The Sun.
London, England, 1847-06-29 00:00:00

(fit tinting 51illit

LONDON, TUESDAY, JUNE 29, 1847.

Mexico continues to be desolated, not merely by
its infamous invaders, but in a very particular and
lamentable:jrnanner by internal dissensions. The
Aztec Empire appears to be crumbling away as much
from the disastrous anarchy caused by its own
traitorous children as from the vigorous assaults of
its unprincipled neighbours. Instead of banding to-
gether for the protection of their common country,
for the vindication of their collective rights, and for
the maintenance of the national liberty, the Mexicans
are literally conniving at the movements of the in-
vading armies. Formerly they have been accused of
pusillanimity, now they may with equal reason be
scorned for their perfidious conduct in the abandon-
ment of the barriers of fatherland. The vast ma-
jority of the citizens of that magnificent republic—
that republic which Nature has qualified to be the
pivot upon which the commerce of an entire hemi-
sphere.should turn, whose soil is fruitful beyond the
fruitfulness of most tropical territories, whose shores
are washed by the surges of the Atlantic and
the Pacific, whose eastern and western limits
are indented by noble harbours, whose surface
is diversified by mountain and plain, by wold and
valley, by prairie and dingle, whose pastures are
irrigated by plenteous and fructifying streams, whose
highroads are intended to be the channels of commu-
nication between the two great continents of America
—the vast majority of the citizens of that magni-
ficent republic are showing themselves incompetent to
appreciate the blessings of national independence, or
to assume the protection of their national heritage.
Hitherto the free populations of Europe have regarded
the progress of events in Mexico with interest, if not
with consternation. The enemies of that ruthless
spirit which strives at all hazards to assure to its
possessor the bloody spoil of territorial aggrandizement
—the enemies to that damnable spirit which has repeat-
edly been the accursed sequence of despotism, but which
has now-a-days become the incompatible incitement of
a federative constitution, have looked heretofore with
abhorrence upon the southward progress of the Ame-
rican soldiers through the Rio Grande, and with sym-
pathy upon the straggling defence made by the Mexi-
can forces. If circumstances similar to those which
have recently transpired, and which have just reached
us by the arrival of the Hibernia steam-ship, be re-
newed with much frequency in Mexico, all the gene-
rous sympathies of the lovers of civil liberty for its
inhabitants will evaporate, and the various provinces
will in time be portioned out as the rewards of a
lawless expedition.

ANTONIO LOPEZ DE SANTA ANNA has been re-
ceived in the capital with yells, with hisses, with
execrations ! He has been stoned in the streets like
a malefactor ! For what ? For risking his personal
safety by entering his agonised land, through the
blockading squadron of its enemies! For abandoning
the secure quietude of the Havannahs for the stormy
perils of a beleaguered state 1 For refusing the Pre-
sidentship when he had only to stretch forth his
hand and grasp the sword of a Dictator ! For
voluntarily accumulating on his own head the yen-
ap.nep of tho advancing- legions, by becoming
the soldier and the captain of his native
country! For accepting the onerous responsibilities
of government when it was most peculiarly sur-
rounded by internal and external dangers—when it
was directly menaced by the uplifted brand of the
United States, and by the mines of the treachery, and
conspiracy, and disguised insubordination of its own
citizens! SANTA ANNA has experienced the
fickleness of democracy as strikingly as ever did
MILTIADES, Or TMEMISTOCLES, Or ARISTIDES, or
ALCIBLUMS, Or EPAMINONDAS. Having mortgaged
his own personal estates for the prosecution
of the war in defence of Mexico, SANTA ANNA
is stoned by its ungrateful and insensate popu-
lation. The great ISABELLA I. of Spain pawned
her jewels to furnish COLON with the means
of carrying into effect his project for the discovery of
a New World. For the defence of a portion of that
new world SANTA ANNA has pawned his patrimony,
and has since been reviled by the descendants of the
subjects of that great ISABELLA.

