The Sun.
London, England, 1846-06-24 00:00:00

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

We extract the following from the m mey article of . the
New York Courier and Enquirer, of the Bth instant:—

_
NEW YORK. SATURDAY NIGHT, JUNE 6.
The course of events since the departure of the last steamer
has been ma. ked by little of importance. The war in
Mexico goes on prosperously for the American arms, and
the disorganization of the American forces seems complete.
On the 19th ult., General Taylor took possession of Mata-
moras without encountering any resistance, and, in like
manner, the operations of the column below on the right bank
of the river have been unimpeded since it entered the small
town of 6-trrita.

We have no tidings yet of any blockade of the Mexican
ports having been declared or instituted, but are in daily
expectation o an official notficaTion thereof. Meantime,
while the American squadron had gone from Vera Cruz to
the mouth of the Rio Grande, or rather to Brazos St. lago,
in order to aid General Taylor, the two Mexican steamers,
Montezuma and Guadeloupe, took advantage of their ab-
sence to slip out under English colours and reach Havannah.
Their right to hoist English colours would certainly have
been questioned it they had been fallen in with by our
cruisers.

The impression seems very general since the arrival of the
r
Hibernia, that Mr. Pakenham has received instructions for
a prompt and amicable termination of the Oregonctro-
versy—a result alike desirable and desired, we apprehend.
both nations. affected
Our money and produce markets were very
by the Hibernia's accounts. Cotton has. been snore
sustained
without.
and considerable sales have been made littlemore active,
advance ; and the prices here yet range t
at prices por
any advantageous shipment to E
g
there at the latest date.
large, and, not-
Bread stuffs are declining, and, flour is selling at from 464
The receipts hire
con
to 37th cents. aking, the generaltinue prospects of the
withstanding some e 1..)
growing crop are good.
Rye has been somewhat more in demand, and some 3,000
arters have been taken for exportation at 65 cents. the
l‘ , rather more easy. Exchange on London is at
froni,oBniye: i
to 84 premium ; on Paris 5,32 to 5,32% cents.
The United States Treasury, according to the statement
of the treasurer on the lst instant, had ou hand some eleven
millions of dollars, which will be reinforced before long by
the issue of some millions of Treasury notes, a form of loan
which, as furnishing a sort of currency of uniform value all
over the Union, has many advantages.-
The prices of stccks generally have improved Within the
last few days, and Pennsylvanias have shared in the rise,
thus indicating a growing conviction that the August divi-
dend will be punctually met.
For a small I,,an of between three and four hundred
thousand dollars at five per cent., needed by this State to pay
off some balance s due to contractors on the public works, no
bids were made on the terms required by the notice, five per
cent. and not bel,,w par. This is not surprising, considering
hat the act ual value of money is great just now and the
general expectation, if the war with Mexico continue any
time, that the United States Government will need loans on
which a higher interest will be offered., A preference more-
over is given to the Stocks of the United States over that of
any State. _

An attempt is to be made next week to call up and pailet
the Bill iu the Houoa of liemrautati7es the-

tariff. Its success mug be considered doubtful, seeing that
the results to the Treasury have been very advantageous
without obvious injury to any other interest. At a moment
when all the resources of revenue are needed, it does not
seem probable, that on grounds of merely speculative
evil and theoretical inequality and oppressiveness, a con-
gress of practical men will enter on the experiment of
altering a law, that furnishes such ample supplies to the
Exchequer.
The Mechanics' Banking Asso2iation hare dealared a
dividend for the last six months of four per cent., 'playable
on the 10th inst.
The sales of Cotton to-day have been to a modetate
extent. About 800 bales have been taken at the follow-
ing prices:—

Upland and Florida. Mobile,N.O.,andTexas.
-- bales. -- bales.
Inferior • None. None.
Ord. to good ord. 64 to 7A 64 to 71
Mid. to good mid 71 to 711 7/ to 81
Mid. fair to fair 74 to 86 81 to 9
Full fair to good fair Si to 13i 9i to 10
Fine Nominal. Nominal.
All descriptions of flour are extremely dull. Sales of
Michigan have been made at 4 dolls. to 4 dolls. 121/e cents;
Genesee, 4 &ilk. 25 cents; common southern kinds, 4 dolls.
25 cents to 4 dolls. 371/2 cents. The receipts down the North
River to-day amount to 9,295 barrels, making a total of
421,537 barrels received this season.
2,0'0 barrels rye soldat 65 cents, and 4,000 barrels Western
corn at 50 cents.
Ashes are firm : pots at 3 dolls. 564 cents, and pearls at
4 dolls. 64 cents
• Provisions are dull at our last limitation.

