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

AMERICAN NEWS.

clavj'Y the Atlantic which reached Liverpool yester-
th;' we learn that there has been little of note in
Political world lately,
cA4._ the house Mr. Seymour has very.
.ably. adv_o-
viZthe Canadian Reciprocity and FisThehnerees
tlirtv!t was opposed by Mr. Fuller. is a
v_iir from Washington, to the effect that this
Ivrtilv,,s, drawn by Mr.
.Seymour,an _in conformity
d it certainly
vrew,`-jetieral Pierce's views—
the
,a,44..`!" if passed, prOve advantageou. s to
,'lll States. It is probable that it will not pass
tootsjasetiloonns but that it will form the basis of new
between the United States.
jt with regard to all the subjects inavilodlvGoeodrpe.yat_
'S said that the proposed international
signed
t, convention has been actually at
th:tijugton, and will be forthwith presented_
on
^'enate. But there is great opposition to it
(:),.
1,,h Part of booksellers and publishers, many
subject.
The
have flocked to Washington on the
wa. Pacific Railroad Bill has made some little
otere'rt.lit pdople fear that it will share. the fate of
lrePortant measures in this do-little session.
obi 'e " strike" for wages still exists at Baltimore,_
their a Portion. of the mechanics having returned to
hasr eroployments at advanced wages. The fever
kbo extended tdk Washington, where most of the
it i,ilters in the Navy Yard have also struck ; and
iiejoProbable that the epidemic will spread over the
at the Great complaints are made in New York
meat enornious expenditure of the city govern-
sl.9,l7,APor example, the reception of Kossuth cost
toor,a,',", $3,700 of hich are unpaid. The " tea-
alo,ooo.°f the corporation last year cost nearly
krll The immigrants arrived at New York
tiottiB.g the last three years were about a million of
The „„,
'wed s'"'°rie propeller Ericsson is said to have ar-
prosafely at Norfolk from New York.
to Mexico we learn that Santa Anna was ex-
Rettie
1, urn and if he should he will probably
Putt,Le Tehuantepec difficulty in an amicable
'41.04k,0 be perceived by the details that
40 condition. to do otherwise. It is,

however, probable that a vote will be taken on the
subject in both houses of the United States Con-
gress before their adjournment.
' A letter from Cuba states that during the great
'fire at Cardenas, the Spanish troops plundered the
burning premises, as if they had been banditti,
and not soldiers. There is a dispute between the
British consul at Havannah and the Captain-Gene-
ral, and the former was about to demand his pass-
port, but has sent home a statement instead. The
details have not transpired.
The New York Stock-market was firm, and all
leading securities had an upward tendency.
The Money-market was at 6 to 7 per cent.
Exchange on London, 109 k to 1101 ; Paris, 5.111
to 5.13/. Stocks are tolerably , active. United
States Sixes (1862), 1151 ; United States Sixes
(1867), 1204 ; Pennsylvania Fives, 98k. The Ohio
arrived yesterday with nearly 2,000,000 dots. of
gold on board, from California.
The flour market was depressed, and prices had
declined from 124 c. to 25c. per barrel. Wheat in
slack demand at almost nominal prices. Indian
corn inactive, with large supplies.
For cotton there was but a small inquiry • prices
had declined lc. per lb. since the last advices.
The wool market has been excitable for the last
three weeks, and nearly all the fleece in the country
has changed hands, at an advance of from five to
ten cents per lb. on both foreign and domestic.
The latter ranges, for the finer sorts, at from 47c.
up to 65c. for pulled and fine Washington county.
Provisions without alteration.

Freights to London—flour, 2s. 9d. per barrel ;
turpentine and naval stores, 3s. ; measurement
goods, 15s to 30s. per ton.

STATE OF EGYPT.

