The Sun. — London, England, 1841-03-26 00:00:00

MORNING EDITION " THE (MINA_ SUN," Which was lately RE-PUBLISHED, IS NOW ON SALE. Price SIXPENCE. Orders received at The Sun Office, No. 112 Strand. IN PROGRESS, rm.: RAILWAY SUN. - Nith a MAP of all the RAILWAYS in the United Kingdom ; containing all the STA LIONS on each Railway, and a great variety of Information and other particulars connected with Railways. THE CORONATION SUN, PRINTED IN LETTERS OF GOLD, WITH A BEAUTIFUL PORTRAIT OF HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN, Cyan be sent by post free to all parts of the Em pire. Price SIXPENCE. Sun Office, 112, Strand, London. MONEY LENT GRATIS, in any Sums from £5 t ) £5OO, and from Three Months to Ten Years. Read " THE GUIDE TO ONE HUNDRED LOAN SOCIETIES;" it contains their Addresses, Office Hours, Forms of Application for filling up, and all other neces sary information most important to borrowers in England, Ire acd and Scotland (never before published). price only half-s -crews. by *inch you may save one hundred times the cost of the volume. W. Strange, 21 Paternoster-row, and all Booksellers. EDITED BY THEODORE HOOK, ESQ. Now ready at all the Libraries, in 2 vols. small Bvo., THE FRENCH STAGE, and the FRENCH PEOPLE. Edited by THEODORE HOOK, Esq. Henry Colburn, Publisher, 13, Great Marlborough-street. NEW WORK BY THOMAS CAMPBELL, Esq. Just ready, in 2 vois. Bvo., with Portraits of Petrarch, Laura &c. T HE LIFE OF PETRARCH. By THOMAS CAMPBELL, Esq. Author Gf " The Pleasures of Hope," &e. _Henry Colburn, Publisher. 13, Great Marlb mough-street. *,,,* Orders received by all Booksellers. MR. HORACE SMITH'S NEW NOVEL. Now ready at all the Libraries, in 3 vols. THE MONEYED MAN ; Or, THE LESSON OF A LIFE. By HORACE SMITH, Esq., Author of " Brambletye H ouse," &c. . _ This tale is one of real practical life, and deals with real characters, and consequently has been treated con amore,' by an author whose power of shrewd observation has ever been r.- xnarkable. We consider this novel as the best that the year has produced. The main object of the tale is to show that 'riches are by no means indispensable to felicity, and this use ful moral is enforced through the medium of the hero's own confessions. The delineation of this character is admirably - true to nature. We Close our notice with the remark, that • The Moneyed Ilan' is incomparably the most thorightful, skirited, and entertaining novel that has yet appeared from the pen of Mr. Horace Smith."--Sun. Henry Colburn, Publisher, 13, Great Marlborough-street. THOMAS INGOLDSBY, ESQ. SOME ACCOUNT OF MY COUSIN NICHOLAS. . By THOMAS INGOLDSBY, Esq., Author of " The Ingoldeby Legends, &c. To which is added, THE RUBBER OF LIFE. In 3 vols. post Sim, IS NOW READY. Richard Bentley, New Burlington-street. • . 4 ' To be had at all the Libraries. LESSONS IN LIFE. This day, in 1 vol., Bvo., with Twelve Illustrations on Steel, by Onwhyn, price 12s. cloth boards, MAXIMUMS AND SPECIMENTS OF WILLIAM 3IUGGINS.. By CHARLES SELBY, Comedian. *•• This series of shrewd and humourous delineations of Teal life originally appeared in the' Sunday Times," and from the numerous iniutraos made for them are now offered to the pub'ic in a collected form. Pi lilted and published by Chapman and Elcoate, Shoe-lane, Fleet-street, London ; and may be had of all Booksellers, THEATRE ROYAL, COVENT GARDEN. U4DER the MANAGEMENT of MADAME VESTRIS, THIS EVENING, MARCH 26 Will be repeated the New Comedy, in Five Acts, entitled LONDON ASSURANCE. Sir Harcourt Courtly, Bart., Mr. W. Farren ; Max Hark way, Mr. Bartley; Mr. Charles Courtly, Mr. Anderson ; Mr. Adolphus Spanker, Mr. Keeley; Mr. Dazzle, Mr. C. Mathews ; Mark Meddle, Mr. Harley ; Grace Harkaway, Madame Vestris; Lady Gay Spanker, Mrs. Nisbett ; Mrs. Pert. Mrs. Humbr. After which the New Drama, in Three Acts, entitled THE EMBASSY. Duke de Nevers, Mr. Moors ; Viscount Rene de Bohan, Mr. Anderson ; Baroness du Pont, Miss Ellen Tree i Madame de Brissae, Matiame Vestris. To-morrow, Lor.den Assurance, with The Embassy. Doors to to evened at halt-past Six—the performances to eoxatertaa at Sere' o'Clock. Dress Boxes 7s. ; Second Price, 3s. 6d. ; First and Second Circles, ss. ; Second Price, 2s. 6d. ; Pit, 3s. ; Second Price, 25.; Gallery is. Tiskete and places for the Boxes to be taken of Mr. Grogan, at the Box-office, from Ten till Four, where Season Tickets m be had upon application. Private Boats to be had solely if Mr. Andrexs, bookseller, 167. New Bond-street. ROYAL SURREY THEATRE. Immense attraction. Mr. T. P. Cooks and Mr. Collins the same Evening. the last week of their appearance. Poor Jack " and another nautical drama, in conjunction with " Paul Clifford." THIS EVENING, MARCH 26. Will be acted a Nautical Drama in Four Parts, called POOR JACK ; OR THE WIFE OF A SAILOR. In which Mr. T. P. Cooke, and th• entire strength of the Company, will perform. After which, BEN THE BOAT S WAIN. Ben by Mr. T. P. Cooke. To conclude with PAUL CLIFFORD. Paul Clifford, with tia;gongoi hurrah for the Road," Mr. Collins. lIIGH WATER AT 1.0ND014 BRIDGE THIS DAY. kterning 40 mitaaws after 9 i Evening 0 minutes after 4. ,Ort %, . 1 4 '.. .-o ._,..„0,,4 . 1 %4 '.' . r. ,. 2 . . o ‘ ' 4- ,s-.,, i---4' , 7 ( . 3. ! C. ' ,1 ;6 1 - - --it—" , l- . .t. , 4 .'.4 ' ' j'''''.4l4:**L': -.'' 4 : 4 ~:t . ''''' 941 4 3 1''.ii :Niar s , ' C : -.. :1 -'0 1.44 - iy i ftl .j' gf . ' " a? ...'. 40 * . ta ..;-{' Thg Ait LONDON: FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 1641. The Lords met yesterday only to receive a few patitioas, and immediately adjourned. In the Commons Mr. COLQUIIOUN introduced his Bill to put an end to Maynooth College, which was read a first time. After a little opposition from Lord HOWICK and some others, the motion of Mr. T. DUNCOMBE to print the petition we mentioned yesterday was carried. Sir E. KNATCHnum. was not so successful with a motion to print the petitio n of a i\d uties, which w. HasEON;S: LO W relative to the legacy posed by the CHANCELLOR of the EXCRE 4ER and Sir R. PEEL, and withdrawn by the Right Hon. Baronet. Mr. LABOL TcIIERE gave notice of a motion for Thursday, April 1, for a Committee to inquire into the state of the law regulating Joint Stock Companies. Mr. H[,TME having asked a question concerning Lord WALDEGRAVE, was assured by Mr. Fox [Wawa: that no compromise in the case would be allowed, that both the Marquis of NOILMANBY and the Police Commissioners set their faces against any such proceedings, and that Lord WALDEGRAVE would be brought up for judg ment next term. In reply to Lord FITZA LA N, Lord JOHN Rus- SELL stated that he considered the proposed ap plication of the parish funds of Marylebone to send females to South Australia, about which a good deal has lately been said in the newspapers, as most improper. In answer to Mr. E«; ART, Mr. STANLEY stated that one-half of the Regent's Park was to be thrown open, but that no alteration was to be made in Richmond P ar k ; upon which Mr. EWART gave notice of his intention to move an Address to her MAJESTY on the subject. In a Committee of the whole House on the Copyright of Designs Acts, Mr. TENNExr moved resolutions which were agreed to, and a Bill ac cordingly ordered to be brought in. Mr. GROTE then moved resolutions tending to secure to the colony of New South Wale s a portion of the Land and Emigration Fund, to provide in part for the expense of police and gaol s in the colony ; but before the Hon. Gen tleman could complete his speech the House was counted out, and at Seven o'Clock adiburned. The Iy ne inaugural Address of General HARRISON, Which we rece i ved yesterday, has very muc h disappointed us. Instead of a brief, clear enun ciation of his views, such as we looked for from -an old soldier —such as we are accustomed to hear from the Duke of WELLINGTON—we find a v ery long and very obscure address, so over loaded with words, that we are made to feel at "T::. 