lartigu truh

FE...WM—The accounts from Paris written on Sunday gave details from the Gazette des Tram= of a conspiracy to assassinate President Napoleon. Eleven young men had sworn to draw lots who should first attempt his life ; and the first chosen had in remorse delivered himself to the authorities, and denounced his companions. The Prefect of Police sent to the Journal des Dellats, but not to the ifoniteur, an official note de- claring the whole account to be a vile fabrication.

The correspondent of the Horning Chronicle states that the question of passports, as between England and France, is in progress of definitive settlement. "The French Government has no apprehension of inconve- nience from allowing Englishmen to enter France without passports" ; but their feeling as to other foreigners is different. "General. de la Hitte, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, is authorized to treat the matter diplo- matically with the English Government ; and the negotiations between him and Lord Normanby are at the present moment actually in progress."

The debate on the organic law of public instruction was continued till Saturday. On the Thursday, M. Montalembert replied to M. Victor Hugo's sentimental oration by a harangue in a bold and elevated tone against the Rationalism which they had all, by attitude and example, disseminated, and which with the change of its atmosphere had become Bocialism.

The evil could only be repaired on the condition that it was clearly under- stood ; a thing not difficult after the experience of the Revolution of Fe- bruary. This great civilized society was then on the point of being over- powered and enslaved by a set of men whom before it never did the honour of regarding even with apprehension—by dare-devils, criminals, and wretched petty haranguers—whose success will ever be considered the most extraordinary phrenomenon of our time. "What M. de Salvandy said of children, I say of the people ; and I further affirm that there is frightful cruelty in depriving them of their belief without giving them anything to put in its place. But I err ; for in its place have been given impure ro- mances, revolting novels, the works of all those writers who have defiled the soul of France. (Tremendous cheering from the Right.) They sought to destroy religious faith, and they almost put an end to social belief. They gave the people a new religion —for the people must always have one of some kind or other—and that new one is Socialism. In place of that pure

belief which shows God made man, they preached up man made God—and by Socialism ! "

On the left—" Socialism is the only true Christianity." (Great indig- nation.) M. de llontalembert--" M. Pierre Leroux declared in this tribune that there was no medium ; a choice must be made between Socialism andJesuit- ism. I accept that proposition, but with an amendment ; and I say that there is no medium between Socialism and the Catechism. (Loud laughter on the Left.) Yes, the Catechism! The Church by its instruction will im- print in the mind of the people the type of a well-ordered government— will show them that the model of a well-ordered government is to be found in the human soul. With that you can have a people capable of being .go- verned. At present that is not the case • for being unguided by religion, the people are not governable. This is the rens a why an illustrious man, M. Guizot, defined Catholicism to be the greatest school for teaching

t."

. Montalembert declared the principles which had guided his party (that of the Church) in accepting the bill ; " the glory of which must be accorded to M. de Falloux, that young Minister whose name has become throughout all Europe the synonyme of rectitude, eloquence, and courage. Let the honourable M. Thiers allow me to tell him, that both he and I have been wrecked. When we navigated in that fine vessel the Constitutional Mo- narchy—that vessel which for thirty-four years bore the honour and des- tinies of France—we thought it was our duty to discuss as to the direction to be given to it : but when the storm burst—when, by the fault of the pilot, M. Thiers and I were thrown into the sea—when the vessel foundered

in the twinkling of an eye, we were found both together on a raft ; for I call the present Government a raft. (General laughter.) I know not whither

it will lead us. But I declare that, while regretting the ship, we were happy in finding the raft. When we had only a frail plank under our feet, should we have recommenced the struggle of the previous day ? should we have re- jected the hand that was extended ? should we have revived our old re- sentments? I did not think of doing so, and I did not wish it. We have neither sacrificed our convictions nor our affections but we have acted on the feeling of the necessity of union. We have only sacrificed the spirit of rancour and of contempt."

M. Thiers ratified the declarations of mutual conciliation and union which M. Montalembert spoke of. M. de Montalembert had been charged w:th apostacy, and seemed some- what affected by the accusation : M. Thiers had been similarly accused, but had not in the slightest degree been affected. He had given the present order of things his loyal obedience only ; he had not abandoned his former views, but had remained faithful to what he had previously loved and served.

