Ainiscallantotts.

The Archduke of Austria arrived in town on Monday afternoon, from Portsmouth, where he had visited all the most notable objects for the inspection of a naval commander. He travelled by a royal railway carriage. He was attended to town by Captain Fitzroy, R.N., and five gentlemen of his own suite. Prince Paul Esterhazy, Austrian Ambassador, Baron Nieumann, Special Minister, and the Attaches of the Embassy, received his Impprial Highness at Mivart's Hotel.

Sir Robert Peel and the Earl of Aberdeen, who left Dalkeith Palace for Drayton Manor early on the Thursday morning, passed through Newcastle-upon-Tyne at six o'clock on Friday morning. The carriage was detained for about twenty minutes in Pilgrim Street, changing horses ; and a multitude of persons collected to scrutinize the Premier. The cheering was universal, according to some accounts ; while accord- ing to others there was a considerable admixture of hissing. Some persons pressed forward to shake hands with Sir Robert.

Sir Robert Peel arrived in town, from Drayton Manor, on Wednesday. Sir James Graham and Mr. Gonlburn returned on Wednesday from their weekly trip to the Isle of Wight.

The Marquis of Wellesley is suffering from severe indisposition, at Kingston House. Last week he underwent an attack of dysentery, which has seriously impaired his strength, and, at his advanced age, caused much alarm to his friends. No immediate danger, however, is apprehended.

Sunday the 4th September was a great day for Ireland. The Lord- Lieutenant assisted at the celebration of high mass in the Cathedral of Cologne ; being the first time since the days of Tyrconnell that any individual holding that office has been known to be present witnessing and countenancing such a solemnity.—Dublia Monitor.

Lord John Russell, it is said, has been occupying his leisure hours, since his retirement from office, in preparing for publication selections from the correspondence of John fourth Duke of Bedford, from the ori- ginals preserved at Woburn Abbey.— Times.

Mr. Hardinge, the son of the Secretary at War' suffered a severe accident on Monday. On his way to town, from Kent, his foot was jammed between the steamer and the pier at Hungerford ; and it was found necessary to amputate the limb above the ankle.

In a general order issued by Sir Neil Douglas, the Commander-in" Chief in Scotland, distributing approval to a variety of military officer' i

and corps for their conduct n attendance on the Queen during her tour, the General quotes the Queen's own words as the best that he can use- " Sir Neil, I am happy to assure you, that the arrangements of the troops have been very perfect, and have given me the greatest satisfaction.' "To which his Royal Highness Prince Albert, after a flattering eulogy on the conduct and appearance of the troops, was pleased to add, that neither ' delay ' nor mistake 'bad occurred during the whole of her Majesty's progress since her arrival."

The Guildry of Dundee, at a meeting held last week, resolved to pre- sent the freedom of the corporation to the Marquis of Breadalbane, as a public acknowledgment of the princely and magnificent manner in which he entertained the Queen and her consort at Taymouth Castle. The reason assigned for this extraordinary intrusion was, that the Mar- quis had been horn in Dundee !—by what accident is not stated.

In the report of the Edinburgh Town-Council proceedings, it was made to appear that Sir William Drysdale objected to the proposal that the freedom of the city should be carried to Dalkeith for presentation to Prince Albert, on account of the expense, and everybody was astonished at the unexpected Parsimony of the Treasurer. It seems that it was altogether the blunder of a reporter. In a letter to the Scotsman, Sir William says—" I merely suggested, that if his Royal Higl n. se would accept of the freedom of the city in the Council Hall, I thought it would be the most appropriate place ; and in reference to the remarks made about expense, and for the very purpose of preventing a repetition of them, I added, that this arrangement, if acceded to, would supersede any discussion upon such subject. It was the furthest from my thoughts to object to any expense whatever upon this occasion." The Scotsman's reporter acknowledges that this is a correct account of what was said by Sir William Drysdale. So Sir William is not the Sibthorp, or Con- servative Hume, of the Town-Council ; and our laugh must no longer be at his inappropriate parsimony, but at the absurdity of imputing it.

The Shearwater, Government steam-vessel, which left Granton Pier soon after the Trident, met with an accident during her passage, which was of a very serious and dangerous character. Shortly after three o'clock on Friday morning, when between Flarnborough Head and Shields, she came into collision with a large collier. The whole of her figure-head, a great portion of the cutwater, and part of the bowsprit, were completely knocked away. Her paddle-box on the larboard side was also knocked in. The collier was so much damaged that it was not expected she would be enabled to reach Shields in safety. The Shearwater, instead of proceeding to Woolwich, was obliged to put in at Harwich. Among the members of the Royal Household who were on board, were the Earl of Liverpool and the Earl of Hardwicke.

An accident also happened on board the Black Eagle, on the outward voyage. The steamer was towing the royal yacht, when the tow-line broke, and Mr. John Allen, a London pilot, was much hurt ; the rope flying round his legs, breaking both, and lacerating them severely. Mr. Allen was carried to the Infirmary at Edinburgh. He is doing well, but will most likely be incapacitated for the rest of his life, after having been a ship-pilot in the Thames for thirty years.

