The Express.
London, England, 1860-08-11 00:00:00

THE SLIDING-SCALE IN FRANCE.

The prospect of • bad harvest has emboldened
the Debate to call with much importunity for the imme-
diate suspension of the didaqracele, the folly and iniquity
of which is ably exposed in an article by Professor Ban-
drillsrt, The Semaphore of Marmillee, writing also under
the influence of the long protraded eokl and wet weather,
which has now become truly alarming in France as well as
England, says :—" The slidinsorals follows it. course, care-
less of the tater, and iediffereat to the singular results it
produces. The last Aida averages, *hick determine the
duty on the export and import of earn during the month
of August, present the following singular combinations:—
In two classes, the third and fourth, which include Sires-
' burg, Havre, Dunkirk, Meta, Verso, Brest, and St.
Brion, foreign corn may enter, but hosne-grown cannot be
exported. On the contrary, in the Brat and second elms,
comprising Marseilles, Bordeaux, Besancon, Me, and Nantes,
horns-grown corn may be exported, but foreign cannot enter.
So that corn may be exported by the frontiers of the Doubs
sad the Jura, but not by those of the Bss-Rhin, which are
adjacent to the former. Corn may also he exported from
Nantes, but not from Morbilon, which almost touches it.
How can we reconcile these economical contradictions with
national unity and equal lams, and with reason and good
sense, which ought always to predominate ? Shall we not
be able to throw this old Mame overboard, until some
mists comae when public safety require* the surface of
whatever might compromise the fats of the vessel? To
speak without metaphor, shall we ne►er get rid of the
slidingaeale ti l a famine comes upon as ? For the honour
and wall-being of Fromm we would fain see the reform pro-
ceed from her own fres will sad conviction rather than from
the preemars of crones ti

Drtcwg go Mg. .7 AMIN RANNAT. —On Thursday
kit a party of Eternity metkasen entertained Mr. James
Hannay, at the Freemasons' Tavern, on the occasion of his
taking leave of his friends in London to fulfil a permannet
literary tin Edinburgh. In the absence of Mr.
Thsckera ,who was detained in Paris by Mums, the chair wee
occupied by Mr. Hepworth Dixon, who, in proposing the
health of the guest, gave an interesting description of his
Memory career, and congratulated him in the name of the
company preset on —the memo winoh, through hie
own unaided exertions, be had attained, and the brilliant
future his abilities had marked out for hint. The general
feeling expressed on the occasion was such as to convey to
Mr. Hannay the gratifying conviction that his chenille sad
talents are NAY appreciated, sad that, in leaving this metre-
polis to return to the and of his birth, he cornea with hies
the esteem and goodwill of many warm and dame friss&
Amonat the company were Dr. Dona, Pithiest Meseta. '
laVisvt
Meaux Peter Cumingham, B Jerrold, A. Munro,
W. S. Audis, H. Sutherland J. w. Davison,
Sydney Blanchard, J. 0. V
Mackett (Hunt and Hackett), alt.er .11;nenbilsn. W.
Sotheby, ho.
Ms Ran INDIA CIVIL SERVirn —Dr. Win.
theater, Medical Storekeeper at Bombay, Fat. obtained •
medical oertliksta to proceed to England (or fifteen months,
with the intention, it is understood, of eventually resigning
the service. Dr. (Humid, officiating surgeon to the governor,
will, it is believed. succeed to the me 'al sturtheeperehip.
Dr. Mainissscot prcdessor of chemistry, will probably
enereed to Dr. lavid's chair in the Grant Collage. The
=riof India has decided that odious in civil
ds° were compelled to leave their stations on
the breaking out of the mutiny shell receive their melanoma
in fell, withant deduction, from the time they were drives
aemy.—ciaa Service nazette.
MI Itilriwtri or LISLAND.—The total sum—we
hem from a paillemiseles7 paper—paid into the Exchequer
is the set produce of Ireland is the war ended the 31st of
Demnbge. Mk was 11,711,833& the customs produeed
5.504,578 i. ; the excise, 3,1011,0001. ; damns, 530,910.1. ; pro-
perty sad Immo tax, 138,105/. ; mall branehee of the
honkisery revenue. 1,6'201. ; miseellausess, including repay-
ments of silvans", 306.602.
Theritretirlili NI NAVAL PRIZE 111024KY.—Notioe
is given iszet=fillemets that preparations are now Wig
mule fer distribution of the proceed@ received
and tonnage awarded for the bcl name unknown,
raptured on the th January, 1539, by her Majesty's ship
Archer ; also for the brigantine, name unknown, oar=
on the DAL January, 1639, by her Majesty's .hip
shooter.