In a communication addressed on the 13th of May
to the Mexican AI inister of War and Marine, Presi-
dent SANTA ANNA- alludes thus to the supposition
that the United States were deceived in admitting
him through their blockading squadron in the expec-
tation of his abandoning the republic to their pos-
session :—" Indeed, most excellent Sir, the United
States did deceive themselves when they dreamed that
I was capable of betraying my country. Before this
should happen I would prefer to be consumed by fire,
and my ashes should be scattered so that not a single
atom were left." " W ould to GoD," he exclaims in con-
tinuation, " would to GoD the Mexicans would open
their eyes to discover the poison in the golden
chalice that the perfidious SCOTT proffers !" But, no
the patriot who endeavours to animate them with
some taint sense of that love of country which burns
in his own bosom is scorned, is hissed, is stoned.
" GOD and Liberty !" his battle cry, is drowned
in the din of a cowardly and licentious rabble:
Instead of meeting with co-operation he is compelled
to resign the office of President. He endeavours to
fortify the outposts of Guadaloupe, of Perion, and of
Mijicazingo—he is prevented by the contumacious
opposition of the inhabitants. Everywhere the sha-
dow of a dreadful destiny impends over the plains of
California and the mountains of Mexico. The phan-
tern of a NEMESIS seems to lead onwards the armies
of the United States, and to foretell the doom of a
splendid republic and a degraded race.

We have already pointed out the vast distinction
between the principle of the measure introduced by
Lord GEORGE BENTINCK and that brought forward
underithe auspices of her MAJESTY'S Government for
an advance to certain railways in Ireland, the second
reading of which was last night carried by a majority
of 113 in the House of Commons. The Noble Lord

the Member for Lynn and his supporters still con-
tinue to assert the identity of these principles, and to
rail against the inconsistency of those who, by an
overwhelming majority, rejected the former pro-
position, while they give their support to the more
moderate and reasonable one now sanctioned by the
House. We should not be so much astonished at
these petulant outbreaks if they proceeded only from
the camp of the Protectionists, but we confess that
we are surprised indeed at finding some of the Liberal
Members—persons who are generally more clear-
sighted and intelligent—joining in the same ridiculous
assumptions, and becoming the accusers of the Minis-
terial policy. The Premier fully and completely
vindicated the justice and the expediency of the
course adopted, and thoroughly refuted one of the ar-
guments so loudly urged against the measure. He
showed that tho advance was proposed, not
because they had the 600,0001, and should
devise
being thoroughly convinced of the benefits that
such an expenditure would confer on the country'
they were enabled to sanction it to that extent with-
out inconvenience to the national Exchequer, and
without disturbance to the money market. A large
and lavish outlay would involve the necessity of the
borrower, and would, to a
cSetrattaeinagexaitnenbte,ceoxmpionsg a
expose
the Cabinet to the imputation
of being guilty of a breach of faith towards those per-
sons by whom the last loan of 8,000,0001. WA3 advanced

—it would occasion mischief more than equivalent for
the benefits that could be derived, even under the

