The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-25 00:00:00

THE STEAM-SHIP AUSTRALIAN.

A Parliamentary paper which has just been issued
contains the reports of the surveyors on the vessels of
the General Screw Steam Company and Australian
Royal Mail Steam Navigation Company. The report
of Mr. T. Waterman to Sir Baldwin Walker, of this
survey on the Australian, belonging to the latter com-
pany, states he surveyed the vessel on the 28th and 29th
of May, 1852, in the river Thames, and that he " found
this vessel built in a substantial manner, and fitted and
equipped with stores and furniture complete, and in
every respect fitting to convey the mails between this
country and Australia, in accordance with the terms of
the contract with this company, excepting tonnage, ar-
mament, and lightning conductors." From the form of
questions filled up by the surveyor, it appears that the
Australian was built at Dumbarton,' from the draught
of Mr. W. Denny, for the company,. and was launched
in February, last year. Her engines, which are of 300-
horse power, were constructed by Messrs. Tullock and
Denny, and she is fitted with a two-bladed screw. The
rate of speed at four trials in the Lower Hope, with and
against tide, was 9.91 knots. The number of revolutions
per minute being when deep, 274 ; whilst the engines
required 20 cwt. of coals per hour. The total comple-
ment of officers, according to this report, is 11 ; of men,
50 ; engineers, 4 ; stokers, 18 ; total, 83. The boats
were six in number, including two life-boats, the whole
being capable of carrying 180 persons. The mail room
is reported as being fitted complete. The Australian is
not fitted for guns, and consequently. would require con-
siderable alteration to be armed for war. On the 31st
May, 1852, Mr. Robert Hughes also reported to the
surveyor of the navy that he had surveyed the Austra-
lian, and that during the trial the working and general
performance of the engines, boilers, &c., were very satis-
factory. He also adds that " the engines are of the
nominal power of 300 horses, and fitted throughout in a
strong and substantial manner ; and further, that the
whole is, in his opinion, in accordance with the terms
of the contract, and in every respect good and fit for the
above service."

BROMPTON HOSPITAL—A meeting of the friends and
committee of this invaluable charity was held on Thurs-
day (yesterday) at the institution. It was stated that
the committee had the gratification of announcing that
the Marquis of Westminster would preside over the
ensuing anniversary festival of the hospital, which is
appointed to take place on the Ist of June next, at
Willis's Roomi. It appears that the portion of the
building already completed and occupied affords accom-
modation to ninety in-door patients, and includes the ne-
cessary offices, space, &c., requisite for the out-patient
department, from whence about a hundred individuals
suffering under diseases of the chest are daily prescribed
for. The new wing, or second half of the building, is
now in progress of completion. By this addition the
number of beds will be increased to 230, the necessity of
which is 'evinced by the fact of 176 patients waiting for'
admission during the past month, the majority of whose
cases grow difficult and dangerous by delay of treatment.
Goon FRIDAT.—This being Good Friday, it was ob-
served as a strict holiday at all the Government and
other public offices, and no business of any kind was
transacted during the day at the Docks or other great
commercial establishments in the metropolis. The only
exception to this rule was the General Post-office, St.
Martin's-le-Grand, where the ordinary public business
was transacted as usual, the deliveries in the metropoli-
tan district and the morning delivery of the mails from
the country and abroad, and the evening collection of
letters and newspapers for transmission to their several
destinations, being the same as on other week days.
This day and Christmas-day are the only holidays ob-
served at the Custom-house, Docks, &c., throughout the
year, with the exception of the day appointed for the
celebration of her Majesty's birthday, in consequence of,
the complete cessation of business which must' neces-
sarily take place in the import and shipping trade of the
country. Arrangements are, however, made on this
occasion for the attendance of a sufficient number of
officers at the steam-packet wharfs to examine the bag-
gage and dispatch passsengers arriving from the conti-
nent, and also for the steam-ships carrying the mails to
be enabled to discharge and take their departure for their
foreign ports of destination at the appointed time.
THE TURKISH LOAN. —lt is reported that the new
Bank of Constantinople, now in course of formation,
will provide for the settlement of the. claimants to the
instalment paid up in the late Turkish Lean. Some
time back, overtures were made to the Ottoman Govern-
ment, by parties of wealth and influence in the city of
London, undertaking to release both the Bank and the
Government from their pecuniary difficulties of every
kind, and their negotiations on the subject are likely, it
is said. to be successful, although some slight modifica-
tions have been found to be necessary in the plan origi-
nally submitted to the Sultan by Mr. Stanley, a gentle-
man Connected with a well-known London firm. The
prospectus of the new bank will shortly be issued.
Tax SALE OF COPENKAGEN-HOUSE TAVERN.—Yes-
terday the whole of the property connected with Copen-
hagen-House Tavern, which for many centuries has been
the resort of the London apprentices, and latterly of all
classes of the population of London, "was finally disposed
ot, the site on which this celebrated establishment stood,
with the race-ground attached, having been purchased
by the Corporation of the City of London for the new
cattle market. The lot comprises the furniture, fixtures,
many thousand feet of hoarding, the drinking boxes, &c.
LAMENTABLE SUICIDE AT OLDHAM.—A painful sensa-
tion was created at Oldham yesterday morning by the
rumour, which afterwards proved but too true, that Mr.
Alderman Alexander Taylor, of that borough, had de-
stroyed himself by cutting his throat with a razor. Mr.
Taylor was almost universally known throughout the
manufacturing districts, having been an active free-trader
in the days of the League. He had become a violent
political partisan at the last two elections, under circum-
stances which estranged him from many of his former
friends, but the news of his death will be a source of deep
regret amongst all parties.
REMITTANCES FROM THE GOLD REGIONS TO IRELAND,
—The Australian mail, which was delivered in Dublin
a few days back, brought no less than 935 registered
letters, each containing a remittance, more or less, from
parties who had emigrated to the gold-fields. Of these
but 25 were for persons residing in Dublin ; while 500,
or over one-half of the whole, were' dispatched to the
northern counties, the remainder being distributed
through the southern and western provinces. The re-
cipients in Ulster were chiefly of the substantial class of
farmers, men to whom a small sum of money could be
no great object. In the other districts the letters were
nearly all received by persons of the labouring class.
It is probable that *the supplies thus come to hand will
give a fresh impetus to emigration. But it is not to
Australia alone that the peasantry,a,re indebted for these
timely succours. The United States continue to add
their contingent to the general fund for furthering the
vast "clearance system" at present in progress.