ALEXANDRIA, FEB. 19.
The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer
Pottinger, with the Calcutta mail of the 20th of
January, arrived at Suez on the night of the 12th
inst., and the Ripon, with the London mail of the
Bth, arrived here yesterday, and proceeds this
morning on her return voyage to Southampton.
The Ripon takes 21 boxes of gold dust, of the value
of 80,0001. sterling, brought from Sydney to Singa-
pore, and from Singapore to Suez, by the Penin-
sular and Oriental steamers.
The Hon. C. A. Murray, our Consul-General,
has returned to Egypt by the Ripon, and Mr. Paget,
who has occupied his post for a short time, goes
back to Greece. The Consul of Alexandria (Mr.
F. H. Gilbert) is shortly to retire, and it is to be
hoped that his successor will make the numerous
reforms that have become requisite in the direction
of the Consulate.
Mr. Arthur A nclerson, director of the Peninsular
and Oriental Company, is now in Egypt making
arrangements and suggesting improvements for the
further amelioration of the transit. There is no
doubt that the facilities that will be afforded by the
railway when completed will create a great increase
in the amount of goods passing through Egypt. The
Viceroy (Abbas Pasha), considering the important
interests he holds in common with the Peninsular
and Oriental Company, treats Mr. Anderson with
marked attention, and places steamers and car-
riages at his disposal for his conveyance to any part
of the country and across the desert. The Egyp-
tian Government has recently determined upon
suspending the works of the barrage of the Nile,
and in order to counteract in some degree the ob-
structions to the navigation of the river at that
spot, will only complete the side locks, to enable
boats to pass the bridge. During the last high
Nile a great number of boats were lost at the bar-
rage, and it is quite time that some steps be taken
to prevent further mischief. M. Mongel, a French
engineer, who has been raised to the rank of Bey,
had undertaken this great work, and has for many
years past been in the service of the Egyptian Go-
vernment. On its being notified to him that the
barrage would not be completed, he has had the
coolness to ask, as an indemnification for the loss
of glory and fame of which he will be deprived by
the non-completion of the work, a sum of 10,0001.
sterling, which it is supposed he will eventually
get from his known pertinacity in urging claims.
Prices of produce have fallen very much during
the last week, and some of the Greek speculators
will be severe sufferers from it. Shipping con-
tinues to be much wanted.

FRIGHTFUL DEATH OF AN IDIOT.—Last evening Mr.
Brent, deputy coroner, held an inquest at the Golden
Lion, College-street, Camden-town, on the remains of
Annie Wickham, aged 14, who was found almost con-
sumed to a cinder on Monday last. From the evidence
of Mary Wickham, sister to the deceased, and other
witnesses, it appeared that deceased was quite idiotic
and of dirty habits. The sister slept in the same
room with her, and it was her custom to place the bed
of straw before the fire to dry every morning. The
mattress was so left on Monday morning last, and
deceased was left tied in a chair on the opposite
side of the fire. Some time afterwards smoke was
seen issuing from the apartment where the unfortunate
child was. The door was forced open, when a horrible
spectacle presented itself. The bed and bedding were
enveloped in flames, and the body of the child
was reduced to a cinder. It was with difficulty that tho
flames were extinguished, which being accomplished, it
was found that the floor of the room was burned
through. Deceased was in the habit of being left for
many hours alone. Further evidence proved that
deceased was treated with uniform kindness by her
family, and that her sister was kept at home for the
express purpose of attending to her. The mother of the
deceased, in her examination, stated that her husband
had an objection to sending his child to an asylum.
She had heen idiotic from her birth, and it was his only
wish to see the end of her. The family of deceased
appeared to be in very poor circumstances, and the
house in which they resided presented a -miserable ap-
pearance. The jury consulted for some time and
returned a verdict of "Accidental Death."
Tan METROPOLITAN POLICE.—On Wednesday was
printed in a Parliamentary paper the accounts showing
the sums received and expended for the purposes of the
metropolitan police, police superannuation fund, and
police courts in the year ended the 31st of Deo., 1852.
With the balance in hand, the receipts in the year were
439,2031. Os. 9d., and the expenditure 390,6621. 15s. ld.,
leaving the balance 48,540/. ss. Bd. The sum. received
from the parishes was 263,671/. 175., and from the
Treasury 100,9281. 15s. 2d. On the superannuation
fund the amount of stock is 104,1751. Os. 6d.,
and in cash 48,556/. 9s. id. From the police
courts, with the balance in hand, the receipts were
46,1241. Os. 10d. The fines, &c., from the courts, were
10,7551. 18s. 3d. In the year 44,8051. 10s. 4d. was
paid, and the balance in hand 1,3181. 19s. 6d. On the
Ist of January last, the number of persons employed in
the force was 5,492, consisting of 1 inspecting superin-
tendent, 18 superintendents, 129 inspectors, 601 ser-
geants; and 4,743 constables. The first-class constables,
1,258, have 541. 12s. a year; the second class, 2;359,
441. 4s. a year. The sergeants and constables have
clothing; coals, 401 b. weekly to each married man-all
the ear 401 b. weekly to each single man during six
monty ,hs, and 201 b. weekly during the remain erof the

