The Sun.
London, England, 1853-09-17 00:00:00

MINING INTELLIGENCE.

(Front the Mining Journal of this day.)
Excepting in one or two dividend mines, and a few
others in which discoveries have been made, we can-
not report any improvement in the market this week.
In purely speculative mines, many shares have been
offered, without finding buyers at any price. In times of
depression like the present, almost amounting to a panic,
the limited nature of the mininc, market is severely
felt ; yet some consolation may be derived from the
fact, that in very few, if in any, instances have our
home speculations suffered to the extent of some of the
foreign mines, although the latter have been brought out
under the prestige of great names, and supported by the in-
fluence of the Stock Exchange. In mentioning our home
mines, we allude, of course, to bond fide concerns, under
good management, and properly worked ; and not to
any of which may be said " The earth bath bubbles as
the water has, and these are of them." We have more
than once remarked how eager the general public are to
believe the most extravagant statements regarding any-
thing " foreign," and the truth of which cannot be tested
under many months ; whilst they look with incredulity
and suspicion upon a good report of any mine in our own
country, although a fee of 31. 3s. would, in a few days,
confirm, or deny, its correctness. Alfred Consols have ad-
vanced to 221. to 221. 10s. per share. The report of the
mine shows a very considerable increase in the value of the
different levels. Improvements are reported in Trannack,
Bosence, Wheal Neptune, West Stray Park, West Ding
Dong, Wheal Uny, and Wheal Harriett. In West Ding
Dong, one lode is reported as worth 1001. per fm. West
Frances and East Basset are rising in value, and inquired
after. At Herodsconabe, the lode in the adit end south
is 4 ft. wide, with good stones of lead ore, rich for silver.
Condurrow, 1401. to 1501. ; United, 2401. to 2501. ;
Pen-y-Gelli, 15/. ; East Basset, 451. ; Devon Consols,
4001. ; North Towey, 15s. to 17s. ed., and the mine
showing great prospects ; Sydney, 9/. ; Trevelyan, 21.
to 21. 10s. ; Eaglebrook, 901. to 1001. ; West Caradon,
230/. ; South Caradon, 2301. At the Orsedd meeting,
a call of 10s. per share was made, to pay for the engine
now in course of erection.

In the Metal Market, generally, there has been a vast
business doing in the last week.—Both Banca and Eng-
lish tin are nominally at the last quotations, but the de-
mand is such, that a speedy advance is expected, as well
•as in copper.—A vast business has taken place in tin-
plates, and higher rates are asking for them, the stock
being so reduced in quantity.—Spelter is in greater re-
quest, and at 221. ss. for November delivery. Stafford-
shire Pig-Iron has risen full 7s. 6d. per ton ; whilst
Scotch-Pig has declined to 625., solely by the bear
transactions alluded to in our last ; otherwise there was
fair reason to have expected an advance in price, in con-
sequence of the great dimunition that has taken place of
late in the stock on hand, which continues to an almost
incredible extent. The trade in rail and bar-iron is be-
yond all precedent.

The gold mining share market this week has been
generally depressed. Prices have sympathised from day
to day, with the varieties of the other departments of
the Stock Exchange. On Wednesday and Thursday the
tone was very heavy, and prices of all descriptions were
much depressed—some of the less accredited adventures
being virtually unsaleable ; but yesterday a reaction
was observable, and prices finally closed with a better
appearance than has been observed for some days past.
The arrivals of gold during the week have been the
Marco Polo, 54,201 ozs. ; Kent, 26,263 ozs. ; Anne
Milne, 280 ozs. ; and the Cornhill, 3,180 ozs. ; valued
at 12,7001.

In miscellaneous shares the market continues very
dull. Australian Agricultural opened on Monday at 32,
on Tuesday and Wednesday they fell to 28 to 261; but
on Thursday a slight improvement took place, the clos-
ing quotation being 29 ; yesterday a further advance
occurred, and business was done at 30 to 32. British
American Land on Monday were 64 to 67, and remained
stationery until Thursday, when they declined to 58 and
62, and closed yesterday at that price. Peel River on
Monday were to pm.' but during the week exchanged
hands at 12- dis. South Australian Land have varied
from 34 to 29, and Van Diemen's Land have fluctuated
from 16 to 31.

