The Express.
London, England, 1868-07-10 00:00:00

AbIiERMAN 8088 AND MR. lINALIM

THAT doughty alderman Sir ANDERSON Boer
favours the readers of this morning's Times
with a " true and conscientious statement" of
what occurred at the Guildhall mooting. in whioh
the momentous questions as to what he, the alder-
man, said and did to Mr. DEALER, and what
Mr. DEALEB did in reply, together with the
comments of the bystanders and Sir Minna-
sow's emendations thereupon, are given with
grave exactitude. Miss MARTINEAU'S History of
the Thirty Years' Peace and Mr. KINOLAKK'S
record of the Crimean war are both rooallod by
this surprising lettor. It has the earof ally minute
detail of the ono, and the *determined partisanship
of the other, and is unfortunate only in
its theme. The battle of the hate
lacks the esaentird point of public interest, and,
strange as it may appear to Alderman 'Welt, his
countrymen are not devoured by any absorbing
anxiety to know the extent to which he for-
got himself, or who ho " kept at arm's length
" with my right hand," or what ho displayed " to
" the meeting with my left." These are points
which might be loft in obscurity without injury
or annoyance to the State. To wait fourteen days,
and then to reply to a " totter published on the
" 24th, and signed by Mr. DEALER," as Sir
ANDERSON Rosa has done, almost looks as if ho
had taken the advice of his turbulent friends
at Guildhall, and " bound himself over to
" keep the peace" for that conventional period.
But, however well-intentioned, this course
has bad the fatal defect of making people forget
all about the Aldormanic combat ; and to-day's
letter reads like a cutting from some old news-
paper. Let us humbly hope it will not be
permitted to draw a rejoinder from Mr. BEALE&
Some gentlemen, who ought to have known
better, appear to have lost their temper, and to
allow the records and evidences of it to fill up
valuable space, is an injury to themselves and
an injustice to the public.

THE same Democratic Convention which favours
the taxation of the United States Bonds and their
payment in currency has, it appears, nominated
Mr. HORATIO SEYMOUR, ex-Governor of New
York, as its candidate for the Presidency. It
happens that on the 25th ult. Mr. SEYMOUR
addressed an immense body of his friends and
delivered a long political speech. This, however,
contained but slight indications of his policy.
It consisted chiefly of vague remarks upon
the necessity for retrenchment, and of de-
nunciations of negro suffrage. It was aimed,
in fact, at the policy of Congress. Mr. BEY-
moult appears to consider that by the political
course he advocates the national bonds and cur-
rency would be brought to par, and thus all
the financial evils of the Union be terminated.
A satisfactory feature of his address is that it
is opposed in tone to the repudiation theories
which appear, despite their selection of him as
their candidate, to have found favour with the
Convention.

IT iS stated that M. R&TAZZI, who has not been
heard of for a long time, is charged with a special
mission from the King of ITALY to the King of
Paussut, and that the interview will shortly take
place at Ems.

TILE NATIONAL LEDGER.-CUSTOMS

deCO UN T.

An interesting budget of facts was published
this morning in the form of a Blue Book, containing the
12th annual report of the Commissioner, of her Majesty's
Customs, which shows, in a concise form, the transactions
of the country, as a purchaser and a seller, during the
year 1867.
The commissioner, point out that of the many causes
which contributed to the dulness and depression of last
year, the moat important was the paralysing influence of
the crisis of 1866, which continued to be felt long
after the immediate pressure of the commercial die.
aster had passed away. Another cause was the
deficient harvest of 1868, and the previously excessive im-
portation of the principal articles in demand, which was,
of course, followed by a reduced rate of prices. The com-
missioner', however, assure no that the gloomy allusions
which were made in reference to the absence, in 1867, of
the usual elasticity in the revenue, have not been justi-
fied by the facts, so far, at least, as the revenue of cus-
toms is concerned.

With regard to the values, of British and Irish exports,
the return for 1867 undoubtedly appears in an unfavour-
able light am compared with that of the previous year, the
deficiency amounting to upwards of 71 millions, or 4 per
oent. The commissioners have had to report no similar
result since 1861, when a falling off of upwards of 101
minims appeared, followed again in 1862 by • further
decline of rather more than • million. On those occasions
the decrease was attributed to the effects of the American
war, and the commissioners now attribute the greater
portion of the loss in 1867 to the reaction " consequent
upon the vast and sadden overtrading with America in
1866, produced by the cessation of that war." Neverthe-
less the export values for 1867, though falling
short of the exceptional year 1866 by about 4
per cent., still exceed those of 1865 by 8, and those of
1864 by 11, per cent. The falling off in the exports of the
United States being 61 millions, and the total decline in
the exports to all foreign countries being only 3,900,0001.,
the commissioners remark that "it follows that of the re-
maining countries of importance a larger proportion have
increased than have lowered their demands upon us for
our produce and manufactures." The values of foreign
and colonial exports, however, show • more serious
decline, amounting in the whole to 10 per cent.
With regard to the imports, there was • decrease on
those from foreign countries amounting to 4 per cent., and
on those from British possessions amounting to 16 per
cent., the greatest falling off being in the values of goods
shipped from the United States.

fiiimmingup in one grand total the values representing the
whole trade of the United Singdoin, it appears that the total
imports in '66 amounted to 329,577,4131., while those of
'67were only 299,070,9001. The exports in '66 amounted
to 597,842,4861., while those of '67 were 546,108,0801.,
thus showing that, compared with the most prosperous
year on record, there was a decrease on the vast total of
only 8.6 per cent.

With respect to the revenue, it appears that, compared
with the revenue of 1868, there was an aggregate net
increase of 693,2361., which shows a more favourable com-
parison than any that has been recorded since 1859.

TUE SLAVE TAM:lE.—According to a return
published this morning, it appears that eighteen slave
vessels were captured on the east coast of Africa
during the year 1867 ; and in this service her
Majesty's ship Ifighflyer seems to have particu-
larly distinguished herself, having made no joss
than ten out of the total number of captures. The
total number of slaves on board these vessels was esti-
mated at 333, but in some cases they were got ashore be-
fore the captures took place. Most of these vessels sailed
under Arab colours.

We are requested to state that the concession for
the privilege of laying a cable between France and Ame-
rica, stated to have been adjudicated on Monday last to
Baron Emile D'Erlanger and Mr. Julius Reuter, by the
French government, has been given in contravention of a
previous concession granted by the Minister of the Inte-
rior, on the 17th of June loot, to Mr. Eugene Deleased and
Mr. William Blaolonore.—Dsily IfWs.