(Applause and murmurs.) On one point, however, his views had changed

in presence of the immense perils which had menaced his country during the last two years, and menaced her still. He desired to thaw closer and closer, and to reconcile, the partisans of the State and those of the Church ; and with this feeling he had given the hand frankly to M. de Montalembert. M. Thiers proceeded to Justify the bill, by pointing out to its opposers, that its principle was already conceded in article 9th of the Constitution, which gives full liberty to instruction. This article at once disposes of the objections to giving the Church a great concession, and of the taunts as to-

conciliation : the concession had already been given by themselves. He had not made their Constitution, it was they who made it ; and the conciliation

of the Church and the University is a forced event—is absolutely necessitated by the concession. M. Thiers then defended the machinery which the bill proposes to establish. He rapidly glanced over the details, answering objections currently. "We have created a permanent Commission, composed of the members of state instruction and of representatives of all the great moral in- terests of the country. It has been thus composed—three members of free instruction, three magistrates, three members of the Council of State, four members of the clergy, and three of non-Catholic persuasions. We have given to the permanent Council the administration of current affairs, the establishments, the budget, and the acquirements of the personnel. The ex- traordinary Commission would assemble four times a year to discuss the re- gulations. It had to arrange the programmes of the studies, and to decide on the individuals recommended by the Council. We have therefore called into this Commission the representatives of all sects and of all interests, both material and moral, and confided to it all the attributions of a general elm- racter."

M. Thiers expressed his belief that if the bill were rejected, the old differ- ences between the Church and the University will again break out. His

peroration—" My profound conviction is, that it is possible to enable these

principles, which are said to be so divided, to live side by side : yes, religion and philosophy, or, in other words, philosophical reasoning, can live toge-

ther. After all the struggles which have agitated the world, philosophy and

religion have rather gained than lost. Religion has gained a tinge of human knowledge, and philosophy some respect for things sacred. I read the history of the world, and I find that religion and philosophy often contend with each other, but at once become pacific when any grave question for humanity is to be solved. Never have they been destroyed one by the other. They are two immortal sisters, born on the same day, and both emanating from the band of God. The immortal Being has placed religion in the heart of man, and philosophy in his mind. At the moment of danger, the two sisters draw

close together, and combat united. That is what we shall now again behold. That is my moist ardent desire it is the desire of all. All must hope that such a result shall be accomplished!" (Immense applause; three times re- peated.)

The debate was concluded somewhat suddenly on Saturday, when some representatives of mark had still not spoken, from the impatience of the Assembly at further debate on the subject. M. Coquerel, the eminent Protestant pastor, regretted that he saw neither real peace nor real liberty in the bill : he reserved a fuller statement for the discussion on the. second reading. The general discussion was closed, and a division was taken on the question of passing to the second reading. This was carried, by 456 to 187 majority for the second reading, 268.

Lively debates have occurred in the Legislative Assembly on the bill for transporting the insurgents of June to Algeria. M. Jules Fevre made

a speech warmly in favour of the prisoners ; and on being reminded that he was a strenuous member of the Committee which drew up the decree for transporting the imnugents, he declared his belief that they were com- paratively innocent, and that the insurrection was fortuitous. M. San- teyra moved an amendment, that the insurgents imprisoned at Belle Isle should be sent before a jury for trial, or set at liberty: but he was de- feated, by 282 to 177. An attack on M. Fevre by M. Leon Faucher, for his tergiversation, created much general warmth in the Assembly. The clauses of the bill were passed by large majorities.

SPAIN.—Letters from Madrid, of the 17th instant, describe the com- mencement of the debate on the authorization to levy the contributions. Amendments by the Deputy Orense for documents to show the state of the Treasury, and by Olozaga,'Nocedal, and Moron, to restrict the authori- zation in point of time and amount, were debated, and rejected by majorities of nearly three to one.