DESCRIPTION oF MEXICO.
We extract the toliowing description of Mexico from

an American paper:— -
" As this fortunately located fertile but vainglorious
country is now the theme of daily discussion, we have
thought that some of its peculiar characteristics might
not be without interest to our readers. Oil casually
turning to. some of the standard authorities, which have
treated of it, we find that it lies between the 15th end
33d parallels of north latitude. Its greatest length from
northwest to southeast is 1,700 miles, greatest breath
about 600 miles—area estimated at 1,230,442 square

miles.
" The most populous cities are Mexico 150,000. Gua-
dalaxara 60,000, San Luis Potosi and La Puebla 55.000
each], Oxaca and Quretaro 40.000, Guunaxuato 34.000,
and Merida 28,000. Of this large tract of country,
which is about one third as large as Europe, that portion
comprising a large part of the 1 ,ng and narrow isthmus
that connects the American peninsulas, and separates the
Atlantic from the Pacific ocean, is by far the most
pulous and rich in mineral and vegetable productions
The regions north of the tropic become less populous as
ot.e proceeds. northward, and many large districts
claimed by the republic, and divided into states and
territories, are alm )t unknown, being inhabited by
wild Indian tribes, bsffling all the attempts of their
nominal masters to subdue them.
" The surface of the country is exceedingly irregulars
and its variety of climate most is tnarksble. Its nu-
merous volcanoes have often peen remarked upon, and •
the geological formation is most favourable to mines of
various kinds. The great central plateau of Anahuac',
between latitude 14 and 20 degrees, is a mass of pophYrYs
characterised by the presence of hornblende and the ab-
sence of quartz ; and in it are contained large and
valuable deposits of gold and silver. Humboldt says in
relation to these and other mines in Mexico, that there
were at the time of his visit, 3,000 mines of gold and sil-
ver in Mexico, but the ignorance and misrule which pre-
vail in that country have greatly diminished their im-
portance as a source of wealth.
" A considerable portion of the land is table land, and
the climate of this land is, on the whole, favourable to
human life. But though internyttent fevers be of rare
occurrence, the natives are occasionally visited by a
peculiar epidemic ; but it owes its origin more to the
people than to any other cause. Indeed famine, and its
attendant privations have thinned the population more
than epidemic complaints, The indolence of the natives
prevents all exertions to raise more food than is requi-
site for the wants of a single season, and no one eoveekr
thinks when there is a surpius of laying uP
against future contingencies, Hence, when theirdia:o.itlit
and severe frosts come, they are compelled to seek
es
subsistence in the forests, where roots and wild beoften
constitute their sole diet ; and multitudes are
carried off by hunger and unwholesome food. • rto the
" Mexico, produces most of the plants peculiar
te
tropics as well as those belonging to the tempera
regions of south and middle Europe. Hunsbeldt says
such is the variety of climate, there is scarcelyss Plantin the rest of the world which is not susceptible of cul-
tivation u
tivation in one or o her part of Mexico. The soil. also.
for the tn"st part, is extrasrdinarily -fertile, and shun-
dant crops, with the as,istsnce of irrigation in soh3.e
plates, may be rai,ed with very little labour..,But
only serves to make the Mexicans more idle and worth
less, for they seek only to live, and have scarcely 90
enterprise or energy. Eserything appears to be falling'
into a state of apathy and langour; and indolencewith
its necessary accompaniments or povery, ignerance,
pride, vain-glory, and impudence, bid fair to be for some
considerable period longer the distinguishing character-
istics of Mexicans.
" On the whole it is the opinion of the msst observant
travellers, that agriculture and other great interests have
retrograded since the principal revolution the one that
separated them from the dotnina, ion of Spain. This
ha. been the case to a great degree. Such are some of
the viev‘s of Humboldt, Chevalier, and McCulloch,
which we have given in a brief synopsis or abstract.
Their 1.11 ob .ervatioes are not very creditable to the
Mexican peoples and it is very evident that they will
never maks any great progress in the elements of civili-
sation till they receive an instilment of new motives of
action, more beneficent institutions, and perhaps the in•
termixture of the Anglo-Saxon race in the shape of free
Americans "
The population of Mexico is estimated at 9,000,000,
though it probably does notexceed 7,000,000. Though
it contains several mixtures, the greater portion are
aboriginal Indians. Among the rest are European
Spaniards. Creoles, or natives descendel from Euro-
pean, ; Mustejss, or descendants of WhiteS and
In-
; Zambas, or descendants of Negroes and In-
dians ; Mulattoes, or descendants of Whites and Ne-
groes ; mixtures of those varieties, Negroes, and s
few Malays from China and the islands of the In-
dian Ocean. especially the Philippines, a Spanish
' colony. The Negroes are not numerous, as slavery was
never extensive in the Spanish continental colonies, and
was aboli.hed on the separation of Mexico from Spain
in isso. In character, the Indians, who constitute seven-
tenths of the whole popul 'don, are intelligent, docile,
peaceful, rather industrious, and very ingenious in me-
chanic arts. especially those of painting, carving, and
moulding. They are gentle, kind, and hospitsble ; and
though intemperate, like all the American Indians,
north, or south, they exhibit no violent or ferocious pro-
pensities when intoxicated.

