ttilantous.

Sir Robert Peel, says a Nottingham correspondent of the Globe, "has actually sent for a deputation from Nottingham and Leicester, to inquire of them the truth of the allegations at the meeting at Derby of the ,merchants and manufacturers of the Midland counties, and the effects which they apprehend from his sliding scale." The gentlemen whom he invited to wait on him are—Mr. Mitchell, the High Sheriff of Leicestershire, Mr. Cripps a merchant trading with America, Mr.

Biggs of Leicester, and Mr. Heard, the chairman of a meeting lately held at Nottingham. The interview was held on Wednesday last week. Sir Robert listened patiently, but made no promise.

Alluding to an Anti-Corn-law rumour repeated by the Morning Chro- nick, the Globe of last night says—" We are glad to learn, and we have the fact from the highest authority, that the statement which we quoted yesterday from a morning contemporary, of a large contract [for cloth] having been given by the East India Company to Belgian manufac- turers, is without foundation. The last contract of the Company, we are informed, was with a house in Yorkshire."

The half-ounce letter now taxed but one penny in the Post-office is by the new arrangement to be reduced to a quarter-ounce; and it is said newspapers posted a second time will be charged one penny.— Limerick Chronicle.

The Manchester Guardian publishes a letter from Viscount Canning to a Liverpool house, stating the opinion of Government, that notice of the termination of the treaty with Brazil cannot be given before the 10th November 1842; the treaty having two years to run after the date of the notice.

Sir James Graham entertained the Cabinet Ministers at dinner on Wednesday.

On the same day, Lord Wharncliffe came to towu, from Wortley Hall, The Duke of Cleveland lies in a state past recovery, and his death is hourly expected.

A very painful feeling was excited at Montrose on the arrival of the India mail on Sunday last, by the appearance of a paragraph in several papers, stating, on the authority of a letter from Meerut, that an insur- rection of Afghans had taken place in Cabal, and that Sir Alexander Burnes was killed, or severely wounded. We are happy to learn on in- quiry, that no confirmation of this melancholy intelligence has been re- ceived by Sir Alexander's family; but that, on the contrary, the ac- counts they have received afford the strongest presumption of its being untrue.—Montrose Paper. Lord Ashburton, accompanied by Mr. Hugo Mildmay, will leave Bath House, Piccadilly, on the 28th instant, to embark from Lifeipoel for New York. They then go to Washington, where a mansion has been taken for three months. His Lordship will afterwards visit Penn- sylvania, and is expected to return to this country about the end of July.—Morning Post.

The West Indian mail-steamer Dee, Captain Oman, took her depar- ture on Friday for Barbados, with between thirty and forty passengers ; among whom were Sir Charles Grey, Governor of Barbados, and family ; and Sir C. Fitzroy, Governor of Antigua, and family. The• Dee also took out near ten tons of quicksilver for Tampico.—Hampshire Independent.

The Times says that Mr. Cresswell has been offered the seat on the Bench vacant by Mr. Justice Bosanquees retirement, and that he has accepted it. The Conservatives have a gentleman ready to take his place in the representation of Liverpool. In the Courrof Chancery, on Wednesday, Mr. Purvis, Mr. Walker, Mr. Kenyon Parker, and Mr. James Russell, were called within the bar; they having been appointed Queen's Counsel.

The Times records an incident of the Mansionhonse banquet—" A

good deal of laughter was excited at the banquet at the Mansionhouse, on Monday evening, by a joke which Lord Stanley passed while the Earl of Ripon was speaking. The latter, when about to make the quotation from the Scotch song of The boatie rows,' it will be recol- lected, said,' I beg pardon of the Lord Mayor if I should not read the words with the proper accent.' Why don't you sing them ? ' cried Lord Stanley, to the great delight of the Aldermen opposite to him."

