The Express.
London, England, 1867-02-12 00:00:00

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LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 12, 1867.

AMERICA.
(By ATLANTIC TELEGRAPH.)
_ NEW YORK, FEB. 9, Evornio.

Ti,. bill for the admission of Nebraska in Con-
gress a a gtate of the Union has been passed by
the Senate over the Prtmident's veto.

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

Gold, 137. Sterling exchange on London, 10€01.
5-20 United States Bonds, mop ; Illinois, 114/ ;
Erie, 74,.

THE OVERLAND MAIL.

CHINA.

711 e Provi•in ,-orvette Vineta has arrived at
Shanghai. She will speedily be reinforced by
some smaller vessels and gunboats, as it Is
said to be the determination of the Prussian
government to assist the other naval powers of
Europe in putting down piracy in the China seas
effectually.
The Prem gives the following account of "a
brush with the pirates :"

tin thr• 12th December the boats' crews of her Majesty's
!dap Salamis (Commander Suttie) and her Majesty's gun-
boat Janus (Lieutenant Commander Johnson) hada brush
with pirates at a place named Tai Nia, on the west coast
of the I.Luel of Tongue. Acting on the information ?re-
ceived from the mandarin of Quang-Hai, Commander Suttie
hunted with the above tome, numbering about forty-lee
men and officers, far the purpose of reconnoitring this
locality, which appears to consist of a large mangrove
swamp, lying behind a barrier of sand, an skirted by
high and thickly wooded hills. In one of the
creeks by which this swamp is intersected were
three junks and five snake boats. On approaching
which, the party was fired on, from several directions,
whilst a etragglum force of about 200 men (as nearly as
could be as‘ertained)were seen to be making off towards the
hill, carry--.g with them. as usual, all they could conve-
niently !mina together at a abort notice; some, however,
remained in the brushwood on the near hill side, and con•
tinned a straggling fire with by no means a bad aim ; one
bullet (amongst other " close shaves") passing within a
few inches of Commander Suttie's head. Of course these
ruffians were speedily dislodged, and several of them ahot
while scrambling up the hill. In the meantime, Lieut.
Johnson, with six men, pursued the main body of retreat-
ing pirates, and hail arrived within 200 yards of them when
a arty of about 40 made a stand in a small gap, where they
planted a red and white flag, and oommenced cuing with
a rapidity and precision which might have given us a
sadder tale to tell, had not a bank been fortunately at
hand, behind which Lieutenant Johnson halted 'his men,
and having extended them in skirmishing order, kept up a
steady fire on the gap, which in about 10 minutes effec-
tually dislodged the enemy. He then proceeded to take
Ipossession of the position vacated by the pirates, and, as
they were muttering in force at the head of the valley
some 800 yards on, halted fur reinforcements: these soon
came up, but with orders to retire from Commander
Suttie, who very sensibly deemed it inexpedient to follow
far, in an unknown country, a force whose strength he
had not been able to ascertain. The junks and snake boats
were all effectually destroyed, and alter having thus
crippled the resources of the pirates, the boata returned to
their ships, fortunately in that very desirable state, on
these occasions, without a man hurt. Tel Nai is likel yet
to be the scene of further operations ; as out of the force,
which is certainly not under the member we mention, and
is comparatively well organised, no more than 10 or 12 tan
be counted as killed and wounded in this affair.

AUSTRALIA.
VICTORIA.

Parliament is summoned to meet for the de-
spatch of business on Thursday, the 17th of
January, and until then there will be but little
stirring in the political world. " During the past
month (says the Melbourne Age) there have been
few political events raging for special comment,
but speculation has been rife as to the probable
state of parties at the coming meeting of the legis-
lature. The next session will, in all probabihty,
be a busy one, and some strange combinations of
parties may be expected. Several important ques-
tions will come under consideration, upon some of
which the liberal party are divided, and there is
no doubt but that an attempt will be made by the
opposition to strengthen their own ranks by the
accession of Adullamites from the Ministerial side
of the house." We read in the same paper :

It will be remembered that when the terin was being
dimmed in parliament, a loud outcry was mode against
the scale of duties proposed, and it was smarted by the
7:on7sdapedr manet.inTattieresbsurdi
that.
absurdity
yt lorfoutti amount
ese to from
shown by a return which has been recently prepared,e from
which it appears that the average during three months
was, for the most part, less than 5 per cent.:-Om apparel
and slope the duty amounted to 4/. 18s. Bd. per omit. ; on
boots and shoes, to 4/. 16s. 4d. ; on drapery, to 4/. 7a. Id. ;
on furs, to 41. 2s. 4d. ; on gloves, 11. Is. 2d., or not a half-
penny per pair ; on hats and caps, 91. Bs. sd. ; on hosiery,
4/. 6a. Id. ; on leather ware, 41. Is. 9d. ; on saddlery,
71. 2s. 10d. ; and on millinery. 31. 14s. 7d.

The Intercolonial Exhibition, which was recently
opened in Melbourne, continues to be largely
patronised by all sections of the community. At
the usual general meeting of the commiaaion, held
on the 24th December, the weekly abstract of ad-
mill/lions showed a total for the week ending that
date of 10,460, and a gross total of 144,674. Ap-
plications for the free admission of the children of
variouscharitable institutions have been favourably
entertained.