fortigu ant( 6niuniti1.

FaAxez.—The number of political arrests forms the chief feature of the French news. On Friday many persons were apprehended; among -them twenty-two journeymen tailors belonging to the cheap clothing establishment.called La Belle Jardiniere. The reason alleged for these proceedings ire a . "plot" against the life of the Emperor, which was to have taken effect-on that day, at the opening of the Boulevard de Stras- beinflending to the railway station. It would appear that the Emperor *knot li,ttend the opening, as it was expected he would. But he does not seemtolie it all afraid of going abroad; for on Sunday, dressed in pleindOthes,, and attended by two of his suite, he walked about the Ifuseum.:of the Louvre among the throng of people ; and in the evening he attended, with the Empress, the Opera Comique. - In oonnexion 'with these rumours of plots, we may mention that an advocate named Subbed has been arrested—the Sleek says, for the freedom with which he recently defended some of the persons implicated in the Opera Comique conspiracy. For this assertion the Steele has -reeeired a first Warning. The Government officials state that M. Hubbell, is arrested for a political offence. The Benet testinionia1 committee have raised enough'money to pay for a-memorial, and 10,000 francs to epare for the Benet family ; and they have placed their funds at the disposal of the Minister of Marine, M. Du- cos. -ru an interview' with that gentleman, it was decided that the tablet in honour of Lieutenant Bellot should be set up in the Marine Museum. It is reinaikeffi that While the British residents have subscribed 10,000 francs the French committee have only subscribed 600 francs. M. cranes, manufacturer, has recently published a work ell the urgency of making a reduction in the import-duty on cotton Areail.. The _Davis comments on this work, and shows that under the Ijr9S4iit tariff the development of cotton manufactures in France lags a long way behind that of other nations.

"If the interval comprised between the 31st of December 1840 and the let of January 1853 be taken, it will be found that the increase in the consump- fion of raw cotton calculated by a comparison between the average of the kat three yeses and that of the last three, has been in France during these ladve years, only five-and-a-half millions of kilogrammes, or Attie leas than

per cent; whereas in England it has been 101 millions of kilogrammes, or .10..per cent ; in the Zollverein, 13 millions-of kilogrammes, or 76 per cent ; -nd in Belgium, three-and-a-half millions, or 50 per cent. In Switzerland, where 'official returns have been published only since 1850, it has net -been possible-to have figures absolutely exact relative to the consumption of cotton-and wool; but, it results from information collected by one of the most respectable houses of St. Galle, that the number of spinning-factories bas doubled within the last sixteen years. Thus, England doubles her con- "samption of raw cotton in, thirty, Years, the Zollverein in fifteen or sixteen, aagnini in-twenty-four, and Switzerland in sixteen or seventeen ; while

rinee takes more than a century for the purpose."

- -The reason of this delay in development, the Dehats finds in the ex- tessiVe cost of the "raw material," meaning cotton thread, relatively to cost ha_ other countries.

TURBEY.—Early in the week, the town was startled by a telegraphic -despataltannounciug the total destruction' of a Turkish fleet, in the port of Sinope, a naval station midway between Constantinople and Batoum. The despatch came from Odessa to Vienna, and was thoroughly Russian. It

stated, that on the 30th November, Admiral Nachinoffi with six ships of the line, attacked a Turkish squadron at Sinope, and, in spite of the fire of the land-batteries, destroyed, in an hour and a half, seven Turkish frigate; one steam-frigate, two schooners, and three transport ships. Os- man Puha, the commander, was taken with the flag-ship. This, the only vessel that would float, was carried off toward Sebastopol, but aban- doned and sunk before the fleet got there. The Russian flag-ship had suffered so much that it could hardly reach Sebastopol. Prince Menschikoff instantly left Odessa, to carry in person the news to the Emperor. Such was the Russian account of the victory. What Turkish " fleet" had been destroyed, was a matter of conjecture; for the fleet itself was lying at Conttanthiople two days before the 30th, without any intention of putting to sea. Later in the week, it was ascertained that a Turkish squadron, consisting of three frigates, two steamers, and some

transports, had been sent with ammunition and reinforcements to Batoum, and afterwards to some part of the Circassian coast Here, it would appear, the Russians met them, with not six but eight sail of the line

six frigates, and four steamers. The Turks, seeing the enemy, made sail for Sinope; and the Russians following, chased them into tho roads of

Sinope, and there destroyed them. Some of the ships destroyed had troops on board ; and it is admitted there wasgreat slaughter. The fight began at an hour's distance from Sinope. We have no details of tho engagement, but the damaged state of the ItIniSian fleet shows that the Turks must have fought stoutly.

