The Sun.
London, England, 1861-01-17 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, JANUARY 17, 1861

Brooklyn, now at Norfolk, to put her in readiness to
be prepared to leave at a moment's warning. Now
that all the Mischief is done, and the United States
Commander of the Forces at Charleston has bee❑
obliged to give up fort Moultrie to the rebels, and
to betake himself to the almost impregnable fort
Sumter, a frigate is ordered, not thither, but to be
ready ! Even his firmness is, after, all that of a
BUCHANAN not of a JACKSON.
His decision will, however, in all probability
necessarily increase. His Cabinet seems to have
been pretty nearly equally divided on the question
whether the excellent strategic move of Major
ANDERSON should be disowned or not. The PRE-
SIDENT, in this important case, however, determined
to stand by his clever officer. The Charleston
Commissioners raved indignantly, for Fort Sumpter,
as we have mentioned, commands Charleston itself,
the other forts, and the harbour, besides being very
strong, and they called the proceeding bad faith.
BUCHANAN, however, was firm, and the Secretary at
War, Mr. FLOYD, who wanted to send the counter-
manding order, resigned. Mr. BUCHANAN at once
accepted the resignation. Yet it is but a few days
since General CASS resigned because the PRESI-
DENT refused to take necessary steps to strengthen
the Federal forces in Carolina. The majority of
the Cabinet are now, we presume, for a bold

policy.
The North meantime is demanding such a policy.
Even the party of Mr. BUCHANAN at New York,
the Democrats, have spontaneously proposed to
tender the general Government a militia force of
10,000 men, "to put down insurrection in one por-
tion of the country." Massachusetts and New
Hampshire have spoken to the same effect before.
And, most important of all, the army officers, with
the veteran SCOTT at their head, are decided' for
preserving the Union. An interesting letter has
indeed been published, written to General CASS by
General WOOL, who commands the eastern depart-
ment of the army, includitl South Carolina,
Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi. The
latter urges in strong terms the reinforcement of
the army, so as to quell all thought of secession.
The PRESIDENT has, he says, only to exert the
power conferred on him by Congress and all will
be safe, and a civil war prevented. From a sepa-
ration he predicts torrents of blood, followed
by pestilence, famine, and desolation. This
letter was dated the 6th of December, and no
doubt had great weight with General CASS. And,
in truth, it does not seem unlikely that had Mr.
BUCHANAN then acted on the advice of the two
Generals, instead of encouraging secession by his
message, the Carolinians would, as in Gen. JACK-
SON'S time, have thought twice before they acted.

The Southern States seem indeed to have wished,
if they could, to go to the extreme of putting them-
selves in the wrong. Instead of waiting for acts
on the part of the North, they hive really, nothing
to allege in their declaration of causes of secession,
but the opinions of the North, and 'its acting
on those opinions in its Presidential vote. Their
own staunch friends cannot acknowledge their
reasons. They might so easily have waited till
something was done officially by Mr. LINCOLN
of which they could complain. They might have
let federal property andthe federal revenues alone,
and have entered, first into fair and peaceable dis-
cussion with the other States on the conditions
of continued union. The course they have taken,
as the North asserts, shows a foregone conclusion.
They have been long wishing for a Southern Con-
federation, and the election of Mr. LINCOLN is but
the mere pretext for the separation; and it cannot
be denied that the hot haste of Carolina, and of the
States likely immediately to follow her, justify
such a suspicion. The pleasure of having their

slavery all to themselves, and still more the hope
of regaining the commerce they had lost to the
North, had long been the real motives for desiring
a Southern Confcderation.

