The Sun.
London, England, 1853-07-11 00:00:00

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SOUTH AUSTRAL COPPER M
P,4NY.

The following is the report of the committee of ma-
nagement, to be submitted to the ordinary general meet-
ing of the company, to be held at the offices, 17, Grace-
church-street, on Wednesday, the 13th day of July inst.,
at one o'clock precisely :

1. The committee of management have pleasure in sub-
mitting to the shareholders, at this, the first general meet-
ing after the appointment of your present committee, the
steps which they have taken in prosecuting the duties com-
mitted to them, together with a roporton the financial and
general affairs of the company, more especially, because
your committee believe that, whilst the present state of the
company must be a matter of satisfaction, its future pros-
pects will inspire general confidence.
2. When your committee came into office, they found
the financial affairs of the company in a confused state,
with scarcely a moiety of the capital raised, and with
heavy liabilities for machinery, whilst it appeared that
nothing had been done in the colony for prosecuting the
works.

3. Your committee deemed it their first duty to place
the financial affairs of the company in a sound position, as
without that, it would have been useless to have looked
for success in our operations, or to have expected confidence
or credit, for the company as a sound commercial under-
taking. The manner in which the unissued capital should
be raised, was a question of considerable difficulty, but
your committee think that, in the steps pursued by them,
your interests have been served. A portion of the shares
were sold, and the nett profit or premium realised to the
company on the sale, was 2,637/. 12s. 6d., which, being
plus the capital, remains to be dealt with as the meeting
may determine.
4. The company has been fortunate in the selection
of its machinery and staff. Of the latter, the committee
believe that a better set of miners never left England.
The machinery is of the very best description, consisting
of a pumping engine, 60-inch cylinders, with three boilers
of 12 tons each, pumps and pit-work, a steam engine
of 20-inch cylinders, crushing machine, hauling and
stamping machines, raft wheels, connecting gear, jig.
ging machine work, bobwork, capstans and shear
work, chains, rope, railroad iron and wheels,
smiths,'waggons,
engineers,' carpenters,' masons,' tools and mining
implements, with duplicates of all the more important
parts of the machinery most subject to accident. In con-
sequence of the advance in the price of iron, the intrinsic
value of this machinery is reported to be 1,500% to 2,0001.
more than the amount paid for the same. Considerable
credit is due to Mr. Basset, your engineer, from whose
plans and specifications the machinery was made.
5. A portion of the miners were dispatched in the ship
Ramillies (which left Southampton on the 20th February
last), the remainder (excepting two) sailed in the Caroline
(402 tons register), with the whole of the machinery, from
Falmouth, on the 15th April ; and the principal officers,
and the rest of the miners, sailed by the Agra, on the 20th
May.

6. Full instructions (and remittances) have been for-
warded by your committee to the colonial committee to
set the men at work on the mines immediately on their
arrival, and it is probable that, by this time, those
dispatched by the Ramilies are at work.
7. The Agra, which is a fast-sailing clipper, will pro-
bably arrive at Adelaide before the Caroline, and Mr.
Bassett, the engineer, will be enabled to organise his plan
of operations before the arrival of the miners and machi-
nery by that ship. Mr. Basset has been instructed to turn
his immediate attention to the realisation of the ore al-
ready at Grass, on the mine.
8. Intelligence having reached your committee that gold
had been discovered on the banks of the Echunga, a river
passing by your property at Strathalbyn, and that the dis-
covery had been made within a very short distance there-
from, your committee deemed it right to give instructions
to the engineer to report to them, at the earliest moment,
on the existence, or otherwise, of gold on your property.
It would be well if valuable discoveries should be made
thereon, that your committee should have the power of
taking immediate advantage of the circumstance by either
working for the gold themselves, or leasing the ground to
others. Your committee have, therefore convened a special
meeting immediately after the termination of the ordinary
meeting, for the purpose of amending the rules of the cost
book, by which the requisite authority may be given.
Your committee, however, do not contemplate allowing
any discovery of gold to interfere with or delay the pri-
mary object of this company, viz., copper mining ; for,
however valuable gold mines maybe, it would be better to
lease them to others to work, than to allow the company
to be diverted from its original purpose. The committee
trust the shareholders will support them in this view ;
although gold discoveries may very materially increase the
value of your property, it must be borne in mind that a
first-rate Australian copper mine is better than any gold
discovery yet known. In illustration of this, the Burra
Burrs Mine, and the Kayunda Mine, may be referred to.
9. Very satisfactory representations of the valuable na-
ture of your property, stating that it abounds in mineral
wealth, have been made by various parties who have
visited the mines, confirming the reports made by the
Hon. Mr. Morphett and his colleagues, who formed the
original colonial committee. The reports, although not
official, yet, coming as they have done, from highly re-
spectable parties, altogether independent of the company,
and unknown to each other, strengthen the confidence
which your committee before entertained of the high cha-
racter of the undertaking.
10. The anxiety which has long been felt with regard to
labour in the colony is subsiding ; and, in a dispatch re-
cently received from one of the colonial committee, it is
stated that the men wore returning from the gold diggings
to their ordinary occupations, and that applications had
been made to him by some hands, originally employed on
tho mines, to be put to work again. Your committee
therefore hope that no fear need be entertained of the men
employed being true to their engagements.
11. In conclusion, the committee trust there is solid
ground for looking forward to great and early returns from
the undertaking.
12. The advantages which the company possess would
appear to be of no ordinary character. In addition to the
mineral property, and several houses, smelting furnaces,
&,c., the company possess 636 acres, of which about
120 acres are laid out as town lands, at Strathalbyn, a dis-
tance of about 30 miles from the rapidly-rising and impor-
tant town of Adelaide (between which there are good
roads), and the value of this land has, from its proximity
to the port, become greatly increased. The committee be-
lieve that no copper mine in the colony is more favourably
situated than the mines of the company at Strathalbyn.
13. The committee have endeavoured to conduct your
affairs with the strictest economy, compatible with effi-
ciency, and they can only say that, to the best of their
power, they will continue to uphold that course.
14. The accounts, made up to 30th day of June, will be
submitted to the meeting, and the committee will have
great pleasure in affording the shareholders any further in-
formation they may require.

