The Sun.
London, England, 1862-02-13 00:00:00

THE EDUCATION MINUTE.

Earl GR ANVILLE said in making the explanation, he
had stated his intention of doing with respect to the new
educational minute, he could not but notice the verylstrong
feeling that existed on the subject. The noble lord having,
referred to the state of education some few years ago, pro-
ceeded to notice the painful points in the new code of re •
gulations, and also the interest the noble lord (Lyttelton)
had taken on the subject. The new code, he thought, was
well calculated to realise the best results. All old grants
for educational purposes were by it swept away, and in
place of which a capitation grant was made, which
would result in giving the greatest advantage to
those who undertook the responsible task of educating the
your g. The capitation grant would not Is paid
merely on the number of attendants at schools, but
the degree of proficiency of the pupils would be taken
into consideration. He fully anticipated that in the event
of the revised code being found acceptable, the grants to be
made to schools under it would, in a short time, be found
to amount to quite as much as that obtained under
the old system, while an enormous increase of usefulness
and success would be the result, With regard to the reli-
gious point, upon which so much staess had been laid, he
did not look upon it as an objection, because in the new
code there was no alteration as far as religion was concerned.
]LEFT SPEAKING.]

HOUSE OF COMMONS—THIS EVENING.
The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.
THE REVISED CODE OF EDUCATION.
Several petitions were presented from different parts of
the country, and several learned and corporate bodies,
praying for a regulation or modification of the Revised Code.
NEW WRIT—IRISH LORD OF THE TREASURY.
On the motion of Mr. BRAND, a new writ was ordered
for the election of a Knight of the Shire for the borough of
Longford, in the room of Colonel Luke White, who had
accepted office as one of her Majesty's Commissioners of
Treasury.
EAST INDIA (G►ODAVERY) BILL.
Mr. .1. B. SMITH moved au address for copy of the
minutes and correspondence of the Secretary of State for
India, the Governor General of India, and the Go-
vernors of Madras, relating to the opening up of the
navigation of the River Godavery to Berar, from the Ist
day of January, IS6O, to the present time ; and of the re-
ports and correspondence of the engineers and others em-
ployed on the works for the same period.—Agreed to.

COLONIAL AND MILITARY EXPENDITURE.
Mr. A. MILLS gave notice that be would call the atten-
tion of the house at an early day to this subject.

ACCIDENTS IN MINES.
Mr. H. B. SHERIDAN asked the Secretary of State for
the Home Department whether, with reference to the recent
calamitous accident at the Hattley Coalpit, he had received
any information from the Inspectors of Mines with refe-
rence to the necessity of there being two shafts to each
working mine?
Sir G. GREY said that when the report of the Govern-
ment on this subject was ready, it would be laid on the table.

THE MERCHANT SHIPPING ACT.
Sir H. STRACEY inquired of the President of the
Board of Trade on what day he proposed to introduce his
bill to amend the Merchant Shipping Act; and whether
that bill would include amendments to the present law ap-
plying to owners and salvors of vessels ?
Mr. M. GIBSON said it was intended to give notice to-
morrow of the introduction of such bill, and he would
endeavour to fix an early day for its being brought forward.
the bill would contain some amendments in the existing
law, and he trusted the al erations would meet the appro-
val of the house.
RAILWAY ACCIDENTS.
Mr. BENTINCK asked the President of the Board of
Trade, whether, in consequence of the repeated recurrence
of railway accidents, it was the intention of her Majesty's
Government to introduce, during the present session, any
measure founded on the report of the committee on railway
accidents which was laid on the table of the house in the
year 1858 ?
Mr. M. GIBSON said it did not appear from reports
received from Government inspectors on the subject of
railway accidents that any new circumstances had arisen
during the past year which rendered any interference
with the management of railways necessary. Not-
withstanding that there had been two railway
accidents recently, the number of accidents for 1861
had been much less than in preceeding years, although
the number of miler traversed by railways amounted to 50
per cent. increase, and of travellers availing themselves of
railway transit to 100 per cent.
HARWICH HARBOUR,

