The Sun.
London, England, 1853-05-10 00:00:00

DESERTIONS FROM THE NAVY.

Three captains, with their mates, have lately figured
before the police magistrates, charged with harbouring
deserters from her Majesty's navy on board, viz.—Capt.
Wm. Jarvis, of the Wasp, for harbouring .a sailor of the
Britannia (Thomas Richardson) ; Captain Thomson, of
the Kate, for harbouring Joseph Blanchard, of the Rod-
ney ; and Captain Graham, of the Amphitrite, for har-
bouring a midshipman of the Albion, by name Arthur
0. Webbe. With the exception of Captain Jarvis, who
was liberated, the others were committed for trial, but
the Crown Advocate, having examined the evidence,
entered a nolle prosequi, and they were dismissed from
confinement. The stories, indeed, told by the deserters
were in the highest degree plausible, particularly that of
the midshipman, who took his passage, for which he was
to pay the simple expense of board, and told the captain
that he had two months' leave of absence to go home to
pass, and did not scruple to say so at a public-house in
presence of several persons, and some of them his own
messmates.

The Taurus steamer is just coming into port. She is
to be employed between Liverpool and ports in the
Levant.

The idea of running the vessels of the Peninsular and
Oriental Company to Naples has been at present
abandoned. One is generally lying idle between her
arrival from Marseilles and the return of the boat from
Alexandria.

A General Court-martial assembled on Friday last on
board her Majesty's ship Albion, Rear-Admiral Harvey
President ; Captains Graham, Carter, Greville, Lord
Paulet, Jones, Symonds, and Drummond ; Mr. Pullen,
Officiating Deputy-Judge-Advocate, when Arthur Orme-
rode Webbe was arraigned on the three following
charges :
" 1. For that he, the said 0. A. Webbe, being in actual
service and full pay in the fleet, and midshipman of and
belonging to her Majesty's ship Albion, did, on Friday,
April 22, 1853, between the hours of 6 and 8 p.m., go out
of the ship without permission of the commanding officer,
knowing his leave to be stopped at the time.
" 2. For that he, the said A. O. Webbe, being on full pay,
&c., did, on the 22d of April, attempt to desert by going
on board the merchant vessel Amphitrite, and hiding him-
self away, with the intention of leaving the port in her.
" 3. For that he, the said A. 0. Webbe, did, on the 22d
of April, commit a robbery on board her Majesty's ship
Albion, by taking a sextant, the property of Lieutenant
Nolloth, out of his cabin, and carrying it out of the ship
with him."
The prisoner pleaded guilty to all the charges, and
would not retract his plea. He was sentenced to two
years' imprisonment in one of her Majesty's gaols, to be
dismissed the service, and rendered incapable of ever
again serving her Majesty.
John Nichols, a boy of the Albion, met his death on
the 26th ult. by falling from the mizentop of that vessel.
His death was instantaneous.

S wS
e—
trustN 0 W
thata t theth e
Dauntless paidDA u DAUNTLESS.—Now
not be unmindful of those officers, who,
HER
311jElBbToT111 to be
witnessed the fatal epidemic by which she
during her late service in the West Indies,
was visited lA.ndtnhia7viteyssel,
Death has unfortunately removed more than one officer
of this ship well entitled to the highest consideration of
their lordships ; but a sufficient number still remain to
enable the Admiralty to show that they can appreciate
other services besides those of actual warfare. When all
vied with each other in kindness and attention to their
sick messmates, it would be an impossibility to point out
the most deserving ; but surely an act of grace, either in
promotion or in some other shape, conferred upon such
men would not be misapplied by their lordships. On
such an occasion we may, without subjecting ourselves
to the charge of invidiousness, allude to the immense
amount of labour and responsibility that must have de-
volved upon Dr. Woodcock, the surgeon, and Dr.

