The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-22 00:00:00

JAMAICA.

The dates from this island are to the 27th ult.
A. proclamation, bearing date the 18th day of
February, has been issued by his Excellency the
Governor' promulgating an order received from
her Majesty's Privy Council, bearing date the 28th
day of December, 1852, consenting to the following
acts passed by the Legislature of Jamaica, viz.:—
"An act for the raising of moneys to be applied to
the instruction of free labourers, and for other pur-
Poses ; and_

" An act for appointing Commissioners, and autho-
rising them to provide for the return passage of cer-
tain emigrants brought into this island, and for other
Purposes."

ilis-Excelleney the Governor has given assent to
the Loan Act.
The manufacture of sugar will not be to any con-
siderable extent this season, but it is said that it
will be very good. A number of large fields have
not yet been got in.
It is the intention of the Assembly to withdraw
the Island Treasury notes from circulation, and to
substitute others in their stead, a bill for that pur-
Pose having passed through several stages.
A. Mr. Hague, a reporter for one of the local
Papers, has been committed to prison for a breach
Di. Privilege, under a warrant from the Speaker,

.

and after remaining there some days he was ordered
to be released, but the- fees of the clerk and ser-
geant-at-arms are so enormous that Mr. Hague has
not the means to liquidate them, and consequently
still remains in durance vile.
Kingston is healthy, but in some of the provin-
cial towns small-pox is prevailing. At Savanna-la-
Mar many of the most respectable inhabitants are
now on their beds of affliction with this fell com-
plaint ; there were four cases out of town, and one
fatal case, on the 18th instant. The prisoners in
gaol are also! attacked. The paupers in the poor-
house are, indeed, in a very bad state, on account
of its having been made an hospital.
The weather during the past fortnight has been
fine and dry, no rain having fallen for some time,
which is much wanted.

THE MEDITERRANEAN.

The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steam-
ship Bengal, Captain Henry Powell, arrived yester-
day at Southampton, at four o'clock, and landed
mails from the following places and dates, in charge
of Lieutenant Stevens, R.N., the Admiralty agent.
Her dates of sailing were :—Alexandria, March
6th ; Malta, 11th; Gibraltar, 15th.
The passengers by the Bengal were :—First
cabin, 55 • second, 11 ; children, 12 ; seamen, 22;
total, 100—amongst whom are Messrs. Pember-
ton, Sparkes, and Mercer, from New South Wales.
The former of these gentlemen has, perhaps, for the
first time on record, circumnavigated the world by
steam, having gone out in the Great Britain to
Melbourne and Sydney, and returned by the
Chusan to Singapore, and thence by the Company's
other steamers to Southampton • Drs. Ross, Thomp-
son, and Fitzpatrick ; Majors Killoe, Phibbs, and
Norgate (Calcutta) ; .Capt. Cawell, 3d Dragoons,
and Lieut. King, from Bombay ; Major Northey,
Hon. A. Legge, from Malta ; Messrs. Ehress, &c.,
from Gibraltar.

The freight of the Bengal consists of 16 packages
of specie, in value unknown, 402 bales of silk, 152
bales of flax, 46 bags of nuts, 187 bags of wool, 56
elephants' tusks, 50 boxes of oranges, 25 boxes of
dates, and 160 packages of general merchandise.
Stations of her Majesty's Ships.—At Malta,
Rear-Admiral Dundas's fleet. At Gibraltar, H.M.
steam-ship Furious, and Antelope packet.
The Peninsular and Oriental steam-ship Tagus
left Gibraltar for Cadiz on the evening of the 14th,
with the homeward Peninsular mails.
Stations of Vessels of War of Foreign States.
At Alexandria, the usual Egyptian fleet.
On 14th, 40 miles east of Cape Degatt, passed a
square-rigged ship flying a St. George's Ensign, and
distinguishing pendant No. 5,480 ; supposed to be
a yacht ; she was about 400 tons, and steering E.
Ships observed on the voyage.—At noon, on the
11th, 60 miles west of Malta, exchanged colours
with the Haddington, and at 10 a.m. on the 12th
instant, the Indus, 12 miles west of Gibraltar, or
310 from Malta. The screw steamer Livonio entered
Gibraltar Bay on the 15th, whilst the Bengal was
lying there, and leave for Liverpool the same day.
When off Tariffs, same day, passed. an apparently
new steamer, showing Austrian colours and steer-
ing for Gibraltar.
The Bengal, on her outward passage, met with
favourable weather, and performed the distance to
Alexandria in 11 days 4 hours, going an average of
11i- nearly. On her homeward passage, she has
experienced a succession of strong head winds all
the way from Alexandria, and on the 16th, coming
up the coast of Portugal, met with a severe gale,
flying round from W. to N.W., blowing in the
squalls furiously. She behaved uncommonly well,
and proved herself a first-rate sea-boat, shipping no
water, and going along smoothly. She carried this
strong breeze to Finisterre, and after rounding
that, they met with hard N.E. and E. gales across
the Bay, with squalls of hail, snow, and very cold
weather. • These head-winds, added to her deten-
tion
at Malta for the Corfu mails, has prolonged
her voyage at least two days. But for it she would
have been in on Saturday the 19th, corresponding
to the 16th of any other month, February having
only 28 days. The earliest previous arrival was
on the morning of the 17th April last, when the
Bentinck arrived with the earliest India mail ever
received in London.

