The Sun.
London, England, 1852-04-08 00:00:00

PROCLAMATION FOR ASSEMBLING PARLIAMENT.

The Bill brought from the Lords to shorten the time re•
quired for assembling Parliament after a dissolution thereof
was yesterday printed by order of the House of Commons.
It Is proposed to enact " that so often as her Majesty shall
by her Royal proclamation appoint a time for the first meet-
ing of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland after a dissolution thereof, the time so
to be appointed may be any time not less than 35 days after
the date of such proclamation, the Act of the fifth year of
Queen Anne; chap. 8, or the Act of 7th and Bth William
111., chap. 25, or any other law or usage to the contrary not-
withstanding."
RANDOM SHOT FROM THE MINIE RIFLE.-011
Friday last , a gentleman, being a member of the South
Devon Rifle Corps, was at Turf, practising in order to test
a new rifle sent to lim for that purpose by a tradesman of
abnalleattst a rudc4 aagnacienst of a
Exeter, _he fired one shot at a. mark 800 yards distant;
the ma& was situated half-way up. a steep hill (Pole-hill)
911 u the Devon estate, the hill being 100 feet high. The
30pi e feeee to fp
erorpcekn,digclualnacreddeoacveenrttheen hill,the
opposite side marksman struck a woman totally out of eight of the
It inflicted a% the
bill actually intervened between them.
learning the e esb. wound in the thigh, and the gentleman,
be paid to the
axatzrdinary fact, directed every attention to
satisfied witb the hand
who has expressed herself thoroughly
distance has been andsome treatment she has received. The
of mepasured under the superintendence of Mr.
John Drew,
the spot where the shet
rharn, and it was found that from
woman stood:was 1,386 was fired:to the place where the
quarters of a mile. This yards,tact has
actually more' than three-
shows that all which has as
excited great interest, and
as an offensiVe weapon will be beenralteedicted of the Minie rifle
for practice should have a clear distancel d. and that the ground
of a mile at least.—
Exeter Gazette.
RESPITE, FOR THE CONVICT M
a deputation corn ICKLEBURGH.—In
consequence of _
t, posed
of
j.
B.
Rose,
Fs
one of the magistrates of he borough of Ipswich, Messrs.jq"
S. 11. Cowell, J. need, and other gentlemen, Win; are op-
posed to death punishment, having waited on the Secretary
of State for the Home Department on Saturday last, with a
memorial numerously i
s.gned, a respite was, at twelve o'clock
on Monday night, received at the county gaol, i..t3wic
ji,
for
the unhappy plan, clgring bar NoiNty's pleasure.

THURSDAY EVENING, APRIL 8, 1852.

