The Sun.
London, England, 1853-10-18 00:00:00

TITE AUSTRALIAN MAILS.

SOUTHAMPTON, Oct. 15.—The expected mails
from the Australian ports via Singapore and Suez,
the absence of which is causing such great incon-
venience and anxiety to the commercial world, can-
not, it is now supposed, reach Southampton till the
4th of November, by the steam-ship Euxine, due
with the India and China mails at that date. They
will consequently come to hand nearly a month
overdue. No reason can be yet assigned for the
delay, inasmuch as when the homeward packet left
Singapore the Chusan, with the contract mails from
Sydney, Port Philip, Adelaide, King George's
Sound, and Batavia, had not arrived, although
nearly ten days past due. The agent of the Penin-
sular and Oriental Company, writing from Singa-
pore, under date the 31st of August, with reference
to the non-arrival of the missing steamer, states
that the bark Eliza, just come in from Melbourne,
reported that two steam-ships were observed enter-
ing Port Philip harbour on the 20th of July, one
of which it is assumed was, without doubt, the
screw-steamer Chusan with the outward mails.
This vessel would, therefore, have to proceed to
Sydney and return by the regular route, calling at
the various ports. It is therefore deemed certain
that the next overland express will bring accounts
of her arrival at Singapore with the full quota of
mails. One cause that may have operated in pro-
ducing the failure of this mail by the present oppor-
tunity is, that during the south-west monsoon the
China steamers are dispatched from Hong Kong
five days earlier than at other seasons. It
appears that the monsoon had abated earlier than
usual, and the steam-ship Ganges, not having
the ordinary bad weather to contend against,
arrived at Singapore four or five days earlier, and
also left that port four or five days earlier than would
have been the case under other circumstances ; in
fact, she reached Point de Galle, Ceylon, six days
before the steamer from Calcutta. This arrange-
may appear to be a defective one, and probably it
will be found that the Chusan may have got up to
Singapore in time to transfer the Australian mails
—supposing the packet to have been kept till the
ordinary date—but the agents of the company at
intermediate ports have no power to detain the
vessels. The Ripon, due at Southampton on Wed-
nesday, may possibly bring some letters from Aus-
tralia, conveyed to Singapore by the Eliza. The
voyage out to Port Philip, performed by the
General Screw Steam Company's ship Argo, must
be considered as the most successful one ever ac-
complished in conxexion with Australian- steam
navigation. It occupied only 65 days, four days
of which were consumed in coaling at St. Vincent's,
giving 61 days as the total period under steam and
canvas. The overland route has thus been com-
pletely beaten by the Argo, inasmuch as the
Australian mails dispatched from Southampton by
way of Suez and Singapore, on the 4th of May,
had not arrived at Port Philip up to our last ac-
counts (the 20th of July), when they were 77 days
out, while the Argo, which left Southampton on
the Bth of May, reached her destination on the
14th of July. As the Argo will come home by
way of Cape Horn, her arrival at Southampton
may now be daily looked for ; and it is not at all un-
likely she will again anticipate the overland route
with Australian intelligence. It is a singular co-
incidence connected with the news just received,
that the dates from Sydney and Melbourne brought
in the one case by sailing vessel and steamer, vid
Panama, and in the other by sailing vessel ad
steamers by way of Singapore, are precisely iden-
tical—viz., the 20th of July, and reached London
the same day.

THE CRYSTAL PALACE AT SYDENHAM.—The works of
the gigantic building at Sydenham appear to progress
rapidly, and the shell of the building is so far advanced
towards completion, that the contractors, Messrs. Fox
and Henderson, have undertaken to surrender it to the
company in a finished state at Christmas. If they can
effect this—and there is no reason to doubt the power
or resources of men who have already accomplished so
much—a whole army of decorators and embellishers will
be thrown into the interior, and the varied and compre-
hensive designs of the undertakers will be rapidly carried
out during the early months of the next year. Under
these circumstances there can be little doubt that the
building will be so far advanced as to warrant its being
thrown open to the public, as has already been an-
nounced, on the Ist of May next.
CARLTON-TERRACE.—From the esplanade, which abuts
on the Mall, in St. James's Park, and is in the rear of
the mansions of Chevalier Bunsen (the Prussian ambas-
sador), Lord Londesborough, Lady Somerset, the Mar-
quis of Clanricarde, and the Duke of Leinster, having
become excessively damp and covered with moss, from
the exhalations ascending from the lower buildings, the
gravel has been covered with orsi and armanis metallic
lava, by order of the superintendent of the Crown
estates. The esplanade, from its dimensions and situa-
tion, has long been a favourite promenade of the noble
residents of Carlton-terrace, but has latterly been ren-
dered useless by the dampness, to remedy which the
lava has been laid down.

lATEST FOREIGN NE S.

