ARRIVAL OF THE "QUEEN," "WITH THE EUROPEAN MAILS, AND INTELLIGENCE UP TO DEC. 3.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1192, 4 February 1864, Page 2

ARRIVAL OF THE "QUEEN," "WITH THE EUROPEAN MAILS, AND INTELLIGENCE UP TO DEC. 3.

fA portion of the following appeared in our ' Extra' of Tuesday.] The steamer Alhambra left Melbourne 011 the 25th ult., arriving in Port Chalmers on the 31st ult., bringing the English Mail. The ' Argus' of the 23rd ultimo has the following: — Adelaide, Thursday, Jan. 21. The Eangatira arrived at Glenelg at eleven p.m. after a ninety-eight hours' passage from King George's Sound. The detention ot the mail arose from the Bengal breaking her pinion-shaft in the Eed Sea, fifty miles from Perim. She was towed into the latter port by the steamship Sultan. The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer from Bombay to Suez, with the English mails, turned round at Aden, and brought the Australian mails to G-alle, arriving there on the Ist January. The steamship Madras, Captain Grainger, arrived at the Sound at 5 a.m. on the 17th inst. She left G-alle on the 2nd January. Captain Paseoe, naval agent. GENERAL SUMMARY. London, December 3. The Australian September mails were delivered in London on the 16th and 19th of November. The Queen remains at Windsor, and is reported to be in excellent health. Parliament was prorogued to the 13th January. Sir John Lawrence is appointed Governor General of India, and leaves England on the 10th instant. Lord Elgin's death is universally regretted. Dean Trench is appointed Archbishop of Dublin. Canon Stanley succeeds as Dean of Westminster. Earl Powis has been elected high steward of Cambridge University, in the room of Lord Lyndhurst. The Attorney-General has applied for a new trial in the case of the Alexandra, decided against Government last term. A rule was granted. Judgment would be delivered on the 7th inst. The leading members of the legal profession have held a meeting to revise the present system of law reporting. The Great Eastern is advertised for sale for a judgment debt of £5000. The Confederate rams at Birkenhead are closely watched by the English gunboats. The court-martial on Colonel Crawley excites great public interest. The proceedings are likely to occupy several weeks. Alderman Rose, late Lord Mayor of London, solicited for himself and the Sheriffs the honor of a baronetcy and knighthood, on the occasion of the Prince of Wales' marriage. Lord Palmerston advised the Queen not to grant the request. Ireland is said to be on the eve of revolution, supported by armaments from America. The emigration to the Northern States is increasing rapidly. There has been great mortality in Whit - haven, from the prevalence of scarlet fever. One thousand persons died in three months. An influential meeting against transportation to Western Australia has been held in London, Sir Charles Nicholson presiding. Newmarket Meeting. — Cambridgeshire Stakes won by Catch-'em-alive 1, Merryheart 2. Forty started. Liverpool Great Autumn Cup.—Mountain Deer, 1; Golden Pledge, 2; beating Catch-'em-alive. Two Thousand Pound Match between King and Heenan; latest betting G to 4 on Heenan. Obituary. —Lord Chesham, Rev. Dr. M'Caul, Rev. Thos. James, Rev. Canon Maltby, Admiral Plumridge, K.C.G., Mr. Bunning, and Mr. Bonamy Dobree. AMERICA. New York, Nov. 21. The Confederates have again obtained great successes. Longstreet has driven Burnside into Knoxville, and invested that city. Both (Confederate ?) armies at Chattanooga have been reinforced. Burnside's communications are cut off. The armies in Virginia remain in their previous position. It is believed that Meade intended giving the Confederates battle on the 20th November. | The bombardment of Fort Sumter still continues. It has lasted 120 days, but the fort remains impregnable. General Gilmore has received a number of boats capable of carrying a hundred men each, and intends with this flotilla to attempt to take Fort Sumter by assault. Four monitors passed up the channel towards Charleston to ascertain the depth of water. Sharp skirmishing has taken place on the Rapidan. The Federals were defeated. The Confederates have refused the Federal Government permission to send stores to the Federal prisoners at Richmond, numbering 13,000, who are suffering great privations from scarcity of provisions and bad accommodation. Federal General M'Neil declares that for

