The Sun.
London, England, 1838-02-26 00:00:00

THE CANADAS.

(From the Detroit Free Press, Jan. 13 )
CANADIAN AFFAIRS.---Having been informed that the Pa-
triot force at the mouth of Detroit river had retired from
Whitewood Island, and were organizing themselves upon an
American island near by, for hostile preparations against
Canada, Governor Mason, accompanied by General Brown,
of lonia, and B. Woodworth and A. Ten Eyck, Esqrs., of
this city, took passage in the steam-boat Eric, on Thursday
morning, for that point, to ascertain the truth of the report,
and to take measures accordingly. The boat arrived at Sugar
Island, belonging to our Government, in the course of Thurs-
day evening, which they found in the occupation of about 300
armed men. After allaying the apprehensions of the sentinels
and satisfying them that they had no immediate hostile inten-
tions, the gentlemen above named were allowed to land.
After entering the camp, Governor Mason, we understand,
immediately had an earnest conversation with the officers in
command, remonstrated with them against their illegal occu-
pation of our territory, assured them that it would not be
suffered with impunity, and urged them, by all the conside-
rations that could be addressed to them, under the circum-
stances, to abandon their enterprise. We are gratified to
state that the appeal had its effect, and that the Erie, in the
course of the night, took the whole force, with its effects,
from the island, and put it upon the main land, whence it
was to disperse, and the men return to their homes. The
Erie returned about eleven o'clock yesterday morning, with
several of the men from the island on board.
In the Legislature yesterday the following preamble and
resolutions were offered :—.

" Whereas, recent occurrences of an atrocious character,
the assemblage of armed bodies of men, on both sides of the
boundary line separating the United States from Canada, the
commission of high handed acts, in violation of the laws of
the United States, by troops illegally armed and assembled,
and the extraordinary state of excitement and exasperation
manifested by the inhabitants, not only of Canada, but of this
State, render the presence of an efficient and competent force
of the United States absolutely necessary on the frontier of the
State ; therefore,

" Resolved, by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the state of Michigan, that the Governor of this state be, and
hereby is required, Nvithout delay, to apply to the President of
the United States that a force of at least two regiments of the
United States troops, with due proportion of artillery, may be
ordered to the Canadian frontier of this state."

(Correspondence of Commercial Advertiser.)
" DUNKIRK, JAN. 23.—Yesterday Colonel Worth arrived
here in the steam-boat Fulton, with a force of about 200 men,
accompanied by the Deputy Marshal and other civil au-
thorities. He debarked about 150 of his troops, and
marched immediately to Fredonia, where the Marshal took
possession of some 200 or 300 muskets, &c., which were put
into five waggons, brought to this place, and secured on board
the steam-boat.
" Such a heap of old worn-out rubbish you never saw.
They can be compared to nothing more truly than to the
wo-begone and ragged simpletons for whose use there were
intended.

" Some 200 or 300 of these misguided men have been in this
vicinity, waiting for a boat ; and when it was known that the
Fulton was in the service of the United States, nothing could
exceed their disappointment.
" Colonel Worth having heard, while here, of some recent
movements by the insurgents and their abettors near Malden,
made all haste to reach that vicinity before the ice should pre-
vent him. This morning the IN ew England, with a detach-
ment under command of Major Young, United States army,
came into the harbour, and has left a guard to protect the
peaceable citizens from the depredations of these roving ma-
rauders, and to aid the civil authorities in securing any muni-
tions of war that may be found.
" The boat will proceed up the lake to reinforce Major
Worth. The invincibles under Colonel Pluck, or the com-
pany with which fat Jack' refused to march through Coven-
try, were disciplined veterans compared to the mob collected
by Van Rensselaer for the conquest of Canada. Such an un-
dertaking, with his mea and means, is below contempt. I
hear that more than fifty were disbanded this morning at Fre-
donia ; and the others have moved on westward, in straggling
parties.

(From the New York Commercial Advertiser of the 31st.)
LOWER CANADA.—We have the Montreal papers of the
sth instant. The members of the Executive Council were
expected at Montreal, from Quebec, to attend upon Sir John
Colborne, and organise the Government anew, under his Ad-
ministration.

The following extracts are from the Transcript :
The rumours which had been for some days current, and
which for obvious reasons we refrained from noticing, have not
only continued to circulate, but have produced their effect ;
and the French Canadian population have been leaving the
city and island of Montreal for several days past. We are far
from wishing unnecessarily to denounce them, or wantonly to
wound their feelings ; but certainly there is in this something
very remarkable, something which seems to demand explana-
tion. While the British population are, one and all, in a
state of the utmost tranquility and confidence, this sudden
bustle and confusion of French departure bespeaks on their
part a remarkable timidity ; or it indicates a knowledge, an
expectation of some intended outbreak, which induces them to
separate themselves from their British fellow-colonists, and to
retire from what they suppose to be the field of approaching
contest. Some satisfactory explanation is due to their own
character, and we look for it accordingly.
On Wednesday morning the last of the murderers of the
unfortunate Chartrand was lodged in gaol. He occupies the
same cell with Jalbert, the murderer of the lamented Lieut.
\Veir. He was captured by Mr. concealed in a
cupboard in a garret of a house in L'Acadie. He has neither
confessed nor denied his guilt.