Iprudence could scarcely justify! When my mind was I Gentleman was the establishment of special courts in
thus reproaching me, I asked Lord Wharncliffe if he London, and in any other city which was desirous of foi-
-1 would kindly assist me, by acting as president, His losing she exalt-Tie of the metropolis. He would, how-
-1 Lord,hip_l may truly use the word--charitably con- ever, not have any new compulbury curt of the working
sensed; and, I hope, the warmth of my heartfelt grati- of which they could have no real experience, and which,
tudo to his Lordship, will never cool—hip kind and j after all, might turn out an unsattsfact, ry experiment.
condescending manner, his encouragement when all that What he wished was that certain business men should in
was within me was ready to give way, now that he is each place register their names as arbitrators in com-
absent from England, is pressing with renewed force mercial disputes, who should elect a sufficient body of
upon me, and when unnatural difficulties are thrown themselves to act as a commercial jury, and these being
around me, so that thoughts here oppress me and me- aided by a man of legal knowledge, in order toregister the
mory grows painful! causes and digest the documents for the various cases for
"To keep up the spirit of the movement, at my desire adjudication, as in other tribunals. Such local courts as
Lord Wharncliffe took the chair at several meetings; on these, where causes could be decided by men of business,
one of those occasions Lord Wharncliffe said—' He was would be much more satisfactory, in his opinion, than
always prepared to further any legitimate object which the dilatory mode at present adopted of settling disputes
the commercial world might have in view, and he was in this country. Such courts could not be established in
especially ready to give his assistance on the present this country without an Act of Parliament. It seemed
occasion with regard to the proposal of Mr. Lyne, that to him that it would be in their power to frame a plan
that vast interest (the commercial) should stir itself to of such courts as he had described without in any degree
obtain a special judicature to decide in any complicated trenching upon the law of the land or the general admi-
cases that arose in commercial affairs.' nistration of justice.—(Applause.) As a simple experi-
eWe had many public meetings, and many resole- ment, offering such advantages, it would be very judicious
tions were passed; on some we have acted, on others we to have a trial, if possible, of such a tribunal. If the
found it best (on reflection) not to set—such as petition- views he had expounded were satisfactory to the meet-
ing the Prime Minister, the Board of Trade, and so inn, there ought to be a united proceeding on the part of
forth—the public mind was too uninformed for such do- the friends of the cause for this purpose.—(Applause.)
tided stops. Seeing this, I was desirous by all means to In conclusion the Learned Gentleman moved the follow-
procure for, and to give to the public useful information, ing resolution :—" That it is the opinion of this meeting,
and I found that they could not read as fast as I could that it is highly important to the interests of the great
write on the advantages of the tribunals of commerce; metropolitan trading community that a united and de-
my only chance of success I discovered was termined movement should be made with a view to the
at once to turn tinker, and keep hammer- establishment of tribunals of commerce."
ing out little pieces of evidence and so Mr. RAINY, in seconding the motion, alluded to one
patiently elaborate what I wished the public to know; commercial case (a disputed contract) which had been
and upon the whole we must, I suppose, all agree it is in a state of litigation for nearly fifty years before it was
better to take too much time rather than too little when brought to a close, when the costs were stated to have
great reforms aro engaging our thoughts, for we must amounted to 100,0001. Numerous other cases were re-
have a code or law to regulate tribunals of commerce, lated by the speaker, in which he showed the small pro-
and there are now three barristers on this platform who, bable charge which would occur to parties having disputes
lam quite sure, if the merchants and traders of the City arranged by tribunals of commerce, in comparison with
of London would confide the task to them, would, toga- the unbusinessliko and tedious proceedings of the courts
ther, form a commerciatcode for this country as would of Westminster.
immortalize their names, and satisfy the independent The resolution was passed unanimously.
notions of Englishmen. At length, Lord Wharncliffe Mr. COWAN, M.P., had great pleasure in moving the
came down to the London Tavern, and delivered a well- adoption of a vote of thanks to the Chairman for his
studied speech on this important subject—it was given kindness in presiding on that occasion.
in full, through the columns of the newspapers, and the Mr. LYNE seconded tho motion, which was passed
Morning Chronicle had a forcible leading article on the unanimously.
subject, pointing out the sound reasoning of Lord Wham- The meeting then separated.
cliffe; and the clever editor thus commenced his re-
marks:—' It is by no means a new discovery that with
the most extensive and important trade in the world,
this country does not possess any system of commercial
law which satisfies even the elementary conditions of ex-
cellence.' This, gentlemen, pretty clearly tells you that
the editor of the Morning Chronicle thinks you ought, in
the 19th century, at least to begin to do something in
the way of improvement as to the administration of the
commercial law of this great country.
" This speech of Lord Wharneliffe did a vast deal of
good for the cause—as soon as the English papers
reached North America, with his Lordship's speech, the
merchants of New York examined the arguments in
favour of tribunals of commerce, and lost no time in
preparing for themselves plans for the establishment of
such commercial tribunals; our colonies, too—Sydney
in particular—with equal quickness took up the subject
as being one of great importance for their merchants
and traders, and I am now in correspondence with that
part of the world on the subject. Thus have we, far
away from home, sown good seed, and springing up
there it has invigorated what was planted here. That
great town Liverpool (great because inhabited by
busy, intelligent men) set to work to examine what had
been said in London and done in North America, and
after admiring the beauty of the nut-line oi. ,a tribunal
of commerce they formed within their Chamber of Com-
merce a committee on commercial tribunals,
and the following pertinent questions put to
myself by that committee, will prove to yon
that they intend to examine thoroughly into the
matter.
" Ist. Do any lawyers sit on the Board ?
" There do not exist any assessors in these tribunals
of commerce—they are the judges or associates, who
replace those who hear their pleadings, and render judg-
ment.
"2d. Is there any law-clerk or assessor to aid by advice?
