The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-27 00:00:00

Course of Exchange,"--Yesterday,

Amsterdam
Ditto
Rotterdam — 12 01 12 1
Antwerp ... 25 571 25 65
Brussels — 25 67!_ 25 65
Hamburgh
Paris ... Short. 25 20 25 30
Ditto
Marseilles — 25 65 25 70
Frankfort on Maine —120 k
Vienna
Trieste
Petersburgh
Berlin —
.....

Madrid
Cadiz
Leghorn I
Milan
Genoa
Naples
Palermo
Messina
Lisbon
Oporto

43 48i
484
25 70 2b 75
25 72f 25 77/
25 72i 25 774
25 75 25 80
25 75 25 SO
25 75 25 SO
511 52
51i 621

The Price of Gold.

The quotation of gold at Paris is about 2i per mile pm., and
the short exchange on London is 25.20 per £1 sterling. On
comparing these rates with the English Mint price of £3
17s. 100. per ounce for standard gold, it appears that gold hi
rather more than 1-10th per cent. dearer in Paris than is
London.

By advices from Hamburg the price of gold is 425 per mar
and the short exchanV on London is 13.5 k per £1 sterling.
Standard gold at the English Mint price is, therefore, about
3-10 the per cent, dearer in London than in Hamburg.

The Directors of the National Bank have issued
their half-yearly report. The accounts, which are
brought down to the 39th Jane last, show that, in
addition to the £500,000 profit on the issue of new
shares the nett ordinary profits of the Bank for that
period amounted to £89,567 ls. In estimating the
progress of the Bank this sum has to be compared
with a profit of L 49,067 15s 10d, which was the
amount earned for the corresponding half-year of
1863. The Directors have, however, declared their
ordinary and extraordinary dividends at the same
rates as on the last occasion, feeling that until new
and old shares shall stand up to an c qual amount, viz.,

£3O per share, it will be more equitable to accu•
mulate in the reserve fund the amount of profits
realised in excess of the rates of dividends latterly
paid. For the half-year ending the 30th June the
dividend on the old shares is therefore declared at
the:rate of 8 per cent. per annum, with an extra
dividend of 16s per share, making together £2 per
sham for the half-year, and the dividend on the
new shares is declared in grose at 6s 8d per share,
the dividends on both being free of income tax.
The increase to the Rest or undivided profits (in-
cluding the premium on new shares) will therefore,
after the payment of these dividends, amount on,
the half-year to £542,900 7s Bd.

THE RIGHT OF MIGH7.-A remarkable case oc4
curred recently at New York, Col. Arguelles, Lieut-

tenant-Governor of the district of Colon, in Cuba, captured
a large cargo of African negroes illegally landed within that
district, and received his share of the usual prize money
allowed. Subsequently he obtained Jeave of absence for the
purpose of proceeding to New York on private business.
The Captain-General of Cuba represented that after the de-
parture of Arguelles it was discovered that he had retained
and sold into slavery 140 of the negroes, and that the Supe-
rior Court required his presence to warrant their prompt
liberation. There has never been any extradition treaty
between Spain and the United States, but nevertheless the
Spanish Minister at Washington asked, "in the interests of
humanity, and considering the gross and scandalous outrage
committed," that Arguelles should be surrendered to the
authorities of Cuba. President Lincoln holding Cm be saYg
in reporting the transaction to Congress) that "a notion is
t she was in
never bound to furnish asylum to dangerous criminals, who
are offenders against the human race," and believing this
to
o ben
boardseized 'ea Cubanu and
not
to be a case for the exercise cf comity towards a foreign
tGaoleveenrnbmefoe rnet,aolredgearletdriColonel
ut eoo Arguellesysy
steamer. The arrest was effected as he
the
thaaniber of his
Plan6dgeestination
wife, and the affair wag
ignorance of his condition
pr the until some days
afterwards she learnt both ft orn Spanish Minister at
Washington. 'The iraahingtott „bltelligeneer maintains that
it has always been held "that the President has no right to
arrest any one excepi for the violation of our own laws," if
there is no extradition treaty and Act of Congress enforcing
it. The Few York, Vorld alleges that the key to the trans-
action is has committed that Colonel Arguelles
indiscretions
at New Yoik, and has exposed too much the complicity
of the captain-General himself in the slave traffic, inso-
much that the latter said, " I must have that man dead or
alive." Mr. Lincoln had him delivered on board alive.
TUE WAR IN NEW ZEALAND.—MAORI PRI-
SONERS.—Our prisoners of war, to the number of
197, are confined in the Marion hulk. Those who saw them
when they were first brought in from Rangiriri would
hardly recognise in these robust, plump-looking, Maories
the lean, hungry, dejected looking kine who were marched
down from the front a few months ago very like a coral:ten,'
of beggars, and of whom wo could scarcely believe that
there were among them chiefs and celebrities, such as
the great landed proprietor of Waikato. The civilising
influence of good living and the observance of proper
their
sani-
tary arrangements have had a wonderful effect upo
men,
n
condition. A large proportion of them are young
who were probably training for warriors, and most Of thou:,
seem very indifferent to their misfortunes. Very few of
them are maimed. Some are of such light complexions
that they might be taken for half-castes. The y occupy
themselves a good deal with draughts, or El Maori adapta-
tion of the game, and several smake when they can get- a
present of tobacco. They have a religious service morning
and evening, a native monitor (a prisoner) officiating. The
guard consists of 50 men of Captain lirippner's company
of Waikato militiamen.—&dhern Cron,

IBM SELAL PARLIAKENT
nousE OF LORDS—Last Evening,
The I AORD C HA NCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack at
Eve o'ci Dck.