Yesterday the telegraph brought us another edition of the Odessa bulletin. In it the Turkish fleet is set down at eighteen ships ; but of

that number it specifies only eleven as "captured or destroyed." It also states the killed at five thousand. "Osman Pacha, who was wounded, has been taken prisoner. Several officers, English and French, were on board the Turkish fleet."

This disaster was known at Constantinople on the 3d instant, and caused great excitement. A Divan was held, at which the Foreign Alin- isters were present. "The English and French Ambassadors were urged to despatch the combined fleets into the Black Sea ; but they had an au- dience of the Sultan, at which it was resolved not to send the whole fleets at once, but four frigates, to obtain more precise information." But it would appear that two only—one English and one French—have been sent to Sinope.

The war on the Danube is in the same state : the Turks at Kalafat re- main there ; those on the right bank in winter-quarters, with the excep- tion of the garrisons in the Danube forts. The Russian General Budberg has been formally installed as " Com- missioner Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary" of the Czar in Moldo-- Wallachia.

In the despatch of the Emperor to Prince Gortschakoff, informing him of the appointment of General Budberg, the Emperor states that the gene- ral objects of Budberg will be "the maintenance of peace and order, the welfare of the two countries and the provision for the necessities of our army." The inhabitants of Moldo-Wallachia the Emperor describes as being under his "high protection." Riots have taken place at Galatz between the Wallachian militia and the Russian troops. A battalion of the Wallachians refused to obey the orders of a Russian general. The battalion in question and four com- panies of Wallachians were consigned to their barracks. A Pole named Rodzewitch, the Secretary of Prince Gortschakoff, has been arrested and carried to St. Petersburg, charged with having fur- nished Omer Pacha with a plan of the Russian campaign. Another Pole is implicated ; and a third has escaped across the Danube. It is stated that Prince Woronzoff gave "information to the Government of consider- able malversations in the Wallachian commissariat department, and of the soldiers being very badly fed. An aide-de-camp was sent to the spot ; but he found everything in order; and General Woronzoff received a very

cool letter from St. Petersburg. and however, insisted on the correct- ness of his statement ; and a second aide-de-camp having been sent, dis- covered the real state of affairs,"

The Servian difficulty has not been yet overcome. M. de Moukhine is at Semlin, endeavouring to excite the suspicious Scrvians against the Prince ; and he has denounced the latter to the Emperor Nicholas, as the enemy of Russia. Prince Miloseb, the pretender, is in Wallachia, wait- ing events. The war in Asia seems to be carried on with vigour ; but we have no unquestionable information on its progress. The Russians begin to re- port victories—one near Alexandropol, in which " 30,000 " Turks were beaten ; a second in another quarter, where 7000 Turks were defeated with bayonet, sustaining the loss of a cannon and two standards ; a third, described by the telegraph thus- " The Russian General Andronikoff has totally defeated the Turk; in a battle at Akhalzik, on the borders of Turkish Armenia. The Turks left 4090 slain on the field." The Turks, on their side, represent themselves as having cut off the retreat of the Russians, with the aid of Sehamyl. This latter warrior has captured several forts, and defeated " 15,000 Russians under General Orlianoffi" " Goumri, Redu Kaleh, and Kislar, are in the hands of the Turks." It is also asserted that Armenia and Georgia are in revolt against the Russians. The most important statement is, that the British Minister at Teheran has suspended his diplomatic relations with the Shah of Persia, because the Shah was resolved to go to war with Turkey.

