The Sun.
London, England, 1855-01-08 00:00:00

ARRIVAL OF THE RAJAH

SOUTHAMPTON, MONDAY MORNING.

The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steam-
ship Rajah arrived here this morning with dates
from Constantinople, December 19th; Smyrna, 23d;
Malta, 27th ; and Gibraltar, Ja.nustry 2d.
The Rajah brings no news. Her cargo comprises
silk, wool, carpets, raisins, figs, sponge, and other
Asiatic produce.
On the 20th the Rajah spoke the screw steamer
Robert Lowe in the Dardanelles ; on the 2d the
screw steamer Adelaide, steering east ; and on the
7th the ship Speedy.

CAVALRY EQUIPMENTS•-THE

HIMALAYA.

Orders have been forwarded to the Captain Superin-
tendent at Deptford to prepare horse hammocks,
halters, and paddings for 5,000 horses, to be sent out to
the Crimea at the earliest possible opportunity ; 2,000
tons (measurement) of wooden stabling will also be
forwarded. The greatest difficulty prevails in procuiing
steam transports sufficient for such heavy services.
rrie Himalaya, on the completion of her repairs, will
doubtless be appropriated to convey a portion of the
above.

iIirOVEME.NTS IN THE BLACK SEA FLEET.

It is stated that Rear-Admiral Houston Stewart, now
discharging the duties of Admiral Superintendent at
Malta, has been offered the appointment as seccnd in
command in the Black Sea fleet ' • and should ho decide
upon accepting this post, he will be succeeded at Malta
by Rear-Admiral the Hon. Montage Stopford, now at
Constantinople, who, in his turn, will be replaced by
Commodore the Hon. W. F. Grey, of the Hannibal ;
and we believe that Capt. Ommanney, who has just been
superseded in command of the Eurydice in the West
Indies, will he appointed to this fine screw line-of-battle
ship.

COMMERCIAL TRAVELLERS' SCHOOLS.

TO THE COMMERCIAL TRAVELLERS OF THE UNITED
KINGDOM.

Gentlemen,—l feel great reluctance in intruding
publicly upon you, but an imperative sense of duty
as the treasurer of the Commercial Travellers'
Orphan Schools induces me to lay the following
figures before you :

Cost of site at Pinner X2,000 0 0
Estimated cost of the building when
completed, including all extras 21,033 0 0

,23,933 0 0
Amount collected for the building
fund

Leaving a deficiency of £7,233 0 0
Now, as your treasurer, it can matter little to
me whether you take six months until June (the
time I earnestly hope the schools will be open) or
six years to raise this amount, as there may not be
much difficulty in borrowing the money ; but will
it be creditable to the commercial travellers of
England to open the schools 'with au incubus upon
their building ? as, depend upon it, if the money be
not raised before the building is open, fivefold more
difficulty will be found in doing so when the excite-
ment and freshness of your exertions are passed
away. _

sow, let me, in the most earnest and anxious
spirit, urge every commercial traveller in the United
Kingdom to volunteer his services as a steward for
our opening day by letter to Mr. Saul, the secre-
tary, 81, Cheapside; and if one quarter of the esti-
mated number of commercial travellers will respond,
and collect or give 11. each, it will enable you to
take a receipt in full for the building liabilities.
• I am, &c.,

- GEORGE MOORE.
5, Bow-churchyard, Jan. 6.

The Lord Chancellor's living of Llandevarlog-Vach,
Bre'cknockshire, has become vacant by the death of the
Rev. T. Vaughan, M.A. The benefice is worth 3501. a
year. By Mr. Vaughan's death the rectory of Billings-
ley, worth 2501. a year, and in the gift of the Duke of
the Rev. J. Newman, .M.A,
Cleveland, has also become vacant.
The Dean and Chapter of Hereford have presented
late curate of Bromyard,
to the incumbency of Broniyard, near Ross, vice the
Rev. J. 0. Stallard, M.A.
SCARCITY OF SEAMEN Fon THE NAVY.—In ten ships
fitting out at the present time, there are no less than
1,300 vacancies for petty officers and seamen.
Bazzini, the well-known violinist, has been performing
at Berlin, after a very successful tour in Northern Ger-
many, Within the space of one month he gave fifteen
concerts in the Prussian capital, which were attended
by very large audiences, and had besides the honour of
twice performing at Court, where his success was of the
most flattering description.

