The Express.
London, England, 1850-04-24 00:00:00

PRUSSIA.

BERLIN, APRIL 21.
The information I forwarded two or three days
ago of the intention of the Prussian cabinet to with-
draw from the Schleswig-Holstein affair altogether,
is now confirmed. The Prussian government have
been induced to take this step by the independent
proceedings of the Statthalterschaft, who, as you al-
ready know, have st nt a deputation of three men of
confidence to attempt an independent negotiation with
Denmark. In the opinion of the Minister for Foreign
Affairs this last step of the Statthalterschaft, afforded
Prussia the opportunity of negotiating a simole peaoe
between Denmark and Ger.rany, disregarding alto-
gether the duchies, who are in poss'eeion of a well
disciplined, numerous army, and no longer defenceless,
therefore. With this view a conference took place the
day before yesterday between the Prussian
plenipotentiary, Von Usedom, and the Danish envoys,
at which the following proposal was made by the
former :—" Prussis, authorised by the full powers
granted her by the federal commission, proposes a
simple peace between Denmark and Germany, and
invites all the federal stites of Germany to join in it
as soon as possible. With regard to the dispute be-
tween Denmark and the duchies, all parties reserve
their particular rights ; G-ermany also, with respect
to the federal resolution of 17th Sept., 184 G." As,
by this proposal, Prussia has withdrawn from all im-
mediate connection with the sduiion of the Danish-
Schleswig dispute, Herr von I:adorn, the Prussian
plenipotentiary, left Baden yesterday for Erfurt, to
take his seat in the German parliament.
The Deutsche Reform publishes a telegraphic mee-
rine, not dated, and a itheut the name of the place
whence it comes, stating that intormation from the
Polish frontiers has been received of the concentra-
tion of large bodice of Russian troops at Lsnegei.
Radowitz and Manteuffe I have arrived from Erfurt.

Araft. 22.—Voluntary Loan, 1051. State Iran, 801;
Bank Shares, 931.
Vir.asa, Aram 20.—Five per Cent. Metalliques, 931; Four per
Cent, ditto, LI; Exchange on Frankfurt, 1151.

iebr Court.

The Queen and Prince Albert, accompanied by the
Princess Royal, the Princess Alice, and the Princess Helena,
took a drive in an open carriage and four, yesterday. The
equerries in waiting, L,rd Charles Fitzroy and Lieut.-CoL
the lion. Alexander Gordon, attended on horseback.
Lieut.-Col. the 11 n. C. B. Phipps had the honour of join.
ing the royal dinner party at Buckingham Palace, yesterday
evening. Her Majesty's private band war in attendance in
Buckingham Palace, on Monday evening.
The Marchioness of Douro has relieved the Viaconnteas
Canning in her dation as lady in waiting to her Majesty.

The Duchess of Kent, acc3mpanied by his Serene
Highness Prince •, notoured lag
performance at her Majesty's Theatre list evening with
her presence. Her Reyal Highness was attended by Lady
Anna Maria Dawson and Sir George Cooper.
The Duke of Cambridge, attended by Major Ste-
phen., honoured Mr. Burford's Panorama of the Arctic
Regions with a visit yesterday.
The committees on manufactures and machinery of
the Exhibition of 18.51 had a meeting yesterday in the new
palace of Westminster. There were present Mr. T. P.
Gibson (chairman of manufactures), Sir J. Guest, Mr.
Barley, Mr. Ansley Pellatt, Mr. Redgrave, Mr. Towruiend,
Mr. Morrie. Stirling, Mr. J. 11. Vivian, M.P., Professor
Cowper, Mr. H. Hope, Mr. Cub:tt (chairman of machinery),
the Earl of Rome, and Sir John Rennie. Mr. Scott Rumen,
secretary to the ral commission, attended. Colonel Reid
(chairman) and Messrs. Cole and Dilke were present on the
part of the executive committee of the royal commission.
Mr. Itswlinsoo, C.E., had an interview with Earl
Grey yesterday, at the Colonial-office.
Viscount Newry and Mr. Kinloch hod an interview
with E erl Grenville yesterday, at the office of the Railway
Commission in the Board of Trade, on the subject of railway
communication in the neighbourhood of tee town of Newry.
Despatches were received yesterday at the Colonial-
Who from the governors of New South Wales, Australia,
New Zealand, she Mauritius, Hoog-Kong, Ceylon, and Malta.

NEW STAMP BILL.
A parliamentary paper printed yesterday gives the
Chancellor of the Exchequer's revised scale of duties
upon stamps, as they are to be submitted to the
House of Commons upon Friday night. There ap-
pears to be a material variation between the plan as
now printed and as it was generally understood in
the thaw of Commons upon Monday. It was
believed that on the smaller considerations some
relief was to be afforded to the poorer taxpayers. It
appears, however, according to the scale as now set-
tled, that upon all small considerations of from 501.
to 2001., a duty is to be paid of 6.. per cent., whilst
on all large considerations up to 100,0001. the duty is
only to be ss. per cent. The Chancellor also proposes
on the smaller stamps to take his increase in the
shape of an additional le. 6d. on sums of 231., instead
of in the shape of a duty of 2e. 6d. on sums of 501.
The scale will be as follows, as contrasted with the
lower scale already adopted by the house :
Amount. Sir C. Wood's House of Commons'
Seale. Scale.
£ £ s. d. £ s.
010 0 1
50 to 50
75
75 to 100
100 to 125
125 to 150
150 to 175
175 to 200
200 to 250
600
.6 0 0 10

1,06
5,000
10,000
20 000
60,000 196 0 0
100,000 250 0 0
And the same And so on, in
amount for all higher proportion to
values. the values.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer promised cm
Monday that ho would lay upon the table an im-
portant return from the Stamp Office, showing the
produce of duties on stamps of various values. This
return was printed yesterday, and its object is to show
that upon stamps upon deeds of conveyance the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer will lose 266,000/. by the adop-
tion of his new wale of duty. An explanatory letter
annexed to the return states that this is mere matter
of estimate. The way in which the " estimate" is made
it is most desirable to show.

The return Resumes that about two-thirds of all the
stamps issued are used for conveyances. It then cal-
culates the amount of lose on each description of con-
veyance stamp on which the rate of duty is to be de-
creased. The great item of decrease is upon the IL
stamp. Out of the total decrease of 268,0001., it is cal-
culated that no less than 114,0001. will arise upon
this single stamp upon conveyances. The 11. stamp
upon conveyance deeds represents purchases of pro-
perty where the amount of purchase money is be-
tween 201. and 601. It is assumed by the return that
there are no lees than 38,170 of these small trainee°.
dons annually. Those who know anything of the
value of property in England and of the very few
sales that take place where the value is so low as 501.,
will at once see that it is utterly impossible that there
cane any such number of transactions.

What ie the fact? The truth is that the 1/. stamp,
of which it is assumed that there arc no less than
138,000 annually impressed upon conveyance, and on
which so great a lose is estimated, is a stamp used for
a vast variety of purposes, but more especially sir Ph