The Express. — 1847-07-24 (London, England)

JULY 22. At a recent meeting of the Belfast Harbour Commiasioners, the first ander the act of the present session, a statement was submitted of the income for the half-year ending the Ist of July compared with the corresponding period of 1846. It shows an increase on the chief sources of revenue of 1,5001., or at the rate of 3,0001. per annum. This increase is the more satisfactory as it appeared to have arisen from the progressive advance of the port, and not from the casual importation of food, the vessels employed in this manner having displaced the same amount of tonnage from other trades. This fact was thus illustrated : though the comparative increase of tonnage was 25,836, there had been a falling off of 16,286 tons in coals alone. Under the act of 1837, the tonnage frequenting Belfast had increased an hundred fold in ten years. Property exceeding. 150,000/. had been purchased, and the outlay on improvement was not less than 100,0001. The total debt on the Ist inst. amounted to 198,7501., of which nearly the sum of 17,0001. remained in the hands of the treasurer; and the surplus on the ordinary operation of the 'present year, after payment of interest and all other charges, is calculated to exceed 10,000/. The general assembly of the presbyterian church has had a long sederunt, and the business of the synod is not yet concluded. The election for the four theelogiml professors will take place in September, and certificates of ability are admissible front the Queen's College, Trinity College, or the free church of Scotland. The appointment of literary professors is postponed until the treasury of the assembly is in a snore prosperous condition. A resolution of some importance has been arrived at by the assembly. In 1843 a resolution was carried limiting the agitation of its members in political matters to questions purely affecting the presbyterian body—which was aimed at the presbytenan Phillpotte, Dr. Cooke. That resolution has been now rescinded by a cross resolution, leaving the assembly monitors solutis. The numbers were-43 pro ; 21 con. It is attempted to frighten the liberals front contesting the city of Dublin, by publishing an estimate of the sheriff's expenses in 1841, and the probable amount at the ensuing election. In the former case the expenditure was about 6001.—in the latter the estimate is about 2,0004 The estimate of the Mail for the contest is 4,000/. for each candidate.  M one of the evil effects arising from inattention to fumigation in courts of justice, the Kerry Examiner states that, at the close of the quarter sessions for Listowel, the assistant barrister, crown prosecutor, and interpreter, were all simultaneously attacked with fever. The last his since died.  Notwithstanding the distress of the past half year the calendars are generally very low. The violent murders are, as usual, confined to a few counties, but even in these there is a considerable diminution. Limerick, however, claims 16 for its share. Kerry, always quiet, has no case of bloodshed ; of the 63 on the calendar, 26 are for cattle and sheep stealing, and 16 larcenies. In most of the northern calendars there is also a lendable absence of outrage of a gross character. Temperance does not follow in the wake of railway construction, at least in the region of Kilkenny ; not fewer than 45 persons, chiefly railway labourers, were committed for drunkenness on Saturday and Sunday last.