iforeign antr FnAxcE.—The Chamber of Deputies began to discuss on
Monday, a new plan proposed by M. Duvergier de Hauranne, for abolishing the ballot in taking the votes. A Committee had reported in favour of a mixed system, which, while it did not abolish secret voting altogether, would greatly modify it. By the plan of the Committee, the ordinary mode of voting in the Chamber would be par assas et lea.: but ten members could call for a division; and in cases where, according to the .present regulations, secret voting could be called for by twenty members, the
• Committee recommended that the number of requisitionists should be increased to forty. This plan was adopted by the Chamber on Tuesday; the Government discountenancing, but not opposing it.
The Journal des Dibats of Monday devoted nearly half its publication to a -detailed announcement that "a treaty of amity and of commerce and navigation has been concluded between France and the Imaum of Muscat, on the 17th of November last, at Zanzibar, the capital of the African possessions of the Imaum, and the place of residence of that l'''rince." By this treaty, French subjects are to be allowed to reside, trade, and travel, in that country, and to enjoy all the immunities granted to the most favoured nations. French goods imported will be subject to a duty not exceeding 5 per cent, no article of commerce will be pro- hibit, and five-franc pieces are to be current at their real value. The Oppo- sition papers ridicule this as one of M. Guizot's peculiar triumphs: the National says, that before this great treaty, though the English and Americans paid 5 per cent, the French paid only 4 per. cent.
A great banquet was given on-Sunday by the merchants of Paris to Marshal Bugeand, in the Great Hall of the Bourse. The number present was limited to four hundred; among whom were the Duke of Nemours, the Duke of Atunale, the Duke of Montpensier, and the Prince Be Joinville the Prefect of the Seine, the Prefect of Police, &c. M. Cnnin Gzidaine the *mister of Commerce was the -only member of the Government who attended. The oratory was less striking than the splendour and luxury of the feast.
SWITZERIAND.—As was expected, the Extraordinary Diet have referred the question of the Free Corps to the same Committee that is appointed to consider the question of the Jesuits. The subject of an amnesty was referred to another Committee. The Diet adjourned on the 11th February, sine die, to allow the Committees time to report.
Porrruciat.—Lisbon letters, of the 12th instant, announce some disturbances in the province of Minh°. On the 1st, the taxgatherers having gone to the village of St. Martinho to collect a new impost on wine, the people rose upon them and put them to flight. Shortly afterwards, they returned with an escort of thirty infantry; but meanwhile the tocsin had been rung in all the surrounding villages,• and a great number of men, headed by Magalasss, a country gentleman of the trict, had assembled at St. Martinho, armed, some with fowling-pieces, but most with pikes or scithes. The soldiers,' seeing this formidable array, retraced their steps, and took up a defensive position on a neighbouring height; from which, however, they were soon dislodged by the people, and pursued in rapid flight. Next day a stronger military force marched into the district and after some smart fighting, routed the insurgents. The soldiers entered the village, and burned down several cottages; and thus " order " was restored.
Ttrauzv.—Advices from Constantinople, of February the 26th, report the pro- ceedings of the Ministers in pursuance of the Sultan's hatti-shen.f exhorting them to take steps for the improved government and education of the people. The Minieters also have issued a hatti-aherif, in which they assert their anxiety to improve the condition of the people; and in order to obtain the necessary in- formation as to what is to be done, they propose to summon two deputies from each town or district, the one a Turk and the other a Rayah, who shall give evi- dence as to the condition of the places which they are called upon to represent. Upon a digest of this evidence, a plan will be formed for the improvement of the government, and for its assimilation with the government of European States.
Dr. Wolff arrived at Constantinople on the 22d, and was to leave it for London by the Oriental Steam Company's packet UNITED Srars&—The mail-steamer Hibernia brings intelligence from Boston to the 1st instant. The steamer did not arrive at Liverpool till Monday morning, having encountered strong adverse winds.
There is a scrap of news about the Oregon question. The Senate had applied for official documents on the subject The President, however, declined to pro- duce them; as the negotiations with the British Government were proceeding briskly and amicably, with a probability of being brought to a speedy close. The Senate had begun a discussion on the annexation of Texas; which Was adjourned on the 26th February.
The papers publish a correspondence between the State Department at Wash- ington and Mr. Everett, United States Minister to England, in reference to seven fugitive criminals, who it is alleged, committed robbery, arson and murder, in East Florida, and afterwards escaped to Nassau, in the Bahamas. Their surren- der is claimed by the Federal Government under the Washington treaty. The Colonial Judges, backed by the British Government, refused to deliver up the fugitives, on the ground that the evidence was not such as was required by the act of Parliament for giving up criminal fugitives from justice. Mr. CaMoun assumes that the refusal is to be attributed to the fact that the fugitives are slaves; and Mr. Everett is instructed to call "the attention of her Majesty's Government to the subject, and to urge a speedy decision, inetreng and eartn4
lan.gAnurer case in which the powers of the Ashburton treaty were pet in requi- sition happened at St John's, New Brunswick, where a Boston thief was arrested and claimed by the American Consul. Of commercial affairs, the New York Courier and Inquirer says--" The gene- ral aspect of the business of the country is favourable. The banks are in sound condition for the most part; the currency not unreasonably expanded; and the demand for money such only as to indicate healthy activity, without any feverish excitement. The importations for the past year were very large, and not profit- able. Indeed, it may be stated without fear of error, that upon the whole MAW of imports there must have been very considerable loss. The effect of this must be of course to check in some degree the importations of the present year' and although the ships just now arriving from Europe are full freighted, no one looks for anything like such importations this year as last, nor consequently for any such revenue from customs. The state of the exchanges on Europe, which keep up so near the point where coin can be profitably used for remittances, and which consequently restrains the banks from any undue increase of discounts, also hail its effect in keeping down prices, and therefore of discouraging imports."
Caxana..—The accounts from Montreal, which come down to the 19th February, are not favourable to the Government. The Ministry had experienced two defeats: the first, on a local measure, by a vote of 34 to 26; and the second, on a bill reducing the salaries of certain public officers and funding the fees of office, by 35 to 23. They had also twice vanquished by a majority of only one. The Mayor of Toronto had written to say, that he could not go to be sworn into office, because his vote could not be spared by Government.
Mexico.—Accounts from Vera Cruz, to the 3d February, remove all doubts as to Santa Anna's captivity. He is said to have written a letter to the Congress, ab- jectly begging for life and pardon. His property had been seized. His adherents had bce..n ed from the army, and were to be brought to triaL On the 18th January, Mexico was relieved from its "state of siege"; and it remained quite tranquil.
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