understanding of the
bulk of its readers which the French semi-official
journals habitually exhibit. The Constitutionnal
asks repeatedly with an assumed naivete, why
France and Europe are so much frightened. It
affects to be ignorant of the obvious snswer,
which is—" because the question of peace
or war depends upon the will of a single
man, whose whole history shows that whew
he meditates a startling enterprise, his custom
is to ventilate it in the public mind by unauthorised
agents—sparvere vexes in rulguns antbiguor—con-
coaling his real intentions from those who think
themselves most in his confidence, and reserving
always a loophole to affirm that he has been mis-
interpreted until the moment comes when he acts
upon his predetermined resolution." The Consiitos-
Simnel pretends that France will not make war un-
less there shall be a breach of treaties. This is poor
oossolation, for you may be very sure that a pretext
that treaties unbroken may be found whenever
wanted. Already we are told by the Press that
Austria has committed a " flagrant " violation
of treaties by inducing Tuscany to receive
an Austrian force of 12,000 or 15,000 men
to replace an equal number of Tuscan soldiers, who
will be sent to other parts of Italy. This particular
fact may or may not be true; the Patric doubts it.
and suggests that Austria has lately lost much of
her influence with the Grand Duke. But the fact
of snap an argument being brought forward by the
Pram shows how curiously pretexts of quarrel are

sought for. The Press, denies that it is under the in-
fluence of Prince Napoleon, but if this denial is to
be accredited, all the newspaper world in Paris
has long been under a mistake. The Prince, it is
well known, has surrounded himself with redoeteurs
of that journal. There is a report this evening that
the Emperor is at length frightened by the unmis-
takeable attitude of the country, and the supplica-
tion. of his official advisers. But I do not believe
in his hesitation. As far u I can see, the prepara-
tions for war are urged on with increasing haste
and firm determination.

The Bourse opened with considerable firmness
under the influence of the peace rumours which are
industriously circulated, but it became suddenly
mach depressed in the afternoon. The Rente closed
with a rise of 10c. for cash and a fall of 10c. for
account, at 68fr. 76c. and 68fr. 50c. The closing
price was the lowest of the day ; the quotation at
one moment was 89fr. 2.5f3., the oscillation being
therefore as much as 75c. Mobilier, 15fr. Railways
did not suffer so much by the reaction of the after-
noon, and most of the lines closed with a rise of a
few francs.

It is officially stated from Spain that the Duchess
de Montpenmer has entered upon the fifth month of
her pregnancy.