2 / every sentence that the General wishes rather to conceal than express his thoughts. He appears to have been afraid to dazzle the Americans with the excess of light that was in his own mind, and he has darkened it by transmitting it through a dense medium of words. As it is of some consequence, however, to ascertain, as far as possible, what is to be the policy of the new Government, as contradistinguished from the farmer, we shall endeavour to gather from the Address what are General HARRISON'S principles. The most interesting point for us foreigners is fortunately despatched in the fewest words. The General assures his Tellow-citizens that — It is my intention to use every means in my power to preserve the friendly intercourse which now so happily sub sists with every foreign nation; and I see in the personal cha racters of the Sovereigns, as well as in the mutual interests of our own and the Governments with which our relations are most intimate, a pleasing guarantee that the harmony so im portant to the interests of their subjects, as well as our citizens, will not be interrupted by the advancement of any claim or pretension upon their part to which our honour would not per mit us to yield. Long the defender of my country's rights in, the field, 1 trust that my fellow-citizens will not see in my earnest desire to preserve peace with foreign Powers any in dication that their rights will ever be sacrificed, or the honour of the nation tarnished, by any admission on the part of their Chief Magistrate unworthy of their f.rmer glory. That is all which General HARRISON says about his foreign policy, and every right thinking man amongst us will hail with pleasure, and do his utmost to enforce, the intention of preserving the friendly intercourse between England and America. The late American Government did not, however, make any different professions—it was not dismissed on account of its foreign but because its domestic policy was unpopular, and we, therefore, were anxious to learn what General HARRISON is to substitute for the mea sures of Mr. VAN BUREN. Chosen by a majority of the electors, he can not do otherwise than recognise, as did his two immediate predecessors, the broadest demo cracy as the foundation of the whole Government. " The whole Constitution," he says, " rests upon the people ; a breath of theirs having made, a breath can unmake, change, or modify it." So far he does not differ from them; -but he im. mediately afterwards sets up as above the living democracy the " national compact," which set tled the Constitution. " The majority of our citizens posseSs a sovereignty with an amount of power precisely equal to that which has been granted to them by the parties to the national compact, and nothing beyond." He distinguishes the American Republic from democracies in which the people lay claim to a power limited only by their own will, and above that will he places the will of those who drew up the Consti tution. We fancy we see in this passage a dis position in the new President to place bounds, if he can, to the power of that majority which elected him, fearing, probably, that it may de sert him as it has deserted his predecessor. He certainly may mean by sovereignty the functionaries which the will of the sovereign people has constituted, for he also says—" The Constitution of the United States is the instru ment containing this grant of power to the several departments composing the Govern ment." But if he only means to confine the several departments of the Government within the bounds marked out for them by the Consti tution, what can be said for the clearness of the address? We admit that from these contradic tory passages we do not know whether General HARRISON means to regulate the departments by the Constitution, or to use that to place bounds to the power of the living democracy. He has, however, a purpose in view a project of reform at heart which seems to us alike incompatible with the duties of the Pre sident, which are merely to administer the Executive, and the principle he subsequently lays down in his address, that it was " not intended to make the President the source of legislation." A reforming President is, we are inclined to think, not required in, the United States. He should leave changes to be initiated by the Con gress ; but, true to the principle which carried him into power, he declares what he himself will do, to comply, we presume, with the wishes of the party which elected him. He apprehends that the great danger arises to 1 the American Government, not from a.,usurpa tion by it of power which the people has not granted, but by one department taking to it self the power granted to another. He attributes, in common with others, a tendency in the President's office to gather the power from the subordinate and separate department to itself, and he proposes, as one of the objects of his re form, to arrest that tendency. He thinks that it is a part of the wisdom of the Republic to limit the service of the President, and he proposes to give this principle the sanction of his example by declaring that " under no circumstances will I consent to serve a second term." Mr. VAN BUREN and Mr. QUINCEY ADAMS, we believe, are the only Presidents who have not served two terms, and we cannot see any reason for the limitation on the people's free choice, which General HAnnisoN would pro pose. Suppose that at the end of his own term his country were engaged in war, which he was prosecuting to a successful issue, might it not be most unpatriotic and most dan gerous for him to adhere to his resolution, or for his country to be compelled to entrust the con duct of affairs into other hands ? In General ]'GARRISON'S ease—who is supposed to have been placed in the Presidential Chair as what is called a warming-pan, because his party could not se cure the election of either one of two powerful rivals, who would have been preferred to him— the resolution may be a wise one, but such a single instance cannot justify a general prin ciple. Nor is its enactment necessary ; for supposing Mr. VAN BUREN'S Government to have accumulated power by being a kind of heir to General JACKSON, the people, by their choice of General HARRISON, have shown that they know how to correct the error. In Eu rope it is generally said that the Executive Go vernment of the United States is not strong enough, and the new President would diminish its power. In this we think the General has mistaken the principles of his party, whose object is the very reverse of that which he has stated it to be his intention to perform. The General discusses at great length the veto principle, on which he is more than ordinarily verbose; and, deciding that it was not intended to constitute the President a part of the Legisla tive power, he concludes that 64 the veto power NsNo'aiiy s c giv a e s tl a t c o o t n h s e er E va x t e iNe Executive of theto be Uni u t s e e d d S o t n at ly es , first, to protecttlieCons h Constitution from violation; s l e e g o s n l d a t l i y o , n ,thNhere their ev people from has sects beenof hasty legislation, where their will has been pro bably disregarded, or not well understood ; prevent the effects niin o o f rit c i o e m s.; violative o of the b a i n n d a , tio t n h s ird v l i y oi rights of Of course he condemns that • exercise of it by General JACKSON by which he destroyed the Charter of the United States Ba n k. Considering the tendency in the Executive p o wer to augment itself, he is strong against the "unhallowed union • of the Treasury with the Executive Department, which has created such general alarmTo this and to the dange r to Republican ins • t i tu ti on s, created by the influence proposes to apply all to the Exec u ti v e through the instrumen tality of the federal officers, he all the remedies at his command. " 4 I have de termined," he says, " never to remove a Secre tary of the Treasury without communicating all the circumstances attending such removal to both I-louses of Congress. Never, with my con sent, shall an officer of the people, compensated for his services out of their pockets, become the pliant instrument of Executive will." On the same principle of reducing the power of the Executive Government, General HAR RISON declares that the mode of keeping the public treasury should be prescribed by Con gress, and " the fUrther it is removed from the control of the Executive, the more wh o l esome the arrangement, and the more in accordance with Republican principles." General JACK SON :was the advocate of a t me a ic currency, that he might make of the monied interest. General HARRISON re gards the idea of making the currency exclusively metallic as fraught with more fatal consequences than any other schem e , h • having no relation to the personal rights of the citizens, that has everbeen devised. He will, therefore, renew and extend the power of the banks, and raise up a monied aris tocracy to control the Executive Government. It may be that, instead of a blunt old soldier, Ge neral HARRISON is a consummate politician, and he means by all these remarks against increasing the Executive power only to throw his fellow citizens off their guard, and more securely ac complish some plan of increasing it which he has conceived. If it be not so his Government will be a terrible disappointment to the aristocracy and the Tories of Europe. They have run down the Government of General JACKSON and of Mr. VAN BUREN as too democratic; our Tory and aristocratic Journals teem day after day with tirades against the want of power in the Executive and Ge neral Government of the United States; the Tories have led the public to believe that when the Whigs —as General HARRISON'S friends are called—suc ceeded to office, they would improve this and strengthen the Executive; but the one pervading principle of Gen. lIARRISON'S Inaugural Address is that the Executive is too strong, that it gathers too much power to itself from other departments, and it must by all possible means be checked and weakened. Such an Inaugural Address was, we apprehend, little looked for on this side the At lantic. A strange prospect is opening, on the world. The Examiner and the Globe have proclaimed their adhesion to the Tory creed, that the "pre sent constitution of the United States must