The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-06 00:00:00

MALTA.

A letter of May 30th from Malta says :—The
French mail steamer Thabor has just arrived. She
has on board a Queen's messenger, and one of the
aides-de-camp of the Prince Napoleon, with des-
patches for the French and English Govern-
ments. Her mail closes for Marseilles at 10
p.m., before her mails are delivered. The
melancholy news of the loss of the Tiger is too
true. She got ashore in a heavy fog, and used all
efforts to get off, by throwing all her guns over-
board, and discharging her ammunition into her
boats. When the fog cleared, off, she found herself
about five miles from Odessa; under the telegraph ;
and a large body of 9,000 men with 15 guns were
already assembled. These commenced a fire, and
very soon a shot carried off poor Captain Giffard's
leg, and another killed his nephew, a midshipman,
by his side. The captain, seeing his hopeless posi-
tion, struck his flag, and the enemy took all the
crew prisoners. Just before leaving the ship, the
Niger and Vesuvius hove in sight, when the
Russians demanded they should be quick in
getting on shore, threatening to fire on them if
they delayed longer. The two steamers, seeing
the enemy assembled in numbers, began to throw
shell among them, when the Russians placed
the British in front, and led the steamers
to discontinue the fire. The prisoners were
then marched to Odessa. Captain Giffard was
placed in the Governor's house and treated with
the greatest kindness. The Russians refuse to ex-
change prisoners, but allow every liberty to the
captives, who have been also permitted to write to
their friends, and were visited, under a flag of
truce, by the First Lieutenant of the Vesuvius.

THE NEW STAMP ACT.--STAMPED CHEQUES

AND PENNY REC'EIPT STAMPS.

The New Stamp Bill contains' two provisions which
will remove anomalies in the existing law, and which
have led to more discussion than all the rest of the pro-
visions in relation to the penny stamps.
1. In relation to cheques. Our readers are aware that
the exemption in favour of bankers' cheques is extended
to those drawn payable to bearer, and issued within fif-
teen miles of the bank upon which they are drawn. With
regard, therefore, to cheques drawn beyond that distance,
no difficulty has existed, and a penny stamp is required to
be used in such cases. But a serious question arose as
to the operation of cheques drawn upon a bank within
the prescribed distance, but remitted by the post to a
distant part of the country and then negotiated. It has,
however, been ruled that a cheque is "issued " when it
is posted, and, therefore, if the posting takes place
within the limit of fifteen miles, it is held that the
receipt may be remitted to any place however distant,
then posted and negotiated as and long as frequently as
the party pleased. Thus, from London a great part of
the remittances to Liverpool, Glasgow, or Manchester is
made in some cases unstamped, and being negotiated in
those cities ultimately find their way back to Lon-
don. This is an obvious abuse of the exemption in
favour of the bankers' cheques. The new act, therefore,
provides that no unstamped cheque shall be sent, or shall
circulate, or be negotiated beyond fifteen miles limit.
In future, therefore, all such remittances must be made
in cheques drawn upon a penny stamp.
2. In relation to the penny receipt stamp. The old
stamp act contained a provision, and which was not altered
last year, that an acknowledgment of the safe arrival of
money made through the post should be made exempt
from charge. But that exemption was so limited in the
terms, that it was extremely difficult to know when it was
legally made and when not. When that exemption was
first altered, the postage rates and receipt stamps were both
so high, and there may have been a reasonable ground
for it. But now that postage is reduced to a uniform
penny, and receipt stamps to the same sum, there is no
longer any charge for such an exemption, and all the
difficult questions arising out of it are solved in the new
act by the repeal of the exemption altogether.
We are glad to understand that it is intended to adopt
for the future one and the same penny adhesive stamp
both for cheques and receipts. This will simplify their
use very much and save both the public and bankers
much trouble and inconvenience.— Economist.

The Earl and Countess of Jersey entertained the Earl
of Dalkeith, the Earl and Countess of Desart, Viscount
and Viscountess Newport, Lord Grey de Wilton, Lord
George Manners, the Hon. F. Villiers, Mr. R. Knight-.
ley, M.P., Mr. G. H. Heathcote, M.P., Mr. W. Rose,
and a select party, at dinner, on Saturday, at their resi-
dence in Berkeley-square.

The Duke and Duchess of Hamilton and a select party
dined with Mr. and Mrs. John Massey Stanley last
evening in Curzon-street. Their graces are expected to
leave London at the expiration of the ensuing month on
a visit to the Dowager Grand Duchess Stephanie of
Baden at her chateau near Mannheim. The noble duke,
we understand, will not occupy Beaufort House, pur-
chased from the present duke, until next season.
We are happy to learn that the Hon. and Rev. Neville
Grenville, Dean of Windsor, has, during the last week,
greatly improved, and expectations are held out of his
ultimate restoration to health.
DEATH OF MRS. BAILLIE.—We announce with re-
gret the demise, at her house in Lowndes-street, on
Saturday evening of the Hon. Mrs. Baillie, wife of Mr.
Henry Baillie, M.P. for Inverness-shire. This most
amiable lady was the last surviving daughter of Vis-
count Strangford, and was born at Stockholm, during
her noble father's sojourn there, in 1819. She has left
five children, of whom the youngest was born on the
19th of last month. Mrs. Baillie has only survived a
few months her younger sister, the lamented Mar-
! ohion ess of Sligo.
AM&TERDAM AND ROTTERDAM PRODUCE-MARKET.—
The reviews from the Amsterdam and Rotterdam pro-
duce-marks-its state that business was litmoited,ly2d thatl
prices gener.lllY exhibited a tendency
decline.
and
sales
n
-tnsactions were unimportant,
sugear the tr.rates
although lower were quoted.
could not be effe. 'ted'
For some descript..°rls of coffee there was a better de-
t. The operations
novemenrice in
mand, at a slight imi.
and and tea had not nted and quotations were
at the late decline.
weak. Indigo was heaih.