The Sun.
London, England, 1844-12-31 00:00:00

AMERICAN AFFAIRS.

NEW YORK, DEe. 14.—8 y the steamer which
brings you this letter you will receive, if you have
not previously received it, the President's Message at
the opening of Congress. Accompanying this mes-
sage, are numerous documents of great importance
in relation to Mexico, Texas, &c. As these papers
will all be in your possession, I have deemed com-
ments on them unnecessary.
A new source of discontent and collision has oc-
curred between the States of Massachusetts and South
Carolina. Some years ago the State of South Caro-
lina passed a law prohibiting free negroes from
coming into the state, and subjecting them to pains
and penalties for a violation of this law. On different
occasions free blacks, employed as seamen, were
brought into the state. They were immediately im-
prisoned, and kept in prison until the sailing of the
vessel to which they belonged. Some of these men,
it is alleged, were citizens of Massachusetts. Recently
the Legislature of that State authorised the appoint-
ment of a Commissioner to proceed to South Caro-
lina, and ascertain the precise state of the facts. A
Mr. Hoar was selected to perform this duty. On
his arrival he notified to the Governor of South
Carolina the character of his mission, and that
the object was to try the constitutionality of
the State law in the Supreme Court of the United
States. The Legislature of South Carolina being in
session, the Governor transmitted to that body the
communication of Mr. Hoar. Upon its receipt a
Bill was introduced, and passed in a few hours
through all the forms of a law, authorising the in-
stantaneous expulsion of Mr. Hoar from the State ;
and he was, without delay, expelled as an incendiary.
Rumour adds, that the presence of a young lady, his
daughter, who was travelling with him, was his only
protection from personal violence. The next step, on
the part of Massachusetts, will be, it is said, an ap-
peal to the Courts of the United States. " 'rhe
glorious uncertainty of the law" will, most probably,
hang up this case. But suppose the decision to be
against South Carolina, what then ? Why, nothing.
In the proceedings of Congress you will notice a
most extraordinary and unexpected change of opinion
since last session in regard to abolition petitions.
The rule which prohibited their reception by the
House has, on the motion of Mr. Adams, without
debate, been repealed by a majority of twenty-eight
votes. Petitions have accordingly been received,
praying the abolition of the slave-trade in the district
of Columbia, and referred to the Committee on the
district.

I offer no opinion as to the cause which has tended
to produce this change. Indeed, I have not heard
any assigned that was even plausible, except that the
rule was a bad rule, and kept the House in a conti-
nued state of excitement, while its effect was to
strengthen, rather than to weaken, the abolition
party. Indeed, I have been unable to account for the
pertinacity with which the south adhered to this rule,
seeing that it gave great dissatisfaction to many of
their best friends in the north, who were warmly op •
posed to the doctrine of abolition, but firm supporters
of the right of petition.
Mr. M‘Duffie, agreeably to the recommendation of
the President, has introduced into the Senate a series
of resolutions, to be passed by both Houses of Con-
gress, annexing Texas to the United States. Mr.
APDuffie made no remarks ; but on motion they were
referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. For
this procedure there is no precedent under the Federal
Constitution ; but the doctrine of its authors is, that
for its adoption it requires only a majority of each
branch of the national Legislature.
On the next day, the 11th inst., Mr. Benton intro-
duced a Bill, which was substantially the:same as the
one he offered last session, annexing Texas to the
United States, with the assent of Mexico, which Bill,
without debate, was also referred to the Committee on
oreign Relations.
Mr. Ingersoll's resolution in the House, for an-
nexation, similar to Mr. M'Duffie's in the Senate,
was made the order of the day for
,Monday, the
23d inst.

Mr. Allen, of Ohio, offered in the Senate the fol-
lowing resolution :

"Resolved,—That the President: be 'requested to
lay before the Senate, if in his judgment it may be
done without prejudice to the public interests, a copy
of any instructions, which may have been given to
the American Minister in England, on the subject of
the title and occupation of the territory of Oregon,
since the 4th of March, 1841 ; also a copy of any
correspondence which may have passed between this
Government and that of Great Britain, or between
either of the two Governments and the Minister of
the other, in relation to that subject since that time."
This resolution was adopted, after some opposition
from Mr. Archer, Chairman of the Committee on
Foreign Relations, by a vote of—ayes 24, nays 16.
Mr. Allen is a strong advocate for immediate action
on this subject. After giving to the Government of
Great Britain the required notice (twelve months),
he is for taking forcible possession, if force should be
found necessary.
It is confidently asserted that Mr. Adams has ex-
pressed an opinion that the annexation of Texas with-
out a war with Mexico will take place ; that Great
Britain will do nothing more than protest ; but that
she will probably, by an arrangement with Spain,
take possession of Cuba.

