The Sun.
London, England, 1862-01-03 00:00:00

THE AMERICAN DIFFICULTY,

BIRMINGHAM, THURSDAY NIGHT.
A public meeting has been held in the Town-hall here
to-night to consider the propriety of urging upon the Go-
vernment to have recourse to arbitration, instead of an
immediate declaration of war, in the event of a serious dis-
agreement occurring with the *United States.
The meeting had been convened by the Mayor, upon a
requisition signed chiefly by the friends of the Peace Party.
At the time the Mayor took the chair at 7 o'clock ther were
about 2,000 persons present, but the number gradually in-
creased to nearly 6,000.

Mr. Alderman BALDWIN moved a resolution to the effect
"That the meeting declared its opinion that the present
occasion is a fitting one on which to carry out a declaration
assented to by the Congress of Paris in 1866, recommending
that in any States between which a serious disagreement
should thereafter arise before appealing to force, recourse
should be had to the good offices of some friendly Power."
Mr. G. DIXON, Vice-President of the Chamber of Com-
merce, seconded the resolution.

Mr. EVERARD, a working-man, moved a resolution to
the effect that the meeting had confidence in her Majesty's
Government, and left the settlement of the American ques-
tion in their hands.

Mr. TAYLOR, a factor, seconded the amendment.
After several gentlemen had addressed the meeting,
Mr. BROORESMITH moved a verbal alteration in the ori-
ginal resolution, to the effect that the present occasion
" may be" a fitting one.

This having been seconded, and the promoters of the
orignal resolution agreeing to accept it.
The MAYOR then proceeded to put it as so amended, but
the audience had become confused, and when the show of
hands was taken it was evident the meeting were unaware
for which resolution they were voting.
The MAYOR declared the original resolution, as amended,
to be carried.

Upon this an immense storm of disapprobation arose, and
lasted a long time.

Dr. MELSOM, a borough magistrate, came to the front of
the gallery, and said that the meeting had been " hocus-
pocussed," though he did not intend( to impute blame to the
Mayor, and it was quite certain that his worship did not
intend to act unfairly.

The meeting continued, however, to vehemently protest
against the expression of its opinion as declared by the
Mayor. Ultimately it was agreed that a second vote
should be takes on the main question.
Mr. EVERARD came forward and moved the following :
"That this meeting highly approves of the prompt and
manly conduct of Lord Palmerston. Earl Russell, and the
Cabinet in this trying international emergency, and at the
same time trusts that this quarrel may bo honourahly ter-
minated without war."

Dr. MELSOM seconded the resolution, which was sup-
ported by the Rev. E. W. DALE.
On a show of hands being taken, the MAYOR declared it
to be carried by an overwhelming majority.
A memerial was subsequently proposed by the framers of
the arbitration resolution, but was lost by an immense ma-

jority.
The proceedings did not close till after 11 o'clock.

THE sUTTORINA AP7AIB.

The Tournal de Petersbourg publishes the
despatch addrased by the Russian Government to
that of Austria respecting the entrance of Austrian
troops into the Suttorma to destroy certain bat-
teries that had been erected there by the Monte-
negrins. It is as follows:
" To M. DE BALABINE.

64 St. Petersburg. Dec. 10, 1861.
....

"Sir,—His Majesty the Emperor has learnt with sorrow
the determination which the Austrian Government has
taken and carried out in the Suttorina. Our august master
flatters himself with the belief that in having recourse to so
summary a mode of proceeding without having first con-
sulted the Courts who signed th eT reaty of Paris, the Cabinet
of Vienna had not the intention of infringing the stipulations
of that treaty, by which the Great Powers are interdicted
from any isolated action in affairs which concern Turkey.
Nevertheless, without calling in doubt the intentions of the
Austrian Government, it could not escape its observation
that, in deviating from that rule by the line of conduct it
has thought fit to pursue, it has made a precedent of a
nature to weaken an essential principle entered into public
law, as a guarantee of the repose of the East and of the
security of Europe. When facts lead to such a result they
cannot be called insignificant. We do not think that the
weak works of defence erected on the territory of the
Suttorina were of a nature to threaten the communica-
tions betwesn the Austrian possessions in such manner
as to give a character of urgency to the measure taken by
the Vienna Cabinet, and the moral effect of that measure,
which, by the interpretations to which it gives rise weakens
the already so critical position of the populations worthy
in every respect of the pity of Christian Europe, makes us
the more regret that it was taken without a preliminary
understanding with the Cabinets, an understanding which
would have fixed its real signification.

" You are requested, Sir, not to leave Count de Rech-
berg in ignorance of this impi•eseion of our august Master,
and to declare to him that the Imperial Cabinet has not
ceased to regard itself as responsibly bound to the principle
which excludes all isolated intervention in the affairs of
Turkey. "Accept, Sir, &c.,
GORTSCHAXOFF."

BAA'A OF ENGLAND.

