The Express.
London, England, 1856-03-31 00:00:00

(Stamped ld. Additional.) [TWOPENCE.

ehase,l7; fist race, 9 horses ; and the foreign horse
flat race, 16. If it can be arranged, the course is to be
changed from the Monastery to the Tchernaya, so as
to allow of the presence of Russians at the invitation
of the Commander-in-Chief.

Sebastopol proper can now be visited by any one'
without a pass, and the French play their bands in
the town twice a day, sometimes on the ruins of Fort
Nicholas. By general orders Mica Nightingale is
appointed general superintendent of the female nun-
lag establishment of the military hospitals of the
army. Lieutenant Browning, 89th, is appointed
A.D.C. to Colonel Ferryman, 69th, commanding lit
Brigade Highland Division. Dr. Connell proceeds
to England, as also Captain Hamilton, 68th, A.D.C.
The latter, with Colonel Wetherell, Major Dennis,
96th, and Lieutenants Stillman and Blacker have got
their leave extended by Lord Hardinge, on medical
ceriflcate, to the latter end of May.
P.S.—St. Patrick's night went off very quietly,
the whole army being delighted that the races were
postponed from that saint's day on account of the
north at " Sebastopol* wind. The mail due yester-
day has not yet roam to hand.

AMERICAN AFFAIRS.

-.-
REM OUR SPECIAL CI

NEW YORK, 14 mice 15.

The chief political event which has occurred since
the departure of the last steamer, is the election in
the State of New Hampshire. General Pierce is a
New Hampshire man. One by one, every free state
and most of the slave states of the Union had abjured
him and condemned his administration. New

