The Sun.
London, England, 1846-10-02 00:00:00

THE; GREAT BRITAIN.

LIVERPOOL, WEDNESDAY.—We have nothing fresh
from the Great Britain this morning, with the exception
of the subjoined letter from Captain Ilosken, by which
it will be perceived he is acquitted of all blame by Cap-
tain Claxton, secretary to the company. It is stated
that one of the coast lights was not marked in Captain
Hosken's chart, although it is one of 1846 :
" MESSRS. GIBBS, BRIGHT, AND CO.

" Great Britain Strain-ship, Sept. 29.
" Dear Sirs,—By the tug I send Mr. Smith with all
the cargo she can take ; a few packages may be touched
with the fresh water, but I trust not damaged ; all the
parcels, &c., are sent ; about 16 packages of cargo are
still here. Mr. Smith has account of them. I also send
all the useless and troublesome men to get rid of them,
and reduce expenses as much as possible. Will you
please to send by tug again as soon as possible the largest
hemp cable to be got in Liverpool, and a corresponding
sized anchor ; indeed, an anchor one-third heavier than
the right weight will do better, and two cables ; also
two sets of good purchase-blocks, and tee 4} falls of
white rope (Mar.illa), and a coil of 3-yarn spun-yarn ?
I hope they may be here by Thursday morning. We
should have two tugs here on Saturday, as the tide on
that day will be higher than the day we came ashore.
Send also the large Scotch blocks, if you please.
" The weather is now moderate, but rainy ; the ship
makes very little water. I hope to commence discharg-
ing coals to-day. Please to send copies of this, and of
all my letters, to my directors at Bristol. Captain
Claxton came yesterday.

" Many thanks for all your expressions of sympathy
and good feeling. I want them all, I assure you ; but
my conscience acquits me of blame, and so does Captain
Claxton, who publicly told me so yesterday.
" I am, yours very truly,

" JAMES nOSKEN."

'rho Great Britain now lies broadside on to the bay—
a worse position than fortneFly. Blot rnart cf leer curgo
arrived this morning by the Dreadnought steatn-lug.

DWI/ ritou INTOXICATION.—Wednesday an in-
quest was held before Mr. W, Baker, at the Gr:ffin,
Leonard-street, Shoreditch, on the bady of Mrs. Ann
Metcalf, aged forty-seven, the wife of a hairdresser, re-
siding in the Curtain-road. It appeared from the evi-
dence that the deceased was of very intemperate habits,
and for the last three weeks she had been in a dreadful
state of intoxication. On Monday morning last she
complained of violent pains in her head. She resorted
to her favogritc beverage, and drank an immoderate
quantity of gin, She continued to get worse, and in the
evening she threw herself on the bed in a very ex-
hausted condition. A surgeon was sent for, but she ex-
pired almost immediately afterwards. He attributed
death to excessive drinking. A verdict wa4 returned
itecßftlinflit

CANADIAN AFFAIRS,
The following extract from the Montreal herald pre-
sents an accurate outline of the condition of affairs in
Canada:—

(From the Montreal Herald, Sept. 12.)
Since oar last mail the public mind has been more
occupied with Imperial than provincial politics, especi-
ally since the arrival of the last intelligence from Eng-
land, with the news of the passage of the Biitish Pos-
sessions Bill through the House of Commons.
We believe all parties must unite in according the
praise of consistency to the British Govern:nent for this
prompt and equitable measure. There appears, how-
ever, to be some doubts as to the extent to which we
should avail ourselves of it. Indeed, the transition from
the old colonial system to the new theory of free trade
has been so sudden, that the mass of the people here
have yet hardly had time to form a decided and intelli-
gent judgment upon the course to be pursued. We
imagine that their final decision will be to sweep away
the whole of these burdens.

The navigation laws and the free navigation of the St.
Lawrence are still being discussed; but the remarks we
have made as to the different duties apply with still
greater force to then.

We have already alluded to the present dullness of
Canadian politics. This arises partly from the topics
brought upon the carpet during the session of Parlia-
ment having been already pretty nearly exhausted—
from men's attention, at this season, being turned to
their business pursuits, and, perhaps, still more from the
change in the head of the Government, which naturally
induces the " wire pullers" to put off their operations
until they can be resumed with a prospect of permanent
results.

