The Express.
London, England, 1856-12-11 00:00:00

NAVIGATION OP THE TIGRIS AND COTTON

CULTIPATION:

Yesterday morning a meeting of the directors of
the Manchester Commercial Amociation took place for the
purpose of givieg an audience t 3 Colonel Moss'aid Bey,
chief of the staff of the Puha of Bagdad, a gentleman con-
nected with the effort making to improve the navigation of
the river Tigris, and who has come to Europe in order to
purchase stamen eatable to the proposed navigation.
In the courts of a convenation which followed, the colonel
, stated that Mr. Baum, British via-consul at Mosul,
' had tried the experiment of growing cotton, and bad no
caded, not only is fact bat in a commenial point of view.
No 'outplay bad a yet been formed at Bagdad; bat all
that was required was a little capital to commence with, and
ha had no doubt that cotton cultivation might succeed, and
he believed for this purpoes 15,0001. to 20,0001. would be
quite sufficient, for which a monthly interest might be paid.
This wu supposing the messy wets expended in irrigating
the gardens and alibi& the seighboarhood of Bagdad.

Casco, a director of the association, put several ques-
tions to the colossi as to the growth of cotton in the neigh-
bourhood of Bagdad; and the colonel stated that a small
quantity was at present produced sad wed by the inha-
bitants (or their own consumption, but for want of proper
means its preparation use very szpearive.
Mr. Cx.roci did not think it advisable at present that any
public company should undertake the experiment, but
thought the natives themselves should be induced to com-
mence the growth of cotton as much 111 possible, but on a
small male at first, and the experiment might be undertaken
afterwards on a lerger male it they succeeded. Re referred
to the cultivation of cotton on the wort coast of Africa as
being on a larger scale than was generally 'opposed, and
thought the time was come when chambers of commerce and
associations like this should do all in their power to
encourage such undertakings. He thought it very desirable
some individual should be induced to go to Bagdad to see
what could be dose to induce the people to cultivate the
cottoa plant. Evidently what they required was not money
so much as instruction and guidance.

After souse remarks from Wm. Gibb (who presided to
the absence of the president and vise. president), and others,
a vote of thanks was given to Col. bloss'ond Big for his at-
tendance, and the information he had given, sad the meeting
than separated.

Count de La Rochefoucauld, attache to the French
Ligation at Frankfort, bu arrived in Paris for the purpose
of procuring the ratification of the treaty eonoerning liter-
ary property, concluded between the city of Far kfort and
the French governrneut._

The officers of the Russian squadron now at Cher-
boars returned a few days ago at the Hotel de Ville,
with a splendour and brilliaaey each as had before
been witnessed at that plats, the ball given them by the
authorities of that port. Upwards of 600 persons were
invited, Including the notabilities of the department. In
addition to a numerous *reheats', the band of the Russian
squadron was preesat and played alternately Preach and
Raul= aim. Bach lady on entering the ball room was
presented with a handsome bouquet, and was received by
Admiral Behrens sad the Rusaian officers. During the
evening (says Golignsuse) refreshments of the most delicate
kind were distributed fn profusion, and about one o'clock
in the morning the ladies were invited to place themselves
round a large buffet, placed in the Salon da Musks, and
supplied with every luxury of the lesson, and on leaving
the table each lady had a bag of bonbons presented to her.
The Times observes that Russia, in her late me-
morandum (published in yesterday's Express), admits that
the maps were faulty, and strengthens the admission by
protesting against being supposed to be responsible for their
' production; neat, she states that the fault consisted in this,
that t►e town of Boland, instead of being atte►ted at some
distance from Lake Yalpuek, a backwater of the Danube, as
delineated in the map, actaally touched the noettern ex-
tremity of the lake; and, thirdly, the does no: deny, sad
by not denying admits, that the was well aware of
this error of the map at the time she made the agreement
with the Allies, and used her knowledge to overreach and
deceive them. Russia stands upon her agreement that the
boundary line should be drawn to the south of Bolgrad,
the capital of the Bulgarian colonise, and this agreement
she obtained, first, by suppressing the truth that Bfigrad,
the capital of the Bulgarian colonies, communicates by

Lake TA!puck with the Danube ; aad, secondly, by
the Wee eaggeetion that tt-e Bolgrad which was
shown on the map is the same Bolgrad which she
bargains to retain, instead of being an insignificant village,
which, now that its name on the map has answered its par-
pose, she will not condescend to call by that neat, but con-
temptuously designates u • plass called Tsbek. It was
Bolgrad when we were to be induced to draw the boundary
line to the tenth of it; it is Tabak when we are t ) ignore
its existence, and substitute for it the plane it so usefuLy
represented.
NEW POSTAL TREATY WITH FRANCE. The
licatireur of yesterday coateins au imperial decree, pro-
mulgatitg • new postal convention between France and
England. The instrument, which contains 38 article,, was
signed on the 24:h of September and ratified oa the 18th of
November last. It provides for two exchanges per diem of
letters, newspapers, 4e., bctwean the Post-offices of the
two countries, the British government granting a
subvention to one ureic' of steamboats awl the
French another to the other. Powers are also given
under which the Poet-office of either country may
require captains of vestals proceeding from • port of one
country to the other to carry a mail. In the case of war
between the two countries the postal communications are

not to be interfered with without prior notice, duly d.
The English postage for the letter, not esceedirg oz., will
remain u at present, 4d. ; but more favourable conditions;
I are made for British letters Ipessing through Francs (for
India, as.). The cmventioa will be d into (Hot as
soon as possible, and not later than Jan. 1,1867.
FORMEI LOW or LIFE IN TOE CIIANNEL.
LIVIRPOOL, WIDNIVIDAY.—Tbe barque aasibalasos, which
left this porton the lit metutt, returned yesterday ctosider.
ably damaged, having easionntarei a hwry gale from the
eouth-wast on the 6th end 6th, when off Talker. On the
latter day oho lost fore and main topmasts, and out seaman
and an apprentise off the foreyud. The barque loin a per.
featly lien enclitic*.