ITALY.—The news of the week from Italy is of peculiar interest. No fewer than three outrages upon foreigners, two of whom were British

subjects and one an American, have conic to light. At Naples, a practice has grown up of persecuting persons arriving from abroad. Mr. Baggio, a British Ionian, who has long carried on business at Naples, recently visited Paris and London. On his return he landed at Leghorn, intend- ing to go thence to Naples; but the Neapolitan Consul refused to vise his passport. He betook himself to the British Consul ; who immediately demanded a permission for Mr. Baggio to enter Naples : but he also was refused, on the ground that during his travels Mr. Baggio "communi- cated with refugees in England and France." This is looked upon as a violation of existing treaties. The second case is that of an American citizen, Mr. James Carbone. The Neapolitan authorities at Messina re- fused to allow him to land, although the United States Consul offered the fullest guarantees for his good conduct whilst he transacted business in Sicily. The charge against him was taking part in political events ; but at the date of the transaction mentioned by the Police, Mr. Carbone was

in America. Mr. Owen, the American Minister at Naples, has written home for instructions.

The third case occurred in the Papal States ; the victim was a native of Gibraltar, named Desain. He bad gone early in September by ap- pointment to Rome, with a British passport, countersigned by the Papal Nuncio at Florence. On his way, he stopped at Arezzo •' and there, on the night of the 21st, he was taken from his bed by gendarmes. Asking to see a magistrate, he was carried to gaol, and told that the gaoler was the magistrate he was to speak with. From that time he was taken from prison to prison, and confined, for terms of three to seventeen days, in Santo Sepolcro, Cita di Castello, Perugia, and Foligno. By bribing some one, however, he managed to get a letter conveyed to the British authorities in Rome ; where he himself arrived, a prisoner, on the 14th November. Mr. Lyon and Mr. Freeborn now vigorously exerted them- selves ; and on the 17th November Mr. Desain was taken to the Consular office, and placed under British protection ; where, on the 4th December, he was awaiting the result of negotiations in his behalf.

Attention has again been drawn to the prison sufferings of Poerio, the Constitutional Minister of the King of Naples, whose cause Mr. Glad- stone so eloquently pleaded in his Neapolitan pamphlet. A letter from Naples, dated the 4th December, says-

" I am sorry to inform you that Baron Poerio, who has now worn the chains of a galley-slave for more than four years, is subject to fresh severi- ties, which, if continued, will ere long remove him from the troubles of this world. Hitherto the Polies authorities have permitted the ex-Minister to spend ten ducata (21.) per month for such necessaries as his state of health demands. Orders have now been issued that henceforth be will be permitted to receive from his family only one carlino (fourpence) per day. Now, the

n in which this victim of the Neapolitan constitution is confined, at ntefusco, is so exposed, that without fire the prisoners would perish of told, and the 4d. per day will scarcely pay for wood : independently of which, M. Poerio is in such a wretched state of health as to require many comforts; such as are accorded to the very worst criminal are refused to the late friend and adviser of his Sicilian Majesty." It is reported that negotiations are going on for the simultaneous evacuation of the Roman States by the French and Austrian armies of occupation. It appears that a secret treaty exists, by which that double occupation was to last for five years. The five years are about to expire; and the Pope is anxious to get rid of his foreign protectors, and to trust his safety to the safeguard of Italian troops alone. With this view, the King of Naples is at the present moment organizing a body of 20,000 men, which he promised Pio Nono, during his residence at Gaeta, that he would place at his disposal. The whole of these troops are to adopt the Pontifical cockade, and to protect the Holy Ste, along with the 12,000 men whom the Pope has already in his service.

SPAIN.—A Spanish crisis has become a commonplace. The struggle on this occasion is ostensibly about a railway bill; the Senate asserting its right to proceed with a bill before it on railways, instead of dropping it at the wish of the Cabinet and waiting until a new bill came up from the Lower Chamber. The Sartorius Cabinet opposed this course ; there were hot debates on the 7th, 8th, and 9th instant ; Ministers complained of systematic opposition, which had been displayed towards not only them but five preceding Cabinets ; and they believed that they were sup- ported by the confidence of the Crown and a majority in the Chamber of Deputies. These arguments failed, in convincing the Senate,, and the re- solutions were adopted by 105 to 69. The Ministers replied to this de- test by suspending the Cortes, and naming no day for the next sitting. "Everything portends a coup d'etat."

