The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-10 00:00:00

ENGLANP
. AND AMERICA.

A ictti9: from Paris says :—" With respect to the
officif:i opinion of the Minister for Foreign Affairs
on the quarrel between the Washington Govern-
ment and England nothing can be more precise and
positive. The Minister thinks that the violence
committed by the captain of the San Jacinto is inde-
footiole ; that by regarding the Confederate Com-
missioners as "contraband of war," President
Lincoln and his Ministers give a flat contradiction
to themselves, for they always refused to admit that
they were at war. To seize them on board a neutral
vessel as contraband of war implies that, after all,
the Southern States are entitled to belligerent
rights, while, even supposing the Northern States
not to be at war, but merely repressing a rebellion,
they had no right to seize men who were at that
moment in the character of refugees under shelter
of the English flag. France, he argues, cannot
consistently view the matter in any other light than
this, because it is precisely the point she had con-
tended for during more than 60 years. France never
would admit the right of searching neutral vessels,
and she cannot now belie her own policy by approv-
ing the outrage committed on the Trent. I believe
the Emperor does not materially dissent from his
Minister. Not only does he not dissent, but not
very long along ago he had all but made up his
mind to take the initiative in recognising the inde-
pendence of the Southern States, for it must not be
forgotten that France also is suffering severely from
the war. This disposition of mind was disturbed
by Prince Napoleon, who, strange as it appears,
exercises now and then no small influence over his
cousin. Prince Napoleon returned from America
labouring under the notion that the struggle was
one of Abolition against Slavery, with strong
tendencies in favour of the North, and the speech
which he is now elaborately preparing for the
Senate will doubtless be in this sense. The Emperor
has yielded to the influence, and postponed, but I
do not think given up, acting on his own original
judgment."

The Earl of Derby has for some time past been
entertaining a distinguished circle of friends at Knowsley
Hall ; and to-day or to-morrow his Royal Highness the
Duke of Cambridge is expected on a visit to the noble earl,
if the avocations of the Commander-in-Chief will, at this
juncture, admit of his absence from London.

The rate of discount at Hamburg has experienced
a further decline to 3 per cent.

A Turin letter of the 6th has the following 1
" General Garibaldi left this city quietly this morning,
without having appeared in the Chamber. He returns to
Caprera. The object of his visit remains rather mysterious.
It is said that he came about projects relative to the Vene-
tians, but in such a matter, what is said must be accepted
with reserve, even when it comes from persons who are in
a position to be well-informed.
All the shanties erected for the accommodation of
the workmen at the Netley Hospital, on Southampton-
water, have been ordered to be removed, to make room for
the encampment of 400 troops. There are not above 300
men now at work at the hospital.
ST. THOMAS'S HOSPITAL AND THE CHARING-
cuoss RAILWAY.-Mr John Stewart, of Liverpool, the
umpire, duly nominated and appointed by the Board of
Trade, has by his award, dated the 7th of December inst.
set tied and determined that the compensation to be paid by
the Charing-cross Railway Company, as well for the pur-
chase in fee simple of the whole of St. Thomas's Hospital
and premises with the appurtenances as for the damage
sustained, or to be sustained, by the governors by reason of
the execution by the said company of the works authorised
by the Charing-cross Railway Act, 1859, and the exercise
by the said company of the powers of the said act and of
the acts incorporated therewith, shall be the sum of
£293,000. The claim, it will be remembered, was £750,000.

The survey of a parallel of north latitude run-
ning through Ireland, England, Belgium, Prussia, and
Russia is nearly completed, and the accuratQ length of a
base line stretching from the west coast of Ireland to the
Ural Mountains will very shortly be ascertained. This
will be the greatest feat in trigonometrical surveying ever
accomplished. In order to triangulate the country along
the parallel, stages 70 feet high have been erected on the
Continent by the Royal Engineers. The triang,,ulations for
the purpose of ascertaining the length of the base line will
be calculated at the Ordnance Survey Office in South-
ampton.

THE OUTWARD BRAZIL AND RIVER PLATE
MAILS.—SOUTHAMPTON, Dee. 9.—The Royal Mail Com-
pany's steamship Tyne, Captain Jellicoe, sailed henco to-
day at 3 p.m., with the monthly mails for Lisbon, Bahia,
Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro, River Plate, &c. The Tyne
took out 57 passengers, and on freight French jewellery,
£5,200; English jewellery, £1,762; and for Minister of
Finance at Rio, bar silver, £9,500; gold coin, £13,551.
The Tyne also took a full cargo of French and English
merchandise.

