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Fnarro2.—The Chamber of Deputies have been engaged in a most pro- tracted debate on the Address; the Opposition having done its best to im- pede the progress of business, and having made several distinct attacks on Ministers On the 22d, the subject of attack was a charge that Ministers had employed unjust and corrupt means to favour the candidates of their party at elections; and to bring the matter to an issue, M. Odilon Barrot moved an amendment, declaring that good faith and impartiality ought to preside over all the acts of the Government. The amendment was negatived by 208 to 166. The result was considered a triumph to Ministers, and as a proof that there would be no general election this year. Other amend- ments of an inculpatory and obstructive character were similarly negatived. On the 24th, M. l'Herbette made a vigorous attack on the official ad- ministration of railways; accusing the Government of favouring certain Companies; condemning the practice which permits public func- tionaries to become directors; denouncing several Peers and Deputies who had Sgured as jobbers on the Bourse; and asserting that three hundred Deputies had been presented with shares at par. This attack was not very well received by the Chamber. The Minister of Pub. lieWorks, in his reply, made a general defence of his railway administra- tion; and boasted that a net-work including 41,998 kilometres of railways would be completed in six years, by the joint action of official and private enterprise, at a cost of 407,000,000 francs borrowed of the State. In six years, there would not be a province uncrossed by a railway; in six years, the Legislature would have accomplished what the old Monarchy could not have accomplished in two centuries. Two amendments inculpating Ministers were successively moved and rejected; but they were superseded by a paragraph which the Committee on the Address agreed to add—de- Glaring, "that the Government ought to watch over railway proceedings, and endeavour to prevent the public: mind from being unduly carried away by them." This clause was adopted on Tuesday last; and the debate on the other paragraphs still proceeded on Wednesday, the ninth day!
M. BenTer has given notice of his intention to move, as an amendment, that the following paragraph be inserted between the 5th and 6th para- graphs of the Address- - If peace should be disturbed by the conflict of the pretensions of two great nations, France reserves to herself the privilege of taking care that no attack be made on the principles of public law, which protect oaths seas the liberty and the dignity of international relations."
UNITED STATICS..---By the packet-ships Montezuma and Henry Clay, which arrived within a day or two of each other, intelligence from New York has been received to the 5th instant. The debate on Mr. Hanne- gan's resolutions, denying the power of the President to cede the Oregon territory, was still unconcluded. It will be recollected, that Mr. Calhoun bad moved counter-resolutions, asserting the President's power to negotiate and to make boundaries, and recommending the 49th parallel of latitude for the boundary of Oregon. The discussion of which the report is before us was merely an irregular conversation on the question whether the reso- lutions should be at once disposed of, or postponed to a future day; and they were postponed. Mr. Calhoun spoke several times; but a few pas- sages, from two different speeches, will suffice to show the spirit in which he acted- " If the Senate should support these resolutions, it is clear that the question can only be settled thereafter by force of arms; and should this be the case, and a war be commenced between this country and Great Britain, no peace can ever take place between the two countries but by our dictation at the cannon's mouth. * • I am in favour of adjusting the difficulty, if it can be adjusted by ne- gotiation: if it cannot be adjusted by negotiation, I am in favour of that course to be pursued by this Government which shall throw the onus of a war from our own shoulders upon Great Britain." "But it is asked, why I did not pursue the same course of action as in regard to Texas. If the gentleman will refer to my remarks in 1848, he will find that the views which governed me then are the same with those which govern me now. I believe that precipitancy will lose you Oregon for ever—no, not for ever; but,it will lose you Oregon in the first struggle, and then it will rejuire another struggle hereafter, when we become stronger, to regain it. I win not go into this question now: I am prepared, when it comes up for dis- cussion, to show, if argument can show, that the principle involved in these reso- lutions, so far from gaining Oregon, will for the present lose every inch of its ter- ritory; and it is on that account, as much from the fear of losing Oregon as from the desire of avoiding war, that I have proposed amendments to the Senator's resolution."