Resses.—The Iotornal of St. .Petersburg of the 6th January contains the official sentences passed on twenty-one Russian subjects arrested some months since, as members of a conspiracy against the Emperor's person. In an article avowing the possession of private information on the sub- jeet, the .Dady Nowt( declares that what has been discovered is but an alarming fragment of a vast conspiracy, the developments of which in- cluded the offers made by several Russian Generals during the Russian intervention in Hungary to pass over with their corps to the Magyars in the event of a decisive action in Gallicia, and the frustration of which was one of the results of the Emperor's successful negotiation of the traitor Girgey's surrender. "The detected offenders are chiefly officers in the Guard, or civil officers of rank. Three of the number, Ilnikovski, Luvof, and Plestscheief; belong to the old nobility of the empire, and the last is a name taking precedence in history of that of the Romanoffs. But Kaschkinet son of a conspirator exiled to Siberia after the revolt of Pastel and Releief in 1825, seems to have played the most remarkable part in this transaction. Confronted with the Emperor, who promised him a full pardon if he would betray his accomplices, Kaselikule indignantly refused; and added, that he had not been inspired with the idea of revenging the condemnation of his father, which was accounted one of the glories of his house but by the conviction that neither Nicholas nor his family were fitted to Make his country's happiness. Twenty of the conspirators were condenmed with him to death; and their sentences were commuted into hard labour in the Siberian mines, by the Emperor."

Leers AND CRINA.—The overland mail arrived in London on Saturday last, with news from Bombay to the 17th, from Calcutta to the 7th De- cember, and from Hongkong to the 30th November. The news is various and interesting, though not of primary importance. From Bombay information is brought that more plotting against our rule by the fugitive Rance had been discovered: agents had been tamper- ing with our troops, and thus had, as in many late instances, been de- livered into the hands of the authorities by the honest Native subalterns. The young Maharajah had been sent under strong guard to Futtehghur. The chieftains whose arrest for plottings in higher regions were men- tinned in late accounts were to besent to Calmifta, there to remain under surveillance for life. The Governor-General was on his way down the Indus, and would be at Moultan on the 13th or 14th instant : Lady Dal- housie was coming home ill, and her husband proposed to accompany her as far as Suez. The probability of Sir Charles Napier's return is now denied ; and it is stated positively that he will remain at least two or three years more. Major Edwardes is coming home, and bears with him the jewel Koh-i-Noor, (Mountain of Light,) to lay in person at the feet of the Queen.

From Calcutta there is an account of personal adventures by two of our officers which have ended in. their imprisonment by the Rajah of Sikkim, and their treatment in a manner that may lead to political com- plications. Dr. Campbell, the British Resident of Darjeeling, a station near the Thibetian frontier of Bengal, and Dr. Hooker, a botanist, son of Sir William Hooker, went on a botanical exploration over the Thibetians frontier, and were arrested by the Tartar authorities ; they were sent under guard to the Rajah of Sikkim, whom the Tartars "hold responsible" for the sacredness of their frontier. The Rajah sent word fo our resident at Darjeeling, that he would keep his prisoners in custody till he obtained satisfaction for grievances he had been "writing about" to our Govenunent for three years past: he was answered with-a demand for the prisoners instanter, and with advice to rely on the impartiality of the Governor-General for justice. Meanwhile, the captives were treated with great personal cruelty by the Rajah's Dewan, who is said to bear an implacable personal hatred towards Dr. CampbelL There were movements of troops on our side of the frontier, with a view to coercion; and there is some talk of annexing the territory of Sikkim to the Benga Presidency.

