The Sun. — London, England, 1863-12-04 00:00:00

THE CIVIL WAR IN AMERICA, (From the. • correspondent of the Times.) N E W YORK, Nov. 20. Those who b .ave read the seven or eight letters preceding this will feel no great surprise on hearing that General Burnside is in some danger of being "gobbled up'" (to use an elegant American phrase) by the Confederates. He may yet offer a glorious and successful resistanne, or he may adroitly slip through hi .s enemy's fingers, but that ho is in a somewhat awkward predicament his best admirers are wet unwilling to admit. The telegrams are as yet, according to their wont, obscure and contra dictory, but this mach can be satisfactorily made out—that Burnside's advanced forces at London and Kingston came into contact with the Southerners wader Longstreet, and that, after a series of sharp skirmishes, which lasted from Saturday, the 14th, till the ensuing Thursday (yesterday), the Federal forces had been driven into Knoxville, and the place was completely in vested. Gen. Shackelford was attacked by the Confederates on the other side of the Holster), three, miles above Knoxville, and held, it is said, the enemy in check during the whole of Su uday, It is evident, however, that the Confede rate movement took place after a long-meditated nd well-conducted plan, so as topress simultaneously on all Burnsirle's forces, and shut them up in Knox ville, the only place they now hold in East Tennessee. The lessee of the Federals in these various en counters bzve been rather heavy; by their own accounts teetween 200 and 300 on Monday, and 150 on the fohlowing day. General Sanders was borne off the field badly wounded. The Federals, how ever, console th emse l ves w ith th e h o pe that their enemy's loss must have been far more severe-1,000 on Mon day, 400 or 500 on Tuesday. By the side of this momentous and possibly ominous episode the other recent incidents of, the l war sink into comparative insignificance; "All quiet" on the Rapidan and Chattanooga, with the usual thundering canonade against Fort Sumter— thesfl times hoisted shot down several times but as many hoisted up again, and for the hundredth time within the last four or five months, the confident predic tion of the surrender of the fort. The pen wearies j wit i writing down the same things again and agai n , The affair at Buzzard Prairie, on the east side of Be.you Teche, in Louisiana, on the 3d, turns out to heave been a more serious one for the Federals than hi id at first been supposed. Washburne's column st in killed, wounded, and prisoners, 577 men. Ti ie whole of the Indiana 77th was captured, the 60th Indiana and 96th Ohio suffered severely. These, be it remembered, are Federal accounts. It appears that Washburne's forc e on l y owed its safety t o its excellent artillery. The disaster is, indeed, accounted for by the alleged fact that the Confede rates were as five to one (5,000 against 1,800), but the presence of such superior forces in Louisiana is a sufficient evidence of the amount of work the North has yet to accomplish before the rebellion is crushed, even i n t h ose territories on the main Foints of which the s t ars and stripes have been waving triumpha nt l y for the best part of a twelvemonth. With all their millions under arms, somehow the llederals seem always to contrive to find themselves can the battlefield against overwhelming numbers. It certainly, however, is no easy matter to damp the epiriis of these wonderful Yankees. Whatever happens is for the best. Driven from one position they take up the next. They allow no reverse to she ke their confidence of ultimate success. At the time that General Grant was sent to supersede Ru sencranz and take the command of all the armies of the South-West it was expected that " a bloody and decisive" victory would crush the rebellion at the close of the season. A month has now elapsed, and hardly an inch of ground has been gained in Tennessee or Georgia —nay, the chances are that Burnside wily lose more than he has gained, and for the rest the usual drawn game is being played be tween the Rapidan and the Rappahannock. But now those same Yankees who were " cock sure" of signal success in the field begin to discover that 1 1 ! they had better stand sti,ll." The South is a vast citadel which cannot be taken by storm. It must, therefore, be reduced by blockade. It may be worth while for the reader to follow the train of Yankee argument. The rebel army in the field, they reckon, cannot exceed 200,000 men. Of theee about 55,000 are under Lee in Virginia, 65,000 more obey Bregg's orders on the borders of Georgia. The rest are scattered about doing garrison duty ; 25,000 men are 'still beyond the Mississippi. The Federals, on the other hand, have 300,000 combatants in active service, in the front; their effective forces are actually three to one to those of their. adversaries. These latter, indeed, avow that "the Yankees have one army too many for them? , Each party tries to multiply its forces by shifting them rapidly from east to west, from one camp to another. The Federals are stretched on a line nearly twice as long as that of the Southerners ; but the means of locomotion of which the former dispose more than compensate for the disadvantage of doable distances. The Confede racy is like a vast beleaguered fortress. Reduced to its present dimensions it is a square, two sides of which a re ma d e by th e sea from Baltimore all "round the coast to New Orleans, and the two others by the Mississippi of ~,, from its mouth to the confluent Ohio, Tel ' il u ieste and further to the meeting of the French Tennessee the Cumberland with what the of the Alabama call La Belle Riciere. With the ex ceptionttAlabama and the Tombigbee, all the watercourses As the Coo e d:: in the hands of the Northerners water, a tt:es have lost almost all communica tion by of l a o re they also sadly deficient in all their means ow e b o o ra t otion by land. Their rail ways are used rails and rolling stock ; and they have done next to nothing of nothing to make up for the wear and tear e i xtraordinary war move beenment. Not half a doz en eti ocomotive engines have ' either manufaetur outbreak of the war, am In :: imported since the than 150 have bee n rendered unfit for use, ueresesi and waggons a re also getting sca rce, and t he cou ply themselves wit h wh at their aerate s must sup to take from their enemy. Th ai 4 : r e ,lillas manage trary, brought a ll its energies t o bea Ti on the con to of locomotion. The wa r has bee n a go c a ci n its me its mans iu railway companies, and the y never were n.(l u more . capital trim ; horses were n ever more pl eat ever, the state of the curren c y bein g takeui:tolienor sideration, were they to be had at more r e ' lB canbi - e prices. For the last two years t he North ha s and no other business than this war. It has strained every nerve in its furtherance; it pursues it to the t on extent of its boundless means ; it bears its burden s without apparent distress. The blockade is now almost comPlete• Its effects bogln to ho ovident since the fall of Vicksburg and Port Hudson. It is even now reducing the rebels to extremity. There is sore famine in the South. The Confederates Lave lost largo and valuable tracts —Tennessee. Mississippi, ald the region beyond. Georgia and Alabama could grow corn, but the planters are stuck in their work, for a debased cur rency and the dreaded requisitions of the army are but indifferent stimulants to agricultural industry. Crops are said to be short at the South. There is real destitution and threatened famine in Dixie. The Federal captives are an unbearable burden to their captors, and from 1,000,000 to 1,800,000 negroes, driven into the contracted Confederacy from the invaded Border States, are eating up the fellows fi ghts the Uni on cause w h enever h e gets a S 3 falr the lll iit k er _politicians, whose words I have almost quoted other side. That a t I L IY. Now for the answer on the of the Confederacy si there is distress in some narts Rie a li ct not to be disputed. The Federal prisoners at been submitted to dire mond and elsewhere have suffering,, No meet, it is said, " had been furnished to the mo At Belle Island they " feasted for 12 days.' , Ives, Touching the hardships of these captives, &c. to a very how ever, it is difficult to get at the tru?:.arFnip in e:enhthan to recent period nothing was more hear the contending parties loud pecti o v t e he r. , B praises of the manner in which their respective Boners were dealt with. That food has been scarce and very scarce, in Richn.ond. we have no reason lo doubt, though we may heltate to believe that any part of the active Confederate army ever "pi,_ slated on half