COURT CIRCULAR.

OSBORNE, SATURDAY.

The Queen and Prince, accompanied by the Princess
Royal and Princess Alice, arrived at Osborne yesterday
from Windsor Castle at a quarter past twelve o'clock.
SUNDAY.
The Queen and Prince, the Princess Royal and Prin-
cess Alice, walked and drove in the grounds at Osborne
yesterday.
The Rev. George Prothere. performed. Divine service
this morning before her Majesty and the Royal family.

Her ll9yal Highness the buches.a of .14:ent, attended
by Lady Fanny Howard and Sir George Couper, arrived
in town on Saturday morning from her residence, Frog-
more House, Windsor. Her Royal Highness visited
her Royal Highness the Duchess of Gloucester, at Glou-
cester llous3 in the afternoon, and afterwards returned
to Frogmore.
Despatches fFnm the quveri;oFs of 11:nng-7.4oiig and
Ceylon were received ou Saturday at the Colonial•office.

COLLISION Oi I' if 0 STEAM PACKE.TS

IN TEE BRISTOL CHANNEL.

BRISTOL, SUNDAY AFTERsoON.—lntelligence has
been received here this afternoon of a serious collision
having taken place yesterday in the Bristol Channel
between the Sabrina steam packet, from Bristol to Cork,
Captain Parker, and the Erin Queen, screw-steamer,
from Belfast to Bristol, Capt. Nicholson. The Sabrina,
which belongs to the Cork Steam-packet Company, left
Bristol Hotwells on Saturday morning with a valuable
cargo of miscellaneous goods and 34 cabin and deck pas-
sengers. When she had got to near the light-ship on the
Welsh Grounds, the weather being very thick, the look-
out man reported that there was a steamer on her star-
board bow, and Captain Parker immediately ordered his
helm to be put hard a starboard, and his engines to be
reversed. The other steamer, which proved to have
been the Erin Queen, ported her helm at the Game time,
in consequence of which she ran right across the Sa-
brina's bows. Upon observing that the Erin Queen had
ported her helm the Sabrina did the same, but owing to
the way on the vessels the precaution could not take
effect in time, and the two packets came into collision,
and her outwater running into her with such force as
to cut her to below the water line. The Setteaina'e
figurehead and cutwater were much datnae,ed, and
several of the Iron plates on the starboard bow
were torn out. In the 'collision, the second engineer of
the Irin Queen, Ifueh mql-thhip,
being asleep at the
time in his berth,
Which was out into, had his pelvis and
thigh and one of his arms broken, and being washed out
through the hula ipto the sea: he would have been
drowned, had it not beep that a boat from the ilea-
house - saw him and pulled him up. The Erin Queen,
by tho tepee of the collision, was driven ashore on the
sands, and the Sabrina going to her assistance, teewcd
her on to the south-west patch, where the sands ebb
dry. The Sabrina, after lying by the Erin Queen for
the day, put back to Bristol: bringing up the wounded
engineer, who was at once conveyed to the infirmary,
where he lips in a precarious state,

CABINET COUNCIL—The Ministers, who have been
staying out of town during last week at their respective
seats, will reassemble in council to-morrow afternoon,
at the Foreign-office.
Prince Lucien Bonaparte arrived in London last night
from Paris.

Captain Webster, a Foreign-office messenger, arrived
in town last night with despatches from Berlin.
THE EARL OF GrmlcALL.—We are happy to be able
to state that Dr. Bright, who returned to town from
Bretby Park yesterday evening, has pronounced Lcrd
Glengall to have exhibited favourable symptoms. The
ans,,ver to the numerous inquiries at his house in Gros•
venor-street is, that his lordship is better.
The Marchioness Dowager of Downshire has returned
to Grosvenor-street, from yisiting the lion. Colonel and
Lady Mary Hood at Cumberland Lodge, Windsor Park,
during the holidays.
Lord and Lady Lendesborough are entertaining a
-..elect party at Grimston Park, near Tadeastcr. llis
lordship has just purchased nearly the whole of the valu-
able racing stud of the lion. Stanhope Hawke.
Lard and Lady Lyndhurst, who have been staying at
the Lord Warden Hotel, at Dover, for the advantage
of change of air during the past week—the noble and
venerable ex-Lord Chancellor having recently suffered
from indisposition which prevented his lordship from
attending the House of Peers during the late brief sitting
of the Legislature—are expected to arrive in George-
street, Hanover-square, to-morrow.
In reply to the numerous applications from nurses
desirous of serving in the Scutari hospitals, received by
the ladies' committee, we are requested to state that no
more nurses can be received there.

