26 AUGUST 1843, Page 9

,Foreign ants eoloniat.

SPAIN.—The Revolutionary Ministers carry all before them in the capital. The Queen gave a grand banquet at the Palace of the Prado on the 11th instant, in commemoration of the triumph of the " national cause." All the Ministers were present at it, except S. Lopez, who was indisposed. The Queen was very gay, and the Infanta was " most gracious," and evinced the greatest fondness towards her sister. The evening was terminated by a ball, at which General Serrano had danced with the Queen and General Narvaez with the Infanta.

While on board the steamer Betis, on the 30th July, Espartero had issued a protest against the recent proceedings in Spain. It is drawn up by the Minister of the Interior as a report of what the General "said," in the presence of the principal persons who accompanied him; by whom it is attested. It is in these terms-

" That the state of insurrection in which various places (poblaciones) of the monarchy were, and the defection of the army and navy, obliged him, without permission of the Cortes, to quit the Spanish territory before the arrival of the period at which, according to the constitution, he would cease to be Regent of the kingdom, (debia cesar en el cargo de Regente del Regno) : That considering that he cannot resign the deposit of the royal authority which was confided to him, excepting in the form which the constitution permits, nor upon any account (de ningun modo) deliver it up to those who unconstitutionally arro- gate to themselves the title of government, he protested, in the most solemn manner, against whatever may have been or may be done contrary to the constitution of the monarchy."

By a decree dated the 16th, Government had declared Don Baldo- mero Espartero, and those who signed his protest, deprived of their titles, ranks, employments, and decorations.

In the provinces all did not go smoothly. An order of the Govern- ment, dated the 10th, interdicted the assembly of a " General Junta," which was to take place at Guernica on the 15th. The Junta at Bar- celona had again declared i:self " supreme" ; and Prim, who had arrived there to assume the Governorship, in vain endeavoured to con- ciliate the Exaltado majority. Blood had been shed, one man having been killed in an affray with the troops; and the Junta had withdrawn to Atarazanas. The discreet Echatecu, who had so long refused to re- cognize the revolution, now held the citadel in the name of the de facto Government, and refused to recognize the " Supreme Junta." The Saragossa Junta insisted on the establishment of a Central Junta at Madrid. It had displaced the Judges and the President of the Court, who differed from it. Another provincial trouble was the fierce demand of the Basque Provinces to have restored to them their fueros, abo- lished under Espartero ; and promised to them again by the Moderados and the French.

