24 FEBRUARY 1844, Page 9

_foreign arta Colonial.

Fee:sea—The political news in Paris possesses little interest. On the 15th instant, Marshal Soult asked the Chamber of Deputies for an extraordinary credit of 300,0001., to support 15,000 additional men for Algeria.

France is announced definitively to have taken possession of Tahiti. The Journal des Debats publishes a letter, signed "Eugene Gosse," and dated " On board the Uranie, Papaita Roads, 9th November 1843," giving a narrative of the affair ; which is of course ex parte. It will be remembered that Queen Pomare, by a treaty executed on the 9th September, placed herself under the protection of France. In the mean time, Mr. Pritchard, who united in his person the several capacities of missionary, merchant, and British Consul, returned from England vid Sydney, in the Vindictive ; and at his instigation Queen Pomare re- fused to acknowledge the treaty ; while Captain Nicolas landed some guns to defend her palace. The commander of the French ships La Boussole and L'Embuscade addressed remonstrances to Captain Nicolas, which induced him to withdraw his guns. Subsequently he was or- dered away by the English Admiral Thomas; and the Vindictive was replaced by the Dublin frigate, the officers of which were full of polite- ness. But it became necessary to bring the recusant Queen to her senses. Admiral Dupetit Thouars presented himself before Papaiti with three frigates, and required her to hoist the French flag. She would not comply. Two hundred artillerymen and marines and four hundred seamen were landed ; Captain d'Aubigny, " Governor of Tahiti," ordered the drums to beat, and declared aloud that he took pos- session of the country in the name of the King of the French. The flag at the English Consulate was immediately lowered. The Governor was installed on the 8th November. A proclamation informed the in- habitants that a full guarantee a as given for their persons, property, and freedom of religious worship. Papaiti was declared a free port.

SPAIN.—The accounts from Spain are vague and unsatisfactory. In Madrid, up to the 15th, several new arrests had taken place. Murcia is said to be evacuated by the insurgents; but the last thing we read is, that General Cordova was marching on it. General Roncali, with General Pardo, had blockaded Alicant ; and the insurgents, strengthen- ing their fortifications, had issued a bando permitting women and chil- dren to leave the town. They are also supposed to have recaptured some prisoners and artillery. It is reported that Roncali had refused to execute the twenty prisoners taken at Alcoy, and that on that ac- count he had been superseded. The disarming of the National Guard had created disturbances at Malaga and Seville—dubbed " invicta " for its repulse of Espartero ! At Torres Nam's, some cavalry had muti- nied. One rumour is, that the 17th was fixed for a general rising in all the districts bordering on the Portuguese frontier!

Government had received intelligence that Count Bomfim had been arrested at Yelves.

PORT mu..—There is little of an authentic shape to report from Lis- bon, to the 13th, except that disorder continues. Government repre- sent that the country is everywhere tranquil ; but give the lie to their own assertion by the constant sending of troops from the capital, and by the annoying activity of the Police ; whose domiciliary visits were driving many harmless and orderly citizens from the capital. Baron Leiria left Lisbon on the 9th, to keep in check the rebel force congre- gated at Castello Branco ; on the 13th, the Duke of Terceira was to march, the report being that the whole of Algarve was in arms ; and the telegraph at Oliveira d'Azemais had been cut down. Meanwhile, the sittings of the Cortes and the publications of the newspapers were sus- pended.

GREECE. —Accounts from Athens come down to the 31st January. The National Assembly was still engaged in discussing the draught of the Constitution. By a recent decision of that Assembly, the emigrants from the Turkish provinces who took part in the struggle for inde- pendence and settled in Greece, up to the year 1837, are to be consi- dered citizens of that kingdom. The winter had been very severe, and much distress prevailed in the country.

