foreign affairs, wrote an official note to Mr. Kennedy, stating, that the monopoly should be abolished, and that his Neapolitan majesty acted thus in deference to England. A few days afterwards, Mr. Temple, the British minister, who had been absent in England for some time, returned to Naples, with full powers and instructions from lord Palmerston, to insist that the sulphur monopoly should be forthwith put an end to. He notified this to the government; and after the delay of a few days, it was announced to him, that the king in council had determined not to consent to the demands of Great Britain, and did not consider the sulphur contract a violation of the treaty of 1816. Prince Cassaro, however, considering his honour pledged by the note which he had written officially to Mr. Kennedy, refused to sign the communication to Mr. Temple, and sent in his resignation to the king, who immediately accepted it and sent him into exile at Foggia, a small town, about a hundred miles from Naples. The British government immediately prepared to enforce its demands, by sending orders to admiral sir R. Stopford, who commanded the fleet in the Mediterranean, to hold himself in readiness to commence active hostilities against the Neapolitan flag. As to the right of England so to act there was some difference of opinion. The parties who were favourable to the monopoly, took the opinions of sir F. Pollock and Dr. Phillimore, who both considered it as no infraction of the treaty of 1816, on the ground that it applied equally to

the subjects of the king of Naples and all foreigners without distinction. This monopoly caused such a decline in the British trade in sulphur, that although previously it was of the average value of 35,000l. per annum, it became after the grant to the company too small for a return to be made by the Customs. The increase in cost also was above 200 per cent. On the 17th of April, the British ships of war in the vicinity of Naples commenced hostilities, and captured a number of Neapolitan vessels; and an embargo was laid on all in the ports of Malta, that bore the Sicilian flag. At first the king made preparations to resist, but the utter hopelessness of a contest with England, induced him finally to accept the proposed mediation of France, in adjusting the quarrel, on the principle that the monopoly should be dissolved, and an indemnity given to the contractors. And early in May amicable relations between the court of Naples and the British legation recommenced.

In April of this year, an abortive attempt was made in Sicily to bring about a revolution and establish the independence of that kingdom. Prince Charles of Capua, who had for some time resided in London, was proclaimed by the malcontents as their intended constitutional king; and expectations were entertained that the sulphur monopoly quarrel would induce England to support their enterprise. No important consequences however resulted, and the incipient revolution was soon suppressed.

election committee be adopted was carried by a large majority-the ayes being 101, and the noes 22; so that the Van Buren administration received an accession of six

votes.

We have rather anticipated the order of time in the above short narrative, because it was better to finish and disiniss it at the outset ; but the first important event in congress after the election of a Speaker was the delivery of the President's Message on the 24th of December, 1839. This will be found at length in our last volume, (page 439, Public Documents,") and to it we must refer our readers who wish to peruse it in detail. It is a very long and elaborate document, but we select here the most important and prominent topics of which it treats. Mr. Van Buren began by regretting that he could not congratulate congress on the past year having been one of unalloyed prosperity, owing to the ravages of fire and disease and serious commercial embarrassments. But he viewed with peculiar satisfaction the benefits that sprung from the steady devotion of the husbandman to his honourable pursuit. "No means," said the American president "of individual comfort is more certain, and no source of national prosperity is so sure. Nothing can compensate a people for a dependence upon others for the bread they eat; and that cheerful abundance on which the happiness of every one so much depends is to be looked for no where with such sure reliance as in the industry of the agriculturist and the bounties of the earth." With foreign countries the relations of the government continued amicable. For the settlement of the north eastern boundary the

proposition of Great Britain for a commission of exploration and survey was announced to have been received, and a counter-project, including a provision for the certain and final adjustment of the limits in dispute, was stated to be before the British government for its consideration. Mr. Van Buren next alluded with reference to the boundary question to the embarrassment necessarily arising out of the American constitution, by which the general government was made the organ of negociating and deciding upon the particular interests of the states on whose frontiers the boundary lines were to be traced.

With regard to the disturbances in Canada and flagitious efforts of American sympathizers as they were called, the president said, "within the provinces themselves tranquillity is restored, and on our frontier that misguided sympathy in favour of what was presumed to be a general effort on behalf of popular rights, and which in some instances misled a few of our more inexperienced citizens, has subsided into a rational conviction strongly opposed to all intermeddling with the internal affairs of our neighbours." Treaties of commerce with the king of Sardinia and the king of the Netherlands, the ratifications of which had been exchanged since the adjournment of congress would be laid before it. Although no convention for the settlement of the claims of American citizens upon Mexico had yet been ratified by the government of that country, and the president was not entirely satisfied with her conduct, yet he felt no hesitation in receiving in the most conciliating spirit the explanation offered, and also in cheerfully con

senting to a new convention. The new government of Texas had shown its desire to cultivate friendly relations with the United States by a prompt reparation of injuries complained of in the cases of two vessels belonging to the latter

power.

The financial operations of the year were stated to have been very successful; the large current expenditures had been punctually met, and the faith of the government in all its pecuniary concerns had been scrupulously maintained. The 19,000,000 of treasury notes authorized by the act of congress of 1837, and the modifications thereof with a view to the indulgence of merchants in their duty bonds, and of the deposit banks in the payment of public monies held by them had been so punctually redeemed as to leave less than the original 10,000,000 outstanding at any one time, and the whole amount unredeemed at this time fell short of 3,000,000. Mr. Van Buren said that the creation in time of peace of a debt likely to become permanent, was an evil for which there was no equivalent. The rapidity with which many of the states were apparently approaching to this condition, admonished congress of their duty in a manner too impressive to be disregarded. To make its efforts effective severe economy would be necessary. This was the surest provision for the national welfare, and at the same time the best preservative of the principles on which their institutions rested. The check lately given to importations of articles subject to duties, the derangements in the operations of internal trade, and especially the reduction gradually taking place in the tariff of duties; all tended to lessen the public re

ceipts; indeed it was probable that the diminution resulting from the last cause alone would not fall short of $5,000,000 in the year 1842, when the final reduction of all duties to 20 per cent would take effect. The following financial statement was then made by the president in his message. Independent of the redemption of the public debt and trusts, the gross expenditure of $17,000,000 and $18,000,000 in 1834 and 1835, had by various causes swelled to

29,000,000 in 1836, and the appropriations for 1837 made previously to the 4th of March had caused the expenditure to rise to $33,000,000. Mr. Van Buren's government was able, notwithstanding the continuance of the Indian embarrassments somewhat to reduce this amount, and that for the then current year of 1839, was calculated as not likely to exceed

26,000,000. The estimates for 1840 would be found to be less than the expenditure of 1839 by more than $5,000,000.

The extent of post-roads covered by mail service on the 1st. of July last, was about 133,999 miles, and the rate of annual transportation upon them 34,496,878 miles. The number of post-offices on that day was 12,780, and on the 30th ult. 13,028. The revenue of the post-office department for the year ending with the 30th of June last, was $4,476,638, exhibiting an increase over the preceding year of $241,560. The engagements and liabilities of the department for the same period were $4,624,117. The cash in hand on the 30th ult. was about 206,701,95c, and the current income of the year varied very little from the rate of current expenditure in the department of the post-office. The attention of