The Sun.
London, England, 1853-05-06 00:00:00

AFFAIRS OF MEXICO.

The following letter from Mexico, dated the 2d
of April, and received by the Magdalena yesterday,
gives a vivid picture of the position of that country,
and seems to show that it is evidently beyond all
power of resuscitation, unless the recent free-trade
professions of General Santa Anna shall prove to
have been based on some solid determination. It
appears that there is every prospect of a military
dictatorship being kept up as long as possible, and
although this may be unavoidable, to enable mea-
sures of any kind to be put in force, the greatest
misgivings must be felt as to its probable results,
when the corrupt partisans who brought shame on
the Dictator's former rule are again gatherinc,
round him, with the full prospect of returning to
office. Some remarks will also be found in the letter
with regard to the position of Mr. Falconnet

" The revolution, which had thrown this country into a
complete state of confusion, is at last drawing to its con-
clusion. General Santa Anta has again been elected Pre-
sident by a large majority of the States, and has just been
announced by telegraph to have arrived at Vera Cruz.
However ominous Santa Anna's name may appear to all
those who wish for an honourable and upright Administra-
tion, such was the lamentable condition the country had
come to, that the very name which had previously excited
nothing but horror and execration is now hailed by the
whole nation as the harbinger of peace !
" This is simply because it is the only link which can re-
unite the various parties who were at issue, and thus avert
(for a time, at least) the awful anarchy with which Mexico
was threatened, for it is a notorious fact that, with all his
faults (which are, indeed, grievous and numerous), Santa
Anna has one redeeming quality—namely, the art of
making people obey him, and thus it has always proved a
comparatively easy task for him to quell all manner of dis-
sensions and to establish a strong Government. In the pre-
sent instance there is no doubt that everything contributes
to give him a fair scope for his innate ambition. All classes
of society are weary after such a long series of disturb-
ances. The specious quackery of the federal system has
sunk under the hard blows of experience. The multitude
of petty Congresses, kept up at an enormous expense, have
shown their utter uselessness, while the big General Con-
gress has become an object ("contempt from its incapacity
and corruption. All classes of society are anxious for a
strong central Government, except perhaps the multitude
of lawyers, who seek to shine as deputies, and have
become the curse of their country. Under these cir-
cumstances, it is evident that Santa Anna will at once
assume an absolute authority ; and, as usual, will put
off as long as possible the assembling of a new Congress.
In the meantime, the army has been increased, in order to
support the new Administration ; which, as a matter of
course, will be entirely of a military character. At least
such is the prevailing opinion, and everybody is prepared
to see the restoration of that system of military despotism,
and that disgraceful system of corruption, which excited
such universal hatred against Santa Anna a few years
since. A host of his quondam accomplices have already
repaired to Vera Cruz, in order to be the first to greet him
on his arrival; all men of questionable character, and
some of them notorious for their past misdeeds, and, with-
out exception, all eager for office. The list of candidates
for the very post which ought to be shunned, and which is
the great object of ambition—the Ministry of Finance—is
said to amount to twenty-three, and at the head
of that list stand the names that are most tarnished
and disgraced. The more modest friends of the General
would be satisfied with being appointed Collectors of the
Customs, with a view to share in the spoils of the Trea-
sury, and to make a rapid fortune. Such are the sad pro-
spects of this unfortunate country for the moment. The
future presents a picture still more gloomy, with American
dominion in the background.
"While the Mexican Government indulges in frivolous
expense, anl allows the public revenues to be plundered in
the most barefaced manner, it remains indifferent to all the
sacrifices which have been made at different times by their
creditors in England, and while they seem so callous about
good faith and honest dealing, the ex-deputies have lately
shown great susceptibility on points of honour with refer-
ence to the disclosures made at a meeting of Mexican bond-
holders in London. They pretend to have taken great
offence at the fact of its being reported by the committee
that Mr. Falconnet, agent to the bondholders in Mexico,
had spent 60,000 dols. in bribing deputies, &c., and a formal
suit for slander has been established against Mr. Falconnet,
who i 9 now in prison. The bondholders would find it dif-
ficult to get a man better qualified to promote their in-
terests than Mr. Falconnet, but they do not seem to un-
derstand all the importance of his services in this, which
is really the land of difficulties. It is true, he has been
backed by our able minister, M. Doyle, but this does not
in way diminish his constant attention to his duty
towards his employers ; and it is much to be regretted
that the committee should have made public what must
necessarily have been intended as a confidential com-
munication."