Now, without possessing any knowledge on the
subject (notwithstanding the boldness with which the
statement is made), I have no hesitation in expressing
my unbelief of the rumour. But if it be true that Mr.
Adams has given such an opinion as that above
stated, I take leave to differ with him. Great efforts
will be made to secure the annexation, but I yet think
it cannot be accomplished while the present Senate is
in power.
No movement has yet been made in Congress on
the subject of the tariff. The south—but more espe-
cially South Carolina—is grumbling, and threaten-
ing the most direful consequences to the nation if
the tariff of 1842 is not uprooted. But, on the other
hand, the President, and his Secretary of State (Mr.
Calhoun), are far more interested in the question of
annexation. Besides, a portion of the west have
mounted, thus early in the session, their hobby, and
seem determined to ride it pell-mell. I refer to a bill
for reducing and graduating the price of the public
lands. In this scramble lam beginning to think that.
the tariff will escape with little effective notice.
By the late accounts from the Holy City, Nauvoo,
the Mormons appear to have settled down into a state
of tranquillity. They boast that their great and
magnificent temple will be completed in a few
months. A GENEVE SE TRAVELLER.
—Times.

FURTHER EXTRACTS FROM THE
AMERICAN PAPERS.

PIIILADELrIIIA, DEC. 13, FIVE r.m.—PENNS/L-
-VANIA LOAN.—I have just received the subjoined im-
portant information from an authentic source, re-
specting the interest on the State Loan. The balance
is so much larger than was anticipated until very re-
cently, that there now exists not a single doubt
but the interest will be paid punctually when
it falls due in February, without the aid of a loan for
that purpose. Indeed, it is now highly probable that
the interest will also be paid in August, and regularly
thereafter. The amount of outstanding taxes for 1843
and 1844 is very large--the domestic debt has nearly
disappeared, and we will, in 1845, be in the receipt of
the mill-tax.—Courier and Enquirer.
" OHlo.—The message of the out-going, and the
inaugural of the in-coming, Governor Bartley, of Ohio,
reach us in the Cincinnati papers. The former
states the amount of money in the Treasury at
123,822 dollars ; the total amount of the Caaal Fund
is 1,233,339 dollars, of which 25,000 dollars is applied
to the Sinking Fund, 1,167,444 dollars to pay the
interest on the State debt, and the balance to keep
the public works in repair. The taxable property in
the State is 136,142,666 dolls., and the aggregate
amount of taxation is 15 mills on the dollar. The
public improvements are nearly completed. The pre-
sent condition of the resources of Ohio is represented
as highly flattering. The aggregate foreign debt is
19,276,751 dolls.

INDIANA VIRTUALLY REPUDIATES...... Governor
Whitcomb's message to the Legislature gives no hopes
to the holders of the bonds of the State that she
can or will make any attempt to pay the interest
on her public debt at present. 11. nominally
condemns repudiation, but states explicitly that the
people are unable to meet the payment of the interest.
His language is, that " the interest on our public
debt cannot be paid." A resolution was offered in
the Legislature by Mr. Defrees to fund the public debt
and interest, with a year's interest in advance, and
so issue three per cent. bonds, with 25 years to run
to take up the present bonds, pledging all possible
resources of the State to meet the interest, and
the residue to be raised by taxation. This manly
proposition was laid on the table, 30 to 19 ! The
whole debt of the State is short of 15,000,000 dollars,
and the wealth of the State, which has now a popula-
lation of near a million, is estimated at 150,000,000
dollars, and yet she pretends before the world that she
cannot pay an annual interest of 600,000 dollars. It
is a monstrous iniquity—a subterfuge which would
disgrace a tribe of savages. In fact, Indiana herself
would inflict summary punishment upon any one of
her old tribes which should in like manner seek to
evade its just responsibilities to her,—Newark Daily
Advertiser.

The Hon. William Prescott, of Boston, who has
filled conspicuous situations at the bar and on the
bench, died recently at his residence in that city, at
an advanced age. The immediate cause of his death
was n fit of apoplexy. He has left a family, among
which is W. H. Prescott, LL.D., an eminent historian.
Among the changes produced by the organisation
of a party under the name of Native American, we
notice that the city of Boston, which gave a majority
over all the others of 3,500 votes for Clay at the Pre»
sidential election, has failed to choose a mayor by the
people at the first trial.
The ,notorious English thief, William Hoppy, has