University of South Carolina Libraries
Is ' ' . Thk McLeod case.?The following is the part of Mr. Buchanan'* speech in the Senate in which he takes exception to Mr. Webster's interpretation of the law ,y af nations applicable to this cause. A few sentences of mere illustration are omittad for want of room. I shall now offer a few remarks on the question of public law involved in this case, then close what 1 have to say I sincerely believe the Administration of Mr. Van Buren was perfectly correct on this doc. trine, as laid down bv Mr. Forsyth. If I had found any authority to induce me to entertain a doubt on that point, I would refet to it most freely. I now undertake to say that the only circumstance which has produced confusion and doubt in the minds of well-informed men on this subject is, that they do not make the proper distinction between a state of national war and national peace. If a nation he at war, the command of the sovereign v? power to invade the territory of its enemy, and do battle there against any hostile force, always justifes the troops thus engaged. Wheitany of the late invaders are seiz_J a! J i __ r ea, ir.ey are considered as prisoners 01 war, and as having done nothing but what ^ the laws of war justified them in doing. In such a case they can never be held to answer, criminally, in the courts of the invaded country. That is clear. The invasion ?>f an enemy's territory is one of the rights of war, and, in all its necessary consequences, is justified by the laws of war. But there are offences committed even in open war, which the express command of the offender's sovereign will not shield from exemplary punishment. I writ give gentlemen an example. A spy wiHbe hung, if caught, even though he acted under the express command of his sovereign. We might cite the case of the unfortunate major-Andre. Now, let me tell whoever shall answer me, (if, indeed, any gentleman will con-! descend to notice what I have said?for it seems we on this side of the House are ' to do all the speaking, and thoy all the' voting.) that all the authorities concur in declaring that the law of nations protects individuals while obeying the orders of their severeign during a state of open and flagrant war, whether it has been solemnly 1 1 I 4 1 1_ - iL 1 I ueciaren or nor, ana wnerncr u r>e general or partial. These authorities go no fur. tber. But, to decide correctly on the application of this principle in the case before us, we must recollect that the two belligerents here were England on the one hand and her insurgent subjects on the other, and that the United States were a neutral Power, in perfect peaca with England. But what is the rule in regard to nations at peace with each other ? This h the question. As between such nations, does the command of an inferior officer of the one, to individuals, to violate the sovereignty of the other, and commit murder ot arson if afterwards recognised by the supreme authority, prevent the na-; tion whose laws have been outraged from punishing the offenders? Under such circumstances, what is the law of nations? The doctrine is laid down in Vattel, an author admitted to be of the highest authority on questions of international law ; and the very question, totidem verbis, which arises in this case, is in his book stated and decided. He admits thai the lawful commands of a legitimate Gov eroment, whether to its troops or other citizens, protects them from individual responsibility for hostile acts done in obe uiviwo iuouvu vwiiiirifiicua, w m 191 in asiaic of open war. In such a case, a prisoner of war is never to be subjected to the criminal jurisdiction of the country within which ho has been arrested. But w hat is the law of nations in regard to criminal offences committed by the citizens or subjecta of one Power, within the sovereignty and jurisdiction of another, they being at peace with each other, even if these criroinal acts should be recognised and justified by the offender's sovereign ? This is the case of the capture and destruction of the Caroline. The subject is treated of by Vattel, under the head 44 of the concern a nation may have in the actions of; her citizens," book ii, chap. 6, page 161. 1 shall read sections 73, 74 and 75 : u However, as it is impossible," says the author.41 for the best regulated State, or fof the most vigilant and absolute Sovereign to model at his pleasure all the ll l i ttcuwi* 01 ins suujaiH, anu to connne them on every occasion to the most exact obedience, it would be unjust te impute to the nation or the Sovereign every fault committted by the citizens. We ought not, then, to say. in general, that we have received an injury from a nation becnuse we have received it from one of its members." 