Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-03-29 00:00:00

COMMERCIAL,

The Funds to-day were dull, but not lower in price, not-
withstanding the uncertain position of politics both at home
and abroad, the impending Russian and Indian loans,
and the further decided fall which took place to-day in the
French Funds. The demand for money to-day was mode-
rate, but very few bills were discounted below the Bank
minimum. There were no further withdrawals of gold
from the Bank to-day. At Hamburgh the rate of discount
rose on Saturday to 3i per cent., in consequence of
the continued demand for silver including , about
£300,000 on government account. The shipments of
silver by the Calcutta steamer on the 4th April
will probably amount to between £600,000 and £700,000.
The £116,600 in Australian gold, by the Tornado,
has been taken for the Continent. The mail steamer
next week, from the West Indies and Mexico, will
probably bring about £200,000 in gold and silver.
The movement of the Calcutta and China Exchanges, as
reported by telegraph, appear to be slightly more unfavour-
able to this country. At St. Petersburg, the Exchange
is quoted at 36s 5-16d.--Daily Hews City Article, Monday
Evening. _ . . - -

The English Funds opened this morning without
alteration, and owing to flat accounts from Paris a
subsequent slight tendency to improvement was ..not
maintained. At Vienna, the Bourse contiunes to improve.
The rate of discount at Hamburg has advanced to 4 per
cent. Silver has declined, and is offered at 62-lid per oz.,
or even lower. The only alteration in the Eastern
Exchanges, shewn by the telegram of this morning, is in the
rate at Hong Kong, which is about 14 per cent. less
favourable. The total export of tea for the season is
expected to be under sixty million pounds. There were
buyers of silk at higher prices.—Times City Article, Monday
Been*.

Private letters from Venice state, that 2,000 people were
taken out of their beds on the nights of the 20th and 21st
inst., and put into prison without trial of any kind, as soon
as the news of a report that a Congress would be held was
received there. Verily these Austrian gentlemen are
coming King Bomba over the people in style.

A PROLIFIC MOTIIER.—A person residing in the parish
of St. Ann's, Soho, London, was delivered, a few days ago,
of three female children, who, with the mother, according
to the opinion of Mr. Angus, Frith-street, the medical
attendant, are likely to do well. Within the period of
eighteen years, the mother has had fifteen children at two
of the births, twins each time ; at other eight births, single
children ; and at the last accouchement three.
SUIPWRECK AND MASSACRE OF THREE HUNDRED
PERSONS.—The Australian journals jus; received give a
few particulars of a frightful tragedy enacted on an island
in the South Pacific. A number of Chinese men, women,
and children, sailed from Hong Kong for Sydney, gew
South Wales, some few months ago. Their number is
stated to have been 327, and they shipped themselves as
passengers. They proceeded fairly upon their journey until
the 29th of September, when a squall arose, and the
vessel was eventually driven slightly out of her course,
and, notwithstanding the efforts of the commander, Cap-
tain Pennard, totally wrecked on the island of Rossel, in
the South Pacific, about 500 miles from New Zealand, on
the night of the 30th September last, The means of com-
munication between the crew and the Chinese passengers
were limited in their nature. They thoroughly understood
through the medium of a Chinese interpreter the terms of the
agreement into which they had entered, to be conveyed to
Sydney, but for other purposes their means of intercourse
failed. It was with the greatest difficulty that Capt. Pen-
nard was enabled to get his shipwrecked passengers on shore,
little thinking, as he endeavoured to do so,- the horrible
death that was in store for them. As far as it was pos-
ible, under the circumstances, the necessary provision was
made for the comparative comfort of all, and Captain Pen-
nard and eight of his crew left the island in one of the
ship's boats, to endeavour to obtain assistance from any
vessel they might fall in with, and so release
their unfortunate Chinese passengers from the sad position
in which they were placed. These nine heroic men are
stated to have undergone the severest privations, and it was
not until the 15th October (hay* started on their mission
on the 30th September preceding) that they were picked up
by the Prince of Denmark schooner, and conveyed to the
French settlement of New Caledonia, where they were
received with the greatest kindness, The authorities
immediately despatched the French steamer Styx
to ascertain the fate of the Chinese left on the
island, and the vessel arrived there on the Bth
of January last. The result of the inquiry reached Sydney
on the 25th January, and was to the effect that the whole
of the passengers and the remainder of the crew had been
killed by the natives, with the exception of one Chinese,
who, having been accidently spared, was rescued by the crew
of the steamer. The details relating to this horrible
butchery have not yet reached us, as unfortunately, no
Chinese interpreter was on board the Styx, to whom the
inn could make himself understood.