The Express.
London, England, 1852-03-25 00:00:00

AFFAIRS OF LA PLATA.

(hawks assay Na.)
The conversation on Tuesday evening in the Hones
of Lords, on the pacification of the states on the Rita
de la Plata, was, upon the %hole, very satisfactory and
encouraging. Though Lord Iteaustortr was by no
means accurate in many of his historical statements,
he was quite right in describing the present position
of affairs as a turning point in the future prospects
of a great part of South America. Lord AaraiDEEN
has a right now to be proud of the instructions he
issued in February, 1846, to Mr. GORE OUst LET,
and if L,rd MALMEsBURY does turn too hopefully
to France for cordial co-operation in further me-
diation in the Plate' past events rendered the
invitation he has addressed to M. DR 'fUßGirr not
only a necessary but a proper proceeding. la the
objects of his communication and his policy—namely,
the settlement on some permanent basis of the
future form of government of the Argentine Confe-
deration, the opening to the navigation of the world
of all its rivers, and the recognition of the large and
interesting state of Paraguay—in all this, the country
will heartily (lower. Care must, however, be taken
in endeavouring to reach those desirable ends, not to
rirk all by too much precipitation, or by too Lager
an interference; for Spanish pride and prejudice are
easily wounded even in South America ; v. here
besides there is still surviving sonic indifference to
the advantages of European intercourse and com-
merce. Much may be accomplished with tore and
circumspection; little will be effected by dictation
or assumption.
The great point fur English diplomacy to cellieve
is the tree navigation of the l'lute and its tributaries
for all foreign supping. I litherto those rivers have
practically been closed even to the States thmugh
which they flow. By the treaty of la2a, Brazil
acquired the right of their free ravigation ; but to
the exercise of this right Buenos Ayres opposed—for
her own pecuniary purposer—insuperahle obstacles;
and by the terms of the convention, which Mr.
SOUTHERN concluded on the 24th November, 1819,
with Buenos Ayres, England substantially resigned
the navigation of the Parana and the Uruguay to
the control of Rosati, who was deeply interested in
centring all trade at Buenos Ayres, and whose
policy as to the Upper States was one of isolation.
As yet, therefore, our diplomacy has not been suo-
cessful in opening up the navigation of tl.ese rivers,
either to the fluviatic states or to Europe. On the
contrary, it closed them.
So far as the fluviatic states are concerned the
alliance lately formed for the overthrow of Bosse,
the independence of the Banda Oriental, and the
consolidation and freedom of the Argentine confede-
ration, has been more successful. For by the treaty
of navigation concluded between Brazil, the Banda
Oriental, Corrientes Entre Rios, and Paraguay, the
navigation of the Piste and its confluent rivers is de-
dared free for all fluviatic states—as free, for exam-
ple, as the Mississippi is for all the states of the
North American Union which it waters—and princi-
ples are laid down for the preservation of the free-
dom even in case of war. This will, of course, be a
great gain in itself to European trade. Under tho
operation of this internal freedom of navigation our
goeds will be able freely to ascend the rivers l'arana,
Paraguay and Uruguay; and gain admission into
the upper states of the Argentine Confederation, into
Paraguay, into the southern provinces of Brazil, and
even into Bolivia. By means, however, of the ship-
ping of these states only.
Now, what Lord MALMEsitURT very properly aims
at is, that these rivers shall be as free to Emapean
chipping as to their own; in other words, that the
freedom of navigation which Brazil has induced the
states of the Rio de la Plata to adopt for themselves
shall be extended to all the civilised world. This is
a great object; but to its realisation there are great
difficulties. First, in the bad example England has
set the world in this respect ; secondly, in the pre-
judices of the Spanish American character and dis-
position; thirdly, in the fiscal and natural impedi-
ments to such a scheme. Let us cast a glance at each.
Where this country possesses the mouth of a great
river, watering higher up a foreign state, she has
treated it as a closed river and monopolised its na-
vigation. Of this English practice, the St. Lawrence
is an instance. It is the natural outlet of several of
the American states ; and yet, possessing its mouth,
we have denied to them its use, and have by the
denial, given them a strong motive to annex Canada.
When, then, we ask the Argentine Confederation
and Uruguay to admit our shipping to the free na-
vigation of the higher tributaries of the Plate,
our exclusion of American shipping from the
navigation of the St. Lawrence may be turned
against us; and • the ill example of selfishness and
exclusiveness which we, the foremost people on the
globe, have set on the North American continent,
may be irresistibly pleaded for our exclusion from
these great highways of the South American conti-
nent. And herein Lord MALbIESBURY, in the very
outset of his career, will experience one disadvan-
tage of that system of protecUoa of which out uf office
he was so strongly enamoured.
Ho will also have to encounter the prejudices of
the Spanish populations of these rivers. No doubt
President LOPEZ, of Paraguay, is a wise and liberal
and sagacious statesman; and with him there may
probably be not much difficulty. But in Santa
Fe, Corrientes, Missiones, and Entre Rim there is
a mass of ignorance, and in Buenos Ayres a great
block of selfishness to overcome. The Spaniards of
these huge rural countries are American Tartars;
they cherish isolation ; they do not invite European
intercourse, at least on any extensive scale. Whilst
the pecuniary interests of Buenos Ayres arc all op-
posed to direct communication between Europe and
the fluviatic states, they of course seek to make the
capital of their state the entrepot of the Plate.
Nor is this all. Revenue must be raised ; and in
such countries it can only be raised by import duties.
Open all the rivers unrestrictedly to European shi ppin g,
and you will establish a gigantic system of smug-
gling in the upper streams sure to recoil very
shortly on European trade, and revive all those ter-
rible discussions oa which once hung the peace of
Europe. Charge the duties at a common customs
port early in the ascent, and you will create all the
trouble and cost of transhipment. Moreover, a great
part of the vessels proceeding from Europe to the
Plate could not ascend the higher rivers; many that
could are ill suited to their navigation ; their voyages
would be long, tedious, and expensive. Here, then,
our diplomacy will again be met with difficulties.
Difficulties even such as these, however, are things
to be overcome. And we refer to them now
rather to show how substantial a has been
accomplished by the arrangements tEe7edstates have
made amongst themselves, and to check the ardour
of those who think that all they desire must at once
follow, than to discourage Lord hiALMESBURT from
attempting to carry out still further the principles of
free-trade up the Plate and its tributaries. Already,
we may add, Brasil is elsewhere pursuing the same
liberal policy ; for, master of both banks of the lower
part of the great river Amazon (as we are of the St.
Lawrence) she has invited Bolivia to join her in
making its navigation free to all its fluviatic states.

