The Sun.
London, England, 1855-12-28 00:00:00

MAILS FOR AUSTRALIA.

General Post-office, Dec. 1855.
Subject to a notice of discontinuance on the re-estab-
lishment of regair steam communication, arrangements
have been made for the conveyance of mails to Austra!ta,
twice in every month during the ensuing year, by clipper
ships, from Liverpool, the owners of which have entered
into a contract with the Postmaster-General fur the per-
formance of this service in a stated number of days.
Unless a further notice be issued, the mails for Aus-
tralia will be made up in London, on the evening of the
undermentioned days, viz.:—
January.. 7th July sth
21st . 2lst
February Gth August 4th
~ 2lst '
March , l9th
Gth September
4th
PP 22(1 „ 2oth
1 April sth October...
~
May. sth November. 4th
YIP
June 4th December 4th
19th i „ vOth
PP .
The packets will, in each case, leave Liverpool on the
following day.
All letters and newspapers for New South Wales,
Victoria, South Australia, Van Diemen's Land, and
New Zealand, will be forwarded by these packets, un•
less directed to be sent by some other ship.
Those postma,ters whose instructions direct them to
forward letters to Liverpool by cross post, will send in
the same manner, letters, &e., pasted at their offices
addressed to Australia, &c.

ROWLAND HILL, Secretary.

Their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Cambridge,
the Princess Mary, and the Duke of Cambridge, dined
with her Royal Highness the Duchess of Gloucester, on
Christmas•day, at Gloucester House.
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge gave
a ball to the members of her establishment, at Kew, on
Wednesday night, to which their relatives and friends,
numbering nearly seventy persons, were invited. The
festivities commenced at nine o'clock, and were kept up
with great spirit until midnight, when a handsome
supper was partaken of by the company. The Duchess
and the Princess Mary condescended to honour the ball-
room with their presence during the evening.
His Royal Highness the Prince de Joinville returned
to Claremont, at the close of last week, from visiting
the Countess de Neuilly in Sardinia.
Lord Pansnure arrived in town yesterday, from visit-
ing her Majesty at Windsor Castle.
The new monster steaminip Pera, belonging to the
Peninsular and Orier tal Company, cost 96,000/.
The Paris le rrespondent of the Morning Post says the
Emperor of the French is not the author of the peace
pamphlets.
_ _ _

The Directors of the Bank of France have declared a
dividend of 100 f, for the second half of 1855, payable on
the 2,1 of January next.
BERLIN', Dec. 26.- A Te Deum was sung last Sunday
i i the chapel of the Russian Embassy here in honour
of the surrender of Kars.

MARSEILLES, Dec. 25.—Admiral Sir Edmund Lyons,
who has been expected for the last three days here, on
his return from the Black Sea, has not yet arrived.
The following notice was issued from the General
Post-office yesterday, viz. :—The Gambia was expected
to sail on the 25th inst., with all letters, &e., for the
West Coast of Africa, and which arrived, or were posted
in Plymouth up to the afternoon of that day inclusive.
A letter from Bourg-Madame (Pyrenees Orientales)
states that on the 21st sixteen men belonging to the
band of Tristany succeeded in reaching that village
from Spain. These fugitives, among whom are three or
four chiefs, only owed their safety to their perfect know-
ledge of the country.
Piedmont has just lost one of her mot distinguished
statesmen in the person of Count Charles Berando de
Pralormo, Knight of the Order of tha Annunciado, ex-
Minister, &0., who expired last week at Turin after a
short illness.

The Moniteur de l'Arinee states that within the last
few months upwards of 20,000 soldiers, whose time of
service was expired, had re-entered the army, in conse-
quence of the advantages held out by the new military
law of the 26th April, 1854.
DEATH OF Sin WILLIAM WYNN.—We have to an-
nounce the death of Major Sir W. Wynn, Captain of
Sandown Castle, Isle of Wight. The gallant officer died
on Sunday, at the venerable age of 85 years. He was
gazet.ed as lieutenant in 1794, and 1810 was made cap•
tsin, and in the same year was knighted, and made
Commandant of Sandown Fort, an appointment which
is now extinct.

THE GALLANT DEFENDER OF KARS.—Major-General
the gallant defender •f Kars, although con-
nected with several northern families, has no immediate
relatives in England. His family are now resident in
America. General Williams was for many years con-
nected with the Royal Artillery. Colonel Teesdale, also
a captive, is of the Royal Artillery, and is son to Colo-
nel Teesdale of the same corps, now stationed at Wool-
wich.

THE MAILS.— SOUTHAMPTON Dec. 7 The Penin-
sular and Oriental Company's‘slwerhec-st.bh..ip.—Madrid, Capt.
N. Cook, sailed this aftecrandoiezn
and Gibraltar,usuallrils for
Vigo, Oporto, Lisbon,
gas, among whom are Lord Charles Flay, his Excellencypaesen"
the Portuguese Minister of Finance and Baron Kloa
seyen, and on freight 17,000/, in specie for Lisbon,
80,6e81. for Cadiz, and the usual cargo.
HATLING ISLAND, HAVANT, Dec. 26.—The figure-
head of a vessel, bust of a woman, supposed to belong to
a brig, has just come on shore with quantities of boards,
pieces of cabin furniture, &c., indicating a wreck near
the weather too thick to discern anythinggale bl '
ow-
ing nearly south, with heavy sea.
IRONMASTERS' INIEETING.—DUDLEY, Dec. 27.—The
attendance of ironmasters at the preliminary meeting
held in this town to-day was unusually numerous. For
many years past, in comparison with the present, the
numbers were scanty. Mr. Philip Williams occupied
the chair, and it was unanimously resolved upon the
motion of the gentleman who manages the British Iron
Company, that present prices should be maintained for
the ensuing quarter. A conversation afterwards occurred
with regard to the expenses incurred by an opposition
to a clause in the late West Bromwich Improvement
Act, by which parties were compelled to consume their
own smoke. The expenses of this opposition were im-
mediately defrayed.