The Sun.
London, England, 1852-09-06 00:00:00

• SEPTEMBER 61 1852.
7

where he summoned the nenabersitof the lower house.
The lion. Mr. Caron said it was fnot the pleasure of
his Excellency to announce to theme the object of their
being called together unti they hstil elected a Speaker.
The gentlemen returned to theit own house, when
Mr. Mocks propoled that Mr.„ J. S. Macdonald
should be elected Speaker. Mr. Morin seconded the
motion, which was carded on a division by
55 a vote of
to 23.

Mr. Hincks spoke generally of Macdonald's fitness
for the office.

The debate was not remarkable.
Mr. H. Smith was the only member who spoke
against the Government motion. :
The House then adjourned.
The following day, his Excellency proceeded, at
three o'clock, to the Legislative Council Chambers,
and having taken his sett upon, the throne, com-
manded the attendance of the Legislative Assembly.
The members of that body, preceded by their Speaker,
the Hon. J. S. Macdonald, speedily appeared at the
bar. The Hon. J. S. Macdonald informed his Ex-
cellency that the choice of the Assembly had fallen
upon him to be their Speaker, and he craved for the
members the customary privileges, after which his
Excellency was pleased to deliver the following
speech : _ _

"Hon. Gentlemen or the Legislative Council, and Gen-

" se tlemen of the house of Assembly—
I httva much pleasure in meeting you, in order that
we may unite our endeavours for the promotion of the
interests of the province.

" Notwithstanding the deep interest occasioned by a
Ainie4thtrotruan ottuditigehas, I am
happy
province during
togenitiefroarimelexcotuio, election;
the piliJA iihich has e tt‘e close of the laiit
session of Parliathent.

" I am enabled, under these favourable circumstances,
again to congratulate Parliament on the prosperity of the
province. Provincial securities continue to rise steadily
in value, and the returns of the census recently com-
pleted, furnish most satisfactory evidence of the advance-
ment of the colony in wealth and population.
" estimated deficiency in the postal revenue has
not been exceeded, although greatly extended communi-
cation has been afforded to the public by the establish-
ment of additional post offices and increased postal ser-
vices. There is reason to believe that before long the
receipts of the department will balance the expenditure.
" Another heavy calamity has, however, I am greatly
concerned to state, befallen the province in the destruc-
tion by fire of a large portion of the important city
of Montreal. lam confident that you will bestow your
best consideration ou any measures that may be proposed
to you for the purpose of mitigating its effects.
"The importance of placing the currency of British
North America on a uniform basis, and of introducing
the decimal system, has been frequently recognised by
Parliament. A measure will be submitted for your con-
sideration which will, I have reason to believe, promote
the accomplishment of these objects.

" I shall cause such accounts to be placed before yon as
will put you fully in possession of the steps which I have
takeinetdeunrtiinogns of th the
e recees.l with the view of giving effect to
the Legislature, embodied in the acts
passed lest session for promoting the construction of
railways. I have endeavoured, in those proceedings,
to act in so far as circumstances have permitted, in
concert with the Lieutenant-Governors of the lower
provinces. In connexion with these works, and
with the subject of public improvements generally,
the position of bonds issued on the credit of the muni-
cipalities of Upper Canada merits attention. The secu-
rity offered to holders of such bonds under the Munici-
pal Acts now in force in that part of the province, is of
a very ample and satisfactory description. It is not
improbable, however, that your wisdom may devise
measures which, without materially altering their cha-
racter, may tend to enhance their value in the market.
"The importance of establishing direct steam commu-
nication between Groat Britain and the ports of Quebec
and Montreal has been repeatedly pressed on the Go-
vernment by persons interested in the commerce of the
province. The subject, which has a material bearing on
the prospects of emigration, and the reduction of freights
in the St. Lawrence, has engaged my attention during
the recess. A plan for the attainment of the object in
view, which will, I trust, meet your approbation, will be
submitted for your consideration.

" I shall lay-before you a dispatch which I have re-
ceived from the principal Secretary of State for the Co-
lonies, communicating the views of the Imperial Govern-
ment in reference to the clergy reserves, and stating the
grounds on which her Majesty's Ministers refrained from
introducing a measure into the Imperial Parliament
during its last session for the repeal of the Imperial sta-
tute on this subject.

