The Sun.
London, England, 1852-12-16 00:00:00

THE MELBOURNE

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
• am desired by the directors of this company to
forward to you, for insertion in your journal, and for the
information of the friends of the passengers en board the
Royal mail screw steamer Melbourne, the following offi-
cial letter received from Captain Hutton, the com-
mander.
I am, Sir, your most obedient servant, .
•R. MARSHALL, Secretary.
Australian Royal Mail Steam Navigation Company,
69, Lombard-street, Dec. 14, 1852.

" Australian Royal Mail Steam Navigation
Company's Screw Steamer Melbourne,
Porto Grande, St. Vincent, Nov. 29, 1852.
" Sir,—l have the honour to inform you, for the in-
formation of the board of directors, of the arrival of the
screw steamer Melbourne, in the above port, this morn-
ing at 8 o'clock.
"We have commenced coalinz, but, owing to the arri-
val of the Queen.Of the South last evening, we must take
our turn, in consequence of her using all the boats for
that purpose available.
" Our consumption of coals from Lisbon is 193 tons,
and, as we can find room for 50 to 70 tons more below,
we shall take that quantity on board to enable us to
reach Cape Town without further supplies.
"We weighed anchor from the Tao•us at noon of the
21st inst., it being high water (the pilot refusing to take
us to sea the night previous), and steamed out against a
hard gale and a high sea running that continued for two
days, which retarded our progress, as shown by the ab-
stract of the ship's log. Since then we have made fair
progress, the winds being light and favourable.
" I have much pleasure in informing you that there is
not a single complaint against the general comfort and
and
Prom that
the a
ship's feel
company
tam ent.
single murmur, and the general
happinesstadl nui there ri ee
duties
oa sf express
t hno
efo tts contentment.
npe passengers,t
hennave been done with the best feeling. I
may add, that the ship is tight, and by an alteration in
our bilge-pumps, worked by the engine, all the water is
kept continually drained out.
" I enclose an abstract of the log, surgeon's report,

&c.
"I may further add, no accident, either to masts,
yards, spars, or sails, has
is happened, and, with few ex-
ceptions of the engine being stopped to cool the bear-
ings, that everything going on to my satisfaction ; that
the water-closets act satisfactorily ; and that the lower
decks are completely clear from any water now, except
a few trifling drops from the upper works that will be
corrected immediatelyyoonurleavi very laving
St. Vincent.
obedient servant,
"J. S. SUTTON Commander.
"Robert Marshall, Esq., Secretary.",

St.
St.

rst.
st.

WEST LONDON REFORM ASSOCIA.TION.—Last night
the annual -meeting of this association was held at the
Commercial Hall, Icing's-road, Chelsea. ; Mr. President
Gaskell in the chair. Mr. Osborne, one of the members
for the county wasp resent, and there was a numerous at-
tendance of members. The business was commenced by
the Chairman reading a lengthened
report which referred
to the circumstances under which the association was
formed in 1847. The want of an organisation was deeply
felt by the Liberals of the district at the election in that
year, which resulted in their getting rid of a Tory mem-
ber. At the last election they had again succeeded in seat-
ing two Liberals, though with a more severe struggle than
in 1847. In February last Lord John Russell introduced
his long promised measure of Parliamentary reform. in.
proposed to give the two vacant seats for Sud-
which he
bury to the town of Birkenhead, in Cheshire, containing
24,175 inhabitants, and 3,228 inhabited houses, and to the
town of Burnley, in Lancashire, with a population of
20,828, and 3,741 inhabited houses. The Liberals of the
district felt that great injustice was done to it by being
thus passed over, inasmuch as the same Parliamentary re-
turns shewed, from which the preceding figures were
taken, that the statistics of the four unrepresented
parishes of the metropolis were as follows :
Population. Inhabited Houses.
Che15ea............ 56,538
Kensington ....•• 44,053
Hammersmith..
11,, 17886 ....769
Fu1ham...........
making a grand total of 130,237 inhabitants, and 18,639
inhabited houses. Lord J. Russell, however, loft out that
great district in his bill, which was withdrawn. The re-
port, in conclusion, urged the importance of paying in-
creased attention to the register, as the best means of sup-
porting the Liberal cau.se. The report was adopted.
LONDON AND NORTH-WESTERN RAILWAY. THE
DIRECTION.—We are informed that on the recent death of
a London member of the London and North-Western
Board of Directors,
an application was made by some in-
fluential shareholders in Liverpool to elect a Mr. T—, a
representative of the Lancashire interest. It is is stated
that, of the 21,000,000/. share capital of the London and
North-Western Company, about 7,00%000/, are held in
Lancashire, which has sent 16 members to the Board, while
about 9,000,0001. are held in London, which is now repre-
sented at the Board by seven members only.-11forning
Herald.
FORGERY ON HANBURY'S forgery, to the
extent of 9001., was committed upon this firm yesterday,
which we regret to say was successful.
MURDER IN DEAN FOREST.—Another foul crime has
been committed on the western borders of the Forest of
Dean, a locality which unhappily bears an ill name for
deeds of violence. The case now under notice is a peculiar
one in point of atrocity, and although it has undergone
considerable sifting by the local officer, it is still enveloped
in much mystery. The deceased is one William Peake, a
sawyer, who lived within a few miles of the picturesque
town of Ross. Ho had been drinking at a public-house for
several hours yesterday (Wednesday) week, and left to
proceed home (being then somewhat the worse for liquor)
at 11 o'clock at night. A man named James Greenhaf,
who also lives in the neighbourhood, proposed to accom-
pany him, and they left the public-house together. Peake
was never seen alive again. Next morning he was found
dead in the turnpike road, three quarters of a mile from
the public-house ; death having clearly been caused by a
violent stab with some sharp instrument in the eye, which
instrument cut through the eyeball, penetrated the brain,
and fractured the skull at the back of the head. Two days
afterwards James Greenhaf was taken into custody, and
on Monday the inquest was held before Mr. Joseph Love-
grove, one of the coroners for Glocestershire. The evi-
dence adduced was very voluminous.
AFFECTING INSTANCE OF SUDDEN DEATH.—During
the reading of the prayers by the Rev. Hugh Allen, yester-
day evening, at the church of St. Olave, Old Jowly, a lady
of the name of Acton was taken suddenly ill, and almost as
soon as removed to the vestry she expired. The rev. gen-
tleman made a very suitable allusion to the affecting cir-
cumstance, which it is hoped has made a lasting impression
on the numerous congregation, assembled on the occasion.