The Express.
London, England, 1860-12-14 00:00:00

CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS.

The following firma have announced their inten-
ties to remain closed on Monday, the 24th inst : Messrs.
Merriam, Dillon and Co. ; Messrs. Leaf, Sons, and Co. ;
Xmas. Ellis, Everington and Co. ; Mews. Cloak sad Boas ;
Messrs. J. sad 8.. Morley ; Marrs. Boyd and Co. ; Messrs.
Caldecott, Boos, and Willcooks ; Moms. Bradbury,
°restore: sad Co. ; Meson W. and a. Marley ; Mann
Field and Bons ; Moors. Goodyear and Son ; Messrs. Allan
sad Badger ; and Mess. R. Evans and Co. In all proba-
bility the plan thus adopted by the large wholesale houses
supported as it is by the cordial concurrence of the Lord
Mayor, will be carried out by a large number of the London
Irma, including a oonidanhls proportion of the retail
trade. It is much to be desired that so excellent an oppor-
tunity for enabling assistant. and others engaged in houses
of badness to visit their friends at a distance, should be
ornbraard wherever practicable.

Viscount and Viscounteas Sydney have arrived
is Cleveland-eguare from visiting the Counter Cowper at
Wrest Park, Begin _ _

'Viscount Vaßetort, M.P., has arrived at Far-
runes's Hotel, ea a visa to the Earl of Yount-Edgcumho,
from Yount-Edgentabs, Devon.

Lord and Indy Edward Thynne left town on
Monday to join the Wady circle at Longboat, the Marquis
of Bath's KM is Wilts.
The Dowager Lady Clinton has arrived at the
Iltanswisk Hotel, Jermynotreet, from Brighton.
Lady Cecilia Bingham gave birth yesterday to
• son and bsir at 51, Portlawl.place.

This Right Hon. Sidney Herbert, M.P., and
Hrs. Harbert are entertaining a distinguished circle at
Wilton Home, near Salisbury, including the Earl sod
Counters Nelson, the Earl of Powis, Lord and Lady Ash-
burton, Lard John Manners, the Bishop of Oxford, Arch-
demon Harriet, the Hon. and Rey. C. Harris, Mr. and Mn.s
Motley and Mire Motley, Hrs. Montgomery, Mr. Wyatt,
Mr. Burnett, do. _ _ .

His Excellency the Earl of Carlisle left the Vice-
regal Lodge, Dublin, on Wednesday morning, and pro-
ceeded to Kingstown by special train, where he embarked
on beard the mail steamer for Holyhead. His excellency
will remain during the Christmas holidays at Trentham.
Staffordshire, the seat of the Duke of Sutherland.
We read in the Post :—" Lord Edwin Hill, M.P.
for Domelike, is, it is meld, to All the vacancy of ' whip'
to the Conservative party occasioned by the retirement of
Sir Wm. H. Jaffe, Y.Y.' _ _

The Limerick Reporter mays that the secretary of
the oongregated trades of Limerick has received a letter
from General Lemorieiere, who is at Paris, expressive of the
general's greet regret that the invitation to the grand ban-
quet on Monday se'nnigbt did sot reach him in sufficient
time to enable him to avail himself of the intended honour,
and that he bestows high praise on the "patriotic body"
which intended the compliment to him and his companions
is arms—the Irish brigade.

