§or-tign ant eolonfal.

FivarcE.—Prince Louis Napoleon, after a captivity of six years, made his escape from the fortress of. Ham on Monday last. The Morning Post supplies the following details—amusing from their naïve circumstantiality and foreign idiom. •

"The confidants of the Prince were his physician, Dr. Connean, and Charles Thelin, his secretary. Both of these gentlemen enjoyed the privilege of going to .town. Several_ workmen being employed in making some repairs which the Prince had asked for. he resolved on taking the clothes of one of them, add to start in that disguise!. The difficulty was not only to pass the guardians and the soldiers but also to make his way amidst the workmen. Notwithstanding this difficulty, 'it was resolved that Charles Thelin would ask the commander of the fortress the permission to go to SL Quentin, and that he would provide a convey- . ance openly for that purpose, as bad already been done on different occasions. The Prince, after choosing the early part of the morning for effecting his escape, put on a carpenter's clothes, and got a board which he carried on his shoulder to conceal his face whenever he found himself in a dangerous situation. Charles Thelin was to go before the Prince, in order to attract the attention of the guardians, whilst Doctor Conneau was retaining the other. But once the Prince in the yard, Thelin was to follow him, in order to call on any one willing to address the Prince as a work- man. On Monday moreing the attempt was made. The Prince shaved himself, black- ened his hair, put on 'a blouse, and a board on his shoulder. Although the work- men had been drawn into an adjoining room, scarcely had the Prince left his room when he met several of them whom Thelin fortunately called to him. But it was necessary to pass two guardians who were standing at the bottom of the stairs. Whilst Thelin was speaking to one of them, the Prince came face to face with the other guardian. But fortunately the Prince put the board in such a way as to prevent the guardian from seeing him. The Prince at last reached safely t he yard, and passed the soldiers and workmen employed in the fortress, avoiding being known by putting his board on that side from which he apprehended being looked at. When out, he was overtaken by his faithful Thelin, who had already provided a vehicle; and in that way the Prince arrived at St. Quentin; after throwing into a field the clothes that had served to disguise him. The Prince crossed St. Quentin on foot, whilst Thelin was getting a post-chaise ready. They were very soon at Valen- ciennes; where they crossed'the frontier with Belgian passports. They then pro- ceeded to Ostend; whence they psoceeded to England; and the Prince arrived there even before his disappearance was known in Ham."

The escape of Prince Louis is a prominent subject in the Paris journals.

• With one or two exceptions, pleasure is avowed at the event, but no political speculationa are indulged in. The general impression is that the Prince's escape will relieve the Government from an uncomfortable duty. The Chamber of Peers, constituted as a court of justice, met on Wednes- ' daY,-to hear the report of M. Franck Carrd On the attempted assassination by Lecomte. The proceedings were conducted with closed doors. The trial cannot take place for ten days at least.

UNITED STATE8.—The Cambria, royal mail steamer, arrived at Liver- pool on Thursday, and brings accounts from New York to the 16th instant.,

War has been declared by the United States against Mexico. This was the result of a message sent by the President on the 11th instant to Congress, detailing with much minuteness all the circumstances connected with the failure of the President's effort to bring about an amicable resto- ration .of diplomatic relations with Mexico. The immediate cause of quarrel, and the President's suggestions, are thus stated- " The Mexican forces at Matamoras assumed a belligerent attitude; and on the 12th of April, General Ampudia then in command, notified General Taylor to break up his camp within twenty-four hours and to retire beyond the Nueces river; and in the event of his failure to comply with' these demands, announced that arms, and arms alone must decide the question. But no open act of hos- tility was committed until the 24th of April. On that day, General Arista, who had succeeded to the command of the Mexican forces, communicated to General Taylor that he considered hostilities commenced, and should prosecute them.' A party of dragoons of sixty-three men and officers were on the same day despatched from the American army up the Rio del Norte, on its left bank, to ascertain whether the Mexican troops had crossed, or were preparing to cross the river, 'became engaged with a large body 'of these troops, and, after a short affair, in which some sixteen were killed and wohnded, appear to have been surrounded and compelled to surrender.' " As war exists, and, notwithstanding all our efforts to avoid it, exists by the at of Mexico herself, we are called upon by every consideration of duty and pa- triotism, to vindicate with decision the honour, the rights, and the interests of our country.

" In further vindication of our rights and defence of our territory, I invoke the prompt action of Congress to recognize the existence of the war, and place at the disposition of the Executive the means of prosecuting the war with vigour; and thus hasten the restoration of peace. To this end, I recommend that authority should be given to call into public service a large body of volunteers, to serve for not less than six or twelve months, unless sooner discharged. A volunteer force is, beyond question, more efficient than any other description of citizen soldiers; and it is not to be doubted that a number far beyond that required would readily rush to the field upon the call of their country. I farther recommend that a libe- ral provision be made for sustaining our entire military force, and furnishing it with supplies and munitions of war.

"In making these recommendations, I deem it proper to declare that it is my anxious desire not only to terminate hostilities speedily, but to bring all matters in dispute between this Government and Mexico to an early and amicable ad- justment; and in this view I shall be prepared to renew negotiations whenever Mexico shall be ready to receive propositions, or to make propositions of her own. The message was instantly taken into consideration by Congress. Both branches, by overwhelming majorities, declared in favour of recognizing a war against Mexico, and in providing means for its energetic prosecution. The regular army was increased to 15,000 men; a special war bill autho- rized an additional force of 50,000 men, to be placed at the disposal of the Prdsident; and 10,000,000 dollars were appropriated for the payment of the troops. The naval force was increased in an equal ratio.