CURIOUS CUSTOM AT ST. JAMES'S PALACE.—On Sa-
turday last, being Old Christmas-clay, an ancient cere-
mony was performed in the Chapel Royal. St. James's
Palace, in commemoration of the offering of the
three kings, an interesting remnant of Christian sym-
bolism. The ceremony loses much of its significance
when the Sovereign is not present in person.
In consequence of the constant interchange of com-
munication kept up by the Government with our am-
bassador at the Turkish capital and the British army in
the Crimea, several of the Queen's messengers had been
compelled by excessive fatigue to relinquish their duties.
An increase in the staff has been found necessary, and
during the week Captain Howarth (late of the Rifles),
and Major Binge Hall have been appointed. The first
named gallant officer left town en Friday night last with
despatches from the Ministers of War and the Foreign
Secretary, for Lord Raglan and his Excellency Lord
Stratford de Redeliffe. The Earl of Clarendon left town
in Friday evening for the Grove, near Watford, but
comes to town to-day to transact business.
NEWTON ABBOTT.—SUICIIIiti.—On Saturday last Mr.
John Mills, aged 63, and for many years the proprietor
of the Dartmouth Inn, in this town, committed suicide
by hanging himself in a large linhay, at the back of his
house, used by his son, who is a builder. We hear no
reason assigned for his committing the rash act, and
nothing unusual in his manner was observed up to the
time he committed the deed. An inquest was held the.
same day before W. A. Cockey, Esq., district coroner,
and a respectable jury, when a verdict of "Temporary
insanity" was returned. The sad affair has cast a gloom
over the whole town, as the deceased was much respected.
He was the oldest innkeeper in the town.
SUICIDE OF A DESERTER.--On Saturday, Mr. Bedford
held an inquest at the Compasses, Mount-street, Gros-
venor-square, on the body of George Ekins, aged 20, a
private in the Royal South Middlesex Regiment of Mi-
litia, who committed suicide by hanging himself with a
rope, at the stables attached to the house, No. 27, Kin-
nerton-street, Pimlico. Deceased, it appeared, left the
regiment without leave, for the purpose of spending the
Christmas with his friends ; upon being informed that he
would in consequence be treated as a deserter, and that
he was liable to a penalty of 101., or, in lieu of not paying
it, to three months' imprisonment, he became rnelan-
dimly, and said he was afraid to return to the regiment.
This was supposed to have preyed upon his mind, and
the jury returned a verdict of "Temporary insanity."
MAIDSTONE.—HIGHWAY ROBBERY Wins VIOLENCE.
—On Thursday evening between five and six o'clock a
daring highway robbery was committed in Pimins-court-
lane, just within the boundaries of the borough, one side
of the lane being in the parish of Maidstone, and the
other side in the parish of East Farleigh. The victim
of the attack was Mr. William Sands, a farmer at East
Farleigh. Mr. Sands had been to Maidstone market,
according to his usual custom on a Thursday, and while
in the town had obtained cash fora cheque of 191. He
was on his return home, and had passed Tovil ; while
going up the lane lie saw a man standing in the road,
and on approaching the place he heard a voice cry out,
"Spring." and immediately another man jumped from
the hedge. seized him by the throat and knocked him
down. Mr. Sands fell upon the back part of his head,
and was partially stunned. The fellows threw them-
selves upon him, prevented his crying out, and suc-
ceeded in rifling his pockets, robbing him of two 51.
notes of the Maidstone bank, eleven sovereigns, trio
Half-sovereigns, sixpence in silver, and fourpence in cop-
pers. Strange to say, the robbery was witnessed by a
woman named Cogger and by a lad of 15, who were on
their road home ; these parties saw four men, of whom
Mr. Sands was one, struggling together, and then fall
down in the road, but thinking it only a drunken scuffle,
the boy walked on, and had got to sonic distance when
he was called back by Mrs. Cogger ; and lie then ascer-
tained that a robbery bad been committed. He saw
three men run away. Although Mr. Sands speaks only
of two having attacked him, there is but little doubt
that there were actually three persons enea,ged in the
robbery ; but neither Mr. Sands, the woman, nor time
boy, can give any description of them. It is supposed
the parties had by some means made themselves ac-
qualeted with the fact that 14r. Satins had obtained
some cash in the town, and laid their plans accordingly,
We trust we shall shortly have to report their capture,
as the police officers are fully on the alert. Payment of
the notes has been stopped at the bank.
RECRUITING IN THE NORTH OF SCOTLAND.—Some
months ago there appeared a letter in the Times from an
old officer Of the 79th, calling attention to the unsuccess-
ful character of the efforts; made by several detachments
of English and Irish regiments to obtain recruits in
Aberdeen and the north of Scotland, and urging the war
authorities to send a few companies of the 79th High-
landers, promising them a hearty reception and a goodly
number of recruits. This advice was taken. The 79th
have been in Aberdeen for two months, and already
about 130 recruits have joined the service. The spirit
of enthusiasm is now so much excited that there is every
prospect of obtaining twice this number in the course of
the present winter. Those enlisted are chiefly young
men from the country, and it appears that they have
made such progress in the drill that a large draught is
soon to be made for head-quarters. But while there is no
difficulty now experienced in getting recruits for this regi-
ment in Aberdeenshire, the recruiting service has failed
in the Highlands. The nuniber of soldiers from the High-
lands and islands of Scotland engaged in the last French
war was about 15,000 men and officers. There were two
general officers from the Isle of Skye alone, and about
80 commissioned encers front various other parts. of the
in these
This're;sublutst If:
places that it will be with difficulty if 150 can be raised.
so long prevailed in the Highlands of Scotland, a great
clearances" that have
tsbuechs3i,sstetnliieGfsc;:rcity of men
part of the country having been converted into sheep-
walks. The militia service is not so popular intim north
as the regular service. For one volunteer that can be
got for the militia 20 can be had for the army. It is
feared that it will be quite impossible to raise the num-
ber required. Every encouragement is being given to
induce qualified persons to enter, but tire pay is so low
in comparison with the ordinary wages of mechanics
that few deem it worth their while to break off engage-
ments for a month in the year.