" 3rd. Are those tribunals courts of record ?
" Yea, in one sense.
" 4th. What class of men are the licentiates: do they
live by their practice in these courts ?
" They do not form any particular class, but must
first study three years.
" sth. Are the judges assisted by legal men ?
" Whether or not, we are to stop short—London, after
all, will have it to say, she gave birth to the movement,
and that it stands recorded at the Mansion House, that
1,000 trading firms at the least in this City are wise
enough to wish for such tribunals. Fancy 1,000 firms
in London, with an average of three partners each,
wishing for a change, and yet that wish doubted by
some of the leading houses, because, ere now, the desire
has not ripened into something like a demand, widened
by frequent over-crowded meetings. Why do they not
push on ? Are they not encouraged so to do ?
Lord Brougham has said in the House of
Lords, It is impossible to overrate the
value of these tribunals for commercial men
This, I trust, you will think is great encouragement.
Perhaps some people will say practical men in the City
are not in favour of the proposed change ; but would
that bo true ? There is a little knot of well-known
practical men in Charlotte-row ; what have they said ?
In a few words they have said a great deal for us; they
tell you that for the small and the industrious man in
trade the London Tavern is open, and so are our law
courts—if the little trader loves his family be would not
come to this magnificent house, to get his daily dinner;
and none of you could force him so to do; but any one
owing to him a trifling sum might force him, to his ruin,
into: our costly courts of justice to seek his due.
During. the last eight or ten months I have gained
many victories over opinions which were at one time
dead against the movement. lam deeply indebted to
Lord Brougham for very much kindness during
my efforts, but especially for ono great ser-
vice, that of allowing me to address him,
by letter, through the columns of a newspaper.
My letter and his Lordship's reply were noticed by the
Law _Review for November, 1851, and I cannot resist
reading to you the following extract from that review :
" Arbitrationi s so intimately connected with the pro-
ceedings of the City gentlemen, which have for their ob-
ject the obtaining an easy and expeditious, as well as
cheap mode, of settling their mercantile disputes, that
wo must shortly advert to it. Few who have of late
years taken an interest in the amendment of the law
can have forgotten Mr. John A. Smith's statement,
which was also made on another occasion by Mr. A.
Baring (afterwards Lord Ashburton), that after a cause
to which mercantile men were parties had lasted for some
years in the Court of Chancery, and cost many thousand
pounds, without making any visible progress, it was re-
ferred to those two eminent individuals, who settled it in
a couple of days, to the entire satisfaction of all concerned.
It is no wonder that suitors, or those who expect
to be suitors, should reflect with envy on this
remarkable example of the natural, as contradistin-
guished from the technical procedure."
" This tells you at once why I delight to serve the
cause. I am sure, from my own experience, that to
make traders virtuous, good, and happy, you must take
away technical procedure by giving to them Tribunals
of Commerce. Perhaps, gentlemen (I am going to
joke with you a little), you aro much in love with our
present bankruptcy laws, and the dread of Tribunals of
Commerce sweeping them away may deter you from
coming heart and soul to aid this movement; but in this
case, too, depend upon it the exchange would be, that
you would have a more simple and less expensive sys-
tem than you now possess. Go but once to Basing-
hall-street,' said an intelligent merchant, and you will
see incredible confusion and irregularity; and it really
seems as if the money in question there wore a thing
with no lawful owner.
" I am sorry to intrude so much upon your time; but
there is one other important point I wish, with your in-
dulgence, to touch upon.
" We can now fully meet those who would say that tri-
bunals of commerce,might prove a dangerous speculation,
as their admirable usefulness cannot be eapperted by
experience; we disarm smelt opposers now, through the
great kindness of the President of the Tribunal
of Commerce in Paris, who at the cost of
very great labour to himself has enabled me
to give to the British public a true picture of the
Tribunal of Commerce iu France, and no impartial
minded man; after reading what the President of the
Tribunal of Commerce has given to us from the store-
house of his own experience, can gainsay the declarationtethe
of Lord Brougham, that it is impossible to overrate
that
admirable working of such tribunals; and recollect
such tribunals are known to be working well in _erlguiucre,,
Bremen, Greece, Hayti, Hamburgh, Malta, Tuscany,
Spain, Turkey,
deficiency,
Rome, Sardinia, Saxony,
Prussia, and Wurtemburg, all pointing at our d
and you may rely on it the United Statesantitillgs.ohoenuadeos
the same. Hair-splitting in our come
would disappear as soon as it became
gen could
known that the pathway _ to.
simplicity. Nothing
no longer be robbed of its natural simpli
This is a
more convenient now than for a dishonest men to play
upon the string—that his solicito_reisetta;rydueee-d, if
many
cloak that covers a multitude of 1, is my lawyer 'a
men had not the power of saying,o
not know how they
hands, and I can't interfere, I life as respectable
would be enabled to pass throteignnot
If you ilia Change men you
this is a matter
members of society.
but,
of. I have done my best to
must change systems;
for public feeling to dispose() I
gentlemen,
still can serve it, by the
serve this cause. I believe I
; and I hope this meet-
ingaid of the friends I have 0 against unnatural foes
I avoid all personalities now,
will do its part to
tp.rotec m
and unfair impediments. I
protect the cause, I rely
because, gentlemen; a
to ct myself.
with full confidenc that
prote shall never"
stand in need of
honest-minded mon
i your great
you for your patience, ar, and
I thank
indulgence. .•
The CUAIRMAN said that a e
meeteng of the general
caled, and although he was a m m-
-dered to some
committee had been
her he did not attendn it,l which act he considered
extent still sanctioned that
meeting.
lan LYNE said the time was now arrived when ho
hoped justice
would be done to himself as the originator
nt. He had no fear
of this moveme of meeting with
justice from such advocates of the cause as Lord W hare-
ciiffe, sir James Duke, Mr. Lawrence Hayworth, and
Thornton- After goingthrough seine
Mr. Richard of
difficulties he had countered his efforts to este-
the
tribunals of commerce, he said no should throw
hblish
• self and his case entirely
on the consideration of the
general committee.—(Dear, hear.)
Mr. STANLEY here retired.
Mr. AraToN then moved the first resolution, in doing
which he pointed out the advantages of the French com-
mercial code, and also its inapplicability to the multi-
tudinous and weighty transactions of the commerce of
this nation- The Mine recommended by the Hon.