" Gentlemen of the Legislative Assembly,—
"The condition of the revenue is satisfactory, and
indicates general prosperity among the consuming po-
pulation of the province.
" I shall direct the accounts for the past, and the
estimates for the current year to he laid betore you; and
I rely on your readiness to grant such supplies as
may be necessary for the maintenance of the province,
and the efficiency of the public service.
" Honourable Gentlemen and Gentlemen,--
" Various subjects of much importance to the interests
of the province will, no doubt, engage your attention
during the session which is now commencing.
" An addition to the representation seems to be called
for by the incresing population o'F the rovince, and the
rapid development of some of its more recently settled
districts.

" It is probable that through
the instrumentality of
the municipal system now in full operation in Upper
Canada, and of the assessment lavr, you may be enabled
to establish an efficient and inexpensive mode of regis-
tering Parliamentary electors in that part of the pro-
vince. In connection with this subject, I recommend
for your consideration the claims of certain classes of
occupiers, now excluded from the franchise, on whom,
there is reason to believe, it mbe conferred a— with yad-
vantage to the public interest. The interests of agricul-
ture are entitled to the special
ears and attention of Go-
vernment, in a country where
so large a portion of the
community is unemployed in agricattaral pursuits. The
absence of any sufficient provision, for obtaining correct
statistical information respecting the productions of the
country, and for diffusing knowleiloe which may be ser-
viceable both to those engaged in
agriculture, and to
persons proposing to become totting have been long a
subject of complaint. Ido not doubt that you will be•
stow your best consideration on any
unobjectionable
measure that may be submitted for remedying this de-
fect, and perfecting the more speedy settlement of unoc-
cupied lands in both sections of the province.
" It is probable that grievances which are alleged to
exist under the feudal tenure that obtains in certain parts
of Lower Canada may engage your attention.g
" I am confident that in dealin with this subject,
which is one of great delicacy, you will manifest a scru-
pulous regard for rights of property, which have been
aoquirod, and exercised in good faith, and with the
sanc.ion, tacit or declared, ot the legal tribunals of th®
province.
ts
the province, for the maintenance of indigent pationr i
consigned to the lunatic asylum, appear to be, I fin
" The arrangements now in foree in both sections of
someo
to observe, in some respects defective. The base °.
of these unfortunate persons involves considerations
your
humanty of the highest order, arid I confide in rureadiness to bestow your best attention on
any
of
mea-
sure that may be submitted to you for the remedy
this evil.
"In all the measures which you t for the
may ado p . .
promotion of the welfare of the province and thiee onneAmln.
y
ness and contentment of the people 'yotlinaY furt rhe Yr detain
zealous co-operation; and I shall tit
you from the important duties in W •
eh you are about to
enaagcs, Only to express my humble hope that the Al-
mighty may render our efforts efficacious for the public
good."

eis
no
oCnOanMgeMwEhßaCtelvAerLir
thWeSm•
Ther
still
has continuehowever
their summer dullness. A large business
three c'wever, been transacted in stocks during the last
arkets, which
E days, but, strange to say, in almost all cases, at a
slight States
decline, though without any visible cause. United
notsf Ivery active, at 110 i to 110 i. On
usi. to 1181.
§ Reading, 94. Exchange on England is
$ Sixes' (1867) keep up, and, are now quoted at
Notwithstanding
export of specie to-day, it is expect°,
rather that the accounts
Th 21c. Paris, sf. 13c. to
will be large.,
Money coctims easy,. at 4 to 7 per cent.
potato rot. The range of sales from England arc
`ner unfavourable et there is no change whatever in
cotton The ' y
Ind city, only 500 bales. Flour is more inquired for,
Provisions steady—mesa
looks up in consequence of the European news of a
Freights to Liverpool firm, but
his .* e sales, however, are small—Yesterday, in
5 dolls. is tproorink, 419d0d1105.1135.708.7tc0.
engagements were re-
stricted by
As. 6d. to ls. 9d. was
market
I9Lioanddoant Quebecal7s.
6d.for for
rvoefirpcoaokl
ea,tan9Ods. Rates were firm to
wl
're
on
stablee.limAitbeodustugloioestoof
4,000 barrels
baaurdr
efil
so flour
fi nflothu the
taken at ls. 6d., at the close ls. 9d. was asked.
0,000 bushels of wheat were taken at 5d., afterwards
some vessels demanded 6,21. ; a vessel was chartered to
asked for flour.
Telegraphics from the south shovi that business in the
evarious ports has not /et recommenced. The sales of
4eztton at New Orleans starcely exceed 100 bales per day.
t week, however wo expect the fall trade to begin in
all the cities. '
\ATM. LEW-
i*g

