The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-04-18 00:00:00

ARRIVAL OF THE AFRICA.

BY the British and North American Royal Mail
steam-ship Africa, Captain Harrison, which reached
the Mersey this morning, about one o'clock we have
intelligence from New York to the sth instant.

The Africa sailed from New York at noon on
the sth April. On the 9th exchanged signals in
lon. 52.07 W., and lat. 41.50 N., with the ship
Florida, steering westward. On the 16th, at 5
a.m., spoke the brig George Marsden, 56 days from
Malta, short of bread, and supplied her. At 3
p.m., passed the brig Ocean, in lon. 11.28 W. ; at
5 p.m., signalled the General Washington, steering.
west, ; and at 5.25 passed the Royal Mail steam-
ship Arabia.
The Africa brought 104 passengers, and 200,000
dollars in specie.
The Albert Gallatin, the Star of the West, and
the Conqueror, hence, arrived at New York on the
2d inst. The Kate Hooper, hence, arrived on the
3d. The William Tapscott, and the Fidelio, hence,
arrived out on the 4th inst.

The United States Mail steam-ship Baltic, Capt.
Briggs, arrived at New York on the 4th inst.
The ship Frigate Bird, arrived at Philadelphia
from Manilla, reports having been fired into by a
Chinese piratical junk, off Pulo Foly, and being
chased for ten hours, but escaped.
The ship-carpenters, caulkers, and sparmakers
of New York are still on strike. In consequence
a number of vessels have been compelled to go to
other cities in order to make necessary repairs. A
vessel which had been raised upon the screw dock
for the purpose of re-coppering, was taken off, un-
finished, and will proceed to Liverpool to complete
the work. The boiler-makers, plasterers, and
bricklayers, are also on a strike. The shipjoiners
have resolved to strike for 2 dollars 50 cents per
day. The 'Long Shoremen Society has resolved
that the men demand an advance of two shillings
a day on the present wages, from the 17th of April..
The dock cartmen of Brooklyn have struck for an
increase in their pay of 1 dollar per day. They
now require three dollars.

A firs took place, on the 14th inst., at a dis-
tillery in Washington-street, by which several
houses and property, to the value of 100,000 dollars,
were destroyed. _

A serious accident occurred to the down train
from Albany, on the Hudson River Railroad, on
the 4th. The locomotive ran upon and was badly
damaged by a rock, about two miles above Tivoli,
weighing several tons, which fell from an eminence
upon the track, shortly previous to the arrival of
the train. The locomotive ran against this missile
with full force, and in an instant the engine, tender,
and baggage car were crushed to atoms, and seve-
ral of the railroad employes were severely injured
—two of them so seriously that they expired in a
few hours. Not a single passenger was hurt.
The Senate of Ohio has adopted the following
resolution :—Resolved : That our Senators in Con-
gress be instructed, and that our Representatives
be requested, to use their best endeavours in favor
of establishing reciprocal free trade with the
Canadas, and the opening of the navigation of the
river St. Lawrence to the commerce of the United
States.

Arrangements have been made for the convey-
ance of a monthly mail, by sailing vessels, between
New York and Australia. The first mail will be
despatched on the 25th of April..
Mr. G. H. M`Cammet, a merchant of Ohio, who
broke his leg by falling from a platform into a cel-
lar in Broadway, died at the New York Hospital
on the 29th ult.

Unusual excitement prevailed during the muni-
cipal election which took place at New Orleans.
Three men were killed at the polls.
Mexico.—Dates from the city of Mexico to the 16th
ult., inform us that Santa Anna left the capital four days
previous, with the intention of taking the field in person
against General Alvarez, the leader of the Acapulco revo-
lutionists. It is asserted by the Mexican journals that
Alvarez was surrounded by the government troops, desti-
tute of money, and almost deserted by his friends—but
this statement needs confirmation..
By later news from Acapulco we learn that General.
Alvarez, the revolting governor and leader of the revolu-
tionists, was fortifying his position, and had a strong.,
force at his command ; he had not, however, had an en-
gagement with the government troops. We understand-
that Santa Anna's orders are to subdue the state at the•
point of the bayonet. Two vessels of war were daily
looked for to blockade the port.
. _ _ _ _

Simultaneously with the movements of the disaffected
people of Mexico for the overthrow of his Supreme High-
ness, Santa Anna, and a. return to Republicanism, thc.
Indians are rising against the whites in all directions, both
in that country and in the States. The depredations and
murders committed by the savages in Texas and New Mex-
ico, would almost lead to the belief that a general league
had been entered into among the red men of the South
and West to wage a, universal war against the American
and Mexican settlers. It also appears that the• most inve-
terate feeling of hostility prevails between, the border
inhabitants of the two countries, particularly in the• vici-
nity of El Paso.;. consequently if the army in that quarter
be not speedily reinforced, the most serious results may
be anticipated.