STEAM COMMUNICATION BETWEEN HOLY-
BEAD AND DbBLIN.

The following note refers to the attempts in pro-
gress to get a Government subsidy for the establish-
ment of a proper steam communication between.
Holyhead and Dublin. Should the claim be lis-
tened to, on the plea that the undertaking would
not prove remunerative to private enterprise, it will
be difficult to understand how the Government can
escape the liability of granting bounties to facilitate
traffic in all other parts of th empire where there
may be no inducement to do so from the prospects
of a dividend :

"Among the most interesting subjects of recent in-
quiry is the report of the Committee of the House of
Commons on Communication with Ireland, analysed in
the Times of the 7th inst.

'The sound principle of Government not unnecessarily
meddling should be observed. What is desired by those
who beat understand the question is, that the best possi-
ble ' bridge' should be made between Holyhead and
Kingstown ; and the testimony before the committee
puts it beyond cavil that boats can be made which would
do it at the regular speed of 25 miles an hour, and in
which sea-sickness would be scarcely known, and such
comfort insured as would quite create a new habit in in-
crease of personal communication between Great Britain
and Ireland. The gross annual cost of a boat of this
sort each way every day (in connection with the express
day trains) would not exceed 100,0001. per annum, in-
cluding wear and tear, interest of money, and every-
thing, of two boats.

"-Now, what is contended for is, that this ought to be
done by the railway companies whose traffic abuts at the
bridge,' and that Government have no more business
to give any pecuniary assistance to this `bridge' than
they would have had to give money to make the Kils-
by tunnel or the Boyne viaduct, or any other link of
a railway.

It was suggested to the committee, that if the rail-
ways would voluntarily establish the bridge,' all those
railway companies concerned in the traffic to be deve-
loped might refer it to some competent man, in whom
the railway companies would have confidence, to say in
what proportions various railways in Wales, England,
and Ireland should contribute (according to their esti-
mated interest in the traffic), and that Government
should facilitate the needful legislation to enable the as-
sociated railways to undertake it ; but that, as the gain
to the railways would be greater by the increase of
traffic, no Government s. d. were the least wanted.
" However, the committee do not appear to take up
this simple idea at all. They, and the witnesses who
appear to have most of their ear, seek to mix up the
postal service with these required passenger-boats, and
to aim at getting Government aid in disguise, under the
plea of Post-office service. The effect of this, if listened
to, will be that the railways will find in Government
money a premium to apathy in accommodating the
public, and the public will not enjoy so good a bridge'
as if the railways had been left to seek their remune-
ration in the increase of traffic which a proper bridge'
would create.

" This class of boat is inapplicable to the Post-office
service, because the bulk of that service must be done at
night, and there are frequent dark nights when the 25
miles an hour could not be carried on with prudenge, so
that even with boats of unlimited speed the expense
would be unavailingly incurred. All the Post-office ar•
rangements must be made to fit the longest passages of
frequent occurrence. I know that the nautical witnesses
would have made this appear still more clearly than it
does in the evidence if they had been properly drawn
out. I am, &c.,