, The City article of Wednesday's Times announces important com- mercial proceedings-

" A movement is just now being made in the coffee-trade for a modification of the duties levied on the various descriptions ; and the promoters have, it is said, already prepared a petition to the President of the Board of Trade, em- bodying their wishes on the subject. The matters discussed in the petition, which has gone the round and received the signatures of all the leading houses in the trade, are not new, but have before been broached, though without any practical success ; and the reason why they are again renewed, is the confident knowledge of ithe desire of the present Government to look into the various evils complained of as existing in our commercial system, with the view of ren- dering all necessary relief."

A Convocation will be held at Oxford on the 27th, to elect a Professor of Poetry. At a meeting held before the Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University, on Thursday, for the purpose of ascertaining the number of votes re- spectively promised to the candidates, it appeared that there were for Mr. Garbett 921, for Mr. Williams 623: upon which the friends of the latter gentleman immediately withdrew him from the contest. So the "middling verses" of Williams cede to the unknown "songs of Garbett."

The Times remarks, that in last Friday's Gazette it was announced that the Socialists Institution in John Street, Fitzroy Square, has been licensed for the celebration of marriages.

The French King's reply to the address of the Peers, which was read on Saturday by the President, was as insignificant as the address. The debate on the draft of the address in the Chamber of Deputies began on Monday, and was continued without any passage of interest. M. Bechard, a Legitimist, said that the Opposition did not expect to gain any advantage in the debate on the address ; but they reserved them- selves for the question of electoral reform. Mr. Billant, Tinder-Secre- tary of the Thiers Cabinet, proposed an amendment, hinting that while new markets for French produce are opened abroad, national produc- tions should receive due protection ; and that while arrangements are made for the suppression of a guilty traffic, the maritime interests and complete independence of the French flag should be guaranteed. M. Mounier de la Sizeranne moved the following strange amendment : its closing sentence alludes to the proposed exclusion of placemen from the Chamber- " We will examine, moreover, the causes of the social malady, of which a al. -cent trial has revealed the fearful symptoms. We will examine if, in the num- ber of its causes, there ought not to be reckoned the ambition which agitates society. The Chamber of Deputies, anxious to give a salutary direction to public opinion in France, will, if necessary, by setting an example, give the country a striking proof of its disinterestedness."

The French Government have gained another signal victory. The Chirivari, a satirical journal, quizzed M. Hebert, the Procureur-Gene- nal, in the subjoined article. The paper was prosecuted in the Court of Assizes of the Seine ; and its gerant was condemned to two years' im- prisonment and 4,000 francs fine, its printer to six months' imprison- ment and a fine. The printer, M. Levy, prints nine journals, several being Ministerial ones; and he is the owner and conductor of a large printing-establishment, which must severely suffer by his confinement-

" The cross of the Legion of Honour has just been given to M. Hebert: there is a talk of granting the same to the executioner. This is the recom- pense for his efforts in procuring the condemnation of Dupety—an easy triumph. The jury would not have been convinced by that mixture of gall, bile, absurdity, and extravagance, M. Bebert's requisitory. But the Court of Peers, being an exceptional tribunal, could not be convinced by eloquence and logic, both exceptional. So that M. Hebert's was an easy triumph, and the recompense not very brilliant. A cross of the Legion of Honour is the pay for consigning to the dungeons of Doullens a writer of the independent press of Paris, as a moral conspirator. A cross of honour for each head crushed by the hydra of the press—such is the .Ministerial offer. Who wants across? The Procureur-General must have expected something better. A mere star and cross is not pay enough for having. invented a new crime, which brings down condemnation, and requires no proof of moral crime. Richelieu paid Laubarde- ment better; he may have despised him, but he enriched him. Why not enrich M. Hebert? Dents got 400,000 francs for betraying the Dutchess of Berry? Why, then, give so little as a riband to the lawyer that has caught Dupoty? An orator like Hebert is not to be had every day, who perorates so freely his criminal rhetoric, and who leads his auditors through a series of claptraps and fear-traps,: lulling them with sounds of the scaffold and with flowers of eloquence all savouring of blood. This is not to be bought by a ribaud, but with gold. He would have preferred a useful grain of millet. by saw yester- day a veteran of our armies, who tore off his cross and dashed it on the ground with disdain, exclaiming, Never will I wear it again; I might be mistaken for the Procurenr-General Hebert."

