The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-11 00:00:00

EIGHT DAYS LATER FROM AMERICA.

DREADFUL FIRE at the QUEBEC
THEATRE,
AND LOSS OF FIFTY LIVES.

(FROM OUR LIVERPOOL CORRESPONDENT•)
LIVERPOOL, SATURDAY MOBNINO'

Shortly after twelve o'clock last night, the steer
ship Great Western, Captain IL J 1 atthews, entered the
Mersey, bringing New York papers of the 25th
and Washington of the day previous.
This arrival furnishes the gratifying intelligence of
the Oregon treaty having been ratified and passed the
Senate on the 18th of June, by .a majority of Al to 1;'
This document was brought over in the Great Western'
under the care of General Armstrong, the United States
Consul at Liverpool, who was also honoured with the
dispatch of the British Minister, Mr. Pakenham.

The papers by this arrival furnish a variety of inter
esting details relative to the Mexican and United State,
,
armies; the latter remained up to the latest advices,
New Orleans, inactive.

Quebec, we regret to say, has again been visited
another dreadful fire, with an awful amount of loss °
human life. The theatre took fire, and such was the
consternation and alarm, that before the visitors COw'
leave the house a large number were burned to dead
Up to the time that our advices left that city, fifty de
bodies had been taken from the ruins.
A New York paper says, " We are very hapPY
learn that England is about to offer her mediationse.
it will afford our Government another opportunity to
peat the sound views of national policy which have
ways guided this union in its dealings withother po'vers'
If England wishes to come into those views and is pre'
pared to substitute pacific mediation for armed intervelY
tion, denouncing all idea of founding the latter upon tye
former, and will, at the same time, accept our proffered
mediation for restoring peace in South America, Tie
have no doubt she will find our Government prepared t°
meet her. It is true, indeed, that when General Jack
son received William the Fourth's mediation in 07
quarrel with France, and when we offered our !new'
ation to sottle the dispute between the allied monarchies
and the South American republics, war had not at-401')
commenced. Mediation in both cases was offered
the hope of preventing war. But now that war has ac;
tually commenced, England will probably find a 113°r
available sphere of action among the military usurpers °e
Mexico, than at Washington ; and as all nations 13111
experienced more or less of the tender mercies of her
interventions, the world would rejoice to see us rejecb,
i
ins her offers unless they came with a full recognition f
our principles of non-intervention. As to the effects °
this war on French and English commerce, they areligi°
more disastrous, comparatively, than the injuries inflici'
upon our commerce by the allied intervention in Sou
America."

The following are extracts from the papers:.7—
MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE US„lzO
STATES, WITH THE ACCOMPANYING REPuA'W
OF THE HEADS OF THE TREASURY, WAR J-10
NAVY DEPARTMENTS, RELATIVE TO THE DI
OF RAISING FUNDS FOR CARRYING ON
WAR WITH MEXICO.

SAGE.
To the Senate of theME UnSited States,—ln answer to tho,e
resolution of the Senate of the 3d inst., I communicate nti,
with estimates prepared by the War and Navy Departnlev"of
of the probable expenses of conducting the existing to
with Mexico, during the remainder of the present ab_a" oft
whole of the next fiscal year. I communicate, also, a Me,
of the Secretary of the Treasury, based upon these estilLaaj.
containing recommendations of measures for raising tbe,
ditional means required. It is probable that the actual woo.
penses incurred during the period specified may falicr
siderably below the estimates submitted, which are 'tile
larger number of troops than have yet been called to
gOf
field. As a precautionary measure, however, against
possible deficiency, the estimates have been inaueraOr
the largest amount which any state of the service
require.
ib°
It will be perceived from the report of the Secretary e„,,0
Treasury, that a considerable portion of the additional arativ;of
required may be raised by a modification of the rates of
nre
imposed by the existing tariff laws. The high duties at rio•
sent levied on atany articles totally exclude them froai,;;cff
portation, -whilst the quantity and amount of others It',ese
are imported are greatly diminished. By reducing tirgo
duties to a revenue standard, it is not doubted that a rd Ds
amount of the articles on which they are imposed wee ices
imported, and a corresponding amount of revenue be reset
at the Treasury from this source. By imposing revenue e d
ties on many articles now permitted to be imported reLl
duty, and by regulating the rates within the revenue stando itr
upon others, a large additional revenue will be collected.
dependently of the high considerations which induced
in my annual message, to recommend a rn (ft; atf;,aird
auction of the rates of duty imposed by the° A ect "; c8::1)0,
being not only proper in reference to a state of =
just to all the great interests of the country, the
bo
such modification and reduction as a war measure must fioyv
%
manifest. The country requires additional revenue letr th
er
prosecution of the war. It may be obtained to a great de
tent by reducing the prohibitory and highly protectts
ties imposed by the existing laws to revenue rates; e.. 'to
necessity
posing revenue duties on the free list; and by modifying,
rates of duty on other articles. f
The modifications recommended by the Secretary
Treasury in his annual report in December last, were adapted
to a state of peace; and the additional duties now sugg'„of
by him, are with a view strictly to raise revenue as aO/0
measure. At the conclusion of the war these duties may
should be abolished, and reduced to lower rates. „,r,Aice
It is not apprehended that the existing war with
nes!
will materially affect our trade and commerce with the
of the world. On the contrary, the reductions Prel",veti
would increase that trade, and augment the revenue dell'
from it.
Ana
When the country is in a state of war, no contillgrLti,
should be permitted to occur in which there would be aruips
ciency in the treasury, for the vigorous prosecution ei deJ
war; and to guard against such an event, it is
recomm„elloteh
that contingent authority be given to issue Treasury "-Dsa
or to contract a loan fur a limited amount, reimbursable ae,
early day. Should no occasion arise to exercise the P°,64
still it may be important that the authority should e
should there be a necessity for it.
It is not deemed necessary to resort to direct taxes e'ipeai
cises—the measures recommended being deemed preferah'-or
a means of increasing the revenue. It is hoped that the tech
with Mexico, if vig-orously prosecuted, as is conterflP,ll,. to
may be of short duration. I shall be at all times reaao'
conclude an honourable peace, whenever the Mexican tifig
vernment shall manifest a like disposition. The eisiaid
war has been rendered necessary by the acts of Mexico; 01
whenever that pcwer shall be ready to do us justice, we "aive
be prepared to sheathe the sword, and tender to her the"
branch of peace.
JAMES K. POLS.
Washington, June 16, 1846.

REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE TREASVS.
Treasury Department, June 15, )84°8.0f
Sir,—l have duly considered the resolution of the Sage-
the 3d of June, 1846, together with the estimates of the sert
tars' of the Navy of the 9th inst., and of the Secretary of host
of the 13th inst., submitted by you to this department,
respectfully report to you as follows :
It appears that the aggregate estimated expenditure of tl,
War and Nary Departments for the fiscal years terminloo4
on the 30th of June, 1846 and 1317, amount to 23,952,9 0
dolls, over and above the estimates made by those departre-
in December last, and then submitted in my annual reportft,
Congress. In that report it was supposed by this &floe
ment, that upon the expenditures then estimated for a sues
of of peace, there would remain on the Is: of July, 1847, a 1,3'3
in the Treasury of 4,332,441 dolls. 7c. Deducting 00
balance from the excess of expenditures above estimated de-
the War and Navy Departments, there would result A
ficiency of 19,620,463 dolls.
It is believed, however, that this deficiency will, fr°ollllll
eigmented receipts, accrued and accruing for theioliss,
Years 1846 and 1847, be diminished four millions of "1847,
which would reduce the deficit on the Ist of JelY'
15,620,463 dolls.
certain'
It is ascertained, by experience, that for the at
prompt, and convenient payment of the public creel, sod
all times and places, throughout our extended territory,
"
must remain on hand in the Treasury, which Would agel
'a
ofth 4 esumpiplllyionosf tolife
dollars,mint
d especially
mints,
during fora state of "noinage, a sa..,
raise the sum to be provided for before the BOth of Juil,,".
1847, to 19,620,463 dolls.
It isbelieved, however, that a sum equal to 5,534,057 de
,1140.„
of additional revenue may be produced by the modificsstrhe
of the tariff herein proposed—namely, to adopt, as a basi!;,-.9
Bill reducing the tariff reported by the Committee of V 1
um-,•101
and Means to the House of Representatives on the 14th
s,tt7 April last, together with the augmented and additional o
now proposed and enumerated in schedule A. This change
the Bill reported by the committee, omitting the fourth sea
tion, would make an addition to the revenue to be produc
by that Bill, of 4,034,057 dolls.
After a very careful examination of the additional lietsl
which it has been in my power to obtain since the mont111;
February last, it is my conviction that the Bill of the e,OllO.
tnittee will produce a net revenue of at least 26,000,0000. ea
If to this be added the additional duties proposed to be
in schedule A, the Bill of the committee with the mod
Lions embraced in that schedule would produce a net
of
venue of 30,034,057 dolls. This would snake an additioi!ed
5,534,057 dolls. to the revenue that would be prodlcot
under the Act of 30th August, 1842. If, then, we de"., it
this 5,534,057 dolls, from the deficit above estimated,
would still leave a deficit of 14,086,406 dolls.
ser
If, in addition to the modifications of the tariff above sos
gested, the warehousing system were adopted, as recoil° hi
mended in my annual report of December last, it
make an addition to the annual revenue from customs 01. cir,
million of dollars, which, deducted from the above deno„9.,
would leave a deficiency still remaining of 13,086,406 d
It is true that the introduction of the warehousing arfiot
might diminish the revenue during a portion of the oo
o
year succeeding its adoption ; but that it would add
0,
million of dollars per annum to the permanent annt',al reverse
from customs is nut doubted.
(„1 of
It is believed also that the reduction hod gradile,"- Iti'
the price of the public lands in favour of settlers and q° st,
vators, as recommended in your Message of December
to
would make an 4111111,4 i addir
'.bn of half a million of delle,f2,
the revenue derivable fsom the proceeds of the sales °f e 5
eo
public lands, by fringing into market many millions el.e
he
of the puflic domain which are wholly unsaleable at tsiS
present minimum price established by law. Deductiegkoe
sum of half a million of dollars from the deficit last of
mei4lened, would leave still unprovided for the en"hary'
12,586,406 dolls., which must be met by loans, Tres'
notes, direct taxation, or excises. bee°
In addition to the strong objections which hav,e.Acalt
urged against direct taxes cud excises, it would he uiter"
to put in operation such a system in all the States an:ti
ritories,_ so as to realise the required amount in cash, ereos
the 30t4 Julie, 1847. 4 apiteru of direct taxes rid