most favourable circumstances, from the assistance

granted. Nothing of the kind, however, could be al-
-1 leged against the disposal of a sum already in hand,
which formed a portion of the amount which it was
intended to expend in public works in Ireland, in
consequence of the exigencies of that country. We
confess that we should have been much better pleased
had the original intention been carried into execution
and the money applied in the reclamation of the
waste lands ; difficulties, however, intervened, which
occasioned the withdrawal of that measure for the
present session, and the fund for that purpose re-
mained at the disposal of the Ministry, who decided,
as the next best mode of application, to lend it to
certain companies, and thereby to expedite the con-
struction of railways that possessed peculiar claims
upon national assistance, and that were enabled to offer
ample security for the ultimate repayment of the ad-
vance with full interest thereon.
Lord GEORGE BENTINCK desired that the Exche-
quer should advance no less than 16,000,0001. sterling
to be distributed indiscriminately to all railway com-
panies in the proportion of two parts from the State for
one provided by the companies. Here, then, was at once
anew and a most dangerous precedent; vast advantages
would have been afforded to speculators in Irish rail-
ways and a consequent injury to, and deterioration of,
the property of those who had made investments in
similar works in this country. The Government would
depart from its legitimate sphere—it would become a
money lender on a gigantic scale—it would incur a
risk of a serious loss, while any possible gain
should find its way into the pockets of the
dealers in railway scrip on the London Stock Ex-
change. It would give a most injudicious impetus to
a kind of speculation that had already been carried to
an undue extent. If the nation were bound to provide
two-thirds of the expenditure on any Irish railway
that had already, or might hereafter, be sanctioned
by Parliament, while the shareholders would be
enabled to distribute the whole of the profits amongst
themselves beyond the 3-1 per cent. interest pay-
able on the loan, many works of a doubtful cha-
racter would be undertaken and carried on.
Nothing of the kind, however, can possibly be the
result of the present Bill. It is merely the extension
of a principle that has long been recognised, and
which has been peculiarly advantageous to the
kingdom in general. The Public Works Loan
Commissioners have been in existence for many
years. It has been usual to place certain sums
annually at their disposal, to be applied in the
promotion of useful public works. The sums so ad-
vanced have generally varied in every year according
to the ability of the Exchequer, and according to the
strength of the claims of those seeking the national
assistance. The Commissioners would have been
competent to make the advance without the legisla-
tive sanction, had they the full amount at
their disposal. All, then, that is done is, to
grant a larger sum than usual to the Com-
missioners, and everything concurs to establish
the propriety thereof. The money is actually in the
Exchequer. It was intended to have been laid out
in public works, although of a different character.
The works to be carried on will be most useful to
the country. There are already portions of them
opened, the proceeds of which will be more than suffi-
cient to pay the interest and instalments of
the principal of the money to be lent, and
every pound advanced will occasion the ex-
penditure of an equal sum, to be provided from
the private resources of the companies. Under these
circumstances, and for these reasons, therefore, we
most cordially approve of the present measure, the
principle of which has so triumphantly been sanc-
tioned by the House.

Madrid papers of the 22d have arrived.
Carlist movements had taken place in the province
of Burgos, and in Navarre, and the Basque Provinces.
The POPE'S Nuncio had presented to the QUEEN a
letter from his HOLINESS, expressing a wish for the
speedy accommodation of the differences between the
Courts of Rome and of Madrid. Don ANGEL DE LA
RIVA, accused of firing at the QUEEN, has undergone
his first examination. lie positively denies the
charge, and declares that he never saw her MAJESTY
on the day in question.

The Three i;er Cents. were done at 30 for cash;
the Four per Cents. at 18 for paper; the Five per Cents,
at 17i for cash; the Debt without Interest at :4 cash;
and the Coupons at 15.

We have received the Paris papers of Sunday.
There was another accusation of misapplication of
funds brought forward in the Chamber of Deputies
on Saturday, a charge affecting not only the Minis-
ters but the officers of the Civil List, the pets of the
palace, and implicating even personages of a higher
station than either. M. L'HERBETTE accused the
administration of the Civil List of having dilapidated
the forests of the State, of which the Crown has only
the usufruct to such an extent that the present pos.
sessor of the Crown has received sixty-five millions
of francs more than he was entitled to. " And yet,"
said M. L'HERBETTE, "we have been asked for
dotations." The Minister of Finance attempted an
explanation, which was worthy of the renowned
TERRY O'RoußKE's, " 'Tis part of my system."
We have adopted the German instead of the French
system of cutting timber, said the Minister, and
this is part of it. M. ODILON BARROT gave it as
his opinion, as a lawyer, that the Crown by the adop-
tion of this system, had exceeded its rights ; and
M. LEDRU ROLLIN declared that by the 618th article
of the Civil Code the Crown had in consequence
forfeited the usufruct altogether. Ultimately the
debate was adjourned to Monday.
The Chamber of Peers has decided that General
CUBIERES and M. PARMENTIER PALLAFRA shall be
prosecuted for having, in 1842, corrupted by offers,
gifts, and presents, the Minister of Public Works, in
order to obtain the concession of a mine of rock salt,
and that M. TESTE, at that period Minister of Public
Works, should be prosecuted for having accepted
offers and received gifts and presents, to perform an
official act for which no service was performed, the
Court believing that sufficient evidence exists to
prove these accusations. The trial will commence on
the sth July.
Lieut.-General Count GIILARDIN has addressed a