FRANCE.—The Commerce says, the forts of Paris are to be divided into two classes. The first will comprise the forts of Mont Valerien, the double couronne of St. Denis, of the East, Romainville, Noiry 1 e Sec, Rosny, St. Maur, Charenton, and Bicetre. These nine forts are to be armed with 36 and 48 pounders. The second row of batteries is to mount a considerable number of howitzers and mortars of a new con- struction, some of which will throw shells containing 50 grenades. The second category will include the forts of Ivry, Arcueil, Vanvres, L2 Briche, and six other small forts designed to protect the plain from Pantin and St. Denis to Neuilly. They will be armed with 24- pounders and long pieces of 16 guns. Mounted batteries of 8-pounders are always to be ready for sorties. The parks of artillery for each for- tress will be organized at the close of September. Draw-bridges are already erected to some of them, and the barracks and powder-maga- zines are rapidly advancing to completion. The National de l'Ouest, a Nantes paper, has the French version of the late untoward event at Newfoundland. The English story, it will be remembered, is, that the French fishermen had trespassed on the English fishing-grounds, and, repeatedly refusing to move off, were fired on by the Electra, and one man killed. The following is extracted from a letter in the National, signed Maugras, and dated St. Pierre de Miquelon, July 23d- " I cannot leave my fellow countrymen in ignorance of an assassination hich has just been committed by an officer of the English Royal Navy on the person of a French fisherman. This unfortunate man was a native of Dinan, and had for some years fished at Newfoundland. He went out on the 16th in a boat, accompanied by two boys, to fish for cod. The calm and current car- ried him towards the great bank, and near a coast-guard vessel, which imme- diately fired at him twice. The second ball struck him in the head, and killed him. The two boys, in their fright, neglected to take in the sails, and lay down in the boat to avoid the fate of the unfortunate fisherman, for two muskets were also fired at them. The English vessel then took possession of the .boat, and carried it into Lamellae, an English port. The next day, the boat and the body of the fisherman were sent off with a letter to the Governor, expressing regret at what bad happened, and stating that the boat had been fired at to frighten those who were in it, and not with an intention of injuring them: as if it was the practice to fire ball when there is no intention of hitting those who are fired at ; and, note well, that it was the officer in command of the vetted who fired. The Governor immediately sent the schooner Gentille to Larneline to institute an inquiry. The English officer went on board to apolo- gise; and acknowledged that he had caused the disaster, but persisted in saying that he had no intention of hitting the man. He was told that he could easily have taken possession of the boat, if it was really trespassing, without firing ball on inoffensive men, who could not control the elements. It is true that French fishermen are forbidden to fish on the English coast, but this man was not fishing ; he was under sail, and endeavouring to leave the coast. This event may bring on others of greater gravity : for the English fishermen are constantly at St. Pierre, and nobody hurts them ; but on the contrary, some time ago, a French war-schooner saved an English fishing-boat which had grounded; the commandant had the boat repaired, the crew of the schooner dried the cod, reloaded the boat, and gave the crew provisions to continue their fishing. Where is the parallel ? The Governor immediately sent the Gentile to St. John's, the residence of the English Governor, with an accoant of this voluntary assassination, which plunges in misery the unhappy family of this fisherman."

The Paris Globe avers that the facts have been misrepresented by both English and French journals- " First of all, there was no sort of collision between the English corvette, the Electra, and the French fishermen. The men said to be killed or wounded by the firing from that vessel are in most excellent health. But what is un- fortunately but too true is the following. A pinnace belonging to the Electra, whilst taking its rounds, perceived a French sailing-boat fishing on the English grounds. The officer commanding the pinnace hailed the French barque; but the latter, in place of lying-to, set sail, and, being more rapid in its rate of going than the other, lessened the distance every moment. The English pinnace hailed again, but ineffectually ; and the English officer then fired a musket charged with powder ; but the French boat continuing its way, he fired with ball ; and accidentally the shot took effect, as a man was mortally wounded. We say accidentally, for every person of any candour who has beheld the sea, were it only in M. Gudin's pictures, must perceive that chance goes for a great deal when a ball hits, the perpetual movement of the waves not allowing the person firing to take good aim. The officer to whom so great a misfortune occurred regretted it bitterly. It would certainly have been better to have allowed the trespasser to escape with a few miserable fish than to have killed a man. The officer at once sent a report to the Captain of the Electra placing himself at the disposal of the French authorities, to make every possible re- paration. It appears that it is by the report of the Captain of the English vessel, communicated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs in England, with offers of every fair satisfaction, that this affair has been known in France: and, whilst the journals were busy with their warlike articles, the French Ministry was already in the way of obtaining reparation."