even tually fail." It may, therefore, be inferred, as the leading organs of both parties adopt the same views, that they are correct. But if the magnificent political experiment which has been made in the new world fail, on what can the hopes of mankind rest ? Can they fall back on the monarchies of Europe and be contented to look for nothing better than a series of French Revolutions, conquering Emperors, Reform Bill agitations, and Court intrigues? Comparing the effects of the United States, Government in the prosperity of the people, with the effects of the Governments of Europe, during the last fifty years, we can not believe that the monarchies of Europe have any thing to boast of. The institutions of the Republic have been in all respects as little changed as the institutions of any country of Europe. It has the same form of Government now as when it threw off the English yoke, while every European monarchy has in that period undergone great changes. Europe may be said to have a federation of Governments as •well as the United States, but it has been continually exposed to wars, while the United States have had only some verbal wranglings one with another. Though they have received into their bosoms the offscourings of Europe, they have en joyed much greater tranquillity than the prouder federation of European monarchies, which has had, as it were, a common police, and has refused an asylum to those whom it thought dangerous. The passions, too, which have here found vent in great and organized legal warfare, have had no other outlet in the United States than private broils, and yet individual assassinations have not been more frequent in the United States than in Ireland or in Spain, or, perhaps, even than in England. If the Government under which the propitious effects we witness in America is to pass away, and if nothing better can be hoped for than the monarchies of Europe, which are, in the opinions of some persons, hastening to decay, on what can the hopes of mankind, as to future govern ment, be based? The prospect seems to us a dreary void, and, lest all faith in the future should become extinct, it may be advisable in those philosophers of the journals, who seek to extin guish the hopes which the rising Republic of the West had excited, to sketch out some aristocrati cal or theoretical Utopia, to realise which should be the common object of all who act, write, or think, for the public welfare. The news from the United States, brought by the Patrick Henry, is exceedingly pacific. The substance of this intelligence, including General HARRISON'S Inaugural Address, as President of the United States, will be found in another part of The Sun. The Patrick Henry sailed on the Bth, and on the 3d the steam ship President arrived with despatches from Lord PALMER STON to Mr. Fox, British Minister at Washing ton, the contents of which were the subject of general speculation throughout the Union. The report abroad was, that the British Govern ment had authorised Mr. Fox to demand the im mediate release of Mr. M'LEOD, and in the event of a refusal, to demand his passports and quit the country. This Report, however, does not seem to us to rest on any sure foundation. It is one of the countless conjectures of many tongued. rumour. Mr. M'LEoD was still a pri soner at Lockport, but the Government were about to order his removal to Albany, the capi tal of the State of New York, where less excite ment prevailed, and where, if tried, there would be at least a chance of his finding an impartial Jury. On the Ist inst., Mr. BUCHANAN, the Chair man of the Committee on Foreign Relations, brought the question of the relations between Great Britain and the United States under the notice of the Senate. The speeches of the Hon. Senators and of Mr. CLAY, who took part in the discussion, form a gratifying contrast to the in temperate Report of Mr. PICKENS to the House of Assembly, which has already appeared in our columns. As this discussion places in a clearer light than has yet appeared in England, the real sentiments of the first Statesmen of America re specting the whole question in dispute, we here quote it, without abrigement, as reported in the columns of the New York Courier and Enquirer. ~~ THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 1841 IN SENATE. MONDAY. MARCH 1. OUR RELATIONS WITH GREAT BRITAIN. Mr. Buchanan said ho was instructed by the Committee on Foreign Relations, to move to be discharged from the conside ration of the resolution whieh had been referred to that Com mittee, " requesting the President to communicate to the Se nate, if not incompatible with the public interest, any corre sp ndence which may have taken place between this Govern ment and that of Great Britain, relative to the north-eastern boundary not heretofore communicated to the Senate." Hs would stato,%with as much brevity as possible, the sea sons which had induced the Committee to believe that it would be inexpedient, at the present moment, to publish the corre spondence to which the resolution referred. It would be recollected by Senators who had directed their attention to this subject, that, in consequence of the corre spondence already published between the two Governments, and to which he need not particularly refer, it became the duty of Great Britain to submit to our Government the pro ject of a convention for the settlemsnt of this long-disputed boundary question. This duty had been performed by the British Government in the month of May, 1839. The President did not approve of this proposed convention, because it contained no ulkimate provision which must inevitably and finally determine the controversy between the two countries. Indeed, from its character, it was quite probable that, had i t been adopted, it would not have produced this result, so much to be desired ;'and the President was firmly:convinced, consider ing the long delay—the high state of mutual irritation existing along the border, and the imminent danger of actual collision —that the interest of both parties imperatively demanded the adoption of such treaty stipulations as must. necessarily make an end of the question. The British Government had since unequivocally coincided with the President in these sentiments ; and the two Govern ments had already agreed upon the essential points of a convention based on these principles, and alike advantageous and honourable to both. There were still some provisions l of this convention of comparatively minor importance, and involving detail rather than principle, which bad not natecsiouon, Under these negotiation. peculiar mustcircumstances, w yet be en agreed upon; but i f i t were the sincere c:esire o e f onk bothp art i es, as he believed it was, to arrive at an amicable lieved th a t i t could d snbe the succ C es o s m fu m lly itt te ee rm be i - - o no good to either party, whilst it might be embarras s i r th ig to both Governments, to publish to the world e correspondence and the different projects and counter-pro jects of treaties which • had passed between them. Mr Buchanan said, had aff or d e d him a; , that his o ffi c i a l pos i t i on i n t h e S ena t e had free access t o a ll t hi s correspondenee. H e examined it with care, and wou ld now frankly sta. , e the impressi on w hi ch it had made upon hi s m i n d. Al t h oug h lie would not pr e t en d to ray Y sli Go t there w ere no omens o f war i n the conduct of the British tier, yet this he s h ou l d assert, with on ou r nor th ern &on negot:ati, as itself relati ve to our, with much con fid ence, t h at i n t h e had occurred inconsistent with n t 7 e ih - .easternboundary, nothing which hsdalways been professed by x a n t c c ere and anxious desire the peace which now so happily subsisted rernment to preserve tries, and to bringthe question to a final etween the two coun sinn, Probably this expression might i t , L e nd th satisfactory conclu he ought to have qualified the general termso strong, and that excepting the had experiencedhe had used by delays we from the Lardy ' ments of the British Government at every stave move e tenement, Still he felt • ' in the pro gress of the n ghimself justified in 11 1 ' t the present ie anguage of the using, aPresident the commencement of th • in his Message et Q session " that, oints still in d' from the character of the p b h arties to brifferenee, and' the un doubted disposition o f eot p .bring the matter to an I look with entire confidence to a early conclusion, . tu the negotiation . t. prompt He had reaso n to satisfactory termination_ the ant ic ipations ofthe re ---n to believe that such was sun. President boundary question. in regard to the north-eastern occasion Alr. Buchanan said that on the present he should purpasely refrain from the expression of any opini on in -re gard to the case of the steam boat Caroline. Thi s was that all the correspond rendered unnecessary by the fact . . ence in relation to this subject of any general importance had already been published, aud each Senator had the sa me means of forming an opinion which he himself en joyed. There was no truth wha tev er