The Express.
London, England, 1857-07-25 00:00:00

IRON v. WOOD.--.4VERICAN COMPETITION
WITH BRITISH SHIPOWNERS.

The New York Daily Times deplores the inability-
of United Shake shipowners to compete with the iron-built
propeller steamers of British eonstruetion, which are now
taking so large a share of the Atlantic trade. After ehowing
how egregiously have been falsified the gloomy predictions of
our protectionists, who used to anticipate the utter ruin of
the British shipping interest in consequence of the repeal of
the Navigation Laws, the New York Votes proceeds to
observe :

"Protection was maintained for the benefit of the British
shipping interest, but no sooner was it withdrawn than the
ship-bullders proved what they could do if put on their mettle.
They built as fast clippers as mediae. and succeeded in the
hoe of free competition in keeping the bulk of the China
trade to themselves. At the same time, the colonial ship-
wrights woke up as well. With abundance of timber, and
youthful entrise and activity, the builders of the St.
Lawrence ands Bay of Fundy annually sent a fleet of both
large and small vessels for tale to the mother-country. The
present state of our mercantile marine is thus described in the
Journal of Commerce
" Suet a depredation an now °sista in the mercantile
marine has been seldom experienced. Wharves, far up
town, usually vacant, are fully occupied by ships laid up in
idleness; other yodels, taking their chance in trade, sail in
ballad, or otherwise earn an uncomfortable loam to the
owner.. Profitable voyages are the exceptions. Prominent
among the causes tending to this result, is the great increase
of ocean steamers. Certainly their abundance aggravates
the evil, if it is not an emotion of it. Their influence hag
ban more perceptible since the close of the Eastern war, by
mid& quite a number of them were released from the frame
pen earmoo. Now, it is distinctly recognized ; and predic-
Om are already made that we only see the beginning of the
end; that sailing 'eras must wadnelly rat reewitably disci
= from the Atlantic Wore the omaipo t power
_ _

" Wldle enemy of onr finest ships are lying idle, there are
stated Win wow& of 80 steamers being built in the ports
of Gnat &WU Awn all but two or three being screw pro-
pales; sad many d them intended for the Atlantic trade.
Is ethre wad tbsy we intended to beat etc sailing ship' out
of the wad, and they do beat them.
"What is te he done? If any one still believes that we
ma bid sieweere is weapete with the iron-built steamers of
Ti it we tan stay refer Dim to the experience of every
"behave navigated the Atlantic. It has been long
ddttsd adi bands that paddlo steamers cannot be em-
ployed at • pelt without • government subsidy. berew
ow, end Uwe the phenomenon now witnessed in
oldie d bat universal adoption of the screw. But
weedw weeds one tee heavy for rapid screw propulsion. An
eagesiment made by ens eompany of building half their screw
sigma of wood lies proved a failure, and was abandoned
ear am or two verde had been coustnneed, and iron fa
new the rely melsrial wed.
" Thee fa net a *Ws screw propeller ore the stocks in tide
weeny fee the lanspean node Ohere am upwards of 80 is
iraThe obvious red unavoidable conclusion la
.re cannot Wad them without loos. But screw steamers
ars absorbing thee whole fassign trade."'

WOODSTOCK ELECTION.—Lord Alfred Churchill
was returned for this pocket borough yesterday. There wee
no st.mtgreLln at an opposition, which most have been vain and
Mr. Norris, who seeuedad the nomination,
aid ha ems quite sure they would all agros with him than
they veal be wanting in gralltade to the noble house to
whisk lied Alfred Churchill belonged if they did not entreat
to him the honour of repreeenting them in perlianoint which
had tom so long enjoyed by the Marquis of Diandford, and
in this spirit the election wee completed.
THE MAYO Eutcriow COMMITTEE RIOTS.—At than,
Csalishar kudos, m Wednesday, Michael Carney and J,,,,e.
Malik, oung fellows of 16 or 17 years of age, who Qui
beta e>t of rioting and assaulting John Gonne% aria
of Cot. Higgins's witnesses before the Mayo Election Cam.
mittee, were sentenced by Heron Richer& to two year.. im,
ointment for Carney (who thrust the iron rod int° r.annon's
eye), and one year's imprisonment for Murphy. Four men
were also sentenced to three months imprisanmout for for.
cible abduction of two Totem at the 1,1%.79 4„,,,10,„