16 DECEMBER 1843, Page 5

_foreign aut.( (Colonial.

SPAIN.—Our accounts from Madrid. last week, came down to the period when S. Gonzalez Bravo had read the declaration signed by the Queen, respecting the violence which S. Olozaga was alleged to have used in obtaining her signature to the decree for dissolving the Cortes. The subject came under discussion in the Chamber of Deputies on the 3d instant ; and the debate had continued, without being brought to a 'close, for five days. First, a motion was made, by S. Pia, to declare that' the Chamber should decline to discuss the declara- tion read by S. Bravo; but that was rejected. A motion was next made by several Moderado Depntiss, " That a deputation be sent to the Queen, to make known to her the sincere wishes which the Chamber has formed for her happiness, and bow much it resents the indelicate act [racte pee delicat—we quote the report in the Journal des Diliats] of which she was the victim on the night of No- vember the 28th." This was the' subject of the long debate. It was Supported by Martinez de la Rosa and other Moderados ; opposed in spirit, 'but not in form, by Olozaga, Lopez, and Cortina, and their friends. ' S. Olozaga made a long explanatory speech, comprising several important statements- , He observed that he should say as little as possible as to the merits of the question ; confining himself to the facts, and especially to the circumstances which preceded the facts mentioned in the declaration. He went hack some time in the review of his public life; and said that when he was tutor to the Queen he never ceased to caution her to govern constitutionally. Those doc- trines created a great antipathy to him among the persons of the Royal Household; and their hatred was exasperated when he was appointed Minis- ter. Hence arose a resistance, both secret and open, to his endeavoursto construct a Cabinet. It was so flagrant, that he was under the necessity of threatening to expel from the Palace whoever attempted to interfere in po- litical affairs. • He gave an instance of this intriguing dislike. He and his Colleagues were one day invited to dine with the Queen, and they went at the appointed hour. They were told by a person attached to the private service, that the dinner had been countermanded, and that they had misunderstood the orders of the Queen. They heard by chance that there was no truth in the counter-order, and they remained. The dinner was served soon after; it was in magnificent state, and could not have been hastily prepared. The day after his nomination to office, S. Olozaga was surprised to hear the Queen declare, that if he could not form a Ministry, another person would undertake that task in his place: the person thee alluded to, but not named, was General Narvaes. Seeing this resistance, said S. °Maws, perhaps he ought to have retired into private life ; but he feared that the Moderado party, once in power, would cast off the mask of moderation, and he preferred the public interest to his own ease. He vindicated, on political grounds, his right to demand the decree of dissolution ; and, affected to tears and sobs, he proceeded to explain the circumstances of the 28th. At this point, he was interrupted by the Pre- sident, as the time fixed for adjournment had arrived ; but next day he re- sumed.] He said that on that day he remained with the Queen but a quarter of an hour. He laid before her various decrees, all of which she approved and signed, in the simple, natural, clear, and legal form which characterized her Majesty's handwriting ; and he insinuated that such could not have been the case if any moral or physical violence had been used to obtain them,—although, he added, " certain singular circum- stances authorize the suspicion that a proof to the contrary is in preparation." He dwelt on the subsequent delicate attentions shown by the Queen in a gift of sweetmeats intended for his daughter, as indicating " what proofs of good- ness could emanate from a free and grateful heart "; upon their salutes inter- changed in the apartments least remote from the alleged scenes of serious events, salutes even after the act of taking leave; on his own tranquil depart- ure through the many and spacious apartments which separate the 'Royal cabinet from the principal staircase of the Palace, instead of availing hiMself of the back-stair passage,—rapid, direct, and six or seven times shorter than that by which those retire who have fulfilled their duty and retire with due

solemnity. Many hours of the night he passed in his office at the Palace ; but be heard nothing of his alleged offence—nothing till next day, when it was known that a decree bad been signed for the dissolution of the Cortes ; and that, he intimated, was made known through the Marques& de Santa Cruz. "Here," said S Olozaga, "Senores, we come to the decisive question ; here sub- terfuges are of no avail; here it will not serve to shield oneself with the Throne; it is necessary to say frankly, if they wish to preserve the constitu- tional throne, or if they desire a throne of another character ? (Applause in the galleries, and cries of "No despotism° ! ") 'Where is this power of the Crown to act without the intervention of a responsible Minister?" Ile went on to deny the existence of such a power; alluding to the decree of his dismissal, which was signed, not by one of the Ministers still in office, but by a subordinate in one of the offices of Government. He maintained that the style and borrowed words of the declaration were just such as those with which an innocent child might be entrapped, and might be led to adopt the ideas and