In reply to Captain JERVIS,
Mr. M. GIBSON said that the Government had directed
an inquiry into the subject of the prevention of the
extension of sand deposit at the entrance of Harwich
Harbour. At the same time, while the Government was
willing to contribute towards the object of au
improvement in regard to the state of the harbour, he
thought that Harwich and Ipswich, which would benefit
so considerably by such improvements, should contribute to
the expense of any undertaking that might be considered
necessary.
LAW RELATING TO JOINT- STOCK COMPANIES.
In reply to Mr. Alderman SALOMONS'
Mr. M. GlBSONthesaid n
oiot
antn andtronded by
to introduce a bill for amendmentGovernmenoft
the law relating to joint-stock comp:iniwstslid i
companies.
"
Sir J. PAKTNGTON asked the Secretary to
HER MAJESTY'S SHIP ' WARRIOR.
the Admi-
ralty if there is any truth in the statements which have
appeared in the newspapers as to the bad qualities at sea of
her Majesty's skip Warrior, and whether he will state to
the house the nature of any official report which has been
received at the Admiralty as to the performances of that
ship during the heavy gales to which she has been lately
exposed ? . . .

Lord C. PAGET said that the Government had received
o official information on the subject of the Warrior. She
arrived at Lisbon, and the captain had addressed a letter to
the Comptroller of the Navy which he would read. The
noble lord read the letter in question in which he
said, " ou will be glad to hear that we have had a continu-
ance of gales"—(laughter)---and proceeded to state that
notwithstanding the state of the weather, no serious injury
had been sustained by the vessel. He (Lord C. Paget) was
happy to bear his testimony to the efficiency of the vessel.

THE CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER.
On the motion of Mr. BRAND, a week's leave of absence
was granted to the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the
ground of domestic affliction.
THE REVISED CODE OF EDUCATION.
Mr. LOWE presented papers connected with the revised
code of regulations of the Committee of Privy Council on
education. The right hon. gentleman said that in adopt-
ing the regulations agreed to, the committee had paid the
most caceful attention to the subject, and considered with
great attention the recommendations that had
=ll
made from different quarters. In doing AO they
toy
had to undergo a considerable amount of labeoou_r,
exercise patience, but from the importance of.tha
_ibecat tahteya
deemed it their duty to spare no wean
rr
eoper.e introduce,
satisfactory conclusion. Hethitervimpsropce defidtotoexplaign and
analyse the alterations which
dinettshtoeoedouthrseepoifawahoifchthhoe
Privy
cthoaatatchtel.relliFhieourselbiogdioieuss uinn--
mspeetcathoorrsaof
foEveargniamaednt would_ be confined to
, and would not be oo nf
the the
Churchpa r t of
in-
troduced in regard to other religious den?minations. Hay-
that the ing cited various statistics to prove the inefficiency of the
existing system, he contended. reports of
o the hools
in-
spectors of schools failed iquality n affording
precise an
in
specific
information. The
these reports was set forth, bu
t the amount of benefit eon.,
(erred was not stated. In fact the inspectors approached
the subject with abstract ideas, and he quo'el several of the
expressions used in thertrepor s in support of his proposi-
tion.irom which he deduced the proposition
adverted next o thelabour bestowed on the sub-
modations were entitled t
ject of the committee, and the means of information which
regard to the expenditureo respect
and
tythe
rivy i
Council
ocuo
an ne el ti
that,on
thatthey t.hpeoisrselyrsesthin,
adoption•
whilew th
their
shouldeducation,itwhaes
ao considered
parsimony,
garit expenditure should be avoide:n, aynthdincgarleikteaekxentratvhaa-t
the money of the country should not be spent without an
equivalent advantage. To show that this desideratum had n, 't
been effected he went into various statistics. lie call( d on
the house to bear in mind that in providing national educa-
tion they were dealing with the children of the working
classes, and it was found that they were taken from school at
an early age.
He quoted a report which had been
furnished to the Privy
Council, in which the writer said, in

r oference to the paucity of attendance at a particular school
a ad the staff of teachers retained, that it was like keeping a
pi irk of artillery to disperse a flock of sparrows. (Laughter.)
[LEFT SPEAKING.]

