The Sun.
London, England, 1866-01-01 00:00:00

AMERICA.

ARRIVAL OF THE ASIA.
NEW YORK, DEC. 19 (Evening).
The House of Representatives has adopted a re-
solution endorsing the Secretary of the Treasury's
views regarding the contraction of the currency.
The Judiciary. Committee have resolved to report
upon Mr. Farnsworth's resolution providing for the
constitutional amendment and repudiating the rebel
debt.
Mr. Thadeus Stevens has made a speech in the
House on reconstruction, in which he advocated
territorial government for the Southern States
until the constitution could be so amended as
to secure perpetual ascendancy to the Union
party, and recommended that the basis of con-
gressional membership be changed to the actual
votes. He further desired that an export duty of
10c. per pound should be imposed upon cotton, and
that the rebel debt should be repudiated before the
South is readmitted.
M. Montholon, the French ambassador, is sojourn-
ing in New York. It is rumoured that the resolu-
tions on Mexican affairs introduced in Congress are
so offensive to him that he will not return to Wash-
ington until after receiving instructions from the
Emperor N apoleon.
The Fenian President, Roberts, has counter-

manded O'Mahoney's order convoking the Fenian
Congress for January.
President Johnson has sent a message to the
Senate, accompanied by reports from. General
Grant and Carl Schurz upon the condition of the
Southern States. Mr. Johnson declares that the
rebellion is suppressed, and that the people are
yielding obedience to the laws of the Federal Go-
vernment with more willingness and greater prompti-
tude than under the circumstances could reasonably
have been anticipated. Mr. Johnson continues :
"The prospect of affairs is more promising than
could well have been expected. Sectional animosity
is surely and rapidly merging into a better spirit.
National representation, connected. with a proper
system of taxation, will result in the harmonious
restoration of the relations of the States to the
Union."
Gen. Grant reports that he is satisfied that think-
ing men in the South accept the present situation in
good faith, and regard slavery and secession as for
ever settled by the arbitrament of arms. He re-
commends the presence of small garrisons, mostly
of white troops, in the interior of the South,
where there are many freedmen. No force is
necessary elsewhere except on the sea coast and in
the forts. The South desires to return to self-
government within the Union as soon as pos-
sible, but while reconstructing requires Govern-
ment protection. The freedman's mind is not
yet disabused of the idea that he has the right
to live without care or provision for the
future, the effect of which is idleness and
accumulation in camps and cities. Freedmen
require for a few years, not only laws for their
protection, but the fostering care of those on whom
they can rely for counsel. He therefore recommends
the continuation of the Freedmen's Bureau4in a
modified form, that is to say, by partially incorpo-
rating it with the military department.
The report of Carl Schurz was delayed too long
to be read in the Senate.
Senator Sumner denounced President Johnson's
message as resembling the whitewashing message of
Franklin Pierce with regard to the Kansas atroci-
ties. Mr. Sumner was hereupon rebuked by several
senators.
The House of Representatives has passed an
amendment prohibiting the payment of the rebel
debt.
California has ratified the constitutional amend-
ment.
The Government has arrested Captain Semmes.
Yesterday in the Senate Mr. Sumner reiterated
his remarks that President Johnson's message was
an attempt to whitewash the South, and read ex-
tracts from letters and papers showing the
Southerners to be strongly disloyal and constantly
perpetrating outrages against freedmen.
The Provisional Governors of Alabama and
Georgia have been removed, and the governors elect
have assumed office.
Mr. Seward has officially announced that three-
fourths of the States having ratified the constitu-
tional amendment abolishing slavery ; it is now valid
as part of the Federal Constitution.
A resolution has been introduced in the House,
and referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs,
declaring that the United States ought never to
recognise any Government imposed upon any nation
on the American continent by European arms.
The House has adopted a resolution asking the
President for information concerning the steps taken
by Maximilian, or any European Power, to obtain
from the Federal Government the recognition of
the Mexican empire, and also asking, what corre-
spondence or what action of the Federal Govern-
ment has taken place.
In response to a request of the House for
information concerning Maxmilian's decree es-
tablishing peonage, Mr. Seward has furnished
the opinion of Attorney-General Speed and the
accompanying correspondence, which are now in
the hands of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Mr. Speed's opinion, which declared that the result
of decree was to re-establish slavery, vas forwarded
with other relevant matter to the American Minister
in Paris, who called the attention of M Drouyn de
I'Huys to the subject. The French government
has not yet replied.
A New York evening paper publishes a rumour
that M. Montholon, previous to Mr. Johnson issu-
ing his Message, had assured Mr. Seward that the
French troops would withdraw from Mexico in a
short time. Mr. Johnson's Message was in conse-
quence modified on the Mexican question. This
rumour is partially credited in well-informed French
circles.
According to the New York Herald's Washington
correspondence, the Mexican Estafette states that
1,000 Zouaves en route to reinforce General Bazaire
had been landed at Martinique, where they revolted,
with cries of " Death to the Emperor ! Vive la
Republique !" The garrison endeavoured to restore
order, but many were killed on both sides. Four
hundred of the Zouaves on their arrival at the city
of Mexico were disarmed, and ordered to be court-
martialled. [The basis of this is, no doubt, the riot
and fight which took place at Martinique between
the Zouaves, who wanted more shore liberty, and
the marines who were sent to bring them to bar-
racks. A full report of this affair has already been
given.]
Mr. George Brown has resigned his seat in the
Canadian Cabinet.
The Etna has arrived out.
COMMERCIAL.
NEW YORK, Dec. 21 (Evening.)
Money abundant. Gold, 146. Exchange on
London, 160; on Paris, 3.534. Stocks very firm.
New York Centrals, 951 ; Illinois, 133 ; Erie, 968 ;
Five-Twenty Bonds, 1028. Cotton very firm.
Middling Upland, 51.52. Flour, wheat, and corn
slightly firmer. Provisions advancing. Coffee
steady. Sugar heavy. Molasses steady. Petro-
leum dull ; crude, 40i ; refilled, 658.

MEXICO.

NEW YORK, Dec. 19.

Advices received here from Vera Cruz to the
Gth inst. state that 600 French troops arrived there
on the 2d, and were immediately despatched to the
field.

Maximilian has extended for 15 days from Nov.
29 the time in which Republicans laying down their
arms will be amnestied ; and has also ordered a
draft for the army throughout Mexico.
The Empress reached Merida, in Yucatan, on the
23d ult., and was enthusiastically received.

The friends of Ortega have issued a manifesto
denying Juarez the constitutional right to re-elect
himself President, and declaring Ortega to be the
rightful President. _

Despatches from New Orleans assert that the
French officers at Matamoras generally anticipated
war with the United States. _

The Royal Mail steamship Asia, from Boston and
Halifax, arrived at Queenstown at 1.30 p.m. to-day
(Sunday) with $15,208 in specie and 48 passengers.
She landed 93 sacks of mails and six passengers, and
proceeded immediately for Liverpool. All well.