For humanity's sake, every man here, and in
America too, must • wish to avert anything so
horrible as civil war between the white population,
rendered yet more horrible by the ground-down
negroes, knowing that their wrongs were really at
the bottom of it. It would seem almost impossible
not to have a civil and a servile war at the same
time; the latter one of the most righteous ever
waged on earth. The victory must, undoubtedly,
be with the populous, more vigorous, and rich
North. Indeed, at the very outset the miserable
poverty of the South is apparent. The Governor of
Alabama, for instance, has actually taken the ex-
traordinary step of writing to all the banks in the
State requesting them to suspend specie payments,
as the silver and gold would be wanted for State
purposes; and assuring them of obtaining for them
an act of indemnity on calling together the State
Legislature. They may want, he says, a million
dollars, in the event of secession ; they could not sell
the State bonds, in America or Europe, except at a
ruinous discount, and; therefore, for this paltry
sum, about £200,000 sterling, the Governor
Of one of the Sovereign seceding States,
proposes to lay hands on the cash
reserves of the Banks! Even Austria herself could
not surpass such poverty as this. And these are
the States which propose to fight it out with the
men, the money, and the mechanical power of the
North. South Carolina herself, the wealthy one of
the batch, is hard put to it to raise a loan of
£BO,OOO ! With no money in their purses, and
with four million of enemies in their own slaves,
what could they hope from a struggle ?
We in this country, perhaps, universally hope
such a struggle will never be seen. The issue is not
worth the cost of trial. The Northern States would
be strong enough without the slave States, which
indeed do the former more harm than good. Asto
commerce, the North would trade with the South
quite as profitably separate from them as united to
them. The experience of England since American
independence is proof enough of that, Commerce
will follow capital, energy, and skill; and nothing
can force it into a healthy vigour. The United
States would not be so big a nation in the world—
that is all—and a matter of very little consequence
indeed.

Punch hits the right nail on the head once more
with a swinging rap of his baton. Divorce a Vinculo
—Mrs. CAROLINA asserts her right to Larrup her
own Nigger ! Events would seem to threaten now,
however, that two can play at that game—and the
Southerners would' do well to reflect before it is
too late whether the New World may not be goaded
to the rousing of another and a more fortunate
SPARTACUS.

His Excellency the Belgian Minister and Mdme.
Van do Weyer have left New Lodge on a visit to Mr.
Harcourt and Frances Countess Waldegrave, at Nunebam
Park, Oxon.
Viscount and Viscountess Palmerston will return
to Cambridge House, about the 24th inst., from Broadlands.
Viscountess Jocelyn's children have so far recovered as to
be considered out of danger.

The Earl of Bradford has during the last week
greatly improved in health. The noble earl has been f r
some days past out of an danger.
DEATH OF COUNT MONTEMOLIN.—A piivate
despatch announces that the Count and Countess Monte-
molin died at Trieste on the 14th instant within a few
hours of each other. Count Montemolin was son of the
Infant Don Carlos, who for many years asserted, arms in
hand, his claims to the throne of Spain. He was born on
the 31st of January, 1818. The countess was a princess of
Naples, sister of the late King Ferdinand 11., and born on
he 29th February, 1820.

MISS NIGHTINnALE.—We regret to learn from
undoubted authority that the report recently circulated in
several journals of the gradual improvement in Miss Night-
ingale's health is entirely without foundation. Her malady,
far from being alleviated, increases upon her, and her state,
which confines her entirely to her apartment, is one of great
exhaustion and severe suffering.
THE DUKE OF SUTHERLAND.—We believe that
there is no trnth in the announcement of the death of the
Duke of Sutherland, which appeared in one of the morning
papers yesterday. His grace has been suffering from seri-
ous illness for some time past, but the accounts last night
were not hopeless.
ACCIDENT ON THE MANCHESTER, SHEFFIELD,
AND LINCOLNSHIRE RAILWAY.—On Tuesday a shocking
accident occurred at Woedhead, on the above line. John
Limper, the driver of the up goods train from Manchester
to Lincoln, having shunted his train at Woodhead, crossed
the line to the lamp-house. On returning across the down
line the express train from Hull to Manchester emerged
from the tunnel, and the unfortunate man was cut to pieces.
The deceased was an old and steady servant, and leaves a
widow and six children.