An Account, pursuant to t:
cap. 32, for the week ending
of Jan., 1862 :

,he Act 7th and Bth Victoria.
on Wednesday, the Ist day

rites issued .......fgg21,3216'1,

'ARTMENT.

Government Debt £11,015,100
Other Securities .. 1634,900
Gold Coin & Bullion 15,142,265
Silver Bullion ....

£29,792,265

£29,-92,265
BANKING DEPARTMENT.
Proprietors' Capi- Government Seen-
tal £14.553,000 rities (including
Rest
Public Depo sits (in- nuity) £11,561,672
eluding Exche- Other Securities 18,761,058
quer, Savings' Notes
Banks, Commis- Gold and Silver
missioners of Na- Coin
tional Debt, and
Dividend Ac-

819,174

counts) 7,315.833
Other Deposits 15,036,062
Seven Day and
other Bills

652,650

£40,768.629
(Signed) M. 3

£40,768,620
RSTIALL, Chief Cashier.

Jan. 2, 1862.

THIS DAY'S SHIPPING.

LONDON, Jan. 3.—Wind— this day at noon—South•
Westerly; moderate breeze, and cloudy weather, with
slight rain.
QUEENSTOINIq, Jan. 2.—Arrived—Lilian, from Alex-
andria; Adelaide, steamer, from London for St. John's,
New Brunswick.

OFF atrnsT CASTLE, Jan. 2.—Arrived—Oneida, steamer,
from Brazils.
CLYDE, Jan. 2.—Wind W.—Arrived—Viola, from Mon-
treal.

AGES OF THE NOBILITY.—We find from "Who's
Who" in 1862 that the oldest Duke is the Duke of Cleve-
land,
whose age is 73, the youngest is the Duke of Norfolk,
ag« d 14 ; the oldest Marquis is the Marquis of Lansdowne,
81, the youngest the Marquis of Ely, 12 ; the oldest Earl is
the Earl of Charlemont, 86, the youngest the Earl of Char-
leville, 9 ; the oldest Viscount is Viscount Combermere,
88, the youngest Viscount Downe, 17; the oldest Baron is
Lord Sinclair, 93, the youngest Lord Rossmore, 10; the
oldest Archbishop is the Archbishop of Armagh, 88, the
youngest the Archbishop of York, 67 ; the oldest Bishop is
the Bishop of Exeter, 84, the youngest the Bishop of Glo-
cester and Bristol, 42 ; the oldest Colonial Bishop is the Bi-
shopof Toronto, 82, the youngest the Bishop of Madras, 41 ;
the oldest Privy Councillor is Lord Lyndhurst, the youngest
Earl Spencer, 26 ; the oldest member of the House of Com-
mons is Sir Charles M.Burrell (the member for Shoreham),
87, the youngest Mr. R. A. Vyner (the member for Ripon),
22 ; the oldest judge in England is Dr. Lushington, 79, the
youngest Mr. Baron Wilde, 45; the oldest judge in Ireland
is Chief Justice Lefroy, 85, the youngest Mr. Justice
Keogh, 44 ; the oldest judge in Scotland is Lord W00d,73,
the youngest the Lord Justice Clerk, 51; the oldest
baronet is Sir Tatton Sykes, 89, the youngest Sir Gren-
ville L. J. Temple, 3; the oldest knight is General Sir
James L, Caldwell, G.C.8., 91, the youngest Sir Charles
T. Bright, 29.
THE NEW POST-OFFICE AT EDINBURGIL—The
foundation stone of this building was laid by the Prince
Consort on the 3d of October, but the commencement of
operations was deferred, owing to some unsettled points of
detail relating to the contract. The expression of her Ma-
jesty's wish that every public work in which her Royal
Consort had taken part should be actively prosecuted, has
stimulated the Board of Works to make an immediate be-
ginning; and accordingly on Tuesday, the last day of the
year, a body of men were employed to clear the site. The
contractor is Mr. George Roberts, and the estimate is about
£50,000. A, proposal has been made which is likely to find
great favour, that a statue or other monument to the late
Prince Consort should be erected in front of the new build-
ing. A great desiro is felt in Edinburgh that some memo-
rial should be raised to the deceased Prince in the Scotch
capital, which his Royal Highness had so often visited, and
in many of the institutions of which he had taken deep in-
terest. A more central and conspicuous site could not be ob-
tained than that which has been suggested, and as the cere-
monial of founding the building was one of the last acts of
the Prince's public life there seems a peculiar appropriate-
ness in the selection.

It appears that the amount raised by Government
for fortifications during the past quarter is £350,000. This
was obtained by the creation of terminable annuities, which
are supposed to have, been absorbed by the savings banks.
It is thought that about £1,000,000 has now been raised out
of the £2,000,000 originally authorised.

From Bogota, New Grenada, the dates are to
November 14. Public affairs were tending towards peace.
Panama had acknowkdged the'new regime, but Antioquia
still held out.