The Sun.
London, England, 1859-01-06 00:00:00

_, URSyjh Y EVENING, JANUARY 6, 1859.
THE SUN, LONDON,

at this very time that the United States is flutter-
ing the filibustering standard in the face of the
world through the recent message of a Cuba-
coveting and slavery-upholding President.

COURT CIRCULAR.

WINDSOR, JAN. 5.

Her Majesty's dinner party yesterday comprised the
Prince of Wales and Princess Alice, the Duke and Duchess
of Wellington, the Earl of Sandwich, Viscount and Vis-
countess Palmerston, Viscount and Viscountess Hardinge,
the Dean of Windsor and the Hon. Mrs. Wellesley, Col. the

Hon. R. Bruce, and Capt. Grey.
The Queen and Prince Consort walked in the Home Park
this morning.
The Prince of Wales, attended by Col. the Hon. R. Bruce
and Capt. Grey, went to Claremont, to visit the Countess
de Neuilly.
The following visitors left the Castle to-day :—The Duke
and Duchess of Wellington, the Earl of Sandwich, Viscount
and Viscountess Palmerston, and Viscount and Viscountess

Mucilage.
The Prince of Wales will leave Windsor Castle upon
Monday next, and proceed to the Continent, where it is pro-
bable that his Royal Highness will make a tour of several
months' duration. His Royal Highness will, in the first
place, proceed by Munich and the Brenner Pass to Italy, and
go direct to Rome, where it is understood he will reside for
some time, to enable him to study the antiquities and objects
of classical and artistic interest. In order to avoid calls on
his time, calculated to interfere with the object of his Royal
Highness's journey, he will travel incognito. The Prince
will probably afterwards pay a visit to the principal towns
of the north of Italy, returning to England by Switzerland
and Germany.
The young Prince will be accompanied by his Royal
Highness's governor, Col. the Hon. Robert Bruce, Captain
Grey, Equerry in Waiting, the Rev. C. Tarver (who will
act as chaplain and as superintendent of the Prince's
studies), and Dr. T. Chambers, the medical attendant upon
his Royal Highness during the tour.
Her Majesty will hold a Privy Council at Windsor Castle
on Tuesday next.

Despatches were sent from the Colonial-office yesterday to
the governors of the Cape of Good Hope, Natal, St. Helena,
Ceylon, Hong Kong, the Mauritius, Gibraltar, and Malta.

The Earl and Countess of Clarendon have been
entertaining the following company at the Grove, near
Watford, during the past week : —His Excellency the
Prussian Minister and the Countess de Bernstorff, the
Count and Countess de Persigny, the Earl Cowper, Mr. Au-

gustus Lumley, Mr. Graham Vivian, Mr. Bathurst, &c.
The Earl and Countess of Camperdown have
arrived at their residence in Wilton-terrace from Scotland.
The Countess Hessenbourg and Mdlle. Hessen-
bourg have arrived at the Brunswick Hotel, Jermyn-street.
Viscount and Viscountess Newport arrived at
their residence in Wilton-crescent yesterday from Weston
Hall, Staffordshire.
Lord and Lady Wodehouse have arrived in
Bryanston-square from visiting the Earl and Countess of
Clarendon at the Grove, near Watford.
Lady Arthur Hay has left town on a visit to the
Earl and Countess Howe at Gopsall Hall, Leicestershire.
The Right Hon. W. and Mrs. Cowper arrived in
town yesterday from visiting the Earl and Countess of
Shaftesbury, at St. Giles' House, Dorset.
Mr. Henry Brand, M.P., and Mrs. Brand are
expected in town in a few days from Glynde-place, near
Lewes.

-- ---
A Paris letter in the Nord of Brussels, says that
the body of the Emperor Napoleon I. is to be in a short
time removed to the church of St. Denis, but that the
heart is to remain at the Invalides.
We read in the Phare de la Loire :—" Several
seditious bills have been found posted up in different quar-
ters of this town (Nantes). They were immediately re-
moved by the police. They were all in the same hand-
writing, but couched in different terms. An investigation
as to the author has been set on foot."