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.
TEE Loss OF THE BIRKENHEAD.—PLYMOUTH,
APRIL 6.—ln conversation with several of the pas-
sengers per Propontis, from the Cape of Good Hope,
I have been informed that the general impression is
that the melancholy accident resulted from a variation
of the compass, for the Birkenhead was presumed to
be steering at east three miles outside the rock on
which she struck. That part of the coasts n which
the Birkenhead was lost was first surveyed in 1818,
by Commander Walker, of the Dispatch i tore .ship,
who carefully examined the coast during fourteen
trips along the S.E. coast of the Cape colony, and
made a chronometric survey and chart from the Cape
of Good Hope to Algoa Bay. Captain Walker gave
his name to Walker Bay, and also gave its name of
Point Danger to that projection of the land, in con-
sequence of the reef extending so far off. The same
coast has been since surveyed by Admiral Owen with
a surveying-ship. The coast is well known, and the
awful disaster must have arisen from deviations of
compass, occasioned by the local attraction of the
iron ship, which were, in all probability erroneously
corrected on Professor Airey's principles. The loss
of this steamer has created a deep sensation in the
community here, many of whom are related to the
unfortunate t,fficers and crew.—ShiP ping Gazette.
Commander Shepard Al‘Cormickdied on Sunday,
28th ult., at New Ross, Wexford, Ireland, deeply
and deservedly regretted, and to the inexpressible
grief and irreparable loss of a sorrowing widow and
six children. He served in various parts of the globe
during the late war, and bore on his person many
honourable marks of the hard-fought actions he had
been engaged in. His last service was in the St.
George, 120, Captain Nies, from which ship he was
superseded at his own request.
Commodore Bruce, the Commander-in-Chief on the
coast of Africa, in his flag-ship Penelope, 16, steam-
frigate, Captain Lyster, left St. Vincent the day
before the screw Cape packet left for Sierra Leone.
The Commodore had appointed his Flag Lieutenant
Bonham to the acting command of the screw-sloop
Wasp, vice Commander Crozier invalided.
THE HYDRA STEAM-SLOOP.—A letter, dated Sierra
Leone, March 2, 1852, says :—" We arrived here on
the 28th of February, and will sail this afternoon
for St. Paul do Loando and the Cape. We are all
well. The English mail of the 15th ult. has just ar-
rived, and our purser has joined. Sierra Leone is
just now very healthy. The Crane, 6, Commander
M'Donnell, is here, waiting the arrival of the Commo-
dore, who is expected hourly in the Penelope."
A letter from the Swift, dated Callao, January 19,
1852, says:—" Commander Aldam, in the Swift, is
on his way to the coast of Mexico to collect freight,
where he will remain senior officer till the middle of
June, when he will return to Valparaiso. It is ex-
pected she will have a good freight. The Swift may
be probably in England about November. Dxdalus,
19, Captain Wellesley, will, it is believed, relieve the
Swift in June. Driver, 6, steam-sloop, Commander
Johnson, has just gone to Valparaiso pretty well
laden with freight. She will leave this month
(January) for England. The Swift relieves the
Daphne on the coast of Mexico. The Mexican Go-
vernment has increased the duty on the exportation

