AMERICA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 434, 31 December 1856, Page 4

AMERICA.

The Royal mail steamer Asia had arrived at .-Liverpool on the 31st of August, with advices &om New York to the 20th. " adjourned on the ISih inst. at noon, without passing the Annv Appropriation Bill, xae FEfe-sident lmrneaiaUdy issued a proclamation for an extra session on the 21st:— "Whereas, while hostilities exist with various Indian tribes on the remote frontiers of the .- tiTflifjed 'States, and while in other respects the public peace is seriously threatened. Congress lias adjourned without j;rantinsr the necessary sappl«ffr for the army, depriving the Executive of the p>ower u> perform its duty in relation to the common defence and security ; and, as an extraordinary occasion has thus arisen for assembling .the two Houses of Congress,—f do therefore, by ibis proclamation,'convene the said Houses to m<-et ;it the Capitol, in the city of V/3*hhigtou,Thur:>day,the 21 st of August- fust; hereby requiring the respective senators and representative* then and there to assemble to eon- ■ .suit and determine on t -. U ch measures as the . Lmon 'may se--m to require. In testimony Whereof I have e:m*-d the si-al of the United States to be anhed, and >i-nc-«i, the same with jay hand. ** Done at th-? city of Vu-diin^ion, on the? 18th day of A u.^-iist, in the year of our Lord lsm t "sj;J *.f the indeiK.-::de:'!cc of the United States the fclH. '•5FitAN.iwJ.iN Vir.ucy. ; -. '*i W.L. Mahcv, S-crei-irv of - -« ." ■ '-.: The':-l!oi»>:e broke v.y iv a ro'.v T! - I». ■-.<,. ■.«r;»i'if-ass;ed f.-r n;t c^i-^-h ■■ mid laariv other bilL -v--;^ 1<»-e.

many bills failed to receive ihe President's signature from want of time. Southern members are very indignant with President l*ioroe for calling the extra session, as a number of them had previously met and addressed him a letter requesting him not to do so. It is said tho Army Bill will be passed at once, and all attempts at general legislation resisted. Letters had been received in Washington stating that Mr. Sonic had left New Orleans for Central America. Many reports were in circulation as to the object of his visit. The members were leaving Washington, and it was doubtful whether there would he a quorum for the extra

session

The Senate concurred with the House in giving the notice to the Collins steamship line to terminate tlio contract.

The storm at New Orleans turns out to be more disastrous than originally reported. New Orleans was completely inundated j.the damage to the sugar, cotton, and corn crops was great.

There was great excitement in Mobile in consequence of the sale of abolition books there. A Vigilance Committee was formed, and the offending parties ordered to leave the city iv five days.

Letters from Havannah represent the yellow fever as very bad there.

The decree creating General Concha Marquis of the Havannah and Viscount of Cuba had been made* public. The news of insurrection in Spain had caused much excitement -, and so anxious was General Concha for the earliestnews, that he had despatched his swiftest steam ship to wait at Charlestowii the arrival of the steamer from Europe.

From Kansas there is the following telegraphic news in the. New York journals ; —

''Last Monday night2oo Freesoilers attacked the town of Franklin, Kansas, in which were only 20 pro-slavery men. The fight lasted four hours, and four pro-slavery men and six Freesoilers were killed. The "assailei's robbed the post-office, and then set it on fire, and finally retreated, carrying off the cannon of the town. Later reports say that 17 Freesoilers were killed and wounded. 100 United States troops occupied the. town the next day. 300 of Lane's men have entered Topeka."

The yellow fever was on the decline at Quarantine, and the apprehension that it would come to New York had died out.

The news from Port-au-Prince is to the Ist of August. There was nothing stirring of importance. The Emperor Soulouque and the Dominicans were renewing their amicable relations, and'efforts were being made to cultivate a durable friendship. The seaport towns were healthy, but business was dull, owing to the limited arrival of produce from the interior

towns