We are sorry to learn that the demonstrations of gladness that wel- comed her Majesty's arrival in the Highlands were attended with a pain- ful and fatal accident. On the night her Majesty reached Taymoutb, among the most prominently-illuminated hills around was that of Birnam, to the top of which hundreds had been carrying materials throughout the day, to have a blaze worthy of the occasion on so classic a spot. Among those employed in conveying fagots to the top of the hill, was a forester, residing in the neighbourhood ; who had been taking a load up pretty late at night, when he missed his footing, and falling over one of the steep precipices that abound there, was killed on the spot. He has left a wife and numerous family to mourn his loss.— Perthshire Courier.

The Times on Wednesday put forth the following proposal of further reform of the Corn-laws-

" We have read with some attention an article in the Quarterly Review, which we suppose may be considered as a kind of Conservative manifesto on the subject of Sir Robert Peel's financial measures, whipping, to the best of its power, the unhappy Sir Richard Vyvyan for his attempt at ' mutiny,' and panegyrizing, rather too broadly for our taste, the genius and measures of Sir Robert Peer.

" Though not disposed to adopt the unmodified tone of the Quarterly while speaking of Sir R. Peel, we yet cannot avoid drawing attention to the very remarkable results, if results they are, of his modification of the Corn-laws, as disclosed in one or two tables of duties and averages, which form, perhaps, the most valuable part of that article.* From those tables, which we reprint in another part of our paper, it appears, that from the end of April to the beginning of September, a period of eighteen weeks, the price of corn rose in the first fourteen weeks with remarkable e9uability, from 59s. Id. to Gts. 7d.; and then, when the harvest was fairly got in, fell in the remaining four weeks to 61s. 10d., giving, it will be observed, in all this period, a difference of only 5a. 6d., and that not by any rapid leap, but in general by a gradual rise of 4d, 5d., or 6d. a week ; the duty, of course, varying proportionally from 13s. to 8s. "At these rates of duty, no less than 2,457,931 quarters of corn have been entered for home consumption ; which have on an average paid no less a sum than 8s. 4d a quarter duty, giving in all a revenue of 974,0241.; and this in five months.

"This is the result of one table ; and now for the other. It appears that in the fourteen years preceding, we have imported on an average about one mil- lion of quarters a year, which have paid an average duty of 5s. 7d. a quarter, producing an average annual revenue of something under 300,000/. ; the annual importation being considerably less than one-half, and the annual revenue very decidedly less than one-third of what has been produced by the present law in the course of five months. Or, setting aside the system of averages as falla- cious, we may observe, that the quantity of wheat imported in the four months succeeding the enactment of Sir Robert Peel's bill has exceeded the whole im- portations of any one of these fourteen years, excepting 1839, and has nearly equalled that ; the former amounting, as we have already said, to 2,457,931, the latter only to 2,702,848 quarters. And, what is still more remarkable, these enormous importations have taken place, as the Quarterly remarks, in the face of a most abundant harvest at home; and the average price of corn, which since 1828 has amounted only to 59s., has, in spite of all this, stood for the last four months at 62s. Id. the quarter. "Now, we are willing to allow that it is not fair to draw any certain infer- ence from an experience so limited. The excitement consequent on the sudden opening of the corn-trade will account for some considerable increase in the imports. Again, it is probable that many entries have been thrown upon these four months which would have taken place in the earlier part of the year, but for the expectation of a favourable change. Still this is not enough to account for the enormous difference which we have stated to exist between the last and any preceding four months; still less to explain the more extraordinary fact that that importation, joined to a most promising harvest, has not reduced the price of corn even so low as its former average. But let us make what deductions we please, we cannot so pare down the fact as to extinguish a most remark- able and decisive testimony to the wisdom of the Premier's measure : and two or three remarks especially suggest themselves. " First, with regard to cheap food. This is • point on which the Ministerial supporters of the Ministerial bill are in something oft dilemma. Either their bill will or will not lower the price of corn. If it will, it will damege,pro tante, the farmer ; if it fails to do so, it will not satisfy the cry for cheap food. And so, whatever they promise, they bring somebody or other about their ears. The two claims are plainly irreconcilable; and if they please one demandant, they must, however some very zealous partisans may struggle against the difficulty, make up their minds to affront the other. But it must be allowed, that the event of their measure has proved as valuable to them as any could possibly be in this respect. It has hitherto appeared that the relaxation of the restrictive system, though it has increased importation, has not materially lowered prices. And this goes at once to reassure the farmer, by showing him that his pros- • These tables it is not necessary to copy. The first is an " account of wheat and wheat-flour entered for home consumption at ten of the principal ports of Groat Britain in each week since the passing of the new Corn-law, [eighteen weeks, from April 22d to August 25th.) with the average price and rates of ■tuty." It presents the following results: total quarters entered. 6.457.931; general average price, 62s. id; retool duty. ; [this seems to be a mistake: the average rate of duty. according to the figures given, would be about 10s. 44.; the mean, 10s. 64.); total amouutof duty. 974,1)24/. The nest table exhib;ts the " average prices and total quantities of foreign *heat and wheat flour entered for home consumption, with the average rate and total amount of denies paid thereon, with the average prices of flour for each year duriugthe operation of Act 9 George IV. c. 60, from the 15th of July 1828 to the 29th of April 1842. 'the table really accounts for the half of each year ; and fur the portion of 1842 up to April 29th. The average price per quarter in that time WL111554., the range hems from 39s. 4d. to Wt. 8d.; the gross amount of quarters entered was 14,914.547; the total net amount of duty paid (for the whole period) was 4,164,8001. ; the average rate of duty. Si. 7d.

