The Sun.
London, England, 1846-09-01 00:00:00

THE RIVER PLATE.

FALMOUTH, AUG. 30.—Her Majesty's packet Express,
Lieutenant Herrick, came in this afternoon with the
Brazil mails, having left Rio Janeiro on the Ist of July,
Bahia the 12th, and Pernambuco the 20th. She brings
on freight about 40,0001. •in diamonds and gold, and
several passengers.
The Express left at Rio her Majesty's ships Crescent,
Grecian, Peterel, and Renira, the last awaiting the
arrival of the Seagull packet from England to take her
mails to the River Plate.

Mr. Hamilton, the British Minister, had quite re-
covered from his late attack.

This vessel brings no more recent intelligence than
was brought by the America. Business continued
limited as regarded imports, which was, in part, attri-
butable to the holidays ; but the primary cause of the
prevalent dulness was the fact of the market being
superabundantly supplied with almost every description
of goods.
Discounts continued without change, and the wants of
the market were fairly met.
The exchange at Rio when the packet left was at
27d., but accounts three days later had been received at
Bahia, previous to her leaving that port, which quoted
27N. - -

Freights at Rio were as follows:—Antwerp, 305.;
Channel, 355. to 405.; London, 455.; Trieste, 325. to 405.;
United States, 50c. to 60c.
The Express spoke on the 24th inst., in lat. 46 14 N.,
long. 16 22 W., her Majesty's ship Orestes, ti-om the
Mediterranean, and parted company on the 29th, off the
Lizard. Spoke on the 26th, in lat. 47 23 N., long. 14 26
W., the barque Pearl, from London for Montreal; anzi
signalised, on the 28th, in lat. 48 30 N., long. 10 20 W.,
the barque Atlas, outward bound.
The Emilia from Liverpool, and Thorwalsden, from
London, arrived at Rio, June 30.

MONTE VIDEO, MAY 30.—0 n the 23d instant Mr.
Ouseley formally presented his credentials to this Go-
vernment, as Minister Plenipotentiary on a special mis-
sion to the Oriental Republic of the Uruguay. Mr.
Ouseley delivered the following speech, wherein the
views with which England and France entered upon the
intervention are declared to remain unchanged:—
" I have the honour to present to your Excellency the
credentials which the Queen, my august Sovereign, has
been pleased to entrust to me, accrediting me as her Ma-
jesty's Minister Plenipotentiary on a special mission to
the Oriental Republic. In fulfilling this gratifying duty
I am directed to assure your Excellency of the esteem
and regard of her Majesty, and of the hearty wishes en-
tertained by the Queen for the welfare and prosperity of
the Republic of the Uruguay.
"On arriving at this capital I had the honour of de-
claring, conjointly with the envoy of France, the object
of the joint mission, in these terms:--' The object of this
mission is pointed out by the treaties of 1828 and 1840;
that is to say, the complete and absolute independence
of the State of the Uruguay. But to render this inde-
pendence real, neither the Argentine troops, nor squa•
dron, nor other controlling influence, can be permitted
to remain in the country; but the Oriental people must
be left at perfect liberty to elect the chief to preside
over their destinies, in the mode pointed out by their
constitutional laws.'

