The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-28 00:00:00

EGYPT

ALEXANDRIA, Oct. 20.—The Viceroy Said Pacha
returned on the Bth from his excursion along the
sea coast to the westward, and, on many Eu-
ropeans again flocking to call upon him, his
Highness showed that he was not going to be
always at their disposal, and refused to see them.
Notwithstanding his obesity, Said Pacha evinces
much activity, and is very often on the move,
sleeping sometimes at Ramleh, in the desert
to the eastward, and sometimes at his palace at
Gabareh, or at Ras-el-teen ; and, following the
example of his grandfather, Mehemet Ali, his
Highness looks into everything himself, and is just
new at Damietta, whither he proceeded by sea.
A few days after the return of the Faid. Gehaad
from England, Said Pasha inspected this fine
steamer, and on the 10th took a short cruise in her
outside of the harbour. Finding on inquiry that
the captain of the Faid Gehaad is most inefficient,
and that he can neither read nor write, his High-
ness is about to dismiss him from the service, as well
as most of the officers. The late Viceroy Abbas
Pasha never once had the curiosity to visit the Faid
Gehaad, though she cost him upwards of 150,0001.
sterling, and she was allowed to lie for upwards of
a year and a half without being moved from her
moorings.

Said Pasha has instituted some beneficial modifi-
cations in the mixed tribunals of the country which
affect any suit between European subjects and
natives.

Fresh supplies of soldiers being wanted to re-
place those sent to Turkey, great consternation
exists among the natives at the forcible seizures
that are made. During the last few days the mid-
dle and lower classes have barely ventured to show
themselves in the shops or streets of Alexandria,
from fear of being taken up and forced into the
army, and great imprecations are showered upon
Said Pasha's head because he will not allow them
to live in peace and follow their own vocations.
The poor Egyptians never benefit by any change
in the Pasha of Egypt, but they are ever subject
to the tyranny and uncontrolled will of their
ruler.
The drain on the population of Egypt for soldiers
is very great, and the country loses much from the
want of hands to till the land, and it would be far
more politic for the Viceroy to send to Constanti-
nople his contribution for the war in specie than iu
men.
Artin Boy, ex-Primo Minister of Egypt, who
fled from Egypt in September, 1850, keeps dodging
about Said Pacha, and will not be satisfied until
he gets some Government appointment.
The subject of farming out the transit through
Egypt is quite dropped.
The railway between Alexandria and the Nile is
now in constant operation, and the remainder of the
line to Cairo is progressing, though slowly, as the
construction of the bridges is delayed by le great
rise of water. The Nile has this year risen as much
as it did last year, and has already committed some
damages on the eastern side by breaking through
its embankments.

Prices of produce are as high here as in Eng-
land, and this Government has been selling wheat
at prices equivalent to 425., and barley 235. per
quarter, free on board without freight. There has
also been a sale of cotton. Freights Gs. per quarter.
Exchange on London, 98 piastres per pound
sterling,

LAHCA ST L'R'S GUN.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR, —I share in the interest expressed by your cor.
respondent, Mr. Samuel Houghton, of Trinity College,
Dublin, respecting Lancaster's guns ; but, with great
deference to that gentlemen, I venture to question whe-
ther, in his letter in your columns of the 24th inst., he
has satisfactorily accounted for their bursting.
In investigating the cause he seems to have wholly
overlooked a very important element in the case—viz.,
the quality of the gunpowder employed ; and I venture
to submit whether the bursting of these guns may not
have arisen from the whole charge having ignited too
rapidly, and whether the evil might not be prevented by
an increase of the size of the granulation of the powder,
or by diminishing its explosive force and making up the
difnrence by an oddities to the charge.
In the degree of the weight of the bullet is the inertia
to be overcome, and if the charge of powder atteins its
maximum force before the bullet reaches the muzzle, in
additioa to the effect of the weight of the bullet, the
metal has to contend against the resistance afforded by
the unexpelled condensed column of air between the
bullet and the muzzle.