•

The Paris papers of Monday were all but universally occupied in discussing the treaty just concluded between this country and the United States. We borrow, with some further abridgment, the concise summery of the Times- " In the opinion of the National, the United States, although the treaty was highly honourable and conformable to their interest, had not derived all the advantages they might have expected from the embarrassed position of Great Britain, which was betrayed by her excessive anxiety to arrive at the concht- perity is far less dependent on this artificial protection than he has been in the habit of thinking; and to quiet the more violent section of those who denounce all restriction as a tax on the head of the poor man, by showing that he is mis- taken in charging the evil ender which he suffers upon this part of our fiscal system. The Corn-laws have been partially repealed; they have produced the impartation; but this importatien has not produced the cheapness of corn which might have been predicted. The fact is most extraordinary ; but hitherto such is the fact; and certainly it is a convenient one for the Ministers. " On this the Quarterly observes, that the measure just passed has united advantages hitherto treated as incompatible ; it has raised the revenue, it has given abundance of provision to the people, and this without interfering with the prosrrity of the farmer. We will add, it has given steadiness to the aver- ages, which cannot fail of being advantageous to all parties. " But we would now suggest, not as being in any hurry about the matter, but for the mature consideration of Government, whether an experiment which has hitherto answered so well does not tempt to a further advance. If the duties are really of so little importance to the farmer as the experience of the last four months would show, and their reduction so efficacious in throwing into our bands an abundance of the staff of life, it may be thought that we are wanting to ourselves in not pursuing to its legitimate limits a course of so great promise and open to so little objection. And indeed, the very f ct that the great increase of supply has not been sufficient to lower the prices, would seem to imply a sudden and proportionate increase in demand, and to give force and application, even beyond the speaker's intention, to Sir Robert Peel's argu- ment, when he urged that the population of the country was increasing faster than their means of subsistence, and that it was the plain duty of the Parlia- ment to keep pate with that increase by the gradual extension of our sources of supply. It can hardly be unsafe, one would think, to carry on the neces- sary system of extension, at least till the plenty which it is to accomplish begins to affect the market.

"Lastly, the new scale bore a kind of approximation to a fixed duty. The variations were ccmpressed within narrower limits, and the differences were in themselves smaller and more regular. The result has been a vast increase in the revenue, and a more steady and sound state of the market. Dere, too, we would venture to suggest that the result is not only satisfactory but encourag- ing. Success invites progress. Advantages which have been gained by the present might surely be doubled by a more extensive reform ; and such, we hope, before long, will be the opinion of the Conservative leaders.

"We owe to Sir Robert Peel thanks for what be has done. Ile has done— events show that it is so—he has done all that could be done at the moment.

A bolder attempt would have effected the disruption of his own party, and that at a moment most critical for the wellbeing of the country. But we shall still hope to be more in his debt before we have done with him. There has never been any one reason given for his stopping where he has done. Figures are not principles; and we have not yet heard any argument for the particular figures composing the present Cont-law scale, excepting that there they were. The scale has slid once ; there is no visible reason why it may not absolutely collapse. Duties have diminished once; we look to see them waste away yet a little more. And we will venture to predict, that whatever review under

those circumstances undertakes a justification of the Premier's policy, will appeal to a no less striking display of success than has been done by the Quarterly."

The average price of wheat continues to fall; today the six weeks' average is down to 54s. 7d., which governs the duty of 18s. per quarter on importation ; but with the certainty of a farther increase of duty in a week or two. It appears that the losses sustained by the import of foreign corn this season—estimated at about two millions of pounds, or double the amount paid for duty to the Government—have not been suf- ficient to deter: new adventurers, who continue to import wheat from the Continent, and who are even now sending out fresh orders for pur- chases; although at the same time other persons are looking out for better markets, whither they may reexport the corn which they find it impossible to sell here without submitting to the most ruinous sacri- fice.—Olobe, Sept. 22.

On Saturday evening last, the crier at Wisbech was employed to an- nounce that a certain tradesman in the town had received a quantity of foreign potted-beef, which he could sell at tid. per pound. The crier had no sooner finished his round, than he was engaged by a butcher, to inform the public that he was selling good English potted-beef at 30. per potind.—Stamford Mercury.

Sir Peter Laurie had before him at Guildhall, on Tuesday, Mr. Vena- Wes, a butcher in Newgate Market, as witness in some case of little in- ferest; and with his usual activity, Sir Peter subjected the witness to the following cross-examination on the effects of the new Tariff-

. Sir Peter Laurie said, he was glad to get information from practical men : he wished to know whether the importation of foreign cattle was decreasing or increasing? Mr. Venables said it was increasing. There were some very fine Spanish cattle in Smithfield Market on Monday. The price paid in Spain was very :10w; and the importers bad made a good profit. Sir Peter Laurie asked if an importation from Spain had been expected ? Mr. Venablee said, certainly not, on account of the length of the voyage ; but they came in good condition for killing. No foreign meat, however, was equal to our own.

Sir Peter Laurie said he had recently visited Belgium and Holland, and to him the cattle thereabout seemed to be in excellent condition.

Mr. Venahles said, what we had received from that quarter was certainly very fine ; but they put ten beasts to graze on a plot that would be given to three in England. An acre of land would only an; port one beast and a sheep. Sir Peter asked what reduction had been effected in the price of meat ?