rations." The Richmond people were hard-up for their own food, and had but little to spare for the Federal guests. Abstinence from meat, even for a week or two, is, in itself, no very dreadful hardship for people deprived of loccmotion and of healthy exercise, as prisoners ar, apt to be. When the evil had reached a certain point, some of the prisoners were released or " paroled," and their appearance on this side the Federal lines seems to have borne evidence of long endured martyrdom. Many fainted and some died on the road. There is some misunderstanding, however, in the rumour which has been spread, that the Southerners do not allow the prisoners to be relieved by their Federal fiiends. The supplies furnished by the Baltimore Relief Fund were, up to yesterday, going forward regularly. We are to'al, truly, that the same facilities were not offered to the commissaries that offered to come in with their stores from Fortress Monroe. But at this place, we know, General Butler is in com mand, and there is little doubt that by some brutal message, or by some inadmissable conditions, the man " riled" the Confederate authorities, who, how ever, objected not to the introduction of the stores, but only of the commissaries, in whom they appre hended so many spies, sent to expose the nakedness of the land. For the rest, I think, it would be folly to impute wanton barbarity to the Southerners, and it is worse than madness to try to goad the Fede rals to retaliation, as I hear many of the rabid Abolitionists doing to the utmost of their evil power. We are positively informed that such of the pri soners as have money are free to use it for their own sustenance, and we are also aware that greenbacks are exchanged at the rate of eight dollars for one in Confederate currency. The receipt of packages from the Federal lines has been freely allowed from the first symptoms of distress. The supply of blankets has also promptly reached its destination. There are about 14,000 Union prisoners in and about Rich mond, and the distress is so great in that city that a large part of the population had to be removed to better quarters. Whether the Confederates ought rather to release than to starve their prisoners might be a debateable question, but I think it will be made clear in the end that no greater hardship has been inflicted on the prisoners than circumstances rendered absolutely inevitable. Those who gloat upon tales of horror, and strive to stir up the worst passions of one-half of their ,4 Union" against the other half, little consider, or perhaps little care, what treasure of rancour and revenge they lay up in the hearts of a people who were brothers only three short years ago, and who will within three years more be brothers again, if the dearest hopes of Yankee patriotism are to be realized. If we may rely upon the same accounts, the distress of the South is only partial and local, and the Northern blockade is as unlikely to bring the " citadel" to surrender as the Northern army are still far from being in a condition to storm it. The prices of most articles are fabulously high, by which we are to understand that the Confederate paper money is ridiplously low. But for the rest, " though there is an immense amount of suffering throughout the rebel domains," we learn from very good authority that " the Confederacy is far from exhausted; the crops are abundant and food is plenty, but the rebel army is looked after first and well supplied, and, with this and the difficulty of obtaining transportation, little food finds its way to Richmond." This, in a few words, we may be lieve to be as near as possible the real state of affairs, and if so we can hardly believe that the Confederacy will be " reduced by blockade" in the course of this winter. Ths papers of to-day are almost entirely filled up by two speeches delivered by two orators as unlike each other as it might well be possible for this Western world to prod uce—Mr. Everett's inaugural oration at Gettysburg, and Mr. Beecher's "Impres sions of the feeling in Europe with respect to the American War," spoken at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The inauguration of the cemetery of Gettysburg was an imposing ceremony, only rendered somewhat flat by the nature of Mr. Everett's lecture, and ludicrous by some of the luckless sallies of that poor President Lincoln, who seems determined to play in this great American Union the part of the famous Governor of the Isle of Barataria. Honest old Abe arrived at Gettysburg on Wednesday evening, and after supper was serenaded by the band of the Stn New York Artillery. There was a loud call for the President. He appeared, and was loudly cheered, when be opened his mouth and said : "I appear before you, fellow-citizens, merely to thank you for this compliment. The inference is a very fair one that you would hear me for a little while at least were I to commence to make a speech. Ido not appear before you for the purpose of doing so, and for several substantial reasons. The most substantial of these is that I have no speech to make. (Laughter.) In my position it is some what important that I should not say any foolish things. (A. Voice—' If you can help it.') It very often happens that the only way to help it is to say nothing at all. (Laughter.) Believing that it is my present condition this evening, I must beg of you to excuse me from addressing you further." Mr. Seward soon afterwards spoke rather more to the purpose, urging that the cause of the war was slavery, and that the war would end in the removal of its cause. He had hoped to see slavery die by peaceful means, but he was destined to see it die by the fates of war. The after-supper speeches of Wednesday, however, were hardly to b e l oo k ed upon as a prelude of the great sayings and d o i ngs of the ensuing day. Yesterday the proceedings were opened by the Rev. Mr. Stockton with a long and impressive prayer, followed up by the dedicatory address by the President, got up in a somewh at different style from his extempore effusion of the eve, when at last the time came for the orator of the day to open his MS. The Hon. Edward Everett is a lady's orator. I remember conversing with fair enthusiasts who sat under that gentleman's pulpit on his debut as a Unitarian minister in Boston, and who had not, after many years, recovered from their rapture at the "solemn, handsome, inspired, countenance," the "stately bearing," the "deep, mellow voice" of the youthful preacher, and especially at the " graceful wave of the dazzling white hand.'' as it followed the cadence of his well-rounded periods. Oa all occasions where words are wanted—not thoughts—where feelings are to be tickled—not roused—nothing can be more refreshing or pleasing than to hear and see Mr. Everett. Here, however, mere rhetoric was out of place, and whatever effect he lecture may have had on the feminine part of he audience, which mustered rather strong on the ,spot, there is no do u bt th at it rea d s tame b eyond b elief, and is such a performance as would scarcely win the prize for composition over the common run b eo r u e na n i d n ergraduatee. Mr. Everett begins by high , Zicvile4E:(l7 tni „i oar llusions to Athens and Marathon ; he great b%ttie_rde nute description, or say circumstan than technical report, of the three b ne , 'la of Juiy, 1863, then launches forth into an „ the ic k e r t Y tit i , o b t o the causes of the war, proving the ra egan it," that the rebels are rebels, that of all ai d lltly r p e o b o t e s . B l ,,, i i i :h l n eenGiotvaeir ei ra t hideousat the overturn thecan b best e t been th e bone He added that division all communities, but had always Bears vi P e o r litical dissensions soon that the wounds inflicted b y f time, and a d n t d he th c e as v e er o y f Engianti,e_effaced by 1 instance healed, • 'ne wars of the Roses, the rebellion and revolution, end t , those of Germany, Italy, France, Scc. Anything mo re dull 'ng calculat e d t and c m" mon pl a ce,anytuh iless 0 call forth des or lively or lasting emotions, it would net ba P by the most fastidious taste, the moat easy industry, and the most consummate echoLtahleu without a soul to it to produce. Mr. Ward ll eecuer t t address was something different. It is not his first appearance before a Brooklyn audience since th e popular preacher got home : but he was awf u ll y sea-sick during his voyage, and his qualmish efforts to speak before his full recovery must not be taken into account. Last evening he was in the vein, and being addressed by a brother preacher, Mr. Storrs, who praised him for " having literally taken the British lion by the ears, and drawing it with so dexterous a gentleness, and so wise a firmness, that the