This is the time rather for preparation than for action.
The arrival of Lord Elgin will, no doubt, be the signal
for a general move.
People know so little of this nobleman, that there haS
been no room for the expression of strong opinion on his
appointment. In general, he is understood to be a dis-
tant relation of some mai bles in the British ..auseum
and that is nearly all. It is of more consequence that he
is in the prime of life, and likely to make a long stay
here. The frequent change of governors has produced
infinite mischief. Upon the whole, Lord Elgin's compa-
rative obscurity is, perhaps, in his favour. It will leave
him to rest upon his acts here for his reputation.
The mercantile news by the last mail has given a spur
to our market, which is, at this moment, rather bare in
Montreal, on account of the Lachine Canal having been
closed. This work will open on the 20th instant, and
remove the inconvenience.

From the half-yearly statement of the Bank of Mon-
treal, published in the Herald of the 10di instant, it
appears that on the 31st of August the assets of this in-
stitution were 1,554,7531. 135., and its liabilities 719,239/.
2s. 6d. Of the assets, 117,500/. 14s. 3d. consisted of
coin and bullion.

There is to be a meeting of shareholders iil the Port-
land Railway Company to-day, to determine upon the
course to be adopted with such of the English subscribers
as desire to withdraw.

We have a few arrivals from among the autumn fleet
for Montreal, but it is feared many will be late. 200 sail
have recently reached Quebec.
Her Majesty's ship Vindictive, bearing the flag of Ad-
miral Austen, is also at Quebec. Her Majesty's schooner
Gulnare, Captain Bayfield, is now at Montreal, Captain
Bayfield having been applied to to survey the Lake of
St. Peter, upon which the Provincial Government has
undertaken some very extensive works. The lake is
formed by the junction of several rivers with the St.
Lawrence, and it is rendered much shallower than the
stream by the deposits brought down by them. The
object is to deepen a channel for larger vessels than
those which now come here; but alter a great many
thousand pounds have been laid out, it seems to be gene-
rally believed that the scheme is impracticable, or that
the plan adopted was not the best calculated to carry
it out. Captain Bayfield's advice hat, therefore, been
sought.
The weather has been extremely hot for several weeks,
and the St. Lawrencd is lower than it has been for many
years.
LATE FROM HAVANNAH.

The following communication contains information
soveral days later than received by the last West India
mail :

(Correspondence of the Journal qf Commerce.)
HAVANNAII, Ana, 25.—There are very few American
vessels in port, and only one not taken up. The rest
generally are loading for Europe at 31. 7s. to 31. los.
There appears to be no disposition to use the American
flag, particularly when neutrals are plentiful. Now,
although we need not fear cruisers, yet the war has the
effect to decrease the demand for our vessels, which
would not be the case if the United' States Government
sent out to these ports a sufficient number of small craft
to convoy the American vessels through and about the
waters, The United States' Government ought to have
four neat 4-gun steamers here. They would be more
effective than 20 ships on this station.
There is no sale for provisions of any kind.
The oil sent out here some four months ago lies quietly
under the quarter of a shed, close by the Custom house,
open to the full force of the sun:s . rays, which is making
sad havoc with it as far'as yegard; •.lakage." 1. don't
know who the lucky owner may be.

There are no goad sugars in the market, and quota-
tions are very high ; the worst kind, q to 5 reals ; com•
mon brown, 6 reals ; yellow, 6i to 8 reals ; white, none ;
good, Bto 8i reels. The next crop will be in very
early, and promises to ba the most abundant ever known.
Much sugar is yet on the plantations, owing to heavy
rains and bad roads; in all estimated at 150,000 to 200,000
boxes yet to go forward. It is very sickly, and dis-
agreeably warm.

THE RIVER PLATE.
(From the New York Herald.)
The following letter from Lord Aberdeen explains
the nature of the mission with which Mr. Hood comes
charged:—
(Translated from the Gaceta.)
" TO HIS EXCELLENCY SENOR ARANA, &C.

" Sir,—The Queen my Sovereign being sincerely de-
sirous of removing every cause of misunderstanding be-
tween her Government and the Government of the
Argentine Confederation, and of restoring the relations
of the two countries to their customary footing of
friendship and cordiality, has been pleased to direct Mr.
T. S. Hood, who for several years discharged the office
of her Majesty's Consul-General at Monte Video, to set
out immediately for Buenos Ayres, for the purpose of
communicating with your Excellency and the Argentine
Government.

