The Sun.
London, England, 1867-05-20 00:00:00

Miscellaneous American News.

It was rumoured in America that the war-ship
Dnnderburg had been purchased by Prussia, but it
turns out that France has become the owner. She
is said to be a very powerful ironclad, but the fate
of the Re Italia, by the same builder, is not encou-
raging. She appears to have hung heavily on her
owner's hands till the Luxembourg crisis arose. It
is an ill wind that blows no one good, as, we doubt
not, the New York builder will acknowledge. _ _

The people of the Red River country in British
North America, about 10,000 in number, are agita-
ting for annexation to the United States.
Mr. Davis has at last been released from prison
by the Court of Richmond, the Government having
ordered the writ of habeas Corpus to be obeyed.
Ile is, however, under bail to appear next Novem-
ber. lie left Richmond for New York, where he
arrived on Thursday, on his way to Canada.
The Supreme Court has dismissed the appeals of
Georgia and Mississippi on the ground of want of
jurisdiction. A riot has taken place at Mobile, and
Mr. Kelly, a member of Congress, was mobbed.
Several persons were killed, and order was restored
by the military. The cable also informs us that the
negroes at Richmond and New Orleans are mani-
festing a disorderly spirit. It does not tell us the
provocation, for which we mint wait till the arrival
of a mail.

Gold is again flowing from New York to Europe.
In addition to the £300,000 at sea, the Persia,
which left New York on Wednesday, carries
£400,000. These large remittances of specie are
imparting strength to the English Stock and Share
Markets. The reason of the influx is simply the May
payment of the 5-20 dividends, two-thirds of which
are held in Europe. The coupons are presented
for payment at the Treasury, and the gold, when
received, is remitted in exchange. We are only be-
ginning to feel the effects of these half-yearly pay-
ments, which will periodically send to Europe a
vast amount of American gold, unless the balance
of trade turns heavily against England. There is
no change in the price of gold by the telegram re-
ceived last night, the quotation being 137.

Official letters received at the Indian Office de-
scribe Hancock's interview with the Cheyennes as
unsatisfactory. The letters express apprehension
of a general Indian war.
WASHINGTON, April 24.—The Southern Famine
Relief Commission has received $lO,OOO dollars in
gold, additional, from California. General Sher-
man has been authorised to draw for five thousand
dollars to relieve distress from the overflow of the
Mississippi, in Louisiana.
The bankrupt law, lately passed by Congress,
stringently guards against all fraudulent assign-
ments and conveyances by which a preference is
given to one or more creditors over others. The
act comes into practical operation on the 11th of
June next, but for four months previous to that
date the operation of the law above referred to
holds good.

We notice in the Boston Advertiser an announce-
ment that the Universities of Harvard and Yale
will not enter the lists in competition at the Paris
Regatta. Our views on the subject have been
already expressed, so that we need not here repeat
our regret if such should prove the final decision.
Several reasons are advanced by the Boston Adver-
tiser. First, that by the rules, each boat must carry
a coxswain, and that the course would be only 11-
miles, instead of 4 miles, as at Putney. Yale ob-
jected to the length of the course, and also feared
that some of their contestants would be out of con-
dition. Harvard considered that difficulty would exist
in securing their complement of eight, and another
difficulty arose in obtaining the necessary leave for
the undergraduates. This it was thought could be
easily arranged, but at a faculty meeting it was
declared inexpedient to grant the prayer of the peti-
tioners. Enough money had been promised to
meet the expenses, so that no financial reason stood
in the way of the American boat taking a fair and
honourable place in the race.
The earnest protest of the Union League Club
to the New York State Senate against the extrava
gance and corruption prevailing at Albany had been
ordered to be returned whence it came by a majo_
rity of 27 to 3. The debate on the resolution was
in character. There were loud protests against the
truth of the accusations, and the usual amount of
virtuous indignation. " Mr. Sessions," says Frank
Leslie," resorted to the to quoque dodge, and
accused members of the club of having been active
members of the lobby during the winter, which,
even if true, would not have disproved the truth of
the charges, the chief matter to be attended to.
Low and Folger were deeply impressed with the
fact of there being no signatures to the resolutions,
and although it was shown to be authenticated by
the signature of the Secretary of the Club, and
therefore the act of the body in its corporate capa-
city, these wise men shook their heads gravely
at an omission making a dangerous precedent.
Mr. O'Dontiel: drew a very fine line in regarding
the resolutions in the light of a petition, and there-
fore voting for their reception ; but as if to atone
for such an indiscretion, he praised the Senate, of
which he is a member, as being superior to any that
preceded it for many years, in ability, integrity,
and economy—which is, perhaps, not saying much
for it—and in face of the notorious fact that the
taxes levied this year are over ten mills to the dollar,
more than double any preceding year, strikes us as

being a very cool and itnpu lent assertion. There
is, in fact, but one course for the memb..Ts of the
Legislature to pursue, if they would purify them-
selves from the foul stain their character has sus-
tained. Let them order an investigation, summon
their accusers—they are well known—before them,
and take such evidence as may be offered in support
of the charges. If these are found frivolous and
false, let us know the fact by some authoritative
decision. Even if true, their force may be broken
by some well-contrived plausibilities of language ;
but to disperse without any attempt to meet
charges of corruption so specific and direct as these
have been will cover every suspected member with
lasting disgrace."
Messrs. Rutty, Wightman, and Co. have just
chartered the screw steamer Nurva, to lay a tele-
graph cable between Florida and Cuba. The com-
pletion of this line will open direct telegraphic com-
munication between London and llavannah.

