The Sun.
London, England, 1836-12-20 00:00:00

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE

FRANCE.
(From the French Papers of Sunday.)
All the events of the last week have been of a grave cha-
racter, tinged with the mournful colour of our African ho-
rizon, and with the gloom of those calamitous days of the
expedition against Constantina, which have witnessed the
death of so many of our young and brave soldiers, and
added a new page to the history of our disasters. The sa-
crifice of so many lives, without either glory, compensation,
or result, must be for France a source of the deepest afflic-
tion. Those who are no more are entitled to our regret,
the survivors to our sympathy, but all demand vengeance
and a glowing satisfaction ; national honour and justice
imperiously require it.
Can any one now entertain the least doubt respecting,
the intentions of a certain pensee immuable, who has con-
templated, since 1830, the abandonment of Algiers ? Every
thing done in the country since then was so incomplete and
so badly managed for the purpose of proving the impracti-
cability of preserving the colony ; a secret joy was felt at
every check suffered by our arms, as a murderous proof the
more of the necessity of adopting that measure. This is
not a mere conjecture, here are some facts that will bear

out our opinion.
In 1830 M. Mole had been for a short period Minister
of Foreign Affairs, when M. de Talleyrand was appointed
Ambassador in London. The old diplomatist called, for
form sake, to take his instructions from the Minister, for he
had already received them in a higher qUarter. We are
assured he thus addressed M. Mole :—" I think you view
the question of Algiers in the same light I do ; we must
evacuate the colony as soon as possible ; it is a toy that has
cost us rather dear ; we must only choose our time.
You authorize me, of course, to announce it to the
British Cabinet as a resolution of the French Govern-
ment, that will afford me great facilities in London."
M. Mole replied, that the question was too serious to be
thus solved in a conversation, and that it should be referred to
the Council. Eight days afterwards it was accordingly
brought forward by General Sebastiani. Every one knows in
whose name the General habitually spoke. Count Sebastiani
contended that Algiers ought to be abandoned, for the very
same reasons adduced by M. de Talleyrand in his visit to M.
Mole. There is one circumstance which the members who
then composed the Council must remember—namely, the
verbose discourse in which the pensee itnnzuable explained
his numerous objections to retaining the colony —" You
will find later that I am right, gentlemen," said he, in closing
the discussion. _ _ .

From that moment everything done towards the coloni-
zation of Algiers appears to have been a reluctant conces-
sion to public opinion. The Government did not relinquish
it because it was in dread of the country and of the Cham-
bers, but the pensee immuable nevertheless, persevered in its
con vi ction.—Nouvelle Minerve.
It appears no other expedition will be undertaken against
Constantina before April. 20,000 or 25,000 men will be
assembled in the meanwhile at Toulon, so as to be able to
strike then a decisive blow.—lbid.
It is reported that Marshal Clausel's resignation of the
government of Algiers will be accepted, and that the Court
intends to confer it on the Duke of Mortemart. It was not
without some good reason that the Duke went to vigit Al-
giers. Since his mission to Russia he enjoys the entire
confidence of the Tuileries ; a more exalted station yet
awaits him.—lbid. _ . .

We have received several other letters frem Africa,
which confirm the particulars we published a few days ago
respecting the disastrous expedition against Constantina.
One of them contains a calculation of the losses of the
army. 1,500 men perished in the campaign, three-fourths
of whom died of cold and hunger. 2,000 able-bodied men
returned to Bona, bringing with them a long convoy of be-
tween 3,000 and 3,500 sick and wounded. The hospitals
are completely full, and fever rages in them with so much
violence that very few, it was feared, will recover. It was
reported that General Trezel had died of his wound.—
National.

