The Sun.
London, England, 1841-04-01 00:00:00

NAVIGATION OF THE RHINE.

FRANKFORT, MARCH 5.--The dosing of the right arm
of the Rhine above Biberich, by order of the Government
3f the Grand Duchy of Hesse, has already given rise to
nany diplomatic surmises, Yesterday his Highness the
Duke of Nassau arrived in this city, and had a conference
with the President of the Upper Diet, Count Munch
Bellinghausen. The Duke returned afterwards to Bibe-
rich, to which place M, de Aotgen, the Envoy from
Nassau to the Diet, had repaired. The wall which bas
been so suddenly formed in the Rhine to cut off the com-
munication with the port of Biberich is five feet in thick-
ness, and is raised to half a metre above the water.
About 300 workmen were employed in building this
wall. They were assisted by a detachment of Hessian
gendarmerie, and directed by a Dutchman and some en-
gineers. Whilst carrying on the works the workmen sang
Beeker's song, " They shall not have the free Ger-
manic Rhine." In order that steamers and other vessels
may communicate with Biberich, the Nassau Government
has just ordered the erection of a landing place in an island.
opposite that port. The commmunication between BP'„,.
rich and the island will be by means of a flying bricl,4e...._
Cologne Gazette.
The Cologne Gazette, under head of Mayrnce, of the
2d instant, gives us the subjeine.Cs explanatlon 'of the dispute
between Hesse Darmstadt And Nassau; concerning the na-
vigat:on of the Rhine A.--
" An occurrence took place kere yesterday which has
excited general interest. Our merchants had petitioned
the Hessian Government 'co take such measures as might
prevent a diverting of the current of the Rhine, which
would be the effee,; of the accomplishment of the works
projected by its inhabitants of Nassau for the purpose
of converting rs iberich into a trading port. This mat-
ter was also brought before the Assembly of the States,
and the Government was required to give the necessary
orders. The affair was half forgotten till last evening,
when upwards of 100 barges, laden with stone, were
brought down from the Necker, and their contents
sunk in the river above this town. By this act not
only have the works undertaken by Nassau been ren-
dered useless, but henceforth the river, in times of low
water, will find a current only along our shore, and Bibe-
rich, instead of being made a port, will scarcely have a t
landing-place for a boat. We have been astonished, but
at the same time are rejoiced, at the promptitude and re-
solution of our Government, which has shown its estimate
of the value of our town as a place of commerce by the
solicitude of maintaining it. If the water bad been drawn
over to the Nassau side our commerce must have been
annihilated, and even our transit trade, because all mer-
chandise sent from the Lower Rhine to Frankfort and the
north and east of Germany might be sent forward through
Nassau by means of the railroad."

The Gazette du Rhin et Moselle, referring to the mea-
sure taken by the Hessian Government against that of
Nassau, says :
" We learn that the Directors of the steam-boats have
posted up public notice at Weisbaden that their vessels
cannot now reach Biberich without making too greet a cir-
cuit, and therefore that this passage is suspended. The Duke
of Nassau, learning this news while on his roan to Holland,
immediately turned back in all haste to Bihericia."

SUICIDE OF A CLERGYMAN.--rhe Rev. J.
Marshall, vicar of Ovingdean, near Bri.g'lton, committed
suicide by hanging himself. Various c awes are assigned
for the commission of the deed. He •was much attached
to his family, and previous to going or kissed his children
most affectionately, but there %vas n, ;thing in his conduct
to excite at the time any suspicio.a TX his dreadful inten-
tion. Deceased was about forty years of age, and Iva;
much
he Ivin respected by tithe r, the parishionv' fr. Ile was presented to
tg by his