The Sun.
London, England, 1858-12-29 00:00:00

THE lONIAN ISLANDS.

CORFU, DEC. 20.
The excitement consequent on the arrival of Mr.
Gladstone in the "islands "—the expression used
here to designate Ithaca, Santa Maura, Cephalonia,
Zante,. and Cerigo—has been wild, and the local
papers are filled with the most extravagant hallu-
cinations and philhellenistic theories, clothed in
the purest Hellenistic language. Here follows a
free translation of one, and ex uno disce omnes
:
• VOTE OF THE COUNCIL.

" Seeing• that the independence, the self-government, and
nationality of every people is a natural snd indisputable
" Seeing that the people of the Septinsular'State, forming
an integral part of the Hellenic race, is deprived at the
present day of the de facto exercise and enjoyment of these
rights ;
" Seeing that the causes which led to their being placed
under the protection of Great Britain, in virtue of a treaty
to which they never gave any assent, no longer exist ;
" Seeing, lastly, that a portion of the Hellenic race to
which they belong, viz., free Greece, has obtained its right
of self-government and nationality.
"For all these reasons, the first free Council of the Dep-
uties of this island proclaims—
" That the joint feeling, the fixed and irrefragible desire
of the Septinsular people is the recovery of its independence
and its union with Greece.
" The present proclamation will be transmitted, by order
of the Council, to the protecting Power through the official
channel, so that it may be public to the rest of the European
Powers for the guidance of their action.
" In the Council of the Deputies, Nev. 26,1858 (Dec. 8)."
Then follow the signatures of the 11 self-consti-
tuted councillors.
Zante, the "Flower of the Levant," has loaded
its cannon beforehand —see their placard :
" Union of the lonian Islands with free Greece. Long
live Mr. Gladstone, the Philhellene.
"THE ZANTIOTS."
So Mr. Gladstone kriows what he has to expect
from the flower of the Septinsular Republic.
In all this there is, no doubt, also much of the
pawn' ad eireenses, and advocates greedy of place
have no doubt had some hand in the concoction of
these -placards and documents. The patriots of
Cephalonia do not, noivever, equivocate, and have
met the Lord
and Highd
Commissioner Extraordinary
with aloudrd
isloyal cry for union with Greece,
oleaving aside all indirect agitation as too unim-
portant for the occasion.
An Attaché of the British Embassy at Vienna
arrived here the day before yesterday, bearing
despatches for Mr. Gladstone and the Lord High
Commissioner. The following appeared the same
evening in the official Gazette of Corfu :
" Palace, Corfu, Dec. 18, 1858.
Highness,—l have the honour to transmit to your High-
ness for your informatioa and that of the Most Excellent
the Senate, the accompanying extract of a despatch which
I have received from her Majesty's Secretary of State for
the Colonial Department, in answer to the address and pro
test, forwarded to him by the 10 representatives for Corfu
and the five municipal °facers of this island.

" I have the honour to be, Highness,
" Your most obedient humble servant,
` JOHN YOUNG.
" His Highness Sir A. Damaschino, G.C.M.G.
President of the Senate, &C."
EXTRACT OF A DESPATCH ADDRESSED TO THE LORD
HIGH COMMISSIONE; BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE
FOR THE COLONIAL DEPARTMENT, DATED THE BTH OF
DECEMBER, 1858, No. 34.

" I have to acknowledge your despatches of the 25th and
29th of November, enclosing respectively an address from
the 10 representatives of the Island of Corfu and a protest
from the Municipality of Corfu on the subject of your con-
fidential despatch to Mr. Labouchere on the 10th of June,
1857, which obtained publication in the newspapers with-
out, as you are already aware, the sanction or privity of the
Government.

"The tenour of these two documents is the same, and,
thele, I shall confine my observations to a single answer.
municipality of that island that I have received with regret
inform the Representatives of Corfu and the
"ooruwill
the addresses which they have sent to me through you. Her
Majesty's Government do not entertain the desire, as in-
deed they do not possess the power, to occupy Corfu and
Paxo as colonies under the British Crown. Nor does it
enter into the views of her Majesty's Government to appeal
to the Powers of Bumpa for an abrogation of the treaty
under which England has hitherto extended, and will ex-
tend, to the lonian Islands a protection which is required
for the interests of Europe, and which is far more effective
than any that could be afforded by the sovereignty of
Greece.

" There is, indeed, no human system free from imperfec-
tion, and under every form of government grievances re
quiring redress may arise. If any such grievances now
exist to impede the satisfactory working of the lonian Con-
stitution, they need but to be temperately stated, and
rationally proved, to ensure on the part of her Majesty's
Government their best efforts within the circle of their
constitutional powers to find a remedy or a solution for
them.

"In the mission of Mr. Gladstone to the lonian Islands
there occurs an oppoi tunity from which I trust the lonians
will not suffer themselves to Le diverted by visionary and
impracticable schethes.

"It is not within Mr. Gladstone's power to consider the