(U.S.) Daily News:—" reoognlclesOisntsibuTugrligoßhf
ESERTION or
forping an artillery com-
pany, STATHS.—We find
sight
Bforlliotiwshilt
a sergeant, corporal, and six men, Tag: tdnLietErhßse,
p.any, and attached to thst branch of the British service sta-
!toned, at Quebec, appeared here vesterflay, stating that they
had been ordered to the fort at Prescttt as a reinforcement,
I)nt passed over the river some miles above, before reaching
Prescott or reporting themselves to the officer there in.
charge. They were fine.lookiug young men, and sold or ex-
changed their uniforms, which can be seen in some houses
about the town.,,
RAIN WATER AND CLIOVERA.—It has been fully
ilertained, says the rep)rt of a French medical commission,
"both at Paris and elsewhere, that rain water is a prophylactic
of. cholera, and that this disease has never proved an epide-
mic in any city where rain water is exclusively used.
G, veston, in Texas, a newspaper of that place says, affords
the
strongest possible evidence of the truth of this statement.
' —New Fork
gaper.

R. WEBSTER and the LOBOS ISLANDS.,
On the 23d ult, the following letter froin Mr.
Webster on the Lobos Island question was laid be-
fore
States,th the
has Senatethe
honourby t the et
oPr e de t
Department of State, Washington,ucnodmemrsuigneiceadt,ioSnescroettr.
Osma,
onf: Aug. 21, 1851.
jofunthe'esticjonmiym,uanlathtions, however,
tehoef receiptthe
of Unitedthe
acknowledgea,
and the
d'Affaires
o mentioned
the 25 t h
severalo,,t.
hieTheefirstr
the 9th instant.
did not come to his knowledge until
after he had left Washington for a absence.short ct julY'
very much regrets that circumstances haveprevented He
earlier answer to these several communications; but an
. as
they all relate to the same subject, all will now receive a
common reply.
In the first place, the undersigned will remark to Mr.
Osma, that the Government of the United States has
cot now, nor ever has had, any intention to facilitate the
particular purpose of any persons such as Mr. Osma
calls speculators, further than those purposes are con-
formable to public law, as well as to the laws of the
United States. This Government knows of no com-
panies, no associations, and no individuals in whose be-
half it undertakes any special protection. The question
is a general one, in which all the citizens of the United
States engaged in commerce have an interest, and that
interest Is equally respected by the United States, re-
gardless of individuals.
In the next place, the undersigned expresses the hope
that it was not Mr. Osma's purpose, by any expression
iu his note of the 9th instant, to convey any intimation
that the proceeding,s:of this Government, in regard to the
subject, have been influenced in the slightest degree by
any conviction of the relative strength or weakness of
the parties. Such an intimation, if intended to be made,
would require no refutation, since all the world knows
the mune; in, which the republics of South America,
formed out of the ancient possessions of Spain, here been
treated by this Government, from their earliest origin to
the present day.
The undersigned will make a further remark, to pre-
vent mistake and misunderstanding, upon Mr. Osma's
observation upon the conversation between him and the
undersigned, in the department of state, on the 2nd of
July; and that is, that the supposed discovery of Cap-
tain Morrell, mentioned in that conversation, was not
relied upon by the undersigned as founding an exclu-
sive right to the Lobos Islands on the part of the United
States. It was only mentioned as a fact fit to he con-
sidered in common with other facts and occurrences.
The truth appears to be that Captain Morrell was on a
voyage of discovery, and did, in fact, discover, or was
supposed to have discovered, guano on these islands.
In is certain that no book generally known and circu-
lated in this country mentioned the fact of the existence
of guano on these islands until Captain Morrell'e nar-
rative was published in 1832.
After these preliminary remarks, the undersigned now
proceeds to the consideration of the main subject. In
his several communications Mr. Osma asserts the right
of Peru to all the Lobos islands, on the ground that she
has always exercised authority over them; that they be-
long to Peru, as they formerly belonged to Spain; and
that from time immemorial the Peruvian Indians have
been in the habit of visiting them for the purpose of
catching seals, killing birds, and gathering eggs, and
that this exclusive right to the islands by Peru has never
been doubted or disputed.
The question
are these unqualified declarations of
Mr. Osmo, strictly accurate? The Lobos, or Seal
Islands, as their name imports, lie in the open Pacific