Hampshire had done so twice before. But she was
the first state in the Union to enter the Presidential
lists, since her election this week was understood to
give tone to the sentiment of the state, in reference
to the Presidential struggle of next fall.
General Pierce felt the more anxious in regard to
the result, because without the support and sanction
of his own state he could not offer a reasonable claim
to a re-nomination by the democratic party at Cin-
cinnati. He has now been once more thoroughly
repudiated by his own people. This is a matter of
no surprise to anybody but himself.
There has been • great deal of talk about the
nomination of Mr. Buchanan in the Cincinnati
Democratic convention, and from time to time this
event seemed to be more or less probable. Bat we
have satisfactory information that Mr. Pierce, and
Mr. Douglas, of Illinois, and Mr. Hunter, of Virginia,
all of them aspirants for the Presidential office, and
all of them especially inimical to Mr. Buchanan, have
been able to control the machinery of the party to
each en extent as to cut him off from all chance for
the succession. Mr. Buchanan has little about him
of so positive character, as to give him much chance
et paccess.
It. is now believed that the democratic party will
be likely to fix upon Mr. Hunter, of Virginia.
We pave interesting news from Nicaragua. It was
reported (by telegraph) from New Orleans, two or
three days ago, that General Walker had seized the
boats of the Nicaragua Transit Company, annulled
their charter, and granted a ;new charter to a new
company. This exciting news caused a special
panic on 'Change, and the stock of that company
*that 400 troth Alltentl-two to eighteen. It wee
confirmed by other despatches, and by the arrival
of the Northern Light steamer at this port on Friday
evening, with the additional news that Costa Rica
had refused to receive the envoy, and that there
were signs of hostility against the government of
General Walker in several of the Central American
states. This confirmation of the news drove the
stock down to 13 yesterday. It was the common
impression through the day that General Walker had
resorted to some coup d'etai that would be likely to
prove fatal to the prosperity of the Transit Company,
that communicates with the Pacific via Nicaragua;
and that the same course would have a tendency to
inflame popular opinion against him, and most likely
induce the intervention of our own government war
vessels for the protection of the rights of our citizens.
At the same time it was supposed to furnish a valid
reason for the interference of the British government
in behalf of its own subjects. The allegations which
are made by Gen. Walker's organ, El liicaraguense,
against the Transit Company, show that this company
have violated its engagements in all particulars, and
have coneequently incurred a forfeiture of their char-
ter and privileges. But General Walker seems to
have made a great mistake in the application of his
remedy for these evils. It is provided by the eighth
article of the charter which the company received
from the State of Nicaragua, that
Ice ease may dispute or controversy shall cries during
the ealletemas of this coatract between the stave and the
eampany, the came *hall be determined by a Tolerates to
he cmomissioners, to be chosen in the following mincer:
Two to be named on the pert of the dote, two to be named
by the emapioy, and the filth to be selected by the four
main anointed, who shall hem sad determine the matters
la matrovirey, and decide upon the same ; which decision
of the s.id eommiesioners shall be final and without appeal,
and binding upoa b Alt the state and company.
Mr. Walker has disregarded this provision, and
seems to have overlooked the provisions of the
Clayton-Bulwer treaty, which would not only justify,
bat require, both the English and American govern-
ments to interfere.
Some of our newspapers suggest, that possibly this
may all be • well contrived trick for the purpose of
promoting some private views of Mr. Walker, the
Transit Company, and the chief managers of the ad-
ministration of General Pierce, at Washington. It
is altogether estrange affair; for it is the first act of
General Walker's administration, which seemed to
be dictated by a short-sighted policy. But who
knows what we may or may not expect from the
sudden appearance of two thousand active, ambi-
tions, and restless Americans, fully armed with the
mast approved instruments of warfare, in a dead and
buried region like Nicaragua.
It is now definitively settled that New York city
is to have one of the largest and finest parks in the
world. It was feared for many years that this park
never would be laid out. The chief obstacle to it
was the natural construction of the island, which ad-
mitted of no place near the centre of population suf-
ficiently large to be worthy of the name, since the
island is so narrow that • park of large extent in
any one place would cut the city in two. The
expense, from the immense value of real
estate, would be a heavy burden upon the
municipality, and there was so little interest felt in
the subject that only • few enthusiasts indulged in
the dream. But the appropriation has been made.
The park has been yed. The ground has been
devoted to that purpose, and at an expense which is
now known to reach some eight million dollars, with
other expenses for adornment, which will probably
extend to several millions more. The great work is
now being put under way. The whole area of the
park will be about eight hundred acres. It will
stand nearly in the centre of Manhattan Island,
on which New York stands, and over the
whole of which its municipal authority extends.
It will stretch through more than half of the
breadth of the island from the Hudson to the East
river in its widest part. It is wild and romantic in
its scenery. and if it is laid out with taste will make
altogether the most picturesque, wild and romantic
city drive there is within the limits of any great
town in the world. The city incurs a great expense
in its foundation, and its jut and proper, according
to the strict severity of the American system, to
create a debt, therefore, to be paid by the genera-
• time that are to succeed us. In this respect the

' American government and the American people have
for the most part displayed the spirit and adhered to
a principle seldom recognised in Europe. The kings
and princes of the European world have been in the
habit for ages of thrusting their hands into
the pockets of unborn generations to get
money for their own purposes. They have
impoverished their successors to gratify their
own personal ambition. The Americans have not
done this; and it is thought that in departing from
this principle we shall not only meet with the appro-
bation of the world, but be entitled to the credit of
thole men and those generations who will be called
upon to pay this debt, which in the aggregate will
amount to about two million sterling.

tERAL'S REPORT.

The second report of the

just been issued. From it we gather that 525 new prat-
ofileas were appointed last year, and that the number now
In the United Kingdom is 10,498. Farther progress during
the year ►as bun made in revisiag the postal gement'
' • '