interpretations of others' until neither the original intentions nor words could be found. All of which he imputed to the Camarilla. He directed the

attention of the Assembly to a conspiracy, existing both in Spain and throughout Europe, against constitutional Governments. He had proofs of its existence, and knew for certain that there were agents in Spain labouring to bring about the marriage of the son of Don Carlos with the Queen. (This

statement was received with cries of " No, no! " and excited a tumult which the President appeased with much difficulty.) S. Olozaga persisted in his de- claration ; and, after attacking the actors in the scene at the Palace who re- fused to allow him to be present and justify himself, and branding in energetic terms the imprudent courtiers who compromised the Throne, he concluded by recommending the adoption of the address to the Queen, and his own impeach- ment for the offence with which he was charged.

In the Chamber of Deputies, on the 6th, two Vice-Presidents were elected in the room of Bravo and Mazarredo. There were three can- didates, Olivan, Ministerial ; and Madoz and Garnica, • Progresista ; the two latter were elected. • ' The Chamber resolved, on the 7th, by 81 to 66, to take into consi- deration the bill of impeachment against Olozaga,'moved by Moderado Deputies. From the numbers, several Progresistas must have voted for the motion, as a means of sifting the question.

The Paris National gives the following, from an accredited corres- pondent, as the true account of what passed between S. Olozaga and the Queen- "Olozaga being convinced that the Moderados were preparing for the return of Queen Christina, and for the reaction which was to serve her as a cortege, resolved to demand a dissolution of the Chamber. The state of parties and of the Chamber required him to act with prudence and with the greatest secrecy. Ile accordingly went to the young Queen on the evening of the 28th, -and

presented the decree for her signature. Curious, like a child of her age, the little Queen asked why ? and the Minister entered into some explanations. She then took the pen and wrote her name at the bottom of the decree. Two

circumstances demonstrate the absurdity of violence. The first is, that the Queen, after having signed, asked Olozaga to give the cross of Charles the Third to a music-master ; and the second, that at the moment when the

Minister was going away, she called him back in a friendly manner, and, putting together some bons-bons which were on the chimney-piece, she said, 'Take

these home to your children as a present from me.'" , "An occasional correspondent" of the Times states that negotiationa had been going on between Bravo and Narvaez and Olozaga, to bury the affair of the 28th in oblivion ; the consideration being, that Olozaga should have the embassy to Paris, on the further condition that he would leave Bravo and Narvaez to rule in Madrid. Olozaga was not inexorable ; but Cortina, on whom be relies for fair play in the Cortes, would not hear of the " transaccion "; and it was broken off.

The new Ministry was definitely appointed on the 5th: Luis Gon- zalez Bravo, President of the Council; General hlazarredo, Minister. of War ; Marquis of Penaflorida, of the interior; S. Mayans, of Justice ; S. Portillo, of Marine. There was some difficulty in finding a person willing to be Minister of Finance.

The regular correspondent of the Times gives a very bad account of the new Prime Minister, Dan Luis Gonzalez Bravo. "He was for- merly notorious as the editor of El Guirigay (i e. Gibberish); a pro- duction something like your London Satirist, and which did not hesi- tate to damage the character of the mother of Queen Isabella to the best of its ability. He was also a member of the Partido del Trenuo, or

Thunder Club ; an association, like the Mohawks described by Gay, to attack passengers in the streets at night. "His father, Gonzalez Bravo, was last year 'permitted to resign' a lucrative office in the Treasury,

in which the inflexible Ramon Calatrava found that some accounts had gone astray, and insisted on an eclaireissement." Don Luis is a favourite of the French embassy, and " editor " for the Camarilla "It Was his pen, dipped in the ink-bottle at the French Embassy, that furnished the leading article for the Heraldo on the morning of the 29th, to trumpet forth the success of the Camarilla, his own advancement, and the ruin of his rival."

The night of the 3d presented a characteristic scene in Madrid.. It was the last of a three-days' feast to celebrate the Queen's majority.

The place was illuminated ; transparencies announced that the Queen had united all Spaniards ; and fountains flowed with milk and wine. Some fellows got drunk, and insisted on a man's crying " Muera Espar- terol" which he refused. A riot ensued ; troops were called out, fire-

arms were discharged on both sides, and in the conflict two persons were killed and nineteen wounded. One of the wounded was a lady, who was sitting with some friends in a coffeehouse.

FRANCE.—On the 28th November, the Duke d'Aumale embarked at Algiers, in the Asmodee steamer, to take command of the province of Constantine. On the 30th, Marshal Bugeaud took passage in the Tenare, for the province of Oran.

