The Sun.
London, England, 1854-04-27 00:00:00

TIIE WAR

(From the Manchester Guardian of yesterday.)
MANCHESTER, April 25.—The general state of bust
ness is not equal, in the present week, to what it was
last week. We are rather unfavourably affected by
more causes than one. The large decrease of gold in
the Bank of England, during the week last reported,
though mainly occasioned by the paym ith entother ci of the
rcum-
divi-
dends, gives rise, in connection w
stances, to an apprehension that we are about to ex-
perience a somewhat more stringent condition of the
money market. There is, too, an uneasy feeling
about the aspect of affairs on the Danube, which is
not without its influence. The caution of buyers leads
them to look, also, at tbe rather declining tendency of
cotton in the United States, in consequence of largely en-
hanced receipts at the ports and of depressing advices
from Europe, which must have foiled the transatlantic
speculators. This, though welcome as an indication for
the future, has yet some little effect in the way just
referred to ;as has also the fact that the turn-out at
Stockport, discountenanced both by the shopkeepers of
the place and by the delegates of the union, isevidently
breaking down, while the operatives at Preston are
gradually accepting the mill owners' terms. These cir-
cumstances have contributed to check operations in a
degree which has been sensibly felt to-day ;bu a
t the
falling off in business is in a great degree al ,
so conse-
'
quence of the very extensive transactions for India and
China which took place last week and the week before,
and which of course left so much less to be done. Al-
though, however, the sales of the day have been com-
paratively inconsiderable, both in yarns and goods, it
is only in some few articles that buyers find a trifling
advantage as regards price.
ROCHDALE, April 24.—We ave Orda another
do dull,
heavy, sluggish market, with h
little nothing ng.
There appears to be no demand for goods at present at
any price. The wool market has been remarkably quiet,
and the manufacturers buy for immediate use only.
Fine. wool may be quoted a shade easier, but low priced
English wool fully maintains the last week's quotations.
HUDDERSFIELD, April 25.—There has been very lit
havetle
doing in the market to-day, and very little seems to
been expected, for an air of listlessness, so to speak, has
pervaded the market during the wol of thethea way dy,
of
and
few indeed appear to have done anything in
sales. The wool merchants say they have done next to
nothing for several days past.
HALIFAX. April 22.—The attendance of merchants in
our piece-hall to-day has been very slender
and the
amount of business transacted very limited. 'The
being
yarn
market is more depressed ; and the sptnners,
unable to obtain an advance commensurate with the
increased cost. of the raw material, are still further cur-
tailing production. Wools are rather more lively and
the quotations exhibit greater firmness.

