UNITED STATES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume II, Issue 80, 17 July 1852, Page 5

UNITED STATES.

Our accounts from New York are to the 24th January.

The position of the disagreement between the Austrian representative at Washington and the United States, relative to Mr. Webster's speech at the Kossuth Congressional banquet, has not been changed in any respect of importance. Chevalier Hulsemann had addressed a second letter to the President on the subject, in which he explicitly stated that if the sentiments of Mr. Webster, encouraging a part of the Austrian empire to rebellion, were indorsed by the President, the only alternative for the Austrian Minister would be to quit the country. The President invited M. Hulsemann to a confidential conversation, which was accepted. M. Hulsemann was then informed that the views of the executive were expressed in the annual Message to Congress, and in the President's reply to Kossuth's address on his visit to the White House; that the Executive did not indorse the speech of Mr. Webster. With this explanation Chevalier Hulsemann expressed himself satisfied, provided he might be permitted the privilege of reducing the facts of the conversation to writing, for the information of his Government. The President consented and thus the matter stands.

In the Senate a message was received from tho President, communicating the correspondence between the Uuited States Minister at Paris and the State department relative to Louis Napoleon's coup d'etat. Mr. Rives stated his condemnation of Louis Napoleon's conduct, and that he could not deem it consistent with his character, as the representative of the American Republic, to recognise by his presence what he characterised as an usurpation on the part of Lo"uis Napoleon. Mr. Webster, in reply, approved of the Minister's hesitation, deplored the overthrow of the French Republic, and finally, advised the recognition of the present state of things in France.

President Fillmore had been waited upon by large deputations from various cities in the Union, requesting his intercession with the British Government in behalf of Smith O'Brien and his companions in exile. The President informed them that it would be extremely improper for him to interfere with the internal affairs of Great Britain, but that, so far as personal sympathy was concerned, he felt as deeply as they could for the exiles.

The President is a candidate for re-election to the Supreme office in the State.

The winter throughout the States was much more severe.than had been experienced for many years. At New York there was a solid bridge of ice across the river, over which persons were able to pass, and the ferry-boats had to cease plying. A most destructive fire had occurred at Washington, in the spacious and beautiful main library room of the Capitol, whereby about 35,000 volumes of most choice and valuable books were destroyed, together with precious collections of manuscripts, paintings, maps, charts, medals, statuary, and articles of vertu,

the property of the Government and people of the United States. Tbe origin of the fire is enveloped in mystery. We have stated that about 35,000 volumes of books were destroyed, this is estimated from the supposed number saved, which is 20,000, the original contents of the library being about 55,000 volumes in all. The contents only of the principal hall were consumed, the north room and law library not having been visited by the fire, owing to the thickness of the intervening walls. Besides the books a number of superior paintings, hanging around the library walls and between the alcoves, were included in the destruction. Of these were Stuart's paintings of the first five Presidents ; an original portrait of Columbus; a second portrait of Columbus ; an original portrait of Peyton Randolph; a portrait of Bolivar; a portrait of Baron Steuben, by Pyne, an English artist of merit; one of Baron de Kalb; one of Cortez ; and one of Judge Hanson, of Maryland, presented to the library by his family. Between 1100 and 1200 bronze medals, of the Vattemare exchange, some of them more than ten centuries old, and exceedingly perfect, are among the valuables destroyed. Of the statuary burnt and rendered worthless, are a statue of Jefferson; a very superior bronze likeness of Washington ; a bust of General Taylor by an Italian artist; and a bust of Lafayette by David. Only three books were saved from the principal library, namely, the Librarian's Register, an account book, and an odd volume of Lord Kingsbury's magnificent work on the antiquities of Mexico. A Relic of Columbus. —Captain D'Auberville,of the barque Chieftain, of Boston, writes to the editor of the Louisville Varieties, that he put into Gibraltar on the 27th of August last to repair some damages his vessel had sustained, and, while waiting, himself and two of his pas- ' sengers crossed the straits to Mount Abylus, on the African coast, to shoot, and pick up geological specimens. Before returning the breeze had freshened so much as to render it necessary to put more ballast in the boat, and one of the crew lifted up what he supposed to be a piece of rock, but from its extreme lightness and singular shape was induced to call the attention of the captain to it, who at first took it for a piece of pumice stone, but so completely covered with barnacles and other marine animalcule as to deny that supposition. On further examination he found it to be a cedar keg. On opening it he found a cocoa-nut enveloped in a kind of gum or resinous substance ; this he also opened, and found a parchment covered with Gothic characters, neaidy illegible, and which neither he nor any one on board was able to decipher. He, however, found on shore an Armenian book merchant, who was said to be the most learned man in Spain, to whom he took it, who, after learning the circumstances of its discovery, offered 300 dollars for it, which offer Captain D'Anberville declined. He then, says the letter, read word for word, anil translated it into French as he read each sentence. It was a short but concise account of the discovery of Cathy, or further India, addressed to Ferdinand and Isabella, of Castile and Aragou, saying the ships could not survive the tempest another day; that they were between the Western Isles and Spain ; that . two like narratives were written and thrown into the sea, in case the caraval should go to the bottom, that some mariner would pick up one or the other of them. The strange document was signed by Christopher Columbus in a bold and dashing hand. It also bore the date of 1493, and consequently had been floating over the Atlantic 358 years. The letter closes with an assurance from the writer that he would guard his treasure safe until his return to the United States, which would be in April or May next.