ccR.7,

TROOPS FOR INDIA.—A detachment from the Four-
Company DepOt of the 74th Highlanders at Chatham,
consisting of 78 rank and file, with 2 sergeants, under
command of Lieutenant A. C. Prettyman, Lieutenant
Augustus Davies, and Lieutenant Jameson, marched in
company with a detachment of the 43d Light Infantry,
consisting of 2 sergeants, 1 bugler, and 108 rank and
file, under command of Captain Dorehill, Ensign Robert
Pakenbam, and Assistant-Surgeon Biddell, en route for
Gravesend. The beautiful brass band of the 38th Regi-
ment, and the bagpipes of the 74th Highlanders, played
the troops through the towns to the terminus of the
North Kent Railway. The troops embark at Gravesend
on board the freight-ship Adelaide, for eonveyance to
Madras. The 43d leaves a dep6t at Chatham consisting
of 100 men of all ranks, under command of Captain
Francis H. Synge and Lieutenant George H. Walker,
and Lieutenant the Hon. S. W. Milles, son of Lord
Sondes, of Norfolk. The 74th is expected to remain a
Four-Company Dep6t.
A BRUTAL ACT.—Some weeks ago, in a thick part o
the forest of Montlecon, department of the Allier, a boy
aged only nine was found covered with blood. An at-
tempt had been made to cut out his tongue. Medical
assistance was procured, and by judicious treatment he
was, after a while, able to state that he was the son of
a man living in the forest, and that one evening his
father being in a passion with him, had dragged him
into the forest, tied his hands behind his back, and had
then attempted to cut out his tongue. The father was
immediately arrested; but the judicial authorities have
not vet been able to decide whether the case is by law
one for trial by a court of assize or by a tribunal of
correctional police.
A SAVAIIE MASTIFF.—A serious accident occurred to
Lord Southwell on Sunday afternoon, while passing the
kennel of one of his watch-dogs, a powerful mastiff.
His lordship, as was his usual custom, stayed to fondle
the dog, which suddenly seized his master and tore off
the greater part of his clothing, and when beaten with a
stick the enraged animal pulled him to the ground and
endeavoured to drag him to his kennel, but his cries for
assistance were heard by the servants, who came up and
beat the dog off with an iron bar. His lordship is se-
verely bitten in the thigh, and his hands and fingers are '
extensively lacerated, the tendons being laid bare.
Messrs. Ricketts and Roden, of Droitwich, Lord South-
well's medical attendants, were immediately called in.
Up to the present time the symptoms are as favourable
as can be expected, considering the severe nature of the
injuries received.

THE MURDER AT STOCKPORT,—Since the committal
of James Moore, for the murder of his two step children
at Stockport, the canal has been drained near the spot
where the bodies were found, and at the bottom was
discovered the umbrella which the prisoner took with
Lim when he left his wife's house with the children. One
of his motives for so disposing of the umbrella appears to
have been that his wife prized it very much as a relict of
her first husband. Since hisscommittal he expressed a
desire to see his wife, but she said she did not want to
see the murderer of her children. When he was informed
of her refusal, he affected great unconcern, observing
that he only wanted to see her about the disposal of his
clothes, and other household matters.

LATEST FOREIGN NEWS.

FRANCE.

A rise has taken place in the price of corn in
Paris and the neighbouring districts. In other
markets, for instance, at Grenoble, Valence, &c.,
there has been a decline. Apples, for cider-making,
abound in Normandy.
The Bank of France has not raised its rate of
discount, nor is it likely to do so without an ex-
traordinary meeting of the directors. The usual
meeting will take place in three weeks.
The Moniteur promulgates the convention agreed
to at Rome, on the Ist of April, 1853, regulating
the postage of letters between the Roman States
and France or Algeria. The postage of an or-
dinary single letter between the two countries is to
be one franc, the sender having the option to pre-
pay the letter or not, just as he pleases. A like
amount of postage is to be charged for letters from
the French post offices in the Mediterranean to the
Pontifical States, and vice versa. The postage on
newspapers is to be 20 centimes.

The King of Holland has nominated General
Rollin, aide-de-camp to the Emperor of the French,
Knight of the Order of the Oak, and promoted M.
Fave, orderly officer, to the grade of commander
of the same order.

The Bourse was feeble yesterday, with little bu-
siness doing. The Three per Cents, opened at
76f. 75c., and closed at 76f. 75c., for the end of the
month. The Four-and-a-Half per Cents, closed at
101 f. 50c. ; Orleans Railway Shares, 1,208 f. 75c. ;
Rouen, 1,050 f. ; Havre, 507 f. 50c ; Great Northern,
855 f. ; Paris and Strasburg, 905 f. ; Paris and
Lyons, '9osf. ; Lyons to the Mediterranean, 760 f. ;
Western of France, 722 f. 50c. ; Bordeaux and
Cette, 610 f. ; Great Central, 525 f. ; Shares of the
Bank of Credit Mobilier, 766 f. 25c.