each time the telegraph is cut between St. Louis and Fort Smith he will hang a

guerilla. The bounty offered to volunteers in New York now amounts to 800 dols. per man. General Buller has arrived in North Carolina. After enlisting and organising the negro regiments, the United States Marshal seized all the cotton in New Orleans. The negroes there petition for permission to vote. The greatest folly of President Lincoln's life was the issuing of the emancipation proclamation. J The American news for the month may be summarized thus : Grant occupies Chattanooga—his base of operations is Nashville, 100 miles nort-westward, in Georgia; Burnside is at Knoxville, 100 miles eastward; Meade is at Culpepper, 440 miles north-east-wards, in Virginia, The Federals are thus divided into three armies, and unable to communicate directly with each other. Longstreet's army crossed the Tennessee River on the 14th November. Burnside fell back before him, the rear guard skirmishing. On the 16th, Burnside formed in line of battle at Campbell's Station, where a severe action ensued, lasting from noon until dark. The Federals were repulsed, and retreated to Knoxville, which was completely invested by the Confederates on the 19th. The Confederates have resolved to evacuate Virginia, should Meade advance on Richmond.

The Republicans gained the elections in New York States and Massachusetts by large majorities. The Federal Government reluctantly admits that Eosencranz's dismissal arose from his being asleep in bed during the great struggle at Chattanooga.

Gold at New York is at 47£ premium,

CONTINENTAL NEWS

Europe is once more in a state of great commotion. Friendship between France and Eussiais broken up. The latter power is making gigantic preparations for war, arising out of the Polish question. Turkey is alarmed thereat, and is also making great war preparations. England studiously holds aloof, refusing to concede belligerent rights to Poland.

The Schleswig-Holstein question has assumed a new phase. The King of Denmark died suddenly on the 15th of November, after three days' illness, from erysipelas; and failing an heir, was succeeded by King Christian, father of the Princess of "Wales; while the Duke of Augustenberg has laid claim to the Duchies of Schleswig-Holstein, supported by the German Government and population, who appear determined on the partition of those states from Denmark. The latter power is making active preparations for war. Six ships of the line have been fitted out, and 11,000 soldiers called out. The Holstein officials have received orders to take the oath of allegiance to King Christian. The officials at Gluckstadt unanimously refused to do so, and hostilities are imminent. King Christian will thus have to contend with a rebellion in Holstein and invasion by German troops. The Governments of Austria and Prussia do not recognise the claims of Duke Augustenberg, he being the issue of a morganatic marriage. It is believed that England and Prance will interfere to prevent war.

FRANCE.

The Chambers were opened oil the 4th Nov. by the Emperor with a remarkable speech. He dispatched to all European Grovernments a letter, asking them to attend a Congress in Paris, for the solution of European and foreign complications. He said, "In the presence of events which every day arise, ! deem it indispensable to express myself without reserve to the Sovereigns to whom the destiny of nations is confided. Whenever severe shocks have shaken bases and displaced limits of states, solemn transactions have taken place to arrange new elements, and to consecrate by revision accomplished transformations. Such Avas the object of the treaty of Westphalia, in the 17th centary, and negotiations in Vienna in 1815. On this latter foundation now reposes the political edifice of Europe, and yet it is crumbling away on all sides. If the situation of different countries be attentively considered, it is impossible not to admit that the treaties of Vienna, upon almost all points, are destroyed, modified, misunderstood, or menaced; hence duties without rule, rights without title, pretensions without restraint. I therefore propose to regulate the present and secure the future in a Congress. Therefore I am ready, without any pre-conceived system, to bring to an international council the spirit of moderation and justice. By taking the initiative in such an overture, I do not yield to an impulse of vanity; but as a Sovereign to whom ambitious projects are most frequently attributed, I endeavour to prove by this frank and loyal step that my sole object is to arrive, without a shock, at the pacification of Europe. X pray you to accept Paris as the place of meeting. In case the princes, allies, and friends of France should think proper to heighten by their presence the authority of the deliberations, I shall be proud to offer them my coi'dial hospitality. Europe would see, perhaps, some advantage in the capital from which the signal for subversion has so often been given, becoming the seat of conferences destined to lay bases of general pacification. (Signed) « Napoleon."