J. THOMPSON, Chairman.

DESPERATE ATTEMPT TO MURDER A
FEMALE.

On Saturday night, shortly before eleven o'clock, the
quiet inhabitants of St. Dunstan, Stepney, were thrown
into a state of considerable excitement, in consequence
of a most atrocious attempt to murder a married female
named Hannah Sargant, aged 26 years, of No. 11, Ed-
ward-street, Limehouse-fields, Stepney ; and from what
can be gleaned, very.slight hopes are entertained of the
unfortunate woman's life.
It appears that the injured female and her husband
(John Sargant), a chaff-cutter, had lived very comfort.
ably together, but were frequently visited by a man
named James Upson, a blacksmith who had known them
for many years, and who was in the habit of borrowing
small sums of money. On Saturday night, about half-
past ten o'clock, Mrs. Sargant left home alone, for the
purpose of purchasing her Sunday's dinner, and obtaining
various articles for household use, and while passing the
iron railing in front of Stepney Church, she met the man
Upson, who said, " How are you ?" " Oh, lam very
well." After which they passed on in the direction of
the Thames Police-court, Arbour-square, but had only
proceeded a short distance when Upson asked her to
lend him six shillings until Monday, which she told him
she could not spare, as she was going to market. He
seemed to be much excited, and when they reached the
Edinburgh Castle public-house, he said to Mrs. Sargant
" Never mind, I will give you some half-and-half, for
you will never drink with me any more." Mrs. Sar-
gant refused to take anything to drink, and told him she
must go. She left him, and he followed at some dis-
tance fibm her, and when she had reached a vacant piece
of ground at the rear of the Edinburgh Castle, he rushed
upon her and brandished a large table-knife, which he
drew from under the left breast part of his coat. Mrs.
Sargant screamed violently, but he immediately put his
left arm over her mouth, and with his right hand in-
flicted a severe cut in the neck, just below the chin.
He dropped her upon the ground, and made his escape ;
but several females came out of their houses, and
discovered the unfortunate woman lying on her back,
with a large incised wound in throat, from which the
blood was flowing very copiously ; she was also quite in-
sensible and near her was lying her market basket. Her
hands were cut, as if caused by her efforts to protect
herself against the murderous violence of Upson, who is
a powerful fellow.
An immediate alarm was raised, and the wounded
woman was carried by several police constables and other
persons to the nearest surgeon's, where the injury in the
neck was temporarily dressed, and the hemorrhage
checked, after which she was placed in a cart and con-
veyed with all possible care to the London Hospital,
where Mr. Streetfield, the house surgeon, and other
medical officers rendered prompt assistance by sewing up
the wound, which was five inches in length.
Last evening at eight o'clock, the unfortunate female
was in a very precarious state, but only her husband and
her sister were allowed to see her.
Several officers of the K division from Arbour-square
station went in search of Upson, but no traces of him
had been gleaned at a late hour last night. It is gene-
rally supposed that he has committed suicide by jump-
ing into the Regent's Canal, and steps will be taken by
the authorities of Stepney to search for the body with
the drags this day (Monday).
There were several rumours as to the real cause of the
quarrel between the injured woman and Upson, but the
truth could not be ascertained.

MR. HENRY J. BATELLE, M.P.—We are sorry to an-
nounce that Mr. Baillie, our county member, has been
for some time in bad health, and, in consequence, his
physicians have ordered him to try the effect of the Ger-
man baths.—lnverness Courier.
SIR JOSEPH THACKWELL.—The following general or-
der, in reference to this distinguished officer, has been
published to the troops in India :
" Head Quarters, Simla, May 3.—Major-General Sir
Joshua Thackwell, G-.C.8., has completed his term of
eventful and valuable service in India, having held high
command with distinction in the advance upon Cabul ; in
1812, at the battle of Maharajpore, and throughout the
brilliant campaigns of the Sutlej and Punjaub ; and hav-
ing zealously and ably discharged the various important
duties devolving upon him since the re-establishment of
peace in India. The Commander-in-Chief is satisfied
that, in wishing Sir Joseph Thackwell a favourable pas-
sage home, and continued prosperity in his future military
career, he expresses the feelings of the whole army of
India, which has through a course of so many years been
witness to the zeal and efficiency of which Sir J. Thack-
well has invariably given proof in forwarding the interest
of the service and the well-being of the soldier.
(Signed) " W. M. Gomm,
"Commander-in-Chief, East Indies."