The Sun.
London, England, 1853-05-11 00:00:00

* Robert Hunt, Esq., Keeper of Mining. Lecture
delivered at the Museum of Practical Geology.

DEATH OF THE VISCOUNTESS FIELDING.—It is with
much regret that we announce the premature demise of
this noble lady, who died on the Ist instant, at Naples,
from a rapid consumption. Her ladyship was daughter
and heiress of the late David Pennant, Esq., and of the
late Lady Emma Pennant, on whose demise her ladyship
succeeded to the extensive domains of her father in
Wales. By her marriage with Rudolph Basil, eldest
son of the Earl of Denbigh, her ladyship has left a youth-
ful family.
THREE PER CENT. Smug.- —ln consequence of the
bill for the conversion of the Three per Cent. Stocks
having received the Royal assent, books were opened
yesterday at the Bank of England for the applications
of those proprietors who may be desirous of converting
their stock into any of the three descriptions of new se-
curities offered by the Government. Thus far the prin-
cipal applications have been for the Two-and-a-Half per
Cent. Stock, but no great eagerness was manifested by
the public to make the conversion, the fact of the Bank
being ready to receive notices not having generally
transpired. With regard to the proposed Exchequer
Bonds it was wholly impossible to form any choice, the
particulars, which are to be published in the Gazette,
not having yet been issued as to their precise terms.
Meanwhile, it may be useful to remind the public that,
except as regards the holders of the various petty Three
per Cent. Stocks, amounting altogether to 9,500,0001.,
the proposed conversion is in no degree compulsory, and
is limited to 30,000,0001. of stock, either Consols or
Reduced. Those who r,re satisfied to hold these de-
scriptions of Three per Cents., with the certainty that a
year's notice must be given, and that a considerable rise
in the general price of the funds must take place before
any forced reduction of interest can be attempted, have
on the present occasion only to remain quiet.
-UNIVERSITY REFORII.—Some time since the Heads of
Houses appointed a committee of their own body to re-
port on the recommendations of the Royal Commis-
acounisticlteferownlillthree
sioners, so far as they concern the University as distin-
pCerotllteogetsh.e
blotarids uacuiddertshtaotodthtehartepthertis
will be published before the long vacation.
AFFAIR
authority, that on Witeehden.rieda
AFFAIR or Horroun
ye
the are
217 n ft r
um].
te , a uponduel good
took
member for Middlesex
place between Sir
the
eeel and Mr. Bernal Osborne,
the speech which the lion. )rigin of the meeting being
Mr.baronetOsborne
delivered upon the
Jew Bill. The ball from
through his antagonist's coat sle°ZB,„,wedapon passed
the affair
happily terminated without bloodisued:
• gerald.

MONEY MARKET AND COMMERCIAL
INTELLIGENCE--(THIS DAY.)