.It is stated that the Queen Vieteriascrew steamer,
which mailed from Gravesend on the 4th inst. with a por-
tico of the cable originally intended for Gibraltar, but now
destined to be laid between Singapore and Rangoon, has
put into Plymouth, owing to the heat generated in the hold
having caused indications of injury to the insulation of the
wire. " Peen are entertained," rya the Times, " that a
further considerable sum of money is in jeopardy from this
enterprise, which is being carried out under the responsi-
belly of the government."
Tax Rev. FATHER DALY AND THE INCORE
—On Friday the horse and car of Father Daly were seized
by the collector of income tax. The rev. gentleman had
cad driven to the bank, leaving his vehicle outside whilst
transacted his business ; but he was rather taken aback
on coming out, by finding two sturdy fellows in poseemion
of his goods and chattels. It is said that he OWN many
year. of this obnoxious tax to several collectors.—Galicar
Vindicator.
GREAT BIRD SHOW AT Botrimanerote.—The
second annual show of the Hampshire Oraitlqical As.
glaciation has taken place this week at South on, and
his proved a great success. Between 300 and cave,
containing in all about 1,000 birds, were sent to the exhibi-
tion, which was held at the Victoria Aeseinibly-rocena. It
Landed specimens of every known variety of canary, which
formed the leading feature of the show, and there were
also on the stands a number of cardinals, cockatoos,
parrots, parroquets, love birds, and other British
sad foreign cage-birds. The birds wierearranged in seventy.
two classes, and about 120 prizes were awarded among the
competitors. The floe band of the Southampton Volun-
teer Rifle Corps was in attendance on Wednesday and
Thursday evenings, and played choice selections of sacred
mid elsesisel amee. The show was wall attended en each
of tie three elefe, and all present were well repaid by an
laspeetioa of the beautiful specimens of the feathered
tribes collected on the occasion. ifany of the gentry of the
town and neighbourhood were numbered among the oantri•
baton.

Although it is beyond a doubt that the Emperor
Las recently written to Francis IL recommending
him net to prolong a useless defence, I am afraid
I the letters not so straightforward and decided as
could be wished. The telegraph fails to bring the
news that the bombardment of Gaeta by sea has
begun, and them are rumours to the effect that
after all N•paleon 111. has not yet renounced the
part of • maggot, which he haa so long and so
unaccountably played. He tells the unhappy King
that he thinks be had better go away, but if in
spite of adviceiiii wishes to kill a few hundred
more men, and prolong the unsettled state of Italy,
he will still mob* by the French fleet so far as to
prevent Admisal posano from making a short end
of the busines.. 4t, least it is stated very posi-
tively that iihouvenel has assured M. de
c__—

Admiral Lebniiiier de MUMn has orders to remain
.befons Gaeta, and, moreover, that M. de Metter-
nich has been ordered to repeat this declaration to
DE Canofari, the King's minister in Paris.

In 'the Opinioes Nationale M. Gneroult calls M.
de Persigiiy's attention to the oonduct of the pre-
fect of the new department of the " Alper Mari-
times," who, it is alleged, is using the whole
weight of his power to ensure the election of the
government candidate for Nice. M. Gueroult, who
it will be remembered was a leading advocate for
the annexation, now makes the remarkable admis-
sion that of the three new departments that of the
Maritime Alps is the one on which " French na-
tionality is the least marked, and in which the
Italian type has left the greater traces in the blood,
language, and manners of the inhabitants." From
these.premises he argues very well that the French
government should be more conciliatory there
:than anywhere else, and should not treat Nice as •
litsetneeed country," if it would gain the sympa-
of these children of its adoption.
:I - told that at the ministerial council yester-
elay,l the question whether reinforcements should
be stint to China was consideied, but not resolved.
♦ glint many objections were made to a course
which may carry the French government far beyond
its original intentions.
The Empress arrived at Paris at half-past 5 this
evening, accompanied by the Emperor, who went
as far as Amiens to meet her.
♦ pamphlet, entitled "Francois Joseph devant
Europe," will appear to-morrow, the scope of which
is to show that the Emperor of Austria has no
choice but to sell Venetia if he would avoid a gene-
ral war and his own ruin. This feeler will, lam
told, be shortly followed by another from the pen
of M. de la Gaerronnibre.

A new review, to be called the " Critique
Franpaiae," will come out on December lb, under
the editorship of the eminent advocate M. Dee-
merest.
It is reported this evening that the negotiation
with K Emile de Girardin for the purchase of the
Preen has gone off, and that K Solar, the prin-
cipal proprietor, hal disposed of his interest in the
concern to M. Penis, the advertieemente agent.
M. Roger de Beauvoir has been served by the
public prosecutor with a rule to show cause why he
should not hereafter content himself with the pa-
tronymic of Roger only, dropping the nobiliary
particle de and the ancient name of "Beauvoir."
The new catalogue of nobility is just coming out,
and the government threatens to be very severe
with impostors. Of course all doubtful titles (and
there were many among court favourites) will be,
or have been already, set right by new patents pri-
vately issued.

