The Sun.
London, England, 1853-12-27 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 27, 1853.

be taken to devise a remedy for this fearful state 1
of affairs ! We are quite convinced that Mr.
OPPENHEIM, or the parties to whom he alluded,
had, or have, no intention of defrauding the par-
ties with whom they bave been or are dealing,
but the practice is no less dangerous, and deserves
the prompt attention and decided reprehension of
a commercial community. We may be " a Nation
of Shopkeepers"—we do not deprecate the desig-
nation ; but if so, it is only the more incumbent
on us to remove the blot from the national statute
book• with as little delay as possible, to remedy the
absurd mistake into which Parliament was be-
trayed by a Chancellor of the Exchequer, who
thought that everything should be subservient to
the revenue, and that the only thing to be re-
garded was the mode by which that revenue
could most easily be collected.

MONEY MA RKE

AND
COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

CITY, TWO O'CLOCK.
There was a holiday yesterday in the cotton
market at Liverpool.
The letters by the Europa steamer from New
York have not yet been delivered. The specie on
board amounts to 875,000 dollars.
The Anna Mary from Sydney brings no later
dates, but 3,489 ounces of gold.
The Matilda Wattenbach sailing ship which took
out the Australian Mail from Liverpool on the 3d
inst., has put in to Lisbon dismasted.

The accounts via Marseilles by the overland mail
represent business as being rather dull, owing to
the Hindoo holidays, and the sales of piece goods
at Bombay were at low prices compared with the
like period of 1852. Money was getting dearer.
The China markets were still deranged by the war.
The funds have been unsteady—Consols, which
were 93/ to 94, being now 941 to for the opening.
A fair business is doing, considering this is holiday
week. The New 31 per Cents. have been 951 to
and the 3 per Cents. 931 to 941. Bank Stock is
firm at 220. Exchequer Bills remain at 3s. to 6s.
premium.

In the Foreign Market. business is extremely
inactive, and prices are heavy. Mexican Bonds
are 24k, being previous prices. Peruvian Bonds
are depressed, being 68k. There is a decline of
per cent. in Portuguese Four per Cents., the quo-
tation being 43, and Dutch Four per Cents. are
similarly affected, being 96. No bargains are re-
corded in Russian or South American Securities.

There is very little doing in Railway Shares, but
the tendency in particular lines is rather to im-
prove. Caledonian have risen 10s. to 15s. on Satur-
day's prices, Lancashire and Yorkshire 55., and most
others are a shade better. Midland and North
British are scarcely so firm. French shares are
steady, and Paris and Strasbourg and Northern of
France are rather higher.
Gold Mine Shares are wholly neglected, and the
Joint Stock Banks are very dull.
Australian Agricultural Shares are about 10s. to
15s. lower, and the South Australian have fallen
about N.
Crystal Palace shares are flatter.

BRITISH FUNDS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK.
( From the Official List. )

Business dons.
Bank Stock .
3 per Cent. Reduced Annuities 94 3i 41
New 3+ per Cent. Annuities 9s+ ti i
South Sea Old Annuities 99+
Consols for Opening 18th Jan. 94 3i 4;
Exchequer Bills, ld.
£l000
11500 3 6 p
Small
PRICE OF FOREIGN FUNDS AT ONE O'CLOCK.
Mexican 3 per Cent.
Peruvian Bonds, 4. per Ceut.
Portuguese Bonds, 4 per Cent. 43

Dividends on the above payable-in London.
Dutch Exchange, 2i per Cent. 12 Guil —
Ditto 4 per Cent. Certificates ......
HALF-PAST TIVO.
Consols for Opening 18th January 941 x d

MARKET NEWS-(THIS DAY.)

COLONIAL.
These markets are closed until the 3d of January.

HAY MARKETS.

SMITHFIELD.—Meadow hay, 3/ 15s to 5/ 10s ; clover
ditto, 4/ 5s to 6/ lOs ; and straw, 1/ 16s to 2/ 4s per load.
A short supply, and a brisk demand.
CIIMBERLAND.—Meadow hay, 3/ 15s to 5/ 12s ; clover
ditto, 4/ Os to 6/ 6s; and straw, 1/ 163 to 2/ 5s per load.
Supply limited, and trade firm.
WHITECHAPEL.—Meadow hay, 3/ 10s to 5110 s; clover
ditto, 4/ Os to 6/ lOs ; and straw, 1/ 16s to 2/ 4s per load.
Trade steady.

