The Press. — London, England, 1854-01-21 00:00:00

. L tensity of the fog was such that it was impossible for the captain to ascertain his positton. The pas sengers, with their baggage and the mails, were landed at the Lazzaretto, and attempts were made to save the merchandise, but little could be done, m consequence of a gale which had come on, and on the morning of the 3rd it was found necessary to abandon the vessel. UNITED STATES. By the mail-steamer America New York intelli gence to the 4th inst. has been received. The United States Senate had appointed a special committee for the purpose of inquiring into and re porting upon the cause of the great mortality on board emigrant vessels. On the 3rd inst. a message was received by the Senate from the President, in response to Mr. Cass's resolution of the 12th of December, commu nicating some voluminous correspondence relative to the construction placed upon the Clayton and Bulwer treaty, touching Central American affairs. Various disasters are as usual reported in different parts of the Union. The New York Herald says, " From the east we have accounts of some fifteen or twenty vessels having been driven ashore and wrecked during the late storm. One captain states that he came around Cape Cod in company with about seventy-five vessels, most of which he thinks went ashore." The wreck of the packet-ship Staffordshire is announced, with the lamentable loss of 180 lives. She left Liverpool for Boston on the 9th of Decem ber, and on the morning of the 30th struck on the Blonde Rock, South Seal Island, off Halifax. The first and second mates and seventeen seamen reached Cape Sable. The third mate, boatswain, and twelve others, were picked up and landed at Shelburne, Nova Scotia. Captain Richardson and the re mainder, about 1140 persons, went down in the wreck immediately after striking. Her cargo was very large, and is estimated to be worth over 300,000 dollars. The Staffordshire was a noble ship of 1,817 tons, and one of the finest vessels of the line. The steamer Pearl sank in the Mississippi on the 31st ult., when eighteen lives were lost. A new steam-ship, the San Francisco, hound from New York for San Francisco, was fallen in with at sea on the 26th ult. completely disabled. Her decks were swept, rigging demolished, and the sea ran so high that no aid could be afibrded her. SOUTHERN AMERICA. Ecuador has declared the navigation of her tribu taries of the Amazon free to all nations. She has also passed a law authorising steps to be taken to treat with New Granada and Venezeula for the re organisation of the Columbian Confederation. A further length of the Panama Railroad was to be opened on the Ist of January, making in all thirty one miles completed, and eighteen as yet to finish. At Rio de Janeiro the English Minister, who was re siding temporarily at the Hotel dos Estrangeiros, was robbed of the whole of his jewellery on the Ilth of December. He estimates the value at 3,0001. The police were immediately on the alert, and, after examining the premises, came to the conclusion that the robbery had been effected by some person residing in the hotel, or intimately acquainted with the internal arrangements of the premises. It was proposed to search the trunks and apartments of his servants, but this his excellency refused to per mit, alleging that the step would cast a stigma upon his domestics. WEST INDIES. Jamaica advices to the 26th of December have arrived by the Solent. The Assembly stood adjourned to the 17th of January. Prior to adjournment the House came to a determination on the question of responsible govermnent, having decided to introduce a bill authorising the Governor to appoint two or three members from the Assembly and one from the Council, to act as Ministers ; each to get 8001. per a:mum, and 5001. are to be allowed the Ministry for the expenses of office. This scheme was stated to have given very general satisfaction, and would, no doubt, be acted upon by the Governor immediately after the recess. The Treasurer of St. Vincent's came to his death by a fall down some stairs on the 22nd of December. He expired almost instantaneously. The Captain GencralOCJUba has issued a decree declaring his determination to suppress the slave t•ade, but authorising, as a substitute, the introduc tion into the island of free Indian labourers, Asiatics 0: Spaniards. Two Naw SCREW STEADIERS OF-THE-LIFE will be launched before the end of the month, viz., the Al giers, 91, from Devonport Dockyard, on the 26th, and the Hannibal, 91, from Deptford, on the 31st. These ships are each to have engines of 400-horse power. Their