iartigu nub tulanial.

FRANCE —The Afoniteur of Wednesday published the " law of the press" : the following are the chief provisions. Journals and periodicals treating of political matter or social economy cannot be published without previous authorization of the Government, which can only be accorded to a born Frenchman. The same authorization applies equally to the directors, writers, proprietors, and administrators of the paper ; and no change can be allowed in the personnel of the met without express leave of the Government. Journals published in foreign countries can only circulate in France by virtue of an authorization of Government ; and those who act as introducers or distributors of foreign journals not authorized become subject to imprison- ment of from one month to a year, and a line of from 100 franca to 5000 francs.

The caution-money of a daily journal is 50,000 franca ; of a three-days-a- week, 30,000 francs. In towns of 50,000 inhabitants, 25,000 franca ; below that number, 15,000 francs. A publication appearing without authority or caution-money will be fined from 100 francs to 2000 franca each number, with imprisonment from one mouth to two years of the offending parties, with abolition of the paper. The printer willbe held equally responsible with the publisher. -Papers of a certain size, 72 decimetres square, and periodical sets of prints, are to be stamped 6 cents each sheet in the departments of the Seine and the Seine et Oise, and 3 cents elsewhere. Political and social economy writings, not periodical, are to be taxed 5 cents a sheet not exceeding 10 decimetres square ; and this is applicable to such writings published abroad when intro- duced into France. Foreign journals are to pay like stamp-duty, except there should be diplo- matic conventions standing in the way of the regulation.

Reports of the proceedings of the Senate are interdicted ; but leave is given to copy the articles of the official journal. The same rule applies to sittings of the Council of State with closed doors. Reports of Wok of offences by the Rress are interdicted. The courts of law may equally forbid publication of trials.

Prints, engravings, medals, &c., must be authorized by the police. Book- sellers must take ouelicences, under penalty of two years' imprisonment and closing of establishment. Offences by the press are no longer to be tried by the Assize Courts, (mean- ing judge and jury,) but by the Correctional Poliie. One condemnation for crime, or two for contraventions of the law within two years, cause the suspension of the journal. The Government may suspend any journal after two warnings, and for a period not exceeding two months. The President of the Republic may by decree suspend any journal.

The correspondent of the Times states that a note has been received from the Emperor of Russia, expressing the distrust which he has felt on being informed of the decrees substituting the Imperial eagle for the Gallic cock on the standards of the Republic, placing the effigy of the Pre- sident on the coins, and transferring the residence of the President to the Tuileries. The Emperor sees in these acts preliminaries of an Imperial restoration, and of the foundation of a new dynasty, which he cannot countenance. When the arrival of the note or message was notified to M. Bonaparte at the Elysee, he is said to have been chagrined out of his usual impassibility : he presently had an interview with the Russian representative, to whom he gave formal explanations and assurances, dis- claiming the ambitious projects imputed to him. The Amami- has had an article "communicated," to allay the preva- lent anxiety on the foreign relations of the Usurpation. "The truth is, that since December 2d, the French Government has not addressed a demand of any kind to the foreign powers, except to Belgium, in order that the Government of that country might prevent the system of in- cessant attacks which had been commenced there, from being regularly or- ganized. It has not armed soldier the more—has not even passed a gene- ral review—in fact, has not done anything whatever which could arouse in the slightest degree the susceptibility of our neighbours. All the views of the Government of France are turned towards internal improvements, and unjust attacks cannot turn it from that course. It will not depart from its calm de- meanour, except on the day when an attack shall have been made on the national honour and dignity. Its attitude has not ceased for a moment tube pacific ; and every piece of intelligence which tends to present it under any other aspect is a clumsy fable, which, after a contradiction as formal as the present, can only be treated with contempt."

SPAIN.—Queen Isabella has nearly recovered entirely from the wounds inflicted by Merino. She has addressed an autograph letter to the Cortes, acknowledging the demonstrations of love and loyalty which she receives every instant from her people ; and suggesting the opening of a public subscription towards some object to symbolize in a permanent manner the religious and beneficent character of Spaniards. The Cortes instantly opened a national subscription to found a hospital to be named after the infant Princess.

Paussm.—The First Chamber has agreed, by 89 to 56, to a motion virtually placing the budget out of Parliamentary control. The budget is to be settled by a law, and is not to be altered except by a law to which the Crown and both Chambers consent : so that it can never be curtailed without the consent of the Sovereign.

