The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-04 00:00:00

NORTH A MERICAN INDIANS.

General Pope writes from head-quarters at St.
Paul to the Governor of Minesota that, in accord-
ance with the wishes of the citizens, he shall in-
crease the force of 7,000 men he proposed to keep in
the north-west for the protection of the country
during the winter, and to be ready for a vigorous
campaign in the spring ; and he proceeds to say :
" I have proposed to the Government to disarm and
remove entirely from the State all the annuity
Indians and all other Indians now within its boun-
daries ; to place them where they can no longer
impede the progress of the settlements nor endanger
the settlers ; during the campaign of next summer
to seize and dispose of all the Indians upon whom
we can lay our hands in like manner, so that the
lines of travel and emigration shall be secure to the
smallest parties; to treat all Indians—as the late
outrages and many previous outrages have demon-
strated to be the only safe and humane me:Shod—as
irresponsible persons, to occupy nearly the saw) re-
lation to the Government as lunatics do to the State
authorities; the Government to feed and clothe
them cheaply ; and for that purpose use the annui-
ties now paid them and the proceeds of the sale of
their reservations ; to pay no more annuities, and
give the Indian no more arms or weapons by which
he can be dangerous. By this mode of treatment a
great barrier,Which has been constantly accumulat-
ing by the removal periodically of Indian tribes,
and their location along our borders, will be at
once lifted away, and the whole region to the Rocky
Mountains will in a short time be open to emigra-
tion, travel, and settlement. By this policy also
the Indian, being deprived of his arms, and of the
power of indulging his habits of wandering restless-
ness, and removed from the association of gamblers,
whisky-sellers, and unprincipled white men and
half-breeds, will be brought to a condition where
Christianity and education can best be brought to
bear upon him, and where some hope of success will
be offered to the missionary and instructor in their
humane labours. . . . The Sioux prisoners en-
gaged in the late outbreak will be executed unlees
the President forbids it, which from the tone of his
despatches I am sure he will not de

THE STEAMER WHITE SWAN.

OFFICIAL REPORT.

A naval court assembled at the committee room of the
House of the Representatives of the General Assembly at
Wellington, New Zealand, July 17, 18, and 19, 1862—pre-
sident, John. T. Swann, Esq., Senior Lieut. of H.M.S.
Harrier. Members—Henry C. Sedmond, Esq., Master of
H.M.S. Harrier; Captain Jacob Care, master of the British
merchant ship Blanch; Captain John Halliday, harbour
master of Wellington ; W. B. Rhodes, H.M.P., merchant,
of Wellington.
The Court, pursuant to an order from Sir M. M'Gregor,
B art„ commander of H.M.S. Harrier, and senior officer in
New Zealand, dated 15th July, 1862, proceeded to hear and
investigate the cause of the wreck of the British merchant
steamer White Swan, near Flatpoint, on the east coast of the
northern island of New Zealand,en the 29th June,lB62 ; and
having heard read the narrative of the master of the White
Swan relative to the case, and examined the officers, the
crew, and some of the passengers ; and having deliberately
weighed and considered the said narrative, and the whole
of the evidence brought forward, the court is of opinion that
—Firstly. The ship was steered too close to the land during
the night. Secondly. The vessel struck on a rock or reef.
Thirdly. Sufficient caution was not taken in conducting the
navigation of the ship—in the first place, in not using the com-
mon log as a cheek on the patent log , and in the second
place, in not using either the deep-sea or hand leads, at the
short distance the ship was off the land. Fourthly. The
boats were not properly prepared for an emergency, being
deficient in oars and thole pins. Fifthly. The number of
seamen on deck appeared to be insufficient for the naviga-
tion of the ship, there being only three in the watch in
addition to the officer. Sixthly. After the fore
compartment had been found full of water in
Auckland, the well should have been sounded more
frequently than it was, viz., once or sometimes twice in 24
hours. Seventhly. That from the evidence before the
Court, the distance from the land must have been much less
than as stated by master and Mr. Wm. D. Hall, chief mate,
the Court being of opinion that it could not have been more
than one mile, or a mile and a half. Rightly. A very great
discrepancy exists in the master's evidence, inasmuch as he
stated to the Court that the patent log showed in the middle
watch an average of nine knots, whereas from his positions
as laid down in the chart, by bearings at 2 a.m. and 4 a.m.,
it would appear that she had gone 40 miles in these two hours
Ninthly. The Court cannot reconcile the fact that a man
should be capable of commanding a steamer, and not know
the difference between his two compasses within half a
point. Tenthly. From the evidence we have received of the
ship's antecedents, from the mere partiaLrepair she had at
Melbourne, we aro of opinion, especially after her defect in
Auckland, that although surveyed at Auckland the vessel
could not have been in a thoroughly efficient state. In con-
clusion, from the master' a verbal statement,
his '
antecedents
are good, but he had no certificates to show from the owners
f the different ships he had served in, having lost them in
the White Swan. And tho Court are
of opinion that blame
is to be attributed to the said Allen Augustus Harper, late
Master of the White Swan, for not having been more con-
stantly on dock, ..pc.,-.;att, .t.Artui; elosety to land;
but, from the time the vessel str...,a to the time the pas-
sengers were landed, the conduct of the master, as well as
that of the officers and crew, was deserving of all praise.
Given under my hand at Wellington, New Zealand, this
19th day of July, 1862. JoHN T. SWANN,
Lieutenant of H.M.S. Harrier, and President
of Naval Court.

The Opinione Natzonalc states that the second
edition of M. Michelet's new book, the Sorciere, has been
interdicted.

Ali the accounts from Augsburg agree in giving
a gloomy account of the young Queen of Francis 11. She
is said to be in a greater state of moral and physical prostra-
tion than before, and fears are entertained for her health.
Every entreaty is unavailing to induce her to return to the
ex-King.

SOUTH KENSINGTON MUSEUM.—During the
week ending Nov. 29 the visitors have been as follows :
On Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday, free days, open from
10 a.m. to 10 p.m., 9,505; on Wednesday, Thursday, and
Friday, students' days (admission to the public) 6d.), open
from 10 a.m. till 4 p.m., 1,210; total, 10,715. From the
opening of the museum, 3,608,226.
THE AMERICAN MAILS.—LIVERPOOL, Wednes-
day, 5 p.m.—The screw steamer City of Baltimore, from,
New York, has not arrived, being detained outside the port
by thick weather. The Inman steamship Edinburgh sailed
yesterday from Liverpool for New York. Besides a vain-
, able cargo she took out 40 cabin passengers.