The Chhrivari has appealed to the Court of Cessation against the judgment. M. Chambolle, a Deputy, has published a letter in which he avows himself the writer of the article in the Siècle, for which its managing editor, M. Perree, had been called to account by the Peers. The letter was brought before the Chamber on Monday ; but they refused to en- tertain any question about it, and passed to the order of the day. On Tuesday, M. Ferree appeared before the Chamber ; and he was sen- tenced to be imprisoned for a month, and to pay 10,000 francs (4001.) In his defence, M. Perree declared that he had no intention of attacking the prerogative of the Chamber. M. de Rubelles, editor of the Journal du Bourbonnais, has been sum- moned to appear before the Court of Assizes at Moulins, in order to answer for a libel on the King.

The Commerce states that the visits of Queen Christina to the Tuile- ries had become snore frequent. "The Duke d'Aumale generally es- corts her. Are we to infer," asks the Commerce, "that the idea of a marriage between Queen Isabella and the Duke is not abandoned?"

Advices from Algiers of the 5th instant announce that all the tribes in the province of Oran had submitted to the French, except that at

Tlemcen. It was even said that Abdel Kader had been deposed by his own troops, and had fled to the Morocco territory.

The Madrid correspondent of the Morning Post describes a rebuff which the Spanish Government have hadfrum the young attaché whom M. Salvandy left behind- " M. Gonzales, in his capacity of Minister for Foreign Affairs, addressed a short diplomatic note to the Duke de Glucksherg, on the 7th instant, enclosing a passport for a Spanish Cabinet courier, requesting that he would rise it. The Duke complied with the demand, hut returned it under a blank cover, in- stead of replying to the note. The young Duke has told a friend that he in- stantly perceived that it was an attempt to get him into direct communication with the Regency Government, which his instructions prevented his doing. He yesterday called at the Foreign Office, and, not finding the Prime Minister within, told the Under-Secretary, M. Hoyos, that he requested no further notes might be addressed to him, because, as he held no diplomatic character at the Spanish Court, he neither could reply to or receive them ! This matter as- sumes a more serious aspect than what was thought at first."

The Augsburg Gazette describes some serious disturbances which oc- curred at Corfu on Christmas Day, in consequence of the people being irritated at an attack of an American Missionary on the rites and doc- trines of the Greek Church. A collision took place between the people and the troops, and the latter were forced to retire into the citadel with a loss of six men killed. The Missionary attempted to escape by sea, but was seized by the people. The Austrian Observer, however, states that the Government had secretly sent away the Missionary. On the 26th and 27th the disturbances were renewed, and many persons were arrested. One British soldier was killed and twelve wounded. On the 28th, the following proclamation was published- " The Lord High Commissioner having been apprized of the events of last night, has determined to adopt peremptory measures to put an end to all such disturbances. The undersigned is therefore commanded to announce to the inhabitants, that all soldiers, except those on duty, have received orders to quit the town in the evening, and to retire to their barracks. The inhabitants are invited to remain at home after sunset; and they are forbidden to collect in the streets. All taverns' coffeehouses, and other establishments where strong liquors are sold, must be closed at four o'clock in the afternoon, and cannot be opened until seven in the morning. The undersigned is commanded to invite the inhabitants to abstain from all further disturbances, in order that the Government may not be compelled to suspend the civil and proclaim martial law. "J. FRASER, Secretary."