LLOYD'S SHIPPING.-(THIS DA Y.)

LONDON, Dec. 28.--Wind this day at Noon, N.W. ;
light breezo, and fine, frosty weather.
PORTSMOUTH, Dec. 26.—Wind, E. to N.W. Arrived—
Fanny, Callao.
FALMOUTH, Dec. 26.—Wind, N.E.—Arrived —Nurmis,

YARMOUTH, Dec. 26,—The Eliza, Onega to London, has
arrived in the Roads with damage, and very leaky, having
struck on tho bar at Archangel.
DEAL, 27.—Wind, N.W., moderate. Arrived—Father
Mathew, Quebec. Arrived from the river, and sailed—
Merchantman, Port-Philip ; Countess of Zetland, Cape of
Good Hope; Jane, Barbadoes ; J. G. Heeksher, New
York.

COWES, Dec. 26.—Wind, light and variable. Arrived
—Thomas Ellah, Rio Janeiro, for Hamburg.
PLYMOUTH, Dec. 26.—Wind, E. Arrived Leemo,
Akyali, for Schuderm ; Edwin, Now York for Antwerp.
PENZANCE.—Arrived—Choice, Cardiff for London, with
damage, and one man washed overboard ; leaky.
GUERNSEY, Dec. 25.—The Reindeer, of N. Yarmouth,
Monte Video for London, struck yesterday on the Sam-
bule Rock, and soon after sank in 12 to 14 fathoms water
—master and mate drowned. An attempt will be made to
raise her.

CHRISTIANSA.ND, Dec. 12.—The Hammond, of Belfast
Memel to Belfast, put in on the sth inst., leaky, and part
of cargo thrown overboard. The Aberdonian, of Aberdeen,
Archangel to London (63 days), put in on the 9th inst.,
leaky, and part of cargo thrown overboard.
MAuniTius, Nov. s.—The Annie, of Cape Town, and
Druid, Hobart Town to Singapore, have been lost in Torres
Straits—crew saved. The Candahar, Batavia to London,
put in on the 24th Oct., leaky, and is discharging.

(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)
LIVERPOOL, TUESDAY, 10.30 A.M.
Wind N., moderate; snowing.
Arrived—Persian, (s. s.) from the Mediterranean; De-
mosthenes, Ibraila ; Mercurius, Rotterdam.
Off Port—Covenanter ship, and Lisbon brig.

(BY SUBMARINE AND EUROPEAN TELEGRAPH.)
GRAVESEND, TUESDAY, 10 A.M.

CUSTOMS RETURN.

Wind N. W. ; tide high water, fine.
Arrived Caroline, from Dunkirk ; Deborah, Sines ' •
Antonia, Gothenberg ; Margreta, Holbeek ; Olive, Genoa.
DEAL, TUESDAY, 9 A.M.
Wind N.W., moderate, and cloudy.

THE WEATHER AND THE PARKS.—The weather has
been intensely cold since Friday last, and the frost,
having again set in with great severity, caused the orna-
mental water in the various Royal Parks to become
again covered with ice. Notwithstanding the precau-
tions issued by the Royal Humane Society, a great num-
ber of persons ventured upon the frozen waters, and a
number of immersions occurred, owing to the ice giving
way. At one time, five lads were under water in St.
James's Park ; but from the inquiries made, it is under-
stood that no life was lost.
THE POST-OFFICE AND THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY.—
Yesterday the employes of the Post-office were privileged
by the authorities with a partial holiday. The London-
district postmen were permitted by the Postmaster-
General to finish their town duty for the day, after the
noon delivery ; and those in the couitry districts enjoyed,
so far as practicable, a short respite. The delivery of
letters by the general post, after the arrival of the mid-
day mails, was also discontinued ; but the evening
despatch of the mails, outward, took place as usual ;
the correspondence, however, was very scanty, the
heaviest part of it taking place in the newspaper depart-
ment, in which, as might have been expected, but little
change occurred. There being comparatively but a
small number of letters posted in the after part of the
day, the sub-sorters of the district office were relieved
from the midnight duty. So far as can be learned, this
is the first time, during the last quarter of a century,
that any such holiday has been given to the hard-worked
men in this branch of the public service upon any day
excepting those of Good Friday and Christmas-day.
When those days have hitherto fallen upon the Sabbath-
day, the business of the office has been carried on as
usual. There is every reason to believe that, in conse-
quence of this important concession on the part of the
Postmaster-General being made known on Saturday, a
large number of the principals of the various mercantile
establishments in the City were induced yesterday to
close their establishments._