of silver."
Avon, steamer, arrived at Portsmouth from Ply-
mouth, on Tuesday, and proceeded on to Sheerness
with supernumeraries.
Vulcan, iron screw steam troop-ship, Master Com-
mander Penn, discharged her powder, and the Echo
has towed her into Portsmouth Harbour, where she
will be docked. Her bottom is said to be very foul.
PORTSMOUTH, WEDNESDAY.—THE LOSS OF THE
BIRKENHEAD.—It is impossible to describe the sen-
sation this melancholy event has occasioned in this
port, to which nearly all the crew belonged. The
dockyard has been the scene of many heartrending
exhibitions of grief to-day, and numerous have been
the applications for information by widows and or-
phans. The Port-Admiral and Admiral-Superin-
tendent have evinced the utmost anxiety and readi-
ness to render all the information in their power, and
to alleviate as far as in their ability the distress oc-
casioned by this unlooked-for calamity. The Bir-
kenhead was an iron !team-vessel, of 1,400 tons,

built by Laird, of Birkenhead, fora steam-frigate,
but before being tried as a ship of that class she was
converted into a troop-ship, in which character she
never enjoyed a good reputation, as many officers
who have sailed and held appointments in her can
testify. She left this port last on the 2d of January,
on which day she victualled as her own troop service
complement 129 persons, her apportioned complement
being 131. As a navigator Mr. Salmond ranked
among the most skilful of the Masters of the Royal
Navy. His latter services were in the Retribution
steam-frigate, and the Vengeance, 84, under Captains
Lushington and the Earl of Hardwicke ; then the
Fisgard, 42, at Woolwich, from which ship _he was
appointed to the command of the Birkenhead on the
Bth of February, 1851.
ofpublic •on
pathy
promptly taken as to a demonstration
.nB.We ere gratified to state that our hint has been
the C
has proposed, and his views
with the relatives of thoselost in t e
Comma der_
head. Admiral Sir Thomas Briggs'
orn
are
in-Chief at this port,
by
itha Admiral Superin-
tendentmost warmly espoused
witi cili:Jr.. 'utweP .dn ie of bet rd._
Prescott, C. 8., that, they, together with the
should in demonstration of their deep
regret relief of the widows
jeeaspttyll'isassliirs caenrcr vessels. at_ Spi h a and in Ports-
mouth harbour,
who perished
regret at the loss of the Birkenhead subscribe one
andday's
marines
be most readily
proud to add
aslrequisitionl
. Bramble)
oonnd
t ho
arptpahyn
inetniosawneacf rhtdohs the
will
l has also been signed
We are
Portsmouth, acknowledged.to the Mayor
eratio n the b " for the purpoofsethoef
thisiAr o.
co„,:i ciootuoneeioleosfid
best means to be adopted
taking
for raising funds in aid ofthe sufferers by the me-
lancholy loss of her Majesty's ship Birkenhead, and
steps as may be deemed desirable." This
mtoeteatki
negs such
be
held on Saturday at two o'clock. It
could not be held earlier,threeelear days to be given before
as the Municipal Act com-
pels a notice of
any special meeting a corporation can legally take
of
place.

April 8, 1852.