From Hongkong the only news of interest relates to the expedition, consisting of the Phlegethon and Fury war-steamers, and the Columbine

frigate' under Commander J. C. D. Hay, against the pirate Shapng-tsai,

which set out from Hongkong on the 1st November, just before the last ac- counts were despatched. It had been perfectly successful ; the pirate fleet had been annihilated, "without loss" on our side. It had retreated to Hainan, and thence to the Bay of Tonquin ; the pirate chief trusting to his knowledge of the difficult waters : he boasted he would "go where the English dare not follow him." On the 17th November, our ships fell-

in with one of his look-out vessels ; she took to the shallows but was -disabled by the Phlegethon's guns, and then pursued and destroyed in the

shallows by the Phlegethon's boats. On the 20th, the pirate fleet was discovered in the mouth of a river twelve miles beyond Hoo-nong. It oonsisted of a large junk mounting 42 guns, commanded by Shapng-tzai himself, and sixty-three other war-junks mounting armaments ranging from 34 guns down to 6 guns ; the whole force afloat being some 1,224 gum and 3,150 men. From early morning till four p. m. the war- steamers, "like terriers at a rat-hole," hunted for the channel of the river. A pilot then escaped from shore, and steered them in. In forty minutes our three ships were all engaged ; in another hour the fire of th

enemy had been silenced; and before eightp. tn., twenty-seven junks were in flames, and nearly all the rest cut off from retreat. Upwards of 1,000

pirates deserted their ships, and took to some iabnids ; and were there attacked by the natives, whose villages they had ravaged. Next day, twenty-four more junks were destroyed. In the end, only six of the emallest junks escaped, with the pirate chief himself on board ; and these the Mandarins declared they would shortly destroy. Our fleet was as- sisted by a small force of junks, despatched under a Mandarin, "Major- General Hwang," by the Governor-General Ho; and it is stated that Major-General Hwang distinguished himself by his courageous and intel- ligent command.

WESTERN AUSTRALLC—By the Indian mail, news from Perth to the middle of November has been received. The Swan River settlement had been thrown into great excitement by the official announcement that the colony had been converted into a penal colony from June 1849, without the countervailing boon of a protective force and Parliamentary grant, Which had been tacitly calculated on as certain accompaniments of the donviche The journals inveigh with exceeding warmth against the trick by which they have suffered; and now that their idea of receiving Go- Vernment money has proved illusory, recover a tone of high moral revul- sion at the "loathsome contamination" of their shores which the Colonial Office purposes.

NEW ZEALAND.—We have received pa ers from Wellington to the 15th to us, called "The Settlers' Constitutional Association," had published a long string of resolutions, in contradiction of Governor Sir George Grey's despatches dated the 29th November 1848 and the 2d February. 1849, on the postponement of representative institutions. This As- sociation was called into existence by Sir George's endeavour to de- - prive the colony of "the boon " intended for it by Earl Grey. At - three several sittings of the Association, attended by the principal colonists—some of the earliest settlers, the largest resident landowners, sheep-station-owners, stock-owners, merchants, professional men, and: retail traders—the resolutions, thirteen in number, were passed nun- , nimonsly. They set forth, that Sir George Grey's despatches, sup- porting his recommendation to postpone the constitution for four years, are unfair and untrustworthy. Sir George pretended to have received " solicitations of those most interested in the colony," that he would make known the nature of the plans he had recommended ' to Earl Grey : those solicitations are shown to have been concocted ' and arranged by himeelf, with the twofold object of imparting a show: - of ' independence to the " nominees- in petto of the Council of the. Southern Province, and to add weight to his own representations. Ile omit- ted all allusion to the difficulty he encountered in forming his Council— to the large meetings, and the deputations which urged on him the. immediate introduction of free institutions; he does not mention the. votes and protests of all the unofficial members of the Auckland Council, the spurning . of his offers of seats notwithstanding his persevering but undignifiedcanvass, his threats, and his promised boons, in quarters where ' they were likely to have weight; he does not mention the fact that! " seven out of thirteen to whom he offered seats refused them, and of the six who ultimately were persuaded three several times refesed"; he does' not refer to the petitions -to both Houses of Paeliement, signed by 780 male adults, the jury-list -numbering but 837; nor to the enthes. siastic Reform banquet, attended by 200 colonists, given to celebrate the departure of the petitions : all these circumstances were entirely. sup-- pressed by Sir George. The colonists refute his misrepresentation that., the inhabitants would rather he governed by a Governor and Executive% Council until representative institutions be given : the absolute goverrs.• meat of one man would be more tolerable; nothing could exceed their de- testation of the latter form except their detestation of the former ; and the feeling-in favour of the absolute govermnent expressed by many was hnV a choice between two "immense evils," underthe impression that neither alternative would be suffered long to exist. Quotations from the 4th' section of the act which suspended Lord Grey's constitution enabling Sir- George Grey to create "Provincial Councils in . both or either, province, to be- appointed or elected,- or- appointed and elected,"' in such manner as he might direct, demonstrate the- untruth- off Sir George's allegation that - "he had, no other choice" than. to establish Nominee Provincial Councils. The various reasons assigned for postponing the introduction. of free institutions were figments—a spes Mous falsification of fact. Sir George -Grey alleges that, "under repres: sentative institutions-,- it would be Moult to effect the retrenchments he proposes in 1850": but the colonists have constantly protested against the creation of that "multitude of most useless and expensive officees"- which has induced the financial difficulties ; and they would abolish such offices immediately if they had the power. In 1842, the revenue of Wel- lington was 9,758l., its civil expenditure 4,409t; in 1844, the revenue was 12,4741., and the expenditure above 16,0001.; out of :the 26,7504. allotted by Parliament for constructing roads in the colony, only 15,5731.: has been so applied ; the remainder was frittered away in support of the useless offices. In April 1849, the Provincial Government -forestalled 6,000/. of the grant for 1850; in May, it suspended payment ; a fewr weeks afterwards, 4,0001. more was forestalled; so that no more aid cam be had till April 1850: yet in June 1849, the sum of 21,0001. was voted for the ordinary civil expenditure of the Province—nearly 2,000/. in ex- cess of the estimated. revenue. Sir George states that the delay in com- pleting the military roads is beyon&his control : instances fare given ofi expenditures in such- child's playthings as a useless flagstaff, which would have sufficed in amount to complete the most important military road in

