The Express.
London, England, 1860-12-26 00:00:00

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

THE BOMBARDMENT OF GAETA.
GAETA (via Itaeseelee), Dec. IL

The bombardment of the city oontin;es with in-
creased vigour. The Spanish Ambassador has left
his palace, on account of its being riddled with
bullets. Two officers have been struck while
standing near the King. New Sardinian batteries
can be seen, evidently ready to take part in the
bombardment.

A deputation has arrived here from Calabria,
and has promised to raise an insurrection in favour
of the King.

ITALY.

NAPLES, Dic. 22.

The news that the French squadron is about to
quit Gaeta has caused a rise in the Neapolitan
funds.
A decree dated the 20th inst. calls out the classes
of the last four years. These classes are to assemble
at the end of February.

ROME, Du. 22.
Considerable quantities of provisions are being
despatched to Gaeta.

AUSTRIA.
A letter from Vienna., dated the 22nd instant,
says :

The report that Count Hochberg is about to quit
office is still current, but ths Minister-President is
likely to remain at his post for some time to come,
the Court being desirous to avoid the appearance of
having yielded to the preemie of public opinion. It
is possible that some change of circumstances may induce
the Emperor to • corresponding change in his plans, but at
present—as is credibly related—his Majesty is inclined to
make M. von Schmerling President of the Cabinet as well as
Minister of State. Should he do so, the integrity of the
empire may be maintained, but if Count Hochberg should
remain at the head of affairs, any efforts which M. von
Schmerling may make to oonws to an understanding with
the liberal party in Hungary must necessarily fail, as it has
no coefidence in the sincerity of the Minister-President,
who, but • few years ago, was hand and glove with
Baron Bach, the doughty champion of absolutism
and oentralimatice. It hardly admits of a doubt
that Baron Hahne, will soon be Minister for Foreign
Affairs, bat persons who h►ve known him long and
intimately say that he is not very likely to improve the
relations between this country and the other Powers. H.
you Hubner bean the stigma of Jesuitism, and his enemies,
whose name is legion, accuse him of having made • stepping-
stone of religion.
The private accounts received from Hungary are exceed-
ngly unfavourable. No taxes are now paid, aa the persons
who are inclined to discharge their obligations to the state
cannot safely venture to do so. In Pressburg, a city that
is almost within sight of Vienna, tobacco is publicly sold
in the market place, which is just in front of the building
occupied by the financial authorities. The peasants in
the more remote districts of the kingdom are beginning to
produce their long-hoarded Kossuth notes, which are
bought by unprincipled speculators at the rate of 40
kraut:ars per florin. There is also • new kind of note in
circulation, which is said to bear the signatures of Kossuth,
Klapb, and Dualnit.
Tbe anniversary of the birthday of the Empress Eliza-
beth will be celebrated here to the 24th inst. Her Majesty
is 24 yam of age.
If I say nothing relative to the proposed male or cession
of Vomits, it is because it is known to me that nothing but
brute force tea induce the Austrian government to quit the
Quadrilatend.

THE BOMBAY AND ILLIIRITIIIS MAILS.

1901TrilAMPTONA Dec. 25.
The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steam-
ship Mom, Captain Joy, with the heavy portion of the
above mails, arrived at 1 p.m. Rho beings 34 passengers,
2p.erres specie, value 3361., general merchandise, 682
and 2,309 balm raw silk, value upwards of 200,000/.
sterling.
The Ellora sailed from Alexandria on the 11th ; Malta,
15th ; and Gibraltar, the 20th inst. On the 14th, in lat.
35.15 N., lon. 18.20 E., spoke the Peninsular and Oriental
Company's steamer Ceylon, standing S.K Same date, in
company with the steamship Valetta, standing N.W. 20th,
4 deg. east of Tarifa, passed her Majesty's ship St Jean
d'Acre ; and on the 22nd, lat. 43.50, don. 9.06, passed and
exchanged signals with the link', with the outward Austra-
lian and China mails.
Her Majesty's ship Firefly and 4yptian squadron
were at Alexandria. At Malta, her Majesty's ships Victor
Emmanuel, Orion, Melpomene, and Boxer. The Amphion
arid Scylla
1 were leaving for a cruise. At Gibraltar, bet
Majesty s steam sloop Argus, gunboat Quail, and tug Red-
The French barque Constance, of San Servan, has been
wrecked off Cape Spartel. She was laden with coals. The
master and crew, with the exception of one man, were
saved.

