The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-01 00:00:00

THE CLIPPER GRAPESHOT.

The _i-Vele York Beral2l, speaking of the clipper
Grapeshot, about which there have been so many
rumours, rays :
The whole country, and Cuba in particular, has been
in a state of excitement for some months past on account
of this vessel, and all sorts of rumours have gone abroad
as to her mission to southern latitudes. She cleared
from this port with a cargo of " American hardware,"
as it was called, but which was known to be muskets, to
the number of thirty or forty thousand, and other imple-
ments of war. Such a load as this justified the supposi-
tion that her errand smelt of " powder and ball," and
that she was the omen of revolutions, rebellions, de-
thronernents, and civil wars somewhere, but the exant
spot could not be definitely fixed upon. Rumour pointed
to Cuba, to Venezuela, and Mexico. Spanish consuls
and Spanish representatives throughout the country, as
soon as her departure was known, became " wide
awakes," and for a while Pezuela, the Governor-General
of Cuba, sat uneasily in the chair of state. From New
Orleans a vessel and messenger was specially despatched
to notify Pezuela of the arrival of this mysterious and
warlike craft. Parties interested felt that thirty thou-
rand 'muskets would equip a large army, and not at all
calculated to lessen their fears ; every now and then
the press would descant upon the quality of the
guns, giving forth that " Captain such a one bad
tried them, and said they were good enough for
any people to fight with ;" " they were lately
scoured up far use.;" they would no doubt do
good service upon a battle-field ;" " that Kossuth him-
self had approved them, having bought 40,000 of the
same sort at two dollars a piece." These sly hints to
loyal Spaniards being in effect much like dooming anyin
to death and stopping to praise the steel before striking
the fatal blow.

The Grapeshot was built about eight months ago in
Portland, Maine, and intended for the Australian trade.
She came to New York soon after she was launched,
and last winter, while lying in the East river with a
cargo of flour for Australia, the fields of ice floating
through the East river cut her open, and sunk her to the
bottom. When she was raised, George Law purchased
her, and sent her on the southern tour, from which she
just comes home. She is clipper-built, and sits as beau-
tifully upon the water as the " winners" in the regatta
c:ub. The famous Maria does not ride the water with
more grace and ease than the Grapeshot. This vessel
is 400 tons burden, is staunchly built ; hull long, nar.
row, and black. She has certainly a warlike appear.
ance, for her figure-head a cannon, her signal-flag is a
cannon, and her stern decorations are cannon. Her
masts are huge, and calculated for a heavy press of sail ;
she is copper fastened, and registered A No. 1. On her
southern passage she carried eighteen men—officers,
crew, and all. Captain Baxter was the business man to
sell the muskets, and Captain Ryder was the sailing
captain and commander of the vessel. This famous ves.
sel now lies a few hundred yards off the Battery, where
the curious can have a peep at her. She will e
,known. by her signal-flag—a cannon on a white groundwork.

fICENSED VICTUALLERS' DEFENCE ASSOCIATION.--
A numerous and influential meeting of licensed vic-
tuallers was held yesterday at the Glo'ster Tavern, Sloane-
street, Chelsea -Mr. Smith, the lessee of Drury-lane
Theatre, in the chair. The object of the meeting was to
form a defence association, with the view of obtaining
a repeal of the recent enactment restricting the hours a*
which public-houses shall be opened on Sundays. The
Chairman, Mr. Van Buren, of the Haymarket, Mr.
King, of the Ordnance Arms, York-road, Mr. Couchman,
Mr. Symes, Mr. Forster, of the Jerusalem Tavern, and
Mr. Duncombe, addressed the meeting ; and it was
then resolved that a meeting of members of the society'
should meet on Thursday next, at two o'clock, in the
saloon of Drury-lane Theatre, to arrange preliminaries
for the general meeting.
JUST as,
THE ' LICENSED VICTUALLERS AND THE
licensing day,
LEEDS.-- Wednesday last was the usual
ceaanrt
!h
for new t
_e l
or Brewster Sessions, at Leeds. Thetrheew
Mayor, and an
very full
bench of magistrates, presided overf by
licensed victuallers.
unusually numerous attendance o
convictions had been
About 20 publicans against
whom
meir licenses suspended,
obtained during the y
e of a memorial
with an unexpected opposition in and there were 30 appli
which prayed that
eicheanpses. These met
from the Leeds Temperance
iuture be granted. The memo-
no new licenses should in
of Leeds, nine other clergy-
the Vicar
rial was signed by
s of various denominations, and up-
men, several minist
respectable inhabitants. It was presented
wards of 100
barrister, who desired to speak in
Mr. Blanchard,
by •
prayer, but the magistrates declined to
support of its
hear him.
gran Of the 0 apo d
to houses in p plications for new licenses, five
were .
arts of the town which have
recently very m
granted
much increased. The publicans were all
actwould in future
the new Sunday
warned that
strictly enforced in the borough, but the Justices do not
seem to be very
decided in their views of " what is a
traveller ?" One of the licensed victuallers (a females
stated that she lived on the road-side, and also close to a
railway station. Her house is four or five miles from
the centre of Leeds, and she desired to know who was a
bona fide traveller l She had many persons applying for
refreshments on Sunday, representing themselves as tra-
vellers ; but not wishing to break the law, she refused
them until she had the means of knowing what were the
opinions of the. magistrates. Her query, however, sli---J'
, cited nothing but a promise to consider the subjects