The Express.
London, England, 1857-12-17 00:00:00

UNITED STATES,

Extraordinary frauds have been brought to light
during an investigation of the business of the board
of health of Philadelphia by the finance committee
of the common council of that city. There has been
going on for a long time a system of fraud by which
huge amounts of the city money have been appro-
priated, one of the prudes, being the presentation
of false bills, which would be passed by the board,
and a warrant, properly vouched, drawn on the trea-
sury, the proceeds going into the pockets of mem-
bers of the board.
A fugitive slave cue hu caused much sensation
at Brooklyn and New York. A young man of 24
years, nearly white, belonging to James Stead, the
keeper of some billiard-rooms at Augusto, in Georgia,
took in the steamer Florida, on her last trip
for ew York, as a second-class passenger. Be wee
not discovered until the vessel was rear New Yea,
and upon arrival the fugitive was ironed and hurried
off to a house in South Brooklyn, where he remained
in close custody three days, until a writ of habeas
corpus was issued by Judge Culver. On the imms
ditto return of the writ, the fugitive •as started on
the underground railroad for Canada. The captain
of the steamer, two special policemen, and the
owner of the house where he WAS confined, bus
been held to bail on • charge of conspiracy and

kidnapping. .
There is but little political news by this arrival.
The opening of Congress and tho President's mes-
sage are eagerly expected, and the New York
Herald says:
It is reduced to a moral certainty that Mr. Buchanan, in
his message to Congress, will adopt the Hams programme
of the Lecompton Convention, and sustain that programme
for the settlement of the slavery hour —provided always that
this question of slavery shall be submitted to the populw
crucible of a fair and honed election in Kansas. On the
other side, it appears to be equally certain that the hostile
attitude ounted by Governor Walker will be supperted by
Mr. Senator Dmglia, of Illinois, Senators Gain and Bro.
&rick, of Califon* and other Northern democratic mem-
bers of Congress, and by some of the most prmithentof oar
Northern democratic journals, and upon the broad ground
that "popular sovereignty " requires that the Kamm State
constitution itself, and the whole of it, should be submitted
to the people, slavery and everything
The hero York Tinted gives us the following :
It is now understood at Washington that the adnuaithe-
don, during the sitting of the Conatitutional Convention in
Hanna, bad a secret agent engaged in advising its Jumbos,
and through whom portions, if not the whole, of the sohrdele
as published, were dictated by the executive. There is
stated to be also abundant evidence that, Mewed of signing
their names to ea engrossed copy of the constitution, the
members of the convention placed their signatures to a bleak
sheet of parchment, which oeu'd be appended to any doze-
mot at pleasure. It is elated that a Vigilance Committee
is now actually being formed throughout the territory, to
oppose any effort to wry into effect the result of the &li-
beralism of the Constitutional Convention. •

THE ARMY OF BELIEF: THE VOYAGE

TO INDIA.

