The Sun.
London, England, 1849-01-10 00:00:00

AVER

YEWS.

ARRIVAL OF THE NIAGARA.
_The following appeared in our Third Edition o.
last night]:—

LIVERPOOL, TUESDAY.
The British and North American royal snail steam-
ship Niagara, Captain Eyrie, has just arrived from
Boston and Halifax with the snails and passengers
from Canada, the United States, and the lower pro-
vinces. She sailed from Boston on the 27th, and
Halifax on the 29th ult., and brings 46 passengers.
The steam-ship Europa, hence for Halifax and
New York on the 16th ult., had arrived out at Hali-
fax on the 29th ult., landed her Canada mails, and
proceeded for .New York.
By this arrival we have advices seven days later
than those brought by the Canada on Wednesday last,
and they comprise—Boston, Dec. 27 ; New York,
Dec. 26 ; Philadelphia, Dec. 26 ; Baltimore, Dec.
25 ; Mobile, Dec. 22 ; New Orleans, Dec. 21 ;
Montreal, Dec. 22 ; Quebec, Dec. 21 ; and Halifax,
Dec. 29.
The New York Weekly Herald, of Dec. 6, says—
" The gold excitement is undoubtedly subsiding
through the country. Conversations upon this matter
are growing less animated, and persons who, a week
since, thought or spoke of nothing that was not con-
nected with California, are gradually settling
down to their usual occupation. Emigration
to the gold regions from the United States,
as far as :we can ascertain from various sources
within our reach, has been as yet exceed-
ingly small. In fact, the number now on their way
amounts to nothing; but if the preparations on foot
are fully carried out as is anticipated, and the per-
sons who have resolved to seek their fortunes there
snake good their resolutions, the list of gold-diggers
will, in less than a year, fill an enormous parchment.
Many, we are inclined to believe, who have
already sacrificed much at home to the desire of
seeking wealth on the Pacific, are now showing
symptoms of vacillation; with many, a want of de-
cision of purpose is clearly perceptible, and they are
acting under feelings swayed between hope and
fear. The probability is, that not more than a third
of those who have entered upon arrangements to
proceed will venture farther than they have already
gone. The disadvantages in both sea and land
routes are so great, that but a few will hazard
their lives and little possessions, for that which is
as yet an uncertainty. The number of vessels up
for the Pacific, at this port, has not been enlarged
since yesterday ; at Boston, Philadelphia, and Balti-
more, we do not hear of any additional movements
of interest. The owners of the Crescent City, which
leaves on Saturday, for Chagres, have made an en-
gagement with a gentleman who has crossed the
Isthmus several times, to proceed by express to
Panama. It is his intention to make all possible
arrangements at Panama for the dispatch of passen-
gers to San Francisco, and, by arrangements along
the road, to facilitate the transit of the Isthmus. The
steamer Isthmus, under the command of Captain
Baker, will sail for Chagres to-day, with about sixty
passengers."
The New York Commercial Advertiser, referring
to the same subject, says—" Like the official letter
of Governor Mason, it seems to confirm and
strengthen even the wildest representations that
have reached us from private adventurers,
and as it travels through the country will
no doubt add fuel to the burning excite-
ment that pervades all classes. Even the most
dogged incredulity is staggered by such successive
waves of testimony in support of accounts which at
first were regarded as little better than mere fables."
The people in all parts of the United States were pre-
paring to start by the hundred for the " gold region."
The New York papers publish a very long report
in reference to the Post-office, and in compliance
with a resolution of the House of Representatives. It
is an extremely lengthy document, extending over
several columns of the various papers. It is the pro-
duction of Major Hobbie, who was some time since
in this country, and who appears to be a very humble
imitator of Mr. Polk in his dislike of brevity.
From the document we gather that the United
States cannot profitably have the cheap postage sys-
tem applied, for the reason that there are more unpro-
ductive mail routes than in England. In America the
document does not appear to have met with much fa-
vour, or occupied much attention; and in this coun-
try it will certainly command less, since we cannot
find that any allusion is made to the mail arrange-
ments between this country and the United States.
The report suggests the adoption of a reduced and
uniform rate of inland postage.
THE FRANKLIN EXPEDITION.—We translate from
the Montreal Minerve the following extract of a let-
ter from a Canadian Missionary, the Rev. Father
Tache, dated Isle a la Crosse, Hudson's Bay
Territory, 20th January, 1848 : " There is
nothing new in this country, save an expedi-
tion which is already on its way in search of
Captain Sir John Franklin, who left England in
1845, for the purpose of attempting to explore the
north-west passage into the Pacific. The men com-
posing this expedition winter near this place, at Fort
Cumberland, with Mr. G. Deschambault, and will
pass through here in the spring. Sir John Richard-
son, who is to leave Montreal in a canoe, will be here
about midsummer. I believe this expedition per-
fectly useless. Either Captain Franklin has by
this time got back to England, or he has perished
in the ice. Besides, the expedition cannot reach
the Arctic sea before the summer of 1849. The
firing of cannon was heard at the last post on Mac-
kenzie's River both last winter and the winter before.
They were probably signals of distress. Uafor-
tunately, it was impossible to go to their assist-
ance. A Dr. Hay is also in search on this side. No
news of him has been received, and fears are enter-
tained for his safety, so much the more as he em-
barked in open boats, and his rashness at sea is well
known." The report that the firing of cannon was
heard in the winters of 1846 and '47, towards the
mouth of Mackenzie's River, seems to confirm that of
the Esquimaux Indians, that a " big canoe" had been
seen ashore there.—Quebec Gazette.
Congress had adjourned for the Christmas holidays
after having closed the third week of the session, and
during which many important questions had been
partially considered. There had been several pre-
liminary discussions in the Senate on the Panama
Railway Bill of Messrs. Aspinall and others, and which,
by the last accounts we were informed, was almost
certain of being passed. Now, however, it is reported
that, in consequence of the decided opposition it had
met with in some quarters, there is but little pro-
spect of its passage. There had also been several
spirited discussions on the reference of the Bill for
the admission of California and Mexico as a Federal
State, which involves the question of slavery. So
far as the measure had gone the Southern men had
been successful. The following is an abstract of the

