The Sun.
London, England, 1855-02-07 00:00:00

THE WEST INDIA MAIL.

SOUTHAMPTON, TUESDAY MORNING.
The Royal Mail Company's steam-ship Solent,
Capt. J ellicoe, has arrived here with dates from
Vera Cruz, Jan. 4' • Havannah, 10th ; Jamaica,
11th ; Barbadoes, 11th ; Trinidad, 9th ; St.
Thomas's, 17th.
The Soloist brings 33 passengers, 910,000 dols.
in specie, and a mixed cargo, and some specimens
from Mexico for the Exhibition at Paris.

During her homeward voyage she has experienced
some ♦ery heavy weather.

The Plata arrived out at St. Thomas's on the
17th ult.

At St. Lucia the cholera had nearly disappeared.
Planters were about commencing the crop, but the
wet weather which was prevailing was very unfa-
vourable to the work. Great anxiety was exhi-
bited for news from the seat of war.
At British Guiana the weather was fine, and
suited admirably both the growing cane and the
manufacture of sugar. The crop was reported as
heavy. Great scarcity of labour existed, and mer-
chants complained of dull times. Imports, how-
ever,, were large, and prices of every article of
commerce ruled high.
At • Granada business was dull and money in
demand. The necessaries of life were very dear,
and luxuyies unsaleable. The weather was showery,
and along the coasts the wind had been high.
Some slight improvement had taken place in the
health of the island, but many persons were -still
suffering from fever. Preparations were being
made for commencing the forthcoming sugar crop,
but prospects of the worst harvest ever experienced
in the island presented themselves.
Frcm Jamaica there is no news of importance.

MANTEUFFEL'S CIRCULAR TO TBE
GERMAN COURTS.

We And in the Post Ampt Gazette the following
circular-despatch addressed by Prussia to her
agents at the German Courts, dated Berlin, 17th
Jan. :

"The note addressed to Count Arnim on the sth
instant, and which was communicated to you on
the 6th, has informed your Excellency of the points
of ♦iew which serve as a rule for our attitude,
in presence of the negotiations opened between the
Imperial (Russian) Ambassador and the representa-
tives of England, France, and Austria. These ne
gotiations have in the interval already led to a
happy result, for the said representatives are agreed
in admitting that their particular interpretation of
the basis, which is to serve as the foundation of
pacific negotiations, does not differ in such a man-
ner as to form an obstacle to the opening of the
said negotiations. The cabinet of Vienna has,in sense-
quence ordered its representatives at Paris and London
to demand from those courts instructions and full powers
for their representatives at Vienna for the purpose of
opening pacific deliberations, and has at the same time de-
clared itself ready to carry out the stipulations contained
in Art. 5 of the convention of Dec. 2, in order to con-
solidate more directly the ulterior military measures with
France and England in the event of the projected con-.
ferencen not leading to any result. Whatever may be the
satisfaction with which we hail the preliminary under-
standing which has taken place in the views of the four
Powers, we are not the less compelled not to renounce
the attitude• which we bays hitherto maintained, and
the reserves connected therewith. If the efforts to corns
to an understanding should fail, we shall' only con-
sider ourselves bound, as your Excellency must have
seen by our instruction to Count Arnim, dated the sth
instant, to fulfil the obligations imposed on us by
the convention of April 20 and by the additional
article of November 18, if we are iv a state to exer-
cise on the course of the negotiations, that influence
which we think we have a right to claim on account of
our previous participation in the Conferences of Vienna,
and in virtue of our European position. With a consci-
ousness of the interests a id the duties which closely unite
us to our German confederates, we cannot interpret dif-
ferently the obligation which they have imposed on
themselves in acceding to the Prusso-Austrian stipulations,
and, we can only recommend the German Cabinets allied
to us to demand from
.the Diet the accomplishment of
obligations,- which, supported on what the belligerent
Powers exact on the one hand, and accord on the
othei, may express the full conviction of their right
and their inalienable participation. Your Excellency
will explain yourself in this sense to the Governments
to which you have the honour of being accredited, and
you will at the same time express the hope of seeing
our point of view, which is commanded by a common
interest, not only admitted, but executed de facto, on
the part of our confederates. Whatever your Excel-
lency may have to inform us of on this subject will be
of the most lively interest to us.—l am, Bsc.,
MANTEUFFEL."

ROTTERDAM.—The weekly reviews from the Amster-
dam and Rotterdam produce markets state that business
continued to be inactive, the severity of the weather
checking all operations dmagnitude.
&LOOTING AT TEE EMPEROR OF RUSSlA.—Private W.
Gibson and Private W. Gallabar, of the 99th Regiment,
were tried by district court-martial at Chatham for the
offence of making away with their ammunition in shoot-
ing at the Emperor of Russia, whom they had drawn on
the barrack table with chalk. A most severe, and, as
we think, unnecessary, sentence has been passed upon
them—that of Gibson to 52 days with hard labour, and
Gallahar to 162 days with hard labour in the military
prison, Fort Clarence.