The Express.
London, England, 1856-02-18 00:00:00

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

THE UNITED STATES.

ARRIVAL OF THE AFRICA.
ELECTION OF SPEAKER
(ST NACOINTIO TNLIONAPH.)
(71011 0171 OWN 0011INPONDINSI

LIVERPOOL, MOXDAT.
This morning the Royal Mail stema4hip Afrioa,
Captain Shannon, arrived in the Mersey, with the
usual mails from New York and British North
America. She left that city on the 6th instant, and
has brought besides the mails thirty-four passengers,
and upwards of 300,000 dole. in specie on freight.

At the departure of the Africa, neither the Pacific,
Persia, nor Union had arrived.
Congress was organized on the 2nd, on the adop-
tion of the plurality rule, by the election of Mr.
Banks as Speaker. The last ballot stood—Banks,
103; Aiken, 100; Scattering, 13. Subsequent to
the declaration of the result, and the announce
ment by the tellers that Mr. Banks was chosen
Speaker, objections were started by the Know-
Knothings as to the legality of the whole proceeding,
whereupon a resolution indorsing the action of the
House was offered and adopted, 39 members dis-
senting.
On the 4th the usual course of swearing in the
members took place.
The official organ of the government remarks:

Although the result is ne that every rational man moat
regret, yet, u the Republicans have • known majority in
the house, and there fare are entitled to a Speaker, there Is
reason for acquiescing, inasmuch as it enables the machinery
of government once more to move on.
On the 6th the Central American Question was
again debated in the Besate, Mr. Foote denying the
claims of England in Central America, &c. The
idea of yielding her pretensions was cot to be
thought of. If England did not give way, he
" would have her removed by force of arms." " Let
England," he said,
.Understand that we are In semen about this, and that it
is not a second edition of 64 deg. 40 min. or fight, and then
bask down to 49 deg. If, after so, much forbearanee, war
umm, lit it come. We shall be justified lictk by God and
mac."

There was some talk of a difference with France
on account of a transference of Russian vessels to
Americans.

The drifting icebergs had caused much damage to
the shipping and loss of life.

From our Havanna 'dykes to the lit instant the
rumoured recall of the captain-general is unconfirmed.
Sugar market inactive, owiog to Arabia's newa.
Commercial affairs work favourably.

Money market easier, stocks improving. Exchange
firm on London, 108 Z.
Cotton firm, with upward tendency.
Breadstuff' lower and quiet. Provisions heavy.
Freights moderate.

Oa Friday Baron Bream had a long interview
with Count Walewski, and on Saturday Count Cavour
had an interview with the same Minister.

Lords Clarendon and Cowley and Count Baol
reached Paris yesterday, and with Count Cavoar
were this day to be received suoceesieely in a private
audience by the Emperor.
Aali Pacha left Constantinople on the 12th, on
board the French steamer Le Bane, and is expected
to reach Paris by the 22nd. In this case the Con-
&renal, will open on the day following. Oa the
day of the opening, a grand dinner, at which will be
present the Plenipotentiaries, the French Ministers,
and Presidents of the chief bodies of the State, will
be given by Count Walowski.

Is the Visa= ocersepoodoeoe of the Lavas&
once 8.41. we reed :

A few hours before his departure, Coast Bad had the
honour of a privet, newsiest by the Eraretur. It is stated
that the floveredge, at Ws dual interview, gave to
his Misitter sew proofs of eetiliense me ho-
nourable to the we se to the other. "My
dear Covet," he said, "you know better than
say or. else the polity which I hue Mewed in the pre-
seat goodie*, and the istratleste by which I have ell
through bees situated. In replyteg then to one sad to all, do
set &Oen to the strict letter of year iestraetioas ; al that
you do will be well dose U yes soatribute, at I hope, to
re-establish pease apes a solid basis, sad which will there-
fore be boaaanbla to all parties."