in the rumour now so current that there had been an angry correspondence between the British Minister and the Secretary of State since the date of the last correspondence between them, now before the public. There was no foundation for this rumour. It was true that, since that time, a single note bearing upon the subject had been address d by Mr. Fox to Mr. Forsyth, which the latter had answered; but this note and answer were of solittle importance that he (Mr. Buchanan) did not deem it necessary to call for their publication, and their tone was far from hem; of an angry character. Mr. Clay made a few brief remarks, understood in substance to be that, in his position with the Committee on foreign re lations, derived as it had been from the Vice-President, it might not be amiss in him to say a few wor,is in relation to the subject. The questions in immediate dispute between the two countries were the north-eastern boundaiy,the affair of the Caroline, the case of M'Leod, and certain seizures on the coast of Africa. The most important was doubtless that relating to the north-eastern boundary. Reference has been made to an arbitration that was to settle definitively the question, and all the principles that should regulate the composition of the arbitration had been settled on, except some minor points of detail. With regard to the Caroline, there had been some delay in answer to the command of our Government, whether her capture within our jui istliction had been previously autho r:sed sr subsequently sanctioned. As to the case of M'Leod, a good deal del ended on what the Government of New York should co in the matter. In his opinion, there ought to have been some intimation by the Exeetrive to the proper aurhori'y in New York of the necessity of affording to the accused a fair and impartial trial; and to his erson, if acquitted, perfect security. If this could not be obtained where he was, he should be brought to a part ; f the country where strong prejudice did sot exist, and where the safety of his person should be put beyond all question. He thought it probable that New York would take that course without suggestion from any quarter. He hoped he might have a full, fair, and impartial trial, such as it was the duty cf the country to have guaranteed to him. With respect to the African captives, he did not know what correspondence had taken place between the tweGovernments; but under no circumstances would this country submit to the right of search. Mr. Clay gave it as his decided opinion that the state of the difference between the two countries was not such as to require a special minister. The Minister resident there would be able to do all that was necessary in the premises without difficulty, and he thought without delay. [Mr. Buchanan (in an under tone) : lam sorry to hear that. I expected to be your secretary of legation. Mr. Clay bowed.] After all (said Mr. Clay) I have not yet begun to think of the possibility of any immediate war with Great Britain; that time has not arrived yet. But however distant it may be, I would relax no effort to place the country in a proper state of defence. He looked to the absence of ail means of floating defence, steam-batteries, &c. with the deepest concern. He thought the Government should apply all its energies to place the country in such a state of defence as would prepare it to meet any possible exigency that might arise. Mr. Clay expressed his belief that both Governments de sired peace; that it was essential to the interests of each ; and that if war cid come, it would not be from the will of the Go vernment, hut from collateral causes, over which they would hare no control. The Committee was then discharged, according to the mo tion of Mr. Buchanan. The Washington Intelligencer, of the 2d inst., has the fbllowing remarks on the proceedings in the Senate, which will be read with pleasure : We earnestly congratula'e our readers on the information, concerning the relations between the United States and Great Britain, which they will find exactly stated in the report of yesterday's Senate proceedings. Considering the rumours that have been in circulation, nothing could be more interest ing to the whole country at the present moment than the dis closures in the Senate, unb-ss, perh..ps, it be the chart of the principles of the new Administration , _ which may be expected in the new inaugural add ress o f t h e President elect. We learn from the statement of Mr. Buchanan,: that in re gard io the boundary question, the Governments of Great Bri ta n and the United States have agreed upon the main points of a c.:nveLtion for the final adjustment of that question ; and that, in the opinion of the Executive, there is every reason to look with entire confidence to a prompt and satisfactory termi nation of the long negotiation upon this question. We learn further, with great pleasure, that there is no foundation for the rumour that an angry correspondence has recently taken place between Mr. Fox and Mr. Forsyth, or any correspondence, the character of which would justify a call for its publicity. he remarks of Mr. Clay, whose wisdom and experience in our foreign relatkns stamp every thing he says on that subject with a more than common impress, are no less im portant, than acceptable. Happy must it be accounted that upon this very interesting and important matter the leader of the party coming in and of that which is about re tiring, entertain opinions upon it between which then.: is hardly a discernable shade of difference. The statement of the Cbairrnais of the Senate's Committee on foreign relations, the reader cannot fail to perceive, has all the effect of a counterblast to the martial appeal made the other day by the distinguished Chairman of the Committee on foreign relations in the other House. The effect mark! We do not say the " intention," as we are not in the counsels of the ho nourable senator from Pennsylvania, or of the administration whose confidence he enjoys. We accept with the liveliest satisfaction these indications of a return to good sense on the part of the Legislature and the press of the United States. We are as anxious for the maintenance of a tranquillity essential to the welfare of the human race and the advancement of civilization as the most peaceable among our Transatlantic neighbours. The Government here shares in these sentiments, so that nothing is wanted but the manifestation of a kindred spirit on the part of the United States' Executive to ensure the continuance of the most friendly relations be tween the two countries. The Paris Journals of Tuesday have all reached us. On that day .commenced the debate in the Chamber of Peers on the Fortifications Bill. The debate was opened by the Duke de BROGLIE, who made a long speech in suppdrt of it. He treated the prospect of the continuance of peace as a delusion, and contended for the necessity of preparing for war. M. VILLIERS DE TONAGE made an able speech against the Bill. and proved that in war the walls would be as useless as du ring peace. M. LAMOIGNON next ascended the Tribune, and was speaking when the Post left Paris for London. Count St. AULAIRE, the French Ambassador at Vienna had arrived in Paris to vote for the Bill. But whether the Bill pass or not Louis PHIL LIPPE will have the walls. While the Chambers are debating the expediency of the measure, the KING is building with the utmost rapidity. Bolls on the right and the left bank of the Seine hun dreds of workmen were busy .the whole of last week erecting fortifications. To the KING, therefore, it is a matter of indifference whether the Bill pass or not. The Ministry must find money to defray the outlay incurred before the rejection of the measure. The Sod, Marseilles paper, has the following letter from a Correspondent : " By advices received from Mogadore it is stated that there arived on the 13th of Feb: nary, on beau! the English vessel Lord Redesdale, from London, 1,000 bullets, 1,000 sabres, 1,000 musket barrels, 100 cases of shot, and 50 barrels of gunpowder of 1901bs. each. These articles, which have ar rived at the address of the British Consul at Mogadore, are for the account 'of the Emperor of Morocco, who intends them for a service which it is useless to explain, and which may be easily understoo;l. At a moment when that country excites our interest to such a pitch, in consequence of the in sult which our flag, our Consul, and our residents have re ceived, I dare hope that you will give a place in your journal to the 'weeding account." The Gazette des Tribunaus states that the Procnreur du Roi has cited M. Lehon before the Tribunal de Premiere In st anze to be struck off the list of notaries The Journal de Cherbourg of the 21st inst. mtntions that an English smuggler, laden with tobacco, had been captured off that port, and that three Englishmen found on board, named Boots, Richard's, and Pilford, had been committed to the prison of Cherbourg. he Semaphore de Marseilles, of the 19th inst., publishes a letter from Mogadore, announcing that, on the 13th ult., the vessel Lord Redesdale, coming from London, landed in that harbour 1,000 cannon balls, 1,000 sabres , ' 1,000 musket barrels, 50 boxes of grape shot, and 50 barrels of gunpowder, con signed to the British Consul in that residence, on account of the Emperor of Morocco. According to the Droit, the trial of Darmes, the regicide, will take place immediately after the debates on the Fortifica tion Bid have terminated in Paris. Darmes, it adds, will not appe , ar alone at the bar, as his confessions had led to several arrefts. 