CITY, TWO O'CLOCK.
The sales of cotton at Liverpool yesterday were
estimated at 5,000 bales—of which 1,000 Ameri-
can were taken for export and on speculation.
The market was firm, but closed tamely, at previ-
ous rates. The sales comprised 4,000 American,
70 Pernam and Maranham, at 60. to 7d. ; 20
Bahia at 60. ; 400 Egyptian, at 5/d. to 9d.; and
400 Surat, at 3id. to 4/d. per lb. Railway Shares
were flat, except Caledonian and Leeds stock.
The steamer Arctic has arrived and brings 51,876
dollars in specie.
There was a special meeting this day of the pro-
prietors of the Victoria Dock Company, Mr. Hey-
wood in the chair ; the object of which was to ob-
tain their sanction to a bill for increasing the com-
pany's capital from 400,0001. to 900,0001., by the
issue of new shares for the erection of additional
works, and for extending the time for construction.
The heads of this bill were read and approved of.
The books for the voluntary conversion of con-
sols are opened at the Bank of England, but
it does not appear that up to the present time,
the amount offered for is large. The fact of the
list being open, however, is not yet generally
known to the public.
The English Funds are rather heavy, and there
is not much doing. Consols have been 1001 for
transfer and account. The New Three-and-a-Quar-
ter per Cents. have realised 103 to 1, and the Three
per Cents. 99i to par. Bank Stock is firm at 229.
The Exchequer Bills both of June and March are
at par, and India Bonds at 255. prem. South Sea
Stock is firm at 1141, and the Old South Sea An-
nuities are at 992.
Foreign Stocks are dull. Peruvian Deferred
have been 67k, and Mexican 271. Brazillian Four-
and-a-Half per Cents. have bean quoted 100; to
101. Spanish Three per Cents. bring 48k to 491 ;
andthe Committee's Certificate is at 6 to French
Three per Cents. have been marked 82 25, with
the exchange at 25 10. Dutch Four per Cents.
are 961. Peruvian Deferred are not so good,
having been done at 671.
There is very little business doing in Railway
Shares, and prices have gone back slightly in some
instances. The account is considered to be rather
bullish up to the present time. Caledonian shares
keep firm, on account of the large traffic, and
Great Northern have been done as high as 90i.
Lancashire and Yorkshire are good. Midland not
so high, nor South Western. York and North
Midland are steady. French shares are lower as
regards Stra.sbourgs, owing to the decline at Paris,
but Northerns keep firm. Upper India have been
done at premium.
The Gold Mine Shares are very inactive at about
the former prices. Nova Scotia are lower in con-
sequence of the advices received by the Company,
quite confirming previous intelligence of the ab-
sence of available ore at Indian Point. Mr. Adam
Murray, it is said, will publish a statement as to
the causes of his giving such an erroneous opinion,
and we believe it will be shown that he has been
systematically deceived. It is certainly due
to the public that a very searching inquiry
should be instituted, and the Directors owe it as
well to their own character. United and Mexican
Shares are worse, the account not being satis-
factory.
Oriental Bank Shares are at very full prices, and
Australasia have advanced.
The Peel River are in more demand, and Aus-
tralian Agricultural are nominally firm.

BRITISH FUNDS AT ONE O'CLOCK THIS DAY
( From the Official List.)
Business done.
Bank Stock
3 per Cent. Reduced Annuities 99 100
3 per Cent. Consols Annuities
New 3.1 per Cent. Annuities
Long Annuities, Expire sth Jan., 1860
Ditto 30 Years, Expire sth Jan., 1860 6
India Bonds, £lOOO .....
Ditto, under £lOOO
South Sea Stock
South Sea Old Annuities
Consols for Account ..
Exchequer Bills lid.
£lOOO..
£5OO
Small

25
114 A
991
100 a
Juno. March.
par par
par

PRICE OF FOREIGN FUNDS AT ONE O'CLOCK.
Brazilian Bonds, 5 per Cent.
Ditto New, 1852, 41 per Cent lOl. 1001
Mexican 3 per Cont.
Peruvian Deferred 3 per Cent.
Spanish Bonds 3 per Cent 4Bi 91 81
Spanish 3 per Cent., Now Deferred 244 1
Spanish Committee Cert. of Coup. not fun. GA p e
Dividends on the above payable in London.
French Rentes, 3 per Cent B2f 25c Ex 25f 10c
Dutch Exchange, 21 per Cont. 12 Guil.
Ditto 4 per Cent. Certificates— ..... 961
HALF-PAST TWO.

Consols..
Ditto May Account lOO/ t

The quotation of gold at Paris is about at par (accord-
ing to the last tariff), which, at the English Mint price
of 31. 17s. 104 d. per ounce for standard gold, gives an
exchange of 25.17; and, the exchange at Paris on London
at short being 25.05, it follows that gold is about 0.48
per cent. dearer in Paris than in London.
By advices from Hamburgh the price of gold is 427
per mark, which, at the English Mint price of 3/. 17s.
101 d. per ounce for standard gold, gives an exchange of
13.6 ; and the exchange at Hamburgh on London at
short being 13.6, it follows that gold is the same price
at Hamburgh as in London.
The course of exchange at New York on London for
bills at 60 days' sight is 1091 per cent., and, the par of
exchange between England and America being 109
23.40 per cent., it follows that the exchange is nominally
0.17 per mat. in favour of England ; but, after making
allowance for charges of transport, the present rate leaves
scarcely any profit on the importation of gold from the
United States.