armaments will be one pivot gun, UM-pounder, twenty-eight eight-inch guns, and. Ailty-two powders. THE PRESS. Cud mal lases. ANOTHER DRAMATIC PERFORMANCE took place at Windsor on Thursday, the pieces consisting of The Honeymoon, compressed into three acts, and The Camp at Chobham. Among the distinguished circle who were invited to witness the play, and who re mained as her Majesty's guests at the castle, were the Duchess of Kent, the French Ambassador and Countess Walewska, the Duke of Newcastle, Marquis and Marchioness of Westminster and Lady Agnes Grosvenor, Earl and Countess of Shaftesbury, Earl and Countess Delawarr and Lady Arabella West, Viscount Canning, Lord Ernest Bruce, the Right Hon. Sidney and Mrs. Herbert, the Right Hon. Spencer and Mrs. Walpole, and Major- General Wetberall. • - -------- HER MAJESTY AND THE ROYAL FAMILY will, it iS Stetted, return to Osborne on the second week in March. THE OFFICIAL ENTERTAINMENTS for the season have commenced this week with a banquet, which was given by Lord John Russell, in Chesham-place. Lady Russell received in the evening a select circle of the members of the corps diplomatique and aristocracy at present in town. The Chancellor of the Exchequer also gave a dinner on Thursday evening. BOTH the Earl of Aberdeen and Lord John Russell have issued cards for the customary parliamentary banquets to be given respectively to the chief Minis terial members of Lords and Commons on the 30th inst. The royal speech will then be read to the as sembled supporters of Government. A PRIVY COUNCIL is to meet in Buckingham Palace on the 30th, at which the speech from the throne will be adopted by her Majesty. VISCOUN'TE SS STRATFORD DF. REDCLIFFE and the Hon. Misses Canning are expected to return to Grosvenor square at the close of the ensuing week. It is stated to have been the expressed desire of our Minister at the Court of the Sultan that his family should not join him at Constantinople at present. WE regret to announce the severe indisposition of the Marquis of Londonderry. His lordship, who has been surrounded by a family party at Wynyard Park since Christmas, has been suffering for some days from neuralgia, and the incessant pain has resulted in a great exhaustion. THE HON. ROBERT CLIVE, M.P., has slightly ral lied during the past few days, but still remains in a very precarious state. THE charities of the Duke and Duchess of North umberland have this year been more than ordinarily munificent., on account of the long-continued in• clemency of the weather, ample supplies of money, fuel, food, and clothing, having been in course of distribution during the last few weeks, by their graces' orders, amongst all the deserving poor on their extensive estates in Northumberland and the north riding of Yorkshire. THE DUKE OF HAMILTON has just purchased the whole of that portion of the Island of Arran which belonged to Lord Rossmore, at the price of 51,0001. The rental of this property only amounted to about 8001. per annum, and has thus been sold at the rate of sixty four years' purchase. Arran has always been a favourite spot with the duke, and he now becomes proprietor of the whole island, with a small exception belonging to Mr. Fullarton. The Barnacre estate, late the property of the Duke of Hamilton, has found a purchaser in Mr. Alderman Thompson, M.P., for the sum of 98,0001. THE DUCHESS D'AUMALE and her infant son are going on favourably at Twickenham. THE COUNT DE CHAMBORD, with his family and suite, is at present stopping at Prague, on his way to , Eisenach. Volitital anb Otntral. THE HON. W. F. CAMPBELL has issued an address to the electors of Cambridge, announcing himself a candidate for their suffrages at the next election. LAST week was the twenty-first of the strike in Lancashire. The returns show that the number of unemployed hands relieved from the trades' union funds was 15,982 ; previous week, 15,721—increase, 261. The amount distributed in relief was 3,0 4 291. 4s. 6d., against 3,7051. 