The Sun.
London, England, 1859-09-12 00:00:00

deneva .

•• •. 520 - • •

Southern
Western 575 .. 572 50
Eastern

Sardinian 412 50 410
Austrian

Lombard .

... 553 75 ..

Exchange on London, at sight, paper, 25f. 121 c. ; money,
2M 10c. ; three months, paper, 24f. 971 c.; money, 24f. 95c.

AMERICA.

LIVERPOOL, SEPT. 11.

The Royal Mail Steamship Asia, Captain Lott,
has arrived with advices from New York to the
34st ult and 102,450 dols. in specie.
The Etna, City of Washington, and Ariel had
arrived out.

The Bavaria, from Southampton, and the Jason,
from Galway, passed Cape Race_on the 30th of
August.
Colonel T. B. Shaffner had sailed from Boston in
the barque Wyman, on a voyage of exploration to
the North Atlantic, in search of a feasible route for
a line of telegraphic communication between this
country and Europe, by way of Greenland, Iceland,
the Faroe Islands and Scotland ; his object being
to examine the seas, the bays, and the lands con-
templated to be traversed.
The papers contain notices of the brilliant ap-
pearance of the aurora borealis.
Disturbances had again broken out in Kansas.
A false report had been current in New York of
the foundering of the United States' frigate Con-
gress, with all hands.
Damage to the extent of between 100,000 dols-
and 200,000 dols. had been occasioned at New Bed-
ford by fire ; two vessels were destroyed.
The Ohio Slate Journal mentions the manumit-
ting of 21 slaves, men and women, the property of
the late Mr. Pleasant Burnet, of Mecklenburg,
county Virginia. Only those of his slaves who had
served faithfully, and who were capable of taking
care of themselves, were manumitted. Some good
land and tools were provided for them.
Mr. Fortune, in a letter to the Washington Con-
stitution, says his success in cultivating the tea plant
in America far exceeds his most sanguine expecta-
tions. He also states that the tea plantations in
Upper India are succeeding admirably.
Vice• President Breckenridge had deprecated the
use of his name as a candidate for the Presidency.

A negro had made a povel attempt at escape from
Sing Sing prison. Being unable to swim he ob•
taine-d a board in which he cut an aperture for his
head. Over this hole he placed wires in the form
of a hat. He availed himself of an opportunity to
leave the prison and after covering the wires with
some loose straw he started along the shore in just
sufficient depth of water for him to feel the bottom.
Unfortunately for him, some boys who were sitting
on the bank took a fancy to bring the straw ashore,
and the negro, on hearing their intention, aban-
doned hope and made for land, where he was im-
mediately arrested. He afterwards escaped again
and had not been found.
A destructive fire had occurred in Victoria and
Gould streets, Toronto.
Advices from Venezuela to the 10th ult. state
that General Castro, having been detected in an
attempt to overthrow the organic law, had been
'thrown into prison. The Federalists who marched
to his release were defeated by the Constitutionalists,
and fell back upon La Guayra, where they were
unsuccessfully attacked. The Federal expedition
against Puerto Cabello had been arrested by these
proceedings.
Advices from Havannah to the 24th ult. report
that sterling exchange was 141 to 15/ premium.
The transa-tions in sugar had not been important.
The stock was 235,000 boxes, against 130,000 in
1858, 200,000 in 1857, 215,000 in 1850, and 105,000
in 1855. Stock of molasses light; clayed, 3 rials;
Muscovadocs, 4 rials, nominal.
American advices from Nicaragua assert that the
United Mates treaty with that Republic had been
ratified, that the French treaty will have to be
essentially amended before it is accepted, and that
Sir W. G. Ouseley's will be totally rejected. The
Republic, it is also stated, decline to give any Power
special privileges over the Nicaragua route.

In the New York money market there was an
abundant supply at the rates ruling during tbe
previous fortnight, the standard rates to brokers

being 51,- to 6 per cent., with an increase of busi-
ness. In foreign exchanges there was a large
business, but a declining tendency. Bankers' bills
on London, 60 days, 110 was the outside price, and
there were for this description considerable sales at
109 i ; Paris, sf. 171 c.; Hamburg, 37c. to 37-Ic. per
mare banco.

Cotton was quiet, leaving off with a tendency to
slightly lower prices.

At New Orleans, on the 30th, middling uplands
were quoted 121 e.

SPAIN AND MOROCCO.