44 But if a nation or its chief approves and ratifies the act of the individual, it then becomes a public concern, and the iniured party is then to consider the nation as the real author of the injury, of which the citizen was perhaps only the instrument." 44 If the offended State has in her pourr the individual who has done the injury. she may, wilhotit scruple, bring him to justice and punish him. If he has escaped and returned to his own country, she ought to apply to his Sovereign to have justice done in the case." Can any thing, in the world be clearer? The author puts the case distinctly. The nation injured ought not to mpute to the Sovereign of a friendly nation the acts of its individual citizens: hut if such friendfy Sovereign shall recognise the act# as his own, it then becomes a nation. . . al concern. But does such a recognition wash away the guilt of the offender and release him from the punishmensf due to his offence under the jurisdiction of the couatry whese laws he has violated ? Let Vattel answer this question. He. says: State has in her power the mimdval who has done the injury, she ... * . *, vsi*. .4 % ^ * * -V*. * * may, without scruple, bring him to justice and punivh him" There is the direct plain, and palpable authority." And here permit me to add, that I think I can obtain a "disavowal and disapproval of the act, and also such redress as the nature of the case required." Notwith. standing the enormity of the outrage, as painted in this very communication of our minister at London, drawn up in con. formity to instructions from Washington, the late Administration, the Senator's political friends, in whom he thinks there was no want of energy in prosecuting the demand for redress, actually slept, over this national injury from May, 1838, to March, 1^41, when they went out of power? Andso profound was their slumber that, in a late debate to the House of Commons, the British Secretary of State for Colonial Affairs (Lord John Russel) stated that the complaint of the American Government was, for a long period, considered as dropped. It is true that Mr. Stevenson, who could not but feel the awkward contrast between the lofty tono of his communication to Lord Palm erston, in May, 1S33. and the patient acquiescence which followed in the long continued silence of the British Govern ment, did, in July, 1839, write to Mr. Forsyth to know if he should renew the subject with Lord Palmerston, and if, ?o the degree or urgency he should adopt. To which Mr. Forsyth replied no; "the President expects, from the tone of Mr. Fox's conversation, that the British Government will answer your application in the case, without further delay." But, in point of fact, no answer was given by the British Government down to the period of the late Administration's exit from power. All this while, then, the destruction of the Caroline" stood unexplained and unanowed by the British Government, and there was nothing of a conclusive nature to determine whether it was to he viewed as an unauthorized act of individuals or as the public act of the British authorities. In this state of things, MoLeod, in Nov. emher last, came into the State of New. York, and having, from his idle, and, as is now universally believed, false boasts, incurred the suspicion of having been a juilty and conspicious actor in the dertruction of the Caroline, he was arrested md indicted therefor upon a charge of murder and arson. Mr. Fox, on the 13th J j-j -r n i at uecemoer, uemanaca 01 mc uuu-iu*| ment of the United States the liberation j of McLeod, on the ground 11 that the de- j strurtion of the steam boat Caroline is | well known to have been a public net of j persons in Her Majesty's service, obeying J the order of their superior authorities." The demand was refused, because the Government of the United States had no right to interfere with the judicial tribunals of New. York, which had taken cognizance of the case ; and in regard to the declaration of Mr. Fox, Mr. Forsyth stated that44 if the destruction of the Caroline was a public act of persons in Her j Majesty's service, obeying the order of i their superior authorities, the fact has not | been before communicated to the Government of the United States by a permn authorized to make the admission, ind it will be for the court which hns tak;n cognizance of the offences with which McLeod is charged to decide upon its valditv, when legally established before it." Mr. Fox. recurring to the same subject, in his letter to Mr. Forsyth of the 29th Decemder, 1840, stated that 44 he was not * - is authorized to pronounce the decision ot Her Majesty's Government upon the re. monstrance which had been addressed to I it bv the United States against the act in question." Thus stood the question at the accession of the present Administration. The destruction of the Caroline had not as yet been avowed by the British Government as a public and authorized act. But on the 12th of March, eight days after the inauguration of President Harrison, Mr. Fox addressed a letter to Mr. Webster, Secretary of State informing him that ho was instructed by his Government to state that " the transaction,'* (the destruction of the Caroline within i the territorial limits of the United States.) J " on account of which McLeod was arres- ' ted, was a transaction of a public charac- j ter, planned and executed by persons duly | empowered bv Her Majesty's colonial au- j thorities to take any steps and to do any } acts which might be necessary for thede- ! ^ ^ i/tati/ a f Am tr\ru?a e nrl f/\*? 