Royal beast roared in approbation of the treatment," Mr. Beecher an- - - severed, modestly enough, that " he put no immo derate estimate on his services," though "he bgiieved he did some good wherever he spoke. The object of his speech was to point out to his countrymen Which elassem and parties of the English public were In favour of the Northern cruse, and which were THE StIN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 4, 1863 against it. He was sure of the middle and lower classes—of the heart of the English people ;" " the upper-class, as they are called, are on the side of the South." The reasons by which these latter are actuated are " commercial interest and rivalry therein, class power and fear of contagion of Ame rican ideas; the fact that the Ame r i cans are too large and strong a nation." For the rest, the cause of the Union numbered many friends in England among the members of the Government—the Queen and the late Prince Consort first and foremost— many organs of the Press, and a number of worthy and influential persons, of whom he gave the names in the midst of the appl ause of - his delighted audi ence. Mr. Beecher's style of eloquence is now familiar to most people in England, and needs no remark on my part. Only it seems that he last evening addressed his audience with a kind of home feeling, and that the certainty of success bore him up so as to render his triumph more brilliant than any achieved by him on former occasions. November 21. General Burnside assures his friends at Wash ington that he is " all right," sate in his " impreg nable position" at Knoxville. His communica tions, however, are cut off in every direction. De spatches of the 19th report that there was fighting throughout that day all round the closely beset place. With the exception of Knoxville, all East Tennessee is lost to the Federals, and it is very ques tionable whether a diversion in favour of the shut up General can be effected either by Grant, who has to be aware of Bragg, or by Meade, who seems to seek for Lee everywhere where he is not. Grant, after Sherman's junction with Thomas, is, numeri cally, very strong, but he has to deal with very per plexing difficulties of the ground, where his adver saries are evidently much more at home than he is. The Northern newspapers begin to-day to find out that "the statement that the rebel authorities had refused permission to convey provisions and cloth ing to the Union prisoners in Richmond appears to have been a mistake." Not only have the authori ties there accepted the contributions, but have ap pointed a commission of Union officers to distribute them. The rebel officers only" objected to our agents accompanying the supplies within their lines." It is all precisely as I had stated : how foolish ought those fanatics to feel now who only yesterday en deavoured to stir up the wrath of the Northern peo ple, and were ready to preach a crusade against the inhuman monsters at Richmond !" The Lawyer- General Schenck has achieved another of his great electoral victories in Delaware. As he had done in Maryland, he beset the polls with strong military detachments, and put the voters to the ordeal of his terrific " loyal" oath. The Democrats of the State conceived that the military had no constitutional right to impose suoh an oath, they resented the misdeed as an indignity, and abstained en masse from she suffrage. The Republican candidate for Congress, Mr. Smithers, has been returned almost unanimously, the dissentient votes hardly amount ing to 13. By such means, doubtless, the Admin istration is sure of a majority, both in Congress and in State Senate and Assemblies, on the Bench, and in all State and municipal bodies. 902,907 inhabitants ; the Duchy of Holstein 153 square miles, with 544,914 inhabitants; the Duchy of Lauen burg 119 square miles, and 50,147 inhabi;. tants. Thus the duchies contain unitedly 1,804,473 inhabitants, whilst the kingdom and the accessory countries only contain 1,724,470. The population are attached to the Lutheran faith, as only 21,332 people belong to other religions. As regards lan guages, in Schleswig 146,500 inhabitants are said to be in the parts where low German is spoken, 135,000 in those where Danish is the language, 33,000 in the Friedland district, and about 85,000 in the parts where the language is mixed. The limit of language is traced by a line proceeding from Ton dern to Flendsbarg. The merchant navy of the kingdom includes 2,806 vessels of about 70,000 lasts barthen ; that of Schleswig 1,562 of 31,000 lasts ; and that of Holstein 1,413 of 25,000 lasts." is a long narrow gauge siding running parallel with the up main line. Yesterday morning a truck which was standing on it was, by the force of the wind, blown in the direction of the points that lead to the up line. By inadvertence the points appear to have been left in a wrong position ; and as soon as the truck reached the spot it was turned upon the main line, where it got off the rails. In consequence of the darkness that prevailed no person noticed the obstruction, and a goods train was allowed to proceed towards the sta tion. However, it had not gone far before it came in contact with the truck, smashing it to atoms. As far as we have been able to ascertain no one sustained any injury; but the permanent way was blocked for some time. About the same time several other trucks on another siding were blown some distance, and were not stopped until they had run over the stop-block and done considerable damage. The signals at different parts of the line have been blown down. In the Eastern Counties the gale was very high through out the whole of yesterday. The trains on the Great Eastern Railway were slightly delayed, but no serious casualty had been reported as having taken place on shore. It was re ported last night by telegraph from Great Yarmouth that a sloop, the Peace, of : Arundel, had foundered in the roadstead, and that two of the hands hal been lost. A brig and crew are also said to have been lost on the Scroby Sands. At Peterborough, one of the pinnacles of the Cathedral was blown down into the garden of the Bishop's Palace. The gable ends of several houses had been blown in, and entire stacks of corn were strewn about the country. The railway signal posts in various places near Peterborough had been blown down. Last night snow was falling, and the gale had scarcely abated in fury. In Staffordshire the gale raged with great fury. At Hanley, in the district of the Potteries, the high wind was for several hours accompanied with fearful flashes of lightning, loud thunder, and a heavy fall of hail. The wall of a factory fell and did serious damage. A shop-front in Market-square and the end of a house in Broom-street were blown in, a house in Cannon street was thrown down, and several roofs were completely stripped. The Ind of the Town-hall was injured. The minor casualties were innu merable ; for several hours all street traffic was suspended. At Burslem a potter's oven was blown down and a manwas buried in the ruins. The roof of the Washington Works at the same place was partially destroyed. At Nottingham yesterday the storm raged with great fury and continued with scarcely abated violence during the whole day. Houses were unroofed, and walls and chimneys everywhere blown down. At Lenton, a mile out of the town, the roof of a barn was blown right over into an ad joining field—a distance of many yards. Numbers of per sons have been injured but no lives have been lost. The gale is supposed to be the most severe ever known in Not tingham. At Manchester the gale broke out with great fury yestere day morning. A Welsh chapel in course of erection in Upper Medlock-street, and nearly completed, was almost entirely demolished. A high factory chimney at Pendleton was blown down, and many house chimneys were destroyed, carrying in the roofs of houses near them. A new house, nearly finisned, was blown down at Longsight : trees on Ardwick-green and o her places were broken down or up rooted, and though no serious accident attended with loss of life had been heard of up to last night, it was said that no storm for a long time past had done so much mischief. At Liverpool throughout the whole of Wednesday night there was a high wind accompanied by heavy rain. Towards daybreak the rain :teased, but the wind rose, and by eight o'clock it blew with terrific force. Such a storm had not been known in Liverpool for many years. The anemometer indicated a pressure of 431 b. to the square inch. The gale continued to blow with power for a very considerable time, the shipping in the river, as was to be expected, first suffered. Soon after 9 o'clock the whole line of wall in front of the extensive range