LATEST NIEWS.

ACCEPTAI* CE _l3 Y' I USSIA OF
THE BASIS OF T FOUR
POINTS,

We (Times) have received the following tele-
graphic despatch from our -Vienna corespondent :
" VIENNA, MONDAY, JAN. 8, 10 A.M.

" Prince Gortsollakoff; at the Conference held
yesterday, aceepted the Four Propositions with-

out reserve."

(From the Morning Post.)

VIENNA, JAR. 7.

Prince Gortschakoff received yesterday an order
from the Czar to negotiate at once with Buol,
Bourqueney, and Westmoreland on the basis of the
Four Conditions, as interpreted by the Allies in
the Protocol of the 28th of December. -

The Plenipotentiaries mot to-day to deliberate,

PARIS, SUNDAY, 6 O'CLOCK.,

I haTe already forwarded you by telegraph this
day tho important news from Vienna, and on
which you may depend. I now proceed to give
you further details.

At the close of the conference, which took
place on the 28th of December, at Vienna, between
Prince Gortschakoff, M. Buol, M. Bourqueney,
and Lord 'Westmoreland, the representative of
France handed over to the Minister of Russia the
interpretation of the Four Points, as understood
by the Allies. This document was not signed.
Immediately Prince Gortschakoff transmitted the
same to the Czar, who, without loss of time, has
requested his Minister to return certain answers
to the interpretation of the Four Points as under-
stcod by the Western Powers.

This day, Sunday, the Minister Plenipoten-
tiaries of France, England, and Austria have met
t) receive the answer of the Emperor of Russia
through his Minister, and, in all probability, to-
morrow I shall be enabled to forward you the result
of this important conference. The fact of the
Emperor of Russia re-commissioning his agent
to commence negotiations on the Four Points, as
interpreted by the Allies, may appear as an

approach towards peace ; but if we look at
late manifestoes of the Czar, and observe
what lie is doing—viz., mustering a strong
army for the Austrian frontier, I think we
should not calculate too much on the news I give
you, which, after all, no ay have no other mean-
ing than that of an endeavour to gain time.
I have every reason to believe that the news
I new forward you will not be known to the Eng—
lish Government before this is in print, as I find
that French official communications are always in
advance of our own.

