inrrtgu nab Culnuinl.

FRANCE.—The Ministry, or at least the Minister of the Interior, M. Baroche, sustained a marked defeat in the Assembly on Saturday. On that day was discussed the question whether the Transportation Bill should be made retroactive ; an object which the Minister desired, in order that Barbes and the other political convicts should be sent off to the Marquesas Islands. M. Baroche was opposed by M. Odilon Barret, in a speech which is described as his most successful oration under the Re- public—of elevated moral tone, great argumentative force, appealing by turns to sentiment and constitutional principle, in a manner that at last won the Assembly completely to his views. M. Brunelle had struck out a clause which expressly negatived any retroactive force in the bill : on M. Odilon Iharrot's proposal the clause was restored, by the vote of 365 to 301. It is said that M. Baroche was so chagrined that he exclaimed to a circle of friends, "I shall resign."

GREECE.—Athenian papers, of the 9th instant, allege that Baron Gros and Mr. Wyse have come to a stand-still in their negotiations, with no hope of renewing progress. They say that Baron Gros looks on the sums de- manded of the Greek Government as indemnity to the Ionians, and the indemnity for the affair of our own ship fhe Fantilme, in the light of penalties which ought not to be demanded of an independent government. At first 'Mr. Wyse would not in the least modify his claims ; but at an in- terview on the 3d instant 'he yielded somewhat ; and Baron Gros then proposed that all the claims should be massed together and presented un- der the collective head of indemnities to British and Ionian subjects. On the 8th, Mr. Wyse seemed favourable to entertaining this proposition ; but on the 9th it was said that any understanding had become hopeless. The latest form of our claims is thus described-

" That on the payment of 180,000 drachmas the Admiral would give up the Greek merchant-ships in his possession ; and that this sum would cover all the claims with the exception of the amount said to be due by the Por- tuguese Government to Don Tacifico, these (anima of Don Pacifico upon the Portuguese Government to be afterwards examined into and properly settled. If the Greek Government were unable to pay in.ready money the 1S0,000 drachmes, they should find valid security for 300,000 draehmes, which would remain as a deposit in the hands of the British Minister until Lord Palmer- ston should have decided upon the amount which ought to be given to Don Pacifico's claims ; the babuice of the sum to be then returned to the Greek Government ; and if the Greek Government could not find valid security for the amount of 300,000 drachmes, Admiral Parker would retain the Greek men-of-war in his possession as a guarantee for that sum, and her Majesty's Minister would, moreover, require from the Greek Government a pledge that no claims should be brought forward hereafter arising out of the coer- cive measures." We have reason to believe that a special messenger was despatched by Lord Palmerston from the Foreign Office last week to the British repre-

sentative at Athens, with instructions as to the course to be pursued un- der existing circumstances ; and we understand they are of a conciliatory character, calculated to alter materially the threatening aspect our re- lations with Greece assumed on the 8th of this month—Morning Herald.

IONIAN ISLANDS.—The Levant mail has brought accounts of the open- ing of the Island States by the Lord High Commissioner. Sir Henry Ward made a long speech in his usual sanguine style.

He "takes the opportunity of stating publicly," that the elections have been conducted with " admirable order and tranquillity," and that " the peo- ple generally have evinced a singular aptitude for the new rights and powers with which they have been trusted." "The Government," says Sir Henry, with somewhat Gallic politics and idiom, "has considered itself simply as the guardian of the purity of the vote." On financial topics he has "always felt that the machinery of government in these islands is very costly, and that the whole system stands in need of revision." He recommends to the popular branch of the Legislature, as more peculiarly its duty, that it should " follow the example of countries which have had a longer experience in self- government, and appoint two Committees, each consisting of five or seven members—the one to examine the civil list, and the ordinary and extraordi- nary expenditure ; the other the duties of which the revenue is composed, and their bearing upon the different classes of the community." He has "di- rected the most ample materials to be prepared in every department upon these subjects ; and, if the Assembly should think proper to empower its Com- mittees to call before them the heads of each department, as would be done in England or in Franc; and to examine them personally as to the details of the respective offices, the pay and duties of those employed under them,

and the practicability, of conducting the public business with greater economy," he assures them on the part of the Government„ that "there shall be no dis-

guise or concealment of any kind." It is the interest of all that everything should be done efficiently but cheaply ; while proper provision is made for sustaining the dignity and independence of the Government, there should be no extravagance and no superfluities ' • taxes should bear equally upon all, and every species of property assume its share of the common burden. In the course of the session he will state why he and the commercial body think that a change may be made in the mode of levying the duties on oil and cur- rants. He recommends measures to be taken for preventing the continuance of abuses with respect to church property, and announces a bill for improv- ing the system of public education. He refers to certain public works in the island, and announces the conclusion of arrangements with the Austrian Lloyd's for increasing steam communication between different ports. In conclusion, he appeals to their patriotism for motives of action in the approaching duties of legislation. "Lay aside, therefore, I beseech you, the idea of antagonism, with which the minds of men have been fed during the recent contest. That contest is now over. You have assumed the responsi- bility with the realities of power. Use that power with moderation and good sense, and you will confer an inestimable benefit upon your country Born myself in a free country, and having served a long apprenticeship in public life, I may be permitted to express to you my conviction, that while publicity is the law of your deliberations, it is only the more necessary to en-

force order as the basis of liberty. itself. It is at the poll, not in your galleries, that the judgment of the public is to be expressed as to your votes and your

conduct as legislators. Here freedom of thought and speech is your right— silence and attention is the duty of all who are suffered to be present at your sitting ; and the experience of every free country has proved that the Assem- bly which allows this rule to be infringed pays the penalty of its fatal indul- gence by the loss of public confidence and of its own utility." Tho majority of the elections are Liberal ; and Sir Henry Ward will have more to do than give vent to liberal and constitutional intentions in excellent speeches.