" Mr. Hood is charged to transmit confidentially to
your Excellency certain propositions on the part of
Great Britain and France, founded in a great measure
on those communicated to the two powers on the 26th
of October, 1845, by the Government of Buenos Ayres,
with a view to the arrangement of the difficulties exist-
ing in the Rio de la Plata. I trust that the propositions
which Mr. Hood will make known to your Excellency,
and which are dictated by the most anxious desire of
putting an end to a state of things highly injurious to
the interests of all parties, will appear acceptable to the
Government of Buenos Ayres.
" Mr. Hood is likewise bearer of similar propositions
from the French Government, which he will deliver to
your Excellency.
"From the thorough knowledge Mr. Hood possesses
of everything relating to the interests of the two coun-
tries, I trust that the choice that has been made of him
for this service will be agreeable to the Government of
Buenos Ayres. I request that your Excellency will re-
ceive him in a favourable manner, and give entire credit
to whatever he may communicate to you on the part of
the British Government.

"I flatter myself that the Government of the Argen-
tine Confederation will recognise in the step thus taken
by the Governments of Great Britain and France the
strongest evidence of their anxiety to cultivate a good
and friendly understanding with the Confederation. I
have the honour to be, with the highest consideration,
Sir, your Excellency's most obedient and humble ser-
vant, " ABERDEEN."

, nr wheat crop, there is no doubt, is very large, and
it must, for the coming season, depend upon your market
to fix the price. If you do not require our surplus,
wheat and flour will be lower than they now are in this
country. The present price of flour may be put at
'4 62-100 dollars per barrel. This may he considered a
fair average price, rather stationary, with an upward
tendency. That tendency, hovvever, is produced by
looking to your market, in the expectation of new orders
to purchase at advanced prices. The home market of
the United States, in my opinion, will not sustain flour
through the season at four and a half dollars per barrel.
Our potato crop is suffering considerably ,with the
same disease that is proving such a scourge to Ireland, a
species of rot for which no preventive has as yet been
discovered Indeed, so far as I can learn, we are now as
ignorant of the cause of the disease as we were the first
day of its appearance among us. But the loss of the
potato crop in this country is' not such a disaster as a
similar loss would be in Great Britain. Here no families,
' except a few foreign families of labourers in cities, pre-
tend to live, even chiefly', upon potatoes. Famil.ea. of
eight to twelve persons rarefy consume more than 15 or
20 bushels in a year.
The Mexican war progresses slowly. The seas:m and
the roads, in part, have prevented General Ta•vl,:r's army
from moving ; in addition to which great diilieulty has
attended all efforts to procure the necessary means of
transportation. These diffieultie,', however, have in a
great measure been removed. The prospects now are,
that he will advance with a strong military force, and
that he will meet little or no opposition at Montero, and
almost without interruption march to the city of Mexico.
Such are the opinions of the friends of the Administra-
tion. Your correspondent entertains very different views.
Santa Anna, as you will observe, has arrived at Vera
Cruz; whether he "slipt" in, or was permitted to pass
the American blockading squadron, is not known, nor is
it important. The question is, what will be its effect
upon the United States? Will it terminate or procras-
tinate the war? The impression is universal, that Santa
Anna had an American passport, in some way, to cuter
"Vera Cruz. The presumption is, that the President
expects a peace. He has made, it is said, pacific prop-o-
sitions to the Mexican Government. The friends of the
Administration in this city, and other parts of the
country, are sanguine that we shall have a speedy settle-
ment. On this point, I will only say Ido not believe it.
I entertain no such hope.
This Government is just beginning to feel the want of
money. The President is authorised to issue 10.000,000
of dollars in Treasury notes. Yesterday the first batch
of this species of paper money made i!s appearance
in our city. They are received in payment of Custom
House dues. So long as the amount in circulation can
be swallowed by the Custom House, they will be at par,
and no longer.

It is generally supposed that Santa Anna will be im-
mediately chosen President. I think he will perceive
that the several factions in Mexico can only be consoli-
dated and put down through the army; than without
they are thus prostrated he will never feel himself safe.
In this view, may he not wish to be placed, for a term,
at the head of the army, with his ft iend General
Almonte as President?

You will notice in all the journals of the day the loss,
by grounding, of an American sloop-of-war, and the
capture, by the Mexicans, of the greater part of her
crew. The public generally are greatly dissatisfied with
what appears to be the inactivity of the officer com-
manding the blockading squadron.
Times. A GENEVESE TRAVELLER.