The Sun. — 1839-03-04 (London, England)

PHILADELPHIA, FEB. 7.—A very important subject, not only to the United States, but also to every country to which our commerce extends, gave rise to a brief debate in the House of Representatives at Washington on Saturday last. I allude to the Tariff. Mr. Pickens, of South Carolina, said that " every Tyro in politics must know that parties were now organizing throughout the country in reference to the great Tariff question, which was to be decided in 1842." On this subject the difference of opinion between the northern and southern States will be wide the former as manufacturing communities, requiring high duties for the protection of American industry • while the latter, as exporting communities, will contend 'for low duties, by way of facilitating and increasing their sale of cotton, rice, and tobacco to foreign countries, and also to be able to purchase manufactured goods at the lowest possible price. The interests of the north and south are, therefore, of a conflicting character, the former being the manufacturers of America, and the latter the agri_ culturists and producers for export, Mr. Pickens is the leader of the Calhoun party in the House; and similar demonstrations have been made by Messrs. Calhoun and Benton in the Senate. In 1842 the duties, by the graduated scale of the existing tariff, will reach their minimum; and as the next Congress will continue until March, 1841, there will, doubtless, be efforts made by both parties in that Congress to modify the law. It is, and be, a question of momentous importance ; and tle allusion to the subject by Mr. Pickens may be Considered as the firing of the first, or original gun of the contest, which, in all probability, will take place in the long Session of 1839-40. As one of the signs of the times, it may be remarked that the southern States are straining every nerve, through the machinery of southern conventions, to establish an additional number of packet and trading ships to Europe from their own ports—to establish Atlantic steam navigation—to project and construct more railroads and canals—and above all, to promote manufactures amongst themselves. The elements of conflict, therefore, will be of an essentially different character to those which animated the last memorable dispute upon the same question. On the same day the notorious Dr. Theller, who joined in last winter's invasion of Canada, and afterwards escaped from the citadel of Quebec, presented a petition to the Senate through Mr. Clay, complaining that he had been tried as a British subject, and not as an American citizen ; that although he was born in the British empire, he was a naturalized citizen of the United States ; and he prayed the action of Congress in the matter. This was, of course, an attempt to create an excitement on the much agitated question of the last war--" once a British subject, always a British subject." No sensation, however, was produced. The petition was laid on the table, and Mr. Clay remarked in presenting it, that if the Canadian Judges had tried Theller as a British subject, it was wrong; but if they had tried him as an American citizen, it was all right. No other senator spoke on the petition, and thus the affair rested. The whole amount of Treasury notes authorised by the Act of October 12, 1837, 10,000,000 dollars, has been issued ; from which, after the nctes redeemed are deducted, there remain outstanding e,,813,882 dollars. presents those materials of pain' anad a „a and fearful n o loner ent and interest which have, al's so freni'ae excite ntly formed the prominent features of tt letters for the last four months. All is now quipt on the frontier ; and the reports emanating from Toronto and the western districts of another " projected invasion near Sandwich by a body of from 900 to 1,200 men," I firmly believe to be without the slightest foundation. Governor Arthur has returned from the London District and Sandwich to Toronto. H. Sherwood, Esq., the President of the Court-martial at London, has also returned to Toronto, Forty-five prisoners were tried there. Four or five officers of the Sandwich invaders will, it is expected, be hung. Bedford was hung at Sandwich on the 12th ult., and Clark on the 14th.  Detroit is in a sad state. That city is said by the papers to be infested with desperadoes. A few nights ago some of them attempted to set the Michigan Bank on fire, and actually burnt a quantity of valuable papers in a neighbour. ing office (Bates and Talbot's), after breaking it open. Efforts are now being made in several States to abolish imprisonment for debt. In Ohio the Legislature has abolished it as a barbarous practice. It has been shown in New York that an old man is now in Flower-hill gaol, where he has been incarcerated for eight years for a small debt.  A dreadful tragedy of love, jealousy, suicide, and attempted murder, occurred in New York on Saturday. A young Greek from Smyrna, named Paolo, became violently enamoured of a pretty German girl, named Josephine German. She rejected his advances in favour of another; and he, maddened by love, jealousy, and despair, entered her Voom with a brace of loaded pistols, one of which he fired at Josephine, and with the other shot himself ! He expired in a few minutes; but the unhappy girl still lingers in dreadful and hopeless agony. On the following day a ruffian, named Fountain, struck a police officer with an axe, in New York, and divided both his jaws. He iA since captured, but the poor officer lies at the gates of death. lam sorry to add, also, that g‘icra were six suicides in New York and its vicinity last week. _  --Al;eaJtiful girl at a boarding-school in Albany, While performing an affecting piece 94 the piano, expired as she