SPAIN.
SIEGE OF BILBOA.
If we can give credit to the French papers received this
morning by the express of Sunday, the operations for the
relief of Bilboa by Gen. Espartero commenced on the 12th
instant, in the afternoon. The following are the details :
( From the Phare de Bayonne of the 15th.)
" The division of Gen. Espartero was to march on the
12th on Burcena, and afterwards on Bilboa, by the left side
of the river Nervian. This division is composed of 19
battalions and 2 squadrons.
" On the 12th, in the afternoon, the position of Burcena
was carried after a charge:of cavalry, and, on the departure
of a trincadame from Portugalette, they we going to throw
a bridge over the river Cadagua, to attack the heights on
the 13th, which the Carlists had entrenched, the success
of which appeared almost certain. General Espartero, in
the combat of the 12th, in the takingof the village of Bur-
cena, lost one of his aides-de-camp."
BAYONNE, DEC. 13.—We have received, via Socoa, au-
thentic accounts from Portugalette of the date of yesterday
evening, that General Espartero attacked yesterday (the
12th) with success the Carlist line in the plain of Castre-
jana. A brilliant charge of the cavalry broke through one
of the Carlist wings, and about three o'clock in the after:-
noon the infantry carried several positions of the enemy,
amongst whichs were the heights of ,Las Cruces. The
remainder of the division of Espartero soon•arrived by the
Desierto ; the Bridge of Castreajna is "still occupied by
the Carlists. Telegraphs have been established at Portu-
galette and Bilboa. All is prepared for the garrison to make
a sortie, when Espartero commences the decisive attack.
The Memorial Bordelais says that Don Carlos is ill.
The French Papers state a new expedition against Con-
stantina is resolved upon, and that the Duke of Orleans is
to have the command. •
PARIS, DEC. 18.—We have the following from Bayonne,
dated Dec. 13. We have just received by way of Socoa
authentic news from Portugalette of the date of yesterday
evening. General Espartero made yesterday a successful
attack on the Carlist lines, in the plain of Castrejana ; the
brilliant charges of his cavalry broke one wing of the Car-
lists, and about three o'clock in the afternoon his infantry
got possession of several of the enemy's positions ; among
others, the heights of Las Cruces. The remainder of Es-
partero's division soon arrived by the Desierto, and occu-
pied the same positions. The General made his artillery
advance, and caused a bridge to be laid down, over which
he intended to pass on the 13th, at break of day.
" The bridge of Castrejana was still occupied by the
Carlists ; who had armed it with cannon and parapets ;
but these instruments will avail nothing, as Espartero may
very well effect his passage at another point without loss.
" Telegraphs had been set up between Portugalette and
Bilboa. Everything was prepared that the garrison might
make a sally at the moment that Espartero was expected.
We have nothing from Bilboa later than the above news
of the 12th—only La Phare says, that the action which
took place on that day tended to the advantage of Espar-
tero. The General lost one of his aid de camps, named
Capo Alange."
The Memorial Bordelais says that Don Carlos is ill

that he was bled on the 10th at Durango, but there was
nothing in the case to excite alarm.

PORTUGAL.

LISBON, DEC. 10.—The scrutiny of the elections did not
take place until Sunday last, the 4th inst., when the fol-
lowing persons were elected as deputies for the approaching
Cortes for Lisbon :

Votes.
Anselmo Braancamp 8,771
Barreto Feio 8,350
Faustino da Gama
Lionel Tavares Cabral 7,886
Jose Liberato Carvalho
Jose Ferreira Pinto Basto, jun.
Count da Taipa 7,192
Antonio Caesar Vasconcellos
Colonel Luna
Jose da Silva Passos 5,899

Their substitutes will be shortly chosen.
As I had anticipated, the popular disaffection at the Mi-
nisters recent modification of the 4th paragraph of the 34th
article of the Constitution of 1820 manifested itself to such
a degree as to prevent even a single Minister of the Crown
from being elected for this city, while at Oporto party spi-
rit did not run so high, and this innovation of the charter
was not considered by the inhabitants of the " Eternal"
City of such importance as to cause them to withhold their
votes from the triumvirate Ministry, and they have conse-
quently been returned for that place.
The exceeding anxiety of the Ministers to meet in proper
time the amount of their dividends falling due on the Ist
of January next, has induced extraordinary exertion to ob-
tain a sufficient sum, which, together with a quantity of
Scrip they intend to pledge for the occasion, will enable
them to effect their object. They will remit the amount to
London not later than the 20th inst.
Having in my former letters exposed the nefarious sys-
tem of vessels being fitted out in this port with impunity
for the slave-trade, I am now happy to state, that the pre-
sent Government have, much to their credit., removed the
stigma which the former Government, professing Liberal
principles, appeared to countenance. At a Cabinet Council
held this day, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs,
Viscount de Sada Bandeira, presented to her Majesty a
decree for the abolition of this disgraceful traffic, which has
received the Royal sanction. The provisions of this decree,
I am given to understand, impose imprisonment and heavy
fines upon any of her subjects engaged directly or indirectly
in the trade, and it states that all Portuguse seamen found
on board slave vessels will he condemned to serve four years
in the navy without pay.
His Majesty's steamer Echo put in here, on her way to
the West Indies, for coals on the 6th inst., and sailed yes-
terday. The Manchester steamer arrived from Madeira,