The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-02 00:00:00

DESPATCHES FOR AMERICA.

A Queen's messenger, with special despatches,
arrived at Kingston on Sunday morning, and pro-
ceeded immediately to Cork, with despatches ad-
dressed to our Minister at Washington.

A Cabinet Council was held on Saturday at the
official residence of the First Lord of the Treasury, in
Downing-street. The Ministers present were—Viscount
Palmerston, Earl Granville, Sir George Grey, Earl ltus-ell,
the Duke of Newcastle, Sir G. Cornewall Lewis, Si; Chas.
Wood, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Duke of
Somerset, the Right Hon. T. Milner Gibson, the Right
HoR. Edward Cardwell, Lord Stanley of Alderley, and the
Right Hon. C. P. Villiers.

COTTON FROM SOUTH AFRICA.—The samples of
cotton (chiefly South Sea Island variety) gathered and for-
warded to London by the last mail show that the climate
and soil of our South African colonies is in favour of an
almost unlimited cultivation of the staple.—Cape and IV atal
News.

NEW DOCKS AT NORTEFLEET.—The project for
the erection of new docks on a scale of great magnitude at
Northfleet has been revived. The plans provide for basins,
floating docks, warehouses, &c., and a loop lino of railway
to join the North Kent Railway at Gravesend,

The following are the contract times for mails to
be conveyed from London to the West Indies, Central and
South America, and the Pacific during the next year, viz.,
to St. Thomas in 141, days, to Colon in 191 days, to Rio de
Janeiro in 261, to Buenos Ayres in 351, to Bonuy ( \Vest
Coast of Africa) in 321, to Cape of Good Hope in 12, to
Tampico in to Jamai.:a in 19, to Demorara in 20, and to
Valparaiso in 42.

The final adjustment of the terms upon which the
amalgamation of the Queen Life and Fire Insurance Com-
pany with the London and Lancashire Insurance Company
is based upon has been eff3cted by the directors, subject to
the confirmation of the shareholders. By this arrangement
the London and Lancashire Company comes into possession
at once of a fire income of about £lO,OOO per annum, and an
established machinery of agency for fire business. The Queen
Life Company, which is to be a separate association under
the same management, will have all the advantages of a
unity of action with the London and Lancashire Company,
part of the direction of that body taking office as directors
of the Queen Company.

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CAPTURE OF CONFEDERATE
COMMISSIONERS.

QUEENSTOWN, DEC. 1.

The Royal Mail steamship Persia arrived here at
11 a.m. to-day, with 86 passengers, She landed
86 sacks of mails, and proceeded for Liverpool at
11.45 a.m. All well.

The Persia left New York on the 20th instant,
and experienced very strong easterly winds with
heavy head seas all the way across.
NEW YORK, Nov. 19, EVENING.
The capture of Messrs. Mason and Slidell forms
the leading topic of discussion.

The New York journals are filled with legal
quotations and precedents of the acts of the British
Government, to prove that the seizure of Messrs.
Mason and Slidell is no breach of international law.
They argue that the steamer Trent was liable to
seizure for carrying rebel despatches, and urge
that promotion and testimonials should be conferred
on Commander Wilkes for his spirited conduct.
Messrs. Slidell and Mason have been taken to
Fort Warren.

The Southern journals report that Jefferson
Davis has been elected President, and Stephens
Vice-President, of the Confederate States for a
term of six years.
Federal troops intended for the South continue
to arrive at Annapolis.

The Confederates have again attacked the Fede-
rals at Santa Rosa Island, but the Federal fleet
shelled them off.

The Georgia planters have held a convention, in
which it was resolved that if the present cotton
crop remain unsold they will not plant any cotton
next year.

The steamer Fingal is reported to have arrived
at a Southern port with a cargo of ammunition.
The British barque Deobey (?), which arrived at
New York for provisions, has been seized for an
alleged violation of the blockade.

NEW YORK, Nov. 20, MORNING.

General Dix has landed 4,000 troops on the
eastern shore of Virginia, and has issued a procla-
mation guaranteeing constitutional rights to loyal
inhabitants. It is reported that the Federals were
well received by the people of Decomac and North-
ampton Counties. The Confederates have assembled
in force at Big Bethel, and an attack on Newport
News is expected.
Beaufort has been deserted by the Confederates,
but not occupied by the Federals.

On the 16th instant the Federal fleet was still off
Beaufort.

