The Sun.
London, England, 1853-02-18 00:00:00

LANCASTER.

The Select Committee to inquire into this petition met
again this morning for the second time.
The examination of MASON was continued :--Johnson
had spoken to him about colours his wife was to make
*ern. She was to make as many as she could. Nothing
was said about money. Had received from Johnson on
his own account 4/. 14s. 6d. Had been engaged at
elections as messenger for nearly 30 years. He had, as
a messenger, at times, received 10s. a day.
Richard Bradshaw.—Voted for Mr. Ellice at the
last election. Knew thoma,s Wise, also John Garth.
On the day of election saw Wise and Garth in a lobby
at the Bear and Staff. Heard Wise say to Garth, I will
give you a sovereign to vote for Armstrong. Garth
took the sovereign. He said to Mr. Wise, I have
caught you bribing. Wise said you're a liar.

BRIDGNORTH.
The Select Committee to inquire into this petition met
this morning for the first time, Mr. Bouverie, chairman.
Mr. James appeared for the petitioners, and the sitting
members were represented by Messrs. Clarke and
Whately.
Mr. JAMES, in opening the case, stated that the peti-
tion was founded upon the existence of a systematic
course of brikery and treating. This bribery had been
carried on by agents of both members, and large sums
of money had been expended. The system employed
was that the candidate paid the expenses incurred at
the last election, leaving the debts incurred at the present
election to be settled by future canditates. He was in a
position to prove that a large sum of money had
been paid to a wine and spirit merchant to liqui-
date the claims of publicans from the last election.
The cases were proceeding when our reporter left.

THB AUSTRALIAN MAIL PACKET ADELAIDE.

SOUTHAMPTON, THURSDAY, FEB. 17.
By the Royal mail steamer Severn we have received
the subjoined particulars relative to the steam-ship Ade-
laide, belonging to the Australian Royal Mail Steam
Packet Company, which vessel left Plymouth on the
3d of January last, with the contract mails for Adelaide,
Port Philip, and Sydney. The letter is dated St. Vin-
cent, Cape Verdes, Jan. 31 :
" After leaving Plymouth on the 3d inst., the Adelaide
encountered strong south-westerly winds and a head sea in
her course down Channel, and across the Bay of Biscay.
At half-past 3 o'clock in the morning of the 6th an alarm
of fire gave rise to considerable excitement and confusion on
board. The fore-saloon and cabins were suddenly filled with
smoke, which was found to proceed from the coal-bunkers
immediatelybeneath. The fire-engines being brought to bear
and a large quantity of water promptly poured down the
scuttle-holes, it was soon ascertained that no imminent
danger was to be apprehended. The coals, however, con-
tinuing in a very heated state, pumping was resumed at
brief intervals during three or four successive days, after
which the alarm gradually subsided. The accident was
stated to have originated in the unusual proximity of the
coal-bunkers to the boilers, which, combined with the
highly inflammable nature of coal, rendered the liability
to spontaneous combustion one of peculiar peril. On the
morning of the 17th, the Adelaide reached St. Vincent
(CapeVerdes), but, unfortunately, finding that the company
had neglected to provide any coals for her use (though
she was now one month over-due), had to wait the
arrival of fresh supplies from England, which were known
to be on the way. After a detention of eight days,
she obtained from the brig Llewellyn, which made St. Vin-
cent on the 25th, from Swansea, a small quantity of patent
fuel, wholly insufficient, however, to meet her require-
ments. On the 28th the chance arrival of about 400 tons
of coal, by the barque Nile, from Bristol, promised at
length a termination to this tedious suspense; but a dispute
as to price consumed much valuable time, and up to the
hour of the Severn's departure, on the night of the 31st, it
was still a matter of complete uncertainty at what date the
Adelaide might get away; indeed her further detention
would probably extend over another week at least, as she
had then barely 500 tons of fuel on board, being only one-
half of her necessary complement. Much indignation was
expressed by the passengers generally on account of the re-
peated and vexatious delays to which they had been sub-
jected by the gross mismanagement and improvidence of the
company, and which were considered to admit of no ex-
cuse or palliation. Among the second-class passengers the
deepest dissatisfaction prevailed, and the complaints were
loud and many with respect to the miserable incomplete-
ness of the domestic arrangements and economy of the
ship, and the utter want of system, discipline, and ade-
quate service, which entailed upon one and all an amount
of discomfort and positive privation hardly to be credited.
One passenger quitted the ship in disgust at St. Vincent,
and returned to England by the Severn, and several others
declared that nothing short of the most urgent necessity
would have induced them to proceed. The sea-going qua-
lities of the Adelaide were spoken of as contrasting favour-
ably with the immethodical and unbusiness-like character
of the company's arrangements in connexion with her,
which were considered to reflect the greatest discredit upon
all parties concerned."
Our private advices by the Severn mention that the
Adelaide would probably get away from St Vincent on
the 4th inst. The delay of the Australian mails on this
occasion, and the general irregularity of the postal ser-
vice, must inflict immense injury upon the mercantile
interest.