The Sun.
London, England, 1866-10-20 00:00:00

MISCELLANEOUS NEWS.

Major-General Wagner Swayne, Assistant Com-
missioner for the Freedmen's Bureau, at Mont-
gomery, Alabama, reports that; upon investigation,
no foundation could be ascertained for a report
which has been circulated that two freedmen had
been sold as slaves.
The Commissioner of the General Land Office
has received returns from the Land. Office at
Marysville, California, showing that during August
3,061 acres of the public lands were disposed of,
2,900 acres being sold for cash, and the remainder
being taken up under the Homestead Act. The
returns from other States show that the entries of
land have everywhere increased in extent during
the last three months.

Major-General William W. Averill, United
States Army, has been appointed Consul-General
to the British North American Provinces, to reside
at Montreal, vice J. B. Potter, resigned. Major-
General Morgan L. Smith, of Missouri, has been
appointed Consul at Honolulu, Sandwich Islands,
vice Caldwell, recalled; and Brigadier-General W.
L. Duff, of Illinois, who was Chief of Artillery on
General Grant's staff, has been appointed Consul
to Glasgow, vice Bailey, recalled.
NEW ORLEANS, Oct. I.—The Louisiana cotton
crop prospects continue to improve, except in the
alluvial regions, and in places heretofore free from
the army worm, which are invaded by it. The crop
of sugar cane will be large, but all who can will
keep the cane to save themselves, or sell for plant
cane. The crop of sugar will consequently be small.
The Louisiana rice crop will be larger than ever
heretofore known.

A motion was made in the Criminal Court of
Alabama, Oct. Ist, to admit to practice Jonathan
J. Wright, a coloured man of Pennsylvania, who
had been engaged in his profession at the bar of
the Freedmen's Courts in South Carolina. The
Court appointed three lawyers to examine into his
qualifications. This is the first application of a
coloured man to be admitted to the bar of our District
Courts.

We noticed laS't week the formation of a race-
course near New York city. We now give the
first day's running. New York, Oct. I.—The
races atJerome Park, to-day, were largely attended.
The nursery race, a dash of one -Mile. for- two—year
olds, to carry ninety pounds, was won by "Eclipse."
Time, 1.49. " Maid of Honour " came in second,
and " Cotton" third. The second race, two mile
heats, for all ages, was won by " Aricola." Time,
3 504. " Delaware " came in second, " Julius "
third, and " Knighthood" fourth. The third race,
one mile and a half dash, was won by " Richmond"
easily. 'rime, 2.511.
The Richmond Inquirer says that the undeveloped
wealth of the Great Kanawha region "is wonderful."
Its deposits of cannel coal, or splint coal and of
bituminous coal, surpasses all others now known for
quality as well as quantity. Its salt mines, its iron
ore, its fire clay, its timber, and withal its rich and
fertile soil, make this region particularly attractive
to capitalists. New river and Gauley river, Elk
river, and Coal river, are the chief tributaries of the
Great Kanawha ; and these five rivers drain the
greater portion of trans-Alleghany
By dates from the city of Mexico, Sept. 19, we
learn that the anniversary of Mexican independence
had been celebrated with great magnificence. The
Emperor Maximilian made a speech, in which he
declared that he was still firm in the position he
occupied by the people's votes, and that it was not
in adverse moments that a true Hapsburg aban-
doned his post. It is reported that Maximilian
will place himself at the head of the army. Active
measures will be taken against Tampico. The death
of General Diaz is denied.

An important undertaking the connection of
the large cities of South America by telegraph with
the United States—nears completion. The Dicta-
tor of Peru, Col. Prado, has made a contract for the
construction of a telegraph between the capital of
Peru and Ecuador, and he has at the same time
asked the President of the Pacific States of South
America to hasten the construction of a line from
Panama' to the southern coast of Chili. On the
Atlantic side of South America, the establi-shment