Extract of a letter from an officer in one or the
sailing vessels conveying troops to India, dated
Point de Gale, Oct. 29, 1857 :
Sea," Sept. 7, at lat. 17 S., lon. 24 W.
" I write a few lines in ease of meeting a blue-
ward-bound vessel, which they say it is not unlikely
we may do about this latitade. Hitherto we have
had a favourable voyage as regards weather, though
the wind has not always been in the right quarter
for speeding us on to our destination. The temp.
rat are was remarkably cool about the Line, ALTO*
raging about 76 deg. in the caddy, and as yet it hu
never been above 80 deg. Fahr., a very pleasant degree
of warmth with a sea-breeze blowing through the
vessel : it now every day grows perceptibly colder,
and the captain intends going as far south as 40 deg.
lat., when of coarse it will be very cold indeed. We
exceed the sea, as the sailors term it, about 7 deg.
or 8 deg. North lat. We are now getting into the
spring of this part of the world, and shall soon be on
the look out for icebergs. After two or three weeks
of cold weather we shall be running up towards the
Line again on our way to Ceylon. We touch at Point
de Gallo for orders.
" Our captain is a gentleman, and a pleasant fellow,
and my brother officers are agreeable companions.
Our table is very well found—supplied with fresh
rolls and bread every day as good as we could get
at home : the suppliesof everything, indeed, are mat
liberal, and with health nothing could be more
agreeable than the voyage has hitherto been. The
band plays every day after dinner on the poop, just
filling up the time from dessert to sunset, which is
here about six o'clock. Our dinner hour is three;
at six we take coffee ; from eight to ten o'clock bit.
cults, wines, fix., are on the table, and books, whist,
chess, or round games form the occupation of those
who prefer the caddy to the deck. The incidents of
oar voyage have been few beyond the ordinary cir-
cumstances attending a sea life. We have caught
and killed a large shark, got a flying fish or two on
board, and have made several attempts to hook the
dolphins which occasionally follow us, but without
nouns. Some of us are working hard at Hindus.
tani. Our crew consists of one-third Malays, one-
third Chinese and the remaining third lAMIII
and as the orders are given in Hindostani to all,
we already hear something of the language about
us, but, as might be expected, it is only a very cor-
rupt patois, and would, I fancy, be understood Very
little by any but sailors. The Hindoos had elu-
desl the other day to celebrate what they call their
Christmas-day, or greet day they have their tom-
toms on board just as the negroes hare in the West
Indies ; and what with that sounding forward and
the bagpipes to the men dancing midships. of an
evening, while the echo of our band is still in our
ears, we have plenty of music.
Oet. 17.—We have exchanged signals with
several vessels, but have had no opportunity of =-
manic:sting more closely. We aro now speeding oa
towards Ceylon with the trade-wind, having lately
escaped from the cold and stormy latitudes mine
south. A week ago we were shivering in 37 deg.
South lat., with high winds end mists; now we
have a hot sue, and can hardly put on clothing light
enough. The thermometer in the middy stands et
80 Fair. At noon yesterday we were in 18 deg. S.,
to-day at noon we shall probably be in 141 deg. S.
Point de Oalle is in 6 deg. IS., so we may be
there in ten days or a for night. The steamer from
England arrives at Oalle on the 23rd, and stays 24
houre, and as we hope to get news by it from bane
op to the 26th September you env, imagine bow
much we are interested in our anticipated visit to
Oalle; and, besides, it is there we are to learn ore
destination. We had very stormy weather &Wattle
' island of Tristan d'Acunha on the 18th of last mouth,
, and cold weather, with occasional gales and raja
, from that date till between 70 and 80 E. kn., whet
I we turned northwards. We went as far south*
' 43 deg. The general health of every one on bead
' has been very good; we have had no death, altheagb
over 400 on board. Noon : The observation bin jog
bees taken, and we are found to have run 248 mils
since noon yesterday.
" Oct. 29.—We arrived off Point de Galls hat
night. We have been delayed by calms, and we as
now about being transhipped to a steamer for Cal.
cotta."

The Special Diet of Coburg, in its sitting of*
13th, again rejected, by 16 votes to 16, the bill manna 16
the government for affecting a union between the Dabs
of Coburg and Gotha.
A Wire's Jones.—Last Saturday evening a gal*.
tleman, residing at Jernigan 11■111, Was sitting with his wed
and mem Meads at their parlour are, wiles the dootl
wa, violently rung. The tidy rose, but then sargeeta°
her husband that as tho girl sena out, he br tiff go to 61
front door. Accordingly, he opened it, awl found seas
there; but there was a nicely done op basket, ooreesd vat
white lines, at his feet, and he thought he heart 1.31
=ening of • female dress departing. After
vainly up and down the street awl aroma ill; portal, teZ
the basket into the parlour. On tbe covering beingreserat
a beautiful little child appeered, Dome five months 111
lady screamed ; one of the lady visitors took up Mr htbb
FAA found a note pinned to its deem, whichelatrfoLl
gautleumn of the house with being the father, and i 1921
Mtn to support it. A rich Kele ensued between the WIT
wife and -the Indignant husband, the lattur steXr
trying all knowkdore of the little one, and •
immune.. The friends "metered, and at last the wife I
Induced to forgive the husband, although he will stood, r,
like a Trojan he Lad always been a faithful bran
Finally the lady very rogniehly told her Intabowl that igr.
strange he should not know Lis own child, fur it wo
mutual offspring, which had just lees taken from Met:
cep Maim by the norm, for thin very purpose of plaibff is ;
joke ,• and the impelled husband finally joined
Lush which was raised at his expense.—Booton Dvereet•

LAW IN IELLIGENCE.

THIS DAY.