Sec. 1. After the Ist day of April, '49, all that part
of the territory of the United States known as Upper
California shall be organized into a temporary govern-
ment, provided nothing in said Act shall be construed
to prohibit the Government of the United States from
dividing said territory intoro or more territories.
Sec. 2 provides for vesting the Executive power of
said territory in a Governor.

Sections d and 4 provide for the Secretary and Le-
gislative Assembly, mode of electing members, &c.
Sec. s.—Every free white male citizen of the United
States above the age of twenty-one years, an inha-
bitant of the territory at the time of its organiza-
tion, shall be entitled to vote at the first election,
provided that no officer, soldier, or seaman, in the army
or navy of the United States, shall be allowed to vote,
unless the said territory has been his permanent domi-
cile for six months, and no person belonging to the army
or navy shall be elected to any office.
The next four sections relate to the judiciary, &c.
Sec. 11th provides that the governor, secretary, judges,
attorney, and marshal, shall be nominated, and by and
with the advice and consent of the Senate, appointed by
the President of the United States.
The salary of the Governor is 1,500 dollars as Gover-
nor, and the same as Superintendent of Indian Affairs;
of the Judges, 2,000 dollars each; and of the Secretary,
1,500 dollars.

Sec. 12. And be it further enacted—that the in •
habitants of said territory shall be entitled to enjoy
all and singular the rights, privileges, and advantages
granted and secured to the people of the United
States, north-west of the river Ohio, by the articles of
compact contained in the ordinance for the government
of said territory, on the 10th day of July, 1787, and shall
be subject to all the conditions, restrictions, and prohi-
bitions in said articles of compact imposed upon the peo-
ple of said territory.
The Bill goes on to provide that a delegate to the
House of Representatives to serve for two years may be
elected. Also for the establishment of a collection dis-
trict, and a port of entry, and the post of collector, whose
salary shall be one thousand dollars; also, for the esta-
blishment of suitable ports of delivery.
The Bill contains twenty sections, and is an exact
copy of the Oregon Bill which passed last session.
In reference to the subject of slavery, we may men-
tion here, that on the 23d ult., the Southern members
of the Senate had a Caucus meeting at Washington,
to consider the subjects of the assaults of the Abo-
litionists upon the institutions of slavery and the
harmony of the union. Sixty-eight members were
present, and although reporters were excluded we learn
that a committee, to consist of one member from
each state was ordered to be appointed, and
who are to make a report on the 15th of January. In
the House of Representatives on the 21st, a resolution
was carried by a majority of nine, instructing the Com-
mittee of the district of Columbia to report a Bill to
abolish all traffic in slaves in the district. A motion
was made to reconsider the subject, which remained un-
decided when the House adjourned. The passage of
this resolution was probably the cause of the Caucus
meeting of Southern senators.
The drainage of the everglades of Florida, as proposed
by Mr. Westcott's Bill, had occupied a large share of
the attention of the Senate, but at the last accounts no
progress had been made with it.

The resolution offered by Mr. Miller, calling upon the
rregiitie% for the produotiou of any correoponclonco bo-