(IF A cjirUltall-RATE" AT -
LATEsT E c,

wnolwich

-ing of the poll at
'1 its close at five o'clock, the
-..esented an excited ap-
gssembled, and the
proceedings.
`. officiated
- of the

your to maintain intact, pure, and immaculate, Spanish
honour, and after the satisfactory issue of any difference
we will not seek any sort of advantage. Such is the
policy we have followed with regard to Mexico ; such
is the policy we shall follow in all the questions
that may arise, and we are fully assured, gentle-
men, that the day on Which it may be necessary
to make an appeal to the public sentiment, and on
which the national honour may be compromised, there
will not be any differences of opinion. All minds will
unite and all hearts will join in one effort to protect the
national honour and the integrity of the Spanish monarchy.
(Applause.) These Feelings of justice, moderation, and
dignity are calculated to give new strength tp the Queen's
Government in directing the destinies of the country, and
will increase tk.e confidence inspired by its devotion to the
welfare and tionour of our country, which country is worthy
of all our sacrifices and of the happiest future. (Applause.)
M. OLOZAGA, in his own, name and in that of several
other eminent members representing the different political
parties, then proposed this resolution :—" The Congress
detlares that it has received with satisfaction the delaration
of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and that it is disposed to
give to the Government its constant support in order to
maintain the integrity of the Spanish dominions."

The resolution was unanimously adopted, and
ordered to be inscribed in the archives. The
Espana, though a violent adversary of the Cabinet,
expresses warm approbation of the patriotic decla-
ration of the Minister, and states that in a question
which, like that of Cuba affects the national honour,
Spaniards, whatever their differences on other
points, will always be united. The other journals
employ similar language.

AUSTRALIA.