Isrms.—The overland mail from Bombay on the 17th of January brings the news that our differences with the King of Burmah have been amicably settled—at least up to a certain point. On New-year's Day, letters were brought down from the Emperor to Commodore Lambert, with extraordinary state—borne on caparisoned elephants, and carried under Imperial umbrellas by magnificently-decked boats, in such a posi- tion that not the highest officers of state should be in front of them-- which stated that the offending Governor of Rangoon had been recalled to the capital, (Ava,) and that two Deputy-Governors had already been de- spatched to inquire into the charges and do particular justice in each case. The accounts state that the ships would remain at Rangoon for a time, as there was some doubt of the Emperor's good faith : he had massed a great army-100,000 men—at Rangoon.

-Tam Ammer; SLAVE COAST.—The West Indian mail-steamer brought home at the beginning of the week news of a "little war," but a very fatal one, which the Queen's troops have levied against a Negro king named Kosoko, who contests with his brother Akitoye the throne of the late King of Lagos. Lagos is a considerable Negro town on the river You, which flows into the Bight of Benin, and connects Lagos with the town of Abeokuta, another populous place in the interior under another king. The late King of Lagos had two sons, Akitoye the younger, and Kosoko the elder : Kosoko was rebellious in his father's lifetime, and was banished to Badagry; Akitoye was made the heir of the King by his will. When Akitoye ascended the throne, he invited his brother home ; liesoko went home; before long he made a party, by whose aid he deposed Akitoye, drove him out of Lagos to Badagry, and made himself King of Lagos. It is stated that Kosoko is a slave-dealer ; it is also stated that certain missionaries of Abeokuta have besought the British authori- ties to put down the slave-trade in Lagos —which is supplied mainly by cap- tives taken in aggressive wars with Abeokuta—and open the river You to the "legitimate trade" which would flow between Abeokuta and the coast, if it were not suppressed by Kosoko : it is furthermore stated that Akitoye has been asking our assistance to replace him on his " rightful throne." The ac- counts dell these things are vague, and not officially authorized i but these are the plausible statements made. In the next place—and this point is officially declared—the Foreign Secretary [Lord Palmerston] ordered, and the Admiralty arranged the execution of a hostile expedition. Ac- cordingly, Commodore Bruce ordered " every vessel in the Bights" to be off Lagos on the 24th December • but only the Penelope, Sampson, Blood- hound, Philomel, and Teazer, had arrived on that day. Xing Akitoye was

at hand with 600 men, "ready to take advantage of a clean sweep when we should make it." Commodore Bruce, in his despatch to the Admi- ralty, states- " That Kosoko very recently rejected the proffered friendship of England ; and that he opposed with fire and sword the approach of a flag of truce pro- ceeding to his seat of government with Mr. Consul Beecroft, who offered to negotiate and to advise with him, and who was merely attended by an escort of armed boats, scarcely or problematically sufficient for his personal safety among savages." Therefore, he informs the Lords of the Admiralty," their Lordships' instructions of the 14th October, and the wishes of her Majesty's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, as far as respects Lagos, have been most faithfully fulfilled by the expulsion of the slave-dealing chief Kosoko, and his people, the utter destruction of his town, and the establishment of the friendly chief Akitoye, with his followers, in the seat of power at Lagos." Commodore Brace officially states the results of the expedition ; which entered the Lagos river on the 23d instant, rested on Cluistmas-Day, at-

tacked the town on the 26th and 27th, and occupied it on the 28th. The details of the affair have been described in a letter " written on board one of the ships engaged in it," by " C. P. R.," whose communication appeared in the _Daily Neu:. Two boats entered the river and took soundings on the 24th, and, were fired on from the beach. Akitoye's force was sent up in boats ; the Blood- hound entered the river, and anchored ; being. fired at by the enemy's bat- teries with " very goodprecision," and returning the fire. The other ships

followed. The 25th, Christmas-Day, was spent in " reviewing and feeding Akitoye's troops, and placing round each of their necks a white rag,' so that we might know friends from foes." At half-past four on the morning• of the 26th, the attack began. " The Bloodhound, with Captain Jones, la in ; then the port division of boats, consisting of two paddle and pinnace of Sampson under command of Lieutenant Saumarez, followed ; -then the Teaser weighed, with Captain Luster; and then the starboard division, under command of Commander Hillyar, of Penelope, which consisted of her

two paddle-box boats pinnace, and the rocket-boats, each boat commanded by the Lieutenants of Penelope and the rocket party by Lieutenant Corbett,

Gunnery Lieutenant. As the 'Bloodhound steamed up, a terrific fire was opened on her by all the batteries and thousands of musketry ; which was re- turned by her with shot and shell. She got up to her destination, (with little damage,) and then got aground at musket-shot from the platform battery. Then followed the port division of boats under a complete storm of musketry, grape, round, and canister ; which was returned in good style from the boats, who pulled up gallantly, and took up their position opposite a two- gun battery, and which they soon silenced. Then came the Teaser with the starboard division; and, in trying to keep away to bring her guns to bear to cover the port division of boats, unfortunately took the ground, and could.