NAVAL AND MILITARY INTELLIGENCE.
Her Majesty's frigate Portland, 50, Captain Henry
Chads, with the flag of Admiral Fairfax Moresby, late
Commander-in-Chief in the from Pacific, was outside
Val-
mouth harbour yesterday morning, 46 days
paraiso ; all well. She saluted the flag of Port-Admiral
Sir J. OmmanneY, and, having received orders, pro-
ceeded for Portsmouth. Off Scilly on the 20th she
landed the Admiral's secretary with despatches for the
Admiralty. She has about 200,000 dols. on freight
from Mexico and the West Coast of South America.
The Portland left England on the Bth of Nov. 1850,
and has been three years and eight months in commis-
sion, during which period she has visited every port in
South America, almost all the South Sea Islands, and
has covered a distance of over 80,000 miles, which
id
is
almost unprecedented for a flag-ship. She has pa
three visits to Pitcairn's Island, from which she em-
barked the Rev. G. H. Knobs, for England, and to
which she conveyed him in April last on his return.
The Portland left Valparaiso on the Ist of February,
and on the 16th passed within three miles of Cape
Horn, where she spoke the ship Kate, 33 days from
Sydney. She arrived at Rio Janeiro on the 6th, and
sailed therefrom on the 10th of March. In the Channel
on the 22d of April, spoke the brig Calumet, from Tur-
key, 35 days from Gibraltar, and on the same day sup-
plied with provisions a French brig bound to Granville f
The ship and crew are in a most efficient state, and, i
necessary, would be ready in a few hours for the Baltic,
or any other active service. Her gunnery practice is
perfect. She is very heavily armed, carrying eight
68-pounders ; all the rest 32's. The Portland brings
an interesting present to Queen Victoria from her
Majesty's loyal subjects at Pitcairn's Island. The
offering consists of a specimen of native industry in ca-
binet work. The frigate has also on board two fine speci-
mens of the lama, male and female, from the Andes of
Chili. The Portland brings invalids and supernumeraries
from the President, Trincomalee, Virago, and Amphi-
trite, belonging to the Pacific station, and from the
Madagascar, Centaur, Trident, Sharpshooter, Express,
Stromboli, Rifleman, Star, and Bonetta, belonging to
the Rio station. They number altogether about 64, and
among them are Lieut. Field, of the Trincomalee, and
Mr. Macausland, Master of the Stromboli. Lieut.
Gordon, of the Virago, has come home on promotion,
and Hassan Effendi (a Commander in the Turkish ser-
vice), late acting midshipman on board the 'Virago, re-
turns in the Portland, anxious to rejoin the Turkish
navy. Commander James Charles Prevost (recently
promoted), of the Portland, is the zealous officer who
had three men of his party shot when exploring the
dangerous passage through forests, across the Isthmus
of Darien, from the Gulf of San Miguel in the Pacific,
24 miles in the direction of Port Escosses. The Chan-
nel pilot who landed at Plymouth from the Portland re-
ports that the transport Lady Kent. No. 46, was in
collision, off Scilly, with a Dutch galliot, subsequently
towed into St. Mary's. The transport proceeded.
The Alecto, 5, steam-sloop, Commander Crofton, ar-
rived at Spithead on Tuesday night from the West
Coast of Africa station. She put in at Falmouth on
Sunday from stress of weather and untrustworthy
Sun
boilers ; and her arrival and news appeared in The
of Tuesday. Her crew will he transferred to other ships
in want of men, and she will be repaired at Woolwich,
The Centaur, 11, steam-frigate, Captain Harvey, re-
turned from the Downs to Portsmouth yesterday morn-
ing. It appears she went to transfer her fine ship's com-
pany to the Majestic, screw. 80.
The Frolic, 16, Commander Nolloth, is ordered from
Gibraltar to the Cape of Good Hope station.
The African steam-vessel left Sheerness on Tuesday
morning for the Downs, for the purpose of taking on
board from the ships in the Downs some machinery re-
quiring to be sent to Woolwich for alterations.
The Black Eagle steam-vessel, Master-Commander
John E. Petley, returned to Woolwich on Tuesday,
with Rear-Admiral M. F. F. Berkeley, C. 8., one of
the Lords of the Admiralty, on board, from the Downs,
where he had gone on the previous Saturday, to inspect
some of the ships, previous to their departure to join the
Baltic fleet.
The Minx, iron screw steam gun-vessel, has been
completely new rigged, and is now ready for commission
at Woolwich-
The Zephyr, steam-vessel, is now in an advanced
state to serve as a gunboat, and will soon be ready for
commission at Woolwich for that service.
The Megiera steam troop-ship, Commander Johnson,
embarked three companies of the 38th Foot yesterday,
at Portsmouth dockyard, and will leave with them this
morning for the East.
The Melbourne, screw steam transport, passed Sheer-
ness from Chatham on Tuesday morning, with a part of
the 38th Regiment of Infantry for the East.
The Shooting Star, with the Bth Hussars, sailed yes-
terday morning for the Mediterranean from Plymouth.
The Rodsley, No. 37 horse transport-ship, having on
board Lieutenant Dashwood and Staff-Assistant Surgeon
Shelton, with 47 non-commissioned officers and men and
50 horses ; and the Rubicon, No. 38, having on board
Captain Barry and Staff-Assistant Surgeon Llewellyn,
with 53 non-commissioned officers and men and 48 horses,
were taken out of the basin at Woolwich on Tuesday
morning, but could not leave the same day on account
of a deficiency of seamen. The crews of these vessels
having been completed yesterday they were mustered
and inspected by Lieutenant Robertson, in charge of the
steam department afloat, who has been superintending
the embarkation of the troops and horses, and ascertain-
ing the efficiency of the crews of the vessels previous to
their departure. Being reported ready for sea, they left
Woolwich yesterday afternoon for their destination.
The Harkaway, No. 39 transport-ship, having on
board Captain Maude, Lieutenant Whinyates, and Assis-
tant-Surgeon Thornton, with 55 non-commissioned offi•
cers and 56 horses of the Royal Horse Artillery, was
taken out of the basin at Woolwich on Tuesday morning,
having Lieutenant J. M. K. Robertson, R.N., in charge
as agent. She was permitted, although deficient in sea-
men, to proceed at once to Gravesend to pick them up

there.
The Sultana horse-transport embarked Lieutenant
Vandeleur and Staff-Assistant-Surgeon Dwyer, with 47
non•commissioned officers and men, and 54 horses of the
Royal Artillery, on Tuesday afternoon, in about an hour
and ten minutes, and will be taken out of the basin at
Woolwich to-day.
The horse-transport No. 74 arrived at Plymouth at
11 a.m. on Wednesday.
The rlydaspes steam-packet has been taken up to
convey the 42d Highlanders from Portsmouth to the East.
Admiral Sir John Ommaney, K.C.8., the port-admi-
ral, retains his command-in-chief at Devonport until the
10th of May. Sir William Parker, Bart., G.C.8., his
successor, attends her Majesty's levee in the meanwhile,
and makes his arrangements.
Mr. Peter Scott, of Ballyhackamore•house, near Bel-
fast, has taken the contract for supplying the cavalry in
the East with 150 tons of compressed hay.
A strong draught from the depot of the 68th Light
Infantry, stationed at Newry, consisting of two ensigns
(White and Smyth) and 180 rank and file, has been
ordered to proceed to Malta to rejoin the service com-
panies quartered there.
Ground has been cleared near Fort Amherst Guard,
Chatham, for a new garrison church, which will also be
used, it is understood, for the regimental schools. The
present garrison church in Brompton is expected to be
converted into model rooms for the Royal Sappers and
11Iiners and other purposes, for which several of the
barrack-rooms are at present used by that corps. This
arrangement will afford a great deal of additional room
in the Brompton Barracks, and also place those rooms
in the Chatham Barracks occupied as schoolrooms at the
disposal of the barrack-master for the accommodation of
troops.