The Paris eoereepoedent of the male journal mays :

. -
Ruda conades the nea-remonstruesion of Boma/sand,
Sat she desires the neutralisation of the Isle of Heligoland,
sad wishes, is order to avoid their destruetien, that the
works oa the north side of Sebastopol be wandered
as a lead fort. the complete ruin of the moth side of the
slap hay* removed all that effmets its maritime *barmier.
to Nieelaieff, Russia, it is said, deem not =pee tbst the
suppression of Ws imports.* dockyard (whisk es. ►e
devoted the mere exclusively to 'merchant vessels. slam it
wee at ilebeatopel that the WIWI hitk.rtm were armed) will
be lathted apse. NNdalef m■ semen be commidered as be-
longing to the tout of the Bleck Sms than Rome, la Fromm,
to that of the Omen. Besides, the roteele of the Maritime
Powers would be able to Wean s rigatoni observance of the
treaty.

It has been before stated that, on the opening of
the Conferences, the Plenipotentiaries will form
themselves into commissions, each undertaking to
prepare propositions upon one special subject of the
deliberations.

BERLIN. SATURDAY.
It im asserted that the Czar will arrive at Warsaw
woo, and will proceed thaws to Berlin.

HOLSTEIN.

KIEL, Fis.l2.

The Diet persists in its coons at Itrehoe, and they
will push forward the impeachment against M. van
Scheele with all the vigour that may be permitted to
them. The members however complain, sad appa-
rently with greet justice, that the minister, notwith-
standing the very decisive vote against him, Mill
maintains his place, and the arrangements for his
arraignment and trial are thus in a great measure
under his own control. They consider that, as the
portfolio for Holstein is held by him in seejoaction
with that of foreign affairs of the Danish monarchy,
he should have as lust given up hie official
connexion with the Duey, and transferred
that department either to the minister for
liskleswig, or to moms other of his collugnes.
=waver, swum to be no part of the policy of •
minister, but on the contrary it would almost
appear, according to their views, that au impeach-
ment wee a good reason for conferring new offices,
Mama of deriving the accused of those which he
bull WS W% A striking example of this has re-
mmtbr been given with regard to the ex Minister
of Foreign Affairs, M. Blobs*, who, although
mew on his trial for charges which are con-
sidered u almost amounting to high treason, ham
hems selected by the present government, who are
um& his acousers, as their representative in the
unisrence regardiog ths Sound dues, which is naturally
seuidered • subject of the greatest importance 1 sod
die seemly Is et this moment presented at Copen-
et the ISM individual being under trial in one
heR of site_ ins of the Amalienborg and of his being
the efie dolleette of the government to confer
with the representetbres of foreign nations in another
chamber al the eine palace, sad who, although

°barged with malvereation in one race, is still per-
mitted to control an important branch of revenue in
another. If such promedings were to be attempted
in England a change of system would soon be de-
manded, in a tome so loud that no government could
resist it.

This question of the Sound dues, now also under
consideration, is more closely connected with that of
the succession to Sehleswig-Holstein than may be
evident at first sight. During the civil war in 1849
the Stadtholderate of the Duchies, in conformity with
a vote of the Legislative Assembly, published a new
tariff of the Schleswig-Holstein canal, in which
the duty on all the principal articles of
trade was reduced 20 per cent., while the
tariff was otherwise so simplified that the
number of items was reduced from 318 to 240.
These reductions were recommended by the govern-
ment, on the ground of the interests both of the,
general trade and the revenue, and the leading mo.
tire at the time submitted to the Legislative Assem-
bly was, " that the preference can only be expected
to be given to the canal passage if the expenses of
the latter compared with the Sound dues will bold
out the prospect of a clear cavieg to the shipowner
and merchant." Rival interests will secure every
facility to the public, whereas recent events show, now
that there is a virtual monopoly, that any regulation
of the Sound dues depends upon the issue of negotia-
tions, in which it is seen that Hargis espouses the
cause of Denmark, and thus in return assures her-
self that under all circumstances the Danish go-
vernment will not abandon their system of neutrality.
The cause of Holstein has, therefore, a commercial
as well as political interest for England, of which
comparatively little has hitherto been known there;
and should present circumstances lead to any
further intervention or negotiation, it is to be hoped
that the British minister, when thus forewarned,
will give greater hted to the claim', not of the
Duchies only, but to those of British commerce also,
which on the former occasion were both neglected, and
by which the present power and future influence of
Russia at Copenhagen were alike essentially promoted.