The Spanish steam transport SaitAntonio, from Mogadore
and Algeciras, arrived at Cadiz on the 11th inst.
The schooner Fairy, of Loudon, from Valenti*, with
fruit, went ashore on the 18th to the eastward of Tarifa.
The Adobe steam tug wu rent to her assistance by the
Mutual Marine Insurance Association, and succeeded in
getting her off. Being in an unmanageable state from want
of rudder, she was lathed alongside the Adelia, and
grounded at Tayside, Gibraltar, having no chains or anchors
on board. It wee feared she had sustained considerable
damage. Nearly the whole of her cargo waa disc
The British barque Medium put into Gibraltar cli:ia:Cdl.9th
to repair damage sustained in collision on the 15th with
the Oldenburg brig Marmuite (of Elluford).
The French steam transport Yonne, from Toulon and
Oran_ left Gibraltar on the 15th for Senegal. She had on
board • number of marine artillerymen, and some Turcos
(infantry), who are proceeding to that part of Africa for the
purpose of forming the nucleus of • special native corps
which is being organised.
Accounts from Tangier are to the 16th inst. The late
gales and heavy rains experienced there had caused consi-
derable damage to the holds in the neighbourhood. Trade
was completely paralysed in consequence of the flooded
state of the country. The sailing vessels lying in Tangier
Bay for some time past, waiting for change of wind to pro-
ceed to the westward, hail availed themselves of an easterly
wind which had sprung up to leave for their destinations.
Accounts from Granada state that in consequence of the
melting of the snow in those mountains, and of the late
very heavy rains the rivers Genii, Darro, and Dilar, had
overflown, inundating several small towns and the city of
Santa Ft. In the latter place several buildings bed fallen.
Bread was extremely scarce there, as well as at Granada, in
consequence of the destruction of mills and the scarcity
of dour.

At Tetuan the rains bad been so continuous and heavy
that the fort La Estrella had to be abandoned in conse-
quence of the water reaching up to the waist of the men
garrisoning it. The road from the Custom-house to the
town was completely swamped.
The Como de Alsdalsitia, of Malaga, gives accounts from
the penal settlement of Melilla. Tranquillity reigned in that
settlement, where the communication with the interior con-
tinued open. The Moors have not annoyed the garrison,
although they remain stableman with respect to givieg up,
according to the treaty, any portion of territory in the
vicinity unless it be tales by fovea of arms. All kinds of
produce is carried on by the Moore to the markets of the
fortress for disposal. Cholera and smallpox, lately preva-
lent, had entirely disappeared both at Melilla and in its
neilbriniLhood.
gales and heavy rains had been severely felt
throughout the Peninsula, the rivers in many instances
overflowing, and inundating towns, quays, Ice., especially at
Seville, Maine*, Saragossa, Barcelona, ha. No steamer
could leave the Balearic Islands in consequence of the
storms.

The Spanish government has sent 2,000 dollar to the
sufferer!in Granada by the late inundations.
. . . .

The Malta journals continue to complain of the import
duty of ten shillings sterling on every quarter of wheat, and
that of six on every 175 pounds of floor consumed in those
islands, and sincerely hope the governor and his advisers
would not be deterred by difflcultiee which may present
themselves from taking Into consideration the odious na-
ture of the bread tax, rind advise some other more equitable
arrangement for collecting the revenue on more economical
principles.
The following British ships had arrived out at Gibraltar
since the 14th inst. :—Steanier Britannia, 11 days from
London ; steamer Frankfort, 6 days from Liverpool ;
steamer Sardinia, 7 days from Loudon • 8.Y.8. schooner
Eva, 7 days from Falmouth ; twig Aaron Eaton, 20 days
from CS,rdiff ; brig Betty Filen, 18 days from Llanelly ;
schooner Pacific, 30 days from Liverpool ; brig Merrier., 45
days from Swansea; barque Electric, 21 days from Oudiff
steamer Peninsula, 8 days from London ; Ammer kris, Ili
days from Liverpool ; steamer ffipon, 4 days 20 hours from
Southampton ; brigantine Trio, 24 days from Cardiff ;
barque locos 15 days from Cardiff ; steamer Orontes 6 days
from Liverpool ; and bri4 Carl Emil, 22 days from Liverpool.
Gibraltar exchanges were quoted :—Os London, 90 dare
date, WI to 5414 ; Paris, 51. Mc. ' • Marseilles, M. 31e. ;
Genoa, 51. 30c. ; Madrid, eight days' sight, par ; Cadiz, par;
Malaga, prem.; Seville, par ; Minket*, i dia. ; Valencia,
par ; Barcelona, prem. ; Spanish pillared dollars, Ferdi-
nand, 2} per cent. premium, no demand ; Spanish pillared
dollars, erolns, 18 to 20 per cent. premium, in demand.
Freights to Loudon and outporia in the United Kingdom,
armed and River Plate, Gulf of Mexico, and Ravannals
12 doh. per ton and 10 per cent.