THE FRENCH TREATY.—We have good reason to
believe that the time originally fixed for the French treaty
coming into full operation will lAe considerably anticipated.
From circumstances which have come to our knowledge,
we consider it highly probable that, within a few weeks
hence, the itfoniteur will announce the Emperor's decision
to give immediate effect to the stipulations of the treaty,
and thereby obviate the inconveniences incident to any
further suspense in the commercial intercourse of the two
countries.—Nanchester Examiner.

A BANKING INCIDENT.—The following curious
anecdote is related of M. Carvalho de Moraes, the Brazilian
Minister at Brussels, who died suddenly on New Year's
Eve. In the morning of the 31st December, M. de Moraes
went to his banker's and drew out a sum of 30,000 f. The
banker, who was no other than the representative of the
house of Rothschild, as the accounts for the year were
either made up or on the point of being so, requested his
client to date his cheque for the Ist January. This was
done, so that the 30,000 f. were paid to M. de Morass on a
cheque dated the day after his death.
NEW CHURCH AT WESTMINSTER.—The new
church dedicated to St. Peter, the foundation-stone of
which was laid by the Earl of Derby a few months since,
and to which his lordship was a munificent contributor, is
rapidly progressing, and is expected to be ready for conse-
cration in July or August next. The new church, which is
situate in Windmill-street, llaymarket—a district which
stands in much need of increased facilities for religious in-
struction, will be a spacious and commodious structure, and
a large number of the sittings will be free and unappro-
priated. An ecclesiastical district will be assigned to the
new church out of the parish of St. James's, Westminster,
and the Rev. George Smith, M.A., will be the first
incumbent.

RACE ON THE ICE.—An exciting race on skates
took place at Hafewood, for a prize given by the Earl of
Harewood, on Friday last. The distance was about half a
mile over the large lake in front of Harewood House, and
161 competitors started. The skating was of a very good
description (there being no downfalls or any accidents), and
the pace throughout was terrific. The race was won easily
by Mr. W. Wright, J. Clarke second, J. Booth third, C.
West fourth, the Hon. F. Lascelles fifth, and Viscount
Lascelles sixth, two or three others being pretty well up,
and the remainder, from the length of the course and the
severe pace, being completely distanced.

THE ICE ON THE RlVER.—Yesterday the Thames
presented a most extraordinary appearance from the im •
mense quantities of floating ice, many of the bergs being
fully eight feet above the surface of the stream, and ice-
fields upwards of 100 yards in length were borne by the
current with great violence against the piers of the bridges,
breaking to pieces with a crashing noise resembling distant
thunder. Channels that were formed to the various wharfs,
at considerable labour and expense, are again blocking up,
and a number of coal-laden barges, which were towed up
by steam-tugs, are frozen in by blocks of ice, some of
which are above the gunwales. On the Surrey side of the
river the ice is of such vast thickness that the boys for
their amusement have fires alight in skeleton grates. At
Westminster-bridge the frozen mass reaches from shore to
shore, and below bridge, across the ice, is the ordinary
route for persons going to or returning from vessels in the
river.

THE CATTLE TRADE.—DERBY, Jan. 15.—At to-
day's cattle-market there was a limited show of fat beasts,
for which the demand was firm, and recent rates were well
supported. Calves were scarce, and quite as dear as last
week. Sheep were a moderate show, and sold steadily at
previous rates. Pigs were quite as dear as last market day.
Prices :—Beef, 61d. to 71d. ; sheep, 7d. to Bd. ; calves, 7d.
to 71d. ; pigs, fild. to 61d. per lb.
THE MURDER OF TWELVE SAILORS BY SAVAGES.
—The Melbourne Herald says :—" The barque Nimrod,
which arrived from Norfolk Island on Sunday, brings in-
telligence that the American whaler, High Warthie, ar-
rived at Norfolk Island, with Messrs. Mears, wife, and
family, who had escaped from the Island Spirita Santa.
From the statement which we have been able to gather it
appears that Mr. Mears was engaged, with about 50 others,
in collecting sandal-wood at the island of Spirits Santa.
there being also several stations in the vicinity. A great
quantity of wood had been collected, when the natives
set on them and murdered 12 Englishmen on
one station. The men belonging to the other stations
were compelled to break them up and fly for their lives,
escaping to an island some distance off, and Mr. Mears,
with his wife and family, also escaped to another island,
where they remained more than two months before they
could get a vessel to take them to Norfolk Island. The
American whaler High Warthie having put in there the
eaptain gave him and his wife a passage. On their arriving
at Norfolk Island some difficulty arose among the settlers
as to their landing, but on the captain of the High Warthie
stating that he would land them on some other island a
council was held, and it was agreed that they should remain
until a ♦essel would call and enable them to reach Sydney.
It appears that the settlers on Norfolk Island are, by their
laws, prohibited from receiving any persons on the island.
The remainder who had escaped are all awaiting a vessel to
take them to some other place. It may be as well to men-
tion that the Mr. Mears spoken of is a brother to Captain
Mears, formerly of this port."