PORTSMOUTH GARRISON.—The Master-General of
the Ordnance (Lord Hardinge) arrived at this port
yesterday, and after inspecting the new works, forts,
&c., embarked in the Lightning steam-tender for the
Channel Islands.
WOOLWICH, APRIL 7.—The intelligence which
reached this port yesterday afternoon of the loss of
the Birkenhead, and of so many persons on board, has
caused a more than ordinary feeling of regret, as
Master-Commander R. Salmond, who had charge of
the vessel, and Mr. W. Brodie, additional master,
were well known and greatly respected at Woolwich,
both having been borne on the books of the Fisgard
flag-ship at this port immediately previous to their
appointment to the Birkenhead. Mr. W. Brodie had
been but recently married at Porteea ; the chief en-
gineer, Mr. W. Whyham, and the assistant-engineers,
were also known to many in this quarter. Many of
the officers who were drowned were well known to
the officers of the garrison here. Cornet Roll-, of the 1
12th Lancers, was the son of Mr. Rolt, the centractor,
all
feel has become a candidate for the borough, and 11
feel deeply for the loss he has sustained.
Captain Erasmus Ornmanney and Colonel Fre-
mont, with Mrs. Fremont, from the United Colonel
State`''
visited Woolwich Dockyard yesterdaoy.
Fremont is well known in ell quarters
.c
his name being so often mentioned in
the " diggings ' in California. h
Several of the workmen at ti e
overtime at present, being m 1101) leam.
crank for the celebrated irothes,
can, recently returned from. e‘
...,
The Llighflyer steams- connexion with
I the world,
factory are working
ed in making a new
Cape
of
foop-ship Vul-
.Goo...rd Hope.
can, vapgun henry j .

SA
`,.-r
. ,r7l

Matson, will stop at Greenhithe wh -4. c mem,
Woolwich on Saturday, to have her utip ysssiiraci-.--
justed by Captain Johnson. The whole"; ~,Loficeri
have now joined this fine vessel, ,and she in -a
powerful addition, from her great weight,,,,,Arcase -
mem, to the steam-vessels in commission at Ports-
mouth.

LAUNCH OF THE SCREW STEAM-SHIP

INDIANA.
Yesterday was launched from the extensive build-
ing establishment of Mare and Co., Blackwell,
another of the new fleet of screw-steamers destined to
convey the mails, &c., from Plymouth to the Cape of
Good Hope and Calcutta, and ultimately, in all pro-
bability, to Australia. This ship is the fourth large
screw-vessel that has been turned out by Mare and
Co., and the Indiana is a worthy addition to the
large squadron now afloat, composed of the " Har-
binger," " Queen of the South," and the " Lady
Jocelyn." The event was regarded as quite a holi-
day at Blackwell, and by the thousands assembled
at Mr. Mare's establishment to witness the depar-
ture of the ship from the slip on which she has been
constructed in comparatively a very short time.
From the gigantic proportions which the ship pre-
sented on the stocks, it was almost deemed im-
possible that she could be got into the water
safely from such a box of a place in
which she was cradled ; but the same art that
designed such a magnificent structure had arranged
the necessary means for extricating her from her
slip, and consequently, at the appointed time the
Indiana, having received her appropriate name with
the usual ceremonies, glided into the water in excel-
lent style—first moving almost imperceptibly, but at
each yard gathering way, until the huge fabric bad
acquired such a momentum that she dashed away
across the creek and ran on a bed prepared to receive
her, from whence she was subsequently towed out
into the Thames and moored off Blackwell, prepara-
tory to being taken into dock to be fitted for sea.
The Indiana, like her sister ships, is a credit to the
company and her constructor, and an honour to the
country which has produced so fine a fleet of vessels
as already compose this rising and influential com-
pany. She is 240 feet 6 inches long, 39 feet 3 inches
broad, and 25 feet deep. Her burden in tons is 1,778,
and she is to be propelled with engines of 300-
horse power, by Mandalay, Field, and Co. Her
appearance in the water was hailed with shouts
of applause by the spectators, who watched
with great interest the process of extricating so large
a ship from the confined limits of Bow Creek. Her
launching trim a little by the stern set the ship off to
great advantage, and altogether she appeared from
stem to stern a most handsome craft. A contrast to
the Indiana was afforded to the visitors to the East
India Docks in the almost finished sister ships the
Queen of the South and the Lady Jocelyn. They
were fully rigged and nearly completed, and, we be-
lieve, the Queen of the South will make her first trip
during June next. Their appearance could not fail
to arrest attention ; for they were strikingly massive,
but well-equipped and wholesome-built ships. At this
launch an opportunity was afforded to the numerous
assembly to perambulate the extensive, but com-
plete, establishment of Mr. Mare, at which we un-
derstand, he employs some three thousand men,
and has building and fitting, and in course of
laying down some 25,000 tons of steam shipping,
including the "Mauritius," "Calcutta," and other 1,800
ton screw ships, for the General Screw Steam Ship-
ping Company, and, with some small vessels for his
IHoliness the Pope of Rome, that stupendous steamer
for the Peninsular and Oriental Company, the Hima-
laya, of 3,200 tons, and 1,200 horse power.
After the launch, which was attended by Mr. Ellis,
the Chairman, Mr. Fox, M.P., and other directors,
Mr. O'Beirne, the Secretary, and Captain Ford, the
superintendent of the company, Mr. F. P. Smith,
Mr. Field, and a great many other scientific gentle-
men, the directors and their friends adjourned to the
Brunswick Hotel, where a dejeuner was partaken of,
and success was drunk to the ship, the company, Mr.
Mare, his naval architect, Mr. Waterman, and others
concerned in the proprietary and in building the
above addition to the enterprising company's fleet of
screw steamers.