the Province; the non-completion of that road now cutting off the entire traffic between Wellington and Porirum and "the whole coast beyond to Wanganui" for the whole' winter season. Details are added to esta- blish that Sir George Grey's promised retrenchments in 1850 are "not merely impossible," but are- "expressly intended to mislead" the Impe- rial Government, conceal his own malcaminietration, and discredit hisi successor by involving the colony in extraordinary financial embarrass-, meats. The pleas for delay on account of the state of the Natives am. shown to be "hobgoblin fallacies." For "The Natives would be represented by the officials in a Representative, Council equally as they are in the Nominee one. "The Governor would still retain his veto on all measures affecting their' interests.

"To whatever extent the franchise might be bestowed upon them, they would have an infinitely more direct influence in a Representative than in. the existing Nominee Council ; while their desire to- obtain the franchises would haves proporticinably civilizing effect."

It is monstrous to assume that the constantly-resident settlers should be, less anxious than the Governor to preserve peace with the Natives, or less:

experienced in the necessity and mode of doing se: such disputes and dis-. turbances as have arisen among the Natives are distinctly traceable to the, arbitrary and inconsistent government of the officials. As to Sir George Grey's vaunts of having effected "progressive improvement" among the Natives, they are groundless.

"It has been marked by an entire neglect of their true interests as a body; a recent instance of which was mentioned by his Excellency the Lieutenant- Governor, in the Legislative Council,—namely, that a high official, enjo

already a salary of above 300/. a year, was allowed to pocket the whole proceeds of the 1..irative reserves in this settlement, amounting to nearly 400L,

as a commission for the bare act of receiving it. The advance which the Natives have made in civilization has, in the opinion of this Association, been: owing partly to the tranquillity consequent on the presence of a large body

of troops in the colony, (a circumstance due to the Home not the Local- Government,) to the creation of markets for Native produce, to the practice of ehlarged agricultural operations which they have adopted from the colo- nists, and generally to their intercourse with them."