The majority of the powers have sent replies to the above letter. Spain and Italy request from the Emperor an exact definition of the objects proposed to be laid before the Congress, before consenting to attend. England and Austria positively decline, on the ground that the Congress

was not likely to nettle disputed questions more effectually than the individual Governments concerned. It is believed the Congress will not take place. The cash balance in the Bank of France i» 20,000,000 francs. On 3rd December, M. Fould made a financial statement, to the eftect that the total amount of the deficit was 172,000,000 francs, and he proposes a loan of 300,000,000. PEUSSIA. The Prussian Government has announced that the treaty of London, is binding as resj pects Schleswig-Holstein, but Denmark must observe its stipulations on that ground, and not that of succession. The Prussian Government have also vetoed the restriction placed on the press last June. AUSTRIA. The Government is exercising a cruel and merciless severity towards the Poles in Gallicia, and has increased the garrison in Venetia, and recalled all soldiers from their furloughs. It is surmised that Austria has been alarmed by the project of a Congress, and adopts the above measure to cultivate friendly relations with Eussia. GREECE. The King is very unpopular. A convention respecting the cession of the lonian Islands has been signed by the protecting powers. The fortifications at Corfu are to be dismantled. TUEKEY. A treaty regarding telegraphic communication between Turkey and Persia has been signed. Special advantages are conferred upon the new telegraphic line to India. The death of Abd-el-Kader is reported. The Bedouins near Mocha have revolted, pillaging coffee, crops, &c. ITALY. A commercial treaty between England ; and Italy commenced its operations on Ist ; December. i SPAIN. Advices from St. Domingo state that the : rebels were in full possession of the island, , with the exception of the capital. I ; HOLLAND. ; A company has been formed for the conI nection of Amsterdam with the North Sea , by a canal. MEXICO. Tusco city, ninety miles west of Mexico, ■ garrisoned by the French and Mexicans, has ! been captured by guerillas on 27th October. [ 300 prisoners were taken. I ; EUSSIA AND POLAND. ; The Polish revolution gains ground, i Several victories over the Eussians are re- ! corded. The Eussians continue their savage i barbarities, but since England has informed > Eussia that she would interfere no further, > the revolution cannot sustain itself against ■ the overwhelming power of Eussia. I MADAGASCAE. It is reported that King Eadaraa is still living, although left for dead. He was discovered by his partisans, and concealed. INDIA. , ' 26th December. 1 Sir W. Denison has reached Calcutta, and 1 taken the oath as Viceroy. SINGAPOKE. » 22nd December. 1 The Alabama is taking in coals. Steam is 1 kept lip ready for starting. She captured ' and burnt the Federal ships Amento, 1 "Winged Eacer, and Contest, in the Java seas. The crews were landed at Batavia. CHINA. The news from Japan is more pacific. Prince Satsuma has sent convoys to settle the difference with him, and pay the idemnity required. City of Foo-Chow-Foo. After Major Gordon's attack, dissension prevailed in the rebel camp. The services of Sherard, Osborne, and Sloop have been dispensed with by the Chinese Government.