THE NAVY.

'The Chanticleer, 17, screw, Commander Stirling,
made her official trial of speed, at load draught, :it
the measured mile in. Stokes Bay yesterday, under
the superintendence of the steam factory and re-
nerve officials of Portsmouth Dockyard. The
weather was favourable for the occasion, there being
smooth water, with the wind off shore and light.
The ship's draught of water.was 14ft. forward, and
15ft. 2in. aft. Her p ropeller was a " Griffith,"
with a pitch of 15ft. tte d a diameter of 12ft. The
ship was tried first with full, and afterwards with
two-thirds boiler power, the mean of her runs undo r
the first-named conditions giving her a speed of 10
knots, and with the latter a speed of 9.1 knots. no
machinery gave the most p erfect satisfaction by its
working during the trial, a ut l the boilers maintained
►plentiful a supply of steam_ At the conclusion of
the trial the Chanticleer wain dropped anchor at
Spithead.
The Glasgow screw frigate and the Hazard hulk
were both taken out of the steam-basin at Ports-
mouth yesterday, the first-na med for her official
trial of speed at light draught,. on completion of her
machinery by the contractors,. Messrs. Ravenhill,
Salkeld, and Co., and the latter preparatory to the
testing of Captain Coles's model shield with its two
100-pounder Armstrongs, which has been fitted on
her decks.
Capt. H. Broadhead, commanding her Majesty's
ship Asia, and the reserve at Portsmouth ; Capt.
Astley C. Key, C. 8., commanding her Majesty's
ship Indus, and the reserve at Devonport ; and Mr.
Hickman, secretary to Vice-Admiral Sir H. W.
Bruce, commander-in-chief at Portsmouth, mct in
committee yesterday at Portsmouth, by direction
of the Admiralty, to revise the regulations relative
to the reserves.
A letter, received at Plymouth from one of the
lieutenants of the new screw steam frigate Orlando,
50, Capt.. Franci3 Scott, C. 8,, dated Halifax, Jan.
23, says :--" We sailed from Plymouth, Dec. 24,
with a fair wind, keeping strong easterly gales for
the first four clays, with the prospect of making a
splendid passage. The ship answered marvellously
well under steam and sail ; but at last the wind
chopped round, when we had bad weather from the
westward for nearly all the rest of the time. The
passage was made, however, in 21 days. We all
agree in praising the Orlando. She is a noble
vessel, and, under the circumstances of her hastened
departure, everything has gone on well."
The paddle-wheel steam sloop Virago, 6, Com-
mander H. Johnstone, left Hamoaze yesterday for
Plymouth Sound. She will probably accompany
the steam-vessel Investigator, Lieutenant and Com-
mander Lefroy, part of the way to the Coast of
Africa.

The screw steam corvette Rqttlegnake, 21, from
Chatham, arrived at Pl 3 mouth yesterday, and will
be placed in the first division of th.e steam reserve

in Hamo2ze.

The Cormorant, 4, screw sloop, 696 tons, 200-
horse power, and the Racehorse, 4, Lterew sloop, 695
tons, 200-horse power, having had their compasses
adjusted at Sheerness, and been coaled and supplied
with sto.-es, are now ready for the pennant.

It was reported in The k+un of the 12th inst. that
the iron screw frigate Defence, 18 guns, 600-horse
power, Capt. Powell, C. 8., after getting up steam
at Chatham for the purpose of proceeding to Sheer-
ness, was net abie to do so in conseq-nence of some
defect in the workitig of a screw in the " banjo,"
the nature of which could not be ascer wined by the
divers, and that the casualty would most likely
necessitate the vessel being again taken into dock
to make good defects, We are, therefore, happy to
state that the cause of the delay is not of so serious
a nature, but that it was occasioned by the work-
men employed in replacing the screw having acci-
dentally dropped some bolts into the chairs of the
propellors, which one of the divers eventually
succeeded in extricating. The vessel subsequently
weighed anchor and arrived in good trim and per.
feet working order at Sheerness, yesterday, her
machinery having acted most satisfactorily. The
Defence will be coaled at once and prepared for the
pennant.