Prince de Polignac passed through Strasburg on Monday, on his way to Munich.

The fortifications have continued to excite renewed displeasure in Paris. M. Arago writes letters to the papers against the detached forts, as threatening the liberties of Paris ; and at the municipal elections, on Tuesday, two of the wards of Paris petitioned the Chambers against the forts.

The French Government displays apprehension of a movement in La Vendee. The National states, that a notification has been made to the Spanish refugees domiciled in Lower Brittany, that they must choose a residence more in the centre of France.

The Presse contains this odd paragraph—" An office, in which the correspondence is written in ciphers and letters translated into every language, exists this long time in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A similar office is to be established in the Ministry of Marine, by a recent decision of Vice-Admiral De Mackau."

The appointment of Luis Gonzalez Bravo has given great umbrage to Queen Christina and her adherents in Paris. Her Majesty is in fre- quent communication with the French Court.

The French journals continually record instances of the distress that prevails in Paris. The Presse mentions that the dead body of a chif- fonnier was picked up in the Rue Dauphine on Saturday, and a medi- cal man attributed the death to hunger. There was a piece of bread in the dead man's hand; but it appears that long abstinence had made the very food fatal to him.

The Paris correspondent of the Globe relates the suicide of M. Janin, the managing director of the Italian Opera, and his wife-

" They were found dead from the fumes of charcoal, which he had placed in a brazier on the floor ; taking the precaution of putting it on the marble slab from a stove or sideboard, to prevent all danger of setting the house on fire. A few days ago, the cashier of the theatre was thrown into prison, on a charge of making up false accounts of the receipts, to defraud the proprietors, and the Administration des Hospices, which is entitled to one-tenth of the receipts. 31. Vatel and M. Dormoy, who have a pecuniary interest in the theatre, waited on the cashier in prison, and learned from him that he had been instigated to the act by M. Janin. The latter, on learning this, resolved to destroy himself; and his wife, who was deeply affected, determined to share his fate. 31. Vatel had previously done every thing in his power:to hush up the affair, out of mercy to M. Janin; but in vain, as the Police were resolved to follow it up. M. Ja- nin's salary in the theatre was 12,000 francs a year."

NORTH AMEBICA.—The mail-steamer Caledonia, which left Halifax 011 the 3d instant, and Boston on the 1st, arrived at Liverpool on Thurs- day morning. There was a Ministerial crisis in Canada. By a pre- vious arrival, a report had reached London that Sir Charles Metcalfe had resigned the Government, in consequence of ill-health : the report of the resignation is not confirmed, and that of ill health is contradicted.

We believe, however, that he bad really been ill ; having neglected a cancer-like affection of the face with which he had been for some years affected. The other rumour probably originated in the disruption of the Ministry : the whole number had resigned, except Mr. Daly, the Provincial Secretary ; and the resignations had been accepted. The

names of the retiring Ministers were, Sullivan, Lafontaine, Baldwin, Hincks, Dunn, Small, Morin, Aylwin, and Killaly. The reason is said to be, that Sir Charles Metcalfe refused to give them a pledge (!) that he would make no appointment without consulting them.

Among other measures which had recently received the Governor's signature, was the " Act to impose certain duties on agricultural pro- duce and live stock imported into this province."

The only political news from the United States is, that the State of Mississippi had elected a Governor of Repudiation principles, by a large majority over his opponent of opposite principles.

In commercial matters, a steady improvement was taking place throughout the country, increased confidence in trading transactions was manifesting itself, and every thing indicated a return of prosperous times. Money continued as abundant as ever, and the amount of un- employed capital was considerable. Exchange on London was 8 to 13f premium ; on Paris, 5.32f ;I.

NEW ZEALAND.—Completer accounts have been received of the fight between a party of Natives and a party of British at Wairau, on the Middle Island of New Zealand ; and they confirm the most melan-

choly forebodings. The narrative is given in the New Zealand Colonist of June the 30th, a Port Nicholson paper, and the Auckland Chronicle of July the 15th; and as we have no reason to doubt the accuracy of either in the main facts, we use both versions in the subjoined compi- lation.

