The Sun.
London, England, 1860-02-07 00:00:00

NOVA SCOTIA.

[The following has been received at Mr. Reuter's
office :—]
HALIFAX, N.S., JAN. 2G•

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL CHAMBER, Jan. 2.—At
half-past two o'clock p.m. his Excellency the Right
Hon. the Earl of Mulgrave, Lieutenant-Governor,
came in State to the Council Chamber, and being
seated, the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod
received his excellency's command to let the House
of Assembly know " It is his excellency's will and
pleasure they attend him immediately in this house,"
who being come, his excellency was pleased to
direct that the house return to their chamber and
choose a Speaker. The representatives retired
accordingly, and, after brief delay, re-entered the
Council Chamber, and presented Mr. Stewart
Campbell as the Speaker pro tem. His excellency
approved of the choice, and opened the session with
a speech to both houses as follows :

" Mr. President and lion. Gentlemen of the Legislative
Council, Mr. Speaker and Gentlemen of the House of As-
sembly,—

" In meeting this Parliament for the first time, it gives
me much pleasure to be able to congratulate you upon the
prosperous condition of the province.
" You will be gratified to learn that, notwithstanding the
diminution of the royalty on coal, and although the distil-
leries have not been in operation during the last nine months,
the revenue has exceeded that of any former year, fully
realising the estimates submitted to the Legislature.
" It is a matter of congratulation that, while under exist-
ing arrangements, the operations of the General Mining
Association have considerably increased, new and valuable
discoveries have been made in our mineral resources which
are stimulating provincial enterprise, attracting foreign
capital, and bid fair at no distant day to introduce vigorous
and healthy competition, by which trade will be largely
extended and the revenue increased.

" A commissioner was appointed under the act relating
to the management of the Indian Reserves, and some pro-
gress has been made in their adjustmont, the report of which
will be laid before you. _ _ _

" Mr. Speaker and Gentlemen of the House of Assembly—
" The public accounts and estimates for the current year
year will be submitted for your consideration.
" Mr. President and Hon. Gentlemen of the Legislative
Council ; Mr. Speaker and Gentlemen of the House of
Assembly,—
" The entire absence of any organised local force for the
defence of the province has induced me during the recoss to
authorise the formation of volunteer companies throughout
the country, and I am happy to inform you that my endea-
vours have been cordially responded to, not only by the
inhabitants of this city, but in many parts of the province.
Several companies have already been organised, and others
are in the course of formation. 3,000 stand of Enfield
rifles, of the best description, have been placed at my dis-
posal by the Home Government for the purposso of arming
these volunteers ; and I trust that the same feeling which
has been so generally evinced in mother country, and also
in some of the colonies of her Majesty's empire, will induce
you liberally to support the movement, so as to enable me
to render this force effective.

"I have directed that the correspondence on this subject
should be laid before you, and some modification of the
militia laws will be submitted for your consideration.
"The railways to Truro and Windsor having been
finished, tke expense of operating and upholding these lines
has been placed at the lowest point consistent with the
safety and efficiency of the road, and, as far as was prac-
ticable with our present legislation.
" By consolidating the railway and public works depart-
ments, further economy may be effected, and your attention
will shortly bo called to that subject.
" The large amount annually required to meet the pay-
ment of interest on the railway debt, must far some time
severely tax your resources, and imperatively demands the
most stringent economy in order to preserve intact the
public credit.
"A proposition to transfer to the executive the initiation
of money votes will be submitted for your deliberation, that
system having been found indispensable in England, and
already advantageously adopted in Now Brunswick and
other colonies.

" Your attention will be called to the propriety of ex-
tending the principle of intercolonial free trade to manu-
factured articles, in addition to those products now inter-
changed without duty between the British North American
colonies.

