The Express.
London, England, 1850-05-30 00:00:00

HANOVER.

Letter. from Hammer of the 28th bet., b the
Ilruteche lwgenp, give a mammary of the budget for
the kingdom of Moamar. The expeuditere le
7,714,847 dab, and the iambs of the year is calcu-
lated to &meat to 7,378,099 deb. Those is come-
trendy a deficit of 338,747 dole., which the Hanove-
rian cabinet proposes to cover by beaus of an addi-
lama duty es item tobacco, win, and brandy.

BZILLTII, Mat IS.—ibleatery Lou, 1031 National Debt, SS;
Beek Biltarea,o3l.
Treinte, gee 27.Plee yr Oast. Ihtalque.lo.l Doak lbws.
1057. Ea os London, 11.11; Pariat

ITALY.
PIEDMONT.

The Concordia of Tarim scat.. from Rase, 20th
inst., that Cardinal Cisochi, the author of the pietist
against the Austrian occupation of Ferrara in 1047,
has sent in his resignation as cardinal.

TUSCANY.

The Tuscan Monitore of the 22nd publishes, in its
official part, the text of the convention regulating
the conditions tinder which the Austrian troops
are to stay in Tuscany. They are styled
auxiliary troops in the convention ; their num-
is fixed at ten thousand men, and either of
the high contracting ties may at any time
demand or effectrespectively the withdrawal of these
troops. They are, as far as their internal organisation
and discipline are concerned, to be under the orders
of the general-in-chief commending the Austrian army
in Italy. The numerical force of this oorpe may be
modified by the common consent of the two contracting
powers, but it cannot be lowered to less than 8,000
men. Whatever relates to the evacuation of the grand
duchy is to be regulated by common agreement, as
well as the distribution of the troops about the country;
their renewal is to depend entirely from the Austrian
commander-in-chief. The citadels and forts situated
in the places occupied by the Austrian troops are to
be put in a state of defence and provi.ioned at the
expense of the Tuscan government. The ordinary
pay and equipment of the troops are at the charge of
the Emperor of Austria; all other expenses are to
be supported by the Grand Duke. Austrian and
Tuscan commissioners are to be named to settle the

able for the new crop. About 100 of the old chests
will remain ea band. About 860 bales of distil
have been mold et 220 piastres to 240 piastres the
quintal yellow grain In dammed at 20 piastres.,
the oks, in exchange for sassafactnres; cash price is
18 piastres. About 800 bags in depot. Cotton of
Eirkagots has sold at 246 to 248 piestns the quintal.
About 2,000 bales In depot. A few sales in valorea ;
prig unknown. Nothing doing in oil; price 210
the quint. 300 quintals of black galls have
piastree sold at 640 piastres the quintal; white has sold,
in mai quantity, at 330 to 340 piastres. Exchange,
at Smyrna, on Loadoa, ill piastres the pound
sterling.