The Gibraltar Chronicle of the 29th ult. has the
following intelligence from Ceuta :

" At half-past 5 p.m. nn the 27th the Moors again showed
themselves on the heights of what is called Old Ceuta, and
made themselves strong behind the walls ; but a steamer
and a launch were sent in that direction, and opened a fire,
the garrison at the same time firing some shells, which
killed 14 Moors, and compelled them to disperse. On the
28th, at the same hour, they again made their appearance,
and the same events took place as on the preceding day.
Troops were expected to-day at Ceuta, which, according to
intelligence received, must have embarked at Alicante."

The Chronicle of the Ist publishes the subjoined
extract of a private letter from Tangier, dated the
29th ul t.:—
" The affairs of Ceuta have created an inexplicable sen-
sation at this place. The people of the surounding coun-
try are determined to shed their blood rather than allow
the Spaniards to extend their fortifications. The populace
of Tetuan, whose fanaticism and hostility towards Chris-

tians as well as Jews are so well known, provide themselves
with arms and fly to the assistance of their brethren in
what the Holy War.' The authorities of Tangier and
Tetuan gave orders to the keepers of bazaars prohibiting
the sale of powder and ball to the mountaineers who
come daily to make purchases; but long before this
order was issued, the stock on hand of these articles
had already been disposed of to advantage. Guard s
have also been placed at the gates for the purpose of
searching the mountaineers and preventing them from
carrying any kind of arms. With respect to the encounters
that have taken place before Ceuta nothing positive is
known, and consequently I don't communicate the many
rumours current on the subject. M. Blanco, the Spanish
Charge d'Affaires, who has been at Tetuan for 10 or 12 days,
has had several interviews with the Minister, Sidi Mohamed
El Katib, and it is believed that they have not come to
terms. Whenever M. Blanco had occasion to go out
during his stay at Tetuan he was escorted by a party of
soldiers, as the Moors had sworn, by the powers of the
Prophet,' to stone him to death. This state of things, it is
augured, will not end well, particularly on account of the
state of panic and perplexity in which the empire is row
placed by the illness of the Emperor; but no one is more
embarrassed than his Excellency Sidi Mohamed El Katib,
owing to the compromises and troubles arising out of those
questions."
- -

A Tangier correspondent, writing on the Ist inst.,

says:--
" I have read in the Chi onicle of the 29th ult. that, in
the engagements which took place before Ceuta, the Moors
were repulsed by the Spaniards, losing a considerabiy larger
number between killed and wounded than the latter. Here
the very reverse is stated, as the Spaniards are represented
to have been compelled to retire. This version seems the
more probable on account of the inferiority of their num-
bers. The arrival of the Spanish squadron, of which men-
tion is also made in the Chronicle, is expected hero with
impatience ; and it is believed that it will obtain as much
satisfaction as the squadron of seven steamers which
in February last came to this port, when the whole
terminated in soft words from the Minister. •In" order
to bring the Moorish Government to their senses
it will be necessary to use no other means but the logic of
the guns. The presence of such a squadron, instead of in-
timidating the Moroqueens, would only serve to renew the
mockery which these people made of the Spaniards last
February, when it was quite a farce to hear them talk and
express the most absurd and erroneous notions respecting
the Spanish nation ; and, never observing before in their
waters a Spanish man-of-war, they run away with the idea
that the seven war-steamers which presented themselves at
that date were nothing more than hired foreign merchant
vessels, engaged for a few days to carry the Spanish flag in
order to frighten them. They cannot believe that Spain
possesses a single war vessel, and consider it as the least
nation of the globe."

A letter from Tangier of the 4th says :

"The Spanish war steamer Vigilante reached T etuan
from Algeciras on the 30th ult., with despatches for the
Minister of Foreign Affairs, which were delivered imme-
diately by the Vice-Consul. These despatches probably
contain some new demand from her Catholic Majesty's
Government. It cannot be the ultimatum, as the con-
sulate here continues its duty without variation. A rumour
(which I consider unfounded) has been current here for
some days past, to the effect that Sidi Mohamed El Katib,
accompanied by the Kaid, was using his utmost endea-
vours to appease the Kabyles in the vicinity of Ceuta,
reminding them that they were committing a great
sin in opposing the will of the Emperor; for, accord-
ing to the precepts of the Mohammedan religion
the Sultan is entiled to a blind obedience on their part, as
he is considered to be inspired by the divine spirit, and acts
under the express commands of the Almighty ; but, in spite
of this, it seats that the other precept, which says ' that he
who slays an infidel in the war will gain paradise, has rather
more influence over them."