Mr. Venables replied, a halfpenny a pound. Prices would never rise again above the present level, and it was clear they must go lower in a year or eigh- teen months. Large quantities of American salt pork were coming in. It was a very superior article, and the sale would be extensive. At the Barnet Fair just closed, no cattle could be sold but at a reduction of 31. a head on the last year's prices. On the last day of the fair, 22,000 cattle remained unsold; while on the same day of the last year not one head remained unsold as early as two o'clock.

Sir Peter asked what would become of the unsold beasts?

Mr. Venables said, they would be driven about to other fairs, and sold at the same reduction of 3/. a bead. The graziers were suffering now, but ultimately the landlords must bear the loss. sion of peace. It blames the American Government for not demanding Fuji satisfaction for the destruction of the Caroline, and flatters itself with the hope that the affair of the Creole, which was left unsettled, may yet lead to a rup- ture. The Courrier Francais states, that the Government of the Union had, by that treaty, given a new consecration to the grand principle of the invio- lability of the flag, and that it was impossible to suppose that, in presence of such a compact, other Cabinets could long submit to the humiliation of the right of search; and the protocol should still be left open, in order that France might Adhere to the deplorable treaty of 1841: The ant- mem, after presenting its readers with a most gloomy epture of our situa- tion, and bestowing a few words of praise on the activity of our states- men, their devotion to their country and its interests, expresses indignation at the United States being allowed the honour of showing to the world how the pretensions of England can be resisted." Is not France,' it exclaims, as great and as powerful as the American republic? does she occupy less space and hold an inferior rank among nations? And yet, since the Revolution of July, we have been at the mercy and placed under the control of England. We have submitted to the right of visitation, which the Americans have re- jected once more; we have even to a certain extent voluntarily undergone that humiliation, after a public insult, after the signature and execution of the treaty of the 15th of July. What is the cause of this difference between the two countries 2—It is simply this : the American Cabinet depends for support on its own citizens against foreigners, whilst the French Cabinet stands in need of foreign aid to make bead against the interior.' The Journal des Di- hats thinks the question of the right of march more removed than ever from a satisfactory solution ' The United States not only have not obtained any satisfaction on the most irritating point of their relations with Great Britain, but the English Plenipotentiary even refused, in a categorical manner, to enter into any arrangement on a question which, it is true, can only present itself in time of war, but which always leaves the door open for a rupture.' The Presse says much the same as the Commerce: 'It is Incumbent on us, whenever the British Admiralty shall demand warrants fur its officers, to deny them peremp- torily, and to withdraw successively those that have been already issued. We have no other line of policy to pursue.'" The Courrier Fran pals announces that Lord Lowther had visited Paris for the purpose of making new arrangements for the conveyance of the Indian mail, which was no longer to proceed through France after the expiration of the convention signed by the Post-offices of the two countries- " The mails," it says, "will hereafter be landed at Venice or Trieste. This will be highly prejudicial to our country, and by no means advantageous to the English ; but although the distance be loner by that road than through France, their correspondence will follow it in preftrence, in order to avoid the delays and vexations of every description which their couriers have experienced in France. Such is the result of the impediments opposed to commercial and political relations by a narrow-minded and teasing Administration." On the other hand, Galignani's Messenger says that Mr. Dabost, one of the heads of the French Post-office, left Paris on Thursday for London- " This gentleman is charged by the Government to negotiate a new Post- office treaty on a much larger and more liberal basis than the existing one. The arrangements contemplated in M. Dubost's mission extend also, we understand, to the more rapid transmission of the Indian mail from Marseilles, and to the putting an end to the vexatious delays and difficulties which the couriers of the London press have hitherto experienced in carrying their des- patches through France."

M. Dubost always opposed in the Council the contemptible system pursued by the Administration with regard to the expresses of the English papers, and denied .the legal right to prevent their free circula- tion through France. The Times ascribes more extensive objects to M. Dubost's mission, and says that he has come "to treat with our Post-office authorities for the reduction of the postage-duties on letters from France to England, and vice versa ; and that there is at length rea- son to hope for the realization of the wisely-conceived ameliorations so ably recommended three or four years since in the work published on the subject by M. Pirou, Deputy Postmaster-General of France."

The Morning Chronicle is informed that" a treaty is upon the poin of being concluded with Hanover by which the Stade duties are to be increased." "Upon many of our Commodities, upon raw cotton for in- stance, we understand the duty is to be doubled. Something like a hundred thousand pounds a year, it is estimated, is to be levied by the new treaty, for the benefit of the King of Hanover." The Morning Post says that the representations of the Chronicle are false : "The regulation to which they (the duties) are now about to be submitted will have reference, not so much to their amount as to the mode of col- lection ": "the truth is that the operation of the new system will be to diminish the levy by the abolition of all fees on its collection ; and this diminution will be effected on a gross amount which never ex- ceeded by more than a few hundreds an average of 14,000/. per annum on British shipping ! " The Chronicle, however, returns to the charge, and seems to make out a case.

The Augsburg Gazette of the 15th gives the following statement—.

"During the negotiations for the treaty of commerce between Belgium and France, two notes, one from the Prussian Cabinet, the other from that of Eng- land, were transmitted to the Belgian Government. The English note con- tained menaces; that of Prussia observed that the King of the Belgians and his Ministers would understand too well the interest of their country to draw upon it the hostility of the rest of Europe by an exclusive adhesion to the in- terests of France, and the Prussian Government would see with pleasure the Belgian Government contributing to the modification of the Belgian duties on the Prussian frontier. The Belgian Government did not allow itself to be in- timidated by the note of the British Government, and preferred acting in the sense of that of Prussia."