FEARFUL COLLISION ON LUDGATE-HILL AND PROBABLE
Loss or LlFE.—Last night, about nine o'clock, a col-
lision of a frightful character happened at the foot of
Ludgate-hill, of which the following are the particu-
lars :—lt appears that as one of the cabs belonging to
the Eastern Counties Railway was proceeding past St.
Paul's Cathedral, the horse attached to the vehicle took
fright, and dashed down the hill at a terrific pace.
Several persons crossing the road had very narrow
escapes, but the cabman managed to keep the affrighted
animal clear of passing vehicles until it came to the
foot of the hill, where, however, the horse drove
against the back of another cab proceeding in the
same direction, and the consequence was that the
driver of the foremost cab was thrown from his
seat, and he pitched upon his head, which was so seri-
ously injured that the poor fellow's face became covered
with blood. He was removed to a surgeon's immedi-
ately, but it is feared that his injuries will terminate
fatally. His cab was likewise greatly broken, and the
teeth of the other horse stuck into the back panelling,
making an indentation of at least an inch deep. The
horse in the hindermost cab was so much injured that it
was left lying at the corner of Farringdon-street to be
killed. The driver of this vehicle only saved his life
by clinging to the Royal Society's fire escape, at the
corner of New Bridge-street, Blackfriars ; and Harms-
worth, the conductor of the machine, having the presence
of mind to scotch the wheel of the cab, no further
mischief happily took place.

LATEST FOREIGN NEWS.

RUSSIA AND TURKEY.

Telegraphic advices have been received from Con-
stantinople of the 15th inst. It is affirmed that
the Divan accepts the resumption of negotiations.
The allied fleet have not yet entered the Black Sea.
Violent tempests had taken place. Eighty mer-
chant vessels had been lost. The price of corn has
risen from 25 to 50 piastres. A number of vessels
have been freighted. War has been officially de-
clared by Persia. The rupture between the Schah
and the British representative has been ;notified by
him to the consuls. The whole Russian fleet has
left Sinope, after having stayed there for two days
for repairs.
A despatch from M. de Bruck the Austrian Inter-
nuncio at Constantinople, was on the 20th inst.
communicated to the Ambassadors of Great Bri-
tain, France, and Prussia. The news contained
in this document is, on the whole, satisfactory.
The Porte will send a Plenipotentiary to the con-
ferences, provided the Russians evacuate Moldavia
and Wallachia. The Ambassadors of the three
Powers have been instructed to urge the Sultan
not to insist on this condition, and to assure him
that the integrity of the Turkish empire is to be
maintained, and that the Principalities shall be
restored as soon as the dispute with Russia shall
have been settled.

Other advices from Constantinople inform us
that the Turks would consent to no terms unless
the Principalities were first evacuated. On the
contrary, the Porto seems determined to push on
the war, and an expedition was about to sail for
Sebastopol.
It was also considered very unlikely that the
Emperor of Russia, after his late successes, would
consent to any negotiation based on the evacuation
of the Principalities.
The following is from a Copenhagen correspon-
dent, dated Dec. 19 :