1 ItJIJCt? U1 ilCI iUCIjl'SlT O U>IU IV! the protection of Her Majesty's subjects; and, consequently* that those subjects ot Her Majesty who engaged in that transaction were performing an act of public duty, for which they cannot be made.personally and individually answerable tothe laws and tribunals of any foreign country.' Upon these grounds, he was instructed to demand again from the Government of the United States tho immediate release of Alexander McUeod. This communication of the British minister gave a new aspect to the subject, and presented for the consideration of the American cabinet a grave question, of1 the first importance in the intercourse and responsibilities of nations. The destruction of the Caroline, for a supposed nnrtirination in which 3fcLeod had been , , ^ , arrested and indicted iu the courts of New-York was now avowed by the British Government to have been an act of publie military force, planned and executed by competent public authorities, in alleged de.fence of Her Majesty's territories, and a9 such, was justified by Her Majesty's Government at home. However unwarrantable the act, from that moment it could be viewed only as a national wrong, the full responsibility of which was assumed by the British Government, and in which the individuals concerned were but irresponsible instruments, acting under orders which they were implicitly bound to obey, ? Under these circumstances, the present ^SSSBBBSSBffSSBBSBSSB^S9SB9BBB Administration was called on, within the first week of its official existence, to decide what course was due to the national honor in this new attitude. They could not but admit, that, by the principles of public law, as recognized and sanctioned by the usages of all civilized nations, persons engaged in military or naval enterprises, under the orders of their lawful superiors, could not be held individually responsible for what was done in the execution of those enterprises. McLeod, however, was in the hands of the judicial tribunals of the country, and by regular process only could he be discharged. The Executive authority had no right to interpose its arm lor his release. What, then, was the answer of the Administration to the communication of the British Government? It was such as Mr. R. believed the Senate would feel to be its accordance with the honest national pride of every American bosom. It wa?, in substance, this, for he had not the answer of the Secprove that, according to sound reason, the principle is correct, and that the question would now be so decided bv our courts, even if the law of nations had been silent on the subject. This not only is, but ought to be, the principle of public luw. Mr. Webster, in his letter to Mr. Fox of the 24th of April, tells the British Minister that the line of frontier which separrates the United States from Her Britannic Majesty's North American Provinces 44 is long enough to divide the whole of Europe into halves." This is true enough. Now, bv admitting the doctrine of Vattel to be incorrect and unfounded, on what consequences are we forced ? I heg Senators to consider ' this question. The line which separates us from the British possessions is a line long enough to divide Europe into halves. Heaven knows I have no desire to see a rebellion in Canada ?r the Canadian provinces annexed to the United States; hut no event in futurity is more certain than that these provinces are destined to be ultimately separated from the British empire. Let a civil war come, and let every AfcNahh who shall then have any command in the British possessions along this long line be permitted to send a military expedition into the territory of the United States whenever he shall believe or pretend that it will aid in defendingthe royal authority against those who are resisting it, and war between Great Britain and the United States becomes invariable. A British subject marauding under the orders of his superior officer on this side of the line is seized in the very act. Well, what is to he done ? I suppose we are to wait until we can ascertain whether his