The Sun.
London, England, 1846-08-29 00:00:00

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LONDON, SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 1846.

Another rapid passage of little more than eleven
days has brought us intelligence of singular import-
ance from the United States. This intelligence—
conveyed across the Atlantic by the steam-ship
Hibernia—may be briefly catalogued, but each of the
facts hereafter enumerated affords food for endless
meditation, and presents an opportunity for innu-
merable conjectures.
The summary of the news contained in our dis-
patches is to the following effect :—The Oregon treaty
ratified by Viscount PALMERSTON and Mr. M'LANE,
h ad arrived at Washington, and elicited a proclama:
ti on from the President calling upon the citizens of
thie United States to fulfil the articles thereof. The
A merican Government had tendered a proposition to
the Mexicans with the view of re-establishing amity
4etween the two countries, and of bringing their
timarrel to a definite and permanent conclusion.
Bepond this, Congress had adjourned on
the tenth ultimo, after completing the com-

mercial reformation by passing the Warehousing Bill.
It is peculiarly interesting to compare the re-
sults of the past sessions, just expired, of the British
and American Legislatures. Simultaneously with the
arrival of intelligence of the latter the former tran-
spires; the consequent comparison drawn from
them is in no trivial degree interesting, and in our
regard not altogether unsatisfactory. During the
session of 1846 the Government of Great Britain has
been triumphant in its operations ; victory has at-
tended its deliberations in St. Stephen's and its mili-
tary arrangements in the Seikh territories ; conces-
sions and submission on the part of its most malig-
nant antagonists have attested the efficacy of the
modesty, the calmness, and the dignity of its foreign
policy. The Government of America during the same
extraordinary interval has proved either unfortunate
in its operations, or its successes have been of a very
questionable and insufficient character : its modifica-
tions of the laws relating to commerce have aroused
the bile of its monopolists without wholly satisfying
those who are cordially attached to the principles of free
trade : its monetary regulations (we allude to the
Sub-Treasury Bill, which takes effect on the first of
the approaching January), promise very considerable
future embarrassments, while they have kindled no
small indignation : its braggadocio about the occu-
pation of the whole of Oregon has ended in con-
cessions which would be humiliating, but for the cir-
cumstance that an error is always annihilated by its
acknowledgment ; and, lastly-0 ! vanity of vaunts!
—the Mexican warfare, commenced solely by the ra-
pacity and the spurious valour of the Government of
the United States, promises to close with the impor-
tunities of that same Government for a negotiation
between themselves and their beleaguered opponents.
This is a candid and honest enumeration of the prin-
cipal features in the recent sessions of the British
Parliament and of the United States Congress ; both
terminating within this present August ; both re-
markably protracted and eventful ; both enlivened by
recriminations, those of Lord G. BENTINCK and his
colleagues against their previous leader, and those of
Mr. QUINCY ADAMS against the mother country of
his native land! For ourselves the session has been
fraught with consolations and triumphs ; for our
brothers across the Atlantic it has produced scarcely
anything but discomfiture and disappointment. The
termination of this session in Great Britain has been
the alpha of exultation and victory; its conclusion
in the United States has been the very omega of dis-
satisfaction and defeat. It would be curious, more-
over, to draw a comparison between the recent beha-
viour and present position of Sir ROBERT PEEL
and Mr. JAMES K. POLK. How PEEL acknowledged
his blunders in seeking the preservation of the
protective system, and how POLY persisted in main-
taining his audacious demand of the entire of the
Oregon territories ; how the former has triumphed
throughout, and retired from office with a glory never
vouchsafed before to any statesman, and how the
latter has sustained an overthrow in almost
all directions, been compelled to eat his own
vainglorious boast, and continued in office with
a power almost powerless, and an influence almost
contemptible. We cannot, however, expend either
time or ingenious contrasts upon individuals, when
the interests of nations are so precariously balanced
, as those of Mexico and the United States.