Ocean, the nearest of them twenty or thirty miles from
the coast and Peru. They are, as Mr. Osma admits,
mere barren rocks in the sea, uninhabited and uninha-
bitable. Fisheries and the pursuit of amphibious
animals, especially the seal, have long been carried on
around their shores, and even on those shores them-
telves; since it is well known that seals are usually
taken and killed upon the land. In these pursuits,
and in this use of the islands, citizens of the United
States were engaged for half a century before any actual
!interruption took place by the Peruvian Government, or
any body else; their visits to them having commenced
at least as early as 1793. All this is welt known to the
commercial world. Now, it is quite certain that if Peru
held and possessed full sovereignty over these islands,
this fishing near the shore, and this pursuit and killing
of amphibious animals upon the land, was as much an
invasion of that sovereignty as is the taking of guano
from them now. Nor was the case so unimportant as
that Peru might have regarded this use of the islands by
citizens of the United States as an indulgence merely,
supposing her to possess the exclusive right, since the
pursuit and destruction of seals, which have at last ter-
minated in their almost entire disappearance, must have
been a matter of much importance to her Government.
Nevertheless, no complaint was made of this course of
things, nor any interruption attempted or threatened
until September, 1833, in which month, as it would now
appear, a decree was issued by the Peruvian Govern-
ment, prohibiting foreigners from fishing for seals and
amphibious animals on the shores and islands of Peru,
and declaring that the captains of foreign vessels who
evaded the order should be considered as smugglers. It
is important to observe that this decree was issued after
the publication of Captain Morrell's narrative.
This decree was sudden and unexpected, and, there-
fore, the Charge d'Affaires of the United States at Lima
was under the necessity of acting upon it without orders
from his own Government. He immediately addressed
a note on the subject to the Minister of Foreign Rela-
tions of Peru, in which, without formally denying the
original right of Peru, ho requested a reconsideration of
the decree, or that it might be so far modified as to per-
mit to the citizens of the United States the pursuit of an
occupation which they had been allowed quietly to fol-
low for a number of years, and adding that the decree
could not but be regarded as unfriendly to the Govern-
ment of the United States. So far as is known to the
undersigned, no
answer or reply was ever made to this
remonstrance, and it is certainthat •
the citizens of the
United States continued
to pursue their usual avocations
without interruption,
notwithstanding this decree. If
such an interruption had been made by the Peruvian
authorities, it would at once have brought the question
of the sovereignty of Peru over the Lobos Islands to the
attention of this Government, as happened a fete years
before in the case of the right of the
Government of the
Argentine Confederation Falkland to claim sovereignty over the
Islands. It is true that the decree of 1833
makes no particular mention of the Lobos Islands, but
it is directed generally against fishing on thecannot
be r
coasts and
islands of Peru. Nevertheless this
as affecting the general right of citizens the United
e
States,' founded on long and undisputed usaee
Sere, then, is a formal remonstrance on
the part of
the United States against the asserted
sovereignty
of
Peru over the Lobos Islands, which to no answer, so far
as it appears, was given, nor an intimation made that
notwithstanding this remonstrance the decree would be
enforced. It is quite evident that, although the decree
is general in its terms, it was intended to be levelled
especially against citizens of the United States, as the
r subjects of other countries did not partake to any consi•
derable extent in the fisheries which were prohibited.
Can Mr. Osma's averment, therefore, be maintained, in
which he asserts the universal and absolute sovereignty
of Peru never to have been denied or questioned by any
Government. And if Peru has suffered these barren
rocks to be visited and used by citizens of the United
States for a long course of time, and for all the purposes
for which they were known to be valuable, is the case
aliered when they are found capable of a new use? Is
not the natural inference either that Peru never claimed
any exclusive right over the islands, or that, if such
claim had been made by any formal or official act of the
Government, such claim had been abandoned, at least so
far as citizens of the United States were concerned.