Sir Francis Head has been on Navy Island ; it is said that
island will be fortified.
A Bill has been introduced into the House of Assembly in
Upper Canada, to abolish imprisonment for debt, except in
cases of fraud.
A petition has been presented to the House of Assembly in
Upper Canada, from the Constitutional Association of Mon-
treal, praying the House to take into consideration the pre-
sent state of the Canadas, and urging the re-union of the
provinces.

We learn from Upper Canada that Lount, one of Mac-
kenzie's original confederates, and commander-in-chief at the
ridiculous attempt upon Toronto, has been arrested and com-
mitted to prison.

UNITED STATES.
(From the New York Gazette and General Advertiser of the
Ist inst.)
WASHINGTON, JAN. 30.—The Pre-emptioners or Squatting
Bill has finally passed the Senate by a vote of 30 to 18. It
has been a pretty hard struggle. Mr. Clay fought like a lion
against the Bill, and denounced it, as giving licence to fraud
and robbery. It will, it is said, be proved in the House, that of
the 30,000 settlers in loway, the greater portion are merely the
representatives of speculators, paid by the month or year to
squat, for the benefit of speculators. Half of the Senators and
many of the House Members are squatters, by proxy, in this
way. Mr. Clay says that "speculation is at the bottom of all."
But, if we can't trust a vote of 30 to 18, what can we trust ?
Mr. Clay did not say that Mr. Webster was a squatter, but he
intimated that he had to do with squatters. The squatters
may be, and no doubt are, a very good sort of people—quite as
good, on the average, as the bank speculators, who buy out the
squatter's land and improvements at the public land-office for the
Government price of one dollar and 25 cents per acre, turning
him out of the house, land, and home. With Mr. Webster, I
must go for the genuine, but not the fraudulent and squatter.
I cannot go for the Bill, in its present shape, if the facts al-
leged are proved before the House.
But a great noise is made in the debate about those pioneers
who happened to settle upon the rich lands and the " advan-
tageous position." Merchants, it is said, left their desks,
farmers the plough, lawyers their clients, doctors their pills,
and parsons their church, to squat on these rich lands. Squat-
ing appears to be a capital business. Ido not see why the
editors and reporters should not turn squatters toe. Accord-
ing to some accounts Miami squatters made, for every 200
dollars, for a quarter section, they get some 7,000 dollars.
One or two cases,l have already found mentioned, wherein
the quarter section, which is to be obtained for 200 dollars is
worth 25,000 dollars. But these are rare chances.
It appears that the army is about to he increased in earnest.
A Bill was reported to-day in the House, which will add seven
regiments to the army. The Senate Bill, which must also
pass the House, increases and re-organizes the staff. This is
a capital time for increasing both the army and navy, and
putting them on a respectable footing. The country is ripe
for it. and Congress is ready for it.
(From the New York Commercial Advertiser of the 30th.)
DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.—WC stated in a postcript yesterday
that a large fire was raging in the upper part of the city. It
did not destroy as much property as was anticipated at the
time of the Commercial being put to Press, but, nevertheless,
a vast amount of damage was done.
The fire orginated, as we understand, from a furnace used
in the yard of one of the houses, from which a spark was
blown into one of the stables in the rear of Sixth-street.
The fire department are deserving of much praise for their
successful exertions in staying the progress of this fire. There
was scarcely a person who saw the fire at its height who did
not expect that double the amount of property destroyed
would be consumed.

It will be seen by reference to the proceedings of the Com-
mon Council, that the Board of Assistants passed a resolution
last night appropriating 1,000 dollars for the relief of the suf-
ferers by this calamity.

Capt. Harcourt, son of the Archbishop of York,
will shortly lead to the altar Mrs. Danby, relict of the late
William Danby, Esq., of lloniton Park.
The Members of the Sacred Harmonic Society in-
tend to perform Handel's Oratorio of " Israel in Egypi," in
March next. It has been usual for some time past, to omit
several pieces which will, on this occasion, be restored, and
the Oratorio performed entire. It is worthy of notice, that
the Oratorio is just one hundred years old; having been com-
posed by Handel in the year 1738.
In a coal-pit at Greengares, about five limes west
from Slainannan, a living toad was lately found embedded in
the solid strata, about six fathoms below the surface, and be-
tween a level bed of iron-stone and dalk. Its lodgement was
in a soft wet mass, and the animal was sent to Glasgow in a
perfectly lively condition.—Seolch Paper.
Friday an inquest was taken before Mr. Higgs,
at the White Horse Tavern, on view of the body of Mr. George
Warren, surgeon, who is supposed to have destroyed himself
by prussic acid. The inquest was adjourned in ecnsequenee
of the doubt of the surgeon, and in order to have a post mor-
tem examination of the body.