A USTILALIAN GOLD MINING COMPANY.-At the meet-
ing of the Australian Gold Mining Company yesterday
the report and accounts were adopted. It appeared

that Mr. Harding, the general superintendent, had ar-
rived at Sydney in July last, followed by the machinery
in September. He had since been occupied in seeking
an eligible pot for the commencement of operations, but
up to the date of the last advices had not been able to
select one where the quartz rock was in his opinion rich
enough to justify the heavy expense that would be in-
curred by transporting the machinery into the interior.
A district in the south had, however, been pointed out,
which he thought of visiting to ascertain its real cha-
racter and fitness. The 2,000 shares appropriated for
the colony had been speedily subscribed, and the parties
requested to form a local board had consented to act.
Of the general capital of 19,0001., 14,0001. to

15,0001. —remained intact, exclusive of the ma-
chinery, stores, &c., dispatched to Sydney, which
had cost about 2,4001. A charter of ir;corp° ra
tion has been obtained, limiting the responsibility of the
shareholders. The chairman (Mr. H. Buckle) explained
that, although the directors regretted they could not
present a more satisfactory report, they did not consider
their prospects discouraging. Mr. Harding's experience
in Brazil had probably led him to believe that the ap-
pearance of the quartz rock veins was not sufficiently
encouraging to induce him to erect their machinery ;
but it was known from assays of specimens received in
this country, particularly in the case of the Peel River
district, that very satisfactory results had been obtained,
even from those which presented the most unfavourable
indications. Instructions would be forwarded to the
local board and superintendent to put themselves in
communication with the agent of the Peel River Com-
pany, who would be empowered to negotiate with them,
if necessary, for a site to carry out the contemplated
works. Several shareholders considered that the dis-
cretion of Mr. Harding was entitled to commendation,
and the directors having pledged themselves that no
new call shall be made until they lay a further state-
ment before the general body, the usual complimentary
votes were passed.
ATTACK ON AN EMIGRANT. SHlP.—lntelligence Fas
been received at Lloyd's, under date Stanley, Falkland
Islands, Jan. 5, of a most daring attack on the ship Por-
cupine, of Liverpool, Millinger, master, by the Patago-
nians. It seems that in passing through the Straits of
Magellan, on her way to California, the Porcupine
grounded. Early next morning she was surrounded
by numerous canoes, full of natives. The captain,
thinking they might be useful in getting the vessel
off, allowed some of the principal chiefs to come on
deck, when they offered to exchange a copy of " John-
son's Comprehensive Dictionary," signed on the fly-
leaf " John Badiam, January, 1851," a Prayer-book,
and other articles, evidently belonging to an English
ship. The captain, now observing a fleet of canoes
approaching nearer, many bearing lighted pine branches,
gave orders for the crew and passengers, most of whom
had revolvers, to arm themselves, and a terrific conflict
ensued ; the saVagesfought desperately, and tried to burn
the ship. After a severe struggle and great slaughter
they were beaten off, and 300 bags of oats being thrown
overboard, the ship floated. Two of the emigrants,
named Geo. Rowsell and Henry Boyle, were killed, and
several others severely wounded. The ship returned to
the Falkland Islands, terribly disabled.
SHREWSBURY AND BIRMINGHAM RAILWAY.—There is
not the remotest prospect of a dividend in this company
as it is now constituted. The balance sheet just issued
shows a gross income for the half year of 20,3141., the
working expenses being no less than 17,3361. This is
exclusive of Government duty, rates, and taxes. The
whole balance carried to dividend account is 1,6201.,
,and out of this has to be paid 1,554/. as interest on de-
bentures, and 6,328/. on preference share 3. The old
balance on hand of 15,4681. is thus reduced 12,2531. ;
being thus upheld only by the Stour Valley dividend,
paid by the London and North-western, to the extent
of 3,046/.

A PRIME JOKE.—A capital joke occurred yesterday,
which has set all Paris laughing and talking to-day. A
large crowd had assembled yesterday in the Rue d'Ar-
genteml, near the Palais Royal, in consequence of a thief
detected in the act of robbing a house having succeeded
in reaching the roof, where it was dangerous to follow
forsom tiin tew,as without
shoes,
l was
man,
sseent howmoo hvead on
a blouse,
aboutas
seek-
ingwifhtou
a window through which to escape,a
and at last he
detachment ein of
s t e
disappeared altogether. Meanwhile
soldiers wc.s sent for, and they blockeddeut up
from the house ; some firemen were also sent for, who
s
went on the roofs, but they arrived just as the man
vanished. The military, firemen, and crowd waited for
two hours, and then a commissionaire gave the follow-
ing letter to the sergeant in command : -"Brave Ser-
geant,—Do not fatigue your men any longer by making
them wait for me ; when you receive this letter I shall
be a long way off. In visiting the horse next to that in
which your men are, you will see how I escaped—no-
thng was more simple. After having passed from one
roof to the other, I opened the window of a chamber,
which I found to be nicely furnished. I found in a box
placed under the bed, a great coat, and a pair of varnished
leather shoes ; and after having put them on, I went
away by the porte cocMre which the too curious porter
left free. I talked a few moments with you, and told
you that you would have a good deal of trouble in catch-
ing the thief. I said thief, for I confess that having
found a 100 f. note, and 100 f. in gold in the trunk with
the coat and shoes, I could not resist the temptation of
taking them." The statements of this letter having been
ascertained to be exact, the soldiers were sent home, and
the crowd dispersed. The secret police have commenced
a strict search after the man.
REPRESENTATION OF BLACKBURN.—The writ for the
election of a member for Blackburn in the room of Mr.
William Eccles (unseated at the late parliamentary in-
quiry), was received by the Mayor of Blackburn on
Thursday, who at once fixed upon Wednesday next for
the day of nomination, and the following day for the
polling. During the past week both parties have been
unremitting in their exertions to promote the return of
their candidate, and there is every prospect of the con-
test being a close one.