year.
FATAL EXPLOSION OF GAS AT NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE.
On Saturday a tremendous explosion of gas took place
in a provision shop in Buckingham-street, Newcastle,
which has caused the death of the shopkeeper's wife,
and seriously maimed two other persons. The occupier
is William Walker, an engine-wright, his wife taking
charge of the shop in his absence. An escape of gas
had been going on for some time, and it became so
offensive that, on Saturday evening,
ceed2d to examine the gas-meter, Mr. Walker pro-
which was in a con-
fined situation under the counter. He opened a trap-
door which communicated with the meter, and most
imprudently having in his hand a lighted candle, the
gas immediately ignited, and such was the violence of
the explosion that the whole building was shaken to its
foundation ; the counter was torn to pieces, and the
shop windows blown away. Mrs. Walker was carried
partially into the street, and her husband was rendered
insensible. Both were conveyed to the infirmary, where
every attention was paid to them ; and Mr. Walker,
though much bruised, is recovering. His unfortunate
wife, however, was so much mutilated that the only
chance of saving her life was the amputation of both her
legs, to which she patiently submitted the same night,
but all in vain. After lingering in great agony, she
died on Tuesday morning. A girl who was passing at
the time of the explosion was dreadfully cut in
the face
by some broken glass from the windows, but she is in a
fair way of recovery. _

SHOCKING ACOIIENT.—On Wednesday last an acci-
dent occurred, which, although it did not terminate
fatally, mutilated"the sufferer i a shocking manner. A
gentleman residing at Dover went out shooting ; eon. re-
turning home in the evening he proceeded into the
kitchen for the purpose of removing his wet outer clothes •
having done so, he placed his copper powder-flask, &c.
upon the table, and proceeded to the back yard to dis-
charge the gun. While he was thus occupied, the ser-
vant, who appears to have had an inclination to amuse
herself with the explosive compound, took the flask, and
holding it in her hand over the fire proceeded to scatter
a small stream, .which, upon ignition, communicated at
once with the whole, nearly a pound, which exploded
with a terrific report, shaking every part of the house,
to the great terror of the family. The hand which had
held the flask was seriously injured, the thumb being
literally torn away. One of the detached pieces of
copper had also penetrated through the clothes into the
front upper part of the thigh, which it lacerated in a
frightful manner. At first very serious apprehensions
were entertained, but fortunately the woman is pro-
gressing rapidly towards convalescence.—South Eastern
Gazette.
AUSTRALIAN EMIGRATION.—In the London Docks
there are at present no fewer than seventy vessels bound
for different ports of Australia, of which the greater part
will have left for their destination before the expiration
of another month. Of this number about one-half are
ships of from 500 to 1,000 tons burden, the remainder
being smaller vessels. Nearly one half of the ships
loading are foreign bottoms, chiefly Dutch, and all very
fine ships. So great is the demand for ships, that the
smallest vessels are laid down. There is one now load-
ing of 150 tons only. In St. Katharine's Docks there
are 26 vessels for Australia, 20 of these being for ports
in the gold regions. There are also three fine ships load-
ing for New Zealand,