The district of Wairau is on the river of that name, near Cloudy Bay, about seventy miles from the Nelson settlement. It is comprised in the lands granted by Government to the New Zealand Company ; and on the 25th April, Messrs. Cotterell, Parkinson, and Barnicoat, surveyors, landed with forty men, to make a survey of the district for the Company. In the mean time, Rauparaha and Rangiaiata, two of the most powerful and least civilized chiefs of the Middle Island, were at Porirua, on the other aide of Cook's Strait ; where Mr. Spain, the Government Land-claims Commissioner, then held his court. They urged him to hasten to Wairau, to settle the claims there ; and made known their determination to prevent the survey from proceeding. Mr. Thorns (who seems to be a settler connected with the Natives) repeatedly stated that Ile understood from them that they would make a stand at Wairau, and loft their lives rather than allow the White men to take possession of that place until they had been paid for it. Mr. Spain used his influence to pacify them ; and obtained a promise from them to do nothing before his arrival. He undertook to meet them there as soon as possible after the adjournment of his court on the 19th June. The two chiefs arrived in Cloudy Bay, in Mr. Thorns's schooner, on the 1st June. They visited some Englishmen, who had been settled in the Bay for years, and declared their determination to burn down the surveyors' houses, and drive them off the land. They did burn Mr. Cotterell 's hut, having first removed all the property in it, to prevent need- less destruction ; and collecting the survey-party together, forced them by menaces to remove to the mouth of the river. Mr. Tuckett, the chief imr- veyor, who had now arrived, sent Mr. Cotterell to Nelson, for assistance. Be arrived on the 12th June, and laid as information before Mr. Thompsan, the

Police Magistrate ; who issued a warrant against Rauparaha and Rangiaiata for burning the hut. Having been informed that the Natives were armed, and in great numbers, the Magistrate determined to attend the execution of the warrant himself, accompanied by an armed force; and expressed his opinion that such a demonstration would prevent bloodshed, and impress the Natives with the authority of the law. It is clear, from subsequent events, that no one anticipated any resistance. The men of the labouring class were not armed at Nelson, nor selected as fighting-men. Mr. Thompson was accompanied by Captain Wakefield, R.N., the Company's Agent at Nelson, Captain England, late of the Twelfth Regiment of Foot, Mr. Howard, the Company's Store- keeper, Mr. Richardson, the Crown Prosecutor, some other gentlemen, John Brooke, an interpreter, four constables, and twelve men. They sailed in the Government brig Victoria. On their way, they took up Mr. Tuckett and some ten men, who were returning in a large boat to Nelson. They landed on Friday the 16th June ; and went five miles up the river, partly marching, and partly in boats; the Storekeeper having served out muskets, bayonets, pistols, swords, and cutlasses. The party was now forty-nine in number. At night they slept in a wood ; and having gone four miles further up the river, on the 17th they found the Natives or " ?decries " posted on its left bank, and on the right bank of a deepunfordable rivulet, thirty feet wide, which flowed into the Wairau. There were eighty or ninety Native men, forty of whom were armed with muskets, besides women and children. They occupied about a quarter of an acre of clearedground, with a dense thicket behind them. The British placed themselves on the right bank of the rivulet ; and were formed into two separate bodies, under Captain England and Mr. Howard; the men being or. dered not to interfere until directed. Behind them was a kill, covered with fern and manuka, and sloping upwards, with several terraces. At the request of the Magistrate, the Natives placed a canoe across the rivulet, to serve for a bridge ; and the Magistrate, some of the gentlemen' the interpreter, and the constables, crossed over, and entered into a parley. Mr. Thompson, Captain Wakefield, and Mr. Cotterell walked backwards and forwards for nearly half an hour with the Natives, apparently in a friendly manner. Mr. Thompson then showed his warrant, directed the constable to execute it on Rauparaha, and instructed Brooke to explain the meaning of it. Mr. Thompson also stated that he was " the Queen's representative"; ; that that (pointing to the warrant) was the Queen's hook ; that Rauparaha must go on board the brig with the constable; that it was for burning Mr. Cotterell's house' and had nothing to do with the land question. Rauparaha told them to sit down and talk, and not make a fight ; and to wait till Mr. Spain and Mr. Clarke came, and hear what they would say. Certain "Missionary Natives," or Natives converted to Chris- tianity, were unarmed ; and their chief E Pua came forward with the New Testament in his hand, and entreated Mr. Thompson not to permit fighting. The warrant was presented to the chiefs two or three times; and on each occasion about sixteen Natives, who had been sitting, sprung upon their feet and levelled their muskets at the Europeans. Mr. Thomp- son then inquired of Rauparaha, whether he would come or not ; to which he replied, he would not ; but that if Mr. Clarke or Mr. Spain was there, he would. Mr. Thompson then said, if he would not go, he would make him. Ranparaha still refusing, Mr. Thempson, pointing to the Euro- peans, said, "There is the armed force' and they shall fire upon you all (or upon you) if yonavon't go." Mr. Thompson, it appears, became exas- perated," and the discussion violent. Rangiaiata called on him not to fire. "For God's sake, Thompson, mind what you are about!" shouted Mr. Richard- son, from the other side. Mr. Thompson then called to the armed party to fix bayonets and advance ; Captain Wakefield, placing the canoe across the stream for a bridge, gave the word, "Englishmen, forward." A few of them had entered the canoe, when a shot was fired, whetherby accident or design is not clear; neither is it certain on which side, but there is reason to think it was on the side of the Europeans. Upon this the firing immediately became general on both sides, and several fell. When the firing commenced, Mr. Thompson, Captain Wakefield, and the rest of the party who had been in communication with the chiefs, re. crossed the creek to join their own party. In doing so, they were met by some others retreating ; which caused confusion, and several men fell into the water. Three of the Natives having fallen, the rest began to retreat; but the two chiefs, raising a war-cry, darted across the rivulet, followed by their warriors, in pursuit of the British.