letter to the Presse, denying all knowledge of the
letter of 1838, on the subject of the Peerage, which
was read by M. GUIZOT at the Tribune of the Cham-
ber of Deputies. This denial is corroborated by M.
EMILE DE GIRARDIN, who declares that the letter was
written by him, without the knowledge of the Gene-
ral, to a former editor of La Presse.

The price of wheat continued to diminish in all
the markets of France. At Bergerac, in the south,
it had suddenly fallen from 42 to 25 francs per hec-
tolitre. In Lower Limousin barley was being reaped;
the wheat promised a most abundant crop, and pota-
toes presented a fine appearance. In the Jura the
alternate heat and rain had been extremely beneficial,
and there was a fine prospect. The quantity of
foreign wheat imported into. the department of the
north, from the 16th to the 21st inst., amounted to
11,000 hectolitres. At the last market of La Bassee,
the price fell one franc per hectolitre ; at Cassel, 4f.
60c. ; and at Bourgourg, sf. 67c. There was no
change in the Paris market on Saturday.
The Three per Cents. were done at 77f. 55c. on Sun- '
day, in the Passage de l'Opera, Paris, but this price was
little more than nominal.

MARSEILLES, JUNE 23.—Marseilles and Avignon, 715 f.
LYONV, Jtmaz 25.—Paris and Rouen, 9711. 25c.; Avignon
and Marseilles, 700 f. ; Vierzon, 606 f. 25c. ' • Northern, 577 f.
50c. ; Paris and Lyons, 450 f. ; Orleans, 1,2761. 25c.

BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE
LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, JUNE 28.
Boulogne and Amiens, 16A—Bordeaux, Toulouse, and
Cette (Constituted), 24—Central of France (Orleans and
Vierzon), 16—Ceylon, %—Dutch Rhenish, 41/6—Louvain
a la Sambre, %—Luxembourg, 11/2—Northern of Francs,
103%—Orleans and Bordeaux, 64—Paris and Lyons, 5%
Paris and Strasbourg, s—Sambre and Meuse, 7%.

WILSON'S ENTERTAINMENTS.—At the Music Hall,
last night, Mr. Wilson gave his popular entertainment,
entitled " An Hour wi' Burns," in which he sings some
of the most popular of Burns' songs, and also recites the
famoue poem of "Tam o' Shanter." Wilson was i❑
splendid voice, and gave all his songs with even more
than his usual excellence, and his recital of "Tam o'
Shanter" was hailed with repeated plaudits. His mis-
cellaneous songs were all of a first-rate description, and
gave great delight. He introduced, by desire, the ex-
quisite song of "The Skylark" and the humorous ditty of
" The Married Man's Lament," both of which produced
their usual effects—the former exciting the utmost admi-
ration of the beauty of the words, the appropriateness of the
delicious melody, and the beautiful delivery of it by the
singer; and the latter putting the visible faculties to the
test by the humorous manner in which it was given. It
was whispered in the room that Madlle. Jenny Lind was
in a private box listening to the dulcit strains of Scotias
minstrel. By particular desire, Wilson is to give one
performance more, when his programme is to contain
all the choice morocaux of the season.