The Express.
London, England, 1861-11-25 00:00:00

LATEST BY TELEGRAPH TO HALIFAX.

NEW YORK, Nov. 14.

Advices received by the Federal government an-
nounce that the fleet commenced the bombardment
et Port Royal on the 7th inst. After a fight
which lasted four hours the Confederates aban-
doned the forts and retreated precipitately. The
Federal' captured two forts, forty-three guns,
military equipments, and valuable papers.
On the Bth inst. the Federal army, numbering
15,000 men, landed and established themselves at
Beaufort, South Carolina, which, with;the neigh-
bouring plantations, was totally destroyed by the
whites. Large numbers of negroes came into the
Federal camp. Beaufort is to be held as the seat
of future operations.
Eight Federals and 100 Confederates aro re-
ported to have boon killed during the bombard-
ment. Four Federal vessels were lost or missing
during the late severe gale. It is reported that a
Federal collector will be immediately appointed at
Beaufort, and that the place will at once be opened
to commerce.
COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

NEW YORK (via Halifax), Nov. 14.

Exchange—Bankers' Bills, 1081. Stocks irre.
gular : New York Central, 80i ; Illinois, 641 ;
Erie, 34. Cotton quiet : Middling Upland jo.
higher. Breaelstuffs firm. Provisions quiet.

THE GOVERNOR OF PENNSYLVANIA AND
THE PROPOSED FORTIFICATIONS.

The following is a copy of a communication re-
ceived at the State Department from Governor
Curtin, in reply to Secretary Seward's circular :
Pennsylvania Executive Chamber, Harrisburg,
Nov. 2, 1860.
Hon. W. H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D.C.
Sir,—l received a few days since an caved• pe, apparently
from the Department of State at Washington, enclosing a
slip from a newspaper purporting to be a copy of a letter
from you to the Governor of New York. This mode of com-
municating advice to the government of the United Stake
to the State authorities is so unusual that I am perhaps not
quite justified in sunning, as I do, that the communica-
tion is authentic. I am glad to learn that the pros.
pect of a disturbance of our amicable relations with
foreign countries is now less serious than it bar been
at any period during the course of the insurrection.
The duty of taking precautions against such disturbance
appropriate to the government of the United States, and as,
when the prospect was more serious, it was not thought fit
to invite to the subject the attention of Congress,
which had authority of making suitable prevision,
I do not uoderstand how Kite fact that it is now
lees serious can afford a reason for calling on individual states
which have no such authority. What Congress has done or
omitted you of course must know, but it seems strange that
general appropriations for military purposes should render
lawful the expense of fortifying Washington, Cincinnatti,
St. Lassie, and other places, and yet that the government
should falter under an apprehension of want of authority
when the question is of fortifying seaboard and lake ports.
Thu regular session of the legislature of Pennsylvania. as
you may be aware, will not commence until more
than a month after the next meeting of Congress.
When you assure me that the prospect of disturb-
ance is now less mums than it has been at
any period since the insurrection began, I feel
that your letter would not justify me in calling a
special session, and without isition by the legia-
later* I have less authority to act than the executive of the
United States, since the subject itself is within the scope of
the general government, and is not within th►t of a state
government. State governments bave recently (in con-
formity with the spirit of the constitutional provisions in