The New York limes, in announcing that Charles
Dickens had accepted an engagement in America,
writes of the great author in a tone that will be read
with pleasure by the general public of England :
" It is now positively stated that Charles Dickens
has accepted an engagement to give a course of his
celebrated readings in this country. If this pro-
mise be realised, we believe that Mr. Dickens will
find himself mistaken in the view which he holds of
the temper of the American people towards him.
lie has been deterred from coining here because he
imagines that he has provoked our bitter resent-
ment by his free handling of certain strongly
marked features which he supposes to be peculiar to
the Americans, in Martin Chuzzlewit' and The
American Notes.' He is under the impression that he
would be very unfavourably received, and find none
welcome him. We can assure him by anticipation
that he is mistaken. His caricatures in Chuzzle-
wit' have been laughed at as cordially. and good-
humouredly here, as on the other side of the Atlantic,
and the world of readers is under too many obliga-
tions to him to remember to his disadvantage any
injustice we may conceive hits to have committed."
Wilkes' Spirit snakes the following observation,
which should be brought to the notice of the Com-
mittee of the Paris Regatta :—" If not too late, we
should be glad to see American yachtsmen join in a
memorial to the French Regatta Committee for a
modification of their rules, such as will allow the
entry of centre-board yachts." We believe that it
is in consequence of the exclusion of centre-board
yachts that the Vesta is now returning to America.
The relative merits of a keel or a centre-board boat
are much disputed. Admittance to a fair trial, not
exclusion from it, would do most to settle the
question.

On the Ist May Governor English's inaugural
message was submitted to the Connecticut Legisla-
ture. The document is written- with decision and
ability, and though its principles are largely dis-
sented from, its literary merits are fully acknow-
ledged. The Governor supports the policy of the
President, and denounces the actions of the

XXXIX. Congress, opposed by Mr. Johnson, as
unsound and unconstitutional. The authority of
Congress to pass and to bring into operation the
Military Reconstruction Bill is denied in this mes-
sage. State Rights are supported, which, ac-
corrding to Mr. English, were neither annulled
nor abrogated by the rebellion. Passing from the
Supreme Government to State affairs, favourable
reports from the various departments are pre-
sented, and the progress made spoken of encourag-
ingly. The Governor recommends legislation to
limit the work of children in factories, and he ad-
vises the passage of a law to stop employers in in-
fluencing the votes of the employed. He
recommends the abolition of the Poll Tax, approves
the conduct of the State eduzational and charitable
institutions during last year, including the reform
school at Meriden, and the new insane asylum at
Middletown. The funded debt of the State is now
$9,828,400, havinc, been reduced $571,600 during
the year, and the sinking fund having been in-
creased $74,000, is now $1,284,307. After deduct-
ing all the assets, the total present liab:lities of the
State are $7,661,477. The taxable property has
largely increased during the year, the grand list of
1866 exceeding that of the previous year by
$13,926,664. The capital of the State school fund
in September, 1866, was $2,043,835, and during
the last year $124,021 was called in and reloaned in
the State. The number of children entitled to the
benefits of the fund was 120,824, to each of whom
a dividend of $l.lO was declared. The war claims
of the State a year since were $75,805, of which
$6,750 have been paid, and $20,000 more have been
allowed, and are ready for payment. There are 82
national banks in the State, with a capital of
$24,496,600, and eight banks still operating under
the State law, with $1,970,500 in capital, and
$111,747 in circulation. The deposits in the 52
savings banks during the year were $3,861,376.
We believe that Mr. Seward is in the unpleasant
predicament of being called on to pay a bill which
appears to us outrageously:large, and for which no
money has been appropriated by Congress. By his
orders counsel was retained to defend the Fenian
prisoners taken in the raids on Canada. These gen-
tlemen demand in payment $50,000 ! If. Uncle
Sam pays at that rate he must be a mine of wealth
to the legal profession.
The Springfield Republican, in its items from
'Washington, which are both interesting and reli-
able, states that Secretary M'Culloch gives notice
that the Government cannot protect those who
have lost coupon bonds payable to bearer and
Treasury notes in blank. All such notes and cou-
pons will hereafter be paid to parties presenting
them, and no attention will be paid to caveats filed
to prevent such payments.
TRADE WITH JAPAN. —The trade of Yokohama,
Japan, last year, was $26,778,451, the exports
$16,186,110, and the imports $10,592,341. The
exports consisted principally of silks, cotton and teas,
and the imports of woollen and cotton, goods, velvets,
iron, arms, ammunition, ship stores, and liquors.
The English monopolised about two-thirds of the
commerce of the port, while the United States got
only one-ninth. But this condition of things is
likely to be reversed now. By means of the new
line of steamers, California and Oregon can supply
the staple imports to better advantage than any
other country, and the exports and imports will
soon assume a much wider range. Already orders
have been received in San Francisco for many ar-
ticles never before sent to Japan, and the steamer
Colorado on her last trip could not grant all the
applications for freight. The United States will
probably control the trade of Japan and China in a
few years. If other nations continue to trade there
they must do their business through the United
States.

