The Sun.
London, England, 1841-02-16 00:00:00

HIGHLY IMPORTANT FROM THE NIAGARA FRONTIER

CASE OF IWLEOD.

The intelligence from Western New York, and the
Niagara frontier, begins to be highly interesting. The
official correspondence between Mr. Fox, the British Mi-
nister, and Mr. Forsyth, respecting the burning of the
Caroline, and the arrest of M'Leod, has created a
flame all over the border. Public meetings have been held
on the subject, in Buffalo, in Batavia, and other places,
denouncing the claims and conduct of England.
We have despatched a correspondent to the Niagara
frontier, from whom we have received the following :
" Lockport, Jan. 25, 1841.
" The trial of M'Lood cannot take place until the fourth
Monday in March, unless a special commission oyer and
terminer should issue, which is not probable. His case will
come before the Grand Jury at the County Court, to be
held early in February; but that Court can only indict
him. The evidence before the Grand Jury is private, of
course, and not to be reported. It has been stated in some
prints that he was to be tried immediately—this may have
misled some.
" I have not been able to obtain any information in rela-
tion to his history, to be depended on. There is nothing
peculiar in his situation in gaol, except that be sleeps all
day, and is up all night, probably expecting assistance
from Canada, to enable him to escape. If I can find any
one who can give any of the information asked by you I
will procure it to done.
" The statement that Mr. Brotherston, the cashier of
the Suspension Bridge Bank, had become M'Leod's bail
in 5,000 dollars is also erroneous. M'Leod xas arrested
under a charge of murder, which is not a bailable offence.
The excitement on this affair increases every day. Meet-
ings are holding all over tho western district, and if an at-
tempt be made to rescue him, I would not answer for the
consequences.
" Why don't your merchants and mariners, sailors and
jack-tars, take up the conduct of the English seizures in
the African seas ? We would not stand such a thing in the
west one day."

STATE AND PROSPECt S OF THE NEW
ADMINISTRATION.
(From the Yori Herald, Jan. 30.)
The formation of the new administration, under General
Harrison, both as to men and measures, goes on very
slowly. They are coming into shape, principally under
the management of Messrs. Clay and Webster, who are
the master spirits of the movement, and candidates for the
succession seriatim. The old administration seems to take
things with great indifference. General Harrison will be
in Washington on the Bth of February, and will take the
reins on the 4th of March. Mr. Van Buren returns to
New York at the same time.
In the meantime the friends of the President elect, in

Congress, arc shaping things as well and as rapidly as they
can. The following is considered the latest and best ver-
sion of new Cabinet:—

Daniel Webster, of Massachusetts, Secretary of State.
Thomas Ewing, of Ohio, Postmaster-General.
John M. Clayton, of Delaware, Secretary of the
Treasury.
..___

John -8011, of Tennessee, Secretary of War.
Mr. Porter, of Louisiana, Secretary of the Navy.
J. J. Crittenden, of Kentucky, Attorney-General;
John Sargeant, of Philadelphia, was first named for
Treasury, but in consequence of the rival claims of Thad-
deus Stevens for Postmaster-General, both coming from
the same State, they were both set aside. Francis
Granger, of New York, has also been named for the
Navy, but his chances of success are not so apparent.
Of the Foreign Ministers not much has been said. Mr.
Stevenson, now American Minister in London, will he re-
called in the spring ; but General Case, now in Paris, will
remain for a while, at the request, it is said, of General
Harrison himself, both having been fellow soldiers in the
battle of the Thames.
There will be a great contest among a variety of candi-
dates for the Collectorships—Post Offices—and other
lucrative places—but nothing certain can be affirmed of
any until after the 4th of March--then ‘Oll come the
scramble of the lazzarone.

The most important points, both for this cowry
and for foreign nations, are not so much the men,
as the measures and policy of the new Administra-
tion. On these matters new difficulty will be encoun-
tered in the adjustment that was contemplated—par-
ticularly in the financial policy. Symptoms of division
among the friends of General Harrison have already ap.
peered. Henry A. Wise, of Virginia, a man of consider-
able talent and popularity, has declared opposition to two
of the prominent points of Cabinet policy given out by
Messrs. Clay and Webster. We allude to the project to
increase the tariff on wines and silks—and to that for the
division among the States of the proceeds of the public
lands. Mr. Wise may be actuated by two motives in de-
claring opposition to these measures—one because they are
bad in themselves—and the other (which gives edge to the
former) because his father-in-law, John Sergeant, has
been left out of the Cabinet, in consequence of fearing
that his appointment might injure-Mr. Clay's popularity in
Pennsylvania.
Taking into view all these influences and developments,
the friends of the now Administration have thus far re-
solved upon the following measures:--
1. A special session of Congress in May, or as soon
after as practicable.