We hear that neither Mr. Locke King nor Mr
Baines will bring forward their annual refoem motion during
the pi esent session. In fact, except in the large and unu-
sual amount of private business to be disposed of, the mat-
ters before Parliament would be comparatively unimport-
ant.—Post.

We believe that his Royal Highness the Duke of
Cambi idge will be transferred to the Colonelcy of the
Grenadier Guards, vacant by the death of the Prince Con-
sort, and that he will be succeeded in the Colonelcy of the
Scots Fusileer Guards by General Sir Alexander Wood-
ford, G.C.8., Lieutenant-Governor of Chelsea Hospital.
Sir Alexander is one of the oldest and most distinguished.
officers in the army, and the mark of distinction now con-
ferred upon him will be cordially ratified by the whole ser-
vice.

•
It was mezitioned, with reference to the American_
advices, that do State of Pennsylvania was to pay its
dividends on the lot inst., and £500,000 would then have
to be remitted to Eutoi,e." Of this remittance, however,
only about £lOO,OOO is expl/4nted to consist of Pennsylvania
dividends. The remainder fh: likely to be from contractors
and others who have received ecnsignments of European
goods, and who have been waiang payment from the Go-
vernment. To one importing houtO alone the Government
are stated to be indebted £400,000.

CHEMISTRY APPLIED TO ARCH2EOLOG Y.—Sr'rne
time ago two human skeletons were found at i'ertheuil
(Seine-et-Oise), in stone coffins. The bones, though Tittle,
were in perfect preservation, and everything tended te9§...')°w
that these skeletons had been buried many centuries ap,•
M. Couerbe, a chemist of some note, having obtained tfws
shoulder-blade of one of these relics of past ages, subjected'
it to analysis, and found that it contained onlyhtsetannpeeeor
cent. of organic matter, besides the usual ms
firneesrhal
bonessn cora-
-1 of which bones are composed.
of the skeletons of Ver
this fact M. Couerbe has
1 genic substances. From
1 tain 33 per cent. of orgtahneiucamhastmdNrioer3fo2Bl3lowpserthertetntte bones
of
to deduce the age of the bones he has exa-
mined. M. Vogelsang, he observes, has found that bones:,
ot hi.
ga
at
nhi
ca had beeat
tenr buried 1,;
w hioeon
eye e
I\a ri s.
es coaurecrebl
oy
ccoo
nn
et al
ui ndee 1 ts
that
three per cent, of organic matter disappears every hundred
years. Applying this rule to the bones found in the castle
of Vertheuil, he fixes the year 1110 as the probable period
of the inhumation of those bodies—a conclusion which
tallies with the archaeological observations made by M.
Leo-Drouin, of the Academy of Bordeaux. Hence M.
Couerbe's rule is, to divide by 3 the loss of organic matter
ascertained in a bone ; the quotient will then represent the
ago in centuries. This rule, M. Couerbe admits, may be
may be liable to considerable modifications from various
circumstances—thus, for instance, bones must be differently
affected according as they are exposed to the open air, or in-
humed in a damp or dry soil. Hence his rule, for the pre-
sent, is only applicable to bones preserved in tombs ; but
further observations may, we doubt not, determine the lose
of organic matter under the different circumstances enume-
rated.
MARSHAL BUGEAUD'S RULE FOR THE WEATHER.
We (Galignani) have more than =celled occasion to men-
tion Marshal Bugeaud's meteorological rule, by which he
used to regulate his military operations. The rule may be
briefly stated as follows :—" In eleven cases out of twelve,
the weather will be, during the whole lunation, the sam•
as that on the fifth day of the moon, if the weather of the
sixth was the same as that on the fifth. And nine times
out of twelve the weather will be like that of the fourth
day, if the sixth day was like the fourth." The Marshal
used to add six hours to the end of the sixth day,
before deciding on 'what the weather would be, in order to
allow for the daily difference in the moon's return to the
meridian. This rule is evidently not always applicable ;
for when the sixth day differs from the fifth and fourth,
there is of course no inference to be drawn,:nor is it always
easy to come to a right conclusion when the weather of the
fourth, fifth, and sixth days is uncertain or wavering.
However, this may be, the rule, certainly a precious one
when it can be applied, has been for the last five years
carefully observed by M. de Coninck, of Havre, a gentle-
man well-known for his meteorological studies. During
the years 1857, 1859, and 18(31. M. de Coninek has found
80 lunations in which the Marshal's ride has been found
true; four lunations in which it has failed, ands
14 lunations in which it was inapplicable. As reerd
the year 18G0, out of the 13 lunations it eon tained
(from
Dec. 24, 1859, to Jan. 10, 1861), the rule was inapplicable in
in nine cases, it turned out to be true in three, and failed
rainy year, remarkable for its meteorologicaltionps may be said
Upon the whole, M. de Coninek's observations
the Yankees ankees in
one. It must be recollected, however, that 186eOrtwurabsaativoenr-sy.
to confirm Marshal Bugeaud's.
VATION.—Mr. Hadfield,
M.P. for Sheffield, says that. being Dissenter, of course he
A VERY JUST
theO
BvisEndilic.tiveanessof
but that it does not so much matter,
does
theh a
arbours, p prove .
spoiling
as in this weather the people cant want to take tea in them.
—Parch.