(From the Times' Correspondent.)
MELBOURNE, Nov. 15, 1858.
The September mail has not yet arrived, and the
Emeu will probably leave to-morrow morning,
without any intelligence of its whereabouts.
Electric communication was opened with Syd-
ney on the 2d inst., and the lines between Mel-
bourne, Sydney, and Adelaide reciprocally are in
full operation. The three Governors exchanged
complimentary messages. The lines are used freely
by the Governments and trades, and the newspapers
contain every morning the distant news of the pre-
vious evening. Though the first expectations of a
great goldfield at Port Curtis have been completely
disappointed, it is by no means improbable that
enough may be disclosed to cause the country to be
settled, especially as it is a fine country, well suited
for stock and the culture of tropical productions.
If so, the New South Wales telegraphic lines will
soon be extended to Roehampton—another step
towards India, and thence to Europe.
How different is the actual condition of this great
insular continent from the conception entertained
of it 30 years since ! Every new exploration dis-
closes new and hitherto unanticipated features,
which show a large portion of the country to be fit
for settlement. From a recent report of Mr. Gre-
gory, in command of an expedition from South
Australia, it seems probable that a low-lying belt
of sandy desert extends from the great Australian
bight, west of Spencer's Gulf, towards the Gulf
of Carpentaria, uniting into one great insular
continent what was- once two islands, the more
fertile portion lying to the eastward of this sandy
belt. A patriotic inhabitant of this colony, who
conceals his name, offers £l,OOO towards further
explorations, and a subscription is now in course
of collection for the purpose. It will, no doubt,
be supplemented by the Assembly, and it
is now thought quite practicable to traverse the
continent from our boundary, the Murray, to the
northern coasts. For this and other purposes this
Government is about to introduce camels as an ex-
periment. Those who are acquainted with the
habits of the camel affirm that they will thrive and
breed freely in this climate.
The gold has certainly peopled these colonies in
a very extraordinary manner, but it has reached its
maximum effect, or nearly so; and we must hence-
forward look to other productions, such as the vine,
the olive, the mulberry, cotton, tobacco, and rice, to
promote the further progress of these colonies.
Exploration is a necessary step to development, and
it is the conviction of this truth which has stimu-
lated so much enterprise in this way.
We also want facts to account for some of the
phenomena connected with our climate. The north
wind in the winter is the coldest wind we have ;
in summer the wind from the same quarter is like
the hot blast from a furnace, sometimes marking
117 deg. in the shade. What is the condition of
the interior which causes this anomaly? That the
north wind should be less hot in winter than in
summer might be inferred a priori, but why, coming
from the tropic, should it be colder than the south
wind, coming from the frozen ocean ? This is the
problem to be roared, and it cannot be solved with.
out greatly adding to our stock of knowledge.
We have been just threatened with a Ministerial
crisis on a question scarcely worthy of so momen-
tous a political convulsion. A Captain M'Mahon,
formerly an officer in a cavalry regiment in Canada,
and for about five years Chief Commissioner of
Police here, was charged in the Assembly in the
early part of this year with irregular practices,
which, as the report exonerated him, I shall not
further allude to. This was before the present
Government came into office, and when the motion
for a committee was made two members of the
present Government spoke rather in his favour.
By the change of Ministry in March the mover
and chairman of this select committee crossed
the House as a supporter of the new Go-
vernment, but the inquiry went on without
any aid from' the Government. There were
rumours afloat that Capt. M‘Mahon was somewhat
damaged by the evidence, but the report of the com-
mittee was, to the effect that " they had not disco-
vered the slightest evidence to substantiate the
charges." This was brought up on the Ist day of the
session, June 4th, but the evidence was not delivered
to members until July 21st. It is a pity that the
matter was not allowed to rest there. It is not alleged
that the Government showed any want of confi-
dence in M`Mahon, and he should have been con-
tent with this acquittal, for such it really was. On
June Bth, however, Capt. -M`Mahon wrote a semi-
private letter to the Chief Secretary, alluding to
the investigation before the select committee, and,
"in order to give the Government an opportunity
of expressing their opinion of his qualifications,
placed his office at their disposal. The answer of
the Chief Secretary was, that the Government had
not had an opportunity of forming an opinion, as the
evidence was not printed. All this time there had
been going on a dispute between Capt. M'Mahon
and one of his officers, on a question of removal to
the metropolitan district on account of ill-health,
impaired by 14 years' service. This man's claim to
indulgence had been recognised by three succeeding
Ministries, if not four. He thought Capt. M`Mahon
thwarted his claim. Capt. M`Mahon thought him
insubordinate, and at length moved him to a new
goldfield, with a hut, 12 by 8, without door, win-
dow, or floor.
At length the papers connected with this man's
application were submitted to the Chief Secretary
for his decision, the police being under that Minis-
ter. The decision was that Mr. Dana should have
his leave. A few days afterwards Capt. IVPlVialion
resigned, making the decision 6, ground for assum-
ing " that he had lost the confidence and sympathy
of the Government." The resignation was accepted;
to have done otherwise would have rendered the
Chief Commissioner the master of his master. All
this occurred before the Legislature met.
At length Capt. Anderson gave notice of a mo-
tion of censure on the Chief Secretary, on the ground
that his conduct was unjust to Captain M`Mahon,
and detrimental to the discipline of the police. I
do not think he had, at first, any politiealompth
object in
view. He said he was actuated only by sympathy
for a brother officer, and as he is really a -high-
minded gentleman, no one doubted what he said.
But his motion was eagerly seized on by tho Opp-
osition, every effort was made to secure votes, it was
rumoured that the late Chief Commissioner would
be restored in a fortnight, and the successors of the
Ministry were even named The motion was made
on Wednesday last, the 10th inst., was debated for
nine hours, and was met by an amendment. The
result was a majority for Ministers of 24 to 19. All
the 24 were the habitual supporters of the Ministry,
but among the 19 were three who had before sup-
ported Ministers ; two " ultra democrats" voting
with those whom they prohihly designate old foggy
Tories. In other cases of late the Ministerial majo-
rities have been five or six, in houses of 33 or 44.
On Friday the bill to increase the number of
members was read a third time and passed. The
number of members has been reduced in committee
t 0.78, the present house having 60. The goldfields
will return 27 members, the metropolitan districts
17, the agricultural districts and towns 23, and the
squatting districts and towns 11,
be voted by the end
swuepepkli,easn itllheprreo
bsetnlYs no reason for pro-
torfaTtchhtiiens g the session beyond the 20th Dec.
The vote of Wednesday, which was not merely
negativing h motion of no confidence, but was con-
verted into a vote of confidence, will probably stop
further obstruction of the business of the session.
There is rather 4 singular feature in the mode in
which the Opposition has been conducted. The late
Ministers, who sit on the front bench, have scarcely
originated any motion directed against the Govern-