AMERICA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume X, Issue 598, 28 July 1858, Page 3

AMERICA.

In the Sydney papers we find American news to the 9th ofVApril, being nine days later than our last intelligence. The following are the principle items of public interest.

Mr. Colt.^it is stated, has made a contract with the War Department for 100,000 dollars worth of his arms.

A bill.is soon Ap be introduced into Congress prpyiding for the raisirigof five additional regiments of regulars. The War Department has/already been"offered ten regiments of volun-

' It is intended to reinforce General Johnston's army for Utahywith 6,000 •m en, including the two regimerits of voluriteers.' New"Mexico arid Kansas are to furnish the main body of the re-

gulars. . Negotiations are again entertained for the the purchase of Sonora and. other "Mexican territory. The overture for this purchase from Comonfort Government were declined on account of the :high price demanded, but it is believed that better terms can now behad.

Intelligence of a very important character has been received from- Venezuela. The revolution is at an end. President Monagas,.being

unable to stem the revolutionary torrent, sent in his resignation to the Congress on the 15th of March. ' His resignation was accepted, and a provisional government with General Casto afc its head was immediately organised. Our despatch from Washington stating that General Paez had been elected President is probably incorrect.

_ There is st ited to be an extensive organisation in the Southern States to aid the liberal party in Mexico, and important developments are expected in a few days; Santa Anna is reported to have no party of any strength in that country, and his return to power is considered very doubtful. The Lecompton Bill had been defeated in the House of Representatives, a majority of eight being in favour of submitting it to a popular vote. The victory was commemorated in Xew York on the 2nd of April, by a salute of 120 guns, fired from the battery at sunset, and a display of fireworks in the evening. A special ! despatch to the 'New York Tribune,' dated 1 April 9, says : —" The plan of the Lecomptonites, as disclosed to-day, is to take up the Kansas Bill in the Senate on Monday, at one o'clock, to vote to insist and demand a conference j then to take the bill immediately to the House and put it through if they can." The 'Courier's' Washington correspondent, writing thence, uuder date of the 3rd of April, says : —■' The members .who co-operate with the republicans have pledged themselves not to vote for or permit anything less favorable to the people of Kansas than the Montgomery amendment to go through the house. Upon canvassing the House, it was found that the passage of Lecompton, pure and simple, as an administration measure, was certain, unless a compromise could be effected between the different parties who united to form the coalition for its defeat. The South Americans insisted that the action of the people in forming their constitution, after the rejection of Lecompton by .a popular vote, should be final; that the subject should not again be brought before the Congress ; that the duty should devolve upon the President of proclaiming Kansas a State of the Union. That clause was accordingly put into the Montgomery' substitute. The President has'no discretion. He has simply to issue his proclamation on receiving the certificate that the constitution has been formed and adopted by the "people. Should he decline to do so, his refusal would amount to nothing. The act would be. executed without his cooperation j.Kangas Tirould. be a. Shite, and would be authorised to govern herself as such. Exceptions may be, however, and are taken to the principle of giving the assent of Congress in advance to a constitution which Congress has hot seen. Let it be rememberedtbat the Republicans have only insisted that the people should make the constitution, and "should bo protected in their right to do so. This bill secures to them that right. They are not limired as ,to what kind of a constitution, they can form. The majority by which the Montgomery amendment was carried was exactly the same as- was estimated in my correspondence two days ago^-120 to 112. This estimate was contingent upon the steadfastness of the insurgent democrats, and I confess that I doubted their firmness untill the caucus of Tuesday night, which broke up in a wrangle. The result of that conference showed that the principle which influenced the seceders from their party was stronger than the discipline which bound the adherents to the administration.

Watertowkv N. V,, April 6.—A fire occurred in the neighbouring town of Leroy, on Sunday night, destroying the dwelling of Daniel Comstoclc Comstock, his wife, and four little children, perished in the flames—the names of the children are Mary, Maria, Salome, and Clara, all under ten years of age. The affair creates much excitement and : the greatest sympathy in thejjyicinity of the melancholy occurrence.

John Mitchell, otherwise called the "Irish Patriot," thus defines the ' moderate' position in the land in which he has sought refuge. In a paper which he publishes at Knoxville, he sa y S : —" lam a moderate man, and confine my view for the present to the dissolution of the Union—Revival of the African Trade—Americanization of Cuba, Central: America, Mexico, and the West India Islands—and establishment of a potent Southern Confederation, based on Slavery; that's all. As for the conquest of the Northern States, I would defer that; although indeed, Mr. Spratt, of Charleston, whom I acknowledge as my pastor and master (boss) m American politics, has no doubt that slavery will ultimately prevail in those at present too ' benighted communities, and save them from; anarchy, otherwise coming upon them like an armed man." Destructive Incendiary Fire.—On the ; morning of the Brd April, about one o clock fire was discovered issuing from the second fiat of a two-story double dwelling-house, situated ; near the printing establishment of H. O. Hou-hton & Co., at Eiverside, Cambndgeport owne°d by Messrs. Little, Brown & C 0.,. and occupied V them for the storage of printed sheet stock* book, and stereotype plates. The fire department was promptly at hand. - lhe citizens also rallied in large numbers, and rendered valuable assistance in removing the contents of the building. The fire jiad evidently been burning some time, and had iiiade rapid m-no-rpss before it was discovered. lhe loss is StSted at from 70,000 dollars to 90,000 dolhrs Most of the sheets destroyed were those of law books. The property^ insured by policies amounting to 76,000 dollars The American clipper Adriatic, which sailed from Marseilles while under embargo, has been captured by a French war steamer, and taken back to Marseilles, with the captain in irons.