Dime AND Cara.—The overland mail, arrived yesterday afternoon. The latest dates etre from Bombay, 13th November; Hongkong, 27th October; Burinah, 23d October.

• Our territory on the Irrawaddy is still represented as disturbed by da- ceities ; but Captain Latter and Captain Smith, Commissioners for Prome and Sarrawah, have given a good account of some of the leading deceits. Myah Thoon, desperately wounded, has been carried to Ave • Aiming Koung Gye has been captured and hanged ; and Myoo Ouk has been hunted into some place of concealment. Promo and Sarrawab were peace- ful, and the operations of trade bad been renewed. Two Roman Catholic priests had arrived in Captain Phayre's quarters with a, message from the King of Ave, requesting permission to send

three white elephants, with offerings to Shoey-dagon : but Captain Pliayre, fearing the presence of the beasts would rouse the superstitious feelings of the Burmese, and not liking to refuse in so many words, re- plied, that he would give the required permission if the King would sure render d'Orguny, the French drilling-master at Aye!

A number of convicts escaped from Rangoon on the 8th October, seiz- ing the piled muskets of the Sepoys. There was nothing for it but to fire at the convicts ; and out of 132, 15 only got away : of the rest, 13 -were killed, 43 wounded, and 61 were recaptured.

General Godwin died on the 26th November' at Simla. Sir Theophilus Metcalfe, Commissioner of Delhi, died on the 18th October. Major Ed- wardes has-been appointed Commissioner for Peshawur.

The cholera had made its appearance at Bombay ; and, up to the 13th November, there had been 275 deaths. The news from China is of the briefest. The Mantchoos in Fow-chow- few, 70,000 in number, civil and military, were fearing an attack. Can- ton was quiet ; but fighting still continued at Amoy.

AUSTRALIA.—The Victoria has arrived with papers from Sydney, Ho- bart Town, and Melbourne, up to September 17th, 10th, and 23d re- spectively.

From Melbourne all accounts concur in stating that great improve- ments had been effected in the Post-office, the Police, and public works. Letters, property, and life, were all more secure. From the gold-fields come brilliant accounts of heavy findings which have followed the adop- tion of new methods of digging. The miners were sinking shafts 100 and 140 feet deep, from the bottom of which they drove tunnels in va- rious directions ; and by these means much gold had been obtained. But the uncertainty remained as great as ever, especially as the gold dis- covered lay in gutters from six to eight feet wide; and the judgment and perseverance of the digger was tried severely, as many boles, failing to strike these gutters of gold, yielded next to teething. From August 18th to September 23d the escorts had brought down to Melbourne 258,927 ounces. It was estimated that the diggers had lost 50,000/. by attending to the agitation against the licence-fee.