THE RANCHEROS OF MEXICO. -
The Rancheros, part of the material of the Mexican
army, t.re half Indian and half Spanish in their ex-
traction ; gaunt, shrivelled, though muscular in their
frames, and dark and swathy-visaged as they are,
these men are the Arabs of the American continent.
Living half of the time in the saddle, for they are un-
rivalled horsemen, with lasso in they traverse
the vast plains in s.-arch of the buffalo and wi!il horse.
The killing of these animals, and the preparation and
sale of their hides are their sole means of livelihood.
Their costume generally consists of a pair of tough hide
leggings, with sandals of the same material, bound to-
gether with leathern thongs, over which is a blanket
with a hole in the centre large enough to allow the
head to be thrust out, and which falls not ungricaully
over their shoulders, leaving ample room for the play,
of their arias. Add to this a broad straw somlyoro, and
the lasso hanging read) for use in his girdle, and you
have the Ranchero as he appears in the time of peace.
Join to this a long lance with a sharp spear-head, and
his belt. plentifully supplied with pistols and -knives, and
you have the Ranchero as a member of a troop of ban-
ditti. or a soldier in a body of cavalry. Their power of
enduring fatigue is almost inexhaustible, and a scanty
meal per diem of j-rkk.d beef and plantafti suffices thou
during months. These are the men who comprise the
grkat body of the M. xican cavalry, and they are to the
armies of that nation what the Cossacks are to the Rus-
sians—ever on the alert. never to be surprised, and un-
tiring in the pursuit of the foe, when plunder, no matter
how trifling, is to be obtained.—Philadelphia Pubis,
Ledger.

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NEWadjoining neighbourhood, and will be a great convenience to
the public.
Monday a numerAfoeu:
GREENWICII..—MEETING FOR THE ERECTION OF A.
. ig-t Rev, the Bishop of
London presided. There were also present Sir R. Stopford,
habitants took place, at which the R• h k
inert): M.P. for the borough, C. Millington, A. Brestow, R.
Governor of GreenwichEsciElso.spand
Hospital. .F.Jr.c.
Twining, G Williams,
tronomer loyal, Rev. W. A. Soames, the y,Esqth.e, for-
merly
vicar, Revds. D.
Jones, Hughes, W. Greenlaw, Greenlaw, jun., Mortimer,
Goldney. Christie, North, Sket hi
churchwardens, and other a cb. Sy, Lock, Sims, &c., the
proc i
carry into effect the object al officers. Resolutions to
vened, were unanimously for which the meeting was con-
vened, agreed to. At the conclusion of
the proceedings it was
announced that nearly 2,000/. had
been raised towards the erection of the building, including
201. from the Queen Dowager, 50/. from the Bishop of Lon'
from the vicar, the Rev. W. A. Soames, 2001. from
An •
gerstem. Esq., 1001. from R. Twining, Esq., 1001. from
Coles Child, Esti 100/ f C. Millington, /. from
, . from . Esq., 50
Burney, Esq., &c., &c.
ATROCIOUS MURDER.—GALWAY, JUNE 20.—We re-
gret to state, that on the night of Thursday last a barbarous
murder was committed at a village near Woodford, in this
county. The unfortunate object of the assassin's vengeance
was a man named Pat. Hill. Two persons came into his
house, and brought him out of his bed to a place about forty
yards distant, and there inflicted no less than forty-tyre
bayonet wounds ion his person, besides a fracture of the
skull. His wife hearing his screams went to his assistance,
and having begged for mercy, she was told by the heartless
ruffians that if she did not go away she would herself be
treated in like manner. Having completed their purpose,
the miscreants, who are unknown, walked off, and their Inc:
tun almost immediately expired. An inquest was held
yesterday, at Portumna, before Thomas Walsh, Esq., coroner,
and Thomas Brereton, Esq., R.M., when a verdict of "Virilful
murder" was returned against persons unknown. Deceased
was in rather comfortable circumstances, and bores most eX-
cellent character.
BIRMINGHAM, MONDAY EVENlNG.—Between ex and
seven o'clock this evening the town was visited with aheavY
thunder-storm. The rain descended in such torrents that
many cellars in the lower part of the town were flooded; the
lightning, too, was of that peculiarly forked and dangerous
kind from which so many casualties proceed, but at present
we have heard of no accidents resulting therefrom. The
storm, after ragiti for ibout-an hour, pasted over into Ste,
tordehire and the mural diitrichk