" Very strange intelligence arrives from the Rus-
sian Baltic provinces, which I have no doubt will
interest you. The lieval detachment of 4,000 men
has gone into winter quarters. Helsingfors is on
a military footing. A large man-of war fleet lies
close to the fortress, and in the northern harbour
are anchored the man-of-war Andreas and three
colossal frigates, one of which is the Finnish frigate
Olof. In Cronstadt, new and most extensive forti-
fications are going on. As to Finland generally, a
hitherto unheard-of step has been taken. The grena-
diers will probably be stationed along the coast
from Viborg to Helsingfors, and in the north of
Finland proclamations have been read in the
churches inviting the peasantry to enter the Rus-
sian army as recruits. But, not content with this,
the Russian recruiting agents have made the same
slight mistake of meant and taunt, as Russia has
already done in so many countries, and have com-
menced recruiting in those parts of Sweden which
lie nearest to the Finnish border. It has been re-
marked that this latter step is a decided proof that
Russia has the most friendly intentions towards its
" old ally," Sweden, for otherwise it would not
think of filling its ranks with born Swedes.
The Gazette de St. Petersboarg contains the fol-
lowing bulletin, sent by General Prince Beboutoff
to the Com.mander in-Chief of the Russian army in
the Caucasus, and dated the 3d inst. :
" I have already in my last report informed your
Highness of the retreat of the Turkish corps from
Bayandoury upon Kars on the 25th ult., and of my
marching in pursuit on the 25th. I added, that not
being able to overtake the enemy, I fell back upon
Bask-Shouragel, where I took up my quarters.
"On the 30th ult. I was informed that the said
Turkish corps rallied before reaching Kara, and, that
again concentrated in the vicinity of Subotane, they had
formed a camp near the hamlet of Bash-Kadyk Lar.
I resolved at once upon compelling the enemy to accept
battle, with a view to their punishment, by a decisive
defeat, for the outrage and robberies perpetrated by
the Turks on our territories previous to the commence-
ment of hostilities.

"Early on the let December I advanced against the
enemy. My force consisted of one battalion and three
companies of the Constantin Nicolajewitsh Grenadiers,
three battalions and three companies of the Cesarewitch
Carabineers, one battalion of your Highness's Chasseurs ;
the Ist and 2d battalion of the Prince of Warsaw In-
fantry, one battalion of Caucasian Rangers, two compa-
nies of Caucasian Sappers, the regiment of Wurtemberg
Dragoons, the 4th Don Cossacks, one regiment of Cos-
sacks of the line, three sotnias (hundreds) of detached
Cossacks, 21 heavy battery and Ist light battery of the
Caucasian Grenadiers, the sth heavy battery of the 21st
Brigade of Artillery, the 7th battery of the Don Cos-
sacks, and one sotnia of mounted militia.
"After ascending the heights in front of the hamlet
of Ougonzly, I saw the Turkish troops fully prepared for
the fight. They marched out from their camp near Bash-
Kodyk-Lar, and took up a position on the heights in
front of that hamlet, at some little distance from
the hamlets of Grazlo and Gamza-Kerial. I advanced
immediately to within two gunshot distance from
the enemy's lines, when I formed my troops in order
of battle, and then marched upon the Turks. My
first line, composed of the Ist battalion of your High-
ness's chasseurs, two battalions of Prince of Warsaw
Infantry, and seven heavy batteries under Major-Gene-
ral Kishinsky, was directed against the centre of the
enemy's position. Against the regular cavalry of the
Turks, and the numbers of their Kurdish auxiliaries, I
pushed at the same height with the first line on the left
four squadrons of Wurtemberg Dragoons, four pieces of
Cossack artillery, and seven sotnias of Cossacks, under
Major-General Raggownt.
" In the rear and to the right of our first line I placed
en echelon, two squadrons of Wurtemberg Dragoons,
four guns ofg,the flying battery, and two sotnias of Cos-
sacks, under Major-General Prince Tsharichavadze,
for on this side our right was threatened by the Kurds
and by two regiments of Turkish horse.
"My second line consisted of two battalions of the
Constantin Nicolajewitsh Grenadiers and two batta-
lions of the Cesarewitsh Carabineers, under Major-
General Prince Mukhranski. The 3d and 4th battalions
of the Carabineers, the Ist Light Battery, and the 4th
Don Cossacks, formed the reserve.
"At noon my first line had taken up its position, and
the cannonade commenced on various points. We
worked 16 guns, and the Turks worked 20. As the fire
of the artillery could only serve to increase the slaughter,
I was desirous of terminating it, and my batteries had
scarcely opened upon the enemy, when I prepared to
dislodge the Turks at the point of the bayonet.
" For this purpose I detached from the second line the
Cesarewitch Grenadiers, and placed them under Major-
General Prince Orbeliani, and the Constantin Nicolaje-
witqh Grenadiers, under Prince Bagration. These two de-
tachments were ordered to march to the left of our first
line, ascend the heights, and attack the right of the
Turkish position. This manoeuvre was most admirably
executed. Notwithstanding their obstinate resistance,
the Turks were driven back and compelled to give up
part of their position. I am sorry to say that Prince
Orbeliani received two wounds in the course of this
attack.

