The Sun.
London, England, 1842-10-22 00:00:00

SPAIN.

MADRID, OCT. 11.—The comparative peace which
we have enjoyed here since the closing of the Cham-
bers is fast breaking up, like the ice in spring. The
Cortes is summoned ; party politics have received a
personal stimulus in every province, and all is pre-
paration for the ensuing struggle for place and power.
The Iberia, which claims to be a Ministerial paper,
publishes to-day a very curious estimate of the state
of parties in the Congress, from which it would ap-
pear that " the 'old majority," which supported the
Gonzales Ministry, still stand aloof, and have not yet
deigned to'enter into any terms with the Rodil Cabinet;
—that "the new majority," which turned out Gonzales,
are preparing violent measures of opposition upon all the
recent topics of Moderadoanfl Republican outcry, from
the " tyranny of Zurbano" (down to the dismissal
of the Queen's writing-master : that this very exigeant
band of Deputies lately assembled, and previous to
the journey of Senor Olozaga, called that remarkable
individual before them, and demanded categorically, if
he would or would not join them ?—if he would or
would not accept the Presidency of the Congress ?
and, par consequent, the Presidency of the Council—if
he could get it ? The Iberia states that Senor Olozaga,
reduced to the necessity of speaking positively, yes or
no, said " Yes"—a conclusion upon which the Iberia
offers no comment, as if it were quite a thing of course
that Senor Olozaga should continue in opposition this
session as well as he did the last one, enjoying all the.
while a confidential position and a good salary I
The Minister of Finance appears to be the most
useful and active one at present, having mustered
a month's pay for the passive classes throughout
Spain—no trifle, as will be seen by the circular in
the Gaceta of to-day, which estimates the month's
pay of those in the province of Madrid alone at
4,200,019 reels (above 42,0001.) sterling), while the
active classes on full pay in the same province .only
draw 5,931,408 reels (about 60,0001.) Senor Cala-
trava has wisely directed the Intendants in all the
provinces to publish similar expositions of the quan-
tities of money which their Treasuries pay to these
" empleados out of office," that the nation may know
what burdens hang upon the public purse,. and what
difficulties the Minister of Finance has to encounter
to meet all his liabilities.

The Heraldo again assures us, that the Countess of
Mina has been made a grande of Spain, and that the
fact is known in the Palace; although the Gacetu says
nothing about it.
Don Juan Lacarte, Brigadier-General, has been ap-
pointed to the command of the troops in La Mancha,
destined to extirpate " The Twelve Apnstles"andother
bands of robbers—a very necessary and very trying
campaign.

FORMATION OF THE ISLANDS IN

THE SOUTH SEA.

jrt is still a question whether the polypes originate
the stoney bodies they inhabit, or whether they find
them preinared for their occupation by the hand of
nature. Fester, whose experience gives some weight
to his opinions
on this subject, was inclined to be-
lieve that the lttle creatures actually form the matter
which composes
he coral masses, and consequently
that, by their means,
newislands are in a constant
process of formation. The great Captain Cook, after
a careful investigation di facts, had arrived at the
same conclusion. Dalrsrmple, pn the other hand,
thinks that these rocks take their rise at the bottom
of the sea, from which they are detached by currents
or tempests, and thrown on the sandbanks. This, no
doubt, may take place in some. localities ; but the
principle most assuredly cannot apply to those reefs
which rise like walls in the midst of the ocean.
Around New Holland, for example, the roe kg in ques-
tion ascend, like perpendicular ramparts, from a veriy
great depth. Such structures, it is obvious, must de,
rive their origin from the animals themselves,
unless we attempt-to account for them on the grounds
of a new hypothesis, which intimates that they may
grow in a manner similar to the common sea-weed,
and that the insects found on them are analagous to
those which take up their abode on trees and herbs ;
a conclusion to which the arborescent appearance of
some corals, and the fungous forms of others, are
supposed to give a certain degree of countenance.
By some authors these animalcules are called saxi •
genous. or rock-making, polypes. They are supposed
to begin their operations by selecting a suitable spot,
such as the summit of a volcano, or the top of a sub-
marine mountain. Having chosen their site, with a
reference, it should seem, to an ultimate object, they
work with incredible diligence until they reach the
surface, above which, as we have already stated, their
nature and habits do not permit them to proceed.
Mr, Lyell remarks, that the circular or oval forms of
the numerous coral isles of the Pacific, with the lakes
in their centre, naturally. suggest the idea that they
are nothing more than the crests of submarine vol-
canoes, having the rims and bottoms of their craters
overgrown with coral. This ppininn is strengthened
by the conical }jape of the islands, 40 the acute
angle at which they plunFe on all sides into the sio*: ,
rounding ocean. It has al4o been observed, that al-
though within the circular reefs there is usually
nothing discernible but a lagoon, the bottom 4f which
is covered with coral, yet within some of these basins,
rocks, composed of porous Java and other volcanic
substances, rise up, resembling eminences of igneous
origin which have been formed in an epoch not beyond
the limits of human observation,—RatOuree Cabinet
Library, No. XXX 111. Polynesia.

