The Sun.
London, England, 1839-03-26 00:00:00

vereor of New Br's/As iek will not deprive the Govern-
ment of Great Br;tatn of an opportunity of explaining,
before any more serious difficulties shall have occurred, or-
ders which he is believed to have misunderstood. In this
event alt immediate difficulties will disappear. The insu-
perable objection to the military occupation of the disputed
territory by Great Britain requires, in common fairness,
that no attempt of the kind should be made by Maine or
'he United States. Having accomplished her intention of
driving off or arresting the trespassers upon the Aroos-
took, and thus enforcing her laws, Maine will, it is not to
he doubted, he satisfied with this vindicatioe of her sove-
reignty, and withdraw the military force which is now in
arms to sustain the civil authority, and repel invasion.
" The Committee ought, perhaps, here to close this re-
port ; but the anxiety which they feel that no measure
should be left unemployed to preserve peace between the
United States and Great Britain, by removing, not only
temporarily, but.permanently, the causes of discontent be-
tween them, induces them to offer another recommendation
to the House. It is the expression of an opinion by the
House, sustained by a legislative provision, that a special
embassy should be sent to England for the purpose of co-
operating with the Resident Minister there in endeavouring
to adjust this long pending controversy. The precedents
for this measure in our history are numerous and encou-
raging.

The object of such an embassy is to express a deep
conviction on the part of the Government of the extreme
urgency of the case, and the absolute necessity of adjusting
existing difficulties. The ordinary forms of negotiation
appear insufficient to rouse the British Government to the
danger that the two nations may find themselves involved
in war, notwithstanding the desire of the Governments of
both to avoid it; and the step proposed would manifest to
the world, at all events, that the United States are sin-
cerely anxious to exert every means in their power to main-
tain the most amicable relations with a Government and
people so eminently entitled to the respect and regard of
every civilized nation on the globe."
The Bill for the Defence of the Country from Inva-
sion—such should be its designation, rather than that which
is too thoughtlessly given to it in the papers of a War Bill
—is a law of the land. It is subjoined.
It passed the nous° by all but six votes, and the Senate
unanimously. It substitutes, as will be seen, 51,000 volun-
teers, in case of need, for the regular force cf cavalry and
infantry, as originally reported. This looks as if Congress
did not expect any real contingency of danger to aribe ;
otherwise, the reliance upon volunteers for efficient and
protracted service would be unwise.

We have ro information as to who the Special Minister
to England is to be ; but ad the Resident Minister, Mr.
Stevenson, is a Southern man, his associate should, and
will, we presume, be a Northern mm.

LAW FOR THE DEFENCE OF THE UNITED
STATES.
An Act giving to the President of the United States
additional Powers for the Defence of the United States,
in certain cases, against Invasion, and for other purposes.
" Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Represen-
tatives of the United States of America in Congress as-
sembled, that the President of the United States be, and
he hereby is, authorized to resist any attempt on the part
of Great Britain to enforce, by arms, her claim to exclu-
sive jurisdiction over that part of the State of Maine which
is in dispute between the United States and Great Bri-
tain ; and for that purpose, to employ the naval and mili-
tary forces of the United States and such portions of the
militia as he may deem it advisable to call into service.
" Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, that the militia,
when called into the service of the United States by virtue
of this Act, or of the Act entitled An Act to provide for
calling forth the Militia to execute the laws of the Union,
suppress insurrection, repel invasion, and to repeal the Act
now in force for those purposes,' may, if in the opinion of
the President of the United States the public interests
require it, be eompelled to serve fur a term not exceeding
six months after the arrival at their place of rendezvous, in
any one year, unless sooner discharged.
" Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, that in the event of
actual invasion of the territory of the United States by
any foreign power, cr cf imminent danger of such inva-
sion discovered, in his opinion, to exist before Congress
can be convened to act upon the subject, the President
be, and he is hereby authorized, if he deem the same ex-
pedient, to accept the services of any number of volun-
teers not axceedieg 50,000, in the manner provided for in
an Act entitled An Act authorizing the President of the
United States to accept the services of Volunteers, and to
raise an additional regiment of Dragoons or mounted
Riflemen,' approved May 23, 1836.
" Sec. 4. And be it further enacted, that in the event of
either of the contingencies provided for in this Act the
President, of the United States shall be authorised to com-
plete the public armed vessels now authorized by law, to
equip, man, and employ in actual service, all the Naval
force of the United States; and to build, purchase, or
charter, arm' and equip ar.d man such vessel:, and steam.
boats on the Northern lakes and rivers whose waters com-
municate with the United States and Great Britain, as lie
shall deem necessary to protect the United States from
invasion from that quarter.
" Sec. 5. And be it further enacted, that the sum of
10,000,000 dollars is hereby appropriated and placed at his
disposal for the purpose of executing the provisions of this
Act; to provide for which the Secretary of the Treasury is
authorized to borrow money on the credit of the United
States, and to cause to be issued certificates of stock,
signed by the Registrar of the Treasury, for the sum to be
borrowed, or any part thereof; and the same to be sold
upon the best terms that may be offered after the public
notice for proposals for the same. Provided that no en-
gagement or contract shall be entered into which shall pre-
clude the United States from reimbursing any sum or sums
thus borrowed after the expiration of five years from the
Ist of January next; and that the rate of interest shall not
exceed 5 per cent., payable semi-annually.
" Sec. 6. And be it further enacted, that the sum of
18,000 dollars be, and the same is hereby appropriated, out
of any money in he Treasury not otherwise appropriated,
for outfit and salary of a special Minister to Great Britain;
provided the President of the United States shall deem it
expedient to appoint the same.
" See. 7. And be it further enacted, that in the event
of either of the contingencies provided for in the first
and third sections of this Act, the President of the United
States shall be authorized to apply a part not exceeding
1,000,000 dollars of the appropriation made
.in this Act
to repairing or arming fortifications along the seaboard
and frontier.
" Sect. 8. And be it further enacted, that whenever
militia or volunteers are called into the service of the
United States, they shall have the organization of tha
army of the United States, and shall receive the same pay
and allowances.
" Sec. 9. And be it further enacted, That the several
provisions of this Act shall be in force until the end of sixty
days after the meeting of the first session of the next Con-
_gress, and no longer.