We have received the following telegraphic
despatch from Marseilles :
" MARSEILLES, SUNDAY, JAN. 7.
" The Caire, which left Constantinople on the
28th of December, has arrived.
" Despatches for the Government left by a
special train at 10 a.m.

"No news had been received at Constantinople
of anything cf importance having taken place at
Sebastopol."
Another despatch from Marseilles of the same

date says :
Admiral Hamelin has arrived here, having left
Constantinople on the 28th ult.
A conspiracy has been discovered among cer-
tain Greeks and Italians, to assassinate the Com-
missioner of the Anglo-French Police, organised
in the Turkish capital.
An Euglisktransport-ship, loaded with cloth-
ing, was burnt accidentally on the 26th.
The English batteries have opened fire on Se-
bastopol within 400 metres of the place. There
was a violent tempest on the 30th, and it was
rumoured that 40 ships had been stranded. At

Malta barracks are preparing for 10,000 troops

of reserve.

The following telegraphic despatch has 'been
received from Berlin :

" A despatch has been received here, from St.
Petersburg, dated Sunday, 7th inst., it says :
" Under date of the 30th of December Prince
Monschikoff writes that nothing important had
taken place before Sebastopol.
" ' The fire of the enemies (the Allies) was very
feeble, causing us (the Russians) scarcely any
damage.' "

We have received the Moriitettr of yesterday.
It contains the following
" The Ambassador of France at London having
communicated to Lord Clarendon the speech of the
President of the Legislative Corps to the Emperor
on the occasion of the vote of the bill on the loan,
as also the reply of his Majesty, he has received
the following letter from the principal Secretary of
State of her Britannic Majesty :

" ' Foreign-office, Jan. 2.

" 'Monsieur l'Ambassadeur,--1 have received
the letter which your Excellency did me the honour
to address to me on the 30th of December last,
transmitting to me, by order of his Majesty the
Emperor of the French, a copy of the MoniUur,
containing the speech pronounced by the Presi-
dent of the Legislative Oorpa on the ocuasion of the
unanimous vate of that assembly on the Loan Dill,
as well as the reply of his Majesty.
" I have placed your Excellency's communica-
tion before the Queen, and her Majesty orders me
to make known to you how much she appreciates
the terms, full of cordiality, in which the speech of
the President of the Legislative Corps and the
reply of his Imperial Majesty express themselves
on the concurrence of the English land and sea
forces, who share the hardships and dangers of the
soldiers of France.

" ' May I also be allowed to address to your Ex-
cellency the thanks of the members of the Govern-
ment of her Majesty for the communication of which
you have been the interpreter ? Your Excelleztcy
knows with what perfect reciprocity the British
Parliament and nation entertain towards the French
army and navy the sentiments of sympathy rind
gratitude which the speech of the President of I he
Legislative Corps and the reply of the Emperor
have so happily expressed towards the land aznd
sea forces of the Queen.—l have the honour, &0.,
• " CLARENDON.' "

The M oniteur also has the following
" The Government has decided that the soldis rs
who would be free from service on the 31st of De-
cember last shall remain under their flag,until they
shall have been replaced by the soldiers of the
class of 1854—that is to say, until next spring.
" Without doubt this delay, although legal End
necessary, is a new charge imposed upon a gn! at
number of soldiers ; but the Emperor, when the
military honour and glory of France are at sta:V.e,
counts upon the patriotism of all, and he knows th at
in the East, as in Africa, as in France, every mAn

vs iX3.9 -sd; _

will willingly make thisnewsacrifice to his country,
and the country and the Emperor will make good
to the army this new proof of devotion and self-
sacrifice."

The lifoniteur publishes the following letter from
Cracow taken from the Hamburg News :
"The attitude of Russia towards Austria be-
comes more threatening every day, and it appears
almost certain that hostilities against the latter are
about to commence. The'whole of the first corps
of infantry and a division of Grenadiers are already
concentrated on the right bp, Al, of the Vistula. The
landed proprietors haws been called upon to' provide
immediately provisions and provender, General
Sievers who commands. this corps, and who has
been residing at Warsaw, left that city the other
day by special order of the Emperor for his head-
quarters at Radom, and his departure was so sud-
den that he Lad not even time to take leave of his
son."

The Journal cle Constantinople says,—
"The tiegraphic line between Vienna and Bu-
charest is now in operation, and the works are car-
ried on with great zeal; so that the line will very
shortly be open between Bucharest and Varna."