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE..
NEW YORK, STR APRIL,

The prospect of the continuance of the war in Europe
has engendered an extraordinary feeling. of speculation
among certain dealers in New York. There has already
been quite a movement in Russian goods in this market,
and in articles similar to those produced by Russia.
The Stock Market still continues active, but not
buoyant.

COTTON.—The day's sales did not exeeed 1,113 bales,
as follows :—For export, 343 ; home use, 459; and on
speculation 311. Market quiet.
BREADSTUFFS.—There was no change of moment in
breadstuffs. The general tone of the market was
heavy, with very little doing for export, dealers prefer-
ring to wait for the Baltic's news. This did not come
to hand until after the close of 'Change, and at too late an
hour to exercise any influence on trade. Business men,
however, looked upon the general character of the news in
an unfavourable light, both eommercially, financially, and
politically.

PROVISIONS.—Pork declined to $l4 25 for mess, and
$ll 874 for prime. About 170 packages cut meats
changed hands at previous figures. Sales have been re-
ported of 280 packages lard at 9c. to 91c., and 150 kegs
ditto at 104 c. to 104 c. per lb., with 400 bbls, beef within
former range. Butter and cheese were in fair request,
and steady in price.
FREIGHTS.—Rates to Liverpool were dull and nominal.
There was nothing of moment to report for London or
Havre.

NEW ORLEANS, APRIL 3.—There has been a large
export demand in our cotton market to-day, and the sales
reached 10,000 bales. Middling is quoted at 9c. Ohio
flour has declined to $5 76, and is dull. Exchange on
New York is at per cent. premium. Freights have de-
clined.

APPROACH TO ST. PETERSBURGH.—Nothing can be
more melancholy than the aspect of nature in the ap-
proach to St. Petersburgh. As you advance up the gulf,
the flat marshes of Sugria terminate in a little wavering
line drawn between the sky and the sea ; this line is
Russia. It presents the appearance of a wet lowland, with
here and there a few birch trees thinly scattered. The
landscape is void of objects and colours, has no bounds,
and yet no sublimity. It has just light enough to be
visible ; the grey mossy earth well accords with the pale
sun which illuminates it, not from overhead, but from
near the horizon, or almost indeed from below—so acute
is the angle which the oblique rays form with the surface
of this unfavoured soil. In Russia, the finest days have a
bluish dimness. If the nights are marked by a clearness
which surprises, the days are clothed with an obscurity
which saddens.

THE " BAD BLACK SEA ?"—This is the character that
stormy lake has acquired in the estimation of its neigh
bours at Constantinople. Of 1,000 vessels which skim
over it waters every year, 500 are said to be wrecked as a
matter of course. The wind sometimes will blow from
all the four quarters of heaven within two hours' time,
agitating the waters like a boiling cauldron. Dense fogs
obscure tile air during the winter, by the assistance of
which the Turkish vessels mistake the entrance of a valley
called the False Bogaz for the entrance of the Bosphorus,
and are wrecked there perpetually. I have seen dead
bodies floating about in that part of the sea, where I first
became acquainted with the fact that the corpse of a
woman floats upon its back, while that of a man floats
upon its face. In short, at Constantinople they say that
everything that is bad comes from the Black Sea—the
plague, the Russians, the fogs, and the cold all comes
from thence.—The Hon. Robert Curzon's Armenia.
CRoNsxA.Dx.—The following description of Cronstadt,
given in a Berlin journal, although incomplete, may not
be uninteresting at the present moment : Cronstadt is
situated on the island of Kosline, at the eastern corner of
the Finland Gulf. The island, about 1 English miles
long and proportionately narrow, is close to the mouth of
the Neva, and may be regarded as the port of St. Peters-
burgh, whence it is distant about 18 miles (English). The
town, which owes its foundation to Peter the Great, con-
tains about 30,000 inhabitants, and is intersected by the
Peter and Catherina canals. On the northern side of the
island stands the powerful Alexander rampart, constructed
of solid granite blocks, and armed with heaviest guns. On
the southern flank of this is the harbour, the channel to
which is defended by the citadel, erected on a rocky foun-
dation, and on the opposite side by the Kronslot fortress.
Properly speaking there exist three harbours for ships of
war within the island, with docks, arsenals, building-yards,
and so forth. A fourth and smaller harbour for mercantile
vessels likewise exists within the defences. The old Mens-
chikoff palace has long been converted into a foundry,
arsenal, and school for pilots. The Marine hospital is
arranged for 2,600 patients. In order to diminish dangers
that may occur from fire, all wooden constructions have
been pulled down and all superfluous stores remoyed,"