of docks was studded by large vessels, which being forced from their anchorage were driven against or in dangerous proximity to the sea wall, piereheads, and lauding-stages. Many of these were placed in imminent danger, and not a few sustained serious damage. Between 9 and 10 o'clock the screw steamer Albanian, be longing to Messrs. Bibby, outward bound, after being in collision with the Scottish Belle, drove upon the Plucking ton Bank, off the Albert pier-head. She was there placed in a situation of great peril, being exposed to the full fury of the gale, which, although subjected to occasional lulls, manifestly increased in intensity as the tide began to flow. About 3 o'clock three powerful steamtugs were made fast to this vessel, and endeavoured to avail themselves of the rising tide to get her off. Fur a long period the efforts made to move the vessel were uns:tcces;ful, and lively fears were entertained for her ultimate safety, and up to the moment when our despatch had to be made up it was questionable whether she would be got off or not. The ship Star, belonging to Mr. S. R. Gravas, was, early in the fore noon, driven against St. George's Landing-stage, and was there moored in comparative safety. Shortly before noon the Liverpool lifeboat was despatched from the Prince's stage, in tow of a tugboat, to the assistance of a vessel out side. At 10 15 a schooner was driven ashore on the Little Hilbre Island, at the mouth of the Dee, and was break ing up. The ship Lew Choo, from Bombay, was dragged ashore close alongside the north end of Prince's-pier. Two flats were on Pluckington Bank, with their crews in the rigging ; the lifeboat had gone to them. The Margaret Campbell (brig), of Waterford, was ashore at the entrance of Bramley-Moore Dock, with signals of distress flying. A large ship dismasted was ashore off the North Docks. A flat was sunk about 11 30 off Seacombe Wail, and all hands on board were supposed to be lost. The ship Lampedo, inward boulid, was drifted a considerable way down the river, and was aground at Harrington Dock. A flat went down early in the morning off St. George's Land ing-stage. The John Banyan had drifted against the North Landing-stage, had to get all her masts cut away; she was towed off, a wreck. The Jean Francois, a French brig, sunk off the Waterloo Dock. A collision took place be tween a steamer and a ship midway in the river, when the bowsprit of the latter was carried away. In different parts of the town the effects of the storm were also very severely In Birkenhead the gale was quite as destructive. About 20 minutes before 9, when the wind was strongest, a chim ney 40ft. high was blown down at the Albion Oilworks, Duke-street North, but fortunately no one was injured. About the same time the large plate-glass windows in front of Mr. Hinson's, ironmonger, Argyle-street, were blown in with a terrific smash, and a number of crystal chandeliers and other valuable property destroyed. The damage to stock alone is upwards of £2OO. At 10 o'clock the skylight of Mr. Styan's furniture shop on the opposite side of the street gave way, and the wind thus gaining entrance blew out several of the large plate windows at the front and west side of the shop. In Hamilton-square and many other localities windows were blown in. Slates and chimney -pots fallinb continually made the passage of the streets very perilous. At Leeds the storm was severely felt. Damage was clone to the extent of £2OO to the Smithti, id Foundry in North street. In several instances incompleted buildings wore much injured. In consequence of a heavy fall of rain, the river Aire was much swollen, but up to yesterday after noon there had been no unusual inundation. • At Shields on Wednesday the wind suddenly veered round from the S.E. to N, W. The harbour and docks in the Tyne are quite crowded with laden vessels. Although a storm warning was hoisted in the port; on Tuesday, so venturesome are many of the shipmasters and seamen that, though the weather had a most unpromising appeal ance some laden vessels towed out of the tiers on Wednesday evening, about 4 o'clock, and proceeded out to sea. On Tuesday after noon, as a coble, manned by Charles and William Hood and William Hastings, pilots, was making, under sail, for the West Hartlepool harbour, a sea broke over her when about 100 yards from the entrance, and half filled her with water. The next sea washed the men out of the coble, and capsized the boat. Several persons witnessed the occurrence, and the pier was soon lined with spectators, doubtful as to the probability of the men keeping above water until assistance arrived, as not another boat was in the Day. There was a danger attending the attempt of any of the tiny boats at hand putting off to the rescue of the poor fellows. However, the crew of a fishing-smack manned their boat, and pro ceeded out of the harbour, but they soon found the difficulty of pulling against a heavy sea and wind. They had nearly reached the men, when a sea struck their boat, and sent them a distance of 20 yards into the back sweep around the pier. It was impossible for them to regain their lost position, and as they were in the midst of heavy breakers they then studied their own safety, and made for the shore. Another boat, belonging to a Hartlepool pilot, succeeded in rescuing the men, who were quite exhausted, having been about 25 minutes struggling in the sea. Several times they lost their hold of the keel of the boat, and were washed a short distance from it, but they always managed to reach it again. The smack's boat drifted among the breakers behind the pier, and the boat filling with water, the men jumped out and swam to the shore, which was not a great distance. At Newport, Monmouthshire, on Wednesday afternoon, a boat was capsized in the river, and a boy named Pitman was drowned. The drum has been hoisted at the docks, and all the vessels in the docks and river have had to strengthen their moorings. Chimneys, roots, &c., have been dismantled in exposed parts of the town, but fortunately, though pro perty has been considerably damaged, no other lives have been last. In Cornwall the storm broke out on Wednesday morn ing, and reports from various places show that few, if any, parts of the county h ave escape d w i t h out i n j ury f rim the violence of the gale. At Truro a chimney-stack was blown through the house of a M r . G reenwoo d, an d f e ll w i t h great violence on a bed from which a corpse had a few hours be fore been removed. The legs of the bedstead were forced through the flooring. A house was partly blown down near Helaton. Great injury has everywhere been done to stockyards. Several vessels of the Cornish coast have been greatly damaged, and it is reported that a French schooner has been lost with three of her crew. Oa Wednesday the Friar Tuck, of Liverpool, from China, laden with tea for London, drove ashore at Scilly. Two other English vessels and four French vessels parted anchor and drove ashore. In the Bristol Channel, on Wednesday, two vessels — one the Epeney Lass, of Glocester, the other the Swansea Packet, of Brid g wat e r—we n t d o wn, and were entirely lost at the tail of the Gore, near Burnham. The crew of the Swansea Packet, consisting of Captain Watts, te_ owner, and two men, were drowned. One of th e crew ofthe h pene y Laes was also drowned, the others reaching BurnhamE in a boat. The two vessels went down in sight of each other. SCHLESWIG-ROL STEIN; The following is the complete text of the decla ration read by M. von Bismark, the Prussian Pre mier, in the Chamber of Representatives at Berlin on Tuesday last, a summary of which has already been received by telegraph : " Our position in the Danish question is fixed by a past, and from this position we cannot arbitrarily release ourselves, while duty towards the Duchies, towards Germany, and towards the European Powers imposes it on us. The problem of our policy will be so to act towards these obligations as our chief political duty, the care for the honour and security of our own country, commands. " For Prussia's position in the question is in the first place defined by the Treaty of London of 1852. The signing of this may be regretted, but it is ac complished, and it is a duty imposed on us by hon our and prudence to allow no doubt to exist as to our faithfulness to treaties. " Whilst, however, we recognise this duty for ourselves, we expect that Denmark will also act up to its obligations. The Treaty of London forms the couplement to a series of negotiations which were carried on between Germany and Denmark during 1851 and 1852. The promise of Denmark resulting from these negotiations, and the treaty which Prussia and Austria completed at London on