THE ALLEGED NEW CHURCH BILL.—We observe
that our Contemporary the Scotsman announces that
a new Bill for the nttlement of the Church question
is in preparation. We profess to have no back-door
communication whatever, and no authority to toßch
on the purposes of our State Counsellors ; but we
venture to say, reasoning on the paragraph referred
to, that it presents a tissue of incredibilities, we
would say almost impossibilities. We can hardly
suppose, that after the recent experience in negotia-
tion with the Non-Intrusionists, ax experiPlisq mist
strikingly illustrative of their equivocations and
strange inconsistencies, the Government would again
enter on a treaty to be conducted, without doubt, in
the same way, and to end in a similar manner. We
cannot believe, either, that $r George Sinclair, hav-
ing had all his zealous endeavours at adjustmA4 rgr
warded with ingratitude, insult, and vituperation,
would feel disposed to incur similar thanklessness,
abuse, and contumely. We never will believe, till
we see it, that eoncessions are to be made by the
Government which shall contradict thpir owp. pro-
ceedings, enlarge irresponsible power, and strengthen
the hands of ecclesiastical despotism. And further, if
the " high legal functionary" refers to one who did
attompt in vain to heal the divisions of the Church,
previous to his plpyAtion to the honoured seat he now
holds on the Beneh, we arc thoroughly persuaded
that his entering on his high and rc;ponaikip office
put an end to all such extraneous and extra judicial
affairs. We repeat our belief, therefore, though we
do not prottencj to have communication with those who
are to manage the aganpments of the Church ques-
tion, that the announcement in the kleotsTne bears all
the impressions of mere conjecture, and a moit-ini-
probable one.—Edinburgh Advertiser.
To§ Tkairr,—Mr. Turle, of Taunton, on Monday
last, opoom rof snip gerpre casks of pickled pork and
beef, brought from Amerivo, of WbiPil he ;,914 up-
wards of 8 cwt. in the course of a few hours, At 4i.0,
per lb. for.the beef, and 4d. the pork- The poor in-
habitants were eager customers. The meat is in
junks, or pieces of from 31bs. to 51bs., and though not
in dip prime condition in which it may be expected
when more recerit Artielps and prompter sales occur,
the quality, particularfy that of thv prlfi was suffi-
ciently good to content the humble purafiasefi,r.e.-
Bath Herald.
Vgßy LARGE CANNON FOR THE PACHA OF EGYPT.--
YeStfriNT much interest was excited in the town of
Brentford by tha grrival, in one of the country mon-
key-boats on the Grand Juacti3O Canal, of a large
cannon, intended for the Pacha of Egypt," ;aid) big
been cast at the Gospel Oak Factory, near Birming-
ham. Its dimensions are—length 15 feet, cireumfer-
enee at the breech 12 feet, bore 1 foot 3 inches, and dia-
meter of the tiosg fi;) feet 7 inches. It was, in the course
of the day, raised frdin the r,;O4PYA°Rt
and shipped
in a barge. and was from thence conveyed tQ
wield Ar,enal, where a pair of shearlegs have been
erected for the
purpose of proving it on the Warren.
The :General Steam Navigation Company's vessel
the Ocean, J. C. Hast, from Rotterdam, arrived off
the Custom-house yesterday, with the Dutch 3MI