Cape Town journals have been received to the 20th of Jaly, °ono veying the important intelligence of the relief of Captain Smith and his detachment at Natal; despatches having been received from Captain Smith and Colonel Cloete, with fall accounts.

Captain Smith's despatch is addressed to Colonel Hare, and dated 30th June. It confirms the report of the taking of the Point at Natal by the Boers on the 25th of May. An 18-pounder fell into their bands and a quantity of provisions ; but a quantity of powder had luckily been removed to the camp ; where Captain Smith now concentrated all his force, and determined to await reinforcements. The Captain's suc- cinct narrative of the events which followed is interesting-

" The Farmers having desired the Captains of the Pilot and Mazeppa to write and express to me their willingness to enter into arrangements for the removal of the troops, which letter reached me the day after the Point fell into their possession, I accepted their proposal for a truce ; being desirous of gaining time to strengthen the post as much as possible. During ita conti- nuance, they sent in terms so ridiculously extravagant, that although the quantity of provisions in the camp was extremely limited, I immediately broke off all communication with them ; being fully determined, sooner than submit, to endure the extremity of privation. -I therefore placed the men upon half- allowance ; destroyed a small post which I bad caused to be erected between the camp and some buildings occupied by the English residents; and made my po- sition as secure as I possibly could, with a view to holding out to the last. Their arrangements being completed, the Farmers, about six a. m. on the 31st, made a desperate attack on the camp, throwing into it during the course of the day 122 round shot, besides keeping up an incessant Are of musketry. On the following day, (June 1st,) they slackened their fire of musketry, but threw in 124 round shot; and on the 2d opened a fire from the 18-pounder, which they had contrived to bring from the Point, while they still continued their dis• charges of musketry. During the course of this day, they sent the Reverend Mr. Archbell, with a flag of truce, proposing to allow the women to quit the camp, and to send back two wonnded men ; but this was done merely to gain time to repair some works thrown down i by the fire from our batteries. Here

re I think it right to observe, that they wencessantly employed every night in snaking approaches towards the post, which were constructed with considerable skill: this the nature of the ground enabled them to do with much facility; and from thence a most galling fire was constantly kept up, particularly on the two batteries wherein I had placed the 18 .pounder and howitzer. "Finding that the few cattle remaining at the kraal were dying, either from wounds or want of sustenance, I directed that they should be killed and made into biltong, reducing the issue to half a pound daily. I also had a well dug in the camp, which gave good water; there being a risk in going to the valley at night, from whence we had hitherto procured it. "In resuming my detail of proceedings, I may state generally that the at- tacks on the camp were continued from day to day with more or less spirit by the Farmers; who, having soon exhausted their iron balls, fired leaden ones from their large guns, in some instances sending them with much precision. Our practice from the camp was excellent ; a shot from the 18-pounder having dis- mounted one of their 6-pounders on the 3d instant, besides wounding several of those attached to it.

"On the night of the 8th, I sent out a party to destroy some works in our front ; which was accomplished without loss. In a subsequent sortie, made on the night of the 18th instant, we were less fortunate, although the duty was performed with great gallantry ; the Boers being surprised in their trenches, and many bayoneted after a stout resistance. In this attack, which was beaded by Lieutenant Molesworth, Twenty-seventh Regiment, I bad to regret the loss of Ensign Prior and two privates of the same corps, who were killed, besides four others being severely wounded. a Upon inquiring into the state of the provisions this day, I found that only three days' hum of meat remained. I therefore directed that such horses as were living might be killed and made into biltong. We had hitherto been is- suing biscuit-dust, alternating with biscuit and rice, at half-allowance. The horse-flesh, of which there was but little, we commenced using on the 22d; and by a rigid exactness in the issues, I calculated we might certainly hold out, al- though without meat, for nearly a month longer ; for we had eleven bags of forage-corn in store, which I had commenced grinding into meal ; and by every one contributing what remained of private into the public stock, a tolerable quantity of various articles of sustenance was procured. On the night of the 24th, several rockets, apparently from a vessel in the bay, assured us that relief was nigh at hand : these we answered. On the night of the 25th, the many rockets from seaward assured us, that not only was a vessel in the bay, but that she was communicating with another in the offing; a surmise corroborated on the following day by the landing of the party under Colonel Cloete, and their final relief of the post in gallant style, between three and four o'clock in the afternoon."