their bases, are so mutually related that they stand or fall with each other. "The maintenance intact of those stipulations is meanwhile of great importance, particularly for Schleswig. They give us the right in Schleswig to demand the fulfilment of treaty obligations en tered into by Denmark towards this Duchy. Should the agreements of 1851 and 1852 fall with the London treaty, we should require, in regard to Schleswig, such treaty rights which the recognition of the European Gteat Powers would support. The renunciation of the Treaties of 1852 would there fore withdraw from the position of Schles wig, and from the German demands in re spect to them, the bases created by treaty in 1852, and the general recognition of re newed negotiations, or of the issue of a European war, would be dependent on it. In order, there fore, that the treaties should retain this value and their validity, it is necessary that they should be conscientiously fulfilled on the part of Denmark. I may say that no doubt is generally entertained that this has not been done hitherto, and I con sider that the recapitulation of details is not necessary. " The decision on the question if and when we are in the position, by the non-fulfilment of the Danish obligation, to set ourselves free from the Londo❑ Treaty, must be considered by the Govern ment. It can neither refer it to the German Fede ration nor make it a subject of explanations here. We have entered into negotiations with the Austrian Government, which will, in the meantime, ensure a consonant position of both Powers in respect of the London Treaty and its consequences. These nego tiations proceed upon the basis that King Christian would be entitled to succeed in Lauenbarg even if the Treaty of London did not exist, as the next heir, Prince Frederic of Hesse, has renounced in his favour. In the case of Holstein, on the contrary, the title of succession depends on the Treaty of London, and its realisation depends on the fulfil ment of the treaties which are inseparably con nected with the Treaty of London. That this is the case is vouched for by the most competent of all witnesses, M. Bluhme, who was Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs in 1851 and 1852, and it was confirmed in the Danish Council of State. " Our vote, already made known by the journals in the report of the sitting of the Federal Diet on the 28th ult., rests upon this view of the question. " So long as we do not consider the Treaty of London invalid, we regard in King Christian the successor to the rights and the wrongs of his pre decessors, and, as a consequence, the motive which called forth the decree of execution of Ist October last, remain in full force, while circumstances appear to demand that the execution of this de cree ' should be hastened. With this view, in common with Austria, we have the necessary proposals for immediate execution. Whatever de cision hereupon may be come to in Frankfort, Prussia, under all circumstances, according to her position as a European Power and a member of the Federation, will firmly maintain in the councils of In the Great Powers the right of Germany in the Duchie s and her own views. The Government re ii" nPon the willing support of the country and of necessary military its regardrepresentationrci:otpheeraetxioecnuitnionthoef execution, u t resolve. ion, as the necessary expnenses required b y ederal treaty, you will have to take the measures, and in regard to before the Diet, The annexed statistics de cision may you w;11 lay a resolution be Coyne that a constitutional de duchies ere taken from the returns "The kingdom of Deem ark of Denmark and the of 1860 : proper consists of 946 square miles, and contains 1 , 600,551 inhabit ants. Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe Isla n d s , and the colonies contain 12 3,219 inhabit ants ; he Duchy of Schleswig consists of 162 square m i les, with THE GALE. The storm which has swept over London during the last two days is one of the most severe which has occurred for many years. As stated in The Sun of yesterday, the first indication of it was a gale from the S.S.W,, shifting occa sionally to the W.S.W., which broke out about 1 o'clock on Wednesday morning, and which continued to blow at in tervals during the whole day. At 2 o'clock the anemometer e ig k h y tl yesterday moderated, although still morning the storm y at Lloyd's showed a pressure of 251 b. upen the square foot. setvAesrynihgehatvy,and a inthe wind t burst forth again with increased fury. F rom 6 o'clock till half-past 9 the storm was frightful. Then came a slight lull till shortly before 11 o'clock, when it again burst forth in terrific blasts. The anemometer on the Royal Exchange showed a pressure of no less than 301 b. upon the square foot. This pressure is so unusual in the heart of London, that it was suspected that the anemometer had given a false indication, but it appears that this was not the case. The instrument had been recently examined by Messrs. Negretti , and Zambra, and the information derived from it may be safely relied on. During the gales of last October at Green wich, the anemometer of the same construction registered 3,51 b., while the one on the Exchange only showed a pres sure of 181 b. About 8 o'clock in the morning, at the city end of London-bridge, a sudden gust of wind rushed over the bridge, driving vehicles in one direction, and in another immerge sheets of water. At the same time a noise was heard, which led many to believe that some part of the Cus tom-house had been blown down. It was occasioned by, in the first place, an immense zinc chimney being blown from the roof of the premises belonging to Mr. J. B. Palmer, at the corner of Botolph-lane,,Lower Thames-street; in an in stant the brick chimney stalk came down with a crash, strik ing a cab horse. Several persons passing were struck, and a man named Thos. Jones was so severely cut about the head that he had to be removed to the hospital. A large stack of chimneys was blown down at Queen's Arms, No. na, Upper Thomas-street, but fortunately no person was injured. Nearly facing a building, known as Broken-wharf, in Thames• street, when the tide had receded, the body of a man, with an umbrella lying by his side, was found on the bed of the river ; whether or not he had been blown into the water it is impossible at present to tell. The engines of the London brigade were called out to a fire in High-atreet, Shadwell, which was occasioned by the roof of a house being blown off, The inmates had a very narrow escape. At 11 o'clock, when the gale was highest, yesterday, a large piece of lead was blown off the top of the house of Mr. Gar rott, 59, Cornhill, and struck a gent leman just descending from an omnibus, inflicting severe injuries on his head. At about 8 o'clock the telegraph wires of the London and North Western Railway Company, extending over the Totten ham-court-road, were blown down en the roof of Messrs, Schoolbred's premises, and, trailing in the road, occasioned considerable obstruction to the traffic. At the Globe Tavern, situate at the corner of London-street and John-street, a heavy plate-glass door was blown in and smashed by the violence of the wind, and numerous tradesmen in the loca lity sustained great loss and damage by the destruction of exposed goods and by the removal of tiles from the roofs of the houses, admitting the rain, which descended in torrents. About the same hour, a youth named Wells, in the employ of Mr. Anthony, greengrocer, Hampstead-road, was in the act of fixing a tarpaulin on a cartload of vegetables, in How land street, when he was precipitated with great violence into the road. The horse at the moment moving forward, one of the wheels of the cart passed over his leg, fracturing the bone, and causing serious contusions ; he was conveyed to the hospital suffering greatly. The morning trains due at the Euston-station and also at the King's-cross station were considerably delayed by the effect of the storm of last night. The gale swept along the Thames with great fury, and almost stopped the navigation for the larger classes of ships. In some of the lower exposed reaches there was almost as much sea as could be seen below the Nore. There were se veral disasters caused by vessels driving from their anchors. One of the most serious happened shortly after six o'clock yesterday morning off Blackwall. The tide had just begun to ebb, and while the gale was at its height a tremendous crash was heard at the upper end of Blackwall-pier, in the direction of the:Brunswick (Lovegrove's) Hotel. It was then discovered that two large ships had been driven from the mooring (Conservancy) buoy, off Green's-yard, and driven alongside the hotel and