ortigrt anb erolonial.
GREECE.—Intelligence has been received from Athens to the 15th October. Some further accounts are given of the absurd attempt at counter-revolution on the 9th. The would-be leader is now said to be General Colocotroni. He tried to seduce the troops; but without the smallest success. He then endeavoured to fly ; but the enraged multitude recognized him, and he only escaped with life through the activity of his coachman, who galloped back to Athens. Eventually he mandked to get on board a Greek steamer bound for Austria. After it was all over, and having heard the nature of some despatches received by M. Piscatory, the French Ambassador, from Paris, King Otho sum- moned his Ministers and other leading men, on the 14th, and addressed them thus-
" From the moment when I accepted the Constitutional system which I am convinced is useful and necessary to the welfare of our dearly beloved Greece, I ardently desired that it should be introduced with the most perfect tranquil- lity and good order. I have therefore invited you, gentlemen, to request you to communicate to my people, to your subalterns, to your friends, and your acquaintances, in order that no person may be deceived as to my royal will, that it is my constant desire that no opposition be made to the existing order of affairs."
The Augsburg Gazette of the 28th October states that the elections to the National Convention, throughout Greece, have passed off without any serious disturbances. M. Ralli, the late Minister, having refused to quit Athens during the election, in accordance with a Ministerial ordinance, his house was surrounded by a number of people, who were proceeding to acts of violence, when M. Piscatory interfered, and he succeeded in effecting his escape to a British ship.
SPAIN.—There is an appearance of diminishing tumult in Spain : for on the 29th, the batteries at Barcelona were silent, Prim and Ametlar negotiating a cessation of hostilities ; a suspension of hostilities had taken place at Saragossa, pending a reference to the Government; and at Leon, the insurgent leaders are reported to have fled as the Govern- ment troops entered the town. At Gerona alone does active war con- tinue, if it has not ceased even there.
After very protracted preliminaries, the Cortes, though said to be still deficient in their numbers, were formally constituted on the 26th; when the Ministers made a declaration of the necessity for declaring the Queen's majority. Their address comprises an apology for their own assumption of power in the interval before the meeting of the Cortes, "in compliance with the explicit and all-powerful will of the nation " ; and it is remarkable only for its self-praise of Ministers, and for the turgidity and puerility of its style. There is no doubt that the Queen's majority will be ratified by the Cortes. FRANCE.—The Journal des Debuts explains the precise nature of the dispute between the clergy and the French University-
" Until of late the clergy limited their efforts to demanding freedom of edu- cation. The Archbishop of Paris especially directed his demands to the inde- ,pendence of the ecclesiastical schools; which are indeed already independent, except that those educated there cannot teach out of those schools, without proving their capacity by going through an university examination. The law permits ecclesiastical schools, but limits the number, they being destined solely for ecclesiastics; and for the same reason forbids them to take day-scholars. The aim of the Archbishop of Paris was to extend these schools, so as to allow them to monopolize the education of the non-ecclesiastical population. This would be bad enough, since it would split in two the public system of educa- tion, and would establish the Church and the University rivals and competitors for that education. Cardinal Bonald of Lyons now goes much further than Archbishop Affre of Paris. He demands not merely equality and rivalry be- tween Church schools and University schools, he demands the supremacy of the clew over the University schools : M. d'Affre asked for independence, M. Bond wants to have domination."
NORTH AMERICA.—The Acadia steam-ship, which left Halifax on the 18th October, and Boston on the 16th, arrived at Liverpool on Sun- day morning; having performed the voyage from Halifax in ten days and nine hours, in spite of adverse weather. The Great Western arrived on Thursday, having left New York on the 19th. The political news from the United States is not of great interest. The results of several elections were known, and they were generally in favour of the Whigs.
Mr. Webster is talked of as Vice-President.