The imagined advantage to be derived by the Nominee Councils fronr four years' acquaintance with the practice of legislation will be merely personal; but it is certain that scarcely one probably not one "of the Nominee Council, will be returned by the suffrages of their fellow- colo- patience will therefore not be reaped. Sir George Grey is not, and never really was favourable to representative institutions ; and a history of facts shows that his treatment of the question has been marked by an entire absence of straightforwardness,—in accordance with his diplomatic turn of mind, which renders it easier for him to conduct the affairs of the co- lony by individual influences than by fairly meeting the demands of large or.popular bodies. The conclusions suggested by this history are fortified by extracts from his proposed temporary constitution, showing his anxiety to retain power in the hands of. the Governor till a period when, according to Theusual term of official tenure, he will have quitted the colony. The resolutions draw to a close by exposing, in the despatch of the 29th No- vember' "a suppression of two facts, so flagrant that this Association_can- not charecterise it by any term which the proprieties of social usage would justify them in employing."

"The first is found in the recommendation, revealed only on the publica- tion of that despatch when laid on the table on the last day of the sitting of the Provincial Council, that the civil list for each Province should be increased from 6,000/. to 10,000!.; which recommendation, made by Sir George in November 1848, he entirely coneealed from his Nominee Council in- dividually and collectively, while professing in December 1848 his readiness to give there the fullest and frankest account of his recommendations to the Home Government on the- future government of the colony. "The other fact suppressed is his recom:mendation that only one-third of the Provincial Connell „should consist of. representatives; while he told his Council in December that he had recommended two-thirds of representatives. This the Association would gladly attribute to a clerical error or misprint in any other case ; but after the unmistakeable deception practised in reference to the civil list, they feel that. so. charitable a supposition would in Sir George Grey's ease be puerile." The reference to the civil list in the first of the two preceding extracts gives occasion to the following pertinent digression-

" While touching on the subject of the Civil list, this Association protests against, not merely the monstrous proposal of Sir George Grey to retain 10,000/. of the revenue of each Province, which must for years to come re- duce any representative institutions they may obtain to a mere shadow of self-government, but they also protest against the present amount of 6,000/. as an unduly large proportion of an ordinary revenue of about 13,000/. Should new provinces be created, it is probable that for a considerable time even 6,000/. would absorb by much the largest part, if not the whole of the revenue of each province, practically withdrawing all control of the public purse from the colonists, who are expected to be satisfied with such a mere mockery of self-government. This Association conceives that the civil list of a free colony should embrace no other object than the salaries of the Go- vernor and Judges, whose tenure of office ought not to be dependent on political change, or at most of the salaries, in addition, of the heads of the three or four principal executive departments; and even that would be a sacrifice of the principle of responsible government." The Governor's despatches were withheld from the time when they were written, in November and February, till the 20th of July. The re- solutions wind lip with charges against Sir George Grey, that his conduct has. been calculated to lower the dignity of the British Government by destroying all faith in the veracity of its servants, and to weaken the ties of colonial loyalty.

The papers also publish a long letter by Mr. E. G. Wakefield to his friend the Honourable Henry W. Petre, on the position of the New Zealand Company and the Colony. This letter is dated "Reigate, 17th April 1849." Mn Wakefield explains the reasons why he resigned his post as a Director of the New Zealand Company. The state of his health had prevented him from teki g an active part in the general business of the Company since July 1846; and, disapproving of the Company's arrange- ment with Lord Grey in 1847', he would have at once resigned, but that he would not seem to abandon_ the Company in_its adversity : as, how- ever' the approaching publication of his book on Colonization and Colo- nial Government might tend to compromise the Company with the Colo- nial Office, he now placed his resignation at the disposal of the Directors ; and it was accepted, -with, as appears from the correspondence, many expressions of persona :respect and of gratitude for Mr. Wakefield's past services.] Regarding the Company as incapacitated from canying on its functions, he predicts its dissolution in [May] 1850; and he gives the colonists some seasonable advice how to get on without that representa- tion at home. He advises them pertinaciously to petition for local self- government and extension of colonization, and to stand up against the admission of convicts; he counsels them to select some able man amongst themselves—Mr. W. Fox, for instance—and send him home as their agent in London ;.- but in default of their appointing a special agent, he offers to get their petitions properly presented, &c. His ill health pre- vents his making more active offers. Meanwhile, he promises to continue the series of letters thus begun. The editor of the Wellington Independent observes, that the colonists have already anticipated Mr. Wakefield's ad- vice, in establishing the Settlers' Association ; and explains that the ap- pointment of an agent has been prevented only by the poverty which bad government has entailed upon the colony.