The Boers had plundered the English residents, and conveyed them, as well as the soldiers whom they had taken prisoners, to Pieter's:mu- ritzbnrg. The first of Colonel Cloete's despatches to Sir George Napier details the proceedings in relieving Captain Smith- " Her Majesty's ship Southampton arrived and anchored off Port Natal on the night of the 25th instant. Here was found at anchor the schooner Conch, with Captain Durnford, Twenty-Seventh Regiment, and a detachment of one hundred men, two small howitzers, and some stores, despatched by Colonel Hare from Algoa Bay on the 10th instant. Captain Durnford reported, that the insurgent Boers had refused him all communication with Captain Smith, who was still holding his post ; that the headlands at the entrance of the har- bour were armed with guns, and that the Boers had collected in force to op- pose our landing. Signal-guns and rockets were fired from the frigate to inti- mate our arrival to Captain Smith, and every arrangement made for carrying the place as soon as the tide served and the frigate could be placed so as to cover our landing. "At two o'clock p.m., on the 26th instant, the Southampton was in position, and the troops were embarked in the boats ; which, however, could only take eighty-five men. Thirty-five had been previously added to Captain Dorn- ford's detachment on board the Conch. The sea-beach being impracticable, the previous order of attack was changed; and I directed Captain Wells, with a de- tachment of thirty-live men, to land on the first point of the High Bluff within the bar, and drive the Boers out of the thick bush; while the Conch, the launch armed with a earronade and the barge, were to proceed direct into the harbour, land, and take possession of the port. "A fresh sea-breeze fortunately set into the harbour at the very time of our advance ; the Conch, taking thus the boats in tow, crossed the bar at three o'clock; Captain Wells landed where directed : when a brisk fire was opened on the Conch and boats, from both shores, that from the high wooded bluff within twenty yards of the boats ; yet, in spate of the short range and cross-firs under which the boats had to pass, so quick was our advance, aided by both wind and tide, that but little effect was produced from their lire. When opposite the landing-place, from whence the firing still continued, I ordered Major D'Ilrban to land; who immediately jumped on shore, and we rushed to the flag-staff to pull down the colours and give her Majesty's frigate notice that we were in pos- session and to cease firing. "The Boers abandoned their strong ground the instant we landed yet, so thick was the bush and so broken the ground, that though from the smart fire kept up they must have been in force, not half-a-dozen of them were ever Seen; and on the southern bluff so thick was the wooded covering, that nothing but the smoke from their fireloeks was ever seen. I have since learned that the number of Boers who defended the port amounted to 350 men : their loss it has been impossible to ascertain. "Raving thus seized the port and landed the men from the Conch, the troops were immediately formed : Captain Durnford was ordered to enter the bush on the right and drive the Boers before him, whilst I placed myself on a ail-way in the centre; Major D'Urban taking the left along the harbour beach.

"In this order we advanced through a bush, the character of which it is difficult to describe, and which might have been held by a handful of resolute men, against any assailants. "On reaching the open ground, we found the direction of Captain Smith's intrenehed camp by the firing of his heavy gun. We marched upon the Point : Captain Smith now threw out a party, and we joined him at four o'clock. Having thus executed your Excellency's commands with all military prong).v titude, by extricating the brave detachment of troops under Captain Smith's command, I strengthened his post by Captain Durnfurd's detachment, and directed Major D'Urban to hold Stellar's Farm ; returning myself to the wt„, to arrange a post of defence with such of the troops as I expected would have been landed. • • • Thus was accomplished, within the incredibly short space of one month from the date of Captain Smith's report of his position, the relief of his party at a distance of 1,500 miles from Cape Town, whence the relief was despatched ; his communication having had to pass through hostile hands and a savage country." In the affair, one lance corporal and one private were killed ; two privates and two seameu wounded. Two guns, 4-pounders, were taken from the Boers at the harbour.

In a subsequent despatch, dated July 3d, Colonel Cloete describes the result of his operations-

" The immediate effect of taking Port Natal on the afternoon of the 26th ultimo, as reported in my despatch of the 28th to your Excellency, was, that on the same night the master of the Pilot brig, who had been detained as a prisoner among the Boers, and four other persons, made their escape from Con- gella during the panic caused by our advance-movement on Captain Smith's camp, and joined me at this place. They reported to me that the Boers had abandoned Congella in the greatest haste, and had taken flight. On the morn- ing of the 28th, however, we discovered with our spy-glasses that there were a number of horses about Congella, and I immediately determined to match upon it ; for which purpose, I collected from each of the outposts one hundred men ; and with this farce and a howitzer I took the road to Congella. A small party of the insurgents' scouts were seen a little in advance of the place : ott perceiving our approach, they retired under the shelter of a bush ' • and we entered the village, consisting of about fifteen or twenty houses, without any opposition. Here we found some stores, merchandise, spirits in casks, and their curious establishment fur moulding six-pounder leaden shot. I resisted the burning of the place, and prevented all plundering : as, however, the troops were still without any of the provisions to be landed from the Southampton, and with only two days' provisions in hand, I directed such articles of consump- tion as were necessary for the use of the troops to be put into a wagon which we found there, and conveyed these supplies to the camp.

" Four persons, inhabitants of Congella, gave themselves up to me; one Quintus, a German naturalist, another Schultz, practising as a doctor, and two others. I availed myself of these people to convey to the misguided Boers the merciful intentions of Government; placing in their hands a copy of a public notice, which I affixed to one of the houses at Congella ; and having liberated these people, I returned to the outposts with the troops. " I understood the Boers to have retired to one of their camps about twelve miles off, where they were said to be four hundred strong, with four or five guns. " Without any of toy provisions or ammunition yet landed from the South- ampton, or any means of organizing transport, I did not feel justified in enter- ing upon any forward movement, which would tend only to lead me away from the more important object of strengthening my posts, forming and securing my magazines.

"Upon these objects I have since been engaged ; and having required of the Callers to bring me in as many horses and cattle as they could get, I have i no doubt that-I shall soon be n a condition to take the offensive with NM effect.

