The New York herald., 1861-12-30

The Indictment of the London Times, charging
Mr.. Seward with the avowal Of hostile intentions
towards England to be carried into practice by an
insult, should he obtain high Office under Mr.. Linz
coln expressed i'm conversation held with the
Duke Of Newcastle at Governor Morgan's dinner
table, when the Prince of Wales visited this coun-
try, is published in the HERALD to-day, with the
defence Of Mr.. Seward, as written by Thurlow
Weed, in reply.
We are again assured that France-the people
are unanimous against Napoleon taking England s
part against the United States and that the force
Of this opinion with the firm advice of Prince Ma
poleon in support Of it, had caused the Emperor to
resolve on decided neutrality in case Of hostili-
ties. The Paris Presse asserts " JEFF. Davis and
and his Cabinet are engaged in preparing
memorandum to be addressed to Europe.
This document treats the question Of the seces-
sion, declares that the war undertaken by the
Northern States will not lead to any result, and
that the separation is already legal fact. With
view, however, to put an end to q much-t0-bere.
gretted contest, and prevent great misfortunes,
the memorandum, it ia said, will propose an ami
cable separation on bases to be decided in CON-
mon; the Southern States being ready to agree to
any arrangement compatible with the dignity Of
all parties. This appeal to Europe is shortly TO be
published
The after dinner speech of Mr.. Williams, the
English mail agent on board the Trent, to the
members of the Yacht Club, in which he gives his
version Of the occurrences which took place at the
time Of the arrest of Mason and Slidell, is most
amusing production, and forms very entertaining
episode in the serious history Of Engand's war
complications.
Mr.. George F. Train lectured amidst consdera-
BILE tumult at Tunstall, England, on the subject Of
the crisis in the relations between Great Britain
and America.
MISCELLANEOUS NEWS
BY way of England we have very interesting
/ news from Liberia, dated at Monrovia on the 10th
Of October-about three weeks later The repub-
lie waS intensely excited in consequence of the
expected return of Spanish force from Sierra
Leone, in order to avenge the insult said to have
been offered to the flag of the Queen by the gunboat
Quail, acting under orders Of the Lberian govern
ment. Judge Washington had returned from
Sierra Leone, and reported to President Benson
that the Governor General of Fernando po
had assured him that the Quail would be
destroyed, and Monrovia probably attacked by
the shipsofwar OF Spain. The President had
consequently drawn out the coored militia and
was prepared to defend the country To the last 1t
is said that a native king will attack the
river settlements of the Liberians whenever the
Spaniards appear President Benson, amidst all
the din of approaching battle found time to enter
the court Of Venus, and is said to be paying his
addresses to Miss Annie Polston, an accomplished
young lady lately from Brooklyn, New York.
The Hon. Mr.. Ely, recently released from impri-
sonment in Richmond, and now in Washington. has
prepared and furnished the press with list of the
Union prisoners in the hands Of the rebels giving
the designation Of company, regiment, where from,
and the present location of each man. As we have
already published lists of the names of our sol
diers in confinement, we shall be compelled. from
want of space, to defer for day or two the docu
ment furnished by Mr.. Ely.
About the middle Of November last water.
Western Islands, which destroyed every house in
the village Of Fagens. Fortunately no lives were
lost
The debt of Allegheny county, Pa, including
pittsburg and Allegheny City, is nearly seven
million seven hundred thousand dollars, and the
value of the taxable property is but twenty eight
millions.
The city of Montreal was thrown into terrible
fta h,,a A., 4
been declared by the United States against Eng.
land, and that an army Of twenty thousand New
England troops was marching towards that city
from Vermont.
A despatch in yesterdays HERALD, under the
head of "News from the South' stated that John
G. Davis, member Of Congress from the Seventh
district of Indiana, was on his way to Richmond.
1t should have read formerly member OF Con-
gress. Hon. D. W. VOORHEES, is the present repre-
sentative Of the Seventh district.
1t is reported that a secret political society has
been organized in Michigan, the object of which is
to make the war an instrument for the emancipa-
tion Of slavery throughout the South.
Rev. DR.. Cheever preached last evening in the
Church of the Puritans. lie contended that the
seizure of Mason and Slidell by the government
was not sufficient cause for war; that Great
Britain had received no insult Of which they could
complain, and that the two rebels, if proper justice
were meted out to them, should be tried, and, if
convicted, hanged, with Captain Gordon, the pirate.
The Board of Excise are still engaged in deliver
ing the licenses heretofore granted. The number
granted this year is 994; but yet only about one.
half Of them have been taken up. This presents
the serious question whether it is not the duty of
the Police Commissioners to compel the delinquent
applicants to take up their licenses, by ipstituting
summary criminal proceedings against them? 1t
is evident that unless the authorities shortly and
rgidly enforce the Excise Law very few persons
will hereafter apply for license, nine tenths Of
the liquor dealers in this city have become embod
ened by the impunity with which it has been will
fully violated and avow their determination to re-.
sist its enforcement.
The United States steam transport Philadelphia,
lying at the foot Of Chambers street. North river,
is now loading provisions, hay and cattle for Tor.
tugas, Key West and Fort Pickens. She will pro.
badly sail to-day.
Mr.. william Bayard, Of Brooklyn, who rendered