The Sun.
London, England, 1861-03-09 00:00:00

MEXICO.

A letter from Mexico, dated Feb. 4, says :—The
Spanish Ambassador, accompanied by the Arch-
bishop of Mexico and four of his suffragans, expelled
for issuing a most inflammatory circular against
the validity of civil marriages, arrived at Vera Cruz
a few days back. These dignitaries of the Church
received very rough treatment at the hands of tha
populace. The conduct of the Juarez Government
in handing to Senor Pacheco his passport has been
universally approved ; he had so completely identi-
fied himself with the Miramon faction that there was
no other course left open to them. Many had con-
templated the appointment of Senor Pacheco as
likely to lead to beneficial results, from the liberal
tendencies he had previously shown. Never were
hopes more completely dashed to the ground. A very
few weeks sufficed to satisfy even the most credulous
that the Mon-Almonte Treaty had worked its effect,
and that to carry through this piece of rascality he
was willing to go all lengths. He at once became
the open and unblushing partisan of the Church
faction, and it is notorious that the humane efforts
made by Mr. Mathew to bring about a reconcilia-
tion between the two parties were entirely frus-
trated by his machinations. Had this gentle-
man, when the outrage was about to be committed
on the British Legation, threatened to demand his
passports, instead of being satisfied with a feeble
protest, the bondolders' money would never liaie
been taken, and the Legation seal would never have
been broken. He was the first to demand of Gen.
Ortega guarantees for Miramon and his clique,
and it is established beyond a doubt that he after-
wards harboured some of these parties in his house,
and did all in his power to facilitate their escape.
The British Government are the best judges of
what interpretation ought to be put upon such con-
duct, but the uninitiated here can only view it as a
direct insult to the British nation. Some believe
that in any entanglement that might arise out of
the affairs of this country Spain would receive the
support of France, and the inconsiderate conduct
of M. Dubois de Saligny has unfortunately lent
weight to this belief—but the loyal conduct ever
pursued by our ally the Emperor of the French
ought to be sufficient to dissipate such notions.
Mr. Weller, the United States Minister, and
Baron Wagner, the Prussian Minister, have both
acknowledged the Juarez Government, and it is
understand that proposition have been forwarded
to Mr. Mathew for the settlement of the conducta
affair; but whether they are such as that gentle-
man will entertain remains to be seen. The Mexi-
can Government profess a repugnance to pay one
set of claims in preference to another ; but they
forget that in our case a double outrage was per-
petrated. Not only was our money seized in the
first instance, in common with all others ; but when
restored, on its way to the coast, and under the
special protection of her Majesty's Council, it was
again laid violent hands upon and distributed,- in
the very teeth of a protest made by Mr. Mathew.
It is, undoubtedly, important at a moment like
the present, when every one is endeavouring to
get something out of the fire, that the British
Minister should be here to act as best he can
for the interests of his countrymen, who have
been greater sufferers and treated worse than -the
citizens of any other nation ; still, the question, so
far as England is concerned, does not resolve itself
purely into one of pounds, shillings, and pence.

The dignity of the country must be cared for. A
great anxiety manifests itself to know what course
the English Government are likely to take with
respect to the Church property. The amount, as
I showed in a previous communication, is enormous,
and now that it has become national there would
seem to be no sufficient reason why the English
Government should not consider this property as
assets, and insist upon its being applied, to a certain
extent at least, for the benefit of their citizens.
The subject is deserving of much consideration.

The Zarco Administration seems to go on a trifle
better than its predecessor; the future, however,
of the country is very uncertain, and the lives and
property of foreigners very far from secure.
Vicaria still holds his own in the. South, and not a
single chief of the reactionary party, with the ex-
ception of Diaz, has been taken. Miramon, they
say, has escaped on board a Spanish or French
ship ; but Marques and the others are still at large,
and, supported by all the influence of the priests,
may .at any moment involve us in troubles and
dangers worse than before. Report says that an
English vessel with a large force will soon arrive
off the coast. The news seems too good to be
true.

EXPLOSION AND LOSS OF -TWELVE

LIVES ON BOARD SHIP.

A terrible catastrophe befel the Russian ship
Raumo, outward bound to Gibraltar from Cardiff,
on Sunday last, by an explosion among her cargo
(1,061 tons of steam Welsh coals), when the ship
was in the Bristol Channel, about 50 miles west of
Lundy Island, by which she was so extensively
damaged that she foundered, and 12 of her crew',
it is feared, were lost. The Raumo was a large
fir-built ship of nearly 1,000 tons burthen, and was
owned by Messrs. S. E. Oestander, at Malmo,
where she was built in 1860. The sworn deposi-
tion of Captain Gastave Robert Soderlaund, the
master, takeh before the Receiver of Wreck at
Padstow, and which was received at the Board of
Trade yesterday, furnishes the following particw
lars of the loss of the ship :
" We sailed from Cardiff on the 27th of last
month, our crew numbering in all 19 hands. The
coals were shipped by Messrs. David and Soup
merchants, at Cardiff, and were consigned to a fires
at Gibraltar. Knowing the peculiar character of
the coal to generate gas in ships' holds, and the
accidents that have taken place from the hatches
lbeing kept on, I kept our hatches off for several
days after sailing from Cardiff, and gave strict
orders to the crew not to go below with a light.
The hatches were kept off till the morning of the
3d inst. (Sunday last), when extraordinary•heavf
weather compelled them to be battened down to
prevent the water getting through. The explosion
took place about two o'clock in the afternoon, the,
ship being under all sail and about 50 miles west of
Lundy Island. There was no warning whatever---
the force was tremendous, and for a moment the
entire ship presented one beet of flame. It blew'
up the decks entirely, carrying away the boats,
destroying the sails, rigging, and bursting out bows-
Four of the crew who were below in the forecastle
were never seen afterwards, and must have been
killed. On recovering the shock, they discovered
the ship was making water fast, and before thei
could get to the boats to save themselves she cape
sized and shortly disappeared. The remainder 01
the crew (fifteen) got into the boats and pulled for
the land. In the course of the following night, it
being very dark, and a stiff breeze blowing from the
N.W., the boat's party compared, and at daylight
on Monday morning those in the pinnace along
with the captain could not see anything of the other
boat. About six o'clock on Monday evening
vessel hove in sight and picked them up. The vessel
proved to be the schooner Herald, of Penzance,
Capt. White, master, which landed them safely the
next day at Padstow. The loss of the ship is esti:
mated at £7,000. She was insured for £5,500, and
her cargo for £500."

The dollars by the Mexican Packet have beep
disposed of at 69d., being a decline of id. from the price
realised for the last arrival. There is now hardly any de-
mand for dollars for China, and the present rate is their
actual silver value.

THE NEW AMERICAN TARIFF BILL.—AS far 118
can be gathered from the latest statements from Washing'
ton, the Morrill Tariff Bill, which had just passed the
Senate, would have to go back to the louse of R:
Wives, for their concurrence in numerous amen.
All that would then be required would be the signature of
President Buchanan. None of the journals seem to 0:
press much dcubt of the Bill being passed as amended, bill'
as it is often found' during the pressure at the cl6se of 11
Presidential term 'that a small knot'of persons nic9y too 1) u
compact organhation, retard any measure until it is _
late to receive the Presidential signature, which must '
given before midnight on March 3 when his furrctions
pire, there is still a possibility that the Bill nay be de-
leated.