Intelligence from Algeciras (published in the
Gibraltar Chronicle of the sth) states that two bat-
talions of light infantry had arrived there in the
short space of three days, by rail and steam, via
Alicante, and were, for thA present, billeted upon
the inhabitants. Other troops were shortly ex-
pected, which, when they arrived, would be en-
camped between Algeciras and San Roque.
The master of a boat which arrived at Gibraltar
on the morning of the sth from Ceuta reported that
there had been no firing between the garrison and
the Moors on the 2d and 3d. A body of about 1,200
men sallied out on the afternoon of Saturday to
make a reconnaisance, and went as far the place
called " La Mezquita" (the Mosque), without meet-
ing with any Moors. The troops destroyed all the
parapets or obstructions in their way, and then
returned to the fortress without firing a shot. On
Sunday afternoon the Moors made their appearance
again in front of Ceuta and began to annoy the
garrison, which fired several rounds of grape and
solid shot at them.

THE BALLOT 1N AMERICA.

New York Hotel, Leicester-square, Sept. 1.

Sir,—l have observed in the English journals
recently much discussion on the subject of the bal-
lot, and frequent allusion to the manner of its uses
in America. I think, from what I have read on
the subject, that an opinion prevails here which
has no foundation in fact, namely, that voting is
always done in the United States by " open
ballot." This is an error into which your writers
have been led, perhaps, by the letter of Mr. Dana,
of Boston, which relates, as it professes, only to the
small state of Massachusetts.

To arrive at such a conclusion, however, they
must have forgotten the fact that in America each
state fixes for itself the status of its voters and the
manner of voting ; and the further fact that very
few states have laws similar to Massachusetts to
regulate the ballot.
In the state of Ohio, where I reside, the ballot is
not open as in Massachusetts. The voter appears
at the poll with his ballot written or printed,
usually printed, and hands it folded to one of the
trustees (or judges) of the election, who announces
the voter's name, which is registered by the clerk,
and the trustee to whom the ballot was given im-
mediately deposits the same in the ballot-box ; no
one but the voter himself knowing for whom the
ballot was given.
The use of different coloured ballots, and of com-
mittees "dogging" the voter to intimidate him, or
influence his vote, referred to by Mr. Dana, a
practised in Massachusetts, is seldom resorted to,
except in our large cities, in seasons of high poli
tical excitement, and then, even, it has had but
little influence on the voter.

I do not presume to write you this to argue the
advantages of the secret ballot, nor to relate the
perfection of the system in operation when it has
been adopted, but to you, as its champion in this.
country, I wish to correct a false impression which
seems to prevail, that the secret ballot has been
tried, and been abandoned as a failure in America.
Not so ; it has, on the contrary, been found to work
admirably, and I do not know of a single State,
save Massachusetts (which always had her eccentri-
cities), where the system has been tried and not
permanently adopted.
On My return to the States, which will be soon,
I intend to look more closely into the history of the
ballot in the different States, and will give the re-
sults to the world.

I write you this private note, as a stranger who
has a strong sympathy for the cause you have
espoused, hoping you may be able soon to effect
what you have undertaken, thereby purifying your
ballot, and rendering the liberty of the men of
England secure.—l am, &c., _ _

0. L. CLARKE.
To Hon. F. Henry F. Berkeley,
Victoria-square.

THE ROYAL MAIL STEAMSHIP PERSIA.—LIVER-
POOL, Sept. 10.—Messrs. D. and C. M'lver have received
the following letter from the Persia by a vessel which ar-
rived here to-day :—" Wednesday, Sept. 7, lat. 5-32, long.
14 west.—Our port engine broke down in a gale on Mon•
day night, at 10 o'clock, the crank pin breaking short off.
The whole of that night there was a tremendous sea, and at
3 o'clock yesterday, after vainly attempting to substitute a
new pin, we bore up, intending to iltake Queenstown. We
are now (9 a.m.)
Clear, alongside the ship Ben Nevis (whose captain is very
hove to about 300 miles west off Car e
ill), and as the weather is moderating we are again trying
to repair the damages, and may be able to proceed on om
voyage. Between Monday night and Tuesday morning tie
weather was very bad, but, excepting the crank pin, every-
thing else is all right, ship safe and passenge: s w(1."
From the report of the captain of the Ben Nevis, which
brought the above, Messrs. D. and C. M'lver are of opinion
that the Persia has proceeded on her voyage. She had two
spare crank pins on board.
FINANCIAL REFORM DEMONS'tRATION AT LIVET,-
pooL.—At a conference recently held between the member,
of the Liverpool Financial Reform Association and Mr.
Cobden and Mr. Bailey, M.P., it was arranged to hold
grand demonstration
se of discussingstpruartipooninLh thesubject of direr:
taxation. before the close ofirthe(
year, for the 1.
taxation. Mr. Cobden promised to attend and take part in
the proceedings.