The Constitutionnel has a silly story, how Queen Pomare of Tahiti had hoisted her flag in returning a salute from the French corvette Boussole, instead of hoisting the French flag ; and how Captain Vrig- nand, the commander of the Boussole, obliged her to hoist the flag of "the protecting Power "; anchoring between the shore and the English corvette Talbot, " determined on firing on both sides should he not obtain satisfaction." Referring to the foregoing Anti-British passages, the Journal des Debats remarks, with good feeling and sense fully ap- preciated on this side of the Channel- " But to return to things more serious than the caprices of her Majesty Queen Pomarb, what calls for severe condemnation is, the incredible fury and perse- verance with which a portion of the French press strives to magnify all griev- ances whether just or unjust, to aggravate mere fortuitous misfortunes by perverting their nature, to render an allied Government morally and intention- ally responsible for the imprudence or silliness or even the ill-will of any of its agents, and to reject beforehand all thoughts of explanations or reparation. There are journals that almost every day solely labour to prove that England has a monomania, a fixed idea, which is to molest, vex, and insult France. The mission of the press is to enlighten the public mind, to correct prejudices, and calm old enmities ; on the contrary, it does mostly but revive, foster, and envenom both. We complain of having no sincere allies in the whole world; and bow can we obtain any and keep them when our first care is to treat them as enemies, to construe all their acts into insults, and to view every accidental misfortune as a premeditated insult ? Let it be well understood, nothing in- jures us so much in the regard of Europe and of the world as that quarrelsome, discontented, and jealous tone, which we seem to assume on every occasion, and to seek every opportunity of exhibiting. if the voice of the Radical press were to be taken for the voice of the country, there would henceforth be no possible treaties, alliances, peace, or security : all that would be left to us would be to go to war with the whole world, without motive or object : we must then resign ourselves to be no longer reckoned a rational, more', and civilized people, and prepare to revert to a barbarous condition."

ITAI.v.—The Augsburg Gazette says, that a report having been raised at Bologna, that French troops had landed at Ravenna and .Ancona, a crowd of young men assembled, armed with swords and pistols, and raised seditious cries ; some shots were even fired at the Police. Troops were immediately called out, and cannon planted in the streets. An attempt to blow up the powder-magazine was dis- covered. Austria was prepared to march more troops to the place, on the first appearance of further disturbances.

UNITED STATES.—The packet-ship Independence, which left New York on the 8th, has just arrived, with intelligence a day later than that brought by the last steamer. A letter from Mr. Linn, Senator of Missouri, the great supporter of the Oregon claim in Congress, and also an advocate for the immediate occupation of that territory, had just been published. lie expresses a hope that success may crown the efforts for negotiating a treaty on the exciting subject, provided American interests be not sacrificed.

The commercial accounts in the papers are of a cheering character. Business was gradually improving, and confidence returning. The value of most descriptions of stock was advancing, and every hope was indulged in that, before many weeks shall have passed away, matters will assume a more healthy tone than for some months past. A bill had been introduced into the Legislature of Mississippi, pledging the faith of that State to the payment or redemption of the bonds sold on account of the Planters Bank of Mississippi, and the Mississippi Union Bank.

The Standard's corespondent gleans some gossip- " English readers will find amusement in the absurd notions entertained in America regarding British proceedings in China. Our friends now vow and declare that her Majesty Queen Victoria shortly intends pouncing on the Japanese empire. They pretend to have made the inportant discovery that Captain Belcher, of the British Navy, has been ordered to make a survey of

the Japanese coasts and seas, and that England is determined on getting pos- session.

" An attempt has been made to assassinate Mr. Wickliffe, the Postmaster- General of the United States. A dagger was plunged into his breast, but we are happy to find there is every prospect of his recovery. The would-be mur- derer turns out to be insane, and has been committed to a lunatic asylum for life.

" From Canada we learn good accounts of the wheat-crop. It not only has a fine appearance, but is so far advanced as to be beyond the chance of danger from fly or rust. This is extremely gratifying, for the only means of creating a revival of trade is abundant crops from the ground."

WEST INDIES.—The West India mail brings intelligence from Ja- maica to the 24th July. The papers mention fears that the crop of next year would be injured by the want of rain. Several shocks of earthquake had been felt. The colony was perfectly quiet at the date of these advices ; but the planters complained as usual of the dearness aad insufficiency of labour. The weather was extremely hot and sultry. From Barbados, to the 19th, the report of the crops was favourable.

The session of the Combined Court of Policy of Demerara was opened on the 18th, (the day preceding the departure of the packet,,) by the Governor ; whose speech is very short, and carefully unim- portant.