The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-03-05 00:00:00

IiOUSE CF COMAIONS.—FrunAv.

Much inttrest WAS excited the tootton of Mr. T.
Do-N(3474RD for A rrturti of Al moht-i, paid to Mr. IL B.
ifuE.ieK, Mr. C. Ross, and Mr. J. Jar.ft,on on acculint of
army mule by 111,M to the gov.roment
tif4tiye to reoe,il agitation in Ireland, together with
• -• i,,,,iraetion4 given to th-4n respecti!,g the
copies return
to

duties they were to perform in irei,ino ; :1111)
of the monies paid to the Morning Herald and Standard
newspapers, on account of inform,ition given by them to
the government. The hon. gentleman was unsparing in
his invectives, condemning the conduct of Mr. Ross, as
savouring of espionage, the discredit of which must be
shared by the government which employed him. The
Morning Herald and Standard he also condemned, though
he was willing to admit that their object in what they had
done was not pecuniary.
Sir J. GRAHAM. in reply, stated the sums paid to Mr.
Hughes and Mr. Ross; and said, that so far from being
open to the charge of espionage, the instructions to Mr.
Ross were that he should openly avow himself as a go-
vernment reporter. He had no objection to some parts
of the motion ; but he was decidedly opposed to that por-
tion of it referring to the liforning Herald and Standard :
not because he was afraid of any disclosure, for he pledged
himself as a gentleman that neither of those papers had
received anything whatever, but because—however untrue,
however baseless the imputation—the very fact of its
forming part of a motion agreed to by the house could
scarcely fail to leave some stain behind. He opposed it
upon the same ground that he would oppose a motion
calling for a return of the sum of money paid to any par-
ticular member of that house for his vote upon any par-
ticular occasion. _ .

Lord J. RUSSELL gave a definition of espionage, ac-
cording to his ideas of the matter. He was of opinion
that attending and reporting an open meeting could not
be brought under the meaning of the term, which could
only be fairly applied to getting admission surreptitiously
to the private meetings of the parties whose proceedings
were reported.
After some observations from Mr. Bellew, and Mr. T.
Duncombe in reply, the house divided and the motion was
defeated by a majority of 144 to 73.
On the motion that the Speaker should leave the chair
to go into a committee of supply, _ _

Mr. S. CRA.WFORD moved as an amendment that the
several petitions which have been received since the com-
mencement of the session, complaining that the house is
not a true representation of the people, be referred to a
select committee to inquire into the said allegation ; and
that the further consideration of the estimates be post-
poned till such committee shall report thereon.
Mr. BLEWITT seconded the amendment, which, on a
division, was defeated, by a majority of 91 to 15.
The house then went into committee, and the navy
estimates were proceeded with. The discussion of them
occupied the remainder of the night.

FOREIGN 4• COLONIAL INTELLIGENCE.

AMERICA.

By the packet-ships George Washington, United States,
and England, the latter of which arrived here on Sunday
night, we have received advices from New York to the
16th ult.
In the Senate, on the sth ultimo, Mr. Hannegan pre-
sented some extravagant resolutions from the legislature
of Indiana, instructing the senators to use their efforts to
procure measures for the immediate possession of the
Oregon territory, "peaceably if they can, forcibly if they
must." The resolutions, which speak of the " grasping
spirit and insatiable ambition of the British government",
passed unanimously, or nearly so. On the same day the
report of the Committee of Finance was taken up, and
Mr. Evans spoke two or three hours on the subject. Mr.
Hunt presented a petition for the extension of the ordi-
nance of 1787, prohib;ting slavery in the northwest terri-
tories of the United States west of the Mississippi, and
moved it to be referred to a select committee on territo-
ries. The subject was laid on the table, yeas, 118 ; nays,
50. On the following day Mr. Evans resumed, and the
debate was again adjourned, and continued, at intervals,
until the 12th ultimo. The Senate, in Executive Session,
on the 9th ultimo, confirmed the nomination of Mr. Wise,
as United States Minister to Brazil, by a vote of 30 to 10.
The Right Hon. R. Pakenham, Envoy Extraordinary
and Minister Plenipotentiary to the United States from
the Court of St. James's, arrived out at New York on the
12th ultimo, in the Vestal.
Mr. Calhoun has withdrawn from the Presidential
contest.
The General Assembly of Alabama, at its late session,
adopted several resolutions, introduced by 111 r. H untington
into the House of Representatives, to the effect, " that we
pledge ourselves, each to the other, to the maintenance
of a spirit of all proper economy and retrenchment in our
State expenditures, and to the discontinuance of all at-
tempts to blot the fair eseutcheon of our commonwealth
with the odious stain of repudiation." In Pennsylvania,
too, an effort seems to be making in the same cause.
The Whigs of Maine have nominated the Hon. G.
Crars, of the United States Senate, for the office of Vice-
President. Henry Clay is the candidate for the Pre-
sidency.
Governor Divis, the Commissioner appointed by the
Illinois bondholders in Europe to examine the internal
improvements of that state, had returned to Massachu-
setts. He was accompanied by Mr. Ryan, Commissioner
on the part of the stare, who returns to Europe with the
report. Its tendency has not transpired. •
Boston Harbour is again closed up with ice.
f., 1-at ;natant-, states, that
despatches were received at Kingston, on the 2lth inst.,
conveying her Majesty's approval of all the measures of
Excellency the Governor-General, and an assurance that,
in the pursuance of the same policy, he may rely on the
cordial support of the ministers of the crown. The at-
tempt made be Mr. Buchanan to arrange the difficulties
between the Cork and Connaught men on the Welland
Cabral had proved a failure. His Excellency Sir Charles
Metcalfe had appointed Mr. James Macaulay Higginson
to he his civil secretary.