Pstussra.—Letters from Posen of the 4th instant say-

" Orders have been received here for all Polish emigrants who took part in the revolution, and most of whom have come to us from France, to quit Prus- sia within a fortnight. In this order it is positively declared that no petitions for a mitigation ot the measure will be attended to. Only those who find it absolutely impossible to settle their affairs here will be allowed to remain a fort- night longer. This measure will very severely affect many emigrants who have resided for years among us. Many have been received into the families of Prus- sian subjects; others have acquired landed property, which they will now be obliged to sell at any price : though notice was given to all of .them, both on their arrival in Prussia and when they made purchases of landed property, that they could not by that means acquire any right of settlement in Prussia, yet an order to quit so suddenly seems very hard. This makes it seem the more certain that our Government must have some weighty reason for this step." The Morning Herald says that the Poles had been detected in commu- nication with Russian deserters.

Russua—Letters from St. Petersburg, of the 30th January, announce the promulgation of an ukase declaring that the Roman Catholic clergy of the Western provinces of the empire should be paid in future by the State. They are to be divided into five classes : the pastors included in the first class are to receive 100/. per annum, and those of the last class 371.

NORTH AILERICA.—The Britannia mail-steamer arrived at Liverpool on Sunday evening, having been detained by the ice at Boston until the 3d instant, and at Halifax till the 7th. Two days and two nights were expended in cutting a passage from Halifax harbour.

The news is of little importance. The Oregon question had been discussed with vehemence in both Houses of the Legislature. In the House of Representatives, another more personal dispute had led to a boxing-fight, followed by an irregular conversation, of disgraceful levity, about the propriety of repealing the laws against duelling, to enable the belligerents to fight! It seemed to be settled that no change in the Tariff would be made this session. The Pennsylvania Legislature had before it resolutions recommending additional taxation in order to meet the just liabilities of the State !

CANADA.—Our papers and letters come down to advanced dates in January. We learn nothing definite respecting the formation of the new Ministry ; and official movements seemed in abeyance. The Government were making active preparations to remove to Montreal. The Governor-General had received addresses from several parts of Upper Canada, approving of his conduct. In his replies be is careful to state that he adheres to " the resolution of the House of Assembly of the 3d September 1841 " ; is "bent on carrying on the government on the principles of responsibility practically established in this province"—" according to the wants and wishes of the people " ; and he accepts the addresses as proof that he is doing so. In reply to an address from Leeds, on the 3d January, he says—" My earnest endeavours continue to be directed, not without hope of success, to the formation of a Council which may possess the confidence of all classes of the people of this country."