Although the military operations of the American
invaders have been so far successful, the Executive
has determined upon drawing the contest to a close
if possible and that, moreover, immediately. Twenty-
six millions of dollars have already been applied by
Congress to the expenses of this expedition ; the war
was voluntarily undertaken by the Americans ; nine
hundred and fifty men have already perished in
consequence of that enterprise; and at the precise
moment when the Mexican troops are pre-
pared to repel the invaders, those invaders step
forward with an offer of a negotiation for an amicable
adjustment of difficulties. Nor is this all ; it is very
comprehensible from the proceedings of Mr. Presi-
dent POLK, that a reserve compensation will be
coupled with that adjustment, supposing the Mexi-
cans consent to listen to the proposals for peace, that
compensation being the relinquishment of California
by the Mexican Government and its annexation to
the American Republic—in return for a boon of cer-
tain moneys ! If this arrangement be made, Mr.
President rola will, of course, be satisfied. His
only apparent object will be realised—the extension
of the territories of the United States. The coinci-
dence of the proposal for peace being simul-
taneous with the marshalling of the Mexican soldiers
would almost justify us in hinting at pusillanimity as
an actuating sentiment in the mind of Mr. PoLK.
Nevertheless, the proposal has been made, and we
must tarry for the response. Whether the
Mexicans will acquiesce in the proposition
when her armies are in readiness, when their
nationality, and consequently their courage is be-
ginning to evince itself, when her greatest statesmen
are all vociferous in their demands for wreaking ven-
geance upon the assailants, and when SANTA ANNA
offers his sword and his council to aid the endea-
vours of PAREDES, is a very doubtful matter. We
long to hear that peace has been restored to the
western hemisphere, but we are loath to hear that
any peace has been purchased by American lust of
aggrandisement, and Mexican submission to ex-
tortion.

According to the New Hamburgh Gazette of the
22d of August the Prince of AUGUSTENBURG has
sent to the King of DENMARK his resignation as
Governor and Commandant-General of the Duchies
of Schleswig and Holstein. The Duke of GLUCKSBURG
also has resigned the commission which he held as
Colonel of the sth Regiment of Danish Sappers and
Miners.

It would appear that, taking advantage of the ex-
perience of England, the German states are about to
adopt an uniform system of postage. A letter from
Carlsruhe, of the 23d, says :
" The second Chamb©r of the States of Baden has just
adopted a unanimous resolution to recommend the Go-
vernment to enter into negotiations with the other states
of Germany for the establishment of a uniform rate of
postage. The Budget Committee proposed the reduc-
tion of the present rates of postage in the Grand Duchy
to three kreutzers (about three sous), but on a represen-
tation from the Government that the treasury could
not bear the deficit, the Chamber did not adopt the re-
port. Yesterday the Chamber adopted the following
resolution upon the proceedings of the Prussian Govern-
ment with regard to the Deputies D'lzstein and Hecker:
—' The Grand Ducal Government is requested to de-
clare to the Prussian Government that the measures
adopted towards the Deputies D'lzstein and Hecker,
who are forbidden to reside within the states of Prussia,
are considered as a violation of the rights guaranteed
by the federal compact to the citizens of Baden.
Therefore the Chamber hopes that the Government will
use its utmost endeavours to obtain a revocation of these
measures.'"

Intelligence has been received at St. Petersburgh
that the greater part of the town of Berdiansk, in
Southern Russia, was destroyed in the month of
July by fire. It is only eleven years since the town
was founded.

We find in the Frankfort Journal the following
extract from a letter from Geneva, dated Aug. 18 :
"The French Government has just taken possession
of the Valley des Dappes, on the southern side of the
principal chain of the Jura, on the confines of the de-
partment of that name and of the Canton de Vaud, the
right to which has been long disputed. Men employed
by the Canton de Vaud, in altering the road between
St. Cergues and Rousses, have been ordered not to pro-
ceed with their work beyond the litigated line, and the
owners of land in the valley, who have been hitherto
considered as' Vaudoig, and paid their taxes at Nyon,
are now called upon to pay them to the French collectors
of the Jura. France attaches a greater importance than
it did formerly to the possession of this valley, en ac-
count of the fortifications she is raising on this part of
her frontier."

Letters have been received from Rome to the 17th
inst. The POPE is becoming every day more popular.
At his weekly audiences he admits to his presence all
classes of his subjects who have any complaints to
make, even those of the lowest orders of society. In
order to avoid all appearance of nepotism, he has sent
all such of his relations as held offices under his pre-
decessors into the provinces.

It is said the Pope's Vicar, Cardinal PATNIE, is to
be replaced by Cardinal FALCONIERI, Archbishop of
Ravenna, a prelate remarkable for his liberal ideas.