COLONIAL GOLD COMPANY.— It is stated that negotia-
tions have been entered into between the Peel River.
Company and the Colonial Gold Company, for the latter
company to set up crushing mill and other apparatus on
the Peel River lands, for extracting gold from such ore
as may be brought to them for the purpose ; and, also,
that arrangements have been entered into by the Lake
Bathurst Company, with the view of leasing a section of
the Peel River lands. At the same time, the Austra-
lian Agricultural Company are said to be sending out
a large body of miners and two superior officers, for
the purpose of increasing their production of coal at
Newcastle.

NOVA SCOTIA MINING COMPANY.—Advice 9 were re-
ceived yesterday by the Nova Scotia Mining Company,
from their agent, Mr. Sewell, dated Halifax, the 26th
April, forwarding a full report from Messrs. Petherick
and Hitchins, confirming their previous announcement,
that the lands provisionally leased by the company at
Indian Point are utterly valueless as regards any mineral
deposits, or even the indications of them. It is added,
also, that Mr. Adam Murray had admitted to them, in
the most unqualified manner, that his statements had
been altogether erroneous. Before returning to Eng-
land Messrs. Petherick and Hitching intended to com-
plete their survey by examining the iron mines at a
locality called Londonderry, which were also proposed
to be made over to the company, and were asserted to
be practically inexhaustible and unsurpassed in quality.
Meanwhile Mr. Adam Murray has reached England,
and is preparing a statement to lay before the company,
in which it is understood he will intimate that he was
influenced in his report by a deception deliberately
planned for the purpose of misleading him. Under all
the circumstances of the case of it is evident that a rigid
inquiry should be instituted.
CANADIAN RAlLWAYS.—Meetings of the shareholders
of the Hamilton and Toronto and the Great Western of
Canada Railways took place yesterday—Mr. Laing,
M.P., presiding, to receive explanations respecting future
prospects and the plans adopted for securing mutual co-
operation with the Grand Trunk Railway of Canada.
The chairman, in a lengthened address, traced the pro-
gress of the British American colonies, especially during
the last 10 years, with the view of showing their increase
in trade, population, and wealth, and the way in which
this increase would be accelerated by railway communi-
cation, carried out under prudent arrangements, with
an avoidance of unprofitable competition, and con-
nected by an important link with the lines of the United
States. Under these circumstances it had been deter-
mined to recommend that the Hamilton and Toronto
Railway should be leased to the Great Western Com-
pany at a rent equal to 6 per cent., with participation
in any dividend beyond that amount paid by the Great
Western Company. With regard to the Great Western
Company, it was proposed to proceed with the Sarnia
branch without further delay ; and, as a means to pro-
tect their general interests, terms of agreement had been
entered into with the directors of the Grand Trunk
Railivay of Canada, to co-operate in preventing unne-
cessary rivalry, and to adopt measures for facilitating,
by an equitably adjusted tariff, a proper interchange of
traffic. _ -

HARWICH ELECTION.—A meeting of the electors in
the Liberal interest was held at the Three Cups Hotel
on Monday evening, Mr. Churchwarden George in
the chair when it was resolved, on the motion of Mr.
William B. Nalborough, and seconded by Mr. Collins,
that in consequence of the recent decision of a com-
mittee of the House of Commons, declaring the election
of Mr. Peacock for this borough to be void, it was the
duty of staunch Reformers to unite in supporting a can-
didate to represent the independent electors in Parlia-
ment ; and it was further resolved, on the motion of Mr.
H. Darken, and seconded by Mr. J. Vaux, that Mr.
Bagshaw be requested to stand again for the representa-
tion, and to canvass the electors. A vote of thanks to
the chairman was passed, and the resolutions ordered to
be sent to Mr. Bagshaw in London. •
MAIDSTONE ELECTION.—The writ for the election of
a new member was received by the Mayor yesterday,
and proclamation was duly made in the afternoon that
the nomination will take place on Friday morning at
eleven o'clock. The poll will, therefore, be taken on
Saturday. Mr. Lee and Mr. Wykeham Martin aro the
candidates. Mr. Lee is certain unless a considerable
number of votes are absolutely purchased by the sup-
porters of Mr. Martin, or are perverted by corrupt con-
sideration, or rendered quiescent by the gross intimida-
tio4 which prevails.