• The cotton-crop is estimated at two million bales. Exchange on
England stood at 131 to 9 per cent premium. Although there is no am. plaint as to the general condition of the national industry, trade was duller ; and the fact is accounted for by the New York American in a way to interest British traders- " We have had here a few weeks since a pretty general revival of tradein nearly all its branches; and coming at an earlier period than usual in the sea- son, it led to the belief that a heavy business would continue to be done through the autumn. The supplies of foreign manufactured goods being limited at the time, the market was soon nearly swept, and orders to a considerable amount were consequently sent to Europe for a fresh supply. The demand, however, that seemed to spring up so unexpectedly early in the season, as un- expectedly diminished; and it is supposed that the imports now coming forward will meet a less ready sale than was promised, and pay a less profit than was anticipated. This may be accounted for partly by the fact that the demand alluded to was immeasurably overrated, in consequence of so little having been done for so long a time previous, and partly by the fact that those more excln- sively engaged in importing goods did not measure the extent of the home supply, which has been increasing, and is now very large, and embraces almost every article of large consumption manufactured of cotton, worsted, and wool; and so successfully have our manufactures progressed, that possibly the period is not distant when this countiy will be entirely supplied at home with all such articles, except, perhaps, a limited list of the finest and rarest fabrics. The iron-trade has also been and continues to he largely affected by the increase of our home supply ; which has limited the amount of import of bar and bolt iron, and reduced the price to so low a figure as to leave little if any induce- ment to the importer."
There was a disturbance among the Indians on the Arkansas frontier, in which several Americans were killed ; and another Seminole war was apprehended. The latest date of our Canadian papers is the 11th October; and they bring down accounts of the proceedings in the Provincial Par- liament to the 6th. By way of New York the intelligence is a trifle later. In the Legislative Council, an address in echo of the Governor's speech was moved, and it gave rise to some sharp debating on the 2d and 3d. The seconder of the address avowed himself strongly in favour of Sir Charles Bagoes policy. On the part of the Opposition, the Speech was charged with important omissions, especially all men- tion of agricultural protection and emigration. In replying, Mr. Sul- livan, one of the Ministers, gave some indication of the policy of Go- vernment: he avowed himself a fast friend of "responsible govern- ment "; as to agricultural protection, he promised a bill for imposing a duty on all agricultural produce coming into Canada from the United States ; he proclaimed the desire of Government to bury the rebellion in oblivion; and, alluding to emigration, he said that it had engaged the consideration of Government, but remarked, that Mr. Buller's plan (to which some exception had been taken) was not officially before the Government, and was moreover objectionable in some of its details. The address was carried.
A similar address was carried, with a somewhat similar discussion, in the House of Assembly. There were divisions on particular para- graphs; but the whole was adopted without division. Cheese was becoming a very considerable item in the export to China.
Mr. Hincks had introduced a bill to establish heavy duties on-agri- cultural produce imported into the colony ; and a resolution favouring such a bill was carried.
Captain Steele moved a resolution recommending a general amnesty ; and a fierce debate was the consequence. The violence grew to such a pitch, that at length "-shooting" was talked ofl On the part of Govern- ment, the motion was opposed, on the ground that, with the exception of Lyon Mackenzie, the most guilty of the proscribed parties had been pardoned, and that others had been suffered to return unmolested; in doing which, Government had even gone beyond previous resolutions of the House. Eventually the motion was withdrawn. Mr. E. G. Wakefield had taken his seat as a member of the House of Assembly. In reply to a message from the Governor, the Legislative Council had decided on Montreal as the future seat of Government.
CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.—Intelligence has been received from Cape Town to the 25th August, and from Port Natal to the 12th. Pretorius and a large portion of the Dutch Emigrant Farmers at Natal, who had lately been threatening the English Commandant, Major Smith, had evinced a disposition finally to submit ; and signed a declaration that they would support the British against a party under Rudolph, beyond the mountains, who still remained contumacious. The frontier of the British colony was in a very disturbed state; and near Fort Beaufort a shoemaker had been murdered by some Caffres, apparently because he had seen them making off with some stolen cattle.
Previous page
