The Sun.
London, England, 1856-12-17 00:00:00

I any doubt should exist on the matter could not
I but in itself be regarded as a promising fact.
Probably the most important feature of the
intelligence is the apprehension of insurrections
among the slaves entertained in parts of Texas,
and in a minor degree in Arkansas, Alabama, and
other Southern Slave States. In Union County,
Arkansas, it would appear, of two luckless indi-
viduals, one has been captured, tried, and
shot, and the other hung, on a charge
of exciting a portion of the slave
population to rise in rebellion against their task-
masters. Three hundred of the slaves were to
be concentrated on a given point—the town of
ll Dorado was to be attacked, its inhabitants
murdered, money and provisions obtained by
force, and a march made on Kansas, where, ac•
cording to promise, freedom awaited them. So
say the discoverers of " the plaat." In Ashley
County, too, a similar plot is said to have been
discovered. In Louisiana several public meetings
have been held for purposes of precaution and
protection. We advise the reader to believe as
little as he can as to there being any substantive
grounds for these meetings or this apprehen-
sion. It were too much to expect that the re-
markable divergence of the north and south on
the slavery question, as shown at the recent election,
should not have had some effect on the excitable
mind of the oppressed negro ; but it ought also
to be remembered the excitement of an alarm of
a slave rising may probably form part of the
Southern slaveholder's tactics as a means to bias
the mind of the President at a critical moment.
Either way we take these rumoured plots and
this questionable alarm as additional. confirmation
of our conjectures as to the policy of the Presi-
dent in esse. If the whole be a got-up affair,
strong proof is afforded of the apprehensions
of the South relating to the course Mr.
111117HANIN 'is likely to pursue. If plots
really have existed, it may fairly be affirmed that
a crisis has arrived when half measures will no
longer do ; and he would be a bold man who,
knowing the strength of the North and the divi-
sion existing between Mr. BUCHANAN'S suppor-
ters, ventured to assert he dare go " the whole
hog" with the South. Our belief is he has neither
the will nor the courage to do so, and should our
suspicions be confirmed as to the nature of the
apprehension entertained, another proof will be
afforded of how readily unprincipled politicians in
the hour of desperation, lose their wonted guile,
and have recourse to the tactics of the lowest
cunning. That the present aspect of affairs is
really exciting considerable anxiety and alarm in
the South will further appear from•the Message
of the Governor of South Carolina to the Legis-
lature, which met a fortnight ago. The recent
election is therein described as merely establishing
a truce between the North and the South, and
the Governor proceeds to recommend the
revival of the Slave Trade, and to suggest
the putting of every branch of labour in the hands
of the slaves I The star of Africa glimmers yet
more distinctly through the gloom, and middle-
aged men may entertain the hope that ere their
sun goes down slavery in the United States will,
by legislative enactment, be in the way of rapid
extinction, if not put an end to altogether.
Since the above was written, intelligence of a
positive nature has come to hand which, if reliable,
decides the matter. The President elect is re-
ported to have said in effect, to a deputation, that
his policy would be Conservative, and specially
adapted to reconcile the North and the South.

We have much pleasure in directing attention
to a report in another column of the proceedings
that took place yesterday at the Commercial Bank
of London. The public are perhaps aware that
sinister rumours have been circulated by dis-
appointed parties in respect to the solvency of the
Commercial Bank—and the natural consequence
was a run—a run not for a day, or a week,
or even a month—but for three long months !
—and what was the result ? Why, that
after the hapless runners had run them-
selves out of breath, and probably out
of p ocket too, there was more money in the
Bank till at the end of the race than at the
beginning—thanks to the over-candid malignity
of the safe whisperers, and the returning con-
fidence of the misdoubting dupes ! The les-
son, however trying, may do good to other
Banks, by acting with the same prudence as that
displayed by the Directors and their most excel-
lent manager.

THE TICKET-OF-LEAVE CURSE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SlB,—The ticket•of-leave system has been on trial
three years and is now universally condemned. It is
already high time the 11th section of the act of Parlia-
ment was promptly acted upon, by revoking all the un-
expired licences, and warrants issued (as the act directs)
by metropolitan police magistrates, to bring back the
convicts at large, and then recommit them (as the act
points out) to undergo the residue of their original sen-
tences.

If the Secretary of State will not carry out the sec-
tion I mention then Parliament must at once repeal the
act. The country demands that this " ticket-of-leave "
curse be destroyed.—Yours obediently,
Dec. 15, 1856. OBSERVER.
P.S.—lf the public were aware of the number of leave
tickets which have been granted, and the vagabonds
who have been again convicted, it would produce no
little astonishment. I hope some M.P. will call for a
return of them when Parliament is assembled.

Her Majesty, as a mark of her regard, and in honour
of the alliance which is to take place between the Prin.
Gess Royal and Prince Frederick of Prussia, is about to
confer upon the hereditary Prince of Prussia, the father
of Prince Frederick, the order of the Garter. Sir Colin
Campbell has been appointed to convey the order, with
an autograph letter from the Queen, to the hereditary
prince. Sir Colin starts upon his mission this week.
The public will be pleased by the selection of the envoy,
as a proof of the manner in which the Queen takes every
opportunity of doing honour to the heroes of the
Crimea.
The Rev. Allatson Burgh, M.A., Rector of St. Law-
rence Jewry, with' St. Mary Magdalen, Milk-street,
died on Thursday, aged 87. Deceased, who ' was the
oldest clergyman in the City, and, we believe, in the
whole metropolis, if not diocese, was presented to the
united rectories in 1815.
It is at present computed that the shipments of
speoie and bullion by the Indus on the 20th inst. will
amount to about 350,0001., nearly all in silver.
WESTERTON V. LIDDELL AND OTHERS.—KNIGHTS.
BRIDGE CHURCH CASE.—Sir John Dodson has at length
announced officially to the registrar of the Court of
Arches that he will deliver his long-pending judgment
in these suits on Saturday next, the 20th instant, at
eleven o'clock precisely, in the Court of Arches.
The electors of Stroud have issued an address, pledg-
ing themselves not to vote for aoy candidate at the next
election unless he is prepared to support every measure
having the repeal of the income-tax for its object. The
address is already signed by about 500 electors.
TEE PAPER DUTY.—The duty on paper in the year
ended the 31st March last was 1,047,4301. In the pre-
ceding year it was 1,050,6291.
THE HOUSE DUTY.—The house duty in the year ended
the 31st March last was 728,6891.
FIRE INSURANCE DUTY.—The amount realised by
the fire insurance duty, in the year ended March last,
was 1,280,4411.
PENNY,RECEIPT STAMPS.—There has been an increase
from receipt stamps", in the years ended March, of the
.sum of 257,6311.
Further parcels of gold to the eitent of about
11,0001. were taken from the Bank yesterday for the
continent, in payment of silver.
Of the 83,100/. in gold ex the Niagara, about half was
on French account. The sum that came to London was
about 40,0001.
COLLISION IN' THE MEnsn.—LivEnro 014 Tuesday.—
The screw steamer Canadian, in going into the Birken-
head Graving Dock this afternoon came into collision
with railway steamer Nun, striking on her stern
starboard side, severely damaging her. She had the pas-
sengers per railway on board. They were at once
landed, fortunately without injury, and transferred to
another steamer, and the Nun was hauled into the
graving dock.
INCREASED CONSUMPTION 01' TOBACCO.—From an offi-
cial paper just published, it appears that in the year
ended the 31st of March last, the duty on tobacco and
snuff was 5,006,6901. In the preceding year the duty
VMS 4,773,5551. •