A late number of the Japan Times, published at
Yokohama, says the new port of Osaka will cer-
tainly be opened at the time appointed, January
1, 1868, but warns American merchants not to
makr any rash ventures into trade there till a
business has grown up. The same paper gives the
following interesting account of the courtesies ex-
tended to a British admiral, who penetrated to the
inland sea called Funeka, in the territory of Prince
Chiknsen. As a specimen of Japanese hospitality it
is not bad, and it adds a new proof that the bar-
riers that have so long separated Japan from the
rest of the world are fait breaking down :—Th;rty
officers of the fleet were invited to a banquet on
shore, where all " squatted down" on strips of
' scarlet cloth, and each guest had as many as 50
dishes placed before him in turn. Then followed an
exhibition of singers and actors, and another feast,
if possible, more sumptuous than the first. Extreme
neatness and patient politeness were the most no-
ticeable features. Having left the palace finally to
return on shipboard, the wholecompany was escorted
en route to a brilliantly lighted house, where an.
other elegant dinner was waiting, this time in the
European style. Next day an invitation was ac-
cepted to join in the pursuit of 50 deer and two
wild boars, the park being of " enormous extent
and full of game." A bountiful supply of fowl and
handsome presents for all the officers were sent to
the ships before their departure.
Judge Comstock, of New York State, has called
forth the following remarks from the Nation, in
reply to a letter to the World. We agree with the
Nation that society must be controlled and held
together by force, though the force be subordinate
to and regulated by opinion. " Judge Comstock,
of this State, has written a very melancholy letter
to the IVoild about the approaching end of
the American Union. lie says that if Georgia
and Mississippi have no remedy against the Recon-
struction Bill in an appeal to the Supreme Court,
" the law of force must hereafter govern the rela-
tions of the Union to the States," and " it requires
no prophetic eye," &c. The fact is that " the law
of force" not only governs the relations of the States
to the Union, but of men to the State, and has
always governed them. There is a pleasant legal
fiction that all these things are regulated by " com-
pact," but it is only a fiction. Every time a police-
man takes a man to gaol, he offers evidence that
society does rest on " the law of force," and the
day on which the Union armies first marched to put
down the rebellion the fact that the Union rests on
the law of force was as completely recognised as it
would be by the refusal of the Supreme Court to
interfere for the protection of Georgia and Missis-
sippi from military government. If I stay in a
house quietly because I know I shall not be allowed
to leave it, I am as much detained by force as if I
were all the time making frantic efforts to break the
door open. The attempts of Democratic lawyers to
make " horrible revelations" about the consequences
of the Congressional measures of reconstruction are
almost painful specimens of perverted ingenuity,
and generally end in the discovery of mares' nests.
The whole war was in fact waged to settle the ques-
tion whether there was or could be such a thing as
a Union of mere inclination.

At the annual fire parade at Charleston, on
Saturday, April 27, the procession did not propose
to carry the American flag, but was compelled to do
so by General Sickles. It appears that the procession
was about to start flaunting all sorts of banners,
but not a flutter of the stars and stripes. The
General at once interfered, ordering the column not
to move until the national flag was procured. He
wrote to Brigadier General 11. B. Clitz, commanding
at Charleston, recalling last year's firemen's parade,
which was remarkable for a similar omission then
said to have been inadvertent. lie then proceeds
as follows :--" I desire that you will at once send for
the Chief of the Fire Department, and inform him
that the national stardard must be borne in_frout of
the column ; that an escort of honour, to consist of
two members of each company present, will be de-
tailed by himself to march with the colours ; that
the colones be placed opposite the reviewing per-
sonages on the ground designated for the review,
and that every person in the column shall salute the
colours by lifting his hat or cap on arriving at
a point three paces distant from the colours, and,
carrying the cap uplifted, march past the colours
to a point three paces distant from the same.
The Mayor of the City, the Chief of the Fire Da-
partment, and the foremen of the companies, will
be held responsible for the observance of this order,
and they are hereby authorised and required to ar-
rest any person who disobeys it. You will take
such measures as you may find to b 3 necessary to
insuro the execution of this order." The Chief of