of the raral diarists. The pillar leateenbone have been
found to anew and Wen anekerrts as-no mneertly in •
cremated, modally is London. Dor rg the pun Fear fres
deliveries of lotion have been eat-nded to 1,327 places,
and at 649 other places the free delivery has been extended
or improved. Arrangements, are making for completing
the lint delivery of letters throughout London by 9 a.m.
A plan has been devised also to enure a more speedy
transmission of letters !Newton one part of Londe' and
another, bitted of sending all litters posted in the
Leaden districts to St. hlattin'ele.Grand, they will
be sect to a principal office in the district in
which they are posted, and will be thence distributed.
Hourly deliveries of letters will the, take nine throughout
London. In order to effect an earlier delis, .ry of General
Post letters in the metropolis, the London leVers will be
sorted into districts in the large provincial post-offices, and
in the travelling railway prat-offices. This scheme will be
greatly facilitated if the Metropolitan Board of Works get
rid of duplicate names of streets in the same die.riet, and
also if the ',abbe can be brought to add the initial letter of
the name of the district to the address. The Londoa dis-
tricts will be named according to their position—east, wen,
south, nerds, south east, south west, Bco. During the
last twelve months 69 additinal towns have been accummo-
dated with day mails to and from London. The communi-
cation between the welt of England, South Wale+, Ireland,
and &otland, the north of England aid London, has been
accelerated. A conditional anent has teen obtained from
the London and North-West rn, Lancaster Dud Carliele.
and Caledonian Railway Companies, to limit the number
of marriages on mail trains. so that such trains may keep
time with greater punctuality. The North British Railway
Company agreed with the Poet-office proved of mutual
penalties if time G cot kept with the mails,eitber by the Post-
office detaining trains, or the train not keeping their
contract time. The pcs'al communication has been facili-
tated between the north of Ireland and the south-welt of
Scotland, in relation to the iron and coal trade in those
districts. The mail communication with the Isle of Man
hes been improved, and a tai weekly steam packet commu-
nication is to be established with the Orkn-y Islands.
Owing to the later departure of the day mail to France from
London, letters by the day mails from Scotland, Ireland,
and the north end south west parts of England,
arrive is London in time to be dripa•ched to
France by the French day mail, instead of by
the following night mail. The people of Londe*
can else reply to their French c.rrestonlence shorty after
they receive it. Deponent arrargements ate making for
improving the postai communication between the south-
west of Inland and England. The number of miles per
day which mails are new conveyed onnilways is 27,109, as
en oversee charge of 10d. per mile. The number f miles per
day which male are conveyed by mune is 31,667, at an
ge charge of 2ld. per mile. The total paym .r.ti to
railway companies in 18654 exceeded by 83.0001. the 5
per cent. plunger tax for the same period. With:
reference to toe complaint of the raiiwaymnatacies that the
Pmt-olive has injured their perils nag's, the Postmaster-
General states that the number cf hook packets piling;
through the Pnt.office is about 3,000.000, owl: the num-
ber of newepapees passing eireagh the p. at has recently
decreased by. 24000.000. auk that the weight of the maib
now are coniderably lee. than tetey were. What the ems-
ponies have lost by the book t out has Bern amply compen-
sated be an increased meweraper traffic. Danzig the last
year 456.000.000 chargeable letters passed through the post.
The number of valentines is estimend at 800.000 an-
nually. Valentines innate in England ar..d Eno land and
decrease is Irlaad.. . .