We have already told how two vessels of the Niger Expedition, the Soudan and the Wilberforce, had left the river : the third and last has also abandoned the enterprise. The Morning Herald has a narrative from which we learn the fate of the third steamer, the Albert, and the model- farm. The Wilberforce had left the Albert at the confluence of the Niger and Chadds, 270 miles from the sea, on the 19th September, and followed the Soudan to the sea. At Fernando Po, the two steamers en- countered the Ethiope, Mr. Jamieson's steamer ; and, acting on the orders of his employer, Mr. Becroft the commander, at the solicitation of Captain William Allen the commander of the ,Soudan, ascended the Niger in search of the Albert. We take up the narrative of the Herald— "We now return to the Albert, which we left on the eve of her departure from the confluence to ascend the Niger. This, as we have already said, was on the 21st September. On the 28th, she arrived at Eggs, situated between fifty and sixty miles above the junction of the Chadda and 320 from the sea. During this short passage she lost two of her seamen, whilst several others were taken ill; nor did the officers escape : Captain Bird Allen was attacked within four hours after the departure of the Wilberforce, and Captain Trotter himself whilst the vessel lay at Eggs. At this place the Kroorrien were em- ployed in taking in a large quantity of firewood. This necessary duty of course occupied considerable time. As soon as it was completed, Captain Trotter, who now saw clearly the necessity of abandonirg the enterprise, and whose judgment was confirmed by that of the surgeon, Dr. WWilliam, gave the necessary orders for returning down the river. On the 4th October, therefore, the steam was once more got up, and the Albert followed her consorts to the sea. Her condition at this period may be judged of by the fact that she had but a single officer and two or three European seamen capable of performing their duty. The confluence was passed on the 9th, and immediately after- ward the model-farm; where' ' finding the Europeans all ill of the fever, Cap- tain Trotter took them on board, and continued to pursue his melancholy voy- age. On the 12th, the vessel anchored off Eboe, and was supplied by King Obi with a quantity of wood, which he had previously got ready for her, and which, with great kindness, he put on board with the least possible delay. Here Mr. Kingdon, the clerk of the Soudan, died. He had remained ashore at the farm during the Albert's absence at Eggs, and was dangerously ill at the period of his reembarkation. Thus far the Albert had made her way in safety, through the merciful providence of God; but her poor suffering inmates could not forget the dangerous bar which was still to be passed before they could leave the region of pestilence and death behind them. Happily, their anxieties on this head were destined to a speedy termination; for in the afternoon of the 13th their eyes were gladdened with the sight of the Etbiope's smoke as she steamed rapidly up the waters of the Delta. Captain Becroft at once put his first en- gineer on board the unfortunate Albert ; and by incessant exertions both vessels crossed the bar soon after sunrise on the 16th, and cast anchor in Clarence Cove late in the evening of the following day. "Next morning, twenty-eight patients were taken ashore, and kindly received into various private houses. Among the sufferers were Captain Trotter and Bird Allen-the former h appily convalescent, the latter, alas, fast sinking into the grave. On the 25th, at half-past nine a. as., his brave and gentle spirit exchanged a world of sorrow for one of unmixed and unchanging joy. Of the condition of the remaining patients our accounts are too general to enable us to speak with any thing like certainty : as the Lady Combermere, which sailed from Clarence on the 26th, and by which we have received the accounts communicated above, left but nine days after the return of the Albert from the Niger, it could not of course be expected that she should bring intelligence of so satisfactory a kind as we may hope, and, we would fain trust, look for by the next arrivals."

