The Sun.
London, England, 1863-11-10 00:00:00

THE lONIAN ISLANDS.

We take the following from a correspondence in
the Levant Herald :

CORFU, Oct. 19.—The Legislative Assembly having by
their address in reply to the speech of his Excellency the
Lord High Commissioner, declared for the cessation of the
Protectorate of Great Britain, and the perfect and absolute
union of the lonian Islands with the kingdom of Greece
under the crown of his Majesty the King of the 'fel/arms,
George I. and his successors—the annexation may now be
regarded as a fail accompli, The Powers who are parties to
the treaty of 1815 will have to be formally consulted; but
it is believed that the revised treaty is already prepared, and
will be signed without delay. To celebrate the event the
people of Corfu have held three days' festival (Thursday,
Friday, and Saturday, the Sth, 9th, and 10th), during
which time business was nearly entirely suspended ; Te
Deunts were sung in the churches ; an address to the Queen
was presented to the Lord High Commissioner ; processions
of the clubs and societies, and the peasants from the different
villages, who came in great numbers, with bands of m.lsic
and flags, walked about the town ; bay leaves scattered by
fair hands fell on them as they passed; and as they walked
along the esplanade and under the arch of St. Michael, with
the Greek clergy and the Metropolitan Archbishop in full
canonicals, in the rear, the sight was very imposing; every-
body came in for a share of the zetos, and the greatest enthu-
siasm prevailed. On the following Sanday night there was
a general illumination—the various clubs vied with each
other to do honour to the occasion, and crowds of people
walked through their rooms, which, in most instances, were
tastefully decorated.

The greatest diversity of opinion exists as to the time that
will elapse before the English civil and military establish-
ments are withdrawn, and even the gentlemen connected
with these departments differ in their opinion as much as
the public themselves. The periods named range from three
weeks to two years ; the former impossible, the latter per-
fectly unnecessary. An occupation of nearly half a century
is not to be terminated very quickly; many matters which
have been put off must now be settled, and there are large
quantities of stores to be removed. The best informed, how-
ever, think that six months will be sufficient for the pur-
pose. England is certainly manifesting the greatest liberality
towards the lonians; for the Government have expressed
their readiness to give an acquittance in full for the sum of
£90,289 ss. 7d. now owing to Great Britain for arrears of
military centribution, when the Legislative Assembly shall
have declared the Government of her Majesty quit and free
of all claims on the part of the lonian Islands. It is
rumoured that a reply was received by telegraph from
England yesterday to the application of the Assembly re-
specting the fortifications, to the effect that all questions re-
lating thereto would have to be decided by the European
Powers.

A telegram was received last Thursday morning, direct-
ing H.M.S. Orlando to proceed to the Pirams, and she
steamed out of the harbour early in the afternoon.