Mr. Osma refers to a decision of the English Govern-
ment, and observes that as both the mercantile and egri-
cultral classes in the British empire have a strong in-
terest adverse to the claim of Peru, if the British Go-
vernnient has decided in favour of that claim, that deci-
sion must be ascribed to considerations sufficient to
outweigh a regard for the interests of British farmers and
shipowners. But the two cases may justly be considered
as essentially different. When the decree of 1833 ap-
peared, Mr. Wilson, the British Consul-General at Lima,
in a communication to his Government, said:—" For
many years no British vessel has been engaged in this
fishery, but great abuses have been committed by Ame-
rican vessels ;" and the year afterwards, writing upon
the subject of the British schponer Campeadora for kill-
ing seals at the Lobos Islands, he admitted the right of
Peru to those islands. At the same time he adds:—
" Lord James Townahend, the commander of his Ma-
jesty's naval forces in the Pacific, takes a different view
of the question; and he himself told me that he coma_
dered that his Majesty's subjects had a positive right of
fishery on all these islands, unless they should be ac-
tually occupied by some Peruvian authority, or protected
by the constant presence of some Peruvian man-of-war
to warn off vessels."

It will be borne in mind that when the ease of the
Campeadora occurred, the use and, perhaps, even the
value of guano as a manure was unknown in England.
Before that case was decided, however, the British Go-
vernment may be said to have been irrevocably committed
to the acknowledgment of the right of Peru to the Lobos
Islands by their acquiescence in the opinions expressed
by Mr. Wilson, their diplomatic agent, and the answer
to that communication from the Foreign-office, for in
that answer, under date 30th August, 1834, Lord Pal-
merston said—" It would, therefore, appear that the
Peruvian Government have a right to prohibit foreign
vessels from fishing upon the coast immediately
adjoin-
ing to those islands, as well as upon the coastsch
Peru
itself,
you
itself, there being no evidence in the papers . which by long
have transmitted of any right of fishing "gun
and uninterrupted usage,"
such ground
It is clear, therefore, that the British Government
yielded the point precisely because it had no su
to stand on in behalf of its own subjectsss, and may well
malt of the United States does P
- ("se And it may be
as the Govern-
stand on, in behalf of its own citizens. land down to
regarded as a question still open in
of that year, Lord
last year; for, on the 10th of_xtatseY
for Foreign Affairs,
Stanley, Under-Secretary of b—
in answer to a letter from M vv entworth Butler, says
erp.iy whether the islands of
state to you
Tierra belong of right to
Lobos Afuera and Lobosindre
Pere, or are claimed
Peru as dependencies. His
Lordship does not find !nb - the Peruvian constitution,
published after Peru had separated itself Spain,
from
any mention of those islands, as being dependencies of

[PRICE SD.

Peru; but it appears to Lord Palmerston that their
proximity to Peru would give to that state a prima facie
clam.► to them."

