The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-07-18 00:00:00

ILIYTL

We have received information from Cape Haytian, via
Philadelphia, giving a very unfavourable account of the
state of things there. A law had just passed to raise the
price of patents for foreign merchants at the Cape and
Port Plate to 1,800 dollars per annum, and to 2,000 dollars
at Port-au-Prince; and it was rep rted that the Cape is to
be assessed in the sum of 808,000 dollars towards paying
the debt that becomes due to France next year. Besidts,
all classes of people were already overwhelmed with heavy
taxes, ' business exceedingly dull, and cash more than
usually scarce, and little or no field for commerce except
on a petty scale. The impolitic and unjust measures of
the Haytien Government have reduced that people to a
state of poverty and misery, unknown in that island since
the revolution.

Since our last, says the Maine Intelligencer, we have
seen other letters from Hayti, which lessen in no degree
the dark-coloured picture we then drew of Haytian affairs.
These letters state, that nothing but the personal influence
of General Magny, who commands in the north, has pre.
vented the blacks from breaking out in open raellion
against the Government, and seizing the property, if not
sacrificing the lives, of the whites and mulattoes. This pa-
triotic Chief, himself a black, is brave, generous, and bu-
' mane, a lover of peace and order, and zealous for Mill*
taining the Government as it now stands; but should his
army, in a moment of strong excitement, and forgetful of
his paternity towards them, cut him off; a state of things
might arise, as destructive as the wildest scenes diat sive
exhibited during the insurrectionary war between Chris-
tovhe and Petion. In such an event, the property of
strangers on both sides would be sacrificed.

We have intelligence from New Orleans to the 26:h
May, and subjoin a few extracts:—
The steam-boat Grecian, from Natchitoches, with 400 bales of
colt: n, when coming into port, on the evening of the 25th ult. was
discovered to be on fire. Captain Loccard ran her ashore, and the
passengers were saved, but the boat and cargo, not insured, were
destroyed.
Our correspondent, under date of the 23d ult. remarks, "the
late news from Europe and the high price of freights have caused a
considerable depression in our markets, and nothing doing but at a
sacrifice. The weather is warmer than usual at this season, and
some etyma of typhus fever have occurred. The high state of the
river excites alarm, and the planters are on the watch fur breaches
of the banks of the river."
The papers speak of some alarm, it having been reported that
the yellow fever had made its appearance; but there is no founda-
tion for it, as this disease was never known there while the waters
were so high. At St. Louis, on the 11th ult. the low lands were
entirely inundated, and the inhabitants had been compelled to leave
their hamea ; the water having reached the. upper stories of their
houses, their furniture, &c. had been swept away.
The St. Louis Editor remarks, that the blississippi presents in
aspect truly mej,.stic. No barrier can be opposed to its progress;
it mocks the te.,ble devices of man to stay Its course. It presents
an expanse of water on which whole navies might ride with perfect
self ty—and now most appre priately eescrves the appellation tithe
" Father of Waiers."
A Port Gibson writer retrarks, eat, conteary to all expectation,
the 31 ississippi has risen this year Man unu.ual height, and threatens
to be as extensive and more destructive to the planting interest than
the inundation of 1823. Sonic f the farmers !esiding on the banks
of the river have but a few rods of ground left them that are not
overflowed, and some of their gardens arc entirely covered. Added
to this, the last mail brings intelligence of new risings in its tti•
butary streams. It is to be feared that many farmers will be
unable to make crops.
C o LOM BI A.—An extraordinary session of the Congress
has been called by the Vice-President Santander, to adopt
measures for the preservation of the public credit,and he says
" even its tranquillity and security, ' in consequenceof the
failure of Peru (which is indebted to Colombia) to obtain
a loan in Europe, front which funds were expected for the
payment of the interest on the foreign debt of Colombia.
'l'he proclamation of the Vice-President is dated six weeks
after it was reported that he lead offered his resignation.
No commotion had ensued at Camels in consequence of the
measures of General Pam Sir Andrew Cochrane, the new
British Minister, and his suite, had arrived ; and the re-
port was contradicted that England would be represented
at the Congress of Panama. La Guayra letters say, the con-
duct of General l'aez had been much exaggerated; and
that he had no other object than a " Federation."
COLOMIIIAN Pare ATEE R UAPTURED.—Extract of a
letter, dated Havannah, June 3, 1826:—" On the Ist in-
stant, the Colombian private armed schooner Zulme, Cap-
Orin Dennis Thomas, of one long gun and two small ones,
with live officers and 46 men, was brought in here by the
Spanish brig of war Marte, having been captured near
Cape Florida, t t anchor, and therefore in the waters of the
United States. The prisoners were marched to gaol with
all the bombast of Spanish cowardice, where they now are,
and God only knows when thky will be liberated. We
have nothing new otherwise. Our market is dull in the
extreme. We are glutted with all kinds of imports. Never
was it so difficult to effect sales and make collections. Bills
on Europe are quite neglected, and those on the tweed
States very dull at par."
We learn from Captain Griffing, of the ship Union of
this port, that on the 13th of July, the ship Emilie of
Nantz anchored in Christmas Harbour in the Island of
Desolation, and in about six hours was boarded by a lot
with six men from Cloudy Wanda, eighteen miles distant,
who were left there by an English skinner (formerly the
Saucy Jack privateer, of Charleston) ten months before,
with but two days' provisions. When they cameo's board,
they were dressed in the skins of seals, and were so coca'
pletely sniole-dried, that it was impossible to tell whet
country or nation they were. During the ten months they
subsisted upon the penguin and other large birds, which
remain on the shores of those barren and inhospitable
rocks the whole year, and kept themselves from freezing
by burning blubber of the sea-elephant in the recesses of a
rock which they bad made their abode. They were landed
on the Island of Bourbon by the Emilie, and it is hops)
they have once more, ere this, arrived at their bonus ta
safety.—'Jag Harbour Corrector.