Captain Wakefield now ordered the British to retreat up the hill, and form on the brow. The greater number, however, did not halt at all, but fled round the hill, and escaped. At each step in the ascent, Captain Wakefield attempted to rally the fugitives. Mr. Thompson cried—" For God's sake' men, come back ; the Maories are coming upon us!" But, although an irregular firing was kept up, the Europeans continued their retreat. Captain Wakefield, finding it impossible to rally the men, ordered those who remained to lay down their arms and surrender. A white handkerchief was held up, and Brooke, the in- terpreter, called to the Maories—" Leave off, enough!' But after this, some shots were fired by those in retreat, who had reached the top of the hill, and were too far distant to know what was going on below. When signals of sur- render had been made, one or two Maories also threw down their arms, and ad- vanced with their arms stretched out in token of reconciliation. Rangiaiata, who had just discovered that his wife had been shot by a chance ball, came up, crying " Rauparaha, remember your daughter." Rauparaha sat down, and Rangiaiata, with his own hand, put to death the whole of the prisoners. " Puha, puha!" [E Pus?] cried the wife of a chief, from a distance, "save some of the chiefs, [gentlemen,] that you may say you saved some." But it was too late. Nineteen persons were killed on the British side. Of the Natives, about forty.were engaged ; four were killed, and five wounded. Some of the prisoners found their way to the beach through the swamps, and were picked up by whale-boats the same night ; others wandered into the mountains, and lost themselves for several days. The last of these reached Port Underwood on the 21st; having tasted no food but three turnips, which he picked up on the 20th. On the afternoon of the 17th, Mr. Tuckeit and others who had escaped through the low grounds to the beach, set sail for Wel- lington to procure assistance, and arrived in the night. A deputation from the Bench of Magistrates returned in the brig, as soon as a violent South- easter would permit them to leave the harbour. On their arrival at Cloudy Bay, they found that Mr. Ironside, the Wesleyan Missionary, had proceeded with two boate-companies of whalers to inter the bodies; which they did on the ground where they fell ; the Natives giving permission. Rauparaha and Ran- giaiata told Mr. Ironside that they had no intention to fight ; that it was the wrath of the Europeans that made them fight ; that the Europeans had fired upon them, and one or two of their number had fallen, before they began to fight ; and that it was not until the wife of Rangiaiata was shot that they began to seek for payment" (revenge.) The Colonist gives the following as the list of the killed and wounded-- " Killed—Captains Wakefield and England, H. A. Thompson, Esq., G. R. Richardson, Eq., — Patchett, Esq. — Howard, Esq., — Cotterell, Esq.; Messrs. John Brook; interpreter, William Clanzay, Thomas Ratcliffe, William Northam' Thomas Pay, Coster, James M'Gregor, William Gardner, Ely Cropper, Henry Bumforth, Thomas Tyrrell, and Isaac Smith.

" Missing—Malen, chief constable ; Edward Stokes, Thomas Hannam, and. John Burton."

The Wellington Spectator speaks of voluminous " depositions " mad* by White people and Natives, and remarks- " We are happy to say, that notwithstanding all that has passed, it is the opinion of those who have been engaged in this inquiry, that they anticipate no fears of the repetition of any hostile movement on the part of the Natives, provided no fresh acts of (what the Natives consider the late affair to have been) aggression on the part of the White people take place. 'We are now adopting the proper course for protecting ourselves, as far as we at present pos- sess the means ; and we trust that they will be followed up by the speedy arrival of the more efficient aid of some of the regular forces which are at the seat of Government."