pier, carrying away every.. thing before them. One of the vessels was a large 1,000- ton ship, called the British Lion, which had only arrived at the buoy on the previous evening from Calcutta, waiting to go into the East Dock, and the other was the American ship Harraseekit which was light and had lately been un dergoing some repairs in Somes' Dock. They had been riding together at the one buoy throughout the whole night, and it would seem that owing to the fearful strain the ground moorin gs yi e lded, and both s hi ps came ashore together. Th e jib-b oom of the American ship c aug ht the circuital balcony of the Brunswick Hotel, carrying it away and driving in a large portion of the brickwork of the frontage in a line with the large dining-room on the first floor. The timber staying and steps which were used for discharging cable from the continental steamers were also crushed in, and other extensive damage done. Efforts were at once made to get the ships away out into the stream, as the tide was rapidly falling. The Harraseekit was at length hauled out and anchored in the middle of the river, bur, unfortu nately, all exertions failed to move the British Lion, which was laden with a valuable cargo. Owing to her drawing 21 feet of water and the strong wind which was blowiug right on to the pier, she took the ground, and as the tide receded she gradually listed outwards over to the port side. In order to guard against the possibility of her going completely on her beauty ends, thick hawsers were laid out from the star board side of the ship to the stones on the pier; but so great was the strain that the pavement round ono of the stones was t orn up. Ropes were also laid out from the maiutopmast and secured to the warehouse on the pier, so as to lessen' the overhanging weight. At low water the ship, although in a critical position, was lying as well as could be expected under the circumstances. It was thought that she was on her bearings, and that she had not sustained much strain ing, and that she would come off in the course of the even ing's flood tide. At present, however, it is difficult to state the amount of damage she has sustained. Another serious mishap happened higher up the river, which, in consequence peril, excited quite a sensationo f it he among the dock of people. property in a he ship Celestial, laden with tea and silk from China, arrived off the entrance to St. Katherine's dock about half -past 9 o'clock, three hours after high water, intending to lie at the buoy until she could be taken into the dock in the course of the evening flood. She was in tow of two steamtugs—one ahead and another at her quarter, and had a pilot on board. The tugs had somewhat slackened, and the hands were making the best of their time in securing the ships hawser to the buoy, when, owing to the strong ebb tide which was running, and the heavy westerly wind, the Celestial drifted broad on athwart the stern of the tier of Irish steamers moored off the British and Foreign Steampacket Company's pier, and remained there. The tugs endeavoured to tow her out, but to no purpose. She kept athwart the tier, and as the tide receded she took the ground, and gradually wont over almost on her beam ends, More unfortunately still, it was one of the lowest ebbs that has been known for some time, which necessarily added to her perilous situation. It was thought that Iter cargo would not shift, and in the event of her not having sustained any damage in her bottom it was anticipated that she would right as the flood made in the evening and be taken into dock. Capt. Stewart, of Lloyd's Association, had been appainted to take charge of the opera tions, and steam tugs and gangs of labourers were in attend • ante, and everything done to secure success. The ship and cargo are reported to be very largely insured, THE CRYSTAL PALACE.—The wind has been felt in this lofty and exposed locality (Sydenham) with great severity, but up to this time (noon, Thursday), beyond a few trees torn up and boughs blown off and a chimney pot or two demolished, no mischief has been done. The Crystal Palace has not suffered any damage. Telegrams have been received in London which state that in all parts of England, and particularly along the coast,the gale has caused great loss of life and property. At Chatham the gale is reported to have raged with great fury on Wednesday afternoon until about 6 p.m., when it fell. The night was fine and clear, with a moderato wind from the S.W. About 4 o'clock yesterday morning, how ever, the gale again arose, accompanied by a heavy fall of rain, which continued for some hours. About 9 o'clock it blew down a stack of chimneys on some property belonging to Mr. J. L. Levy, of Ch a th am , w hi c h iu falling carried away a portion of the roofs of the adjoining houses. In the harbour no casualties have been reported. A large fleet of vessels remained yesterday at anchor at the entrance to the river. In the exposed district round Aldershott the trees have for miles been rooted up by hundreds, and are now lying about in all directions. On the road between the Club house, at which the court-martial is being held, and the Farnborough-station, there are thick clumps, chiefly of fir trees, to which great injury has been done. In some direc tions the wind seems to have cut a path right through them and torn them up in a long straight line, leaving those on either side untouched. The high wind yesterday morning caused a singular ac cident on the Great Western Railway, near the Reading station. Abort half a mile to the west of this station there SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS TIMES.—It is at an important moment that M. Fould makes his financial report to the Emperor. The French people will be recalled from political and humanitarian fancies to hard realities by this summary of the national accounts. At no time since the Italian war have vague anticipations of coming change been more general than during the last fort night. Since the refusal of England to join the Congress the disquiet has increased. The refusal is in itself a rebuff, and Lord Russell has not the art to make disagreeable communications less unpleas ing by any sweetness of diction. People have, there fore, been ready to see in all that takes place the first gusts and drops of the coming storm: It is presumed that the Emperor is offended; that he must turn from England to some more accomoda ting ally. Hints of a reconciliation with Russia are given ; Baron Budberg is said to have been invited to Compiegne in terms of especial distinction, and General Fleury is to pay a mysterious visit to St. Petersburg. What is to be done, or why any thing should be done, no one pretends to know; but every one fancies that the present state of affairs cannot last. There is oppression in the silence— a sense of pain in the uneasy peacefulbess of the hour. Such is the state of nervousness and tremor into which the French people have brought them selves by unlimited draughts of glory. Without a single real cause of quarrel in Europe, except with Russia—and with her they talk of an alliance—the French, whether patriots and politicians or mere fathers of families, whether ready for new wars or deprecating in secret the restlessness of the Imperial temper, all agree in a vague foreboding that some thing is to occur. If they analyse the causes of these anticipations, they can only say that the Emperor must have designs, or he would not have gone so far ; that having gone so far he must go further ; that France is dissatisfied ; that the equilibrium of Europe is unstable ; that the Treaties of 1815 are antiquated ; that humanity wants regeneration ; that the nations want reauseitation ; and so forth through all the political commonplaces of the time. At such a moment, when peace is endangered by a mere feverish disquiet at its monotony, the clear statements and the disagreeable facts of M. Fouid are likely to be beneficial. Although M. Fould is a Minister, and this in France is almost synonymous with a courtier, yet his own independent and acute mind is visible in all his productions. The phrases end the official forms of deference to the Emperor's wisdom are there, but there is also "the logic of facts" tisad with unsparing power, and there are hints of the necessity of peace which seem to contain a covert rebuke to both master and colleagues, The finan cier is the most privileged of Ministers, for he has to deal with that which is so strong that it cannot be coerced by the greatest potentates, and yet so timid that it is terrified by the merest rumour of the streets—the capital of a great country. He must tell the truth, and in this case M. Fould ap. parently believes that