"Several inhabitants, fifteen in number, have come in and taken the oath of allegiance. "I regret to be obliged to close this despatch with a report which reached me last night, that the Coffers had begun to set upon the Boers, and that three had been killed by. them. The enclosures explain the manner in which I have treated this subject, and upon the principles of which I purpose strictly to act: for if England will not put down the Boers by her own legitimate means, it were better to abandon the question altogether, and submit even to the insult we have received, than to adopt the degrading process of inlisting the savage in our cause, or call upon the Zoolah assegpis to commit all the atrocities of in- discriminate bloodshed and spoliation.' The letter from Pretorius, which informed Colonel Cloete that the Caffers had attacked the Boers, closed thus- " I must also acquaint you, that we have already made over this country to his Majesty the King of the Netherlands, and have called upon that Power to protect us ; so that we have every right to expect that our cause will be sup- ported in Europe."

Colonel Cloete replied to the Anglo-Dutch leader by expressing his regret at the conduct of the Caffers ; adding—

'You say you would still be disposed to avert the evils of this coming blood- shed, which you are aware will lead to extermination. If you are sincere in this, there can be nothing degrading, in so great a cause to humanity, in your giving in your submission to her Majesty's authority, as an indispensable and preliminary step to a final adjustment, which you may be very certain the Go- vernment bas every disposition to settle with justice and leniency towards the Emigrant Farmers ; and in the favourable interpretation to your interests, you will find in myself a friend rather than one inimical to your unhappy coun- trymen. 'I regret much that you should have allowed yourselves to be so grossly de- ceived with regard to the intentions of the King of Holland, by a person totally unaccredited, and that you should have been urged to act as you have, upon the vain supposition that any of the European Powers would lend an ear to any question arising between England and her colony of the Cape of Good Hope, of which you cannot be so ignorant as not to know that Port Natal has always been a dependency. "I shall be happy to lend my best efforts to arrest any general rising, oe partial acts of violence of the Zoolabs or Callers ; but I feel my incapacity to do much in this respect while your people continue in arms against her Ma. kitty's authority, and thus lead these tribes to think that whatever injury they do you must be pleasing to the Government."

Colonel Cloete had issued a notice, dated 28th June, stating that all peaceably-disposed itrhabitants of Natal should remain unmolested, and offering a free pardon to all deserters from the army who should return to their colours within ten days.

The Augsburg Gazette of the 15th instant announces the fall of Izzet Mehemet, Grand Vizier at Constantinople, and the reappointment of Rauf Pasha to the posh Izzet was determined to carry matters in Syria with a high band ; and as the Porte was about to yield to the demands of the Christian Powers, another instrument than !net was required. The German papers bring news of a revolution in Servis. The emigrant or exiled party attacked the arsenal of Kragujewtez, took it, and forced Prince Michael to fly, after two days' combat. He had fled into the Austrian territories at Semlin.

According to the Gazette du Midi of the 13th instant, the Russians had exprieneed another check in Circassis. The insurgents surprised

at night and cat to pieces a body of stand 10,000 men, encamped under the walls of Marga, and made themselves masters of that fortress, which they entered together with the fugitives. Nearly the whole of the troops in the camp were pat to the sword, and a number of officers were made prisoners.

A scientific expedition, under the direction of the Academy of Sciences of St. Petersburg, is about to proceed immediately to Siberia, to Ex- plore the vast country between the rivers Pjasida and Chatanga, ex- tending to the Icy Sea.

A correspondent of the Morning Chronicle gives some intelligence of political advancement in Transylvania, which has flat kept pace with its sister land, Hungary. The news is conveyed in the words of the Vasarnapi Iljsag, a Transylvanian paper ; which says, speaking of the Landtag- " The 12th August was a great day. A Parliamentary declaration was then made, in which the only true political principle was laid down, that every man ought to participate in the general affairs of the common country of all. On the 16th August, it was resolved by the States-

" 1. That in future every man, whether noble or not, shall be entitled to ac- quire and possess landed property. "2. That every man shall have the right of instituting legal proceedings. "3. That the peasants shall be qualified to dispose freely of any property acquired by them.

"4. That the power of inflicting corporal punishment shall be entirely with- drawn from the lord of the salt" The Chronicle's correspondent adds a few remarks on the topics of discussion in Hungary itself- " No topic is at present more frequently discussed by the Hungarian press than the emancipation of the burghers, and the abolition of the immunity from taxation enjoyed by the nobles. These questions are to form the prominent subjects of discussion of the legislative session which is to open next spring. Of their own accord, and impelled merely by patriotic motives, the nobles, it is said, will sacrifice their own privileges, and raise the burghers to their own level. At present the burghers enjoy no political rights in Hungary, have no voice in the election of their Magistrates, no participation in the enactment of the laws. The Reformers of Hungary are too sensible of the melancholy effects of such a state of things, not to he anxious to do away with it as soon as possible. Let the commercial and industrious classes be relieved from arbi- trary rule, and an active, intelligent, and wealthy middle-class will come pouring into Hungary, instead of directing their course to the distant regions of America and Africa. The construction of a railroad, at the public expense, to connect the plains of Pesth with the sea-coast at Fiume, is spoken of. A commission sitting at Peath has also drawn up a liberal penal code, into which the penitentiary system of Philadelphia is to be introduced, while all corporal and capital punishments are to be abolished, and the principle of publicity adopted in all criminal proceedings. This will form the third great topic of discussion in the ensuing Diet."

The Bing of Hanover, who has recovered from his late attack, left Dusseldorf for his capital on the 16th.