Upon this subject, there was the greatest excitement; and the Nei- bourne Argus supplies an historical statement of the whole affair. Fro; the outset Lieutenant-Governor Latrobe has pursued a vacillating policy At first he insisted on a licence of 31. per month ; but that failed. The fee was then reduced to 30s. About the middle of June last, an agitt. , !ion began at Bendigo against even this fee, and rapidly spread to the ad- I jacent diggings. At the head of this movement appeared a 66Ceptas, Brown" ; an unknown man, who " spoke with a plausible and fluent elo- quence," and used rathee strong language. The result of these sesesd meetings was the establishment of an association, and the adoption memorial from the diggers generally to the Lieutenant-Governor, object. ing to the fee on a variety of grounds,—that it was collected by aka characters " - that it bore hard upon beginners ; that much time wee spent in getting licences renewed; and that it was, very unfairly, 'sew alike upon the successful and the unsuccessful diggers. They preposui that the fee should be reduced to 108. per month ; licences to be hid monthly or quarterly; penalty for non-possession 11.; newly-aeosed miners allowed fifteen clear days before they should be required to take out a licence. Seven thousand diggers signed this memorial in a monde Although not embodied in the memorial, it weuld appear from thespeecke of the orators that the entire management of the gold-fields, and the land monopoly, were as much the subject of complaint as the licence-fee, Th deputation of diggers waited on Mr. Latrobe on the 1st of August, ma presented their memorial. In reply, the Governor told them that they asked what was impossible ; that he could-not alterthe law; and that he was "prepared for anything." This interview increased the movement Meetings were held at Melbourne, Geelong, Bendigo, White Hill, and other places. At Bendigo decided measures -were adopted. The diggers resolved to tender ten shillings. As early as the 20th August the diggers at Goulburn bad extorted a promise from the Commissioners that no more licence-fees should be enforced that month, and that the persons impre. Boned for non-payment should be released. When the 1st of Septembse came, the diggers at Bendigo refused to renew their licences. Instead of 12,000, only 400 were issued ; and the symbol of resistance, a bit of red riband, was worn by nearly every man. But that same day the Govern- ment Commissioner at Bendigo posted up a notice, stating, that as other measures for raising a revenue would be devised, no compulsory means would be employed to enforce the licence-fee during September. The day before, in a speech delivered on the opening of the Legislative Coun- cil, Mr. Latrobe said he was disposed to propose the "total abolition. of the licence-fee, merely reserving a registration-fee for police purposes. Singularly enough, on the same day, a notice was posted at Melbourne totally opposed to that promulgated at Bendigo. The Melbourne notice stated, that "the proposed abolitiou of the licence-fee to gold-diggers in no way affects the obligation to pay the current licence-fee until a new act may be passed by the Legislature." "Never, we believe," says the Argus, "did any Executive get more thoroughly frightened than did that of Governor Latrobe at last ; and no small alarm, we may add, was communicated to the inhabitants throughout the colony. As in all similar cases, the rumours and reports that were dr. ciliated were a thousand times worse than the reality. Reyeatedly the citizens of bielbourne were startled by apparently well-authenticated reports of collisions between the diggers and the authorities at Bendige, attended with serious loss of life ; and even at Mount Alexander similar reports were circulated and believed. So. thoroughly alarming was the information con- veyed to the Government, that every available soldier at their command, and several pieces of artillery, were sent to Bendigo ; the most pressing requisi- tions were sent to the neighbouring colonies; the marines were landed from HASS. Electra, and even the duty of sentinel at the Government offices was performed by a policeman. Within the last few days several hundreds of troops, headed by Colonel Despard, of New Zealand celebrity, have landed from Van Diemen's Land; and it is probable that in due time detachments will be landed from New South Wales, and that :we may even be favoured with a visit by the General Commanding-in-chief." The upshot was, that a committee appointed to take evidence upon the state of the gold-fields, "at once advised the Council tows a temporary act—in effect giving way to the demands of the diggers - the licence for the next three months being fixed at 408." "Captain. lirown." is under arrest, on a charge of using seditious language.

Much dissatisfaction is expressed at the disallowance of' the Anti-Con- vict Act by the Duke of Newcastle. The act prohibited conditionally pardoned convicts from landing in Victoria. From Sydney we learn, that the Council had read a second time the Constitution Bill, in favour of a nominee Upper Chamber, by 34 to 8. The agitation in the colony against the bill continued and increased. The petitions adopted at the meetings declare that the present Council does not represent the people of New South Wales, and is therefore incom- petent to frame a constitution ; and they pray that the Queen will not assent to any measure not embodying the views of the petitioners. Mean- while, the further progress of the bill had been postponed for three months, in order to its more deliberate consideration. The foundation of a new Exchange at Sydney was laid by Sir Charles Fitzroy on the 25th August.

From Hobart Town we have cheerful accounts of increasing revenues, and great advances in material improvements. The 12th of August WM kept as a jubilee to celebrate the cessation of transportation.