The Washington correspondent of the .New fork
Times states that Lord Lyons had expressed his
opinion that Messrs. Mason and Slidell would
be given up to England.
The New York. Journal of Commerce considers
the opening of Beaufort for trade impracticable at
present.

A Belgian steam frigate has just been signalled
off New York.
Advices from Havannah to the 15th inst. state
that the Spanish fleet had not started for Mexico.
The Saxonia has arrived out.
COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.
NEW YORK, Nov. 19, EVENING.

Money easy. Exchange steady ; bankers' bills,
1087 to 1081. Stocks steady : New York Central,
801; Erie, 337 ; Illinois, 62t. Cotton steady :
Middling Upland, 23c. Flour dull. Wheat 2c.
lower. Corn 2c. lower. Provisions and coffee quiet.
Sugar good inquiry. Molasses steady. The Nor-
wegian has arrived cut.

TURIN, DEC. 2.

A meeting of the majority of the Deputies, at
which the Ministers were also present,was held yes-
terday.
Baron Ricasoli gave explanations on the state of
Naples and the brigandagein the Basilicata and on
the frontiers of the Papal States. He said that, in
pursuance of an understanding between the French
and Italian Governments, the French troops will
energetically co-operate in the suppression of bri-
gandage on the frontiers of the Papal States.

Baron Ricasoli also announced that the Lieute-
nancy of Sicily would be shortly abolished.
In consequence of these explanations the majo-
rity of the Deputies prevent resolved not to concur
in any vote of want of confidence is the Ministry
which might be proposed by the Opposition.

PARIS, DEC, 2.

The Austrian intervention in the Herzegovina is
stated to have been made with the object of
securing free transit through the military road be-
tween Klek and Ragusa. That object being at-
tained, the Austrian troops will re-enter their own
territory.

PARIS, DEC. 1.

The llioniteur publishes a letter addressed to the
Emperor by the stockbrokers of Paris, thanking his
Majesty for the abolition of the entrance fee to the
Bourse, and asking permission to erect a statue to
the Emperor within the building. The Emperor in
his reply thanks them for their appreciation of his
efforts for the good of France and the progress and
credit of the country. His Majesty further says
that the intention of the stockbrokers to erect his
statue in the Bourse touches him deeply, but he
requests that they will not carry out their intention,
and offers then. his portrait, to be placed in their
Council-chamber, in order to remind them how pre-
cious the manifestation of their feelings has been to
him."

PARIS, DEC. 1.
It is asserted on reliable information that Aus-
trian forces entered the Herzegovina to-day.

PESTH, DEC. 1.
All the new functionaries have already been ap-
pointed in all the Comitats.
The Cardinal Archbishop of Gran will be super-
seded in his functions as Obergespan of the Comitat
of Gran.

THORN, Nov. 30.
General Luders will leave Warsaw very shortly.
It is stated on reliable authority that General
Bezak will be appointed Governor of Poland.
The Marquis Wielopolski is en route from St.
Petersburg to Berlin.

BERNE, DEC. 1.

The Federal Council has addressed another note
to France in reference to the affair of the Valley of
Dappes, renewing its demand for satisfaction for
the violation of Swiss territory on the ground of
the Federal Commissioners' report, The Federal
Council also states in this note that Switzerland
witl not enter into any negotiations with the French
Government under present circumstances.

THE AMERICAN QUESTION.

La Patric has another article on the above ques-
tion. After recapitulating the facts, la Patrie
comes to the important point—Quelle sera main-
tenant l'attitude de la France? (How is France to
act ?)
" In our opinion (says La Patrie) it is difficult
for her to remain indifferent in presence of a viola-
Zion of international law which concerns allraaritime
nations. We believe that very likely the Northern

States will refuse to accede to the e,mnds made
by England ; in that case we may that
war will be. immediately declared, sad the firat act
of hostility will be the reeogni:ion of the Southern
States

" We are convinced that th© war between the
two countries will be an interminable one, but,
on the other hand, we cannot remain idle spec-
tators of a struggle between North America and
England. It is quito clear that it is not our
duty to avenge the wrongs of England, but the re-
cognition of the South by that Power, which would
imply a final separation from the United States,
could not be regarded as an isolated act, and would
impose upon France the necessity of assuming a
decisive attitude in this question. The result would
be that two great maritime Powers of Europe might
be (pourraient etre) drawn into a common action
with the same identical political object; and that
being the case, as we have observed before, Presi-
dent Lincoln, by provoking an act of brutality, may
perhaps have acted with foresight by preparing
a separation which he can neither propose nor
accept."