• On the 13th, the following proclamation was issued by the President.

" PROCLAMATION OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

"Whereas the Congress of the United States, by virtue of the constitutional author- ity vested in them, havedeclared by their act beating date this day, that • by the act of the Republic of Mexico, a state of war exists between that Government and the United States' : "Now, therefore, I, James E. Polk, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim to all whom It may concern, and I do specially enioin on all persons holding offices, civil or military, under the authority of the United States, that they be vigilant and zealous in discharging the duties respectively Incident thereto. And I do, moreover, exhort all the gad people of the United States, as they love their country, as they feel the wrongs which have forced on them the last resort of Injured nations, and as they consult the best means under the blessing of Divine Providence of abridg- ing its calamities, that they exert themselves in preserving order, to promoting concord, in maintaining the authority and the efficacy of the laws, and in supporting and invig- orating all the measures which may be adopted by the constituted authorities for at- taining a speedy, a just, and an honourable peace.

" In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed to these presents. "Done at the city of Washington, this 13th day of May 1846, and of the Indepen- dence of the United States the 70th.

"By the President, JAN= K.. Poxx. "James Buchanan, Secretary of State."

The following intimation reached Philadelphia on the 15th, by magnetic telegraph- " The President of the United States has signed the war bill. When he signed it, he said, 'Now I have power to make peace.' Several orders for goodsz de- .spatched by tomorrow's steamer to Europe, direct the goods to be sent in Bntish, or French, or other European bottoms." The utmost excitement prevailed throughout the Union; and in the Southern States large companies of volunteers were forming to march to the relief of the army on the Rio Del Norte. Great fears were entertained throughout the commercial classes that the Mexican Government would issue letters of marque. The American journals are far from being unanii- mous in support of the aggressive war sanctioned by Congress. The position of General Taylor is thought critical. The army is on the left bank of the Rio Grande, ninety miles from the coast, by the channel Of the river, but only forty by land to Point Isabel. The mouth of the Rio Grande has only seven feet of water at the highest tide, so that its naviga- tion isimpracticable to any but steamers and very small vessels. The chan- nel is, moreover, entirely commanded from the Mexican shore. The pro- spect ofconveying supplies by this route is far from encouraging. The entrance to Point Isabel is, however, accessible to ships of large draught at almost all seasons. The city of Matamoras was commanded by American batteries on the opposite side of the river. The two armies had been lying opposite to each other nearly a fortnight; and until the affair occurred to which we have already alluded, no act of hostility on either side had been committed. The American naval squadron in the Gulf of Mexico consists of the Raritan, first-class frigate, the frigates Potomac and Cumberland, the sloops of war John Adams and St. Mary's, the brig Laurence and schooner Flirt, and the steam frigate Mississippi, the Princeton screw-propelled frigate; and other vessels were on their way to join the fleet. On the West or Pacific side of Mexico, are the Constitution and Savannah, first- class frigates, sloops of war Levant, Portsmouth, and Warren. A rigorous blockade of the port of Matamoros was commenced on the 12th of April by the American frigate Laurence and the schooner Flirt. This blockade is believed to he in violation of national law.

The money article of the New York Courier and Engtsirer of date the 14th instant says-

" The effect upon commercial and financial affairs is, of course, depressing. The stocks all fell. The expectation that large MIMS will be required by the General Government, in the shape of loans, has sent down the prices of United States Six per Cent Stock; so that the highest offer now is 106k, whereas last week it was from 109 to 110: If war is to collie, and is to be prosecuted in ear- nest, 10,000,000 dollars will fall far short of what will be needed, and resort must then be had to loans and taxes. It is well understood both by monied men knd the Government, that whatever monies may be borrowed must be supplied from our own resources and capital, without looking to Europe, where so little favour ih now extended to the securities even of the United States. This consideration is not without its effect on the present market value of Government Stocks.

"The insurance companies have taken the alarm, and add 3 per cent to their premiums on voyages to the Gulf of Mexico, or underwrite at previous premiums inserting a clause against assuming any war risk. Thus far no difference has been made on voyages to or from Europe.

"The most disastrous effect, however, commercially, of this state of things, is in the suspension of orders in process of execution for European account, in our Southern ports. Credits opened against these orders have been withdrawn, and the orders themselves have been countermanded, at least for the present."

The following resolution was submitted to the Senate by Mr. Evans, and agreed to-

" Resolved, that the Committee on Commerce be instructed to inquire into the expediency of providing by law that any articles, the growth, produce, or manu- facture ot the adjoining British provinces, or brought into the United States

therefrom, on which duties may have been paid or secured, may be exported from any port in the United States for the benefit of the drawback of the said duties under such regulations as may be proper for the security of revenue." The correspondent of the Morning Chronicle says that the object of this resolution is "to counteract, if possible, the effect upon the carrying trade and business generally of the State and city of New York, of the measure now pending in the Canadian Parliament, for the abolition of all duties on American produce passing into Canada for local consumption, or for trans- portation abroad."