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

fc AMERICA. Intelligence from New York down to November 14 has been received this morning: Nothing beyond unimportant skirmishing is reported from Virginia. One day's later news fi'om Charleston is received by the arrival of the Federal steamer Massachusets at Fortress Monroe. The Confederate flag was shot away every day, but immediately replaced. The whole number of shots fired at the fort during the present attack is 9340, of which 7700 have taken effect. No casualties are reported. All is quiet at Chattanooga.

The government has impressed all the steamboats and railways at Cincinnati for the transportation of troops to General Grant, who is to be immediately reinforced by upwards of 30,000 men. The defeat of the Confederates in Western Virginia and the occupation of Clarksburg by Generals Averill and Dulfie have been officially confirmed. The Federals captured 100 prisoners and a large quantity of war material. The Confederate Generals Rhoddy, Ferguson, Chalmers, and Richardson are in

co-operating against \° ra i Sherman's line of communications. *lu Tennessee General Forrest, with a h ,, re body of cavalry, has been detached to (j eU eral Grant's transportation of

from New Orleans to the -Ith of November states that no news of General Bank's expedition had yet been received. Speculation pointed at Point Isabel, Texas, ■■ its real destination. The further progress of General Franklin's .nV had been found impossible, owing to the impassable state of the Roads, and it was believed that the expedition would be aban-

the 11th General Foster turned over tho command to the departments of Yir- • mid North Carolina to General (Tinia ,ul " fuller. General Canby has been replaced in the command of the troops in aud around the harbour of New York by Brigadier-General

\ military force, which it was found necessary to send into the Pennsylvania coal regions, has restored order and the exercise of authority. The provost-marshals are collecting the conscripts. Lonl Lvons has officially notified the (Tovernment. at Washington of his receipt of information from the Governor-General of Canada of a .plot among the Confederate refugees in Canada to seize certain steamers on Lake Erie, liberate the Confederate prisoners at Johnson's Island, in Sandusky Bay an d attack the principal Lake cities. Sec-retiu-v Stanton has warned the authorities of those cities, and advised the arrest of all suspicious vessels in the different ports. An extra regiment of soldiers has been dispatched to the island, and an armed steamer is reconnoitring the north shore of the lake. }Ir. Stanton has ordered General Dix to proceed to Buffalo, and adopt such measures as he may deem necessary for the protection of the frontier.

It is reported from Washington that on board the Confederate steamer Robert E. Lee. captured a few days since, were Mr. C. E. Stewart. Belgian consul, H. H. Webber. and H. W. Rooke, of the British army. Important dispatches from the Confederate agents in Europe were found in the vessel, or picked up in the water. These latter are said to express an entire hopelessness of any assistance for the Confederacy from either England or France.

Chief Justices Lowrie, "Woodward, and Thompson—the first two Democrats and the last a Republican, together constituting a majority of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania—have declared the Conscription Act to be unconstitutional.

Marshal Forey had sailed for France in the French gunboat Panama.

THE SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN QUESTION.

