The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-26 00:00:00

MAILS FOR AUSTRA LI A.

GENERAL POST- OFFICE, May 1854.—The next mails
for Australia will be forwarded by the steam-ship "Lady
Jocelyn," under a contract made between the Postmaster-
General and the General Screw Steam Shipping Com-
pany. This vessel is appointed to leave Southampton on
the 4th June next, and all letters and newspapers for
South Australia, Victoria, New South %Vales, and Van
Diemen's Land, posted in London, or reaching London
up to the evening of the 3d June, and not addressed to
be sent by any other vessel, will be forwarded by the
" Lady Jocelyn." The packet rates of postage, which
must be paid in advance, will be chargeable upon letters
transmitted by the Lady Jocelyn, but no charge will
be made upon newspapers.

VISIT OF THE PRINCE OF WALES AND PRINCE
ARTHUR TO PORTSMOUTH DOCKYARD. Yesterday
(Thursday) afternoon the Fairy royal yacht, Captain the
Hon. Joseph Denman, embarked their Royal High-
nesses the Prince of Wales and Prince Arthur at Os-
borne, and conveyed them to Portsmouth to visit the
dockyard. They landed at the King's stairs at four
o'clock, and were received by Rear-Admiral Superinten-
dent Martin and Flag-Lieutenant Waddilove, and the
staff of the establishment, who attended the sailor
Princes in their inspection of the dockyard. They re•
turned to 0-borne about six. The Court returns to
London on Monday.
THE QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY AND THE KING OF
PRUSSIA.—The King of Prussia issued invitations to all
members of the British Legation at Berlin, and to two or
three English officers at present there, to dine with their
Majesties at a banquet to be given at Sans Souci, upon
and in honour of her Majesty Queen Victoria's birth-
day. It is understood that the King has expressly
postponed his visit to Dessau, and through the Saxon
provinces, on purpose to afford this proof of cordial
good-will to our Queen, his ally.
BIRTHDAY OF THE PRINCESS HELENA AUGUSTA
Vicsronu.—Yesterday being the birthday of her Royal
Highness, a merry peal of bells issued from all the
churches in the metropolis. The Admiralty flag was
hoisted, and the example was followed by the churches,
from which waved banners in honour of the day.
CHINA.—THE ROYALIST.—The Royalist, 16, Com-
mander Bate, has arrived at Portsmouth from the China
station. She reports having boarded the Queen of the
South two degrees north of the Equator, with Sir Chas.
Hotham on board. She brings no news.
THE CHARGE OF CORRUPTION AGAINST IRISH MEM-
BERS.—The committee of inquiry into this charge sat
again yesterday further to consider their report. At
first they were unable to make a quorum, and they ad-
journed to a quarter to four o'clock, when they resumed
the consideration of their report, and sat for some hours.
The result did not transpire.
MEXICAN BONDHOLDERS.—An adjourned meeting of
Mexican bondholders took place yesterday, when upon
the recommendation of the committee, Mr. J. L.
Rickards was nominated as commissioner to proceed to
Mexico to superintend their interests, his qualifications
being attested by several mercantile firms. In the
course of the proceedings the chairman (Mr. C MsGarel)
stated that adeputetim had waited upon Lord Clarendon
gild the Mexican Minister, and that the results of those
interviews hal proved satisfactory, the former promising
to forward instructions to Mr. Doyle to assist Mr.
Rickards in his mission, and the latter renewing his as-
surances of the desire of General Santa Anna to restore
the credit of the Republic.
FIRE UNDER THE SOUTH-EASTERN RAILWAY.—Last
night, between nine and ten o'clock, considerable alarm
was caused in the immediate neighbourhood of Russell-
street, Bermondsey, in consequence of a cry being raised
that a fire had broken out in one of the factories in the
arches of the South-Eastern Railway. The inhabitants,
and pers.ms who were about to depart from the Spa-
road-station on the line, forthwith ran towards the spot
indicated, when they found that one of the extensive
arches in Russell-street, running the full depth of the
line of railway, occupied by Mr. Thomas Garner,
japanner, was again on fire. No time was therefore lost
in sending ilteliigence of the disaster to the •engine sta-
tions, when the brigade engines from Tooley-street,
Southwark-bridge-road, the West of England one, from
Waterloo-road, and another of the London Establishment
from Farringdon-street, attended. Tho firemen then
found that the arch, as far as the party wall in the
centre, which was used as stoves or drying houses, pre-
sented one tremendous sheet of flame. The mains of

the water company in the street having been drawn, the
firemen, under- the direction of their superior officers,
went to work, and continuous streams of water were
scattered upon the burning materials, consisting of
japanned and varnished table-cloths ; but owing to the
' great heat thrown out, and-the sadden application of cold
water to the brickwork of the arch, as the trains passed
over it the bricks continued to drop from the centre, to
the danger of injuring the men employed in extinguish-
ing the flames. Nevertheless, they manfully kept at
work, and happily succeeded in preventing the fire from
reaching the next drying-house, in which a very valuable
amount of property was undergoing the process of sea-
soning ; and in less than one hour and a half from the
time the alarm was first given the fire was wholly ex-
tinguished. It is the opinion of Mr. Garner that the
over-heating of the furnace was the cause of the misfor-
tune. Unfortunately, the sufferer was 'not insured. The
present makes the third fire that has taken place in the
same premises, and within a very short period. Altheugh
the bricks forming the exterior row of the arch kept
railing during the time the firemen were at work, it is
stated that the general stability of the arch or line over
it will not be deteriorated to such an extent as to jeopar-
dise the safety of the passengers, on account of the many
layers of bricks used in its formation. A strong muster
of the M division of police was present, and kept adml-
rabic order.

THE NEW SCOTCH JUDOS.—The Court of Session met
on Saturday, when Mr. Neaves presented his commis-
sion as tho new Judge, to fill up the vacancy caused
by the death of Lcrd Cockburn. Yesterday he heard
a case in the Outer House as Lord-Probationer, sittir g
with Lord Cowan, and to-day he will complete his
trials by disposing of a case in the Inner House. He
will then take his seat on the bench as Lord Neaves.
Scotsman.
CHURCH RATES ABOLITION BlLL—This bill, which
Sir W. Clay obtained leave to bring in on Monday night,
has been printed. Its provisions are very precise and
Simple, and the four clauses of the bill are contained irt
less than 20 lines. It provides that after the passing of
the act no church rate shall be levied in England or
Wales. A. temporary exception is to be made for
parishes in which money has been raised on the security
of the church rates under local acts.. The act does. not
include Scotland or Ireland.