THE ROYAL HUMANE SOCIETY.—At a meeting
of the governors of this institution, held yeeterday at their
offices, Trafalgar-square—Mr. T. E. Baker, treasurer, in
the chair—the following cases were brought forward by Mr.
Young, the secretary, and referred by the committee to the
next general court for the award of the society's silver medal:
—Mr. Stephan Co urt, master in the Royal Navy, for saving
William Wise, an ablebodied seaman of her Majesty's ship
Calcutta, at the ram, hof the Peiho. It appears that the
man fell from the foretoptnast rigging of the vessel, struck
the chains, and fell overboard insensible ; Mr. Court imme-
diately jumped overboard, and, at the imminent risk of his
own life, succeeded in rescuing him. This is the second
occasion on which Mr. Court has been instrumental in
saving life from drowning, having while second master on
board the Enterprise, under the command of Sir J. Ross,
saved a man who accidentally fell overboard while at sea;
Mr. Alexander Gollan, vice-consul at Pernambuco, for
saving Mr. Johnston, who became exhausted while crossing
the river Jaboalao, Pernambuco, South America, on the Ist
Nov., 1859. The society's bronze medal was awarded in
the two following cases :—To Charles A. Douglas, able-
bodied seaman of H.M.S. Edinburgh, for saving Ebenezer
Horn, one of the carpenter's crew of the same vessel, who
fell overboard on Christmas •day last in the Firth of Forth,
Scotland, the thermometer at the time being four degrees
below zero ; and to James Harrison, boatman, for saving
George Moreton, a farmer, who accidentally fell into the
river Weaver, Norwich, Cheshire, on the 6th of Dec. last.
Pecuniary rewards were granted in two other cases. A
legacy of £lOO bequeathed by Mr. J. Bowerbank, was re-
ported to the court. It was stated that up to the sth inst.
140 persons had been immersed in the various parks of the
metropolis during the recent severe weather, the whole of
whom were rescued by the society's icemen, besides nume-
rous cases of cuts and bruises, which received atten-
tion .at the different marquees and tents. The
estimated • number of skaters and sliders who have
visited the ice in the different parks since the com-
mencement of the frost is upwards of half a million, as
reported by the society's officers. After the transaction of
some further business of a mere formal character, the pro-
ceedings terminated with the usual compliment to the chair-
man.

THE BOILER EXPLOSION NEAR MALTON.—On
Monday the adjourned inquest was held at Langton. Mr.
George Whitehouse, engineer, of York, stated in evidence
that he had made an examination of the engine, and had
found it in good working order. Witness was of opinion
that the cause of the explosion was owing to the weakness
of the plate next the smoke-box, which had burst. The
jury returned as their verdict that Henry Meting and
Leonard Saggitt, the two deceased, were accidentally killed
by the explosion of the boiler of a steam threshing machine.
SINGULAR AND FATAL ACCIDENT.—An inquest
was held at the Crown Inn, Bridge-street, Banbury, on
Friday last, before T. Pain, Esq., borough coroner, upon
the body of Ann Scrivens, aged 16 years, who came by her
death through accidentally falling into a well the same morn-
ing. Mrs. Wakelin, the principal witness, and with whom
the unfortunate girl had been living for about two months,
said she ordered the deceased to light a fire in the kitchen
about 9 o'clock in the morning, in doing which she would
have to pass through the coal house. She had lit the fire,
and was about supplying it with fuel, when it appeared the
floor gave way. Alt. Wakelin sent her little girl for some
coals for the house fire, and she returned, saying that there
was a large hole in the kitchen floor, into which it ap-
peared the girl had fallen, and which afterwards turned out
to be a well, 17 feet deep. Mrs. Wakelin then went for
her husband—a distance of at least 150 yards—who was
soon on the spot, and succeeded in bringing her from the
bottom of the well ; but life was quite extinct, the deceased
having been under water, with alarge portion of earth upon
her body, for nearly twenty minutes. It is a singular fact
that the parties had resided in the house for a period of five
years without knowing there was a well on the premises.
verdict of " accidentally drowned " was returned.