16s. 3d. in the preceding week —decrease, 676/. lls. od. At Glasgow the operative spinners' strike still continues. The masters adver tise for spinners, offering terms which would enable them to earn from 31. to Si. every fortnight, but met with no success. Mn. HOPE JOHNSTONE, unpaid attache to her Majesty's mission at Hanover, is appointed to the same rank at the Legation at Lisbon. THE SPEAKER and Mrs. Shaw Lefevre are expected to arrive at their temporary official residence in Eaton-square on Friday next, the 27th. SATURDAY, Nu tidings have been received of the missing ship from Australia, the Madagascar. Som e i n . surances were effected upon her on Monday at a premium of fifty guineas per cent. ONE MILLION Two HUNDRED AND THIRTY THOU. SAID LETTERS passed through the London district post on Saturday last. This is the largest number ever known, exceeding even the correspond ence of a Valentine's -day. THE HON. E. P. BOUVERIE is spoken of as th e most likely candidate for the new parliamentary office, the Deputy. Speakership of the House of Commons. REAR-ADMIRAL SIR W. EDWARD PARRY, the newly. appointed lieutenant-governor of Greenwich I iospital, joined the establishment on Wednesday last. MR. W. H. FREDERICK CAVENDISH is appointed Groom in Waiting to her Majesty, in the room of the Hon. R. Boyle, M.P., who has succeeded Lord Clarence Paget as Secretary to the Master-Genersl of the Ordnance. A REFORM BANQUET was held at Sheffield on Thursday, attended by Lord Goderich, Messrs. Cob. den, Bright, Heyworth, and most of the members of the Manchester party. Mr. Roebuck had been in vited, but declined, from reasons of health. THE CONSARTATIVE LAND SOCIETY held on Saw day last thrir fourteenth public drawing for 100 rights of choice on the society's estates, in the presence of a large assemblage of shareholders. The Rev. Dr. Worthington presided. The secretary announced that shares up to 8,390 inclusive had been taken, representing a subscribed capital of 410,8001. from the 7th of September, 1852, to th e 14th of January, 1854, or about sixteen months. The fortunate members whose numbers were drawn reside principally in Suffolk, Lancashire, Cheshire, Middlesex, Surrey, Somersetshire, Warwickshire, and Bucks. Fi ft y shares were added to the order of rights by seniority, the first 700 numbers in the register having now the privilege of selecting lots on estates. The fifteenth drawing was announced to take place on Saturday, February 11; and the rev. chairman added that the allotment of the valuable Downshire-square estate, Castle-hill, on the Bath. road, Reading, was fixed for Wednesday, March 1. THE GENERAL. REVENUE OF NEW SOUTH W►LES in 1851 was 277,72141. 18s. Id., and the territorial revenue, 204,5081. 7s. 2d.; in 1852, the amount of the general revenue collected was 376,0841. Bs.; territorial revenue, 238,502/. Id. ; gold revenue, 62,307/. 9s. bd.; church and school estates fund, 5,238/. 18s. Id. In 1851 the amount of coin in the bank was 521,0591. 10s. 2d. ; in 1852, 692,9151., being an increase on the previous year of 152,1491. Os. 11d. THE QUANITTY OF PORT WINE exported from Por tugal last year was 55,811 pipes, of which 40,834 were for Greatßritain, 2,521 for Australia, and 1,002 for Canada; leaving about 4,400 pipes for all the rest of the world. This important branch of Portuguese commerce is now in a most prosperous condition. • Ma. LASLETT, M.P. for Worcester, has intimated his intention to devote 501. per week to the relief of the destitute poor of that city during the severe weather. THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL'S REPORT states that, although the extreme rigour of the weather which ushered in the year with its frost and snow has abated, its effects continue to be manifested, and even increase, in the bills of mortality. In the week that ended last Saturday, the number of deaths in Lon• don rose to 1,402 ; in the previous week it had been 1,444. The present excess above the calculated amount is 230. The number of cases attributed to diseases of the respiratory organs is 365, while the estimated number is 206. Besides these, hooping cough destroyed 73 lives, phthisis 161. Two cases of cholera are recorded, though neither, apparent]}', was of the malignant type. Tai RUMOUR that the Bourbon Princes intended to hold a meeting at Claremont is contradicted on authority. CAPTAIN SIR EVERARD HOME, of the Calliope, senior officer on the Australian station, is reported by the latest arrivals to be seriously ill. He had imprudently been on an exploring excursion to some unhealthy islands, contrary to good advice. A CONSIDERABLE NUMBER OF THE LARGE FLEET OF COLLIER VESSELS so long detained in the northern coal ports by the easterly gales got to sea on Tues day evening. MR. CUBITT has built at his own expense a capa cious church on the south-east extremity of the Isle of Dogs. This church, with an acre of ground, Rill be vested in the Church Building Commissioners , the patronage being, by consent, placed in the hands of the diocesan. Mn. OLIVEIRA, M.P., has a notice of motion before the House of Commons relative to the condition of the metropolitan bridges, and suggesting an ingtal whether the toll-paying bridges should notbe thru" open to the public.