The Literary Gazette of this day supplies a few additional particulars respecting the disastrous retreat of the expedition. The colony at the model-farm "remains in situ, but consisting altogether of Blacks, without a White member." After the fever on board the Albert be- came general, "one sufferer was seized with insanity, and leapt over- board and was drowned." The condition of the Albert when it was met by Mr. Becroft in the Ethiope was deplorable- ' " Bat even in the midst of these horrors, there were instances of Providen- tial care and protection. The officers, crews, engineers, and all, being down with the fever, Dr. WWilliam in the Wilberforce, and Voegel the naturalist (if we recollect ;night) in the Albert, were driven to the strange task of navi- gating their respective steamers down the river. Dr. lkieWilliam had some knowledge of an engineer's office, but M. Voegel was entirely ignorant of them; and it was only by reading a few pages of Tredgold's work on the Steam-en- gine that he was enabled to perform this new and onerous duty. They were happily met by Captain Becroft at Eboc, and the rest of the sad voyage was accomplished by his assistance. Had these vessels ever run aground, they must have been left by the tide, and every soul on board have perished. In their ex- tremity they were saved by the exertions and presence of mind of the indivi- duals we have named.

Unconquered, Captain Trotter proposes, after his crew have recruited their strength at Ascension, to renew the expedition ; but the Literary Gazette very properly assumes that it will be recalled by the Admiralty. Captain Trotter risks his own life in the exact performance of an assigned duty-to endeavour to penetrate into the interior of Africa: the officials at home are not pledged to face death in their own persons, and they cannot permit an immolation which they now know to be certain.

The Columbia left Boston on the 1st instant, with New York papers to the 31st December ; and the packet-ship Cambridge has brought others, to the 3d instant.

The Queen's ship Illustrious' Captain Erskine, which sailed from Falmouth on the 16th November, having on board Sir Charles Bagot, the Governor-General of Canada, came to anchor on the morning of the 29th, at the Quarantine Ground, New York. It was understood that he would leave the city on Monday the 3d instant. On the 29th, Mr. Clay, in pursuance of a notice which he had given, laid before the Senate three joint resolutions, proposing certain amend- ments to the constitution of the United States. The first proposes to amend the constitution by restricting the veto power. The second pro- poses to vest in Congress the appointment of the Secretary of the Trea- sury and the Treasurer of the United States. The third proposes to prohibit the appointment to office of any member of Congress during the term for which he is elected. Each resolution has in view the same object-the curtailment of executive power and influence. A long debate followed, the conclusion of which had not been received at New York on the 31st.

In the Senate, on the 22d, Mr. Barrow presented a memorial from an insurance-company in New Orleans, setting forth the loss the company had sustained through the liberation, by the British authorities of Nassau, New Providence, of thirty-eight slaves, which they had in- sured against capture or seizure by the British Government. After a few brief remarks, he moved that the subject be referred to the Com- mittee on Foreign Relations, which he considered the proper course ; inasmuch as, in his opinion, it was a matter upon the proper adjust- ment of which was involved the question of peace or war. Mr. Cal- houn seconded the motion ; observing, that the case was, he presumed, that of the Creole. Mr. Barrow replied, that it was not; it was the case of the Formosa, which had occurred several months ago. Mr. Calhoun said that he had been under the impression that it was the case of the Creole. Many years ago, when the seizure of the Enter- prise occurred, he bad called the attention of the Senate and the coun- try to this subject, and brought forth resolutions based on the laws of nations, which received the almost unanimous assent of the Senate. But he regarded the case of the Creole as the most threatening that had ever come in contestation between the two Governments. He con- sidered it most remarkable, that while the hoardings and detentions of our vessels on the coast of Africa, the border troubles on the North- eastern frontier, and other matters of much less importance, had re- ceived the attention of our Government, this case has been entirely overlooked. It was high time that this question was settled, and that the South should understand whether their property should be pro- tected from spoliation or not. He would not pursue the subject further, as it would come up in a more solemn and imposing shape when the case of the Creole was presented. In the mean time, he was glad their attention was called to the subject by the Case presented by the senator from Louisiana. He hoped the Committee on Foreign Relations would give it their full and solemn consideration, that the country might ascertain by their investigations where it stood. The memorial was referred to that Committee.

Simultaneously with this debate a " protest " had been published by the officers and crew of the Creole, giving a long and circumstantial account of the mutiny, murders, and liberation.