The Sun.
London, England, 1854-12-15 00:00:00

PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS.

The following papers have been presented by command
of her Majesty to the houses of Parliament :--
A convention between her Majesty and the United
States of America, extending the term allowed for the
operations of the mixed commission established under
the convention of Feb. 8, 1853, for the mutual settle-
ment of claims. The high contracting parties agree that
the time previously limited for the termination of the
commission shall be extended for a period not exceeding
four months after Sept. 15, 1854.
The treaty was signed at Washington on the 17th
July, and the ratifications exchanged at London on the
18th August, 1854.

A. convention between her Majesty and the Emperor
of the French respecting the prisoners of war. It eon-
sists of the following five articles :
" Art. I.—The prisoners made in the course of the pre-
sent war shall, as far as possible, be divided equally be-
tween the two countries. Whenever one of the two coun-
tries shall have maintained a greater number of prisoners,
or shall have supported a certain number for a longer
period of time, an account shall be made every three
months of the excess of expenditure which may have been
incurred, and repayment shall be made of the half of the
amount by the Government of the ether country.
" Art. 2.—lnstructions shall be hereafter concerted be-
tween the two Governments in order to make known to
the officers of their naval and military forces the places or
ports to which the prisoners aro to be sent.
" Art. 3.—lf a depot for prisoners should be established
in any place not in the possessions of either of the two
countries, the expenses of it shall be borne between the
two Governments • but the advances to be made shall be
by the Government which shall have appointed officers to
take charge of the establishment.
" Art. 4.—Whenever the two Governments shall agree
to an exchange of prisoners with the enemy, no distinction
shall be made between their respective subjects who may
have fallen into the hands of the enemy, but their libera-
tion shall be stipulated according to priority of the date of
their capture, except under special circumstances, which
are reserved for the mutual consideration of the two Go-
vernments.
" Art. s.—The present convention shall be ratified, and
the ratifications shall be exchanged at London in ten days,
or sooner if possible. In witness whereof the respective
plenipotentiaries have signed the present convention,
and have affixed thereto the seal of their arms. Done
at London, the 10th of May, in the year of our Lord
1854.

" (L. 8.)
" (L.S.)

CL ARENDON.
A. W4.1,111V8E1."

TIIE NEW ADMIRALTY DOCKS AT

I BYIIAM.

The wonderful official wisdom and professional ability
of the civil engineering department at Somerset-house
may be estimated by the following intelligence relative
to the new steam establishment at Keyham :
The St. Jean d'Acre, 101, screw, Captain Hon. H.
Keppel, was taken into Devonport harbour yesterday
morning, and then to Keyham, but in consequene of a
low tide she was not taken into dock, few inches of water
more being required.
The Princess Royal, 91, screw, Capt. Lord C. Paget,
was taken into the basin at Keyham on Wednesday
morning, intending to be, put into No. 1 Dock, but the
tide being so low she bad not water by three inches.
She remained in tie basin.
This is a pretty discovery, truly, at the new establish-
ment at .Keybatn, on which so many hundred thousands
of pounds have keen spent. On almost the first trial it
is found that there was not a sufficient rise of tide to
take a couple of line-of-battle ships into dock.
It should be stated that the present Board of Ad-
miralty are not responsible for this ; but the public may
expect no other but discoveries of still more extensive
blunders as the new dockyard " works and improve.
ments" come to be tested. The question will naturally
arise, then, who is to blame ? and it is easily answered.
It is the fault of a jobbing system—namely, the placing
at the head of such ax important establishment as the
civil engineering and architectural works superannuated
military officers of the East India Company's service,
instead of regularly bred civil engineers, and properly
educated and experienced professional civilians.
Now that we have no great naval expeditions press-
ing, or rather now, whilst our ships are efficient and not
crippled, time may be spared for a careful revision of
our dockyard works and dock accommodation by a com-
mittee of efficient civil engineers.—Morning Herald.

THE AFRICAN STEAM COMPANY'S SHIP HOPE.—The
following extract of a letter from Mr. Bowen, the porn-
mander of the African Steam Company's ship Hope,
now engaged in the transport service in the Black Sea,
seems to indicate that the approach of the late hurricane
was sufficiently indicated by the movements of the baro-
meter to afford time for measures of safety .
"We left Constantinople on the 9th of November, had
a furious passage across, in which I hove to for 12 hours,
and on arrival in the bay of Balaklava found the weather
so threatening, and the oscillations of the glass so extra-
ordinary, that I would not enter ; had I done so, we
should have shared the fate of others. We anchored just
to the north of the long point which forms Cape Cherso-
where, in company with the Faith, we rode out nobly
whole gale, which lasted about 16 hours in its greatest
ntite;seep oh