Subsequently, the war spirit was again in the ascendant. Mr. John Quincey Adams had created quite a sensation by the belligerent tone of his suggestions. During a debate in the House of Representatives, on the pro- priety of conferring a discretionary power on the President to add to the number of men in the existing regiments, Mr. Adams advised the House to withhold its sanction till notice should be given to Great Britain that the United States intended to terminate the joint occupation of Oregon. He Was ready to assume the responsibility of the act-
" I declare myself ready, then, and I am ready now to give such notice. (Great Sensation.) I hope it will be given, and that we shall do it as the first measure to be taken—to be followed afterwards by a real occupation of the whole territory. (Sensation in the House, and incipient clap; which, however, was prompt(y arrested by the Speaker.) But it is indispensable that we shall first give notice. I soy, therefore, that I hope the first measure adopted by Congress will be to give, in the most solemn manner, the notice to Great Britain which the treaty requires: then the coast will be clear for us to do what we please. It does not—I repeat,
it does not follow as a necessary consequence, that because we give this notice we must take possession; though it is my hope we shall. It does not draw after it a war; and if Great Britain chooses to take such notice as an act of hostility on our part, and forthwith commence hostilities on her's, we have been told that we shall all be one party, and God Almighty grant that it may be so!" After several days' discussion, in which the weight of the speaking was favourable to hastening the crisis, a vote was taken; and 102 to 82 voted for delaying the consideration of the resolution till the first Monday. of February. A majority of two-thirds, however, being necessary, the mino- rity carried their point; and the accounts break off just as Mr. Bowlin had commenced an address denouncing the aggressive policy of England.
The Governor of Pennsylvania, in his message, states that the interest due on the public debt in February would be paid.
The New Orleans papers mention the loss of the steamer Belle Zane; which struck a "snag" in the Mississippi, at midnight, and almost instantly turned bottom upwards. About ninety persons were on board,, many in their berths. Numbers managed to get ashore; but in their haste, some went without their clothing, and were frozen to death. The account of the deaths varies in number from sixteen to fifty.
RIO DE LA Pr...s.ra.—The steamer Cyclops brings intelligence of a de- cisive action in which the English and French fleets were engaged. On the evening of the 18th November, the position occupied by Rosas's forces on the Parana was reconnoitered, and found to be exceedingly strong. Four bat- teries, mounted with twenty-four cannon of heavy calibre, stood on the right bank of the river: the river itself was barred by a stockade formed with twenty-four vessels, bound together by three iron chains. Ten fire-ships were in readiness; and the brig Republican°, well armed, was placed in a position to enfilade the opposing vessels. About nine o'clock on the following morning, the combined fleet advanced in three divisions. The first, under the command of Captain Sulli- van, was composed of the Philomel, the Expeditive, the Fanny, and Prooida: the second consisted of the St. Martin, the Corrals, the Pandora, the Dolphin, and the Fulton (steamer); Captain Trehouart being the commander: the third divi- sion, under the orders of Captain Ilotham, was composed of the Gordon and Fire- brand steamers. At half-past ten o'clock the action became general; the men in the batteries displaying much obstinacy, and some skill in the management of their guns. The Republican° was set on fire by a bomb-shell; while the fire- ships, although set adrift, proved harmless. The attack and defence were con- tinued with much spirit for several hours; the enemy doing his utmost, and the English and French crews vying with each other in acts of daring. By a dashing exploit on the part of Captain Hope of the Firebrand, the chains which bound the stockade were broken; which enabled the Fulton to pass through and take up an advantageous position. Towards four o'clock the enemy's fire began to slacken; and the signal was made for the troops to land. This was effected by six o'clock. The first English detachment, under the command of Captain Sullivan, sustained a heavy fire of musketry from a party lying in ambush: but effective assistance was rendered by another detachment, commanded by Lieutenant Hindle; and Captain Trehouart having joined the attacking party, the enemy were put to flight, and the batteries taken possession of. On the following day, the guns were destroyed, with the exception of ten bronzed cannon, which were shipped on board the squadron. The loss has been considerable. la the English fiftt, ten were killed and twenty. five wounded: among the former, were Lieutenants Brickdale of the Firebrand and Andrews of the -Dolphin. Of the French, eighteen were killed and seventy wounded: M. Michaud, one of the officers of the St. Martin, is among the killed. Of the enemy, four hundred dead bodies were found in the batteries; but it is believed that many more were carried away. In the very heat of the engagement, Captain llotbam wrote to Captain 'frehouart this note—" Si le titre de brave a jamais ete merite, c'est par vous et vos equipages."
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