Intelligence from Lisbon to the 20th inst. has been
received by the Royal Tar steam-ship, which arrived
at Southampton yesterday afternoon. The Govern-
ment of the Duke of PALMMLLA appears to be con-
solidating itself. The only difficulties at pre-
sent experienced were of a Financial nature—difficul-
ties bequeathed to them by the peculations and gross I,
mismanagement of their predecessors, the CABIL)N 01

ho, by a royal decree dated August 13, are dis-
missed from the Council of State. It was expected
that in consequence of these monetary difficulties a
decree would be issued, allowing the Bank of Lisbon
to suspend cash payments for a longer period than was
allowed by the former decree on this subject. The strong
military force concentrated in the province of Minho
had completely put down the Miguelite movement,
and all the provinces of the kingdom were perfectly
tranquil. GONZALES BRAVO, the intriguing Spanish
Ambassador, is about to quit Lisbon on leave. This
is certainly a symptom of the strength of the
PALMELLA Government, for if there was the least
present prospect of ousting PALMELLA and his col-
leagues, and restoring the miserable CABRAL regime,
the presence in Lisbon of Senor GONZALES BRAVO
would be much too important to his employers for
him to obtain leave of absence even for an hour.
The Experimental Squadron, under the command of
Sir W. PARKER, sailed from Lisbon on the 18th,
leaving the Trafalgar and the Superb at the orders
of Lord HOWARD DE WALDEN.
The Spanish refugees, to the amount of 7,000, are
in the depots at Santarem, Peniche, and Cascaes.
They are all fed by the Portuguese Government.
-gm
Madrid papers of the 22d have arrived. _ .

The question of the QUEEN'S marriage is the
subject of comment in all of them. The Clamor
Publico advocates a double marriage, and proposes
that the two brothers, Don Emuctuz and Don
FRANCISCO, should marry to the two sisters, the
Qusimeand the Infanta Donna Luna. It seems to
be the general opinion in Madrid that the Infantes
Don FRANCISCO (the Duke of CAniz), and Don
ENRIQUE (the Duke of SEVILLE), are at the present
' moment the only two actual candidates for the
QUEEN'S hand. With regard to the pretensions of
these two brothers, the Clamor Publico says—
" Well-informed persons have heard the young
Duke de Seville say that he would accept with
pleasure the hand of his cousin, whom he both loves and
respects, but that he would, without jealousy, see her
choice fall on his brother. The Duke of Cadiz has held
the same language, and we know that not long ago he
again said that if his marriage with the Queen could
make Spain happy, he should not hesitate to accept that
honour, but that he was fully convinced that the peace
of Spain, the consolidation of her form of Government,
and the Queen's happiness, would be better secured by
his beloved brother, Don Enrique."
The same paper, as a specimen of the liberty en-
joyed by the press in Spain at the present moment,
publishes the following regulations, which have been
just issued by the Captain-General of Madrid :

" The Political Chief of Madrid, Simon de Roda, has
addressed the following circular to all the journals.
Ist. Three hours before the publication a copy (signed)
shall be sent to the Political Chief. 2d. A receipt
shall be given for this number, announcing the hour
at which it was delivered. 3d. The order of sus-
pension (if any be issued) shall be communicated
to the editor by a commissary or inspector of public
safety. 4th. For the purpose of receiving this intima-
tion the editor or his representative shall remain at their
office during these three hours. sth. In case the publi-
cation shall be commenced or completed when the order
of suspension arrives, the Commissary shall draw up a
deposition stating the fact, as well as the hour when he
reached the office. 6th. To receive the journals, the
office of the Political Chief shall be open from five o'clock
A.M. until eleven o'clock P.3r. from May to October, and
from seven o'elock a.m. until seven o'clock P.M. from Oc •
tober till May. The circular is dated Madrid, 20th of
August."

',Che Portuguese Government had, it was stated,
forwarded a note to the Spanish Government, de-
manding the expulsion from Madrid of the Conde
DI THOMAR (COSTA CABRAL). The arrival of Senor
GONZALES BRAVO in Madrid was hourly expected.
Mr. BULWER is better, and was to leave for St.
Sebastian in a day or two.
MADRID BOLSA, AUG. 22.—The Three per Cents.
were done at 34 for cash ; the Four per Cents., at
2l ; the Five per Cents., at 22/ ; the Debt without
Interest, at 61 ; and the Coupons, at 204.