If I have stumbled on the cause of the evil adverted to,
as well as the remedy, I gladly offer them as my mite
towards humbling the monster of the north.--I remain,
your obedient servant,

J. BENTHAM,
Lieut.-Col. 3d Royal Lan. Mil,
Oct. 28, 1854.

BOATS FOR OCEAN SKIPS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUM

SlR,—Having recently returned from America, I am
desirous of drawing attention, through your columns, to
the sadly deficient amount of boat accommodation in
ocean steamers.

My two voyages across the Atlantic were made in the
America steamer, which is one of the magnificent
ships forming the Cunard line, and it is due to the
captain and officers of that fine vessel to state that they
exercise the greatest nautical skill and care in navigating
their ship, and that the comfort of the passengers is
especially studied. But, while an almost lavish expendi-
ture obtains in the domestic arrangements, it is positiirely
startling to find that the safety of the passengers, with
respect to boat accomodation, is apparently of very
secondary consideration ; for the alarming fact was early
impressed upon us that the boats could not have eared
those on beard. These consisted of 120 cabin and 50
fore cabin passengers, and 103 officers, stewards,. and
crew, forming a total of 273 human beings. To accom-
modate this number we had two boats, which, by close
packing, might be made to contain 100 persons ; two
others which, similarly packed, would hold 60 ; and
two smaller, which could contain, under the same pres-
sure, 30—giving accommodation, with, be it remq ni"
bered, the closest stowage, to 210 persons, and thus
leaving 63 entirely unprovided for.
Nor does my complaint end here ; for, with that extra•
ordinary perversity which it would appear is common. to
all ocean-going ships, two of the above boats were, and
are, I doubt not to this hour, so ingeniously wedged in
within the shrouds, that I have the authority of the chief
officer for stating that, under the most favourable circum-
stances, in broad daylight, and in the tranquil waters; of
the river Mersey, it takes three quarters of an hour
to launch each of these boat?, which I may mention are
used as storehouses for vegetables during the voyage,.
Now, when it is borne in mind that the Cunard stesi,m-
ers are realisinglarge profits from carryingthe mails, pas-
sengers, and merchandise, it is truly extraordinary that
proper provision is not made for the safety of the pas-
sengers and crew • and, as the company are apparently
indifferent to this important consideration, it suicell
should be the business of Parliament, when the ~next
annual grant for carrying the mails is before them, to
insist en all the ships being provided with not only
sufficient number of boats to contain the greatest /34 issi-
hie number of passengers and crew, but also to compel
the company to stow the.boats in such a manner that
they may be launched instantaneously and so,l ely.
The last intelligence of the unfortunate Arctic, lvt Lich
you publish this day, informs us that, as usual, the
tackle of one of the boats became entangled, and. the
boat was precipitated perpendicularly into the sea, and
I feel certain that, had any sudden calamity overta: ken
the America during my voyages, the launch of the be ats
would have been attended by many casualties.
Experience has now shown that the great danget of
Atlantic navigation is collision, particularly in the . re-
gion of the Banks of Newfoundland, where dense fogs
render a look-out almost useless. On my voyage out
we very narrowly escaped coming into collision wit h a
schooner, under circumstances precisely similar to Chose
which caused the loss of the Arctic; and it shoukt be
borne in mind that the reciprocity treaty between the
United States and Canada will throw many hundred
additional ships upon the very waters where the I Un-
ger of a collision is greatest, It is all very well to t :ug'
gest modes of navigating ships safely through a4.nse
fogs, but common sense points out that no ship bea ring
passengers and valuable mails should be permittee 1 to
leave port without the most ample and efficient 1 coat
accommodation.—l am, sir, your humble servant,
Somerset-house, Oct. 27. C. R. IVEIA

MONRY A

AND
COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

CITY, TWO o'CLOCK.
The sales of cotton at Liverpool yesterday were
estimated at 7,000 bales, including 1,000 taken 1.
for for export and on speculation. The market was
without animation at steady prices. Railway
Shares were quiet.
In the weekly return of the Bank of England to
the 21st inst. we have the anticipated increase of
bullion, and this will continue for another week or
two probably, if the payments for foreign grain do
not absorb any large sum. The amount to the
credit of the Government after the dividend pay-
ments is but small, nor must we expect large ba-
lances to be kept in time of war. In the discounts
and loans there was a falling off, corroborating the
statement as to the greater abundance of money.
Compared with the previous week, the changes
are as follows :
Active circulation £20,871,520
Increase 293,555
Bullion 13,405,978
Increase 501,373
3,125,834
7,866
1,893,487
661,135
11,702,867
486,303
1,115,006
35,020
11,113,273
34,235
14,742,463
371,999
57946,C05