Now, it is certain that the fact does rot, under the
rule of public law, bear out this last observation of Lord
Palmerston, because the distance from the shore of all
these islands is five or six times greater than the three
marine miles extend. It may be hero added that it is
well understood that a powerful class of British
subjects, distinct from those of merchants and farmers,
has a vital interest in maintaining the regulations for
the export of guano from Peru upon their present foot-
ing. It may not be entirely satisfactory, therefore, to
take the case of the Campeadora, or that of the Hi-
bernia, which afterwards occurred, alone into consider-
ation, in endeavouring to account for the policy which
the British Government has thought proper to adopt in
regard to the subject. However this may be, it is quite
clear that the English case and the American ease are
are quite different for the reasons already stated. As
has been shown, the representatives of the American
Government in Peru remonstrated against the issuing
of the decree of 1833. And it is a consideration of very
great weight in this case that the main objsct of that
decree, as it fully appears, was to drive off from the
hoasts and islands of Peru, including of course those of
Lobos, the fishing vessels of the United States. Now
n-aim:l were the sole or principal object of the decree—
am the agent of the United States formally renson•
strated against that decree—how is the subsequent con-
duct of Peru and her entire silence to be reconciled with
the idea that she re
all
y supposed herself possessed of
absolute sovereignty
over those :islands ? She cer-
tainly made no attempt to enforce that decree against
vessels or citizens
of the United States, but suffered
on as they had gone on through a long
course of years:
Tne undersigned has thus far spoken of the actual facts
tin h
si continued
usage which enpposes to belong to the
jlts t consideration of his case.
Mr. 03ma, in his recent communication, refers to the
that authority of Alcedo Co prove those islands are
within the sovereignty of Peru, and have always been so
considered.
In the decision of a question purely
re-
lating to any part of the American h geographical,
eruis
es-
pecially to that formerly under the domiapllere, and '
dominion
eonftiSpain,
the undersigned acknowledges that Alcedo is
almost implicit confidence; but in the passage to Which
geographi-
cally. rl
Mr. Osma refers, he was speaking merely
He was not discussing any question
founded eitherlon discovery or usage; or any other oglh-t l
p
tical consideration; and if, as Mr. Osma, says, that great
geographer, in speaking of the Lobos Islands, uesd words
plainly, or by implication, assigning to Spain the sove-
reignty over those islands, this may be ascribed to his
loyalty as a Spanish subject and an officer in the king's
service—a sentiment which would not allow him to en-
tertain a doubt of the right of his sovereign to any re-
gions which he might claim, by whatever title. Alcedo
therefore describes the Lobos Islands as belonging to the ,
coast and to a particular province of Peru. The fact
that they are islands, however, leaves the question open
as to the distance between them and the coast of Peru,
and he seams to have taken it for granted that because
they happened to be the nearest to the province of
Sane, they were necessarily included ;,within,, the
limits of that province; a proposition which cannot be '
supported.
In this case, therefore, the authority of Alcedo cannot
be regarded as decisive. In order that it should be so
considered, the undersigned must be informed what acts
of jurisdiction his Catholic Majesty exercised over those
islands. The occasional visits of Indians from the neigh-
bouring continent, to which Mr. Osme refers, cannot be
said to have imparted to the sovereign of Spain, or the
government of Peru, even as good a title to those is-
lands as the habitual resort thither of the vessels of the
United States, so long and uninterruptedly continued,
for the purpose of capturing seals on their shores, and
whales in the adjacent ocean, would give to the United
States. The use of these islands by the Peruvian In-
dians for the last half century has no doubt been vastly
less than by the citizens of the United States; and, upon
the ground of Mr. Osma's argument, a better title could
be asserted by possession on the part of the United
States than could bo maintained by Peru.