Prince Frederic of Augustenburg has proposed through his representative at the Federal Diet that measures should be taken for the protection of the functionaries in Holstein who have refused to take the oath of allegiance to the King of Denmark. Colonel Du Plat has arrived at G-otha from Hamburg, and assumes the direction of the military affairs of the prince. Emphatic denial from a reliable source is given to the statement of the Vienna papers that Prussia and Austria had sent identical instructions to their representatives at the Federal Diet, that, as the offspring of a morganatic marriage, Duke Frederic of Augustenburg had no hereditary claim to the Duchies. The committee of the National Yerein has sent Herren Bennigsen and Fries to Gotha as a deputation to the Prince oi Augustenberg. The prince and his advisers received the deputation, and in reply to theii address his Highness said :—" In the affaii of the Duchies there must be no distinction between governments and peoples, nor anj party difference among nations. The people's sense of right is the best guarantee for th< lights of princes. It has been possible t( 'ipprcss the people of Schleswig and Holsteii in the name of the rights of princes, and ii the name of the rights of a prince I filial deliver them, and by the help of God wil soon do ho." In the sitting of' the Saxony Chamber c deputies on .November 21, Baron von Beusl 111 reply to a question from one of the mem said The ambassador of Saxony a the federal Diet received instructions t protest energetically against the re-admissio f 'f a Danish ambassador to the Federal Die J' l <*onsei|uence of the proceedings in th Mtthirr of November 20, the representativ °f Saxony received instructions to preset; to the tederal Diet the proposition that th Danish ambassador should not be admitte to the sittings of the Diet until the Schlei affair should be settled. Tl reposition further recommended that Cor ps of Federal execution, with the nece Bar } reinforcements, should occupy Holstei an d Lauenburg until the period of tl transfer of both countries by the Confedera< |° the prince who may be recognised as tl e s'timate successor." The minister, in tl Cf, urse of his speech, said that these measur be right and efficacious, and conclud( these words: —" Unity among all mei Jei s °f the Confederation is now above i ttfieessary. hi the sitting of Nov. 25 of the TJpp ° Use °f the Saxon Diet a debate took pla !'P°n a proposition of Herr von Welck, a: following resolution was passed: — tio am^er > expressing its satisfi 11 W] th the declaration yesterday made will ernmeu tj *md assuming that the lat , a t the same time use their efforts : p Maintenance of the rights, not only

Holstein, but also of Schleswig, declares that the people of Saxony and its representatives are ready to support the government in every way, even should it become necessary to adopt the most extreme measures."

In the sitting of November 24 of the Darmstadt Chamber of Deputies, it was unanimously resolved to request the government to maintain the right and integrity of Germany by the recognition of the Prince of Augustenburg as Duke of Schleswig and Holstein. The resolution further expressed the readiness of the Chamber to support the government with all the means of the country in carrying out this course.

On November 25, in the Lower House of the Austrian Reichsrath, Count Rechberg stated that he would reply to the question on Holstein on the following day. He was only awaiting the arrival of a diplomatic document from Paris, and would then be enabled to lay the correspondence upon the subject before the House.

The committee of the National Yerein has also issued an address to the German people. The address reminds the princes of their responsibility, implores the German nation to act for itself, calls upon the friends of the country to furnish men, money and arms, and to hold all resources in readiness. It promises application of the funds collected for the German fleet in a manner corresponding with the emergency, and demands self-taxation by the people. The address finally exhorts the nation to firm organisation, and states that the National Verein has formed an auxiliary committee for that purpose. FRANCE. The ' Patrie' of November 25, asserts that the Mexican Government will pay to France an annual indemnity calculated upon the footing of 1400f. for every man left in Mexico.

The 4 Nation' believes itself able to state that diplomatic efforts are being made to prevent a conflict between Denmark and Germany, and says :—'• The Cabinet of St. Petersburg, by an amicable intervention, seeks to prevent a struggle which might involve all Europe."

THE PROPOSED EUROPEAN CONGRESS.

«. 'La Prance' and ' Pays' of November 24 announce that the reply of Russia to the invitation to a Congress has arrived, and been sent to Compiegne. The same journals state that this reply is conceived in very conciliatory and courteous terms. The former paper sa y S ._«All the Continental Powers have acceded in principle to the proposed Congress, with the exception of Austria, who has not yet made known her decision."