" A careful investigation has been had into the condition
and working of the savings bank, the result of which will
be laid before you, and your attention will be invited to
some modification of the existing system.
" The conflicting clauses of the Decmial Currency Act of
last session demand your early consideration. It is aisio
desirable that some amendments should be made in the
enactments relating to lunatics, by which the Hospital for
the Insane, an institution already so extensively useful,
may be rendered still more widely beneficial.
" I fervently trust that your deliberations may contri-
bute to the peace, prosperity, and advancement of this
thriving colony, so deeply indebted to Almighty God for
the numerous blessings it now enjoys."

PENINSULAR MAILS.

SOUTHAMPTON, TUESDAY.

The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer
Ripon, Captain J. S. Field, has arrived. She
brings a small mail from Gibraltar and Malta only,
15 supernumerary and 16 distressed British sea-
men, £1,200 in specie, and 1,000 packages of cargo.
The Ripon encountered terrific weather through-
out the passage.
Gibraltar Exchange as last quoted.
By this arrival news from Morocco is two days
later than that brought by the Ceylon.
The Spanish army before Tetuan was 30,000
strong.
The Moorish account of their losses in tho battle
of the 23d ult., give 20 killed, the same number
wounded, and five prisoners.
The Moors captured a Spanish officer.
Tho Spanish army was occupied in the construe.
tion •f works to secure its positions required for an
attack on Tetuan.

A star fort was also being constructed on the
right front, and small steamers Were waiting to
convey the artillery up the river.
Sickness had increased in the Spanish army since
its encampment in the plains of Tetuan. Marshal
O'Donnell was chiefly occupied in entrenching the
positions to secure the army against any disaster
which might arise from an interruption of the com-
munication by sea.
Every exertion was being used to complete the
fortifications round the custom-house.
Private accounts say that cholera continued its
ravages. In one day 200 men had been removed to
Ceuta.

Complete silence reigns in and about Tetuan ;
and there is no communication between the contend-
ing parties,

SAFETY OF THE SCREW STEAMER JOHN BULI.
—The John 8011, from Glasgow for New York, put tau*
to Queenstown on Sunday, having been 32 days out, with
her main-shaft and fan broken. She had five cabin and
ton steerage passengers and a general cargo. She left on
the 4th of January.
GOLD (AUSTRALIA).—In 1858 13,9630 z. of gold,
value £5,100,999, were] exported from New South %Vales ;
and 2,555,263az., valued at £10,221,052, from Victoria.
The gross total net quantity and value of gold exported
from both colonies since May, 1851, to December 31, 1858,
is 19,602,6400 z.. and £74,460,094.
THE INCREASED NEWSPAPER POSTAGE TO
AusTHALIA.—We regret that wo have not space to do
more than thus briefly call attention to the letter in another
column, wherein Mr. Brodie disposes of the poor official
pleas put forward for the imposition of the new tax on irr
telligence destined for the colonies. Mr. Laing, on behalf
of the Treasury, affirms that the sum paid by contract to
the Egyptian Government for the transit of the whole
of the Eastern and Australian Mails across its ter-
ritory is £12,000 a-year ; and in the next breath
he says that the new penny on newspapers
foe Australia via Southampton, is expected to
produce £5,000 a-year. In this expectation few will agree
with him. Mr. Brodie, however, takes him for the moment
at his word, and remarks that if thel second penny will pro-
duce £5,00'1 a-year, the first penny must already be pro-
ducing at least a like sum. Consequently, Australia, ao•
cording to Mr. Laing's showing, is to pay £lO,OOO a-year to-
wards the Egyptian subsidy on her newspapers via South-
ampton alone. If this be so, what proportion do all the
letters and papers via Marseilles, both for India, China,
and Australia, pay ? And if the fact be not so, how narrow
a policy does it seem to shackle the flow of intelligence to
the colonies for a pecuniary consideration of paltry amount !
ST. VINCENT, CAPE DE VERBS, J.N. 18.—The
steam-ship Powerful, No. 2 transport, belonging to the
Greek and Oriental Steam Navigation Company of London,
arrived here to coal from London for China, making the
run in twelve days. The Powerful, besides a largo cargo
of army and naval stores, has on board several Armstrong
guns and a mortar weighing five tons, intended for sorykt,
against the China°.