The undersigned freely admits that acts of the Peru-
vian Government, founded on supposed rights, when not
objected to, are fit to be regarded as having more or less
weight on the question of right, so far as that right de-
pends upon possession. If, therefore, it be asked why
this Government did not also protest against the Peru-
vian decrees of the 21st of March and 10th of May,
1842, by the'lsth article of the former and the 3d of the
latter, of which the penalty of confiscation is denounced
against any national or foreign vessel which shall an-
chor at or approach the islands or places in which there
may be guano, without the usual licence from the au-
thorities empowered to issue the same, it may be an-
swered that the very existence of those decrees was not
known to this Government until they appeased in the
British Parliamentary documents on the subject of the
Lobos Islends, presented to the House of Commons on
the 14th of May last. There is nothing which the un-
dersigned can find in the dispatches of the Charge d'Af-
faires of the United States at Lima to show that the de-
crees were communicated to or known to him. If these
decrees had been known here at an earlier date, they
would have received the attention of this Government.
As to the claim of Peru to those islands, fouiaded on
the law of proximity, the question will appear to be
free of doubt., The,twell-settled rule of modern public
law on this point is, that the right of jurisdiction of any
nation, whose territories may border on the sea, extends
to the distance of a cannon shot, or three marine miles,
from the shore, this beins, the supposed limit to which
a defence of the coast, f7om the land itself, can be ex-
tended.
The whole discussion, therefore, must turn upon this,
viz , the Lobos Islands lying in the,r,open oceant,
to
aer.
from any continental possessions of Pope
.as no t
adjacentll
long to that country by the law of proxinnty or j
position, has the Government of that country exercisedd
• sovereignty an owner-
such unequivocal acts of absolute
to their exclusive
ship over them as give to her rightedbt and their citi-
possession, as against the United
ossession? And the
zens, by the law of indisputable p
undersigned repeats that this not a question between
have more or less
Peru and other Governments, who may
distincly admitted her right, whot is a uestion btween
ave sqo
long exeercised
Peru and the United States, h
er .
that right, and remonstrated against its interruption.
The Government of the United Stat es,however,
to
is
prepared to give due consideration to all
facts
tending
show possession or occupancy of the Lobos Islands by
de discussion
until and is not inclined to stop or Preclude
investigated.
until the whole matter shall be thoroughly
If there are any facts of arguments which have not been
brought to its consideration, they shall receive the most
respectful and friendly attention. If it shall turn out
that. as has been intimated above, those islands are un-
inhabited and uninhabitable, and therefore incapable of
being legally possessed or held by any one nation, they
and their contents must be considered as the common
property of all. Or, if unprotected by the presence of
Peruvian authorities, and without actual possession, their
use has been by Peru abandoned or conceded, without
limitation of time, to citizens of the United States for
a long period, or yielded in consequence of the remon-
strance of this Government or its agents, then no exclu-
sive ownership can be pretended as against the United
States at least.
Under all the circumstances, the President thinks it
most advisable that full instructions on this subject
should be dispatched to the Charge d'Affaires of the
United States at Lima, and that proper orders should be
given to the naval forces of the United States
in that
quarter to prevent collision until further
examination of
the case. No countenance will be given to the authors
of such enterprises, claiming to be citizens of the United
States, who may undertake to defend themselves or their
vessels by force in the prosecution of any commercial
enterprises to these islands. Such acts would be acts of
private war, and their authors would thereby justly for-
feit the protection of their own Government.
The undersigned avails himself of this occasion to
offer to Mr. Osma a renewed assurance of his very high
consideration.
DANIEL WBBSTEI6
To Senor Don Juan Y de Osma, &c.

