The Express.
London, England, 1858-06-29 00:00:00

UNITED STATES.

(71011 one OWN 001N1SPONDINT.)
141BW YORK, Joss 16.
The " British outrages " are already a matter of
history. The reports about them are now acknow-
ledged on all bands to have been greatly exagge-
rated, and those that were really committed have
been disavowed by the British consul at Havannah,
as well as by Admiral Stewart. °An alleged viola-
tion of Spanish territory by a party of marines from
the Styx, for the purpose of searching plantations
on the.cosat of Cuba for newly-imported negroes, has
been formally denied by the Spanish authorities. A
despatch from the commander of the Water Witch,
one of the American squadron sent down to protect
the American flag in the Oulf, reports meeting her
Britannic Majesty's steamer Devutation at Bey
West, in pursuit of the Styx, with orders from the
admiral to desist at once from overhauling
American vessel.. The feeling against the
Styx, as the leader in the late aggressions, is very
strong. The consul at Havannah is said to have
expressed his opinion that her commander will be
sent home for trial. This peaceable solution of the
difficulty affords general satisfaction, while it only
makes the conduct of the government in promoting the
uproar all the more reprehensible. The well-informed
portion of the public, particularly in New England
and the commercial cities, have always regarded it
as a political dodge, partly intended to draw away
attention from the Kansas question, and partly to
put money in the pockets of contractors. The policy
pursued by the administration party, as well u the
opposition 111 both houses of Congress, in fostering
and encouraging the war spirit, was strongly de-
nounced by President King, of Columbia College,
in this city, last week, in his address at the opening
of the new Chamber of Commerce, before a large
and influential mercantile audience, and his remarks
were warmly applauded.
Congress adjourned yesterday ; but an extraordi-
nary session of the Senate has been called, for what
purpose is not yet known. It has doubtless some
connexion with the news from Utah. The session
has been marked by an unusual number of rows
and embryo duels. Congressional manners " have
now becomes, standing joke. Parliamentary decency
is every year at a greater discount. One cause of this
degeneracy is, doubtless, the increasing spirit of re-
sietance on the part of northern members to southern
bullying; but another, and greater, is to be found in
the fact that the rapid expansion of our territory
westward has introduced a largo backwoods
element into the legislature, which overwhelms the
small modicum of civilisation and refinement con-
tributed by the states on the Atlantic. The enor-
mous states and territories of the west, which of late
years have been pouring into the Union, send op
gentlemen to Congress who deal with opposition in
debate much in the same fashion that they del with
it in their native taverns, on the prairie, or in the
forest—by vituperation, or, if need be, by blows.
Continued contact with men of this " rough and
ready" stamp of course has its effect upon the more
polished denizens of the east, who end by making
use of the weapons of their rustic adversaries or
allies.
The way in which territories large u European
kingdoms, and destined in a few years to rival them
inulation and resources, creep from the condition
pop
of unknown and unexplored wildernesses into sove-
reign states and members of the great confederacy,
is very curious. The newspaper reader's attention
is first caught probably by a report of an Indian
battle, or a United States military survey, in some
remote region, of which he had never previously
heard. A meth or two later comes a letter from
an explorer, descanting upon its beauty and fertility.
Then a paragraph, giving some details of rows be-
tween white settlers in it. In six months more, one
hears of a governor going off there, with a company
of moldier,. In • year it is the goal of large armies
of emigrants from the north, and in another
it is clamouring for admission to the Union,
and free-'oilers and pro-slavery men are
fighting over its constitution tooth and naiL
The latest of these apparitions which is loom-
ing up in our horizon is Arizona, a large slice of
New Mexico, to the south-west of Kansas; and if
fame be true, the very garden of the continent. A
year ago it was unknown, except to trappers and
government engineers ; it is now vigorously de-
manding a territorial organisation. A large num-
ber of whites have already settled in it, and as there
are no courts, and no public force or government, it
is of course desolated by frightful disorders,
robberies, murders, and Indian forays, and is, in
fact, in that horrible transition state which sees Lynch
laws substitutes slowly for the rifle of the indi-
r vides]. As it is in the very centre of the debateable
ground, and on the borders of Missouri and Kenyan
the anti-slavery battle will be fought out on its soil
p again with all the acces• of bitternees to be derived
from the recollection of fresh conflicts.

Next Congress will be the scene of even mom ex-
citement about it than the present and last one
witnemed about Kansas. Neither party as yet dares
to mention, as both probably dread, the struggle,
bat it is inevitable.

There hue been a large diminution in the popals-
, lion of the city of New York within the last year.
The new " Directory" contains 4,000 less names of
heads of families and business firms than that of
1837, and this of course represents a much liner
number of individuals. This is no doubt owing alto.
gether to the panic, which sent many west, and
drove many more into the country to economise ;
and next year will witness a return to the old state
of rapid expansion.
There have been terrible floods in the west,
caused by the recent heavy rains, and some appalling
accidents have occurred in consequence on the Upper
Mississippi. The latest accounts inform us this
morning that Cairo, a considerable town, at the
junction of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, has been
almost completely swept away. The floods in the
south and south-west during the spring have also
been very tonere, and done a good deal of damage.
The worst effect, however, has been the creation of
large pools of stagnant water at a distanoe from the
river courses, the evaporation of which during the
hot weather is expected to render the season more
than usually unhealthy. The consequence is that
the southerners are crowding to the north in unusual
numbers.