WEST INDIES.—The Avon mail steam-ship arrived at Southampton on Sunday, in thirteen days from Bermuda.

The political news is from British Guiana; whence accounts to the 21st March have been received. Governor Barkly opened the Combined Court for the session of 1850 on the 1 1 th March, with a speech of prosperity tenour in respect to finances, and of conciliatory tone in respect to Colonial Office policy.

The interval since the last meeting of the Combined Court had been too short for the accounts "to afford any adequate criterion of the amount of revenue likely to be collected under the tax ordinance," renewed to the 30th of June ; but it had at least served to show that Mr. Barkly's views as to their financial prospects were not too sanguine, "and that a continuance of the same rates of taxation to the end of the year will provide ample means of discharging all our liabilities. The general import-duties, from which so large a portion of the colonial income is derived, have yielded during the last three months no less than 112,000 dollars ; a sum which I believe it will be found they have never exceeded in any previous period of similar duration." The estimated expenditure was nearly the same as in last session. Earl Grey had authorized Mr. Barkly to give them a practical proof of his sincere desire to leave to the Combined Court the unfettered exercise of their "own judg- ment on every question where a reduction of expenditure is involved, by stating that it is not his Lordship's intention to confirm the appointment of a second Puisne Judge in the room of the late Mr. Justice Firebrace " ; and further, that the office of Sheriff of Essequibo will not be filled up unless the Court desire it.

Among the despatches received from Earl Grey, was one expressing her Majesty's great satisfaction at the operation of the new franchise bill. A public meeting to petition the Legislature for a relaxation of the tariff on imported articles of food was held at Georgetown on the 19th March.

From Jamaica we have files of newspapers to the 25th March. The Morning Journal of that date has the following remarks on the schemes for cotton cultivation : they show the feeling of the intelligent but cautious free-traders of the island on the subject.

" The rumour that cotton cultivation is to be attempted in this island on a large scale by English capitalists has created quite a sensation in some quar- ters, and parties begin to hope who apparently had lost all hope. There can be no doubt that attention has been pretty generally turned to the subject of cotton-growing, and that it will be undertaken by many in various parts of the island, more or less extensively. Indeed, it is being reaped now, in small quantities it is true, by parties to whom seeds were gratuitously distributed a few months ago. Some of the Missionaries on the North side of the island to leeward, we understand, are interesting themselves in the matter, and urging the cultivation upon their congregations. Of their success in inducing

large numbers to undertake it we have no doubt. Whatever may be done by

capitalists on a large scale—and we wish those who make the attempt every success—our present information leads us to conclude that the cultivation of the article in a small way, by the middling and lower classes of our society, will before long be considerable. To those. above the rank of mere planta- tion-labourers, cotton cultivation promises to prove a positive blessing, and" by them we are in hopes it will be generally undertaken." Accounts from Tortola mention a dispute between the Assembly and the Colonial Secretary, arising out of the refusal of the Secretary to lay certain official documents before the Assembly ; which had resulted in the committal of the Secretary to prison for Parliamentary contempt.

From Montserrat there are very distressing accounts of want and dis- ease, chiefly small-pox, among the people. Accounts from Nassau describe a tornado of most devastating violence which passed over the harbour and town on the 30th March, at about an hour after noon. Every house in its course was crushed and scattered in fragments, and trees of immense size were thrown about in the air like- tufts of grass. Though the climax of the tornado was not more than one

minute in duration, fifty houses were destroyed, and several ships in the- harbour were wrecked or dismasted ; eight persona were killed, and seve-7 real badly wounded. The aspect of Nassau was one of desolation.

General Santa Anna has left Jamaica, after a three years' sojourn there„ to reside at Carthagena ; and of course the move is surmised to be the first step towards fresh political attempts in Mexico. Spanish Town papers describe an unusual trial. Twenty-six years' ago, a woman named Klaber induced Betsy Neilson, an aged Negress, to- go with her to Cuba, and in Cuba sold her into slavery. Not long ago, poor Betsy escaped from slavery, returned to Kingston, and acci- dentally meeting her treacherous mistress, charged her with the crime of kidnapping. The mistress has been convicted, and has been sentenced to three years' imprisonment in the Penitentiary.

St. Thomas papers describe an act of piracy in the West Indian waters.. The American schooner—, I. B. Lindsey, left Port of Spain (in Trinidad),

on the 1st of February; and while yet in sight of that place, at night, the crew mutinied. They murdered the mate and a passenger, and threw them overboard • but the master escaped to his cabin, secured the door, and kept the mutineers at bay by threats of firing through the door with- his guns. The cook seems to have been his secret friend. The muti- neers ransacked the vessel during several days, and then provisioned a- boat to run for a distant point, intending to scuttle the schooner by chop- ping a hole in her side as they departed. But one day, when they were all in the boat together, the cook cut their painter, set them adrift, and. instantly brought the master on board with his arms; and from fear of being fired at, the crew made all speed on their fugitive course. The master and the cook together navigated their schooner to St. Thomas's ; and thee Government has offered rewards for the capture of the mutineers.