Rest

In crease
Public Deposits
Decrease
Other Deposits
In crease
Seven-Day and other Bills
Increase
Government Securities
In crease
Other Securities
Decrease
Notes unemployed

Increase 121,160
There was a slight decline yesterday afternoon
in the rate of exchange for bills on Amsterdam, 90
days' paper being taken at 11 171 to 17g. Trieste
also was lower, 12 sto 12 10. Hamburgh was 163
steady, at 13 5/ to 61, Paris at 25 321 to 37k, and lA'
b
Frankfort at 118 k to St.
10:; 1
All the gold lately arrived is stated by Messrs. 14 1.
Haggard and Pixley to have been melted and sent
into the Bank of England. There is a good supply st:
---of Mexican dollars among the from New St.
20
York, and also of fine gold. Bar silver is ss. lad. 10
12±
per ounce.
The telegraph was opened from Hamburgh to
St. Petersburg on the 25th inst., and messages were 40
received in half an hour through the entire dis 25
-
tance, via Berlin, therefore we may constantly st.
expect later news from Sebastopol as long as the IT,:i
communication on the northern side is open to St.
Prince Menschikoff. 50
The holders of the Spanish foreign debt will 12
much regret the resignation of Mr. Joseph Tasker,
one of their committee, as announced in the fol-
lowing letter. Much that Mr. Tasker states 20
therein is incontrovertible, but to do the right
thing at the right moment is the difficulty, and we Ssft
feel assured, whatever differences of opinion may s
have arisen, that this gentleman, as an individual
creditor at least, will not withhold his support and
co-operation whenever an attempt is made to ob-
tain justice from the Spanish Government
" SPANISH BONDS.
" Dear Mr. Collett,—Having given tke subject much ,
reflection, I must beg to resign the post I hold as a
member of the Spanish Committee. There is a want of
activity and energy that must be detrimental to the
cause of the Bondholders. Their position never stood
better than at this moment—l mean, of course, of
late years, and since the scandalous scheme of Bravo
Murillo was forced down thetbroats of the creditors. Yuu
are aware how much I exerted myself first against the
whole scheme' as a gigantic and disgraceful swindle ;
and finding opposition to it, as a whole, perfectly
hopeless, how I afterwards opposed to the last,
by every effort and argument I could bring to
bear. upon the case, that most infamous part of it
—viz., the confiscation of the Coupons, the most
sacred part of the debt. Here I failed again ; the
opinions of Baron Rothschild, Mr. Capel, the Dutch
Committee, and the hohilers of Bonds, ex-Coupons, were
allowed to carry the day. The fair and just plan which
I next advocated of dividing the money appropriated to
the debt equally amongst all classes, Bond or Coupon
holders, was rejected also to my great surprise. Well,
we have lived to see the day when Bravo Murillo is not
only condemned by his own countrymen as well as by
Englishmen, but to see this unprincipled Minis-
ter proscribed and kicked into exile. Might I
not, then, with justice be permitted to ask who
was right and who was wrong ? You knew well my
sentiments as conveyed at the very numerous meetings
held upon the subject ; they will bo found recorded in
the two reports which were printed. The Minister is
kicked out ; but, alas ! as to his schemes, there they re-
main at present.
"To undo the grand portion of his last scanda-
lous reduction upon reduction of the Active Bonds from
5 to 1 per cent. is, I fear, beyond the hope of possibility.
The home creditors were equally subjected to it as the
foreign, and an unwilling acquiescence was extorted
from them. There does remain, however, a very sacred -
class of debt not merely cut down or reduced, but wholly
confiscated by the unjust decree of the exiled Minister,
for which something may and must be done. I mean
the certificates of the committee representing the Cou-
pons, and which were in 1841, 1842, and later (in con-
sequence
of previous Spanish legislation) at a price of 35,
and new worth a nominal 51. per cent. 1
"To place this class upon a better footing, however, 20
entitled to preference, is not likely, but to be placed upon 20
the same footing, and nothing short of it, as the Bonds 20
and Coupons non-confiscated, is what the Bondholders 200
have a just right to demand. 20
"Those persons who advocated the acceptance of the 20
unjust scheme, seeing the fate of its originator, really 100
owe it to themselves and to the Bondholders to make no
every exertion to see justice done, and thus compensate 20
for the egregious blunder, the grave error they corn- 25
mitted. 25
The Bondholders should forthwith call a public meet- 25
ing, add fresh blood to their committee, and select men
of energy and independence, and having an interest in 100
the general debt, for this confiscatory scheme has de-
stroyed all confidence in Spanish credit, and everythingl.o
Spanish, till it is revoked. Let them send an English 2g
agent to Madrid, and hold public meetings, and that 5
frequently, until redress is obtained.
"Some funds still exist, and to what purpose could they
be better applied If inadequate, it is the policy of the 100
Certificate holders to supply the deficiency.
"This is the proper and only method to be pursued, 100
and lam satisfied, if pursued, it will be pursued with 100
effect and success.—l are, my dear Sir, yours very 100
faithfully,