SEABORNE MAILS. ar„t.oftio
[l‘ signifies that the mails are sent frog the floor
by the night--and Mby the morning—ellsPatcl

'' ,ile mg/it—and M by the morning--dispatch.]
When made up is i From !!hut When 1
PLACES. General Post-office' Port tr due. i
................,
—...—.---------
.-, . !LivorPeel •• Arrived
London: I P......"....„.t4b.". ............... 1
America (by Brit. pkt.)N Sept. 24 .• :. lwerpeal .. Sept. 14
America (by U.S. pkt.) N Sept. 10 " 'Southampt. Sept. 9
America (by U.S. pkt.) M Sept. 17
I ••
Australia (via South- , Tronthl,Southampt. Sept. 24
ofeaeh
ampton) .. .. .. M 20ta
to worith,Dover .. Sept. 19
Ditto (via Marseilles)
.....1 each mo .'Plymouth .. Sept. 29
Ditto, via C. of G. Hope N'2.-,ot we month 'Plymouth Uncertain
Africa (West coast).* ...,241.:8, gout of mo. Dover .. Sept. Is
Alexandria* ..... ••• 'i ,ily .. •• •• , Dover .. Daily
•• 0 D month (Southampt. Sept. 12
Belgium •• •• 3i,gth of the
,' Brazil •• " ~ zdiSth of the month Southampt. Sept. 12
N,24th out
Buenos Ayres ," ' ) mad &17th of month'; Southampt. Sept. 16
California(vis-j 17;14th of the month Plymouth.. Aug. 29
Cape of Good moPa
..
N 2d of the month .. Plymouth.. Aug. 29
N 7th 17th 27th of mo Dover .. Aug. 30
CCoanspetandetinVeer;**:..". 1,f,2d & 17th of mon. Southampt. Arrived
Central Are.,f''.... .. N Mon., Wed., & Fri., Southampt. Tn. Th. Sat
Channel -im- .. .M2d & 17th of ninth ;Southampt. Sept. 16
Chili •• ... ~ Mt N; Twice daily .. .. !Dover • • Pwicedaily
Prartee. .: ~ .. N 7th 17th27th of mo Dover •• Sept. 19
Greece .. .... N Tucesandaesy.&B,Psriadtaray.itoonaddoonn ..
.. TsnuriesiTSbault.s
Ilamburgu _
11 w
frolland .. ..
. N,l7th of the mouth Southampt. Aserpritv.eld,
'fondants • • ••
irehuid .. .. Mit N, Twice daily .. .. J Holyhead .. Twieedaily
Indla(via Southamp.) M 20th of the month'Southanapt. Sept. 24
India (via Marseilles) N tith&24th efmonth' Dover ..
India, via C. of G. Elope N 14th of month Plymouth.. jAug. 29
Mauritius .. .. .. N 14th of month Plymouth .. !Aug. 29
Mediterranean (via 1
Southampton) .. M 20th of the month Sonthampt. Aug, 28
Mediterranean (via j
Marseilles) .. .. N,Bth&24thofmonth Dover ..
Mexico .. .. .. M2d of the month.. Southampt., krriy,d
Madeira .. .. .. DI j9th of the month Southampt. -sept. -1-2
r '7th,l7th,l9th,27th 1
•* .. .• Ni\,s&th3l°sthth°2fstraffthmo Dove
:aalpta:s .... .. S Dover Sept. 19
mhoofaratho Dover
Peru .. .. • • .. II 2d & 17th of math Srioorit,th
Papalrenins Stiltsate.s.* .... ....
bill:7sthilill7stthh227stthheoff mmoo
sDoonvtherra :: Sept.
1 1
Mpt. 'Sept. 16
Southampt. ISept. 1
Tuscany*
.. „, ..
NN 51tilithl5otfhtt5et
West Indies • • -, uu&ampt. i AS7rtiv. ell
, SOuthampt.
West Indies (except
thus marked (*) are conveyed by
Havanna & Nassau) 11.1 2d of the month ..
FrenTchheDamailckets riethMoorsese countriesillos.

Dispatches were received, on Saturday, from the
Govqnor of Gibraltar, at the Colonial-office.

WEST INDIA AND MEXICAN MAILS.
Captain The Royal
Weller, Mailv
mails, arrived this morning et eight o'clock.
She left St. Thomas on the 17th ult , and conse-
quently has been about eighteen days on the 'outage.
Her dates are :—Vera Cruz, August 4; Havannah,
t h Company'sthe SOUTHAMPTON,
West
lena mdi -as
andip SUNDAY..SIe
Mexican dw a y,
9; St, Martha, 9; Grey Tovvn, 1; Carthagena, 10 ;
Chagres, 9 ; Yucamel, 12 ; Georgetown, 9 ; Tobago,
8 ; Port of Spain, 9 ; Barbadoes, 11 ; Grenada, 10 ;
St. Vincent, 11; Martinique, 12 ; Antigua, 12 ; Ja-
maks, 11 ; St. Kitt's, 13; St. Thomas, 17.
The freight of the Medway comprised 1,163,736
dollars, of which, it was believed, 74 000 were on
account of the Mexican dividends, 218 bales of to-
bacco, 611 Barons of cochineal, 62 cases of cigars, 10
half barrels of arrow-root, 174 bales of sarsaparilla,
10 barrels of copper ore, 45 bales of indigo, 89 barrels
of pork, and a number of packages of general mer-
chandise. She brought 126 passengers.