It is evident, on the face of this table, that a consi-
derable fall has taken place since the passing of the
short time bill, and consequently that all the predic-
tions of the operatives'" friends " have been falsified
by the event. Men like Lord Ashley (for whose be-
nevolence of heart I nevertheless entertain a pro-
found respect), may say that wages ought not to have
fallen. But the relations of capital and labour—
employer and employed—are not governed, like
quoiteoes of pure philanthropy, by emotion.
Waps hare fallen. The facts are all in con-
tradiction to the prophecies. Though they are
not very willing to confess that they have
been imposed upon by false representations—
representations which they had at the time no
means of verifying—my impression is, that the majo-
rity of persons whom I conversed with
in these mills feel that they were drawn
into the agitation for legislative intermeddling
with the rights of free labour by statements
which time has now confuted. Above all, they ex-
pected that no reduction of wages would take place.
The real facts are exposed in the above table. The
case of 1847 must be cast out of the list as a year of
short time—the result of a great depression in business.
If you compare the first year named with the last
you will observe that in 1845 the average weekly
wages for man, woman, and child was lls. B;d.,
while in 1849 the average was only 10s. 111 d. Ido
not pause for a moment to compare these rates with
the wages obtained by the agricultural labourer of
Cheshire or the East Riding of Yorkshire, or with the
wretched remuneration of the poor needle-women
of our own city. It is no great consolation to the Man-
chester workman to know that in London there is
greater privation than his own. In the two averages
here made out, there is a positive decline of
between five and six per cent.—a very large
diminution in the income of a labourer's family. But
I fancy I hear some of your benevolent school
of readers exclaim "Yes, it may be true that wages
have fallen somewhat in consegaecce of our humane
legislature stepping in to protect the life and health
of our women and young children ; but the work-
people are contented with the change, though it has
not brought with it that amount of unmixed good
we could all have so earnestly desired." S:r, the
workmen and workwomen are not content with
.hinge as they are. They are all looking forward to
a change for the better. It is true they hope to see
that chaega came rather in the shape of an improve-
ment in wages than in an increase of work ; but a
change they all expect. " Yes,' your defenders of the
recent legislation will say, " all that may be ; but the
signs are not apparent. We hear of no turn-outs for
more work and more wage.. There are no riots—no
drawing of plugs—no smashing of factory windows."
I will tell you, sir, why they are quiet in the manu-
facturing districts—because just now they aro pros-
perous, not inconsequence but in spite of the short-time
bill: most of all, the operatives are quiet because bread
is cheap. Had the tax on food not been removed, the
restrictions on the rights of labour would not have
been borne a single month. The policy of Sir Robert
Peel and Lord John Russell made it possible to give a
fair trial to the experiment of Lord Ashley. How
the experiment has failed to satisfy one party to the
labour-contract—the employer—is well known ; how
far the other great contracting party—the oeerative
—is likely to be permanently satisfied wish it is al-
ready beginning to appear, and will be seen very de-
cisively the first time corn is quoted at 80s. a quarter
in the Mark Zone Express.
I believe that both the partners in this concern look
upon the factory question as one which is
sure to get itself righted after a little while,
and without disagreement between masters and
workmen. They wisely look upon it as a question
of science, and not of sentiment, and accordingly
appeal to time and to all the i-sues of the experiment
now going on. The offer of adjustment will soon come
from the men themselves. The endeavour to urge
opinion faster than it is now travelling, it is felt,
would probably be only a useless waste of strength :
so the two parties interested in the result have
jointly agreed to watch it together, and in the most
agreeable and friendly spirit. Meanwhile, the efforts
of the managing partner of the Chorlton mills in
behalf of his workmen are not confined to that
care of their health indicated in the matter
of smoke-burning and in the plans for a
MALTA, Mae 22. better ventilation of the rooms described in
The Polish refugees who left Malta for Southampton, my former letter. His benevolence, indeed, takes
on their way to Belgium, in the Maltese brig Felice, a much wider range. Gradually and cautiously he
were wrecked on the Galibia shoals, near Tunis; all has extended his operations in every direction ; and
hands were saved. The Bey of Tunis immediately although the Utopian observer may still discover
sent them to Malta in one otitis corvettes. Hero they much that needs to be done in the way of improve-
are still, and how they are to get to Belgium is a meet, no candid and impartial mind—unconnected
query which her Majesty's government can best with the persons and interests of the locality, can fail
solve by ordering them a passage in one of the P. and
to rejoice at what has been done already for the com-
0. steamers to Southampton. British charity will fort and, I may say, social regeneration of the people
thence soon land them at Brussels. Capt. Sterling of this densely-populated neighbourhood. To two or
and the officers of H.M.S. Howe gave a superb ball three of these practical measures, it is fitting that
on board that ship a few days previous to her depae. call your readers' attention.
ture for England, which took place on the 18th, in First of all I must inform you, Mr. Editor, of a
company with the Vengeance. The French steamer of practice, which it will no doubt rather surprise you
the 15th brought us the intelligence of the birth of a to find in a manufacturing establishment, conducted
prince. On the following day the royal standard by staunch believers in the virtue of political economy
and union jacks were hoisted at the pelace, and —being nothing less than a little inchoate socialism.
on the forts; at noon, St. Angelo and the men-of- In going through some of the rooms I was startled
war in the harbour fired a royal salute. once or twice by hearing persons, with very little of
The marine of the Medina steam-packet, who was the pomp and circumstance of military life in their
tried by a court martial for threatening to shoot the appearance, addressed as " Captain." On enquiring
corporal, has been sentenced to be punished with the cause of this, I learned that this title bad reterence
fifty lashes, lose all pay and services, and be turned to a co-operative organisation among the mill hands.
out of the service with disgrace. The lashes have This excited my curiosity. What! traces of commu-
been inflicted, and the man awaits a passage to niano in a Manchester cotton mill ! The thing seemed
England. incredible. I enquired into the nature and history
The governor, Mr. More O'Ferrall, issued cards for of this organisation, as well as the objects it had in
a ball on the 24th, the Queen's birthday ; for some view. This I also traced to the inventive brain of Mr.
anexplitined reasons it has been changed to the 23rd. ])avid Morris. It arose in the following manner :
Some say it has been done to humour the catholic., Looking at the general condition of his workpeople
who cannot eat meat on a Friday; however it may with a view to find where the wedge of re!oren could
be, it is very bad taste, and not at all complimentary best be driven in, the gentleman referred to—guided,
to our protestant Queen and the protestant' of Malta. perhaps, by some of his old reminiscences—certainly
As usual, all persons known to be opposed to his by his direct personal knowledge of the apathetic and
excellency's political views are excluded, including improvident habits of the maw of factory workers—
even some of the foreign consuls, whom one would saw very clearly that the accidental arrangements of
have thought that a ball in honour of the Queen society for distributing the prime articles of food to
would have induced him to have invited, as repre- the poor are very imperfect, and the evils deflected
sentatives of foreign sovereigns, whatever may have with petty shop-keeping on the trust system of
ha
been their opinions of his conduct, a
nfdeartofu 1
mouth buying
ter. L
o the ivthey do from
On the 20th, ll.M.'s ship Superb came in from
smallest quan-
England and Gibraltar.
titles of each artiole of domestic consumption
ianfy as
A letter from Samoa of 30th April mentions—An at once and paying enormous prices for goods
English man-of-war steamer has arrived here from of inferior quality ; the factory hands who resort
Constantinople, having on board Mr. Alison, the to this practice, and nearly the whole mass of
interpreter of the British Embassy, to hear the com- them do so ander ordinary circumstances, sea matter
plaints of the people, and to examine into the condi- of course live uncomfortably, and got themselves into
tion of the country.
debt. The petty dealer to whom they owe a few shil-
Letters from Smyrna mention that opium is selling Hogs gets a firm hold of them—which he
at 108 piastres the cheque. The weather is favour
- seldom or ever relaxes. Bound by this obliga-

expenses hitherto lectured for the occupation of li
Tuscany from the moment of the entrance of
the Austrian troops up to the present time. All
letters and despatches concerning the service of
the imperial troone, sa well as their correepon-
deLce with the graod-ducal troops, are to be free of
postage, but private letters to or from military men
are to pay the usual charge. The military equip-
ments belonging to the troops of occupation are to be
duty free. Military men belonging to the carps, and
travelling with an order, are tole also exempt from
duty. The document is signed by the Duke of Cas-
eigliano oa the part of Tuscany, and the Baron de
Hegel on the part of Austria. The ratifications of
the treaty were exchanged on the 20th.