At the Bowe then was next to nothing doing.
The Rent. fell 5c., closing at 681 r. 75c. and
888 r. 80c. Mobilier rose Mr., and two or three of
the railway lines were a shade higher.

1111171 DER OP A FRENCHMAN AT NAPLIM4.—A
letter from Naples gives the following amount of • murder
committed on the person of • young Frenchman. who had
just arrived :—" A dreadful murder was committed here the
night before last. In the evening a young Frenchman went
in a earrings to the ()Olden Anchor coffeehouse, which he
soon afterwards left with three persons in the Garrlaidian
costume, whom be had met there. He and his companions
got into the carriage which had remained at the door, and
drove to • neighbouring restaurant. After a rather long
dinner the four new friends ordered the driver to take them
to the Chiaja. On coming to the Largo San Pasquale,
one of the three men in the Oaribaldian dress, touching
the esoolunaa's shoulder with kis foot, ordered hint
to go faster. The latter having rid that be could
not do so erring to the slippery state of the pave-
ment, the other stabbed him in the head with a poniard.
The wounded man at once jumped down, followed by his
son, who wee with him on the box, and bleeding as he was
ran towards the pekoe of the Count of Syracuse, while hie
son hastened to the venison's in the Pismo Garofalo.
The national guards on duty proceeded at once to the Largo
San Pasquale, but arrived too late, for they found the
Frenchman dead, with seven poniard stabs In his breast.
The assassins have not been discovered. On the young
man's person two napoleons and an equal sum in silver were
found, but his gold watch was gone, and it is supposed a
considerable sum of money, so a letter in his pocket =-
maimed a large remittance. The measles are supposed to
have been some of the galley.slaves whom Francis IL's
agents bad let loose before he left Naples. They had as-
mimed the red shirt as a disguise."
SUSPICIOUS DEATH AT SHEFFIELD. —On Wednes-
day, Mr. blerratt resumed an inquest at Sheffield, on the
body of Ann Itrodigan, the wife of a printer, who was found
drowned in the River Sheaf on Sunday morning, under cir-
cumstaaass of considerable suspicion. The women left
home in a state of intoxication about eleven o'clock on
Saturday night, in consequence of a blow from her husband,
and shortly afterwards three men, named Lockwood, Bing-
ham, and Hedge, were seen taking her along a dark and
narrow path beside the river Sheaf. A witness named
William C‘ryer, who gave his evidence in a moaner which
excited considerable suspicion as to his own part in the
transaction, deposed that ice followed the men on the side of the
river, and heard the woman cry out " murder" and " watch."
A man called cut from the opposite side of the rives,
" What are you doing to that woman*' and one of the
three men returned a filthy answer. Witness proceeded
forward, and on punka the men and woman saw them in
such • position as to lead to the supposition that one of the
men had been violating her. He went immediately to the
top of Hariner.lane, which runs at right angles with the
ricer, to seek • watchman, but did ant succeed in finding
one. As he was returning down Harmerlaue he saw the
deceased lying in a timberyard, surrounded by about nine
men, including the three whom he bad left with her. Wit-
ness gave evidence to the effect that six of the men violated
the unfortunate woman in succession, eke meanwhile crying
out " Murder," he. A man was then seen to approach
with a lantern and the men all ran away, he (witness) also
going away, from a fear that he might be taken for one of
the party who had been ill.treating the woman. He saw
nothing more either of the deceased or the men. No evi-
dence was adduced to throw any light upon the question of
how the woman got back from the timberyanl to the river,
nor have the police been able to find any man who went to
the place with a light. A witness named Gomel, however,
deposed that Cryer's trousers' bottoms were very wet on
Sunday morning. Cryer, in reply to this evidenoe, denied
meddling with the woman, and said hit trousers were wet
in consequence of his treading in pooh of wider in Harmer-
lam on Saturday evening. The coroner adjourned the in-
quest for further inquiry. —Leeds Mercury.
Errs's Hostaiorerucc Cocos. Its delicious
aroma, grateful neoetkness, and Melioration power have pro-
eared Its general adoption se a breakfast beverage.
ttanol Ilb. pockets, al Is. St par lb., by the ~pal
"Jane *PL. 110.00FathiC kOdalf=
Vertiassienki