FRANCE.

It is stated that an intimation has been made by
the Minister of the Interior to the semi-official
journals, that they are henceforth at liberty to dis-
cuss the Eastern question as freely as they may
think proper. a

A number of arrests are said to have been just
made. Some speak of nearly 200 persons takes
into custody. M. Goudchaux's name has been
mentioned, but it is said that he was soon after set
at liberty.
The Toulonnais newspaper states that all the
steam-frigates laid up in ordinary have been ex-
amined by the naval surveyors. The instructions
for this proceeding were sent from Paris by tele-
graph, and the object was to ascertain whether
those vessels are in a fit state to be armed and
sent out to sea.

The total of the importation of corn, &c., into
France amounts to 3,300,000 hectolitres.
The steam and sailing vessel Dunkirque, of 90
guns, is to be launched at Brest on the 2d of No-
vember.

The fete of the Emperor was celebrated with
great pomp at Monte Video. The religious service
was attended by the French Charge d'Affaires, M.
Maillefer, accompanied by Prince Paul of Wurtem-
berg, the cousin of the Emperor, in the uniform of
a general officer, and wearing the grand cordon of
the Legion of Honour. The Ministers of Monte
Video, all the diplomatic and consular body, and
the great majority of the French residents were
also present. A grand banquet was given in the
evening by Admiral de Suin, on board the Andro-
mede frigate, to which Prince Paul, the comman-
ders of the different vessels on the station, the
Ministers, the diplomatic body, the consuls, and
the principal French residents were invited.
Preparations are already making for the recep-
tion of the Emperor and Empress at Fontaine-
bleau.

A letter from Compiegne states that the town is
unusually animated, in consequence of the presence
of the Imperial party at the palace. The railway, it
states, brings down every day a crowd of persons
animated by curiosity, as well as a number of visi-
tors to the Emperor. Upwards of 60 apartments
have been got in readiness at the palace, and all the
guests, following the example of the Emperor and
Empress, spend a considerable time each day in
the open air. On Friday took place the first battue
in the forest. It had been in contemplation at
first to have a stag hunt, but that idea was given
up, and a shooting party substituted for it. The
Emperor was accompanied on the occasion by
Marshal de St. Arnaud, the Duke de Terceira,
Count de Morny, M. Fould, Gen. Canrobert, Col.
Ney, the young Duke de Casigliano, Barons James
and Adolphe de Rothschild, and a few others. The
party advanced regularly in a line, the Emperor
occupying the centre, and proving himself an ex-
cellent shot. A considerable number of spectators
were present, and everything passed off with the
greatest regularity. At two o'clock the Empress
arrived in a char-b,-banes with a number of ladies
and witnessed for some time the address of the
sportsmen, the whole party returning in chars-a
bane to the palace at five o'clock. The next day
to*k place a stag-hunt, and on the day after a
grand racket match was to be played for the amuse-
ment of the imperial party, in the racket-court
attached to the palace. The performers of the
Gymnase, who had been ordered down, wore to
give a representation in the evening at the palace.
The Emperor has ordered several improvements to
be effected in the town of Compiegne, and in par-
ticular the enlargement of the Place du Marche-
au-Ble.

Tho Bourse opened firmly yesterday, and the
Three per Cents, were first called at 73f. Some
heavy sales made shortly afterwards forced them
down to 72f. 40c., and they closed at 72f. 55c. for
the cad of the month. There were no political
reports current. The Four-and-a-Half per Cents.
closed at 99f. 45c. ; Orleans Railway shares,
1,155 f. ; Rouen, 1,012 f. 50c. ; Havre, 485 f. ;
Great Northern, 832 f. 50c. ; Paris and Stras-
burg, 905 f. ; Paris snd Lyons, 895 f. ; Lyons to the
Mediterranean, 730 f. ; Bordeaux and Cette, 590 f. ;
Western of France, 700 f. ; Great Central, 515 f. ;
Lyons and Geneva, 505 f. ; Shares of the Bank of
Credit Mobilier, 702 f. 50c.