Several members of the late Administration had been entertained at a public dinner, in Toronto, on the 29th December. There was a good deal of declamation, but nothing in the speeches to throw further light on the state of parties. At the civic election for Toronto, on the 11th January, the Conservatives beat the party of the late Administration. The Toronto Herald boasts a triumph : the Toronto Examiner treats the change as unimportant ; but, in connexion with the recent dinner in the town, it is a not unimportant sign. That the late Ministerial party do not rule paramount even in Lower Canada, is proved by an incident in another quarter. Mr. E. G. Wakefield, a strenuous supporter of Sir Charles Metcalfe, met his con- stituents OD the 4th January, at Durham, in the county of Beauharnois, which he represents in the provincial Parliament ; and afterwards he was entertained at a public dinner. The Alontreal Courier reports the proceedings. Notwithstanding the inclement weather, people flocked to the place of meeting from all quarters, and the assemblage was one of the largest ever witnessed in the district At the County meeting, Mr. Wakefield fully explained his Parliamentary conduct, and the "Ministerial crisis." He expounded the principle of "re- sponsible government "— which means nothing but the practice of the British constitution. That principle had been solemnly adopted by the Governor-General ; and Mr. Wakefield ridiculed the notion that, because certain Ministers bad retired, Sir Charles Metcalfe must be supposed bent on impairing, or unable to preserve, their pro- vincial constitution. He requested the men of Beanharnois to suspend all expression of opinion on the recent events at Kingston, until "both sides" shall be heard ; which cannot be till a new Admmistras tion enjoying the Governor's confidence shall meet the Parliament. With this request the numerous meeting showed every disposition to comply : but in the mean time they unanimously passed a vote of con- fidence in Mr. Wakefield himself. At the dinner which followed, Mr. Wakefield again alluded to the subject, and related a few facts in illustration of Sir Charles Metcalfe's character- " When he was Governor-General of British India, ruling over a hundred millions of people, the press of that country was subject to such restrictions, that no remark or even dry statements could be published in a newspaper without the consent of an officer of the Government. Sir Charles Metcalfe made the press of India as free as that of Canada or England. He went to Jamaica as its Governor at a time when the very different races composing the population of that country entertained towards each other a hostility appa- rently irreconcilable. By dint of justice, and patience, and firmness, he pro- duced harmony between those races ; when he was leaving the country, the Coloured people knelt in the roads by thousands, to bless him as he passed ; and after he was gone—when it was no longer in his power to purchase flattery by rewards—the White people composing the Assembly voted 3,000/. for the pur- pose of erecting a statue in commemoration of his virtues. (Enthusiastic ap- plause.) Is this the sort of man to undertake, BB some wiseacres have sup- posed, the task of destroying our provincial constitution ? (Cries of " No ' and cheers.) His true character, however, is as yet but little known in Ca- nada. I recently met with an amusing instance of this at Kingston. A gen- tleman of my acquaintance, who differed in opinion with the Governor-Gene- ral on a subject which it is needless to mention, spoke of him to use one day as an old gentleman of feeble mind, worn out by bad climates and hardL work, whom it would be safe to treat with contempt ; and then, by way of expressing his opinion more fully, he called hie Excellency 'Old Squaretoes ' ; whereupon I, who happen to think firmness is one of the leading features of Sir Charles Metcalfe's character, said, Mind what you are about his patience has misled you : you call him Old Squaretoes ; but I tell you he is a lion, and you may find your head in bia month one of these fine mornings.' (Laughter and cheers.) And just so it happened. (Roars of laughter, and cheering.) Well, shortly afterwards it happened to me to buy a fine Newfoundland dog, whose name a as Lion. Thinks I, here 's a good opportunity of commemorating that ludicrous mistake as to the Governor's character; suppose I change the dog's name and call him Old Squaretoes. (Much laughter.) And the notion pleased me; so I named him Old Squaretoes ; and Old Squaretoes he shall be called as long as he and-I live together. (Shouts of laughter, and protracted cheering.) Gentlemen, perhaps you will be no better disposed to trust my judgment when I express a belief that the Governor-General possesses abilities of the very highest order, which render him fit to be the chief ruler of this or any other country. (Cheers.) Among these, the most remarkable axe extreme benevolence, surprising indus- try, the strongest and most constant love of justice, perfect truthfulness, a hatred of tricks, a thorough knowledge and warm admiration of the British constitution, great prudence and caution, and lastly, immoveable firmness, so tempered by a rare patience, that, as the name of soy dog commemorates, one is not apt to find it out in a hurry. (Laughter and long-continued cheering.) Gentlemen, I again congratulate you on the prospect of our having the oppor- tunity of becoming better acquainted with this good man and able statesman." (Cheers.) HAYTL —The American steamer brings the draft of the new Haytian constitution established under the recently-appointed President Rivera. It declares that Africans and Indians, or the descendants of either by one or the other parent, may become citizens; but no White person can become a citizen, or hold real estate.

The second section provides for the civil and political rights. The third section provides for equality in the eyes of the world. All modes of worship shall be equally free. The freedom of the press is guaranteed. Schools to be established for both sexes, the teaching free and gratuitous

Trial by jury is granted. The people have a right to assemble peaceably and. without arms. The powers of the legislative, executive, and judiciary func-

tions, are defined. The Executive is a President. The Legislature is com- posed of a Senate and House of Commons; one third of the Senate renewable every two years. The whole of these, however, much resemble those of the same bodies in the United States. The heads of the four departments are called Secretaries of State. The qualifications of voters are fixed. The colours of the republic are blue and red, placed horizontally. The arms are the palm, surmounted by the Liberty cap, and ornamented with a trophy of arms, with the legend "In union there is strength." Port au Prince is the seat of government, under the name of Port Repub- Resin.

Every stranger in Hayti to enjoy protection to his person and goads.