•' In the meantime our cavalry under Major-General
Raggowut, pressed closer and closer upon the Turkish
horse, and at the charge of the Grenadiers and Carabi-
neers a column of four squadrons of Dragoons rushed
simultaneously upon the enemy's squares, and, sup-
ported by the Infantry, drove them upon the Turkish
left. On this occasion we took 22 guns from the Turks.
" While these events were taking place on our left,
our artillery was still busy in the centre. Our extreme
right, under Major-General Kishinski, was clossly
pressed by part of the Turkish horse, and the Turks had,
moreover, detached four battalions from their centre,
which, posted in a ravine between their position and our
first line, opened upon us from that point. But our
artillery and infantry repulsed the Turkish horse, and
their detachment, which occupied the ravine, fell (upon
seeing the advantages gained by our grenadiers and
carabineers) back upon their centre, and soon afterwards
took to flight.
" When the combat commenced we had on our right
only certain hordes of Kurds and two regiments of
Turkish horse, but when this force deployed, and ad-
vanced against Prince Tsharichavadze, it was found that
the Turkish cavalry was supported by four pieces of
artillery and six battalions of foot. This circumstance
compelled the Prince to make several attacks against
the enemy's infantry and cavalry, in order to remove
them from our right. The contest continued to 3 p.m.,
and terminated on this point likewise with a general
rout of the Turkish forces. Our dragoons took two
field pieces.
"Although the Turkish horse endeavoured to cover
the flight of their foot, still we pursued them until late
in the evening."

We were in total ignorance of the more immediate
cause of the catastrophe at Sinope, but the Augsburg
Gazette now gives some perfectly satisfactory in-
formation on the subject. Immediately after the
arrival of the Egyption fleet in the Bosphorus it
was affirmed at Constantinople that the allied fleets
were to enter the Black Sea, and the Porte formed
the adventurous project of wresting the Crimea from
the Russians. The plan was not long concealed
from the Russians, and, in consequence of positive
information received, some of the troops originally
intended to form part of the army in the Danubian
Principalities were sent by General Liiders to the
Crimea. The united fleets did not enter the Black
Sea, and the Porte, being obliged to relinquish its
original plan, resolved to send the materiel of war
and the money which had been prepared for the
expedition to some Circassian port. The arma-
ments were kept as secret as possible, and the fleet,
—consisting of two squadrons—which was to con-
vey the artillery, ammunition, &c., to the moun-
taineers, was placed under the command of Os-
man Pasha, a resolute man and a good seaman.
The latter left on the 11th of November, and at
the same time the allied Turco-Egyptian fleet sailed
into the Black Sea in order to attract the attention
of the Russian admiral, and to mask Osman Pasha's
expedition. After cruising during 18 days without
seeing a single Russian sail, the Turkish fleet re-
turned to the Bosphorus under the impression that
the fear of meeting the Anglo-French fleet had in-
duced Prince Menschikoff to remain quiet in the
port of Sebastopol. The Russian admiral must,
however, have been exactly informed of what was
intended, for, without troubling himself about the
maim fleet, he had Osman Pasha's raoyements care,

fully observed. The latter, by means of his steamers,
soon became aware that the enemy was on his
traces, and he therefore sought safety in the roads
of Sinope. The Russians had, however, resolved
to strike a heavy blow, and on the 30th of Novem-
ber the squadron was destroyed. The news, of
course, made a great impression on the war party
in the Divan, "but a still greater one on the
officers of the French and English fleets. who felt
that every ball which had struck the Turkish ships
had also morally hit the vessels of the allied fleets,
which, almost at the same time that the catastro-
phe took place, had got up a mock fight for the
edification of the inhabitants of Constantinople."