We have received the Paris papers of Thursday.
At four o'clock on that day the Chamber of Peers
had declared HENRY guilty, and were, at the hour the
post left, deliberating on the sentence to be passed on
him. It seems by no means certain that the pistols
were loaded with ball or slugs, and before the ver-
dict of guilty was pronounced, there was a long and
animated discussion, several of the Peers being in
favour of a verdict of acquittal on the ground of

insanity.
The Chamber of Deputies is still occupied with
the verification of the powers of its Members. M.
DEMESMAY has renewed his proposition for reducing

the duties on salt to 20 centimes per kilogramme.
It was expected that the election of the President,
Vice-Presidents, and officers of the Chamber would
take place on Friday. For the office of President
M. SAUZET is the Ministerial candidate ; M.
ODILON BARROT, the candidate of the Gauche
and Centre Gauche; M. DUPONT (de l'Eure),
of the Extreme Gauche, and M. BERRYBR of the
Legitimatists. For the Vice-Presidency, the Minis-
terial candidates are, MM. LEPELLTIER D'AULNAY,
BIGNON, HEBERT, and DELESSERT ; the Opposition,
MM. ABATUCCI, G. DE BEAUMONT, VIVIEN, and
BILLAULT. The Ministerial candidates for the Se-
cretaryships are MM. D'ANGEVILLE, DE BASSIERES,
SAGLIO, and LANJUINAIS.

These papers announce that the English have taken
possession of a portion of the island of Madagascar,
and thereupon urge on the French Government the
necessity of fitting out an expedition to that island
with all convenient speed.

"A letter from Pondicherry, dated the Bth of July,"
says the Flotle—

"Positively announces the occupation of the Bay of
Diego Suarez by the English. Previous accounts from
Bourbon mentioned that the news of that expedition to
Madagascar had reached the Governor of the colony in
May last, and that Admiral Bazoche had sent the
schooner Zelda to watch the movements of the English.
We need not insist on the gravity of that news. The
sovereignty of Madagascar, guaranteed by treaties to
France, and secured to her by military expeditions and
former establishments, would, if that news were true, re-
ceive a severe blow. We most warmly recommended
the projected expedition abandoned six months ago, and
we particularly insisted on the occupation of the Bay of
Diego Suarez."

The following are the observations of the Na
tional

" It will be remembered that when the question of the
Madagascar expedition was brought before the Cham-
ber, M. Guizot declared it would be abandoned on the
condition that the English Government also renounced
a similar expedition. Nevertheless, strange news has
been received, and at the Isle of Bourbon the inhabi-
tants were convinced that the English were preparing
an expedition against 14radagascar, and a letter an-
nounces even that the expedition had taken place,
and that the British vessels had even taken posses-
sion of Diego Suarez. We insert the following com-
munication, which has been addressed to us, and
which bears the date of May 11:—' We are likewise
expecting the vessels destined for the Madagascar expe-
dition, unless the Ministry renounced it after the de
plorable amendment of M. d'Angeville. In every case
it would appear that the English are thinking of antici-
pating us, and on their side send an expedition against
the Novas, Letters from the Mauritius announce that
three frigates had arrived there, and a vessel (the Presi-
dent) was expected, as well as two regiments, from India.
It was even reported that the French Consul at the
Mauritius had written to the Governor of the Isle of
Bourbon, to inform him officially of the supposed inten-
tions of the English to take possession of Diego Suarez.'
A letter of the 17th of June, brought by the last India
mail, and addressed to a house of Marseilles, states that
the English had definitively taken possession of Diego
Suarez."

After expressing its disbelief of this intelligence,
the National thus proceeds :—" Nevertheless, the
Journal du Havre announces to-day that France was
at this moment preparing an expedition to Aladagas-
car, and that several commercial houses of Havre
had received orders from the Government for stores,
&c. We shall arrive, then, after the English in an
island, the sovereignty of which belongs exclusively
to France. The Ministry will, no doubt, deem it its
duty to enlighten public opinion on all these points.
It appears to us that it is not in Spain only that Lord
PALMERSTON is very anxious to show us that he
governs."

It would appear as if ABD-EL-KADER was destined
to occasion much further trouble, not only to the
French, but to the Emperor of MOROCCO likewise.
A letter from Oran of the 15th has the following :

"The Veloce steamer, which arrived here on the 13th,
from Tangiers, has brought rather important news.
There is now little doubt that if France wishes Abd-el-
Kader to be removed from the frontiers of Algeria she
must send a body of troops on the territory of Morocco.
In a word she has only to reckon on her own resources,
for Abderrhaman is nearly powerless he promises
much, but does nothing. Our Charge d'Affaires in
Morocco considered that he had obtained a piece of
diplomatic success by a journey made to Rabat, by his
first secretary, M. Leon Roche, to whom the Emperor
promised that the Governor of Tangiers should be
appointed to the command of the Riff, and that
he should have at his disposal sufficient troops
to maintain order in that country. The Charge
d'Affaires is now convinced that nothing has