" Further, that no desire of exclusive advantage, no
wish for undue influence, nor the remotest idea of terri-
torial acquisition, actuated the Governments of England
and France. The restoration of peace and the security
of the independence of the Oriental Republic were the
objects of the plenipotentiaries. Those views remain
unchanged.
" A resort, by constitutional means, to free election
for the highest office of this Republic, or a return to
that state of peace essential to the welfare of all the
states of La Plata, that would at once render the pre-
sence of the representatives, and the employment of the
forces of the intervention unnecessary, is still unhap-
pily prevented by the continued invasion and occupation
of the interior by a foreign army.
" Much as I deplore this state of things, to it I am
indebted for the honour of being charged with a mission
to the Government of the Oriental Republic, and of
presenting my letters of credence to your Excellency."
The reply of President Suarez was studiedly meagre,
finding nothing whatever for congratulation in the affair,
except as regarded Mr. Ouseley personally, who at
least has won general confidence by his honourable sin-
cerity of conduct.
But siege,
words alone will neither raise the nor ac-
complish any of the ends of the special mission. In
their face Roses is " as unbelieving as a Jew;" they
are rather his security that, after all, it will not come
to blows. And while, perhaps, recently awed, and
struck with savage wonder at the exhibition of so much
forbearance, allied with boundless power, he safely raises
his laugh, and hurls, his ribald decree at the moral
mediators.
The appearance of a few thousand European troops,
comprising cavalry soldiers and artillery, to co-operate
with the national army here, would almost instanta-
neously effect this country's independence; without them
the struggle may last for years.
JUNE 2.—lntelligence of an important victory gained
six days ago by General Rivera, at Las Vivoras, over a
division of the invading army, commanded by Montoro,
reached town this morning by a vessel from La Colonia.
A bulletin was published early, containing the follow-
ing particulars, communicated in a letter from the Com-
mander-in-Chief to the Minister of War. The ringing
of merry bells which ensued, and the joy felt in every
heart and pictured in every countenance, had long been
strangers to Monte Video.
Rivera's genius for stratagems is proverbial. During
this brief campaign we have already seen him putting
one into practice. Even on the very night of his disem-
barking, by means of which he employed the enemy for
some time in cannonading a place that they found, on
entering, to contain nothing but a few fires and rockets,
he succeeded in rescuing 600 poor people whom Mon-
toro had impounded in Las Vivoras.
That which he has just executed has been perfectly
successful.
According to an intercepted letter from Montoro to
Oribe, Rivera was shut up on the coast, " hermetically
sealed," with nothing to depend on but his boats and
their " gringos." Montoro had, for days, been lying be-
fore him, watching his every motion, and quite ready to
pounce on him. On the 27th, Rivera made feint of pre-
paring to evacuate Las Vacas ; called in his advanced
posts, and towards nightfal, ordered some of the small
craft to get under weigh and sail out of the port. Mon-
toro, on receiving this intelligence, went tranquilly to
bed ; but, before many hours, he had, poor man, lost
everything, including. his ;auger de eampana, and only
escaped himself with his life and shirt.
Private letters from Colonia, and communications
from the British vessels of war stationed there, corrobo-
rate the extent of the defeat. The country, from Las
Vacas to Colonia, is now entirely free.
The following is his dispatch :
GLORY TO THE REPUBLIC !
General Quarters, Las Vivoras, May 2S, 1846.
I have to inform your Excellency, for the satisfaction
of the Government and the public, that on the night of
the 27th the brave division under my immediate com-
mand obtained a complete victory over a division of the
enemy's force, in number 1,100 men, of the three arms,
commanded by Montoro. For upwards of ten days the
enemy had lain in front of us, his line extending from
Curupi to the village of Las Vivoras, where the said
chief resided, surround by a small battalion of infantry
and six pieces of artillery.
Having obtained an exact knowledge of his position,
and placing the:utmost confidence in the zeal and courage
of my soldiers, I conceived, and, in conjunction with my
officers, arranged the plan of a rapid and decisive attack
on his advanced posts, to terminate on his very intrenehe
meats and guns at Las Vivoras,
At half-past 6 o'clock in the evening orders were given,
and at 8 our column was in motion. Colonel Baez was
directed to lead on the attack in our front, with the spi-
rited battalion of Vascos and 2d Lancers, under the com-
mand of Espihosa, protected by Colonel Lebandera's Ist
battalion, and the piece of artillery commanded by Cap-
tain lleley.
Our left was composed of a company of dragoon tira-
dores, Miranda's escort picket, and the Guias picket
under Paunero, and was under the orders of Commander
Mora.
In this order, about 9 o'clock, the advanced guard of
the enemy was encountered. The Vascos, rushing on
them, drove thorn in on the reserve, and without halting,
then again were driven back on the main body, which
consisted of about 300 men, commanded by Josi: Mari
Caballero.
After some resistance, the whole took to flight, aban-
doning their horses, and throwing down their arms.
Nothing impeded the rapid march of our column, which
at once threw itself upon Las Vivoras, and then Colonel
Baez, with his Vascos, obtained a complete triumph for
the Republic. Regardless of all resistance, and despis-
ing the heavy discharge of musketry and grape shot,
they went in and bayoneted the artillerymen at their
guns.
At 12 o'clock the rout was complete in all directions,
and everything belonging to the enemy had fallen into
our hands.
It is 8 o'clock in the morning. We have already col-
lected 80 prisoners, 2,000 horses, 6 pieces of splendid
artillery, with abundant munitions, 2,000 stand of arms,
and an immensity of materials besides.
On our side we have had no other loss than one man,
killed, an officer wounded, and another bruised, all be-
longing- to the Vasco battalion.
This, most excellent Sir, is the result of the second
operation of my division since our re-embarkation at
Colonia ; add to which, the important position of Las
Vacas, garrisoned and fortified with 17 pieces of artil-
lery, 'including those now taken. Within it are more
than at thousand souls, of families rescued by us, a por-
tion of whom were driven from their homes, and cooped
up in Las Vivoras, like a herd of beasts, by their bar-
barous oppressors.
I strongly recommend to the consideration of the Go-
vernment the officers, troops, fec.
FRUCTUOSO RIVERA.
It is hoped that Rivera's success may at longth secure
a hearty co-operation on the part of the Intervention;
for by that combination alone can the independence of
this state be really secured, or matters brought to a
happy or honourable issue for foreign interests.
JUNE 4.—To-day the joy-bells of Monte Video are
celebrating another victory obtained by the army of the
Republic over a detachment of the invading army. Ga-
ribaldi sallied out from Salto on :the 20th ult. with 150
men of the Italian Legion, and 200 cavalry; and, at
four leagues' distance from the town, fought the parties
of Lamas and Verrara, in number from 500 to 600.
After a brisk fight the Italians were left masters of the
field and of the enemy's materiel, including all his
horses—the most important acquisition in this warfare.
The dispersed bodies fled across the Arapey, in the di-
rection of Rio Grande; and Colonel Centurion pro-
ceeded in the same direction on the 24th, with a strong
cavalry force, with which he will interrupt Oribe's com-
munication with that province.
The note addressed by the Plenipotentiaries to the
Government of Dnenos Ayres, on the 1402 of May last,