SPORTING NOTES.
No. CXCIX.
THE NEWMARKET CRAVEN MEETING.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Sin,—ln days of yore, the Craven Meeting at head-
quarters commenced the racing season; now, however,
it is preceded by several large, and many minor, meet-
ings. This meeting still has one peculiarity, and though
it does not open the season, it is the ground on which
we have the first peep at some of the principal three
years old engaged in the Derby—no less than nine
stakes being for horses of that age. The Meeting com-
mences on Monday with the Craven Stakes, which has
yet to close and name. Then follows a small Handicap,
the entries for which are to be made the night before
the race; after which, as the play-bills have it, the first
stake of any standing—the Thirty-eighth Riddlesworth
—will be run over the Abingdon Mile. There are only
three subscribers to this stake, and but two nominations,
the Duke of Bedford's and Sir R. Pigott's. Huoo, be-
longing to the former, will, I have but little doubt, de-
feat the Baronet's Daughter of Saint Francis and
Prioress.
fSA Sweepstakes of 100 sovs. each, h ft, colts, Bst 71b,
fillies, Bst 41b, over the Abingdon Mile, in all probabi-
lity will not be contested by more than a couple, and
might be a walk over; but in any case it will be won by
Lord Ribblesdale's LIVERMERE.
Another Sweepstakes of 100 sovs. each, h ft, for colts
only, over the Cambridgeshire Course, will most pro-
bably:be contested by Ilex, Hesperus, and Wingenund.
The last-named has proved himself such a very wretched
animal by his previous performances, that I think this
race may be booked to the Duke of Bedford with
HESPERUS•
first stake on the list is the Nineteenth
On Tuesday the
Tuesday's Riddlesworth Stakes of 200 sovs. each, le ft,
for three yrs old, colts, Bst 71b; fillies, Bst 41b, over the
very bad ones, and Re-
D.M. lam not at all certain what will be started for
this race, but I am tolerably confident that MAGNES and
Tnn NABOB will occupy the two first places; Weather-
over the Cler-
mont a very doubtful starter.
25
The Newmarket Handicap of sews. each, 10 ft, and
Weather-
gage and the Toga filly being
mont Course (about a mile,
&ea with 200. added,
six furlongs, and some score
yards), next claims my attention. igeddington and
• the couple of top w
only 5 if declared,
Aphrodit6, eights' together, I be-
lieve,wait Hernandez, will be
missing from the fray.
Tile Grand Duke, T,)111 HoltbY Harpsichord,Lady
the Old T, (1 —a,, and 2
Agnes, Snariy will
Stebbings'e . be also
absentees.couple likewise, I think,
will be non est on the a •
ay, and Merry
Peal is scracted. At the present time I imagine
the field will be composed of *
o the following:—Officious,
flardinge, Proctor, Tophana, Coryphe.e, The Little
savage, Mountain Flower, D O
War-
foot colt, Bardol
elia colt ( ) Sally
Ph, Came • i.
a, Plumstead, Pluck, Maria,
and one of Lord Clifden, ar
ts, probably Poodle. The top
weights I consider
•
the middle weights are all settled by the presence of
Officious,
by Tophana and
tionf the Coryphee, and the light
weights are disposed o
by the Little Savage and Poodle.
I should be inclined to take the three first named for
choice to stand on; T_ _ °PRAHA, however, if she runs, to
beat the lot, My final remarks on this race will appear
on Monday evening, it being • ' give a impossible for me give a de-
cisive
ci.opinion at the present moment, as the various
owners' intentions are not at all clear as to starting,
&c. Two or three other stakes, which have not closed
as yet, finish the day's sport.
On Wednesday's races I shall only touch upon one—
the Column Stakes—of 50 soya. each, h ft, over the
R.M. This &tette bee thirty .......;....uons to it; bit
will probably have but few starters, namely-'
Lapidist, Glenluce, Sophistry, Exotic filly, Princess
colt, and, perhaps, another or two of comparatively
little account. The field I will give in my communica-
tion on Monday. At a first glance the race seems a cer-
tainty for Lapidist, and to my thinking so it is; but it
must be remembered that Glenlace is a remarkably fast
filly, and that Sophistry's running was anything but bad
last year. It would be a curious coincidence were La-
pidist, a la Ariosto, to find himself dividing the two fil-
lies by running home second, as was the case with
Ariosto last year; but at the present reading I must
place LAPIDIST first, with the two fillies second and
third, the Orlando colt fourth, and the Exotic filly last.
Thursday's and Friday's races I will touch upon to-
morrow.