The ' Morning Post' announces that the tl British Cabinet has decided upon declining °- the invitation to join the Congress proposed o by the Emperor Napoleon. The Cabinet ® first required explanations, and not finding n them satisfactory, determined to decline the * Congress from a practical conviction of its 0 inutility. i THE POLISH INSURRECTION. J Intelligence has been received this morii- d ing that the insurrection in Lithuania is a again extending. Fresh bands have ap- i peared in Samogitia, m the districts ot Ros- 1 siene and Grodno. In the forest of Zywewody, near Suwalki (government of Augus- j towo), a Russian detachment fell into an ambuscade, and was defeated by the insur j gents. Bodies of Poles are continually being , deported from the government of Augustowo i to Siberia. 1 Advices from Warsaw state that the son ' of the banker Rawiez has been hanged at i Siedlec by order of the Russian General j Maninkin. A company of infantry and two i sotnias of Cossacks have been defeated by | the insurgents near Lenizna, in the govern- : ment of Lublin. In the district of Goatyn, Tyrewiezs cavalry corps has been dispersed by the Russians. The ' Czas' of November 25 announces that General Prince Wittgenstein has gone to the government of Kalisch to extort addresses of loyalty to tne C/ai. Numerous arrests of high public functionaries took place at Warsaw on Nov. 24. ' Among the number of these were MM. Miszynski, Luszczenski, and Pietkowski, j directors of departments of the civil adminis- ! tration. 'I A proclamation of the national gosern- | ln ent wax issued on Nov. 'M at Warsaw, | denying the rumours, proceeding from Rus- ! Lu, sources, that the Pole* were on the ! point of laying down their arms. I lie pro- ; elamation announces a continuance ot the ! war as the only means of saving the country. 1 It al»o states that the forces of the msurrec • tion are on the increase, anil that the Bus- ' »ians have proved themselves unab e to 1 govern otherwise than by Are and sword. RUSSIA. = Bussia is increasing her army in the r Southern provinces, • tooeeupy the country from th fi Galicia, under the command of Gene.al s Luders. I During the M three months much has • been done, not only in strengthening CronII stadt, but also in fortifying the «*£££ • £ fa a better state of defence, er , e a t; Cronstadt 10 Dr partment expects to nave a of iron-clad vessels.

AUSTRIA. The claim made by the Duke of Augustenburg to the Duchies of Schlcswig and HoMein greatly disturbs tho equanimity of Austrian Government, as it foresees that it will lead to political complications fraught with danger to Germany. All the independent organs of the Vienna press express unqualified approval of Bulce i rederie's address to the inhabitants of Sehleswig-Holstein, but neither the official nor semi-official papers have yet made known their opinions on the subject. PRUSSIA. Two divisions of the Prussian army, the 6th and 18th, have been ordered to hold themselves in readiness to take the field, which can only have reference to a possible approaching conflict with Denmark. In Berlin, since the acceptance of the new constitution by King Chi'istian, tho tone has become warlike, and a conflict with Denmark seems inevitable and imminent. In the sitting of the Chamber of Deputies on November 2-A, a government bill was laid on the table relative to military service. With the exception of some changes in the wording, it is the same measure as was presented last session. The article stipulating for three years' service is maintained. JAPAN. Much discussion has arisen in the English journals respecting the attack on Kagositna, and, although few people go quite so far as Mr. Cobden in his condemnation of the " barbarity " of the proceedings, the general impression is that our officials in Japan exceeded their strict duty on that occasion. The dispatches containing Earl Russell's instructions have been published, and they certainly do not warrant the destruction of the town. Earl Russell directed that the murderers of Mr. Richardson should be demanded to be given up for capital execution ; that the Prince of Satsuma's steamers should be seized ; and that the palace should be shelled, if advisable. All these orders were religiously followed, but in addition, the factories, junks, and storehouses were set on fire, and the town was reduced to ashes. For our own parts, we have no doubt that Colonel Neale and Admiral Kupper will be able to supply satisfactory explanations of these acts ; but in the meanwhile it is well that it should be known what people think of them in England. There are two opinions here at home on the theory of dealing with the Chinese and Japanese; one is that we ought to put them down whenever it is necessary by the strong hand, and the other is that the best thing we can do with them is to let them alone altogether. These opinions are partly founded on historical experiences, and partly on total ignorance of existing facts ; and it has seemed to us that nobody is capable of deciding between them except the authorities on the spot.