2. Distribution to the States of the proceeds of the sales
of public lands, amounting to $3,000,000, or thereabouts.
This is practical agrarianism.
3. Revision and increase of the present tariff laws—
particularly in the articles now free of duty—equal to
$5,000,000, or more.

4. Repeal or modification of the specie clause of the
Sub-Treasury law—if not the creation of a new National
Bank.

5. And probably, though not so certain, a Bankrupt
Law, with or without a provision embracing corporations,
as the case may be.
These are the leading measures that may constitute the
internal policy of the new Administration. Many suppose
that the existing United States Bank of Pennsylvania will
resume its fiscal connection with the Government—but

the opposition to such a project from New England, New
York, and large financial interests in the South, would
seem to present an insurmountable barrier to its accom-
plishment in any form.
It is very evident already, that then) will be great dif-
ficulty and great disappointment in the adjustment of the
internal policy of the new Administration. The general
expectation is to raise all values by the fiscal action of the
Government, so as to enable the several States, the banks,
and many large stock-jobbers to stand as they did in 1836 ;
but this hope will be hardly realised. The old admini-
stration party will oppose such projects from the jump—and
they yet possess great power and influence in the couutry.
Such arc the best views of the financial policy of the
new Cabinet—their foreign policy has not been developed
at all. We are disposed to think, however, from the ele-
ments in motion, that they will take a high and indepen-
dent ground in our relations with England. The spirit of
the nation is getting excited on several subjects. The
burning of the Caroline at Schlosser, and the recent arrest
of M'Leod—the seizure of American merchantmen in the
African seas, by British cruisers—the movement of British
troops into the disputed territory of Maine, by order of the
Governor-General of Canada, gives reason to believe that
the British Government have adopted the views of Messrs.
Mudge and Featherstonaugh, that that territory belongs
to Canada—the blockade of the Chinese ports, excluding
therefrom American ships—the claims of England upon
the north-west territory—all these points, coupled with the
aggrandizement of England throughout the world, are
awakening the people of this country to the belief that
they must be up and doing, in order to preserve their
rights and liberties on land and on water.
These very important matters will be subjects of deep
consultation for the new administration ; and it is believed
that General Harrison has the will and the disposition to
manage our foreign affairs with the like energy and promp-
titude with which General Jackson settled the French
claims. We will see.

MECHANICS' INSTITUTION.

(FROM A CORRESPONDENT.)

One of the greatest obstacles to the prosperity of these
valuable institutions the members find in their inability to
obtain scientific lecturers ; this in small towns is most se-
riously felt, and has been the cause of the early dissolution
of perhaps hundreds of Scientific, Literary, and Mechanics
Institutions. Their limited funds being unequal to pro-
curing gentlemen of such high scientific attainments as to
attract the public generally to the, lecture-room, many
well-meaning individuals have attempted by giving gra-
tui:ous lectures to fill up this deficiency, particularly Dis.
tenting Ministers ; but, however good their intentions,
from not having received scientific education, and many
being bad experimentalists (numbers only reading the
written lectures of others) they soon failed to attract,
and the lectures were deserted.

The only means to overcome this appears to be the asso-
ciaZinff together the institutions in the neighbouring towns,
and by their united rat,ans obtain gentlemen of ability to
deliver a course of lectures to each institution on terms
within their means ; by their thus mutually cooperating
together for the general good, they might obtain valuable
apparatus, which the funds of few institutions singly are
equal to the purchase of, and perhaps the more expensive
works in their libraries might be purchased and circulated
between them. With a view of forming an association of
the institutions in the county of Southampton, many com-
munications and meetings have taken place between the
scientific bodies in Winchester, Romney, Southampton,
Cowes, Newport, &c., but unfortunately without any beni-
ficial result. Better success has attended the north, and

the " Manchester District Association" has just addressed
all the institutions in the kingdom in a very able and
spirited manner, from which we hope much good will arise,
and a general co-operation be eventually obtained. The
subject of the introduction of newspapers into Mechanic
Institutions is handled in such a masterly way as to bring
conviction home to the most obstinate, that they of all
others arc most likely to increase the interest and happi-
ness of those for whom these institutions were originally
farmed, without their possibly being productive of those
baneful effects which some very foolishly suppose. The
introduction of music is also ably advocated. The whole
deserves the serious attention of the friends to the diffusion
of useful knowledge.

We are authorised to contradict the report of a
being ntt tho slighttst pretext NI- the runwur.
marriage between Mr. Charles Kean and Miss Ellen Tree,
there