I sm, Sir, yours, &c.,
THE SPIRIT OF THE TURF.

SEABORNE MAILS.
[IT signifies that the mails aro sent front the General post
by the night—and M by the morning-spatch•]

When made up In
PLACES. General Peet-office
London:

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patched. ~......

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April 2IL

April 16
May 5
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!April 10

FRANCE.
The Prince de Canino i 3 still at Civita Vecchia,
but is expected to return forthwith to France.
Orders have, says the Public, been given to the
contractors for the demolitions on the Place Car-
rousel to have all their materials removed and the
ground levelled by the sth of May next, when the
Prince-President of the Republic will hold a grand
review of the National Guard and the troops of the
garrison. It is calculated that when the place is com-
pletely cleared, the Court of the Tuileries, the
Quais, and the Rue de Rivoli will be large enough
for the movement of 150,000 men. It is said that it
has been decided that i❑ future the Place du Car-
rousel shall bear the name of Place Napoleon.
The Bill for regulating the new copper coinage
has been published. The following are the principal
enactments :—All the pieces of one and two liards,
and of one and two sous are to be called in, and re-
placed by bronze pieces of one, two, five, and ten cen-
times. They will be composed of 95 parts of copper,
4of brass, and lof zinc. The new coins will bear
on the face the effigy of the Prince-President of the
Republic, with the motto Louis Napoleon Bonaparte,
and on the back the indication of the value of the
piece and the date of its coinage. The amount of the
new copper coin issued will not exceed in nominal
value that of the coinage called in. A. sum of
7,560,000 F. is appropriated for all the expenses
of the new coinage and the paying off of the
old. A special credit of one million is opened to the
Minister of Finance on the estimates of 1852 in part
of the above sum.
A dinner has been given at the Trois Freres Pro-
ver.qaux by a considerable number of the principal
French manufacturers who exhibited their products
in London to M. Sallandrouze Lamornaix,the French
Government Commissioner at the Exhibition, as a
testimony of the grateful sense that they entertain of
his exertions in that capacity. Amongst the persons
who offered and were present at the dinner were
several members of the Legislative body. The health
of the President of the Republic, as l'Elu de la
Nation, was proposed and received with enthusiasm.
The health of M. Sallandrouze followed, and the
compliment was acknowledged by him in a speech
which gave general satisfaction. Before the com-
pany separated a subscription, which produced a con-
siderable sum, was made as a contribution to the
charitable institutions of Paris.