The Sun.
London, England, 1849-11-26 00:00:00

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

PORTSMOUTH, SUNDAY.—Tine Indiaman Minerva,
Captain Moir, from Madras, Calcutta, and the Cape,
passed this port this morning, and sent in passengers
and mails by a pilot. boat.
The Minerva's news from the Cape is six days later
than our last advices, viz., to the 28th of September,
and, although of a gloomy character, is somewhat more
promising than the former.
The Governor, Sir 11, Smith, was at Cape-town.
The excitement relative to the arrival of the convicts
off the colony continued unabated. The Anti-
Convict Association had addressed powerful appeals
to the Governor to induce him to take upon
himself the responsibility of striding the convict-
ship and her freight -to Ascension, or any other
place, but he steadily refused to embroil himself
or his authority in the matter, and in a manifesto
returned to the association a day or two prior to
the sailing of the Minerva, Sir Harry expressed
his deep sympathy wits the cause of the colonists,
but objected to act without orders from the Home
Government, and set forth the extreme danger of any
interference with the destination of convicts, as a
measure fraught with the most fatal consequences—
as, in the event of their being legally transferred to
any other port than to that one to which the consti-
tuted authority consigned them, they could rise and
massacre the whole crew of the ship, and set them-
selves free, as a justifiable act under such circum-
stances.

The colonists had prohibited supplies to the army,
navy, and all Government establishments, and no sup-
plies accordingly were granted. The Governor was
compelled, in this state of things, to make bread in
his own house, a situation in which Commodore
Wyvill was also placed. As such a state of siege
cannot last long, we anxiously look for the next
advices.

Her Majesty's ships Castor and Geyser and the
storeship Seriug,lpatam were in Simon's-bay. Her
Majesty's ship Eurydice had sailed thence for Eng-
land, and the Orestes for the Mozambique.
The Minerva encountered an awful gale off the
Cape.

CALIFORNIA AND THE BRAZILS.
PORTSMOUTH, Nov. 24.—Her Majesty's ship COD -
stance, 50, Captain Courtenay, arrived this afternoon
from Brazil, with four days' later news. She sailed
from Mazatlan on the 26th of June; San Bias, sth
of July ; Valparaiso, 28th of August ; passed Cape
Horn the 14th of September; arrived at Rio de Ja-
neiro on the 7th of October; and sailed on the 13:h
with a mail, the Express packet having sailed three
days before her.
Emigration on a large scale flowed to California
from the United States, by way of Mazatlan and San
Blas, during the Constance's stay on the coast of
Mexico, and vessels under all flags were reaping rich
harvests by passenger traffic thence to Sau Francisco,
notwithstanding the enormous wages exacted by sea-
men, varying from 150 to 250 dollars a month. Many
persons, however, were returning thence, particularly
South Americans, broken down in health and fortune,
for, although gold is still plentiful, it is only to be
obtained by a vast amount of hard labour and priva-
tion, under which all but the strong and hardy even-
tually succumb.
The Constance has brought a freight of about
2,000,000 dollars, partly in placer gold, which is
probably the last freight of such an amount
that will be sent from the west coast of Mexico by
way of Cape Horn ; in future the remittances will
go by steamers to Panama, and thence across the
Isthmus.
The Republic of Chili is prospering under a wise
and pacific Government, and the town and port of
Valparaiso improving in an extraordinary manner,
under the able and energetic intendency of Admiral
Bianco. The other republics are quiet, with the ex-
ception of Bolivia, which is constantly convulsed by
revolutionary movements.
Emigration to California by way of Cape Horn was
greater than through Mexico. Ships were daily
touching at Valparaiso for supplies, freighted with
passengers of all descriptions, as well from Europe as
from the United States.
Rear-Admiral Reynolds arrived at Rio from the
Cape of Good Hope on the 9th of October, and sailed
on the 13th for the River Plate to take the command,
and sent home Commodore Sir Thomas Herbert.
Affairs in the River Plate remain in .statu quo, wait-
ing the return of a treaty sent to England for ac-
ceptance.

THE HUNGARIAN AND ITALIAN

QUESTION.

It is not too much to say that the great meeting
held in this town on Monday last was of national
importance. The sentiments expressed on that
occasion are, we believe, no less generally prevalent
than genuinely English. The moral of the proceed-
ings was, that the people love peace much, but justice
more.

We do not undervalue the importance of the Ro-
man question ; and the elaborate, able, and eloquent
speech of Mr. Larkin upon this subject will not soon
be forgotten by those who heard it. He appeared to
us, however, to deviate somewhat from the immediate
question', and to address himself rather to what may
be called the Liberal Catholic party in Europe than
to the meeting actually before lihn. There was, in
consequence, an unwillingness exhibited to hear him
through, (especially as the hour was late), over
which no powers inferior to his own could have
achieved the triumph which he undoubtedly did
achieve.

But the interest of the meeting was in the more
immediately pressing question respecting the Hun-
garian refugees, and the speech of Lord Dudley
Stuart, who has won golden opinions among our
townsmen, was the speech of the evening. Most
sincerely do we trust that the confidence which he
expressed that Kossuth and his companions will not
be kept captive in Turkey may prove to be well-
founded. His language, in reference to this report,
is undoubtedly most judicious, and the generous
confidence which he has avowed he places in the
Sultan, is more calculated to have the wholesome effect
at Constantinop!e than if he had expressed suspicion.
Still, it must not be forgotten that the report alluded
to in the Memorial is, as Lord Dudley Stuart said,
official from Vienna, and has, since Monday, been
confirmed. It cannot, therefore, be disregarded, and
we rejoice that there has been so marked an expres-
sion of public opinion, to the effect that such a solution
of the extradition question, even though peaceful,
will not be accepted as satisfactory.
One thing we feel sure of, namely, that any de-
mands that may be made by the Russian and Austrian
Governments will not be acceded to by the Sultan
without previous communication with the Govern-
ment of this country. To them we confidently look,
and especially to Lord Palmerston, to give their
sanction to no arrangementithat shall in any way
diminish the wholesome moral effect that will be
produced in Europe by the relinquishment, on
the part of Austria and Russia, of their infamous
demand.—Newcastle Guardian.