The Sun.
London, England, 1854-12-15 00:00:00

PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS.

The following papers have been presented by command
of her Majesty to the houses of Parliament :--
A convention between her Majesty and the United
States of America, extending the term allowed for the
operations of the mixed commission established under
the convention of Feb. 8, 1853, for the mutual settle-
ment of claims. The high contracting parties agree that

the time previously lUnited for the termination of the
commission shall be extended for a period not exceeding
four months after Sept. 15, 1854.
The treaty was signed at Washington on the Fith
July, and the ratifications exchanged at London on the
18th August, 1854.

A convention between her Majesty and the Emperor
of the French respecting the prisoners of war. It con-
sists of the following five articles
Art. I.—The prisoners made in the course of the pre-
sent war shall, as far as possible, be divided equally be-
tween the two countries. Whenever one of tke two coun-
tries shall have maintained a greater number of prisoners,
or shall have supported a certain number for a longer
period of time, an account shall be made every three
months of the etzess of expenditure which may have been
incurred, and repaymsrtt shall be made of the half of the
amount by the Government of the other country.
" Art. 2.—lnstructions shall be hereafter concerted be-
tween the two Governments in °M IT to make known to
the officers of their naval and military forces the places or
ports to which the prisoners are to be sent.
"Art. a depot for prisoners should he established
in any place not in the possessions of either of the two
countries, the expenses of it shall be borne between the
two Governments • but the advances to be made shall be
by the Government which shall have appointed officers to
take charge of the establishment.
" Art. 4.--whenever the twe Governments shall agree
to an exchange of prisoners with the enemy, no distinction
shall be made between their respective subjects who may
have fallen into the hands of the enemy, but their libera-
tion shall be stipulated according to priority of tie date of
their capture, except under special circumstances, which
are reserved for the mutual consideration of the two Go-
vernments.
" Art.s.—The present convention shall be ratified, aid
the ratifications shall be exchanged at London in ten days,
or sooner if maiblc. In witness whereof the respective
plenipotentiaries have signed the present convention,
and, have affixed thereto the seal of their arms. Done
at London, the 10th of May, hi the year of our Lord
1834.

" (L.S.)
" (L.S.)

CLARENDON.
A. WALRWSKI."

Tag _YEW ADMIRAYEAM LT
Y DOCKS AT
KE.

The wonderful official wisdom and professional ability
of the civil engineering departnieht:, at Somerset-house
may be estimated by the following intelligence relative
to the new steam establishent at Keyharn
The St. Jean el'Acre, 101 m, screw, Captain Hon. H.
Keppel, was taken into Devonport harbour yesterday
morning, and then to Keyham, but in consequenee of a
low tide she was not taken into dock, few inches of water
more being required.
The Princess Royal, 91, screw, Capt. Lord C. Paget,
was taken into the basin at Keybam on Wednesday
morning, intending to be put into No. 1 Dock, but the
tide being SD low she had not water by three inches.
She remained in the basin.
This is a pretty discovery, truly, at the new estalis-
s
ment at Keyham, on which so many hundred thousands
of pounds have been spent, On almost the first trial it
is found that there was not a sufficient rise of tide to
take a couple of line-of-battle shipe into dock.
It should be stated that the present laard of Ad-
It
are not responsible for this ; but the public may
expect no other but discoveries of still more extensive
blunders as the new dockyard " works and improve-
ments" come to be tested. The question will naturally
se, then, who is to blame ? and it is easily answered.
ari
It is the fault of a jobbing system—namely, the placing
at the head of such ao important establishment as the
civil engineering and architectural works superannuated
military officers of the East India Company's service,
instead of regularly bred civil engineere, and properly
press-
educated and experienced professional civilians.
Now that we have no great naval-expeditions
ing, or rather now, whilst our ships arc efficient and not
crippled, time may be spared for a careful revision of
ou kyard works an.d dock accommodation by
r de
of a com-
ot efficient civil engineers.—Morning Herald.
mittee

Tug AFRICAN STEAM COMPANY'S Surr HorE.—The
following extract of a letter from Mr. Bowen, the com-
mander of the African Steam Company's ship Hope,
now engaged in the transpcit service in the Black Sea,
seems to indicate that the approach of the late hurricane
was sufficiently indicated by the movements of the baro-
meter to afford time for measures of safety .
" We loft Constantinople on the 9th of November, had
a ftirious passage across, in which I hove to for 12 hours,
and on arrival in the bay of Balaklava found the weather
so threatening, and the oscillations of the glass to extra-
ordinary, that I would not enter ; had I done so, we
should have shared the fate of othrs. We anchored just
to the north of the long point which forms Cape Cherso-
inese, where, in company with the Faith, we rode out nobly
1 the whole gale, which lasted about 16 hours in its greatest
' atreuitths"_