PAPERS RELATING TO MEXICAN
AFFAIRS.

We extract the following despatches and parts of
despatches from the papers presented to Parlia-
ment touching Mesico, and published yesterday

morning :
" SENOR ISTURIZ TO EARL RUSSELL.
(Translation.)
" Spanish Legation, London, Jan. 18, 1862.
" Rly Lord,—l have had the honour to receive
your Excellency's communication dated 16th inst.,
in reply to the note which I addressed you on the
13th, transmitting to 'you the instructions sent by
the Captain-General of Cuba to the heads of the
expedition to Mexico. In that communication
your Excellency informs me that you consider those
instructions satisfactory; but that her Britannic
Majesty's Government could not yet understand
why the Spanish expedition left Cuba before the
arrival of the English and French forces. I thought
I Lad sufficiently explained this point in my note
of the 22d of December last, but, since it still re-
quires explanation, I have to inform your Excel-
lency that, according to the despatches of the Cap-
tain-General of Cuba, the orders to suspend the
expedition, which were sent via New York, in the
hope that they would the sooner reach their desti-
nation, were not received in Cuba till the middle of
December; and that the Captain• General, unac-
quainted with the details of the treaty, and with
the point fixed for the meeting of the squadrons,
being also fearful of arriving too late at Vera Cruz,
thought it not right to delay the departure of an
expedition which had been for a long time ready in
every point. if this doubt had been mentioned at
the interview which I had the honour to have with
your Excellency on the 7th inst., I should have
already had very great pleasure in clearing it up,
as I hope will be done by this frank explanation.—
I have, &c., " XAVIER. E. 'num."

" EARL RUSSELL TO EARL COWLEY..

" (Extract.) " Foreign-office, Jan. 20.
" I saw Count Flahault yesterday. His Excel-
lency informed me that he was instructed to state
that the French Government considered it neces-
sary to send an additional land force to Mexico. I
had been prepared for this communication by your
Excellency's despatch of the 17th of January.
Count Flahault went on to say that the precipi-
tate step taken by General Serrano in commencing
operations without waiting for the forces of France
and England was calculated to enhance the diffi-
culties of the expedition ; that it now seemed in-
evitable that the allied forces must advance into the
interior of Mexico ; and not only would the force
at present agreed upon be insufficient for such an
operation, but the operation itself would assume a
character in regard to which the Emperor could
not allow the French force to be in a position of in-
feriority to that of Spain, or to run the risk of being
compromised.

" his Imperial Majesty has therefore determined
to send a reinforcement of between 3,000 and 4,000
men to Mexico.