Government choses to recognise his hostile or criminal act, before we can inflict upon him the punishment which he deserves for violating our laws. If it does, the jail door is immediately to be thrown open ; the offender, it mav be the murderer, takes his flight to Canada, and we must settle the question with the British Government. Such is the doctrine advanced hv the British Government and our own Secretary of State. This principle would, as I say, lead us inevitably into i war with that Power. What can be done j in a state of war ? In that case, the laws j of war provide that persons invading our territory who arc raptured, shall be con. 1 sidered and treated as prisoners of war. I But while the two countries continue at peace, a man taken in the flagrant act of invasion and violence cannot be made a prisoner of war. McLeod, however, is not to be treated on this principle, and punished under our laws if he bo guilty, lest we should offend the majesty of Eng. land. The laws of New York ore to be nullified, and the murderer is to run at large. But if the principle laid down by Vat. tel be sound and true, all difficulty at i once vanishes. If such an offender be caught in the perpetration of a criminal act. he is then punished for his crime. Let him be tried for it at least, and then, if there are any mitigating circumstances in his case, for the sake of good neighbor, hood let him escape. There will then he j no danger or war from this cause. Let] me suppose a case. Suppose Colonel ! Allan MeNah should take it into his head | that there exists in the United States a j conspiracy against the British Govern, ment, and should believe that he could un. ravel the whole part by seizing on the United States mail in its passage from New York to Buffalo. He places himself at the head of a party, comes over the line, and seizes and robs the mail; but in the act he is overpowered and arrested and he is indicted before a criminal'court of the United States. Will it be maintained that, if the British Government should say, We recognise the act of McNab in robbing your mail as we have atalready recognised that of his burning your steamboat, and killing your citizens, would Mr. Webster he justified in directing a nolle prosepvi to he entered in his favor, and thus suffer him to go free ? I do not say that the British Government would act in this manner : hut I put the case as a fair illustration of the argument. There was one case in which something very like this might have happened, and it was even thought probably that it would happen. It was reported that an expc lition had been planned to oivo thp npronn of MrT.eod snd fo rsrrv him oft* to Canada ; [and I believe that a ! very distinguished and gallant general in j the United States service, (Gen. Scott)? an officer for whom in common with all his fellow citizens I cherish the highest respect and regard?went, in company wilh the Attorney General, to Lockport; and it was conjectured that he had rereived orders to hold McLeod and defend the Lockport jail against any incursion of Sir Allen McNab or other person. Suppose now that such an expedition had been set on foot; that it had suceed ' ' " <s ' * * ed, and that McLeod had been seized c and carried off io triumph, the two *na- 1 tions being still in profound peace. The f rescue of a prisoner is a high criminal of- ( fence. What would hare been done with y McNab if he had volentarily come within j jurisdiction aod been arrested? If he could f be indicted tried and punished befora the ^ British Government should have recognise his act, very well. But if not, then, at the moment of such recognition, he would 8 he no longer responsible and must fourth- 1 with be set free. The principul of Vatal * rightly understood, absolutely secures the 1 territorial sovereignty of nations in time f of peace, by permitting them to punish all \ invasions of it in their own criminal courts { and his doctrine is eminently calculated c to preserve peac among a!1 nations.? War has its own laws, which are never to ( be extended to the intercourse between t nations at peace. , The principal assumed in Mr. Fox's letter is well calculated for the benefit of r powerful nations when contending I Rgainst their weaker neighbor. But in saying this I do not mean to admit that we were a weak nation in comparison c with England. We do not, indeed, wish J to go to war with her, yet I arn confident } in the belief that whatever we might suf- y fer during the first period of such a contest would be amply compensated by our * success before we reached the end of r it a x Ills sniu mac one grcai puij>?w7 *n mr laws of nations is to protect the weak aginat the strong, ind never was this tendeney more happily illustrated than by this very principle of Vatel for which I am