The Persia and Australasia are being rapidly
fitted for the conveyance of troops, stores, and ammunition,
and it is expected they will be ready to sail hence for Canada
about the 14th or 15th inst. Each of them is to carry out
a complement of 1,100 soldiers, 5,000 stand of arms, and
300 tons of stores. Besides these each is to take out a field
batters, and a large quantity of ammunition. In addition
to the two vessels named above, it is understood that nego-
tiations are on foot for securing one or two other first-class
steamers.

SHIPMENT OF CONTRABAND OF WAR.—On the
receipt in the city (says the Western Daily Press) of the
Queen's proclamation prohibiting the export of contraband
of war, a customs officer made a circuit of our quays and
found that a quantity of shot, lead, &c., had been shipped,
or was about to be shipped, on board various vessels bound
coastwise and foreign. The officer ordered the articles to
be returned on shore, which was accordingly done. In con-
sequence of these proceedings the Chamber of Commerce
communicated with the Government, complaining of the
stoppage of the goods, and on Saturday they received the
following telegraphic reply :—" From the Clerk of the
Council, Privy Council-office, to the Chamber of Commerce,
Bristol. The Commissioners of Customs have received
authority from the Lords of the Council to permit to be
carried coastwise and to the Channel Islands any of the
articles prohibited to be exported by her Majesty's pro-
clamation of the 4th December, upon taking the usual bond
from the owners or shippers."

WINTER ROAD FROM QUEBEC TO HALIFAX.—We
call the attention of the Provincial Government to the
necessity of immediate steps being taken to improve and
keep open the land route from Quebec to Halifax during the
coming winter. Not only will the impediments thrown in
the way of British subjects leaving ports of the United
States render some other route desirable, but there is a pros-
pect of hostilities cutting off that means of reaching Europe
altogether. A small outlay on the part of the Government
would be sufficient to make the old winter mail road an ex-
cellent route for travellers who do not desire to submit to
the insults and delays to which they are now subjected, but
possibly the only one available both for travellers and mail
matter. Such a means of communication with Halifax at
this time would also be the very strongest argument with
the Imperial authorities for their aid to the Intercolonial
Railway.—Montreal Advertiser.

FEDERAL STEAM PRIVATEER FOR THE EASTERN
OCEAN.—The Boston Daily Advertiser gives the following
account of a steamer fitted out at that port which is to
operate as a Federal privateer in the Eastern Ocean :—'the
propeller Pembroke, Capt. John A. Cunningham, proceeded
on a trial trip down the harbour and to the north-eastward
on Wednesday last, with her new boiler, which proved that
with steam enough she can go as fast as a vessel of her size
ought to go—say, ten miles an hour. She has been rigged
anew es a topsail schooner, or a hermaphrodite brig, and
when under all sail proved to be very stiff. She sails on
Monday for Java, where she will ship her propeller, and
proceed to Shanghai under steam and canvass. She is armed
with two Schenckel rifle guns, and carries a commission
under the late law as a letter of marque. It is understood
that, at the suggestion of her owners, several similar com-
missions have been forwarded by the Government to our
Minister in China, and that measures will be taken by the
next Congress to enable Mr. Burlinghame to adjudicate on
pirates or recaptured vessels in the ports of China. This
is probably the first American steamer destined for China
going out under such a commission.

SHOCKING SUICIDE IN ST. PANCRAS.—At about
ono o'clock yesterday a woman named Mary Gibbs, who
resided with her husband at No. 132, Drummond-street, St.
Pancras, committed suicide by hanging herself to the bed-
post. It appears that hor husband, Benjamin Gibbs, had
taken possession of the house only a week ago, iutending to
commence business as a wardrobe dealer, and on leaving the
house at 10 o'clock yesterday morning his wife had expressed
her hopelessness of the proposed business succeeding, but
gayer.° indication of her fatal determination. On his return
borne at about half-past one o'clock he was horrified at find-
ing she had destroyed herself in the manner described. The
deceased was between 4C and 50 years of age, and has ]eft no

family.
PAUPERISM—The returns made to the Poor Law
Board show that the increase of pauperism goes on, though
to a much less extent than might have been expected. At
the close of September it was 5'56 per cent. over the corre-
sponding period of 1860. At the close of October it had
reached 5.93 per cent. The chief change in October was in
the north-western district— Lancashire and Cheshire, which
are remarkable in ordinary times for the small number of
their paupers. At the end of September last they were 5'53
per cent, more than at the same date in 1860, but at the
end of October they had increased so greatly as to be 10'38
per cent. more than. at the end of October, 1860 ; but still
these two counties, with, as compared, for instance, with
the south-wcstern or the south-eastern district of England,
a population of three to every two persons in either of those
districts, have much fewer paupers than they,