" I told Count Flahault that I very much regretted
this step. I had no objection to offer on behalf of
her Majesty's Government to the validity of the
argument that the forces of France should not be
inferior in numbers to those of Spain. I would,
therefore, only observe that it would not be possible
for her Majesty's Government to detach any greater
amount of troops for operations on shore than the
force of marines already sent to the Mexican coast."

" EARL ItUSSELL TO M. ISTURIZ.

" Foreign-office, Jan. 23.

" M. le Ministre,—ln acknowledging the receipt
of your Excellency's communicatioa of the 18th
of January last I have to state to your Excel-
lency that, although her Majesty's Government
are not entirely satisfied with the explanation
offered by your Excellency as to the departure
from Cuba of the Spanish expedition to Mexico be-
fore the time agreed apon between the three Powers,
they are willing to accept your Excellency's declara-
tion that it has been the intention of her Catholic
Majesty's Government to act in conformity with
the provisions of the treaty of the 20th of Novem-
ber, 1861.

" I am, &c.,

" RUSSELL."

" EARL RUSSELL TO SIR J. CRAMPTON.

" Foreign-office, Jan. 19, 1862.

" Sir,—Although her Majesty's Government are
satisfied, from the explanations given by M. Isturiz,
that the Government of her Catholic Majesty has
given instructions to her Catholic Majesty's com-
manders at Havannah in conformity with the agree-
ments entered into with her Majesty and his Ma-
jesty the Emperor of the French, yet the proceeding
of Marshal Serrano are calculated to produce some
uneasiness.

" The departure of the Spanish expedition from
Havannah and the military occupation of Vera
Cruz, to say nothing of the tone of the proclamation
issued by the Spanish Government, demonstrate
that a combined expedition, at a great distance from
Europe, is subject to the discretion at all times, to
the rashness sometimes, of the separate commanders
and diplomatic agents.
" I wish you to read to Marshal O'Donnell and
M. Calderon Collantes the preamble and the article
of our convention which define what our interven-
tion is intended to do, and what it is not intended
to do.

"You will point out that the allied forces are not
to be used for the purpose of depriving the Mexi-
cans of their undoubted right of choosing their own
form of Government.

" Should the Mexicans choose to constitute a new
Government which can restore order and preserve
amicable relations with foreign nations, her Ma-
jesty's Government will be delighted to hail the
formation, and to support the consolidation of such
a Government. If, on the contrary, the troops of
foreign Powers are to be used to set up a Govern-
ment repugnant to the sentiments of Mexico, and
to support it by military force, her Majesty's Go-
vernment could expect no other result from such
an attempt than discord and disappointment. In
such a case the allied Governments would only
have to choose between withdrawing from such an
enterprise with some shame, or extending their in-
terference beyond the limits, scope, and intention
of the triple convention.
" You will explain to Marshal O'Donnell that
this apprehension on our part does not arise from
any suspicion of the good faith of the Government
of her Catholic Majesty, but commanders acting at
a distance require to be very closely watched, lest
they should commit their principals to unwarrant-
able proceedings.
You will read this despatch to M. Calderon
Collantes.—l am, &c.,

" RUSSELL."

EARL CO'NVLEy TO EARL RUSSELL.-(RECEIVED
JAN. 25.)
"(Extract.)

" Paris, Jan. 24.
" I have heard from ~,
many quarters that the
language of office 2-
to Mexico is that it csofiong wall the reinforcements
for the purpose of placing the
Archduke Maximilian
country that I have thought it
the subject
the throne of that
necessary to ques-
tion M. Thouvenel upon
"I inquired of M. Thouvenel. whether any nego-
tiations had been pending between this Government
and that of Austria with reference
the Archduke
Maximilian. His Excellency replied in
tire. He said that the negotiations h,tdthe flop. been car-
ried on by Mexicans only, who had come over for
the purpose and gone to Vienna."

"EARL RUSSELL TO SIR C. WYKE.

" Foreign-office, Jan. 27.

"Sir,—l have received and laid before the Queen
your despatches front the 18th to the 28th of
November. _

"Since I last wrote to you the Emperor of the
Freuch has decided to send 3,000 more troops to
Vera Cruz.