WEST INDIES.—The West Indian mail arrived at Southampton on Monday, with adyices a few days later from the chief colonies.

The Jamaica news extends to the 23d December. The Legislature had been unable to bring its business to a close before Christmas Day, and adjourned on the 21st, to the 27th. The Governor's Salary Bill, "limiting the allowance to his Excellency for one year," had been passed by the Legislative Council, with a protest that short-duration clauses should not be drawn into precedent by this instance. Towards liquidating the debt, Mr. Osborne, the leader of the Government party, had proposed an ad- ditional tax on land of 3d. per acre, and, after a long debate, had been defeated by 22 to 12. Subsequently, Mr. Bristowe proposed to levy an income-tax ; but was defeated by 18 to & Mr. Lind proposed a small additional duty on certain goods ; and carried the bill embodying his plan to a second reading : it was expected that he would make it law. The papers discuss, in a tone of hopeful expectancy, some practical pro- posals by American capitalists to cultivate cotton in the island. The Jamaica _Despatch gives an account of cost and probable yield, which leaves 113/ as the year's profit on 101 acres of land.

From Demerara the latest news is of the 19th December. The vacan- cies in the Combined Court had been filled up by the election of Mr. R. R. Craig, the Solicitor-General, and Mr. John Daly. "We happen to have before us," says the Horning Chronicle, "the details of the election for Essequibo, under Governor Barldy's new Franchise Bill. The electors were two in number, viz, the county gaoler and the Sherry's clerk ; and the parties they elected were the Governor's Solicitor-General and the Harbour- master of Berbice, neither of whom had any connexion whatever with the county they were chosen to represent, and both of whose votes are held. to be ex officio at the beck of the Governor. All the respectable inhabit- ants of the colony stood aloof in disgust." The Court met on the Met . December. Governor Barldy delivered a speech picturing the finanoiat position as much more favourable than circumstances had promise& Though duties to the amount of some three-quarters of a million of dol- lars had been sacrificed by the suspension of the taxes for nearly a twelve- month, they would conclude the year, he said, with unliquidated liabili- ties not much exceeding 200,000 dollars ; "a sum which, however con- siderable in itself may, I believe, be paid off by the close of the year 1850, out of the surplus of current revenue without the imposition of any fresh tax." The Combined Court had adjourned to prepare an are- swer to the Governor's address. The new power given to the Colonies, of exclusively controlling their import-duties, had rendered unnecessary the maintenance of a double set of duties and a corresponding official stamp. The Combined Court had therefore sanctioned an important ordinance remodelling the department for collecting revenue. Trinidad papers to the 21st December have been received. There was some excitement in the island relative to the trials of the rioters of Oc- tober; which were proceeding. The evidence against the prisoners did not make it appear that there was any preconeert or plot to break the peace on the occasion of the disturbances ; and the Jurymen, after two days' confinement, not being able to agree upon a verdict, were discharge& On the 21st, the Attorney-General summoned another Jury ; which was expected to convict the prisoners.

UNITED STATES AND Caseins.—The Cambria, which left New York on the 9th instant, arrived at Liverpool on Tuesday ; but the accounts contain scarcely any news of interest General Cass had given notice in the Senate of an instruction to the Committee on Foreign Relations, to inquire into "the expediency of suspending diplomatic relations with the Austrian Government," on account of her cruel political executions of the Hungarian patriots. A resolution proposed by Mr. Root, of Ohio, tending to establish territorial governments in the Mexican conquests, and prohibiting slavery therein, had produced a division of 101 to 81; which the Northern or Wilmot Proviso party deemed a. triumph.

From Canada the only facts mentioned are, that the Annexation So- ciety has published. another manifesto, described as " weak" ; and tlint the British League in Montreal had declared in favour of electing- a Cow federated Council to promote the independent union of the British Pro- vinces in North America.