INVITATION TO THE CITY OF LONDON FROM THE CITY
OF DUBLIN GREAT INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION COMMITTEE.
—The Right Hon. the Lord Mayor has summoned a
Court of Common Council, to meet on Saturday next at
two o'clock, to take into consideration a warm invitation
to the Lord Mayor, Sheriffs, and a deputation from each
of the courts of the Corporation of London, to the open-
ing of the Great Industrial Exhibition of Dublin on
Thursday, the 12th inst. It is expected that the invi-
tation will be accepted with the most cordial unanimity.
SUBMARINE TELEGRAPH.—The laying down of the
submarine telegraph between Dover and Ostend took
place yesterday with perfect success.
PRICE or GOLD.—The quotation of gold at Paris is
about at par (according to the last tariff), which, at the
English mint price of 31. 17s. 10d. per ounce for stan-
dard gold, gives an exchange of 25.17 ; and, the ex-
change at Paris on London at short being 25.05, it fol-
lows that gold is about 0.48 per cent, dearer in Paris
than in London. By advices from Hamburgh the price of
gold is 427 per mark, which, at the English mint price
of 3/. 17s. 101 d. per ounce for standard gold, gives an
exchange of 13.6 ; and the exchange at Hamburgh on
London at short being 13.54, it follows that gold is 0.12
per cent. dearer in Hamburgh than in London. The
course of exchange at New York on London for bills at
60 days' sight is 1094 per cent., and the par of exchange
between England and America being 109 23-40 per cent.,
it follows that the exchange is nominally 0.17 per cent.
in favour of England ; but, after making allowance for
charges of transport, the present rate leaves scarcely
any profit on the importation of gold from the United
States.
BROAD-STREEt AND BISHOPSGATE-STREET.—With re-
ference to the sale of the extensive Government premises
in Old Broad-street, hitherto used as the Excise and
Inland Revenue-offices, advertised for the 13th inst., a
correspondent points out that the published conditions
contain no stipulation for preserving the right of way
between Broad-street and Bishopsgate-street now exist-
ing through these buildings. The thoroughfare is a very
important one to the mercantile community, from the
absence of other openings in that direction, and it will
be a grievance if the authorities neglect the opportunity,
not merely for preserving, but also for extending the
convenience it affords, and which is at present limited
by the closing of the gates at 4 o'clock.
SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION.—The fiftieth annual meeting
of this Society was held last evening, in Exeter-hail; the
Right 116 n. the Lord Mayor in the chair. After singing
and prayer,' the chairman delivered a lengthened address
explanatory of the principles of the union. He spe-
cially dwelt on the social influence exerted on society by
Sunday-schools, to his own connexion with which he
attributed some measure of his success and advancement
in life. The secretary,- Mr. Watson, then read the
annual report, which gave a general outline of the pro-
ceedings of Sunday-schools in England, France, Sweden,
Switzerland, and the East and West Indies. No statis-
tics were furnished in reference to the number of schools,
teachers, and scholars connected with the union ; the
report stating that the society's "census" was incom-
plete. 224 libraries had been granted to various Sunday-
schools in the kingdom, making the total number of
libraries issued from the union 2,271, the retail value of
which was 1,321/. The% income of the society for the
past year was 2,004/. 55..9d., and the expenditure 1,927/.
Is. 9d., leaving a balance iu hand of 771. 4s. The meet-
inc.' was then addressed by the Rev. W. W. Robinson,
the Rev. Dr. Archer, the Rev. Dr. Beaumont, the Rev.
J. D. Smith, and other gentlemen. A vote of thanks
to the chairman terminated the proceedings. '
THE CONVICT KIRWAN. —Yesterday intelligence was
received at Lloyd's that the Robert Small, hired convict
ship, had sailed from Queenstown, with 300 male con-
victs, for Freethantle, Weaern Australia. Among the
convicts is the artist Kirwan, condemned to death for
the murder of his wife, at Ireland's Eye, whose sentence
has been commuted to transportation for life.