The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-12 00:00:00

TBE PENINSULAR MALLS.

The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steam-
ship Tagus, Captain W. B. Hall, arrived at South-
ampton yesterday at 1 p.m., with mails from Lis-
bon of the 7th inst., and from Oporto and Vigo of
the Bth, in charge of Lieut. Balfour, R.N., naval
mail agent. Fresh westerly winds, with pretty
fine weather, were experienced as far as Ushant.
The Tagus brought 44 passengers (viz., 36 first-
class, three second, and five deck), £1,609 in specie,
398 half-ct ests of oranges, 280 cares of eggs, 49
cases of potatoes, and 11 packages of general mer-
chandise.

When the packet left Lisbon the Government
had suspended the contemplated transmission of
troops from the capital to the Northern Provinces,
where the tumults appeared to have been of slight
importance, promoted under pretext of opposition
to the new system of taxation.

The debate respecting the Sisters of Charity had
commenced in the House of Deputies, and, being
made apolitical question to turn out the Government,
was likely to continue many days. The public seemed
to take little intereEt in it.

The report that King dom Luiz I. was in treaty
to marry the Princess Maria Pia, daughter of the
King of Italy, gained ground in Lisbon, and was
very popular with the people.

The Lisbon exchanges by this packet at three
months are—London, 53/, bills over; Paris, 528;
Hamburg, 48; Amsterdam, 42k ; Genoa, 524.
Three per Cent. Stock, 44/ to 45 ex dividend.
The Prussian gunbrig Hela, the America corvette
St. Louis, and the usual Portuguese squadron were
at Lisbon.

Heavy rains were falling at Oporto when the
Tagus called off that port.
At Vigo several anchor-barges were at work over
a sunken Spanish steamer.

On thelOth inst.,off Ushant, the Tagus spoke the
Royal Mail steamer Parana, with the outward
Brazil mails, and a British sailing corvette, both
standing to the south-west.

The Tagus wiii leave Southampton again on
Saturday next, with the outward mails for Vigo,
Oporto, and Lisbon.

TV.EST AFRICAN 211 AILS.

FEARFUL SACRIFICE OF LIFE-TIE KING OF
DAHOMEY AGAIN-ONE THOUSAND PEOPLE
BEHEADED.

LIVEIgOOLy SATURDAY NIGHT.

The royal mail steam-ship Ethiope, Commander
Delamotte, arrived here this evening with the usual
monthly mails from the West Coast of Africa,.
Teneriffe, and Madeira. She brings 1.3000 z. gold
dust, 940 sovereigns, 260 doubloons, 2,500 dollars,
and 2,400 5 franc pieces, with a full cargo of palm
oil, ivory, &c.

Lagos was healthy. In the beginning of April
a large French screw steamer, under French colours,
entered Whydah harbour within a cable's length
from the beach, and successfully loaded a eslr43" of
1,600 clava , and prvceecied to sea without interrup.
tion. The King of Dahomey bad attacked and
burnt the town of Ishaga, about 16 miles west of
Abbeokuta. He beheaded about 1,000 of the inha-
bitants, and took the remainder (about 4,000) pri-
prisoners, including a native missionary agent. The
large town of Ijage, five days' journey in the inte-
rior, had been destroyed by the Ibadans. An Eng-
lish missionary was made prisoner, and a ransom
equal to about £2,000 demanded for his release,
but the Governor at Lagos was taking the neces-
sary steps to enforce his release.

CAPE COAST CASTLE.—The Manuel Ortiz had
been condemned as a slaver by the Court of Admi-
ralty, and ordered to be sold.

THE MERRIMAC.—The Washington Star pub-
lishes the following despatch, dated Fortress Monroe,
April 23 :—" From the refugees that reached nere tnis
morning we learn that the Merrimac is being plated three
feet lower (under water), and sunk in the water one foot
deeper than before. We also learn that the rebel plan is to
board the 11.1onitor with 20 men armed with mallets and
wedges, prearranged to spike her turret port-holes in an
instant. This was expected, and lam happy to be able to
say, has been thoroughly guarded against by changes
made in the Monitor's means of defence."

THE THEATRICAL WORLD.—On dit, some great
changes are about to take place in the theatrical world. Mr.
Benjamin Webster, the popular and deservedly successful
lessee of the New Adelphi Theatre, will shortly take a final
and retire into
at the same time,
private
erai vv
ae tof e
life. i s o 1;14
r.
Dion
Bt hoeu Lc oc
anud
lotn public,will,
quit the scene of his -recent triumphs, and assume the
management of the Princess's, in place of Mr. Fechter, who
migrates to the Lyceum. It is further rumoured that Mr.
Falconer, the manager of the last-named theatre, is in
negotiation for the lease of the Adelphi on the abdication
of Mr. 'Webster, in which case we shall have the most
complete Thespian revolution ever recorded in, the annals
of the London iatage,