'I he dissolution of the Chamber appears to be decided. The National reprints the article, in which the Constitutionnel hints at this re'olution of the Ministry. The electors ought o prepare themselves. Never was the aspect of affairs more serious ; never were the unanimous efforts of all honest men more necessary. The precautions taken at the Palace of the Tuileries are greater than ever. Besides the numerous posts and pickets of troops of the line, with well furnished cartridge boxes, which are pliced in all the corners of the Palace, detachments of cavalry of fifty men each are furnished every day. These de tachments, organised so as to be able to advance at the first signal, are kept permanently equipped in the barrack on the Quay d'Orsay, which are occupied by the Regiment of Cui rassiers. The Haro of Caen says, " A confidential circular of the Di rector of the Custom .house of Cherbourg, addressed to all the officers douaniers in his district, enjoins them to use the greatest vigilance with respect to ships coming from any of the ports of Holrand or Belgium, for the purpose of hinder ing the importation into France of a volume which is now in the press at the Hague and Brussels, and which contains na ture a ors those .whichl46letters ascraibee been publisheddtoLouis Philippe, by the of the same Gazettethe let ters de France, and which complete the edection from whi ch were taken —La Gazette de France. The Count de; St. Aulaire arrived at Paris yesterday from Vienna. The Univers announces that Lieut.-Gen. Galbois is going to be raised to the Peerage. It is said that Queen Christina will return to France, and that she is expected at Paris in the course of April. The Moniteur of this morning has no official part. —Le Com merce. BOURSE.—PARIS, TUESDAY, MARCH 23. first Highest Lowest s.ist Price Price. I tic , Price French 5 per rents lll 95 11 2 :11 t 5 ... 111 95 4 pet C.ntS 9B ... "' 77 " 99 3 per Cents 77 20 77 40 ... 30 ... 77 30 Rank of Prance L Atte Rank 1,0001. Sh 1055 105 - , _lasi ...10 , 5 5000 f. Stares 51 , 0 •••5150 ...WOO tlelgian sank 5 per Cents New Loan 11 2 0 4 1 2: 1 0 2 1?. 1 k icatiith Active Neapolitan lO2 90 ... 102 ... 1`.12 00 .t . . 00 Roman .... iO'N ... 102 N .. icaN ... ( Montpellier to Cette Versailles,R. B 31,2 50 302 ... 391 25 392 50 L.B 3117 50 307 50 351 50 .. 3:,7 5 0 RAIL WAY SHARES. Rouen Strasourg to Bale 20 6 '6 ° 5 25 4 2 0 23 6 0: 25 4 2 : 3:5 ; 4 5 :31 AUSTRIAN FUNDS.—Yiantta, Manor I', t;vePer Cents. Metalliques ........................... 101 Fo..r per Cents. ..... ........ ......................... it Back 7 4 l / - / P ie r m C cine ents Z . . 11 7 1 ... .. • ..... .• . .............. ".: shares ...... .....................1.......... . Ica.) The Madrid Papers of the 16th instant have come to hand. There was to be no speech from the Throne at the opening of the session of the Cortes on the 19th. Senor OLOZAGA, the Spanish Minister at the Court of France, had arrived in Madrid, to be present at the debate on the Re gency question. It was to be discussed at a second Council of Ministers on the evening of the 16th, preparatory to its being brought before the Cortes. The Fives were done on the 16th at 27i f‘r cash, and at 28 for sixty days. No other news of any moment. MONEY and COMMERCIAL NEWS CITY, THURSDAY EVENING. The intelligence from the United States has had a fa vourable effect upon Ile value of the public securiti••s, as it has given rise to irtereasei coafideace in the maintenance of peace with Engl•lnd. The prospects of trade, how ever, arc not yet part.icul•arly cheering and our merchants, who are at present detiving scarcely •any pr fits from the little business they do, are still kept in much doubt as to what they are to expect during the present year. The policy of the Pt esident, it is said, will be to establish a N.•ti mal Bank, by incorporating several of the minor in stitutims now in existeuct, into onc, so as not to derange the money market by the absorption of a large capital far the new Bank, and int injure (Him the business of the establishments now in op, ration. The improvement in the Funds wan about k per cent., the range of Consols Lt. Money being hom 881 to 834 to 881, and for the A:coui tat 88f to 884 to 89. Exchequer Bills are still depressed by Vie doubt hanging over the market, as to the extent to which Mr. Baring will carry his sales of the unfunded debt. The New Three-and-a- Half per Cents. improve I to 96i and 97k. Bank Stock for the openiug was steady at 170, and India Stcck at 249. There was a rise in most of the Foreign Stocks, as well as in the Railway Shares. The Spanish Active Bonds were quoted 23k to 23k, the New Portuguese 314, the Three per Centi. 18f to 1, Mexican 291 to 304, Colom bian 22i, Chilian 63k, Buenos Ayres 22k to 23, French Three per Cent=. 751. 25c., Dutch Two.and-a- Half per Cents. 50/, and Austrian Five per Cents. 110. Tt.e Great Western Railway Shares touched 24, the New 114, the FifAis 5 to 6 ; the Birmingham Thirds 191, the New 21k, the South Western 16k, and the Green wich Scrip 1k prem. Brighton Shares were at q, and Midland Counties at 20 discount. Colonial Bank Shares were at 84, and London and Westminster at 2k premium; (From 7'he Sun of Last Night.) LIVERPOOL COTTON MARKET, MARCH 24. —The sales of Cotton to-day are limited to 2,000 bales ; the market is firm at Friday's quotations ; speculators and exporters are inactive. LIVERPOOL SHARE MARKET, MARCH 24.—Glasgow, Pais ley, and Greenock, 23k; Grand Junction Quarter Shares, 27, 1 , ; Chester and Crewe, 50k ; L ancas t er an d P res t on , 23a ; Midland Counties, 78; Quarter ditto, 15*; North Midland, 35%. MANCHESTER STOCK EXCHANGE, MARCH 24.—We can not report any ma'erial alteration in the state of our market : Ed:nburgh and Glasgow, 29*; Bank of Manchester, 741 Grand Junction Quarter Shares (late Chester and Crewe), 50 to 50i; Eastern Counties Debentures, 6* to 61; Midland Counties, New, l‘q to 15 ; Lancaster and Preston, New, 23 to 23A ; London and Birmingham, 148 to 150 ex-new. The Batavier Dutch steamer has arrived with papers of the 23d Alarch, bringing the Dutch prices. Two-and-a-Half per Cents., 50 7-16; Five per Cents, 97 17-16 ; Ardoin's Spa ni,h, 20 15-16 to 21. We have received the Journal of Antwerp of yesterday's dLte. .POURSE OF AMSTERDAM, MARCH X23.—The Bourse was le -s animated, and the prices not so well sustained in respect to the national funds. By the arrival of the Patrick Henry from New York, which sailed on the Bth instant, we have received the Montreal papers to the 3d of March, and Quebec to the 28:11 of February. The Montreal papers are void of intelligence. The Quebec papers state front Kingston that the weather, for the last fort night, has been very mild for the season, and the market con tinues to be well supplied. The following appeared at the Exchange Reading-room : " A letter from Toronto, dated 15th of Februa:y, states that accounts had just reached that place that Colonel Prince had been shot by the Americans at Sandwich." A letter from Mayaguey, dated 3d of. February, gives further pa,rtieulais respecting the destructive fire which took place there, by which it appears that the entire loss by the fire is estimated at about two and a half millions, and from 20 to 25000 quintals of coffee have been consumed. The fear that a revolt of . the negroes might break out, is at present entirely suppressed. lhe strictest vigilance on the part of the Whites had been observed, and the confusion is not by any means as great at present as during thepreceding days. The Qorernor- General is expected every moment to arrive from the capital. Accounts from Monte Video of Dec. 21 state it was reported to-day that they are digging trenches round the city of Buenos Ayres. The great anxiety which has been expressed in the City for further intelligence from the United Stat , s, has at length been allayedby the arrival of the Patrick Henry, at Liverpool, which railed from New York on the Bth instant, with intelligence cf seven days' later information, by which it appears that affairs are taking a more pacific turn. The Congress has also taken a more peaceable view o f the relations betwee n E ng l an d an d the United States, in respect to the maintenance of peace with England. (For further ex tram s from the American papers, we refer our readers to another part of the paper.) The exchange upon England 76 8; United States Bank Shares 18. In consequence of the above favourable intelligence from New Yolk, the British market funds have risen full per cent. on the leaving off prices of yesterday, closed at 88* s ; for the account at presentBla ; money 888 I ; Exchequer Bills 57. !rem In the foreign market Spanish Active 23i, Deferred 12i, Passive 5 2 , Portugues e 304 31, Three per C en t s , 18} Brazaian 7172, Colo:nbian, 214 to 22*, Mexican 29i Dutch Two-and-a-Half per Cents. bin 51; Five per Cents. 