' regard to the militia) acted as agent' of the general
government, and in raising volunteers for the general de.
fence, and in clothing, arming, equipping, and supplying
them ; but even in this matter, not, it is believed, beyond
their people and territory.
Some of the points important for the maritime defence of
Pennsylvania are situated in other states. It could not, of
course, be expected that the authorities of this common.
wealth should go into New Jersey or Delaware w erect
fortifications. If they are to be erected by the concur-
rent action of the several states immediately concerned, an
agreement among them would be necessary to determine
what should Le done and what proportion of the expense of
doing it should be Lorne by each.
No such agreement could be lawfully made without the
action of the several state legislatures. and the constitution
expressly prohibits its being made at all without the assent
of the Congress.
To defray the expenses of the proposed fortifications the
states must, of course, resort to loans. The effect produced
by the competition of a principal with his own agents,
has already been illustrated by the embarrassments attend-
ing that system in the raising of volunteers, and in
the procuring of clothing and other supplies for them.
To throw several of the states on the money market, in
direct competition with the large leans necessary to he
made by the general government, especially under the
discouraging influence which the publication of your
letter may have on public credit, is au experi-
ment which must lead to embarrassments simi:ar
in kind, but probably even more injurious. It is not doubted
that provision for reimbursement should Le made by law, for
Congress at its last session promptly passed an act provid-
ing for the reimbursement of expenses incurred by the state
is raising volunteers for defenos of the United States.
For that defence Pennsylvania has, in proportion to her
population, furnished a larger and more effective force,
and at a greatly lees expense, than any other state, and
her people are now freely contributing their money to the
loans of the United States.

Under the above-mentioned act of Congress the govern.
meet of the United States, through its proper department.
agrees to pay at once to the several states 40 per cent. of
their expenditures, as stated by their respective authorities,
but this payment has thus far been withheld from Penn-
sylvania, for the reasons, as given, that she is so wealthy
• state, and has expended so little money in
proportion to the large material aid which she
has furnished, that she can welt till a more convenient sea.
son—in other words, that the economy of her government
and the liberality of her people afford grounds for refusing
to her the prompt though partial reimbursement which is
made t other states, and which she would seem to have
deser►ed not leas, but rather more than they.
In regard to the final settlement of these accounts, I
observe that a communication has already been re-
ceived (backed by a certificate of • person hold-
ing a high official position at Washington), setting
forth the necessity that the agent for settling
them should possess au intimate knowledge of all
the laws and precedence applicable to such cases to
be found in the past history of the government,
and adding that this knowledge and proper consultation
with the accounting officers will be necessary to enable him
to advise as to the beet mode of making up and proving the
accounts, many of which must otherwise be rejected by
the accounting officers.
Theao circumstances lead me to express the hope that the
next provision by Congress for the reimbursement of the
states may be so arranged that some faith may be reposed
in accounting departments of the several states,
and that (at least in cases where the amount claimed is so
small in comparison with the services rendered, and with
what they would hate cost the Unite,! States directly, as to
I exclude the possibility of extravagance or prodigality) the
actual expenditures made by the dates may be refund. d
to them without the necessity of resettling and re-
vouching the accounts under such formidable conditions.
On the whole, I suggest that the best mode of attaining
the end you propose would be for the general government
itself to immediately undertake the fulfilment of its own
duties in this regard, in which it will prove, if necessary
the prompt, earnest, and zealous aid of the
government and people of this commonwealth. If, how-
ever, this course should not be *notated to, then I have but
Waxy that Pennsylvania, in any way that maybe required,
will give her last man and her last dollar to quell do-
mestic treason or drive back foreign invasion, and
will leave to a more quiet season the discussion and deci.
non of the various questions that may arise from steps that
have been taken during the existing crisis.
In case, therefore, the general government should per.
shit in the plan which you suggest, I beg that
the President will, as you propose, forthwith send proper
agents of that government to Harrisburg, to confer with me
on the position and character of the necessary fortifications,
so that no delay may occur in adopting proper measures for
their construction.

Very respecthdly, your obedient servant,
A. G. CURTIN.

The following telegram has been received at Mr.
Renter's ofßoe from the Peninaular and Oriental
Steam Navigation Company, Nov. 25.
CALCUTTA AND CHINA MAILS.

The Maaeilia, with the above mails, reached
Malts at midnight on the 22nd, and continued her
voyage to Marseilles at 4 the next morning.
The Indus, with the hoavy portion of the mail,
left Malta fur Southampton at 6 p.m. ou the 23rd
instant.