" JOSEPH TASKEB.
" Middleton Hall, Brentwood, Essex, Oct. 24.

"To the Secretary and Committee of
Spanish Bondholders."

The shipments of specie from London direct
during the week to Thursday last comprised
184,719 ounces of silver, and 6,750 ounces, toge-
ther with 6,0001., of gold, all to the Continent.
The Stock Market has been firm, although quiet,
and money is particularly easy. Consols have been
94& to for transfer, and 94/1 for account. Ex-
chequer Bills are Gs. to 95., and India Bonds 13s.
premium. The New 3i per Cents. have been quoted
93a to -a, and the 3 per Cents. 93i to A.
Foreign Securities are dull. Spanish 3 per Cents.
have been 38, and the Committee's Certificate has
been done at sg. The Turkish Scrip is lower, being
2 to 2i premium. Buenos Ayres Bonds have
realised 55 to 57. There has been a bargain in
Swedish 4 per Cents. at 85. Dutch 4 per Cents.
are 90A to 91.
The following are the nominal prices of foreign
stocks:—Grenada Deferred Bonds, 51 to 6 ; Mexi-
can, 221 to 23 ; Peruvian, 71 to 73 ; ditto,
3 per Cents., 51 to 53 ; Portuguese 4 per Cents.,
40 to 42 ; Russian 5 per Cents., 95 to 97 ; ditto,
4i per Cents., 84 to 86 ; Spanish New Deferred,
18i to 18i ; ditto, 3 per Cents., 37i to 38± ; ditto,
Certificates, 5i to 5,1 ; ditto, Passive, 4i to 41.

Railway Shares have been at a slight advance
upon yesterday's rates, with a few bargains in North
Western, Great Northern, Caledonian, Midland,
and South Eastern. The Foreign lines have been
fully supported, but there is less doing.
In the Mining Market there has been very little
done, and the Banks are not so brisk, though firm.

BRITISH FUNDS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCE.
Front the 06ial List.)
Bu-iness done.
3 per Cent. Reduced Annuities... .......... 934
3 per Cent Consols Annuities ................ 941
New 3 per Cent. Annuities ................. 93i ti
Long Annuities, Expire sth Jan., 1850..., 4 5-16 a
India Bonds, 11i00 ....... ..... .• l3
Consols for Account 14th. Nor. , .............. 941
Exchequer Bills, 24d.
vl 00
Small .................................. P 9 p
PRICE OF FOREIGN FUNDS A.T ONE O'CLOCK,
Buenos Ayres Bonds, 6 per Cent ............. 55 7
38
Spanish Bonds, 3 per Ccut .....................
Spanish Committee Cert. of Coup. not fun. 5g P c.
Turkish Scrip 6 per cent .............. 24 2
Ditto for the Account. ..................... 24
Swedish 4 per Cent ..........
85
.••••• .•..• . . ....
Dividends on the above payable in London.
Dutch
Exchange,
24 per Cent. 12 Guil - -
Witte 4 per Cent. Certificates .....,_.
TWO O'CLOCK.
Consols ................. 944
......................
Ditto AoTemlier Amiga Pii