contending, I therefore believe that the Sectetaryof State was as far wrong in his view of international law as in h s haste to appease the British Government, in the face of a direct treaty, bv his in. structions to Mr. Brittenden. The communication of these instructions to that Government, we know, had the desired effect. They went immediately to England; and no sooner were they known on that side of the water, than in a moment all was calm and tranquil. The storm, portending war, passed away, and tranquil peace once more returned and smiled over the scene, [Mr. Rives's reply next week.] CHER AW GAZETTE. WEDNESDAY, July 7, 1941. To allow the hands in the office time to partake in the festivities of the national anniversary we lessened the quantity of reading matter in this week's paper. We roturn our thanks to Messrs. Cal. houn, Campbell and Sumter for valuable public documents. I The National Anniversary wascelebrated in our town on Saturday with the ceremonies common on the occasion. The Declaration of Independence was well read by Mr. Jonx Lorro, and an oration very well prepared and replete with sound nntriotir sentiment was delivered by Alexander Gregg, Esq. * The bill granting $25,000 to the widow * ol Gen.'l Harrison has been signed by the President and has become a law. I A petition from the city of New York I fur a national bank has been presented to ' Congress signed by between fifteen and * twenty thousand persons measuring 250 } feet in length. } c Cattle and Hogs. r Mr. Samuel Sands, Publisher of the ' American Farmed, Baltimore, offers for sale the following stock: Several Devon r i heifers;?A half Durham Bull, one year r old. large size, by an imported bull, out; a of a cow which when fresh generally 1 made 10 lbs. of butter a week, and gave i last Summer, on grass, 23 quarts of milk 4 per day?Price of the Bull $35;?three j f Durham heifers, 12, 7 and 2 months old , c at 7n 50 nnH 50 Hollars:?four Devon ' ^ u. , WW 7 heifers, 2 years old;?0 do. from 1 to 2 J years old?very low, price not stated. 1 He also offers for sale a great variety J of pigs and hogs; among them Berkshires, c Woburn, Irish Graziers, Thin Rind &c. ? Some of the Berkshires we saw a few ' weeks ago; they are very superior? * some from the stocks of Lossing and Bement, and others the progeny of direct y importations. f CONGRESS. The two houses are engaged in debates ,( on important subjects which may occupy ^ some time. In the Senate the morning f hour is consumed in debating a resolution r moved by Mr. Buchanan calling for the h names of all persons removed from office ( since the 4th. of March last; to which an amendment is proposed by Mr. Mangum to include the names of all persons re- _ moved since the 4th March 1829. Af- j ter the morning hour the order of the day, which is the bank bill, is taken up. The opponents of the bill postpone the v 1 _ J * ! a.!ll r _ 1 1_ _ It regular discussion uii us irtenas snail s have passed over it section by section, I [ and perfected it. Upon this they were e engaged as late as the 30th June. Among > the amendments adopted was one by a vote of 33 to 16 to exclude foreigners from holding stock. A motion to allow "resident foreigners" to take stock was d lost bv a vote of 24 to 25. 1 In the House of Representatives a bill J has been reported from the Committee of ^ Ways and Means authorizing a loan of $12,000,000, at an interest not exceeding ^ 5 per cent, payable at the of the Government, after June 1st. 1850. e Mr. Floyd, ofN. Y.'introduced ares- g >lution on the 24th. June calling on the t< President for information on the subject c >f hi9 having despatched the Attorney c general or any military officer into N. ^ fork at any time on the subject of the a HcLeod case. Mr. Floyd, Mr. Ingersoll b ind others made speeches condemning * he course of the Administration in this rase* and were replied to by Mr. Cushing " ind others. The resolution lies on the G able after two day's debate. The de- ^ >ate on this question in the House as tl veil as in the Senate, assumed a decided mrty character. The only exception o vas that in the House, Mr. Holmesofthis State, in a brief speech supported the :ourse adopted by the Administration. The House now spends its time in dis- ^ ussinga bill to distribute prospectively he proceeds of the public lands among he States. The bill embraces a provision t granting the right of pre-emption to icttlers. f ? p Remains of the late President.?A g rommittee from Cincinnati, among them t Fudge Burnett and the Hon. J. C. [ Wright, formerly in Congress, arrived in c Washington week before last, to attend to p he removal of the remains of Gen. Har- j, >on to North Bend. The committee c iddressed a letter to President Tvler re- ^ . r |uesting his concurrence. The President r eplied in