The Express.
London, England, 1853-04-18 00:00:00

SOUTH AMERICAN MAILS.

The Royal Brazilian mail packet Tay, Capt. Rivett,
arrived at Southampton yesterday with the follow-
ing dates : Buenos Ayres, March 4 ; Monte Video,
March 7 ; ltio dc Janeiro, March 17; Bahia, March
; Pernambuco, March 25; Tencrilfe, April 8 : St.
Vincent, April 3 ; Madeira, April 9 ; Lisbon,
April 12.
The three months' siege endured by the city of
Buenos Ayres, shut in by the provincial forces of
Colonel Laos, has been terminated, or rather miti-
gated, by the conclusion of an armistice, agreed to
in order to afford opportunity for the mediation of
commissioners from Urquiza. Oar former latest
accounts left the Buenos Ayrcana in expectation of
an attack from the besiegers, whom they supposed ,
likely to choose the anniversary of Cascros as the
day of another triumph. This attack, however, did
not take place. The greater part of February was
spent in desultory operations Ns It bout, and timid pre-
parations
within, the city. livery attempt of the
besieged to improve or even maintain their position
was marked by failure. The war-steamer Merced
was sent up the river with orders to take two small
vessels supposed to be doing the work of Ciquiza.
Notwithstanding the precise instructions given to
her commander as to the manner of capturing his
prey, the Merced herself was taken, and the fact
recorded in a lugubrious notice in the cia.:rtte.
The civil population of Buenos Ayres appears to
have stood in need of extraordinary excitements to
the valour for which the de jiteto government lauds it
in its proclamations. One of' the official documents
of the government records the capture and imprison-
ment of twelve national guards, who, to escape
service, had taken refuge in the Franciscan convent
and assumed the habit of lay brothers. Another
celebrates the zeal of the chief of police, who had
put down a panic and rumours by which doubloons
had &en raised to an extraordinary premium.
Don Pacheco, late Minister of War, who by a
decree of the 30th January was appointed special
envoy to Brazil, and urged to lose no time in setting
out, takes no note of that act, but writes that he is
ready to re-assume his former post. While such was
the position of the Buenos Ayrvan government, the
besieging forces appear to have disposed of events
much as they pleased. Their steamer the Corrco
I floated triumphantly in the river ; their forces cut off
the land communications of the city ; and to

them the compliments, the requests, and-the &figs of
mediation of the French Admiral do Suin, were ad-
dressed. They appear to have used their power
magnanimously. General Hoses y Belgrano, the
hope of the Buenos Ayreane, who was taken prisoner
as he was advancing to scatter the fortes of Lagos,
was acquitted by the council of war, and permitted
to remain a prisoner on parole ; and the two sons of
the minister General Pachecho, also taken prisoners,
were surrendered out of courtesy. Lagos, however,
did not appear inclined to forego any of the political
advantages of his position, and the offers of media-
tion made by Admiral de Suin were politely de-
clined.

In this state of suspense there arrived at Bo; nos
Ayres, on the 23th of February, a note, sigma by
Luis J. de la Pena, I'vdro Ferri, and Facundo Zu-
biria, reporting their arrival at San Jose de Flores, and
announcinfr themselves as a commission appointed by

General Crquiza, under powers with which he had
been clothed by the Federal Congress at Santa Ft%
to pi opose terms of peace between Buenos Ayres and
the other provinces of the Argentin.• Confederation.
The commissioners nt the same time transmitted the
following note :
Viva la Centederacion Argentina!
Hea•l Quarters, San Jose,
January 6, 1553.
To H. E. the Provisional Governor of thu Provineo of