The Express. — 1848-02-22 (London, England)

SINGAPORE, JAN. 7.—The Europe mail of Oct. 25, which arrived here Dec. 27, bringing accounts of the many serious failures in the commercial world, has made every one downcast ; happily, however, no house here has yet telt the pressure, but as all firms here have branch houses in England, Calcutta, China, and elsewhere, fear has not yet subsided.—Captain Cuppage, 27th Madras Native Infantry, noticed in my last as about to resign the post of police magistrate here, has quitted much sooner than was antieipsted, having to appear before a court-martial in a delicate case, arising out of an occurrence which took plate at Penang, in which a brother officer, Lieut. H. H. M•Leod, of the same regiment was concerned in a trim. con. with Captain Cuppage's wife. M`Leod is to be tried by a courtmartial, the result of which will not merely affect him but Colonel Tweedie, who at that time commanded in the Straits, the colonel having foolishly given Lieut. hd•Leod a written paper to the effect that no inquiry should take place into the affair, which document the colonel now alleges was obtained from him when non conipos ; so that a second court-martial will take place. consequent  on Captain Cuppage's departure to Madras, Mr. Duidnan hsa been appointed officiating superintendent of police and police magistrate, with Mr Simonides as assiatant-superintendent of police. Piracy is again rife iu the old Strait of Singapore, and even is the harbour itself. Two Malays were committed for trial on the Bth Dec., for piram within the Units of the harbour.—On Dec. 12 the Americium ship Great Britain arrived here, from China, having es b ,ard Capt. Genouilly and 3.50 men, including officers and crews of the two French frigates lost on the coast of Corea on their way to Japan. After completing sundry repairs to the vessel, she proceeded to Brett. The Great Britain is chartered by the French government, and is entirely under the control of Capt. Oenouiliy, like a ship of war, the American captain proceeding as a passenger until the arrival of the vessel at Brost.—On Dec. 13, Admiral Inglefield, naval commander-in-chief, quitted Singapore, en route to Madras and Bombay, in H.M.S. Vernon, 60 gun.; on arrival at the latter place the flag-ship will require to be docked, and a portion of her copper replaced.—On Dec. 16, H.M.S. Medea left this for Littman, and on the same day the H.C.'ssteam-fricrate Auckland quitted to cruise about the northern entrance of the Straits.— 0 n Dec. 18 the Straits Times received and published exclusive intelligence from Canton of the murder of six English gentlemen by the Chinese : this intelligence was brought by the ship Charles Forbes, and was subsequently confirmed by other arrivals. On receipt of this intelligence Colonel Butterworth, governor of the Straits, immediately forwarded the Times extra to the supreme government at Calcutta, and expressed a desire that troops and steamers be got ready, in the event of another war breaking out in China. Oa December 29th the Sylph arrived from China with despatches to the governor from Sir John Davis, urgently requesting that all vessels of war, and whatever Snaps could be spared, should be sent without delay to Canton. Immediately all was active: a council of war was held, at which were present the governor, Capt. Campbell, C. 8., H.M.S. Melempw, and Capt. Inglelield, H.M.S. Ringdove, when it was resolved to despatch H.M.S. Marina. pus to China, and send the Royalist to Labials with orders for M.H. steam.frigate Medea to proceed direct to China. The arrival, on the 30th, of the Hon. Company's steamer Phlegethon from Labium modified these movement., and it was resolved to send both the Melampue and Royalist to China direct, which vessels left this on the morning of the ird inst.; but, having to beat up the China Sea will not reach Hong-Kong before the beginning of February. The Hon. Company's steamer Hoogbly was despatched on the 4th inst to Penaug, to bring down from thence the European (Madras) Artillery for service in China, and with orders for the steam-frigate -Auckland, expected to be at Penang, to return hither ; immediately on her arrival she will be de• 'patched to China. Except the European Artillery, no troops can be spared from the Straits, as we have only one native regiment (21st M. N. I.) for the three settlement'. Sir John Davis wrote to the governor here to spare a portion of the infantry, but Colonel Butterworth very properly declines, since we have at Singapore nearly 1,700 convicts and about 30,000 Chinese, with only four companies of infantry and ore-eighth company Native Madras Artillery to keep them in awe.  •