The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-08-09 00:00:00

TUESDAY MORNING, AUGUST 9, 1836.

We have received New York papers up to the 17th
ult., but find in them little worth extracting. It is stated
that the commissioners who had been sent to Matamoras,
by the Texian government, to treat for the exchange of
prisoners, had been arrested by the Mexican authorities,
and thrown into prison. Further, that all overtures or
propositions, made on the part of the Texians, were re-
jected—that a liberation of the prisoners at Matamoros
was positively refused—and, in fine, that nothing like
treating with thefii on the basis of Texian independence,
would be listed to by the Mexicans. By this arrival we
also learn that 4000 Mexican troops were at Matamoras,
4000 at the Nueces, and 6000 at Saltillo.

A fire had occurred in Gold-street, New York, on the
12th nit., which destroyed considerable property, chiefly
literary. It was supposed to be the work of an incendiary.

In the House of Commons, on Friday evening, Mr.
Maclean, in a speech at once eloquent, sound, and discri-
minating, introduced the subject of Spanish affairs, con-
nected with the present. contest in that truly unhappy
country. We have not room to give even a fair outline
of the luminous expose made by this gentleman on the
various and highly important topics his speech embraced;
and though precluded from making any specific motion
on the question, by the decision of the Speaker, the cas-
tigation given to ministers, and the crooked nature of
their foreign policy, with respect to Spain. under the ma-
nagement of the hero of the " scented cane"—the would-
be facetious Lord Palmerston—was one which will not
easily be forgotten by the horse, and will assuredly have
its due weight with the reflecting portion of the commu•
nity throughout the kingdom. Mr. Maclean, after des-
canting upon the financial arrangements entered into for
the supply of stores and munitions of war to the govern-
ment of the Queen, fully demonstrated that no valid gua-
rantee had been taken by the English government for the
repayment of the money expended in these matters. He
then showed that the employment of the naval forces and
marines, to the extent to which it had been carried, was
out of the boundary laid down by the stipulations of the
" quadruple treaty," and that we were in a state of na-
tional hostile aggression to the cause and person of Don
Carlos, with whose interests we had no right, under
the law of nations, to interfere on the soil of Spain,
in flagrant opposition to the feelings and determination
of a large proportion of the people of that country, and
in furtherance of a course of policy :which was calculated
to bring certain dishonour on the British nation, and dis,
credit on the former and long since achieved credit of her
arms, "per mare et per terms," in every part of the
globe. In reply to Mr. Maclean's strictures on the con-
duct of the Westminster hero., and his death threatening
proclamation against English soldiers found fighting in
the cause of Don Carlos, the sapient war minister of a
British monarch said he." was no lawyer, and could not
precisely say of what crime British subjects so fighting
would be guilty" ! As for the rest it was vague, evasive,
and unsatisfactory. Mr. Grove Price supported Mr.
Maclean with his usual spirit. -

It was our intention, bad our space permitted in our last
number, to have offered some further observations on the
progress in committee of the Lords, of the two measures
introduced by Lord John Russell, ostensibly for the pur-
pose of relieving dissenters from certain disabilities, with
regard to the solemnization of marriages, the rite of bap-
tism, registration, et cetera.
By reference to the proceedings in the House of Lords
on Monday evening, the Ist instant, it will be seen, that
the all liberal and accommodating Whig cabinet, advanced
certain steps with the two several and respective pana-
ceas for conciliating that portion of "the people," com-
prehending the dissenting interest—the " marriages bill,"
and the "registration of births bill." Infinitely inferior
in all respects as both these measures still are, to the
comprehensive plans of Sir Robert Peel, for removing
the alleged " grievances" of dissenters, and for obviat-
ing their objections to the established forms and ceremo-
nies of the communion of the Church of England ; and,
however imprudent and speculatively innovating, as a
matter of internal social policy, so great a departure from
the fundamental principles of the baptismal and marriage
laws of our venerable established church, may justly be
held, by her reflecting and orthodox members, who have
been properly taught to cherish and uphold the indefeasi-
bility of all christian tenures and customs, and retained
more or less from the earliest times of our Saxon ances-