The Mexican Government, in conformity with the de-
mand of the United States minister, had.repealed the
decree ordering all Americans to leave the Californias.
The Mexican steam•spip Montezuma left Vera Cruz on
the 26th ult. for Campeachy, having onboard the Yucatan
commissioners. It is no.i positively stated, that all the
difficulties between the revolted province and the Central
Government have been amicably settled- The Mexican
fleet was on the point of sailing for Alvarado. The British
frigate Inconstant arrived at Vera Cruz on the 221 Jan.,
from Port Royal. She reported that the whole British
fl,tet was to sail for Vera Cruz two days after she left. It
was reported at Vera Cruz that our minister had intimated
to the Mexican authorities, that, on the arrival of Mr.
Fox, the new minister from this country, the British flag
should be hoisted on the staff of the castle in addition to
the usual salute. _

—A
bill is before congress directing active and offensive
hostilities against the Mexican towns if the Texian priso-
ners are not liberated by the Ist March next. The bill
further provides, that the army to be organized shall en-
deavour to procure a sufficient number of Mexican priso-
ners, of the highest rank and consideration, to be held as
hostages for the good treatment of the Texian captives;
that the warfare shall be transferred to the Mexican soil ;
and that the Texion troops shall be supported and paid by
confiscation of property and forcing contributions. A
bill providing for annexation to the United States has
passed the house. All the representatives and all the
senators but one are said to be in favour of annexation.
Rumours were rife along the western frontiers of a new
and formidable invasion. Little importance was attached
to them at Houston or Galveston. A bill to modify the
present tariff of Texas had been reported by the committee
of finance in the house of representatives, and, it is said,
will probably be adopted. President Houston had pub-
lished a message, painting, in deplorable colours, the situa-
tion of the Texian navy, and recommending the sale of the
vessels comprising it. This message was followed by a
bill to authorize the sale of the navy. The President is
stated to be favourable to the annexation of Texas to the
United States. It is also stated, that negotiations upon
the subject had been proposed by Mr. Upshur, the Ameri-
can Secretary of State.
The Mexican steamer Montezuma arrived at Laguna on
the sth of January, after having landed the Yucatan com-
missioners at Campeachy, on their return from Mexico,
having settled all difficulties with that republic.
We have Kingston, Jamaica, papers to the 16th of
January. They state that the long-continued drought
had become a matter of general complaint throughout the
island, and threatened to cause a considerable diminution
of the ensuing crop,

In the Hou-se of Representatives Mr. M`Duffie's Tariff
Bill was still under consideration. The resolution of Mr.
Atcheson, of Maine, requesting the President to give no-
tice to the Government of Great Britain of the termina-
tion of the Joint Occupancy of Oregon, was again
prkctpnnced Tha_Tanicnn'a V; flat
Senate. The house had decided that the four members
elected by general ticket were entitled to their seats.
Mr. Pakenham, the new Envoy from this country to
Washington, had received many visitors, and had nume-
rous calls rom official and other persons, and much
curiosity prevailed to learn the nature of his instructions,
particularly with respect to the Oregon territory. On the
15th ult. he held a sort of levee of the English residents,
and, on the 16th, he set out for Washington.
Exchange was dull at 109 to 1091., and a decline was
anticipated.
Several thousand barrels Genessee and Ohio Flour have
been sold at 4 dollars 94-cents for fair brands, and 5 dolt.
12 cents to 5 dollars 25 cents for fancy Ohio.
There had been a brisk demand for cotton, principally
by speculators, but prices were unaltered. The rates of
freight to this
bales. port veered. in square, and Ad. in round,
The markets, generally, had been rather brisk at the
leading ports. At Mobile prices had a slightly downward
tendency. At Savannah there had arrived, between the
6th and the 10th ult., 7,516 bales, leaving a stock on hand
of 33,620 bales Upland and 920 bales Sea Island, against
31,744 bales Upland and 1,756 bales Sea Island at the
corresponding period last year. At Columbus the article
was coming forward hut slowly, prices ranging from 6 to
10 cents. At Macon sales had been generally made at
from Bto 9.1 cents. At New Orleans a fair business had
been doing at the following prices :—Ordinary, 8 to 84;
middling fair; 91 to 94; fair, 91; good fair, 104- to 101
cents.

The banks in all parts of the southern states were
making great efforts to extend facilities to cotton specu-
lators, to enable them to hold. The resources of the
banks, it is stated, were gradually getting absorbed in
storks of cotton.

We have intelligence from Port-au-Prince to the ,2.1 d
January. M: &mutt, the French charge d'Affairs, had