appropriate terms and commu- 1 licated the correspondence to Congress. { Sach house appointed a committee to su- c lerintcnd the removal of the remains o* ' r1 he deceased patriot from the Congression- \ il burying ground, which was done on ' Saturday the 26th. June. They were arried on the afternoon of that day to Baltimore, and thence on Monday pro- r eeded for the West, accompanied by the Cincinnati committee, the son of the da- j leased, and a detachment of marines, by ( >rder of the President. The cars were ] ippropriately decorated with emblems of t nourning. The jobbery of the frederick CoFN- < ry Bani??The robber of this bank has ? :ompouiided with the directors, and was flowed to retain the gold and the bills of ^ ither banks than the one robbed for doivering the bills of the bank. The mount retained was about $23,000. The ; { legotiation was conducted through a New } ( fork lawyer. Query: may not the said |t awyer have been the thief, or an accos. ,' ory? Ought he not to be indicted? He ' j :harged a commission of ten per cent. , or his agency; whether on the amount j etained or on the amount returned is not tated. ^ The Canada Parliament commenced * ts session at Kingston on the 14th. ult. 'r Austin Cuvilicr, a Reformer and opponent I f >f the union of the Canadas was elected Speaker over the famous Sir Alan Mc 1 The New York Sun publishes a remedy "or Hydrophobia, and other respectable j jnperscopy the paragraph. The reme. Iv is represented to have been "success, j 'ully used by several persons." Andic vhatis more, "it cured an animal which p vas bitten by a mad dog, when another t >n which it was not used, which was hit- 1 en by the same dog, died." This looks a ike pretty strong evidence, and doubtless * i.xcites some curiosity in the mind of the | eader ns to what so valuable a remedy can r I >e. Well, reader, we will not keep you in luspense; it is "elecampane." But nind, you must take just "one pound j prated fine.,11 And then boil it in one ^ |uart of milk just one hour over a slow , * ire ; and then you must take just three j loses; that is to say, one every morning f or three morning*, and no more; and f ust after getting out of bed. And then f you don't take the hydrophobia, why si mu have never been bitten by a mad j T log, that's all. Or if you were, the saliva " if the animal was in some way prevented * rom coming in contact with your flesh, 8 hat is certain. ? Gen. Macomb of the Army died in g iVashington, on the 25th June, of ap. iplcxy. J P The National Intelligencer observes, ? ' Little did we expect, when we attended he funeral of Gen. Harrison, on, which j[ iccasion Gen. Macomb commanded the 5 *ko* U70 fill nil Ifl SO SOOIl Uliliaijr C3VVIH tuui "W ? iave to follow the remains of the living jeneral to the tomb." C C Another Honorable Forger?The Cl Ionorable Asa Child, of Norwich, lately * 'resident of the Norwich, and Worcester ^ lailRoad Company, has absconded with ] AAA nVitoir>A/l frrtm thnM ,1 .UUUl v Vf Ujl/UVf ? W... M nstitution by peculation and forgery. He 3 ras last in Philadephia, en route it was o1 upposed for Texas. He was appointed 0 district Attorney of Connetticut by Gen- Cl ral Jackson, and was a candidate for fan Buren Elector of President last fall. r} T From the St. Augustine Herald, n The following is an extract from an or- * er issued by Col. Worth commanding w he Troops in Florida, fdr the purpose of ^ ecuring a safe communication between gJ his city and Pilatka : e Iead Qrabters, Abxt op Florida, > w Pilatka, June 16, 1841. \ h )rders, No. 13. T III. A daily mounted patrole will be stablished on the Picolata and St. Au- ^ ;ustine Road, consisting of not less than ?n men, exclusive of an officer, or non ommissioned officer, to command, as the ase may be. These patroles will start j rom each post at 5 o'clock A. M., meat ^ t a point as nearly equi distant as may e convenient to water, halt not less than wo hours,, when each detachment will reurn to its post. These detachments are ot to have the high road unless in pur. uit of the enemy, They are to give es. ort and protection to the mails and also 3 all citizens travelling the route* and tieir effects. The district commander will cause this rder to be carried into effect. By order of Colonel Worth. G. WRIGHT, Capt. 8th Ret., Act'g. Ass't, Adj't. (Jen. ?he Burial Place of General Harris* on. A letter from North Bend to the editor of he Lebanon Star says: "I am at present engaged in preparing and Hitting in order the mound or burial place tor lie reception of the General. It is a very levated spot, a short distance west of the iwelling house, and opposite the mouth of he tvnnel of the Whitewater Canal, affording i very fine view of the Ohio River. We are. tuildiiig a vault on the top of the mound? tearing off the