99i 100. SHARES. - Great Western 22 23 prem. ; New 10 11 prem. ; London and Brighton 7 6fr dis. ; Blackwall 5 div; Birmingham 53 60 prem. ; Southampton 54 55 per share ; Croydon 12i per share; Greenwich 74 8i- per share; Man chester and Birmingham 16 15 dis. PRICES OF SHARES THIS DAY AT ONE. RAILWAYS. Paid. Per Share. Eai,teriii Counties to Ditto Debentures ... ... 4 ..... 61 to Gre it Western Ditto New London and Birmingham ... 90 Ditto New 2 - to London and G►eenwich - Ditto Scrio.. Loudon and South Western 3B/ 55 ... .. to Londen and Croydon (Trunk)... 131 12i...... to Midland Counties In the course of the morning the Bears became alarmed at the intelligt , nce from America, and some of them bought in their accounts, which gave an impulse to the British market, and it aontinues firm to the present time, without any opera tions of mitgnitucie having been effected. Consols have Leen during the course of the morning alter nately, buyers and sellers, at 881 for the Account; Money, 13* Exchequer Bills, 6 4 prem. ; New Three-and-a- Half per Cent , .. 961 97/ ; Bank Stock, for the opening, 170 ; India Stork (It., 219. In the Foreign Market, Spanish Active, 234 4 ; Portuguese, 31 ; 'three per Cents., 184; Mexican, 29a 4; Dutch Two and-a-Hal per Cents., 504 ; Five per Cents., 100. • In Shares not much doing. Eastern Counties Debentures, 64 ; Great Wes:ern, New, 61k; London and Birmingham, Third Shares, 23k; South Western, 55; Midland Counties, 80 79k. Consols, Money, 881 881 ; Account, 88 3 / 4 ; Dutch Two and-a-Ralf per Cents., 504 51 ; Mexican, 291 h 294 ; De fermi, pa 9a ; Portuguese, 34i 311; Three per Cents., 19 19i ; Spanish, 23i 23g. i\lark. is firm, with every appearance of improvement. No news of the President by the second train from Liverpool. CLOSING PRICES. BItITISfi FUNDS. Bank Stock - — :India Stock ... 3 per Cent Red — Ditto Bonds ... dis 3 per Cent Cons BBl Ditto Old Annuities ... 31 per Cent fled — ,Ditto New Annuities... 81 New 31 per Cent 97i 'Ex. Bills, 1,000/....20 4pm New 5 per Cent Ditto 5001 Bpm Long Annuities to expire Ditto Small Bpm Jan. 1860 — Bank Stock for Opg. ...170 Oct. 1859 — India Stock for 0pg....249 Jan. 1860. Consols for Acct 84 FOREIGN FUNDS. Austrian, 5 per cent.... 110 Portuguese, 5 per cent. 62 Belgian, 5 per cent — Ditto, New Ditto Brazilian 80nd5.......... Prussian, 5 per cent. Buenos Ayres, 6 per cent 23 Russian, 5 per cent . Chaim, 6 per cent 631 Ditto, Metallic Colombian, 6 per cent... Spanish, 5 per cent 231 Ditto, 1824. — Ditto, Deferred -.. 121 Danish, 3 per cent. —i French, 5 per cent. —f. —c. Greek, I 8;45, 5 per cent. !Exchange —f. —c. Mexican, 5 per cent. ... 301 iFrench, 3 per cent 77f. 25c. Ditto, 6 per cent, 1825. Dutch, 21 per cent. ... 504 Peruvian, 1825, 6 per et. 161 Ditto, 5 per cent 99'4 SIIA RES. Eastern Counties Railway (23 paid ... ..... Ditto Debentures ( 4 paid).... . ...... ... 64 Great Western 1Z ailway (65 paid) ...... ... U.) Ditto New Shares (50 paid) 6 I i Ditto Fifth (4 paid) London and Brighton (50 paid) London and Birmingham Railway (90 pd) Ditto Thirds (32 paid) Ditto New Shares ( 2 paid). 231 L ndon and Greenwich Railway (20 pd) Ditto Scrip. (3 paid) 4j London and South Western Ditto Tenths London and Croydon Railway ( Trunk) -• •. 12i Manchester and Leeds (70 paid)...... Ditto New Shares (30 paid).. Midland Counties Railway ( 100 p a id) LEGACY AND PROBATE DUTIES.—A re turn of the total amount of revenue received in the United Kingdom in the year emiing Jan 5, 1841, for stamp duty on b gac:es, probates, &e., has been laid before the House of Commons. For England end Wales there has been received 1,985,802/, Scotland 139,2331., and Ireland 66 9751. The amount of capital on which the several rates of legacy duty ba.e been paid in the year 1840, was for Great Britain 40,441,678/, and for Ireland 2.087,233/. The total du'y ived since 1797 far the United King dom has been 6 0 ,108,0841., and the capital, which had been transmitted de.rmg that period (forty-four years), amounts to the enormous sum of 1,121,808,000/. About one halt of this sum paid a duty of 1 per te.,t., having been trans mitted to children, or parcz:t: or lineal descendants, or an cestors of the deceased, one fourth t anamitted to brothers, sisters, or th , ,ir descendants, paid 3 per cent., and only about ore tlntli paid 10 per cent., having Leen left to distant relations or strangers in Llood. THE LATE MR. Slms.—There are few occa casions on which public support could be appealed to with more nasonable claims to the most favourable attention than in the case of the widow of the lbk Mr. W. Sims, the well known theatrical agent, who was for thirty-four rears engaged is the profession, and who, during that great length of time, was instrumental in introducing many of the most celebrated and even famous actors and actresses of the day. The widow of such a man should not be left in a state of i n di gence , nor i s s h e by an y improvidence of h er husband, who bore an exemplary character; and we ear nestly hope the talent engaged on, the occasion of ber benefit will insure an overflowing house. CAN AUTHORITY ABSOLVE FROM RESPONSIBILITY? TO THE EDIT 01? OF THE SUN. Silty—The Examiner and the Morning Chro nicle, supported by some authorities, concur in stating that when an officer obeys the commands of his superiors, he is exonerated from all respon sibility to other tribunals. As this seems tivil me to carry the doctrine of military obedience too far, I must quote the remarks of your two Con tc mporaries, that I may run no risk of misrepre senting them. The passage from the Examiner runs thus : Lastly, both the Chronicle and the Globe imputed to us the opinion that, if the seizure of the C:iroline be unlawful, the conduct of all those who participated in it, though acting un der the orders of their military superiors, was consequently pu nishable ; and a correspondent of the Globe has quoted Chan cellor Kent's great authority to prove that an alien cannot be guilty of piracy Y . he act under the orders of his Govern ment. Now on this subject we have given no opinion what ever. We have stated that if Mr. M.Leod failed in proving an alibi, he will plead the orders of Mr. Macnab ; that we hope the Court will allow the plea, but that that .is a purely legal question. . We are quite ready to state what our opinion is • and it co incides with that of the correspondent of the Globe. We think the plea valid; and that a contrary decision would destroy mi litary discipline, and convert war into a series of deadly feuds, under which the military servants of every nation would be liable to civil execution fur military services. The passage of the Chronicle is this:— Upon grounds which our Contemporary states with sufficient clea-ness, it would be absurd to hold an agent responsible for that which he does under the authority of Ins superior. " The State by whom the Commission is granted," says Dr. Wheaton, so long American Minister at Berlin :—" The State by whom the Gimmission is granted being responsible to other nations for what is done by its commissioned cruisers, has the exclusive jurisdiction to try and punish all offences committed under colour of its authority." ( Wheaton's Principles of Interna tional Law, vol. i., p. 163). The British Government having given the Commission under which Al‘Leod acted, is responsi ble to the Federal Government, but has itself exclusive juris diction to try and punish whatever was unlawfully done under colour of its authority. So that M'Leod, as an agent doing the bidding of a lawful superior, is n o t res p ons ibl e t o any tri bunal, and whoever is responsible is amenable to the exclusive jurisdiction of the State that commissioned him. The Examiner has already seen reason to qualify, and thereby retract, some of its expres sions on this subject, and I shall not, therefore, be surpris3d should it, after reading my re marks, qualify and retract more. It is clear that both passage..go the whole length of assert ing that whatever a proper authorAty orders military - men to do, without any reference to what that is, they are answerable only to it, and to no other tribunal. It releases them from every other jurisdiction and responsibility. Pass ing over the particular case under the discussion of your Contemporaries, which is one of doubt, and is sub judice, I wish to ask, if the order, in stead of being to destroy a piratic a l vesse l, had been to capture the Sheriff of New York, with out any declaration of war, and one of those who went to execute it had been taken in the at rempt, after murdering an unoffending citizen, would not the New York authorities have I.):en authorised t o try him for the murder ? lam in clined to s ppose that they would; and the de claration of the British Government that it had given the order, neither could, nor ought, to save the offender from punishment. If it were otherwise, I see