not get off. She was there exposed to the fire of twenty guns. Captain. Lyster instantly, finding all attempts to get her off of no avail, took the com-

mand of the starboard division of boats, and made for the shore for the pur- pose of spiking the guns. After firing several rockets they dashed in, and effected a landing, and took one battery by storm, spiking its guns. The enemy charged them on each flank, and a retreat was necessary. The enemy got possession of her paddle-box boat, the cowardly Kroomen. having jumped overboard. A charge was then made to recapture; but. finding so many wounded and two killed, they retreated to the other

boats; and embarked ; not, however, ;without the gunner's mate, who was left in the boat, having received two wounds, igniting the magazine,

and jumping overboard, when he was picked up in Captain Lyster's gig. This left the Teazer quiet : as also the enemy, who took off the heads o£ the two dead men, and which we have since found in the King's house. During this time the Bloodhound had silenced the batteries; but remained' still aground; and the boats proceeded round the North point and silenced' one or two more batteries by the time it was eleven o'clock ; when they were all recalled and went to dinner, being annoyed occasionally by the musketry opposite. At one the Teaser signalized her killed and wounded, and was signalized to close when the tide turned and she could get off. At two p. m.„ the boats of the Sampson, with a spiking party, under command of Lieute-

nant Saumarez, with Lieutenant M'Arthur, with all his Majesty's artillery,- were ordered to land and spike the guns in the batteries under cover of the Sampson's boat; in charge of Mr. Bayley (mate). When they left the ship,

the place opposite looked quite deserted. The boats pushed for the shore; but they had to cut and break through a stockade in the water, the carpen-

ters with axes, the men with tomahawks ; when the enemy, who were lying in ambush, opened a terrific fire, and in less than ten minutes, finding they could not cut and force this stockade, they had to return to the Bloodhound, having Lieutenant Saumarez severely wounded in three places, Mr. Richards„ midshipman, mortally, (since dead,) and eleven men severely wounded.

"The stockades consisted of green cocoa-nut trees, then sand, and their cocoa-nut trees ; hence they had no splinters. In each stockade was a

trench ; so that when a shell was fired at them they jumped in the trench, and hence escaped danger. Each stockade had a ditch to communicate, so that they could reinforce or retreat at leisure. About fifteen feet from the shore, in nine feet water, were a quantity of bamboo stakes, so firmly driven in and so secure, that 130 pounds of gunpowder could not effect a breach and hence prevented any one from landing. At 4.30 the Teaser got off, and! anchored in deep water; buried her dead, and sent her wounded out of the river. Thus ended the 26th.

"At daylight on the 27th, the Teaser weighed under a terrific fire ; which was returned by the Bloodhound and herself, and anchored astern of Blood- hound ; having had her gunner, Mr. Howard, as also some men, severely wounded. The rocket-boat then commenced an opening fire, and the two steamers and boat commenced shelling, as also the Volcano's and Water- witch's boats, which had then arrived. The rocket-boat succeeded in setting fire to Tappi, the second chiefs house, and the place was in a blaze. Com- mander Coote then took the boat, with the rocket-boat still in command of Lieutenant Marshall, first of Penelope,) and attacked the batteries towards the King's house. This, and a little more skirmishing, lasted till sunset; when the rest of the wounded were sent out. You may imagine their suffer- ings, when they left at 8p.m., and were obliged to anchor all night of the- bar, and did not reach their ships till next morning at 9.30. "On the 28th, at daybreak, the town was found deserted, the enemy having left on the other side of the island in their canoes. The forces then landed and took possession; fifty-seven guns were taken and destroyed ; the paddle-box boat retaken with gun ; and all belonging to the present King, Akitoye, placed on the throne, and all his men with him. Thus finishes the

capture of Lagos, and with it, we hope, the suppression of the slave-trade." The official return of the killed and wounded is a most serious docu- ment— Killed, 15; wounded, 75. Of the killed, 14 were officers and marines. and Kroomen belonging to the ship Penelope, who endeavoured to spike the guns which were firing on the Teazer when she lay aground. Mr. F. R. Fletcher, r midshipman of the Penelope, Mr. Thomas Richards, midshipman the Sampson, and Mr. H. M. Gillham, master's assistant of Penelope, were the officers killed ; Captain Henry Lyster, Commander C. F. Hillyar, Lieutenant J. Corbett, and First-Lieutenant of Marines J. W. C. Williams, all of the Penelope, with Lieutenant Thomas Saumarez cf the Sampson, were- wounded " severely."