it should be plainly and even graphically told. For prudent people, however, the Minister's totals say enough. In the first place, the amount of the deficits is 972,000,000 E, or not far from torty millions sterling. This is the result mostly of extravagant expenditure in a time of European peace. But a small portion of it can be referred even indirectly to the Emperor's two great wars. It has arisen from expeditions to the East and. West, to Cnina and Cochin China and Mexico; from great domestic expenditure, some of it productive and likely to remunerate the State in time, some of it only an outlay of parade, stimulat ing, perhaps, to industry, and it may be elevating to the national taste, but not likely to profit the public treasury. But the chief cause of the huge deficit is not this or that enterprise, though involv-. ing the transport of armies across the ocean, and their maintenance in inhospitable and half-ruined territories; it is not the pulling down and building up which is going on in every part of France ; the splendour of the Court adds but a trifle to it. It is the permanent yearly cost of a great Army and Navy that weighs on the resources of France, and prevents the country, in spite of vastly extended commerce, from keeping pace with the increase of expenditure. With more hsbitual economy France could indulge in the extravagance of occasional ex peditions, and pay the cost of them at once out of the public revenue. But the consciousness of keep ing Europe in alarm must be purchased by such sacrifices as M. Fould indicates. The cost of the Mexican expedition up to the let January next will amount to 210,000,000 f., and that of the expedition to Cochin China will be 60,000,000 f. The account for Mexico has been brought under the notice of the Mexican Government, and it was expected that the new empire would take on itself the cost of opera tions to which it owed its existence. As is well known, this was the design of the Emperor during the autumn, but the non-existence of Mexican credit prevented him from thus adding gratuitously to the glories of his reign. " In spite of the confi dence," says M. Fould, " which we have of seeing a regular Government established in Mexico,we cannot rest the security of our finances on the liquidation of its debt to us." The Mexican Provisional Government has, it is said, acknowledged a debt of 210,u00,000f. to France for these war expenses ; but, as the Em peror is not yet installed or even elected, and the country is not likely to find eight millions sterling either within its own limits or in any European capi tal, M.Fould dues well not to reckon on beingrelieved from any part of the burden of this enterprise. It will, indeed, surprise every one if the present month puts an end to the expenditure of France on the other side of the ocean. The 210 millions which will have been spent by the end of 1863 will be fol lowed, we fear, by many more millions during the coming year; for, even though Juarez shou2d sub mit or be deserted by his followers, or so defeated as to be unable seriously to trouble the new Govern ment, the country must be long subject to French protection, which will give the only security against internal disorders and foreign aggression. And as Mexico can pay nothing for years, the immediate calls ou the French Treasury will be large; though we cannot deny that the great re sources of Mexico, when once brought under the energy of the French Government, may yield a splendid profit on the adventure. However that may be, M. Fould sees the necessity of meeting the cost of the war at once, and for that purpose he proposes to the Emperor a loan of 300,000,000 f., which will allow him to consolidate part of the floating debt. Out of the 972,000,000 f. he will thus put nearly a third into a more regular and permanent form, and this among financiers in our reckless days is looked upon as almost equivalent to payment. The produce of the loan will be employed to purchase Treasury Bonds, and as the interest will be less the State will be so far a gainer. Although M. Fould does not hesitate to speak of the financial position of his country as unsatisfactory, ee yet gives sufficient proof of the elasticity of its resources, the industry of the people, the wealth they accumulate, and the immense sums they are able to pour yearly into the Treasury. But for the wars in Mexico and Cochin China there would have been during the last two years a surplus of 155,000,000 f., which would have reduced the floating debt to 776,000,000 f. The trade of France, though somewhat disturbed by the anxieties of the time, is good, and the abun dant harvest of the year much diminishes the evils which have been wrought by politi cal causes. After a survey of various sub jects, the Minister concludes by phrases which indicate his own desire for the maintenance of quiet. Whatever may be the opinion of his col leagues, he does not scruple to hint his dissent from the policy which has been so long dominant. In deed, iu this respect the Minister is probably as much one of the Opposition as some who declaim in the Chamber, He hopes for the day " when by the reduction of our expenses, combined with the in crease of our receipts, it will be passible to re-esta blish the regular workingl of the sinking fund, and to diminish the public debt." "If in the future," he adds, "the equilibrium of the Budget be main tained, if the generous efforts of the Emperor assure peace, and the State prosper, our finances will per mit us to reduce the taxes and realise the wishes of his Majesty." Let us, like M. Fould, look forward to that happy day, and hope that the alleviation of military burdens, of which the Emperor spoke a month ago, may not be far distant. For the rest lessness that leads to war after war, such lessons as those which the finance of France teaches are the best antidote. POST.—We have always felt much distrust of the Philhellenic Committee, and of the information which they have been so ready to volunteer. That singularly purposeless and strangely constituted body is composed chiefly of enthusiastic utopists, wild Irish members, some patrons of the Turf, and possibly of a Greek or two worthy of their tradi tional character for " proverbial wiles and ancient craft." However this may be, certain it is that this corporation of lovers of Greece were nervously anxious to prove their affection to that fair and classic land by showing that her finances were in excellent condition, and theta notable set of sc hemes, such as the cutting of the kingdom, Corinthe le ls i thmusof and and fresh source draining of Lake Co p ais, were to brin g at onc e pros 11- par ity to the new source of wealth to the kind-hearted Britons who s hould embark thei r m one y in these new adventures. W het h e r these concessiows h ave not b ob tained wt, know not; but whatever the relations of been evidentanl that the ar d ent emotions or ambition s w hi c h dedt' th th e Greek Govern ment m th e e ri P t h m il a h ; l i tn v i : Committee beentis ot e h y e ou fo n r g m K at i i n o g n of the committee have coo l e d in a very remark a bl e manner. Indeed, since the arrival ()i at Athens, a t c h q a u a n i o n in t a rn n i e t a t . e e T se h ems much inclined t o patronise him. Th ey drop the ment to 48k them to providee t a o f t r n i e g a E t e n g t l a i s h h r i G n o e v e h r i oh him- wished st fir s t to wrote from Penn:ak to these shores, and received from our Government a very proper snubbing for their impertinence. Of late their once obtrusive bene volence, has dvvindled down to a more chill resezve, till at last they come forward in a new character, and appear in the unenviable light of public in formers. They now avouch, from anonymous infor mation, that the King and Government of Greece are wanting in honesty and honour. The people over whom they obtruded their unasked protection may well exclaim— - "It was all very well to dissemble your love, But why did you kick me down stairs ?" The reputation and fair fame of the Hellenes are as yet intact under the bright new shield of King George. It is the Philhellenic Committee which is the first to stepforward to cast dirt at them. As there has been for some time no Greek Minister 1 London, that body took upon itself to assume func tions and a character to which it had no real claim whatever, and, having thus fumed itself into public notice, it now ventures to asperse the clients Of whose cause it took forcible possession. The com mittee of its own authority makes known to the English public the intelligence that Greece intends to repudiate her debts. This assertion is based upon. the simple statement of an anonymous correspon dent of Mr. Stephanos Xenos. It