no-reason why some detestable Government might not commission individuals to commit assassination in foreign countries, who, when they were apprehended, might plead the authority of their Government. Major Andre, if I remember right, had the authority of his Government for playing the part of a spy, but he was, nevertheless, executed. It is plain, therefore, and to be recognised, I think, in the statement of the Examiner, that the orders of a Government will only justify the common and authorised practices of war. That is the proper limitation, and it follows, I think, that each in dividual soldier and officer, is bound to know what are those authorised practices, and to be careful only to execute orders that do not over pass them._ Nor can I believe that this doctrine would not lead to some good results. ' If, as the Examiner says, it would convert war into a series of deadly feuds, would it not tend to prevent wars of aggression. Suppose the Marshals and General Officers of Bonaparte's army, who were conquered and captured after his marauding expedition to Moscow, had been held responsible for the murders committed by their master, and had been hanged like felons, would it not have made all future Marshals careful at least as to what wars they engaged in, satisfying themselves that the war was just, or making quite sure that they would neither be defeated nor captured. I am much afraid that this doctrine of non-responsibi lity in the servants of Governments to any other persons or any authorities than the Governments themselves, excluding, of course, the authority of reason, nature, and God, is far better calcu lated to secure immunity for their somejimes guilty instruments, than to promote the welfare of the rest of mankind. It constitutes Govern ments the sole judges of what is right and wrong in their own cases, and releases them from all responsibility to the public. However pleasing that may be to them, it cannot be for the advan tage of those over whom their instruments may exercise their power. Through your enlightened Journal, then, I beg leave, fbr one, to enter my protest against the doctrine, however great may he the names that sanction it, though I never heard of Dr. Wheaton before, that the State or Government which grants commissions or gives orders has the exclusive jurisdiction to try and punish all offences committed under colour of its authority, and let me add by its authority. Your obedient servant, - CIVILIAN. P.S.—I think all men are interested in this subject, as the question at issue is whether civil authority, which is the. law of reason, shall pre vail over military authority, which is the law of violence ; the one requiring nothing to be done but what the agent himself approves of, the other compelling obedience without consulting his opi nions. LITERATURE. THE WORKS OF MONTAIGNE. PART I. Templeman. London, 1841. Few works are more deserving of republication than Cotton's Translation of the Essays of Mon taigne—a delightful production, fbr the trans lator had almost every requisite for the task, possessing, in addition to his various information and natural liveliness of fancy, much of that simplicity and bonhommie of character which we admire so much in the original. The Editor of the present Edition announces—as we perceive by his prefatory address—h7s intention of alter ing Cotton's version, on the plea that it is fre quently careless and inaccurate; we hope he will not he too liberal of his alterations; for, with all its faults, the translation in question is an admirable one, and it is not very likely we shall get a better. As regards the original, we are, it seems, to have, not only the Essays of Montaigne, but his letters also,. together with his journey through Italy, all which are. to be duly illustrated with notes. With • the Essays only of this celebrated writer we are acquainted, and of these we may say, that few more attractive works of the kind have ever appeared in print. Their style is conversa tional without being unduly negligent or pleo nastic; they are full of egotism, but of the most cheerful and unaffected character; and exhibit constant indications of subtle and ingenious, though not very bold or profound think ing. Montaigne is the best of all au thors to lounge over by one's snug fire-side in an easy arm-chair, for, in the first place, he is anything but a precise formalist in manner; and secondly, in taking up his volume, you need not begin with the beginning, but may dip into it just where you please, and so go ram bling-on, now hurrying forward, now going back a page or two, as may happen to suit the caprices or indolence of the moment. With the exception, perhaps, of " Tristram Shandy," and Boswell's "Life ofjohnson," we know of scarcely one work that can be safely read in this lounging, desultory way. The only fault we find with Montaigne, is his incessant habit of quoting, which diverts the stream of his thoughts, and at times—for not a few of his quotations are inappo site—wears the aspect of pedantry. OPINIONS OF LORD HOLLAND. Ridgway, London, 1841. This volume contains Lord Holland's protest in the House of Peers against the various public measures of the Tory party, from the year 1798 down to the year 1839. A liberal, consistent spirit pervades all these protests, which, besides, display unequivocal proofs o f hi s Lordship's flu-sighted sagacity as a statesman, and fully justify the Editor's remark, that though he had spent upwards of forty years in public life, Lord Holland does not seem to have ever recorded an opinion which, at any subsequent period of his life, he could have de sired to blot from the Journals. THE WORLD IN THE YEAR 1840. Fraser, London, 1841. In this pamphlet we have a retrospect of the chief civil, religious, and political events of the past year, arranged in chronological order, and taken from successive numbers of the Britannia, a well known weekly Con servative newspaper. Some of the incidents included in this retrospect are detailed in a very lively manner, particularly the account of Prince Louis Bonapa,rte's attempted invasion of France last autumn, which throws this Quixo tic attempt into very proper ridicule. MORN LNG EDITION, ENGLISH OPERA HOUSE. A new comic operetta, in one act, entitled The Matrimonial Ladder, was produced at this theatre last evening. It is r e ; fessedly an adwtation from a French piece originally produeed. at the Opera Comique. The scene is laid at the chateau of the Marquise de Beausecours (Miss Emma Howard) near Falaise. The Marquise, although passing as a w id ";' is married to the Seneschal of Falaise (Mr. Bar'l4.l' but for certa:n reasons wishes to keep her warria.sn a secret. The Seneschal's visits, however, are discovered 14 Pierre Garbareau (Duruset), an itinerant gardener, whose _ ladder the Seneschal has on sundry occasions taken for,r,t,nev purpose of climbing into the balcony of the chateau. PI Marquise has refu , ed to permit her cousin, the Che va '' ". D'Orguevdle (Wthon), a rake of the Court tf Louis t,c Fourteenth, to visit the chateau until he shall lie marliett.. and accordingly the Chevalier ann,unees his intention of Yi!ir ing his cousin, bringing with him hi s w ife, an unedu ea !l ti country girl whom he has recently married. Anor din P, they make their appeara nc e, an d Pi er r e to his horror , covers that the pretended Madame D'Orttueville is hi s cnvu, wife Susanna ( ‘liss Gould), whom be "had left quietly a' home. Pierre claims her, and is treated as a drunken offering insu'ts to a lady of rank ; his wife, however, contrives to meet him, and. tells him that the Chevalier is her foster. brother,who had th a t morn i ng f e t c h e d h er , an d induced her top as his wife, i n or d er t o ge t a d m i ss i on i n t o th e chateau, he n erer doubting that once the. e he could not fail to captivate his Co nsul ' The Marquise having overheard this, determines to lock th e , Cheva'ier and Susanne into th e p av ili on , w hich is apprepr l i er atc re a to the use o f th e p re t en d e d M a d ame D'O rgu eviiie. P . comes with his ladder to the same pavilion, and utters diver. threats agai ns t th e Ch eva li er if he should find him t here coa ss sealed; the double l a dd er i s plated to the balcony , an_ d i ke Pierre gets up on one s id e th e Ch eva li er ge ts down on :C c other. He see; a liAt in the Marquise's window in :; 1 : opposite balcony—a s i g nal t o th e Seneschal ; the Clvvalt! removcs the ladd e r to th e b a l con y, an d the Senr se " ' arriving, wonders to find the ladder ready pieced him. He, however, asce n d s on th e one s id e . the Chevalier doe the same on the other; thus situate I, Barker and Wilson sing' , a duet, which told amazingly, and was loudly - The Chevalier challenges h's rival, and descends great wrath, for the purpose of fighting a mortal cona?r, while the Seneschal coolly walks on to the balcony, letting self into the house with a pass key, throwing down the ladu, l l. The Chevalier, in a fury, raises an alarm, and Pierre and t° - _, sanne appear with candles in one balcony, and the Sevesena:. and the Marquise with