undergrowth, leaving only a ew scattering trees?fencing it in with a good ilain, though neat and substantial fence; larmonizing in this particular with the life and haracter of hiin who is to repose within iti i.de. I think it quite lik?dy the funeral will aki place on the 4'h of Julv, or the day that nay be kept as our national anniversary, for he 4th comes ou Sunday. Of the time, how* tvcr, the committee will make a public am* louncement. I sha'l expect to see a large :oncotirse of the citizens of Warren county iresen. on the occasion, for it is presumed that ivery Wh'g, and many of the opposition larty will be desirous to pay the last tribute >f respect to the departed hero, patriot, End age." Bantc Defalcations.?Rumor was + ife yesterday founded upon the outhority ^ >f private letters received in this city, that Wucon has been the theatre of another mnk robbery, which has just been detec* ed in the Branch of the Central Rail [lond. Bank in Macon. The Cashior of he Bank is said lobe the individual, who lisregarding the plain precepts of the jighth commandment, has lined his pock* its wilh the needful. We have not been tbJe to l^arn the precise extent of the deicit in his cash account, but all seem to :oncur in the opinion, that it is quite large, irobubly twenty thousand dollars. PEFKBKD rORP.ION fiEWP. The overland mail from India arrived it Marseilles on the 30th of May, in 30 lavs from Bombay, being the shortest ime it was ever before accomplished- in.. [t brings Bombay dates to the 1st of May, Constantinople to the 21st, and Malta to he 24th. The important intelligence vhich it brought will be found under its iropcr head.% The President Steamer had not fcr ived, and no certain news as to her fate i?d been received, yet at the time the * Columbia left there appeared to be inTeasing hopes of her safety at Livertool. LrvRBPooL, June 4. " We hare had a great many arrivals ?r Iinoaalo r.nm PnrDInn fVArta frudnv. and ' I f I I Will |i/l ^ *? .. imong them the Fortitude, from Boettoa lyres: the captain, (Arhurthnot,)of which tates, that on the 27th May, at 5 a. nv nt. 47 N. long *24 30 W., abont ten miles listant he saw a very large steamer steerng to the N. E. without a funnel, a Tippled foremast, and large paddle boxes minted of a dark color, with a large sqna/e ? opsail set on the inaintopmast a topgal- ^ antsail on the forefopmast and with for? ind aft sails. The steamer was making ery slow progress." We confess upon the whole that we do ?ot indulge much hope for her safety from hese rumors. The relatives of her victims had genrally put on mourning, and many col. actions of money had been made in Lotion and elsewhere for the more destitute arnilies ofthecTew. - - . - j Two vessels of war had been sent out rom Lisbon in search of her, but with hint hopes of success. An American gentleman from Canton nys the.citv is doomed to the flames, ""here are 200,000 Chinese starving in the eighborhood for want of employment, rho are as ready to :ack the place as the ailors arc. Accounts from Constantinople are to the 7th ult. Accounts from Belgrade state that the in. urrectton in Bulgaria bad been quelled. The plague continued in Alexandria and losetta. In the latter the cases were 25 er day in a population of only 8,000. The ases at Alexandria varied daily from 18 to f. The official returns since tbe plague be. an in December, 1840, to 18tb May* 1841, mount to 1,084 persons attacked ; oi these &0 are dead. CHINA. r T...-11:?..... 4ijOHl lUiptiriitiH iuiriMj^fsiuc iivui vmw lapture ot the Bogue Forts and the City of lanton by the British.?The intelligence re* eived from China during the last month ia of highly interesting and important nature, hr latest news from Macao is to the 31st.?[eshen's continued procrastination baying at* mgth exhausted Captain Elliott's patience, ie Nemesis steamer was despatched from facao od the 14th of February, with the drafc f a treaty for the approval, t?nd ratification f the imperial high commissioner The nmmander of the steamer was ordered to ji ait at the Bogus for a reply until the 19th, nd in the event of his net receiving one by lat day, to return immediately to Afacao. 'his he accordingly did on the 19th, Keshen ot having made his appearance, A circulsr as then published, stating that the squadron ere then moving towards the Bocca Tigris. In tne following day Captain Elliot received message from Keshen, in which the latter :ated his willingness to sign the treaty, and xcused his delay in not coming to the Bogne hile, the steamer was there, by alleging that c had been detained by some piratical boats, his appears to have been t mere ruee to unfime. On the 24th of February anotifiition of the renewal of hostilities was issued i her Brittannic. Majesty's subjects. Towards the clove of the morning of ?