UNITED STATES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XI, Issue 681, 18 May 1859, Page 4

UNITED STATES.

" The British and North American Royal Mail steam-ship America, Captain Millar, which sailed from Boston on the 12th "Jan., and Hailfax on the 14th, arrived in the Mersey on the 24th, bringing 57 passengers and 68,054 dollars in specie.

The bill introduced in the Senate by Mr. Slidell for an appropriation to facilitate the acquisition of the Island of Cuba by negotiation -was as follows:—

. " Whereas Cuba, geographically, possesses a commanding influence over the large and annually increasing trade, foreign and coastwise, of the Mississippi Valley; .

" Whereas the island, in its present colonial condition, must continue a source of injury and annoyance, endangering the friendly relations between Spain and the' United States,"T)y the aggressions of its local authorities upon American commerce and citizens, for which tardy redress can only be had by circuitous demands on Spain; and

;; "Whereas, in the opinion of Congress, and in accordance with the views of the President, as the best means of settling the existing, and removing further difficulties, it is expedient that negotiations for the purchase of the island should be renewed: therefore, be it enacted, &c, that thirty millions of dollars be placed in the President's hands for expenditure, either from cash in the treasury, or borrowed on Five per Cent, bonds of one thousand dollars each; redeemable in from twelve to twenty years." A Washington telegram, under date of 11th of January, says:— ■

' "The joint resolution reported to the Senate today by Mr. Mason, recites that by reason of the distracted and revolutionary condition of .Mexico, of certain of the States of Central America, and occasionally of those in South America, the lives and property of American citizens are subject to lawless violence, or otherwise placed in peril; all redress in the usual diplomatic forms being in vain; and it being the indispensable duty of the Government to protect the lives and property of our citizens against lawless violence; therefore it is proposed to authorise the President to use the military and naval forces, and interpose in such cases when he may deem it necessary."

In the House of Representatives, on -the 11th instant, the resolution reported last session from the Committee of Foreign Affairs, disapproving of the act of Commodore Paulding' in the seizure of Walker and his followers at Nicaragua, was taken up and debated. Various,, amendments were proposed and rejected. Finally, a substitute for the report of the committee, tendering thanks to Commodore Paulding and his officers, was adopted by a vote of 99 against 85;. and the whole question was then laid on the table by a majority of four.

The House of Eepresentatives, for the first time in fifteen years, refused to adjourn for the celebration of the battle of New Orleans.

* The Senate passed the French Spoliation Bill by a vote of 26 to 20. It appropriates 5,000,000 dols. to satisfy the claims of American citizens for spoliations committed by the French prior to 3ist July, 1801.

A resolution had been adopted in the house calling for all the correspondence of the United States with [France and Great Britain having reference to the cession of Cuba to the United States.

A private despatch from Charleston says that the cases of the crew of ."the ketch Brothers, charged ■with slave trading, were taken up in the United States District Court on the 11th instant, and the grand jury ignored the bills of indictment.

The weather was intensely cold in New York, and it was feared that the rivers would soon be closed by the large masses of floating ice. On the 11th instant one omnibus driver was frozen to death on his box, and several others were reduced to a perfectly helpless state by the severity of the. •weather.

The screw steamship City of Manchester, Cnptain Kennedy, belonging to the Liverpool, New York, and Philadelphia Steam Ship Company, arrived at Liverpool on the 28th. Jan., having sailed from New York on the 15th. She brought 22 cabin and 177 steerage passengers, 124,187 dollars in specie, and the United States mails.

A Washington despatch says:— " The administration is fully assured and satisfied that the past differences with European powers regarding Central America are in the way of being settled honourably and usefully to the country; and if present negotiations • are not interrupted by filibusters or revolutions a few months will place tis in the position we desire. To this end it is deemed wise not to disturb the Clayton-Bulwer treaty at present. The administration cannot make public the nature of these negotiations wtele pending, but it is fully satisfied of its position. " The house committee on foreign affairs will, at their next meeting, act definitively upon the question of placing in the hands of the President a sum sufficient to negotiate for the purchase of Cuba. They will probably agree upon 7,000,000 dollars for that purpose?'

Another dispatch says:— "The house committee on foreign affairs had agreed to report a bill similar to that of Senator Slideli's. It proposes to place in the hands of the 'President 30,000,000 dollars to negotiate for the purchase of Cuba." .Mr. Sevvard had introduced in the Senate a bill amending existing acts for the suppression of the African slave trade. It provides for the employ;-, riient of steamers for the capture of slaves, authorises states to pass laws to suppress the traffic in foreign slaves, and appropriates a million of dollars to carry into execution the provisions of the bill. It was-referred to the judiciary committee.

A resolution had been offered, directing the Secretary .of the, Treasury to prepare a plan for raising revenue.adequate to the wants of the government,,by *ne .imposition of specific instead of ad valorem duties; also to furnish all needful informaiioii on the subject of specific duties.

A bill had been introduced to establish n line of steamers between American and British ports. The President, in reply to Mr. Barksdale's resolution, calling- for correspondence between England, France, and the United States, in regard to the cession of Cuba to the United States, will inform Congress that no such correspondence exists. The President officially informed the Senatei that the yacht Wanderer had landed a cargo of Africans on the southern coast of the United States, and also that the government was making every effort to bring the guilty parties to punishment. It was deemed~inexpedient to communicate the correspondence regarding the affair.

The telegraph announces that General Jerez had been received at Washington as minister from Nicaragua, in place of Senor Trissari, who*resigned the post some time since. , A meeting had been held at Tamiruiny Hall, New' York, to take into consideration the cases of the persons, members of seditious organisations in Ireland, who have been arrested and imprisoned. This meeting was a private one, but the ' New York Herald' learns that it was convened for the purpose of raising subscriptions to pay counsel for the defence of the prisoners; that there were about 30 persons present in all, Colonel Doheny acting as chairman; arid that subscription lists were drawn up and placed in circulation. The Massachusetts Legislature had re-elected the Hon. Henry Wilson as one of their representatives in the United States Senate. . We have additional details of the latest revolution in Mexico. The Junta is stated to have elected General Miramon President, on the second ballot, by a vote of 50 against 44 for-General Robles. A private dispatch, however, from a reliable source in New Orleans, states, on the authority of information from Mexico, that Miramon was elected President by only 4 majority over Robles ; and adds that it is uncertain whether Miramon will accept the office. Juarez was represented as firm at Vera Cruz, and it is said that the Liberals had taken Jalopa and Cordova, and were about to attack Orizaba. Juarez had refused to listen to the commissioners from __ 'Robles. Zuloaga, before bis fall, had approved the propositions from France and England for a settlement of the Spanish question, and,the Spanish authorities had expressed their satisfaction. There were assembled at Sacriftcios 3 English, 5 French, and 4 Spanish men-of-war.