candles at the opposite one. The, w f a t r ,r riage of the z.eneschal and the Marquise is explained, a n d 3 t to being jeered by the two couples, the rakish Chevalier is lef -:St• p e ass the night in the garden. The music, by Thomas, which is of a light and pleasing character, is e l s tially dramatic, and the piece was perfectly successful. A lt " . , he applaudqt Emma Howard made a mast fascinating Marquise , an' „h would be no preux Chevalier who would not risk 01e 1 1 for such a dame. he acting of Miss Gouli, as bids as her singing, in Susanne, was admirable ; sh e ds. fair to make one of th e . b es t sou b re tt es on the bo ard We are glad to see our old friend Duruset, who, by his V al . n t l i t e ness as Garbareau, contributed materially to the success o. 9, piece. Wilson, as the Che va li er , sang as he always d er tAr most sweetly—but on this occasi on , h e came out as an t likewise. His affectati on was r i c h, an d elicited not only applause, hut la ug ht er . With a little "' fa it ' ment the piece will have a run. As an afterpiecet is infinitely superior to Belly. Keolanthe (which Pre, ceded the Matrimonial Ladder) still pursues its sticae'tso ful career. It requires to be heard more than op ee t be be appreciated properly. The Nightingale Duett, in aie st second act by Madame Balfe a n d Wil son , i s one of the 74. exquisite things we have ever heard, and would alone' be - „,e. cient to ensure Balfe a high r an k as a com p os er. The h e-- was exceedingly well filled. COURT CIRCULAR. The Queen and Prince Albert honoured the Ge rm s Opera with their presence on Wednesday evening• a , nine the Prince l e f t t h e O pera, atten d e d by Lad Grosvenor, Sir Edward Bowater, and Captain Ser ino in and proceeded to th e A nc i ent C oncert, et H ano ver-Yr i nt . Rooms. His Royal Highness revisited the OpeT el _yen o'clock, and returned with h er M a j e sty to B e ham Palace. The Judge- Advocate- G e ne r al had an audience fdftbgeo Queen yesterday, t o su b m it t o hi s M a j esty t h e procc in of some Courts-martial. Viscount Melbourne and Lord Hill had audiences Yes terday of her Majesty. eet' His Royal Highn ess P r i nce Alb ert atten d e d the n' f ing the Special C omm i ss i oners i n t h e managemen t n. the affairs of the Duchy cf Cornwall, yesterday Menlo Mr. George Edward Anson and Sir Edward Be ° were in waiting on his Royal Highness. coe s His Royal Highnes s P r i nce Alb er t received A oa asa e f a t of COngratulath ii on the birth cf the Princess Royaioo,, Buckingham Palace y es t er d a y a f ternoon , f ro m the f°l ing places end üblic bodies:— bye From the Cor p poration cf Devonport, presentees Mayor of Devonport, with Sir George Grey and of Tufnell ; and a similar Address from the inhabitants Devonport. a ., o esr From Brighton, pres en t e d by M r . William ra ul oa el , li rgh Constable, with C a pt a i n P ec h e ll, R.N., and L'e.- Sir Adolphus Dslrympla, Members for the B o rough.kl From the City cf Oxf or d, p resente d by Mr. Dv" - , Al' Lean, M. P. From Glasgow, presented by the Lord Provost of gow, Messrs. A. Johnston, J. Paaison, Oswald, and J. Deunistoun, M. P. From the Mayor, Aldermen, and Burgesses rough cf Doncaster, pres en t e d by M r . I saac Morley, 31 of Doncaster. hao' From the Mayor stud Council of the City of D u ' presented •by Mr. Br am well, M a y or o f D ur ham. s t he From the May or , B urgesses , an d Inhabitants of Town and C ount y o f t h e T own c f S out h ampto n, P eca f e j a rs ed by tLe May o r, C a p ta i n B owyer , R.N . , an d Mr. man. From Lambeth, pres en t e d b y D r. B e l ford. g- From From Carnarvon, p resen t e d b y t h e M a y o r and Ormsby Gore, M.P. -of the 10;r From Wigan, presented by Mr. John Lord, the It ib i cfs ' and Mr. Alderman Bevan. From the Trinity House, presented by the D o k e Wellington and a deputation. From Stiatford, presented by Earl De la Warr. thi( From the East India Company, presented by Chairman and Deputy Chairman. From Portsmouth—presented by the Mayor. tea From Hastfngs and St. Leonard's Archera, roe° by the Mayer and the Right Hon. J. Plants. From Newcastle, presented by the Mayor. From Cambridge, ; resented by a Deputation. a ce ,l From the Grand M ason i c L o d ge o f S cot l an d, Pres" s by Mr. W. F. Mackenzie, M.P. kle P and From the Stat es o f th e I s l an d s o f Guernsey A ney, presented by Mr. Le Merchant. From Durham, presented by the Mayor. bet ; His Royal Highn ess was attended - by Lord 6 - ° ord Grosvenor, Gro om o f t h e S to l e; Mr. George ,Irsolfr Angora Treasurer ; Earl of Morley, Gentleman in sod ing , Sir Edward Bowater. Equerry in Waiting% Captain Francis Seymour, Groom in Waiting', d Their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Kent, an y not Duchess of Gloace-t er , v i s i te d t h e Q ueen Donegal.' terday, at Marlborough House. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent recei ced e lt at a ra : dresses of Coagratulati : n sestet d ay a f ternoon , at , lit r i r aoo eeae • House, Oh the auspici ous (vent o f t h e bi rt h o f the 1 , 10 Royal, which were p resente d b y the following lit" and gentlemen : Sir J. 11. The Duke of W e lli ng t on , M aster, C ap t a in Palls, Deputy Master, Captains Clarke, Drew, a n d o the bank, Wardens, and M r . Herbert, Secretary - -u° f the Masters, Wardens, Assistants, /tad Elder Brethren ° Corporation of Trinity House. Kent Right Hon. Joseph Planta and Mr. Adolphu s Ocin—f om the Queen's St. Leonard's Archers. /Vibe Mr. F. Smith, Mayor; Mr. Shorter, Town-clerk ;....froot Hon. J. Planta, M.P., and Mr. R. Holland, M.l' Hastings. Eart De La Warr, High Steward—from the gar derreen, and Bus gessas of Stratford-upo n -Avon. . The Mayor of Devonp o rt, Si r G . Grey, and Aj e i, pe nel—from the Mayor, Aldermen, and Burgess es ° somport ; also from the Inhabitants of Devonport• t Lth e Mr. W. Bsracs, High Constable of Brighton, insis Members of the Borough —from the Inhabitants an" tors cf Br;gliton. P ita ' Ms. Jones, the Mayor of Portsmouth, and Sir G., p o w ton— from the Mayor, Aldermen, and Burgesses o f mouth. 0 1 104 Mr. George Miller, Maor of Cambridge.' l / 4 r ,,', o psy'r o sii s , 111 al Nutter, Mr. Thomas - Noodle}, Rev. F. and Mr. C. P. Hairis, Town Clerk —from the Alderman, and urgesses o Cambrdge. be Cor' Mr. Isaac Morl ß ey, Mayor f of Doncaster t s ea poratien of the B oroug h cf Doncaster. a n d Mr. Bramwell, Mayor of Durham—from the MO ° Council of the City of Durhm. Sad ler ' Mr. C. Tavney, Mayor (f a Oxford ; Mr. C. J. Alderman and Magistrate ; Mr. R. Day, Alr'erma n lsr n ; s J. Sheriff: and Mr. al. Lean, M. P.--fr ° Corporation of the City and Borough cf Oxford. Jan Mr. Joseph Lohb, Mayor of Southampton, sc on e Le Feucro and Mr. C. Deacon—from the C orper the Town and County of the Town of Southarnptn biotin; Dr. Bedfard—from the Elect ors an d other In ba f the Borough of Lambeth. A l derman Mr. J. Lord (May or of Wigan), with Mr. Bevan—from the C o rp ora ti on o f Wi gan , e en ads -- . Her Roy a l Hiahness was attended at the r e t di 10 the Addresses by Lady Anne Maria Dans"' rl sad Waiting, and C o l one l C oo p er , C. 13., First Eq ue Comptroller of her Royal Highness's household- C A tr- The Duchess of Gloucester visited the Duke vi bridge yesterday at Cambridge House. M. P.' Lord Frauds Egertoe, Mr. Wil s on Patten , , _ Cha n' Mr. Richard Barrow, had an irte.view with pc stree t. cellor of the Exchequer on Wednesday, in Downrag nd Dr. Sir William Colebrook, L' eu t.-C o lonel Cra i g' s _ i o ta- Clancy, Vicar Apostolic of B r iti s h Guiana, b ad t j oloni si ' view with Lord John Russell yesterday at the effie The Saedish Minister transacted business Y the Foreign-office. n h o d in the Mr. Stoney, M. P., and Mr. liiridley, r" terday a views with the Marquis of Normanby Ye' in Horne-offier. mo les t ! The splendid whole length portrait of ho'' G e orge the Imperial Dam,t:c Robes, painted by M - r e . en, wh iab e Hares, Wstorir al and portrait painter to the her Mais•st) 1"; graciously preseoted to the placed the , esterday 11$ the Goldrmirlis, was yesterday finally Plat' magnificent Livery Halo -_____ * el of h prisonersPENITENTIARY t.t I i n tI: the Pe f : iit en t l‘ i H l ry l L p o l3 . n A tri e 1( 157t h l c; of 1 7'l i ri s r'-1enhj,115:3,.0,1: teas K 5 ; males, 504 (exclusive of soldiers); lemides. 31'n of whom 184 were fur trans orta ion • and 14 h ere amount r exilenses incurred between the , January and the 31st of December, 1840, was 22,4 _ and deducing 2,233/., the net profit of prisoners' earniagr.; 1,221/. subsistence money , for soldiers, and some ill." items, amounting to 3,5001., tbe net expense was 8,911. In the Repository at Woolwich, among the c w .,, ous rdi c F, may ha seen a clinker, which is ell that re 0,4% of the Bank notes censumcd v. - hen the one-pound 11°1`,,, were put gown. They were &strayed in a furnace btl,7, for the occasion. The number burnt daily eversgt-7 144,000; it occup:e .l t hirteen months, and the note iaa` value of the Bank notes was 7,500,0001. e A f' ~M dq,„ 10 - ; li lt 1. i h ", 4t 1 114, 04, the