" It is supposed that these troops will march at
once with the French and a part of the Spanish
troops already there to the city of Mexico.
.".It is said that the Archduke Ferdinand Maxi-
milian Will be invited by a large body of Mexicans
to place himself on the throne of Mexico, and that
the Mexican People will gladly hail such a change.
I have little to add to my former instructions

on this head. If the Mexican people, by a spontu-
mous movement, place the Austrian Archduke on
the throne of Mexico, there is nothing in the con-
vention to prevent it.

" On the other hand, we could be no parties to a
forcible intervention for this purpose. The Mexi-
cans must consult their own interests.

" I have to add to my former instructions respect-
ing the Admirals in the Atlantic and Pacific, that
you will make no objection to the withdrawal of
the Marines from Vera Cruz when the unhealthy
season shall arrive;

"You will also not object to any measures which
may be concerted between the senior British naval
officer at Vera Cruz and Admiral Maitland for the
occupation or blockade of any or all the Mexican
ports on the Pacific which may be thought neces-
sary, for the purposes of the convention, to occupy
or to blockade. Acapulco, San Blas, and Mazatlan
are the ports chiefly alluded to in this instruction.
" I am, &c., " RussELL."

" SIR C. WYKE TO EARL RUSSELL.-(RECEIVED
JAN. 29, 1862.)
" (Extract.) " Vera Cruz, Dec. 29, 1861.
" The nation are now thoroughly frightened at
the formidable coalition formed against them, and
will be more disposed to grant what we want before
blood has been shed and their passions excited, than
they will be when once engaged in a struggle with
the Spaniards.
" The rejection of my convention by the Con-
gress, as described in my last month's correspon•
dente, had the effect of breaking up the late Cabi-
net, and the crisis which then ensued brought Gen.
Doblado forward, who would only consent to form
a Government on the condition of having full
powers conferred on him by Congress, authorising
him to settle pending questions with the three
Powers as he deemed best. Having obtained these
he adjourned the Assembly until April next, and
now remains unfettered to make the best arrange-
ment he can with us.

" He is a man of such talent and influence in the
country, that the Reactionary chiefs began to lay
down their arms and give in their adhesion on his
appointment becoming known, and he is now en-
gaged in forming his Cabinet from the best men he
could find, irrespective of their political opinions.

"His first act was to entreat me not to leave
Mexico, as he was, he said, now able to conclude an
arrangement with me that would give England
positive guarantees for the due fulfilment of their
engagements towards us. As this overture was
made to me after the arrival of last month's mail,
bringing English newspapers in which it was posi-
tively stated that a convention was about being
signed, binding the three Powers to a joint inter-
vention in Mexico, I could not, of course, take ad.
vantage of an offer which, under other circum-
stances, I should have gladly availed myself of.
"Everything depends on the manner in which
matters are managed here at first. If the interven-
tion is properly received, it will prove a blessing to
the country; but, on the other hand, violent mea-
sures at first will spoil all, and engage us in an un-
dertaking the difficulties of which can hardly be
overrated.

" Fortunately, the Spanish commanders both
military and naval, appear to be men of great pru-
dence and discretion, and up to the present moment
they have shown a spirit of justice and conciliation
which speaks highly in their favour.
" In a long conversation I had with Admiral Ru-
balcava the day before yesterday, he expressed his
opinion on this subject in terms nearly identical to
those I have now used in giving my own."

