The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-12-12
New YORK, Monday, December IL, 1853.
The News,

New YORK, Monday, December ~, 1853.
The News.
The California steamers have not yet arrived They
are now three days over due; and the Charleston
and Savannah steamers due on Saturday have not
made their appearance. The loss of the cutter
Hamilton in a severe gale at the South, has caused
anxiety to be felt tor the Southern steamers.
The Star Of the West, from San Juan de Nicaragua,
has six hundred passengers and sl456 900 in gold
On board; the George Law, from Aspin vail, has
about five hundred passengers and 81 900 The
Alabama left Savannah, and the Union left Charles
ton on Wednesday last We are in hopes to chronicle
their safe arrival to-day.
The Arctic, from Liverpool, arrived at this port
yesterday morning, bringing our English files %
3Oth November, Paris advices to the 2Sth, with the
Latest dispatches from the seat of the Eastern war
We have no news of any events Of note. The Sultan
had approved of The skill with which Omer Pacha
conducted the operation Of passing and recrossing
She river; and many distinguished officers, both from
England and other countries had witnessed the
affair at Oltenitza and considered it highly credita
BILE to his military skill and the credit Of his troops
We are again assured thai decided trial of strength
between the two armies at some point between Kra-
jova and Kalefat, but no such action had occurred
when our advces left. It sal that both the Sultan
and the Gear were equally adverse to negotiation,
and that portion Of the English fleet had entered
the Black sea. General d'Hilliers as French am
bassador had been officially presented to the Sultan
On the 2sth November the Paris Bourse was much
agtated with rumors Of fresh complications of the
difficulty. Great excitement prevailed in AGghanis
TAM and it was said that the Afghan people we're At
war with Russia. Advces from Belgrade state that
the difficulties between the Porte and Ssrviau gov.
emments were settled.
The English Parliament had been formally pro
sogued to the 3rd Of next January. An unusual
military excitement pervaded the department OF
FraEce, and the minister had ordered the extension
and reorgan ization Of the Sharp Shooters
(chasseurs de vincennes), Of the imperial army. At
the opening OF the Prussian Chambers, the President
of the Senate referred in his speech to the constitu
tionsl neutrality which the Cabinet had decided to
obseI se. We refer to the Eastern question fully
In our editorial columns
The formal meeting Of the royal representatives
Of each branch Of the Bourbons is fully described in
our Paris letters and all the speeches aud courtesies
of the occasion reported.
Madrid letters inform US of p'qnqnt occurrence
which took place between Mr. Soule, Jr., Of our
Minister, and the Duke of Alba at ball. The quar-
rel terminated in challenge from Mr.. Soue to the
brother. in law of the French Empress.
Papers from India and China had reached England
by extraordinary express. The war still ragged in
Burmah, and reinforcements had gone from Calcutta
10 aid the British
From Singapore we have our files Of the g BIZ
Monthly Circular to the 10Th of October, from which
we learn that the shipments Of gold dust from the
Archipelago amounted TO four hundred and fifty two
bmcals and the exports to four hundred and thirty
eight buncals. Sales, chiefly for shipment to China,
we're made a. the rate Of S25 so per buncal In
China the insurrectionsry leaders maintained their
position at Shanghae. The u S. war ship Macedo
MAN was at Hong Kong.
Australian papers have also come to hand, but the
news contained in them antic pated by the direct
arrival Of the ship Bavaria at this port
We elsewhere give some additional particulars
relative to the great fire in Cliff and Pearl streets
last Saturday afternoon, together with the amount
Of loss and insurance of each sufferer near as has
been ascertained. The total value Of the property
destroyed, it appears, was in the negborhood OF
one million two hundred and fifteen thousand dol
lars of which the buildings, stock, DC, of Messrs.
Harper comprised more than one-half-the value of
their establishm ant, being get down at $500 000
They were only insured to the extent Of $3.50 ,000
and are consequently clear losers in the Of FIVE
hundred and fifty thousand dollars. The property
OF the Messrs Coolidge is estimated to have been
worth 5000 ,000 one half Of witch was insured The
balance Of the property destroyed belonged to va
rous persons mostly engaged in buildings in that
vicinity, and was valued at $2l4,sOo The narrative
with regard to the Old Walton House, which was
among the buildings destroyed, will be found very
interesting.
A despatch from Washington remarks that Mr.
Houston OF Alabama, will probably az ain be placed
at the head of the Committee of Ways and Means,
and that the other committees of the House will be
formed as nearly as possible from those members
who composed them at the last session. Mr.. Hous-
tom being strict economist, it is likely that of
The secretaries will be disappointed by not receiving
the full amount OF funds, set down in their estimates
rs necessary to meet the expe lses Of their various
departments.
One of the Halifax journals attributes the loss OF
the steamship Humboldt to an ignorant fisherman,
who boarded her in the character of pilot and I'M
dertook to convey her into port. This is very queer
sery.
Read the continuation of the investigation relative
70 the Canada Bank fraud published in another part
OF this paper. The developements very curious.
The following are merely the headings Of portion
az tne highly interesting reading with which this
number Of our paper Ia filed, ami to which we have
no rv.m ~ otherwise yefer:-Repoyt Of the Commis