" JAMES K. POLK,
". Speaker of the House of Representatives.
" WILLIAM R. KING,
" President pro tem. of the Senate.
" Approved, March 3, 1839.

" M.. VAN BUREN."

PROCEEDINGS IN CONGRESS.
Washington, March I.

MAINE WAR.
Mr. Buchanan called up his report from the CoMmittee
on Foreign Affairs.

Mr. Williams, of Maine, objected to one of the resolu-
tions. He thought it ought to go further, and that Maine
should be sustained directly.
Mr. Buchanan thought Maine ought to be satisfied.
Mr. Clay said that the General Government had been
tardy in her negotiations. She had done wrong by this
tardiness to Maine. She was right in driving the tres-
passers from the disputed territory. But no more than
this could Mr. Clay say in her defence. The General
Government could not and ought not to sustain Maine in
the declaration of war, no matter what the extent of her
wrongs. She could not plunge the nation into a war with
a foreign Government. " I hope never again to see
another' war," said Mr. Clay. What a spectacle should
we offer to the eyes of the civilized world I Men of the
same language, united by many tics of kindred and busi-
ness—what a spectacle should WC present at war, shedding
the blood of our species, merely for the sake of five or six
millions of acres of land I"
(Correspondence of the Journal of Commerce.)
Washington, March 3.

MAINE AND NEW BRUNSWICK.
The chief business of the day was the consideration of
the Bill for putting the country in a condition to repel in-
vasion. The debates were ardent and able. There have
been and are some differences of opinion as to the expe-
diency of adopting this measure, but I believe there would
not be a dissenting voice to a proposition for maintaining
our undoubted right to the disputed territory at all ha-
zards. There is not much apprehension that the matter
will come to that point, for it is believed that, though
Great Britain would be willing enough to keep the ter-
ritory, she would be reluctant to go to war for it. Mr.
Fox, her representative here, has expressed in the strongest
terms the indisposition of England to enter into any
war,
and especially with the United States. There is much to
be said, also, against going to war on an individual point,
but I am aware that the incident in this ease is. considered
as a practical assertion of. the ground assumed by Great
Britain in regal dto the main question. But very soon that
Ivo, the country,
will be brought to a test. The Administration will de-
mand a settlement of the question, and
will neither delay nor compromise its rights. In case the
British Government should interfere unavoidable delayds,
cr refuse to comply with our just claims, then we must, an
no doubt will, occupy the disputed territory, and let Great
Britain, if she pleases, declare war.
Mr. Johnson, of Maryland, moved to amend the Bill by
inserting a section authorising the President of the United
States to establish a national armoury for casting cannon,
&c. Mr. Johnson stated some remarkable facts in support
of his motion. He stated that we had 96 pieces of ord-
nance at our disposal. It would require three years' time
to prepare 300 pieces. But, according to an official report
which he held in his hand, 11,000 pieces of ordnance were
wanting to arm the forts in different parts of the country.
four,
Of large mortars we had but of 56 pounds ; but
France had a large number of 80 pounds. Before we blew
the trumpet of war so loudly, we ought to be prepared for
it. France had five national foundries, Russia three,
England many ; every nation, except the United States,
had some.
The motion was, however, lost.
Mr. Wise moved, to strike cut the section of the bill
which authorizes the president, in ease of invasion, or peril
of invasion, to raise a provisional army of 20,003 men and
it was carried—Yeas, 95; nays, 78' ,
But, in lieu of this an amendment was adopted, on mo-
tion of Mr. M‘Kay, authorizing the President, in case of
invasion, to accept the services of volunteers to a number
not exceedint. 50,000, to extend the time of militia service
to six month's, and add 3,000 men to the regular army. '
The blank for the sure to be borrowed by the President
was filled with 10,000,000 dollars.
Another amendment was adopted, authorising the Presi-
dent to apply 1,01)0,000 dollars to the repair of fortifica-
tions. The bill was finally ordered to be engrossed—yeas,
201, nays, 6; and it was read a third time and passed
71e711. Coll.