LOSS OE TILE Amazos.—A blue book has just
been published, containing the report of the commissioners
appointed to conduct the official inquiry into the loss of the
Amazon (under the Steam Navigation Act), together with
an appendix, in which is given the evidence taken by them,
and which has already appeared in our columns in eftertso.
The commissioners in their report furnish a condensed
narrative of the chief occurrences connected with the
catastrophe, and they sum up by stating that they
are unable to account for the origin of the fire.
The great loss of life which occurred they consider to have
been owing to too great a desire of the superior officers to
save their vessel, by prolonging their endeavours to subdue
the flames, which soon became beyond control, instead of
enforcing order and arrangement at the first with respect to
the escape et the crew and passenger; in the boats ; added
to the mischievous effects of the cranes upon which the
boats rented, and to the impossibility of stopping the en-
' gime after the engine-room had been abandoned. They
recommend that all seagoing steam-vessels carrying pas-
' stingers should have tiled on booed a force-pump, either
connected on unconnected with the engine, which can be
worked by hand when the steam is not up ; and that in
large vessels these means of subduing tire should be
increased by the nee of a donkey and additional fire engines.
They point out 'also the propriety of guarding against fire
in seagoing steamers, especially when passengers are car-
ried, by protecting the surfaces of all soft, resinous, and
easily ignitable woods in the stoke-holes and engine•roome
of such vessels, or by causing them to be rendered fire-
proof by subjeeti. g the wood to a process by wl ,ch it be-
comes difficult of ignition. The 'dowse of engineers' stores
they strongly advise to be more carefully atte.ided to than
at present. 'f he cotton waste, tow, and such hiko stores to
be kept distinct front the oils, tallow, and turpentines, Be.,
throughout the steam navy. The report concludes with.
an acknowledgment, that the code of instructions issued by.
the Royal Mail Strain Packet company to the commander,,
is superior to any in use in the merchant service.