is indeed surpris ing that a gentleman, who ought to be acquainted with the plain facts of the day in Athens and the obvious position of his country, should for one mo ment venture to )ay before the public statements so absurd, because so obviously unfounded. A word disposes of the entire accusation. The Hellenic king dom is not yet constituted. The lonian Islands are not yet annexed. The Parliament is not yet sitting in the plenitude of its powers. How, then, is it possible for the Government to settle what shall be done with foreign debts when itself is not yet settled ? The Hellenic kingdom is to be consti tutional. It will be for its Parliament to discuss and to decide upon questions of financial expediency and national honour. This is so apparent that, had any enemy brought charges of a defamatory nature against the Greeks, we should have expected the Philhellenic Committee, had it only been worthy of its name, to have explained this, whilst it might have fairly claimed some credit for the good inten tions of the present Administration at Athens. Nor only this. Count Sponneck, if a candid and bold adviser, is sure to be upright and honourable, and we may be certain that he will never counsel his young master to enter on a path of repudiation which would produce immediate distrust, and lead to ultimate disaster. It is very unfair to give the new State a bad name on the flimsy grounds which have been put forward. We do not as yet see any evidence that the Greeks intend to act otherwise than honestly, and we believe they will pursue a straightforward course. When the question of the foreign debt comes before their Parliament we aro quite ready to presume that they will deal with it on its merits, and that as a nation they are not so lost to self-respect as to require to be either pa tronised or bullied into doing what is right. The absence of a Greek Minister at this Court, which has suggested to this officious Philhellenic Com mittee to usurp powers for which it has no creden tials whatever, and a strange apathy on the part of that oddly-composed and reckless body, has given opportunity to Mr. Xenos to play a more important part than he is entitled to assume. This " timid Greek" reminds us of Mr. Charles Mathews in " Cool as a Cucumber," when he ventures unasked to meddle in affsirs with which he has no business. The clever comedian is not more serious than the honorary secretary of the committee when he comes forward to discharge his "painful but solemn duty." As Mathews tells the old father of the crimes and follies of the son,when the boy is innocent of them all, so the impetuous Xenos rushes into print to blacken the reputation of Ministers and King, and to damage the credit of his country. " Save US from the Philbellenes" will surely be the cry of the Greeks, who, it is on ly j us t to suppos e , in spite of their friends, will disappoint the expectations of their enemies, and meet the reasonable &Aims of their creditors. COUNTRY MARKETS. MANCHESTER-THURSDAY. At our market this morning dry English wheat was in fair demand at the Lull prices of this day se'nvight, and foreign was held for 2d to 3d per 1001bs advance on former prices, but a very limited business. Oats met a slow sale at late rates, and oatmeal the turn cheaper. Indian cern Gd per qr dearer. Flour was sold at about former quotations. Beans brought full prices. BRISTOL-THURSDAY. We had a less supply of English wheat than usual to day, which sold freely, and realised an advance of is per qr on last Thursday's prices. Foreign wheat also a similar improvement, with a good demand. Barley quiet, at late rates. Oats is higher, with a healthy trade. Beaus were very dull. Indian corn is per qr dearer. BIRMINGHAM—THuRsDA.Y. Wheat was in less supply to-day, and sales were made at Is per quarter over last week's rates for both English and foreign, but without any lite in the trade. Barley 6d to is lower. Oats, beans, and peas firm, with a limited trade. English wheat was sold at 40s to 46s for white, and 36s to 44s per 36 stone for red. Barley, new malting, 32s to 42s per qr; grinding, 26s to 30s Oats, old, 22s to 300 per 30 stone; Irish, 18s to 245. Beans, 40s to 44s per qr. Peas, 36s to 44s per 36 stone. EDINBURGH GRAIN-DEC. 2. A small supply of farmers' wheat to-day, which met" brisk sale at 2s per qr advance upon the pric es of l as t weer... Barley in good demand. and prices fully as high. Oats a better sale. Beans were unaltered. Wheat on the top 12s Od down average 2s 7d up• Barley on the top Os 6d up average Os 3d down. Oats on tho top 2s 3d up,. Beans on the top Os 6d down ..average Os 10d down. Total Supply and Sales. Wheat .. 621 qrs Sold 561 qrs Barley... 2775 qrs Sold 1732 qrs Oats Beans ll9 qrs Sold 104 qrs Flour sells as follows :—Whites, 41s Od ; extras, 393 Od ; superfine, 378 Od ; fine, 35s Od. Foreign Mail Packet List. MAILS DUE. Ausvalia and Mauritius, via Southampton Dec. 19. via Marseilles Dec. 13. brazil and Cape Verds, by British packet. Dec. 4. Cape of Good Hope, Ascension, and St. Helena Dec. 29. China, Penang, and Singapore, via Southampton Dec. 2. via Marseilles Dec. 13. Falkland Islands.. Gibraltar, via Southampton India (Calcutta), and Ceylon, Dec. 12. via. South D ec " 19. Southampton 13. via Marseilles. Dee . ,2 India (Bombay), vi a S out h ampton. Dec' ... e • _ via Marseill es ........ Dec. "' Dee. 4. Portugal.... Malta, Egypt, an d Ad en, 1) 12 * via Southampton —, e e e e . . 6 via Marseilles ....... • m T ,„,. , 6. Newfoundland • • m' Oporto and Vigo .. U. S. and British N. America, by Brit. packet.... De c ' 9 by U.S. packet.... Africa, Madeira, and T by eraeri Ca t ian W.C. of Dec. I.u. Bahamas, via New York Dec. 17. Mexico.. . ......... ....13 ec. 29. All parts of West Indies, including. Chili, Peru, j Dec. 28. California. and British Columbia. packet.Dee. at. [ADVERTISEMENT:I—HoIIoway's Ointment and Pills.-- Increasing Mortality,—When the dangers from diarrhoea are so great and appalling as the weekly death list showa it to be at present, it behoves every mother and nurse to know that this Ointment rubbed upon the belly, aided by moderate doses of Holloway's Pills, proves the most simple. harmless, and effective remedy. Thousands of children have been instantaneously saved by rubbing this antidotal Ointment twice or three times upon the abdomen after it has been fomented with warm water. This course is the most practicable in children's bowel complaints when there is a difficulty in exhibiting internal me dicines, and this treatment succeeds when sedatives and astringents have been fruitlessly prescribed. Births. BEETON.—On the 2d inst.. at 248, Strand, W.C., the wife of S. 0. Beeton, Esq., F.R.S., F.S A., of a son. CALROW.—On the 2d inst., at Itedhill, the wife of Robert F. Calrow, Esq., of a son. ELVEY.—On the 2d inst. , a t The Cloisters, Windsor, th e Mus. D., of a sen. Pw E ii l e v :E Y' ast Indies, on th e 10th O cto b e r, R w A i T t e T o . O A e t o K r g u s e J. 1863, the wife of Colonel eratt, C. 8., 23d Royal Welsh F us ili er s, of a son. PECTLLIPEL—On the 2d inst., at Royston, H el l s , th e w ife of J o hn Phillips, jun., Esq., of a son. Marriages. CATOR—CoLT.—On the Ist inst., at Hill, Gloucestershire , Frederick Henry, son of the Rev. Thomas and the Lady, Louisa Cator, to Fiances Sophi a V aug h an , on ly child et the Rev. Sir Edward Harry V. Colt, Bart., and LadY Colt, of Hill. WIGINTON—LINDNER.—On the 2d inst., at Saint Paul's, Islington, Mr. E. Wm. Wiginton, of St. Paurs-gro ve, Canonbury, to M ary, only child of Fred. Lindner, Beg., of Albion-road, Holloway. Deaths. BENN--On the Ist inst. at The Loathes, Cumberlan d, R. Benn, Esq., J . P ., of inst. near Liverpool. BISHOP.—On the Ist inst., suddenly, at his residence, 50 ' werton Lodge, Richmond, William John Bishop, BCl '' of 12, Ludgate-hill, aged 36. BOUGHTON.—On the 2d iast., Mr. Peter Boughton, of Hounslow, aged 70. PAY. —On the 2d inst, at Stockwell, Mr. George ran aged 47. PARR.—On the I s t i ns t., at Clifton, Thomas Clement Parr, Esq., aged 60. TYSSEN.—On the Ist inst., Charles Tyssen , Esq., o f Clan' villa Lodge, near Andover, aged 54.. John WoonHousE.—On the let inst., at Bolton-le - Mo ors, Woodhouse, Esq., solicitor , aged 69. - --- --- --- - London : Primed and ft:l,sslied by WILLIA M ANDIZI;;I t IV :7 . of No. 112, Strand, Printer , a t THE SUN Office No. of Strand, :n the Precinct o f the javoy, ,n the Couaty ididellegex. - Frillty, December 4, 1863. voi Ir. it Inert l nQat and T hc Of Poe in I AU -....., GI , The aferch CAL _ Par a , tteet I1?11 0 , TR AA/ arti st alut etleb : zw . A u , the an ei this woni Ina tio-n E and It 14Iel Ev e , ..—__ 11 I/Jac], Oral VA I Come De e , --___ ...DI 3maj, I.:VI 1 'Ai VII Siai