CAPE or GOOD Horz.—The Victoria also brings papers from the Cape to the 7th November. There was some talk that the (lathes, among whom many armed deserters from the levies and the Cape Mounted' Rifles bad sought refuge, would resume hostilities as soon as they Ind got in their crops. The Simoom left Simon's Bay on the 5th November, for the Bid- falo Mouth, to convey the Twelfth Lancers to Madras. The Forty-third and Seventy-third Foot were also about to embark from Table Bay for the same port. The remaining troops at the Cape would then be the Se- cond Queen's, the Sixth and Twelfth, Forty-fifth, and Seventy-third Foot, the Sixtieth Rifles, and the Cape Mounted Itifles, recently increased to 800 men by the addition of 200 volunteers from the Line. On the 18th October, Colonel Nisbett, Sixtieth Rifles, Commandant of British Caffrarna was unfortunately drowned in the Keiskamma. Ha was visiting out posts ; and, while crossing the river at a drift directly below Fort-00; his horse stumbled and he fell in. The recent heavy rains bad woollen the stream and greatly increased its rapidity. The body was tolutd mile below, eight days after the accident. The command of the Sittieth devolved on Captain Bligh ; and Colonel Pool, of the Lancers, took com- mand of British Caffraria.

The last sitting of the Legislative Council was held on the 14th Octo- ber. Before the members separated, Lieutenant-Governor Darling read a

minute, thanking them in the name of the Governor for the "highly satis- factory" manner in which they had wound up their business. It con- tained the annexed paragraphs. First established in 1834, by royal letters patent, it has-now exercised the powers conferred upon it by the Crown during a period of nearly twenty Par' as to its constitution, to a great extent, upon the principle of re- atesentation by selection of the Crown, it would seem to be an institution tar from ill adapted to that intermediate state which many of the wisest statesmen have considered essential to the successful accomplishment of a change from that form of government which formerly existed in the colony, under which the Crown exercised almost absolute authority, to that system of representation by election of the people upon which we are about to enter, and which even its opponents must admit to be congenial to the sentiments and traditions of the two European nations whose native-born subjects, or their descendants, form so large a portion of our community. • "But however justly this Council may now be regarded as unsuited to the present requirements of the colony, and however incompatible its continu- ance with the advanced state of public opinion, a reference to the statute- book which is the result of its deliberations, and to the minutes of its pro- ceedings, will incontestably show that it has neither been an inattentive guardian of the interests committed to its charge, nor unfruitful in practical pleasures by wkich those interests have at various times been materially promoted. "The archives of the Government, in which the opinions of successive Secretaries of State, and of the distinguished officers who have from time to time presided over the proceeAlinga of the Council, are recorded, together with my confidence as to the sentiments of the present Governor and Commander- in.ehief, justify me in not permitting its last sitting to terminate without an explicit acknowledgment, on the part of the Imperial as well as of the Colonial Government, of the value of the services which have been rendered by so many eminent mhabitants of the colony in their capacity as unofficial members and of the zeal and ability which have been so generally and in many instances so conspicuously exhibited by those high servants of the Crown who have held their seats by virtue of their offices." In Cape Town the subject of education and the working of the new constitution formed the staple of journalism—with a preponderance in favour of the former. The Mechanics' Institute was occupying a good deal of attention ; and the South African College had issued new shares by way of providing means for the payment of its debt, and had resolved upon establishing a chair of Chemistry. The Sovereignty question was as much debated as ever; and the in- habitants did not seem at all disposed to submit without remonstrance to the proposed abandonment of the territory. They appointed two dele- gates—the Reverend Andrew Murray, and Dr. Fraser—to represent their case in England. Appeals were made for money both to the Cape colony and Natal.

Iimarea.—The La Plata arrived at Southampton on Thursday, with advices from Jamaica to the 27th November. The Import-duty Bill had received the assent of both Houses and of the Governor. It will continue in force from the 3d November last to the 31st December 1854. The duration,clause was only carried by a majority of one. In the new tariff several important reductions have been effected in the rates chargeable on several of the most heavily-taxed articles ; including salted beef, pork, tongues, spirits, tobacco, wine, rice, jewellery, perfumery, gold and silver plate, Sce. The duty on unenumerated goods remains at 4 per cent ad valorem. The loss of revenue during the period from the let of May to the 10th of October, from the want of an import-duty bill, had been ascer- tained to amount to nearly 200,0004