Lr-
E
NEWS.

(REUTEF'S TELEC RAMS.)

PARIS, THURSDAY MORNING.

The Moniteur publishes a decree abolishing the
surtax of 3f. per 100 kilogrammes on foreign sugars
imported in French vessels from countries out of
Europe.
The Moniteur also says :
" The object in sending the French fleet to Gaeta
was to give a mark of sympathy to a Prince cruelly
tried by destiny. The Emperor, faithful to the
principle of non-intervention, never intended to
take any active part in the conflict at that place.
In prolonging this demonstration he would change
its character, and would give encouragement and
material support to the resistance of the King. It
therefore Fecame necessary to cause the cessation
of this state of things. 'We could not indefinitely
remain present at a conflict which could only lead
to a greater effusion of blood. By the advice given
by France to the belligerents hostilities are sus-
pended until the 19th instant, and Admiral Barbier
de Tinan will leave Gaeta to-day."

ROME (via TURIN) JAN. 13.

General Goyon has demanded explanations from
the Papal Government as to the object of the
movement of Papal troops towards the Neapolitan
frontiers. Mgr. Merode has refused to give aey
reply. General Goyox has, in consequence, referred
to his Government on the subject.

ROME, JAN. 15.

The Diplomatic Corps and the Papal Nuncio
left this morning for Gaeta to congratulate King
Francis 11. on the occasion of his birthday.

NAPLES, JAN. 14.

Prince Carignan has issued a proclamation, in
which he says, " I have come among you to hasten
the work of unification, and to maintain public
order. The Government will respect the Church
and its Ministers, provided the clergy obey the
King, the statutes, and the laws."
The Prince promises administrative reforms, and
concludes by expressing the hope that Gaeta will
shortly fall, and that the Neapolitan provinces will
be ready to make any sacrifice for the unity of
Italy.

LISBON, lAN. 16.
The steamer Estramadura, of the Messageries
Imperiales, has arrived here from the Brazils.

Exchange on London at Rio was quoted 27 to
261 ; Hamburg, 685.
Coffee was quiet at 5,300 to 5,500 reis per arroba.
Stock, 100,000 bags.

PRUSSIA.
THE KING'S SPEECH.

We have received the full text of the King of
Prussia's speech to the Chambers on the 14th inst.,
a telegraphic summary of which has already ap-
peared in our columns :

" Most noble and honoured Gentlemen of both
Houses of Diet—

" With deep emotion I bid you welcome. The
hopes and wishes which I expressed to you from
this place have not, by God's impenetrable
decrees, been fulfilled. With me and my house
you have to deplore the loss of the King, who after
severe suffering has been taken away from us.
What the Government of my brother his Majesty
the late King, now reposing in God, did for Prussia,
how much the country is indebted to his magna-
nimous sway, I need not point out to the represen-
tatives of the Prussian people, who were installed
during his lifetime.
" King Frederick William IV. has departed in
serious times. I have a heavy task on hand. With
the gracious blessing of God I hope to perform it
successfully. You will stand firmly by my side.
The country stands in need of enlightened advice
and disinterested sacrifice.