The heats of the summer have so dried up the waters of the river Elbe, that the water-mills are all at a stand ; and near Pirna the rivet is entirely dry. The waters, in retiring, have given up a secret kept by them for more than two hundred years. A square stone is left bare, having the following significant inscription in Saxon patois—" When last men saw me, in August 1629, they wept; and they who see me uext shall weep too."

The French papers said lately that the resistance of the natives in Algiers was almost entirely subdued ; but the last accounts, to the 10th instant, state that the autumn campaign will be on an extensive scale ; a number of tribes who had made their submission having evinced hos- tile dispositions since they had secured their crops.

The Moniteur publishes an order of the Minister of War, granting a free passage on board the Government packets to persons proceeding to Algeria to settle in the villages, twenty-two in number, about to be established by General Bugeaud.

The well-known violin-player Baillot died a few days ago, in Paris ; and on Sunday he was buried in the cemetery of Montmartre. The funeral was attended by most members of the Royal Academy of Music, and by several distinguished literary and scientific men.

The New York packet-ship Cambridge brings intelligence to the 1st, one day later than that received last week.

The papers contain a message from the President to the House of _Representatives, which constitutes a protest against the report of the Committee of thirteen on the late veto. Mr. Tyler says that he holds the Executive Government in trust for the people : he shows that, how- ever unprecedented the mode in which he attained the chief office, it was in a perfectly regular course, and therefore he had not "usurped" any power ; and he maintains, that however unusual, his exercise of the veto was also performed in a regular manner, and in strict accordance with his sense of responsibility for the duties intrusted to him. He says, that had he been impeached before the Senate, he would have met the accusation with firmness ; but he protests against the unfairness and " unconstitutionality " of Mr. Adams's report, adopted by the House.

Congress was to reassemble in three months.

The rate of exchange on England was 7 to ; on France, 5. 35 to 7.

In ascribing the original English version of 77ie Fall of Babylon to Professor Taylor, we fell into an error : it will be best rectified by inserting a letter of explanation from that gentleman, which appeared in the Morning Post of Wednesday.

"To THE EDITOR OF THE MOH RING POST. ,

" Sir—I fear, from the paragraph of the Post of this morning, to which my attention has been directed, that 1 may

b be suspected of having claimed to have written the first poetical English version of the libretto of The Fall of Ba- y i lon. I am not n the habit of claiming what is not my own, and least of all should I think of claiming to be a poet. As I have said in the preface to a series of compositions for which I have endeavoured to write English words, I rhyme from mere necessity.' I gave Mr. Hutton, about ten years since, my ideas of an oratorio founded on the story of the fall of Babylon ; com- prising, as I then stated, that portion of Jewish history which narrates the captivity, the promise of God to Cyrus, the investiture of Babylon, Belshazzar's feast, and the thanksgiving of the Jews in the prospect of return to their native laud.' I sent him also my ideas of the oratorio in detail, divided into red- tative, song, chorus, &c. &e.. The work was, as you say, intended for the use-

of Sir H. R. Bishop ; whom I bad urged, after the production of his Seventh Day, to write an oratorio. 1 had no interest in the affair, save that of

friendship and love of the art. I introduced the poet and the musician to each other, and awaited the result. I have DO need to go into the reasons which led Sir H. B. Bishop to give up any attempt to set Mr. Hutton's libretto. I have no business with him ; nor has the public. It is sufficient that he did abandon it. After the termination of the last Norwich Festival, I ventured to recommend this subject to Spohr's notice; and I obtained from Mr. Hutton (stating the purpose for which it was wanted) his MS. I was compelled, in order to bring it within the requisite space, to cur- tail the libretto; but I always hoped and intended that it might have appeared in its original form, and, with this view, enjoined on the German translator a strict adherence to the original English metres. Instead of this, he chose to alter the metre of almost every piece ; and I had no resource but to follow his altered stanzas. It was no longer, therefore, possible for use to affix Mr. Hutton's name to the libretto. Be would, justly, have charged me with fathering upon him my own imperfections. The fact is, that out of 552 lines, of which Mr. Hutton's poem consists, but eighteen will be found in my translation from the German. I stated this in print last December; adding—. I regret the necessity of such a change, because I am fully aware of the incompetency of the duty which has thus devolved upon me ; and if I could have obtained efficient help, I would gladly have availed myself of it. But where the position, length, con- nection, and accent of every individual word have to be weighed and measured, a true poet would soon find himself unable to move with grace and freedom, if he were able to move at all.' In a prior published letter, I had distinctly stated, that though the scheme of the oratorio was mine, the poetical version was made with the assistance of Mr. Hutton of Birmingham.' " I am happy to say that he has published his poem, and thus rendered it impossible for me, or any other person, to father upon him any of the imperfec- tions which exist in my translation from the German. In the English edition of the work, I have inserted the following note; having previously submitted it to Mr. Hutton. Without entering into this tedious explanation, (about which the public will care very little,) I could not say more or otherwise than I did- " 'The poem on which this oratorio is founded was first %mitten in Engli.h, then translated into German, for the purpose of being set to music by Dr. Spobr, and then translated a second time. The German translate' having in most of the pieces altered the original metre, the present libretto is, of nece.sity. conformed to his version. and even the metrical errors are unavoidably retained. Of the original poem little more, in fact, remains than the sense and the scheme.'