Last year 300,000 letters were rec-_'c,o from Australia
150,000 roes the East Indies, 70,603 fro,a Canlda, 310,000
from Francs, and 340,000 from Freesia. There was a dc-
crease eletters from the United States. Dunn:: 18.55 oear:y
2,000,000 of letters passed between the people of this country
and the British army and navy in tee Eo.t. la the.. year
also 2,400,000 letters and 600,000 newspapers were received
at the De id Letter °taco, 350,000 letters were eat last year
to the colony of Victoria, and 42,000 of th. in were returned
to the Dead Letter Office. Of this latter number 40,000 had
been prepaid and 1,500 had even been ri;oste red. This
shows the migratory and unsettled habits o!. tee copulation
there. Out of 2.00%000 letters sent ti the United &atm
last year. 103,000 were returned to the Er glish Dead Letter
Office ; the chief portion of the 'Wee cone;•ird of unpaid let-
t. rs. Out of 2,300,000 letters motto France, 37,00,twothrds
of which were unpaid, were returned t r the D. ad Litter-
office. About 200,000 newspapers p .es dot y torough the
Postoffies rf the Uaited Kingdom. Donn; tne la.t six
months of ISIS, 93,0001. was received by the Inland Re..
D•partment for impressed r stamps, and
25,0001. fir postage label, fur newspapers. The number of
book packet. which pass through the London POV•offiCe is
1,400,000 a year. half of the lett, rs of the whole kingdom
pass through the London ctli.e. The number of money
enters issued last year throughout the Uni•cd Kingdom
was 6,807,412. The amount of money represented
was 11.009,2791. 12s. 2d. The number et' ori:ers p iid was
5 801,289, the amount of which wet 11,002,377 t. 41. sd.
The groat armies from money ord. r commies on., alter all
espouse were paid, amounted to 20,2521. Durieg eight
we eks only 13,0001. was sent to England (rem the army in
the East tt rough the money order °tic Arrangements
are making for enabling sail irs on foreign st Talcs to send
home money by weans of mosey orders. A uniform rate
of W. is now charged on letters to al the c-lonies
except Ascension Island, ears of Good llore, Falkland
Islands, Gambia, Labium, Mauritius, Natal, New
Zeeland, Vancouver's Island, and Western Australia.
The privileges of the book sod have been extended to all
the colonies meet Victoria, Tasmania, Natal, Falkland
Islands, Gambill, Latium, Turk's Island, and Vancouver's
Island. The sea postage on letters between two British
colonies, or a British colony and a foreign port, has been
reduced in lawn all instances to 4d. The reduction made
in the retort between England and France has caused
fourfold increase in the number of letters psatiog between
tee two countries. New postal conventions are in program
between this country and Belgium, the German Postal
Union, and Buie. Teen conventions have for their ob-
ject the reduction and simplification of portal rotes. A pro-
posal has been made to Portugal with a view to re-
duce the postage to Madeira. Tee number of em-
ployes in the Postoffice department at percent is
22,547. The system of appointmeet and promotion re com-
mended by the Truster, commosioners has operated bene-
ficially. The officials who, have complained of the erraoge-
menu thus adopted have been generally persons who water
the present plan of appointment would Lever have been is
the Post-office. Some of them have restoci beeause they
bad lost all hops of obtaining preferment except by means
of lierit. Theism:al effect of the new listens has been in-
creased seem and efficiency amongst the employes. All
the superior officers speak well of the new system. The
arrangement for slowing provincial prodmasters to
appoint their own clerks having worked well.
the pcstmawars of large towns will shcrtly be al-
lowed to appoint their own letter-cur cra. letter-
, carrion In several large provincial towns have been
dressed in uniform, which has been found to pro-
' mote their g 1 comfort, and to prevent their loitering
and neglect of duty. No sutoreinate us now allowed to
make en applicvtion for increase of salary, except through
his secular officer. This has been done to prevent nue-
, serving persons getting an advance of salary by means of
extraneous influence. The Postmaster• General l reposes
that model lodging-houses should be erected near theGuieral
Poet-office for the London letter carriers; that the houses
should be erected by a public company ; end that the
Ye steffice Department should guarantee the rents.
1,3141. 19s. was upended last year to assist the Postoffiq
officials in insuring their lives. The Post-offi us last
year was 2,717,0001., and the espendi'are was 1,591,0001.
Out of this latter sum, 813,0001. was paid for sal • and
remises,. 401,0001. for the conveyance of mails by railways,
and T 2,0004. for the manufacture of stamps. A Peatal
Guide is about abor'2y to be publi.had by the Poet-office
Department far the us of the public. This guide
will faded. a table of the postal rates on letters
sent to the colonies and foreign countries. There
will be a periodical issue of • revised edition of this guide.
The clocks at St. Martin's-I,43mnd and at the Post-office,
Lombard-street, will shortly be regulated by means of tele-
graphic sommunication with the Observatory of Grunwieb.
Between 7,000 end 8,000 letters were posted last year with-
out any address, and a letter was posted in Ireland, C9O-
- a consid,rable sum of gooey, which letter was open
at bo h ends, like a boon or newspaper. The Postmaster-
Geteral sari that the ',fest way to fa tea a letter is
t . it, and then to mid it with As as.