The Sun.
London, England, 1863-02-21 00:00:00

placed, with serious injury to the large interests
which bind the two countries ; and finally, as a
proof of the full confidence which it has in the jus-
tice of its cause—will be ready, in ratification of
what is stated in the note of the 29th Dec. last, re-
specting the question of the ship Prince of Wales,
to issue proper orders to the Minister of Brazil in
London, to the effect that he pay there, under pro-
test, in the terms of the said note, the sum which
the Government of her Britannic ajesty shall re-
quire. And with respect to the officers of the fri-
gate Forte, accepting the intimation made by Mr.
Christie in his note of the Ist inst., of an arbitra-
tion, the Imperial Government will take care to in-
form Mr. Christie of the selection of an arbitrator
who may judge that question ; it being understood
that such arbitration shall have to take cognisance,
not of the duty of the Imperial Government to put
the laws of the country into execution, but only
whether, in the mode of applying these laws to the
officers of the Forte, there might have been any
offence to the British navy. Those declarations
shall not take effect until the reprisals shall
have ceased, and the prizes taken shall be released.
Lastly, I must apprise Mr. Christie that if, contrary
to what is to be expected, her Britannic Majesty's
Government does not acquiesce in this arrangement,
the Imperial Government will maintain its original
position,which is, that it will not surrender the ho-
nour and dignity of the nation, however it may de-
plore the evils that may result from this resolution."
The British Minister, in reply to this note, said
as follows Your Excellency may be assured that
the reprisals will cease from this moment, and that
Admiral Warren will issue orders to release the
prizes without delay. The Imperial Government,
for reasons which, without doubt, it considers plau-
sible, has preferred to pay, under protest, what may
be demanded in the question of the Prince of Wales,
to the adoption of the suggestion which I made, to
submit the question also to an arbitration."
The British Minister said, however, in the same
note, that " her Britannic Majesty's Government
will be at liberty to accept or to refuse the proposal
of arbitration in the question of the Forte."
Reprisals having in feet ceased, and the prizes
being released, and thus the chief condition con-
tained in the note of the Imperial Government
having been fulfilled, the undersigned has received
orders from his Government to address the Right
Hon. Lord Russell, in order to learn from his Ex-
cellency if the Government of her Majesty the
Queen is disposed to ratify the arrangements made
in the terms of the said notes of the sth January be-
tween the Imperial Government and the British
Legation, relative to the questions which this ar-
rangement was intended to solve.
If in the affirmative the undersigned has received
instructions to declare to her Britannic Majesty's
Government that his Majesty the King of Belgium
is the arbitrator chosen by his Majesty the Emperor.
to decide whether, in the mode of applying the law
to the officers of the Forte there might have been
any offence to the British navy. And the Imperial
Government firmly trusts that her Majesty's Go-
vernment will not hesitate to accept the choice of
hie Majesty the Emperor, as it has fallen upon his
Majesty the King of Belgium.
Finally, as to the question of the ship Prince of
Wales, the undersigned is authorised, by his Go-
vernment declining to enter into any liquidation,
and under the protests in the terms of the note of
the Imperial Government to the British Legation,
dated the 29th December, to deliver to her Britannic
Majesty's Government, in a cheque upon the Bank
of England, whatever sum the Government of her
Britannic Majesty may demand in this case.
In making this communication to the Right Hon.
Earl Russell, the undersigned requests his Excel-
lency to be pleased to inform him of the resolution
of her Britannic Majesty's Government in respect
to the arrangements made by the said notes of the
sth January ; as also if it accepts the arbitrator
proposed by his Majesty the Emperor of Brazil.
The undersigned earnestly hopes for the solution
which the importance of the affair requires, and
akes, &c.,

C. MOREIRA.

(Signed)

•.••••••M••••I.••

EARL RUSSELL TO M. MOREIRA.
Foreign-office, Feb. 12, 1863.
The undersigned, her Majesty's principal Secre-
tary of State for Foreign Affairs, in reply to the
note of the Envoy Extraordinary and Minister
Plenipotentiary of his Majesty the Emperor of Bra-
zil, has the honour to inform him that her Majesty's
Government accept the arrangement agreed to by
an exchange of notes between the Marquis of
Abrantes and Mr. Christie ; that her Majesty's Go-
vernment will fix, as soon as possible , the amount
which they consider a just indemnity in the case of
the Prince of Wales; that they agree to refer to an
arbitrator the question relating to the officers of the
Foite, in the terms proposed by the Brazilian Go-
vernment, viz., whether, in the mode of applying
the laws of Brazil to the officers of the Forte, there
has been any
offence to the British navy. And,
finally, her Majesty's Government accept the King
of the Belgians as arbitrator, if his Majesty will
deign to consent to act as such.
Her Majesty's Government having accepted the
terms agreed upon, at Rio Janeiro, are unwilling to
discuss the terms of the protest of the Brazilian
Government.

The Brazilian Government are persuaded that
they have right on their side; her Majesty's Go-
vernment have a similar persuasion in a contrary
sense. But her Majesty's Government wish rather
to cultivate good relations for the future than to
prolong a controversy as to the past with the go-
vernment of the Emperor of Brszil, which has in
so many respects a title to the friendship of the
British Government.—The undersigned, &c.
(Signed) RUSSELL,

THE GREAT EASTERN.—LIVERPOOL, Feb. 20.—
The important operation of placing the Great Eastern
upon a temporary gridiron on the Cheshire shore, for the
purpose of repairing her hull, was successfully performed
to-day, under the direction of Captain Paton, and in pre-
sence of some of the local directors. The gridiron or plat-
form upon which the vessel rests was formed of immense
baulks of timber, which lay fore and aft of the river, in
order that the inward and outward wash of the tide may
not change her position. Early this morning steam was
got up on board the vessel, which proceeded as far as Rock
Ferry, and after some little delay she was brought over the
gridiron, where she settled down as the tide fell, with her
head rather in the direction of the Cheshire shore. She will
be supported in an upright position by shores of the strongest
character, after the plan ad3pted in the graving docks.
The repairs will be conducted at low water with perfect
safety and comfort. The timber floor or gridiron was con-
structed by Mr. M'Cormick, M.P. The whole of the opera-
tions connected with the beaching of-the vessel and the con-
struction of the platform were carried out with the greatest
skill and rapidity.

ELOPEMENT EXTRAORDINARY.—The Dumbarton
_Herald gives an account of an elopement from
that town—the erring fair one being not a blooming
maiden in her teens, but a staid matron of 53 years,who had
brought her husband a goodly family of 13 children. She
had cast a longing eye upon a young fellow who had lived
with her as a lodger, and he, on his part, seems not to have
rejected the tender advances of the lady. An understand-
ing having been come to, the ill-assorted pair took advan-
tage of the husband's absence to strip the house of every-
thing valuable that could easily be removed, not forgetting
the husband's best suit of apparel, and having got the
things exchanged at their " uncle's" for current coin of the
realm, went away on their wedding tour no one knew
whither. The ill-used husband applied to the police, but
they, of course, could do nothing in the matter. When the
finances wear out, the soulless rascal will doubtless leave
the foolish woman to repent at her leisure, and to find her
way back to her husband in the bast way she may.