ARRIVAL OF THE AMERICA.
LIVERPOOL,
The British and North
American
royal
mail
n steam.AT e r
America, Captain Leitch, arrived in the Mersey this
morning. She left Boston on the 27th, and Halifax
the 29th ult. She had 115 passengers and 127,000
dollars in specie on freight. The .America has ex.'
perienced strong easterly winds with extremely cold
Halifax on thes2Ttlii' •
featherw
iiftt de
at n.
ship
llt.
ph e
Canada whole voyage.
g .
at
ulr The screw-steamer City of Manchester left-Phila- -
'44ynia fur this port on the 23d, with 50 passengers
and 7,000 dollars specie.
The steamship Star of the West had arrived at New
York with two weeks later intelligence from California
and the Pacific coast, which confirms the report of the
loss of the steamer Independence, and, in addition, makes
the lamentable announcement that fully one hundred and
forty of her passengers are numbered with the dead. The
Independence ran ashore on the 16th of February, on
Margaretta Island, Lower California, where she took fire
and was entirely consumed. There were five hundred
passengers on board at the time, nearly all of whom
jumped overboard, and heroically braved the dashing
surf and strong tide to gain the shore. Those who suc-
ceeded in reaching the land were afterwards obliged to
stand mere helpless spectators and listeners to the vain
struggles and heart-rending supplications and dying
shrieks of the less fortunate of their companions—includ-
ing men, women, and children, who were either perish-
ing on board the blazing vessel, or being swept out to
sea by the irresistible force of the current. Another ac-
count states the loss of life to be 176. Amongst those
who were on their way from England to California, and
were passengers on board, and who perished, were E.
Collins and two children, P. Francis, W. Abraham, Mrs.
M. A. Came and child, and R. Davy.
The steam-ship California sailed from San Francisco
on the Ist, with $2,234,308 in gold dust, en route for
New York.

The accounts from the mining districts of California
were generally very satisfactory.
The general news from California is possessed of great
interest. We learn that the city of Marysville has again
been submerged, and that extensive loss of property has
been the consequence. Gold appears to be as abundant
as ever. The steamer which sailed from San Francisco
on the Ist inst. had on board nearly two and a quarter
millions of the precious article, of which $BOO,OOO were
shipped by one house, $530,000 by another. Owing to
the arrival of a large number of vessels, freighted with
every description of merchandise, the San Francisco mar-
kets were quiet. Small sales of flour had been made at
$l2 and $l3.

Ad vices from San Juan 4:1e1 Norte to the 15th ult.,
state that the war between Honduras and Guatemala
seemed to be prosecuted with increased vigour. The
Guatemaka general, Carrera, had encamped to await the
arrival of the Honduras general, Cabanos, in order to
give him battle. _ _

- There appears to be nothing of special interest stirring
at Washington.
Advices from Texas at Baltimore to the 24th ult.
state that further discoveries of gold had been made in
Hamilton's Valley, and that a great excitement was
existing.

Extensive arrangements are being perfected in Wash-
ington for the survey of the various routes for the contem-
plated railroad to the Pacific.
The Provincial Parliament at Quebec have adopted a
plan for a decimal currency in dollars and cents.
The committee •f the Assembly at New Brunswick
had reported in favour of making Campo Bello a free
port, where goods from all parts of the world would be
stored free of duty.
NEW ORLEANS, April 25.—The election of a senator
in the place of Mr. Soule has been postponed until
Friday. Sam Houston has arrived at Baton Rouge to
electioneer, as is supposed, for Mr. Slidell.
The steamer Falcon has arrived from Aspinwall with
the California mails, 75 passengers, and 100,000 dollars
in treasure.

The steamer Texas, from Vera Cruz, arrived here this
evening, bringing Millard H. Farwell, bearer of dis-
patches from the United States Legation at Mexico.
He reports that an express messenger arrived at the city
of Mexico on the Bth, bringing the news of the occupa-
tion of the Messilla Valley, in Chihuahua, by the
Governor of New Mexico. The intelligence had caused
great surprise, and a determination was expressed to
drive out the Americans at the point of the bayonet.
An armed force was ordered to proceed immediately to
the scene of action, to assist the government of Chihua-
hua in expelling Governor Lane and his troops.
A deputation of the Mexican authorities waited upon
Judge Conkling, on the 9th of April, and made $
solemn protest against the whole proceeding. Mr.
Farwell says that intense excitement exists in Mexico
among all classes. Governor Trias, of Chihuahua, had
replied to Governor Lane's proclamation in a powerful
vindication of the rights of Mexico, in behalf of which
he produced the most unanswerable documents.
The news of the loss of the steamer Albatross reached
New Orleans by the Texas from Vera Cruz. The steam
engine and cargo were saved. Every soul on board was
saved. The boat was built at Philadelphia, and was
worth 75,000 or 80,000 dols.