" Having declared, in the presence of the leading
Princes of the German Diet, that the first object
of my German—of my European policy—should
be to maintain the integrity of the German Con-
federation, it became necessary, with the means
you voted, to increase the strength of our army
in such guise that not only were the troops in-
creased in number, but the new organization pro-
vided them with every guarantee of stability
and confidence. The measures taken to effect
this object comewithin the legal enactments of our
army organization. From the measures that will
be proposed to you, you will find that retrench-
ments will be made for next year, which will be a
guarantee to you that only what is indispensably
necessary for the efficiency of the army will be
asked. Prussia has abundant resources at her
command to maintain her army on a footing to
command respect. The actual state of affairs in
Germany and in Europe will induce the Prussian
Parliament not to be behindhand in keeping up
what has already been done, and developing it ; it
will not refuse its sanction to measures on which
depends the safety of Prussia 9d of Germany.
" Despite the pressure of political circumstances
we may look with satisfaction on the state of our
finances. It is to be hoped that the charges which
fell upon the past year will be completely covered
by the receipts of the present one. The surplus of
1859 may then be added to the Treasury.

After alluding to local measures of taxation, the
King continued :
" The commerce of the country, if not restored
to that activity which preceded the financial and
political crisis of the last few years, nevertheless
shows increased vitality. Its development in all its
branches has never ceased to be one of the chief
objects of my Government. A further extension of
the network of our railways has been resolved. The
abolition of transit dues and a notable diminution
of the Rhine dues has been agreed upon between
the respective Governments.
"My Government is on the point of opening
negotiations with the Imperial French Government
for regulating, by treaty, the commercial relations
between the Zollverein and France.

" The reform of the Marriage Law will, as I al-
ready informed you at the close of last session,
again be brought before you. I confidently look
forward to a solution of that question.
" Many other important measures will be laid
before you by my Government.

" In the course of last year I had the opportunity,
by personal interview with different Monarchs, of
placing our relations with them on a more satisfac-
tory footing than ever, and these are guarantees
for the maintenance of the peace of Europe.
" Actuated by the grave position of affairs in
Europe, my Government is anxiously endea-
vouring to effect a revision of the. organisation of
the army of the Confederation, as imperiously
commanded by the increased military wants of the
present day. I confidently look forward to an ulti-
mate satisfactory result, as all German Governments
and all German races acknowledge united action to
be the most pressing necessity of the common
Fatherland.
" In the electorate of Hesse a contention still
exists which my well-meant and moderate counsels
have not succeeded in allaying. The endeavours
of my Government are indefatigably exerted to see
the legal state of things restored.
"To my sorrow, the steps which Prussia, in con-
cert with the other German Federal States, has
taken for years to procure for the German duchies
under the rule of the King of Denmark the enjoy-
ment of a constitutional existence responding to
their rights have not been attended with, any
result.' With her German confederates, Prussia
acknowledge it to be a national duty now at last
to bring about a proper solution of this question.
" My Government has commenced in serious
times ; whatever may be in store for us, I shall
adhere to the principles under which I undertook
the Regency. The experience I have acquired iu

applying them has only tended to strengthen my
belief in their value. Resolved to strengthen the
efficiency of our institutions and of our laws, to
develope the national interests of Prussia and of
Germany with earnestness and purpose, I see in the
stedfast adherence to this system the surest gua-
rantee against the spirit of revolution which is loose
in Europe.

" I am confident that Prussia under my rule will
be true to herself. I trust that Prussia, with the
counsel of her representatives, as in the acts of her
people, will prove that she does not intend to
remain behind the glory of her forefathers in unity
and strength. I am confident that in good times
as in bad times the country will stand by me with
unshaken fidelity.

" When I undertook the Regency I promised to
exercise the power intrusted to me by the Almighty
according to the Constitution and laws of the king-
dom. Referring to that vow, I call upon you to
swear to me that fidelity which you swore and
kept to my brother. •
" You will then swear unto me, before the
Almighty God, a solemn oath that you will be loyal
and true to me, and that you will stand by me in
carrying out my rights and my duties with heart
and hand."