VOYAGE OF H.M.S. ORLANDO FROM
PLEWOUTH TO HALIFAX,

From the size and description of the frigate
Orlando, 51, Captain Scott, C. 8., as well as from the
circumstances under which she was commissioned
and sent away from England, more than ordinary
interest is felt in her movements. It will be re-
membered that this ship was commissioned, got
ready, manned, and sent to sea within a week. She
left Plymouth Sound on Dec. 24, and passed out at
the east end of the breakwater with a fair wind.
When off the Eddystone she shaped her course and
made easy sail. Steaming easy and easy she made
11 and 12 knots. In the meantime things about
the ship had been put to rights, and everything got
into ship-shape and comfortable trim, In these five
days half the distance was accomplished. The first
misfortune happened to one of the topping-lifts of
one of the quarter davits, which went, followed by
a cutter and jollyboat. Then came an appalling
gale of wind. It was deemed best to put the ship
under sail to save coals. The fires were banked
up. Away went tiller ropes, and the drawbacks of
hasty fitting-out began to show themselves in the
stretching of the rigging or lanyards; the masts
worked threateningly and frightfully, and the more
they worked the more the rigging stretched. The
pitching and straining thus occasioned made the
ship leak. The water at last got so high as to put
out the fires in the after boilers. The pumps were
resorted to, but every one of them refused to work ;
not a drop of water could be drawn. Here was fresh
and serious cause of anxiety, and almost alarm. It
was found that the pipes had been broken by the
working of the ship. After much trouble steam
was got up in the foremost boilers, and the engines
put to work, so as to inject from the bilge. In a
short time this means of relieving the ship failed ;
the pipe had become choked: Bailing was com-
menced, but was found ineffective against the rate
aten
gwilaneicehr,t.Ahier.shoi
plivwera,sattaktihnigs jiunnwc tautreer . proved fi.h e
chief
self equal to the emergency, and went into the water
up to his neck, gropped, and found the rose of the
injection pipe. It was covered and rendered useless
by old clothes, chips, and rubbish that had been
stowed away in the bilge. He soon cleared it and
cut off the end of the bilge pump. Away went the
engines, and now the water was soon under com-
mand. Some tons of rubbish were cleared out of the
bilge, so that the donkey engines could work effec-
tively. The ship was now put under sail. Even
after the water difficulty had been abated, troubles
continued. Gale followed gale in rapid and conti-
nuous succession. The Orlando leaked everywhere ;
over the beds of officers it was necessary to have the
protection of awnings, and in spite of these water
was rushing about in all directions. So great was
the force of the gale, and so much did it stretch,
that it became necessary to swift in the rigging.
The compasses had not been swung before the de-
parture of the ship, and the safety of sailing by the
chronometer was uncertain. On Jan. 14th the land
was sighted. A better landfall could not have been
made, which, under the circumstances, is most cre-
ditable to the master, Mr. A. J, Veitch. On the 15th
the ship came into Halifax harbour. The cold was
frightfully severe, and every one on board felt it
more or less. The Orlando was taken alongside the
dockyard, for the purpose of having her defects
made good. This would take some time. An inspec-
tion of the ship after she came into harbour only
served to proved how much she had suffered, and
increases the wonder how she could have been
brought in.

The Madrid diligence, which left Bayonne orf
the 6th, was robbed at Irun of 4,000 piastr©s during tho
examination of tho travellers' luggage. The conductor
has been arrested.

NEGLECT OF A PROVERB.—A correspondent at
Rome writes on the 4th inst :—" 'lwo American travellers,
forgetful of the adage that at Rome one must do as the
Romans do, got into a row yesterday for not taking off their
hats when a procession issued from a church, on the Pia zzi
di Trevi, carrying the Host with the usual solemnity..
As the two gentlemen alluded to rendered themselves rather
conspicuous by standing erect and covered amid the kneel-
ing and bareheaded spectators, ono of the priests remon-
strated with them on the subject, but, finding that they
d kneither withdraw nor uncover, he proceeded to
nock their hats off; a scuffle ensued, and the priest re-
joined the procession, which, making a round, soon after
returned to the same spot. The Americans had resumed
their hats and their stand ; but the priest, instead of con-
Wiiietcontdhe
time, sent a
hciocuhplteheoyf
gendarmes to rfiemetoienusfftsratea
h
did in their usual brutal style, infueti x a offenders,staggering
tagge rine,
blow on the breast with the butt end ofili-mueake t on onec
of the travellers, and a compliment of a similar kind on
the other. The best piece of advice to over,
scrupulous
Protestants on such occasions ii to turn into s side street
if they object 0 raise their hats on pass-Ire-the
pro-
cession."