The Sun.
London, England, 1840-10-26 00:00:00

ARRIVAL OF THE

GREAT WESTERN.

LATEST NEWS FROM AMERICA.
This vessel arrived at Bristol on Saturday morning,
after a passage of thirteen days and eleven hours. The
following are extracts from the papers brought by her.
(Ern the 'Are w
NEWS FOR ENGLIND.L- Hcrald..Oct. 10, 1840.)
The Great Western sails
York
to-day at one o'clock. The news which goes by her is
of some importance. According to every probability
and every event, General Harrison will be elected
President—a new National Bank will be established
—the old United States Bank will never recover her
reputation—Mr. Wel:cater or Mr. Clay will take the
succession—the country will
pass through another pe-
riod of speculation, another crisis, another revulsion—
and the science of political economy will be benefited
by these experiments on the currency and on com-
merce. Probably in 1843 or 1844, the next grand
explosion may take place.
General Harrison, it appears, is about to visit Penn-
sylvania. He was to leave Ohio on the 2d instant.
MEXlCo.—There has been no material change in
the aspect of affairs in the capital, since the receipt of
our previous advice,. The Government appears to be
mainly engaged in streigtheniog their position ; draw-
ing around them loyal troops, and searching out and
arresting persons known or suspected to have been
engaged in the late demonstration against the powers
that be. The revolutionary spirit appears to be quieted
for the present. There is an hour of calmness ; but
it is that breathless calm that precedes the tempest.
The name of Santa Anna is not mentioned. This
excites surprise. He is not a spirit to remain inac-
tive in the tumult of revolution. There is no doubt
that he will have a WOW in whatever is going on
before long. The 'T • eet was off the mouth of
the Rio Bravo on ' -04,8ept.ember ; but no 487at-
tack had been madera any point. Strong apprehen-
sions were entertained. at Matamoras, of a descent
either there, or at some other accessible port. A. letter
dated Matamoras, lst September, says a detachment from
Arista's army was on the opposite side of the river last
night. This sudden countermarch is owing to the ex-
pected attach of the Texian forces by sea. Intelligence
to this effect was immediately !Tilde known to the
General by express. The next arrival will bring
something important, no doubt.
. . ___

WEST INDIES.-Our advices from Havannah 'are
up to a late date. The currency is the principal 'fea-
ture in the topics of discussion. There is a consider-
able party which desires to introduce a system of bank-
ing into the financial management of Cuba ; but the
Government is averse to the project, and it cannot suc-
ceed. The island is now prosperous to a degree else-
where unknown, and the Spaniards will let well alone.
From Jamaica there is nothing new or important. The
products of the island are diminishing, and when Cuffee
understands his position as well as he does in St. Do-
mingo, that sun-bright and glorious spot will present
the same scene of indolence, dilapidation, and poverty.
THE OHIO RIVER.-A letter from Pittsburgh,dated
sth October, to the Philadelphia Inquirer, says, " Our
rivers are again in good steam-boat order, and we hope
will continue so during the residue of the season."
ONEIDAS.—A detachment of this once powerful
nation, sixty in number, passed up Lake Ontario on
Monday, on their way to a new home, near Green Bay.
STEAM-BOAT LOST.—The St. Louis Gazette of
the 28th ult. states that the steam-boat Thames was
sunk in the Missouri river, but no particulars had been
received.

SNOW.—The summit of the Moosehillock, in New
Hampshire, was covered with snow on the 22d ult.

COCHRAN'S LATENT BOMB CANNON.

cannon on Tuesday last, at
wereSevmeraadle very icntoecrhersatinn,sg and important experiments
Sandy Hock, under the direction of Captain Newton,
of the. United States steam frigate, Fulton, and Mr.
Cochran, the inventor. The Secretary of the Navy
gave orders that the cannon should be tested to the ut-
most, and it has been done.
At nine °clock, the steam frigate started from the
East River, with Commodore Dekay, Captain Cowdin,
Mr. Cochran, and several other scientific gentlemen on
board, including, of course, Captain Newton, the com-
mander of the Fulton, and his officers, who are well ac-
quainted with every branch of gunnery and artillery.
In one hour and forty-five minutes, the steamer
reached Sandy Hook, which shows her to be a very fast
sailer. In consequence of the shoal water, the com-
pany had to be taken ashore on the shoulders of tire
sailors, who waded knee deep through the water, and
looked like so many old men on the shoulders of so
many Sinbads.
Soon after they landed the experiments commenced.
The cannon had bees taken down the day before, and
was therefore ready. Its appearance cannot very well
be described here without a diagram. All we can say
is, that it has three chambers, is made of brass, is a-six
pounder, and is very neat and compact in all its arrange-
ments. It is now to be seen at Niblo's Garden. Its
advantages in battle over common cannon are obvious.
First—lts efficiency in point of celerity is fully
equal to four guns now in use.
Second—lt has the durability of three common
guns, for it has three breeches, and all guns first fail
at the breach, where the charge ignites, and the Ball
starts.

Third—Safety in charging. All guns ever used re-
quired sponging at every discharge. This cannot be-
come so heated as to require sponging at all.
Fourth—lts great advantages on ship board. The
construction of the gun is such that it don't recoil, and
consequently remains steady at the port bole ; and the
time necessarily consumed in drawing it in, to sponge, is
saved ; and all danger in sending the men outside to
load is overcome.

Fifth—lt can be loaded with the greateSt celerity
and ease, for throwing shells of large calibre.
Sixth—lt only requires three or four men to manage
amreaynebeeessiatsrywteoighrnta.nalgne
athseixßtyr-iftoiukr,
is te, r nv
ice
me al
et tveern t i
ny heant
pounder.
So far for its advantages. It is seen by the above
that they are very great—particularly the last.
When manned by persons familiar with its opera-
tions, it can be discharged twelve times a minute,
withand regularity. On Tuesday it dis-
charged accuracy
ball cartridges in sixteen seconds. The
fi
ve
halls discharged followed each other, and before the
first fire reached the water, another was whistling
through the air. But in making five discharges in
sixteen seconds, sight can be taken but once. In
twelve discharges a minute, however, the gunner can
take aim at each discharge. The quickest time ever
made with a common gun was in the French army,
when a piece of artillery was fired seven times, and
swab loaded for the eighth, in a minute, but without taking
sight. These rapid discharges of the old gun, however,
are very dangerous, because it becomes over heated,
and the powder is liable to ignite, whilst Cochran's,
having three breeches, keeps cool, and therefore safe
all the time. Cochran's cannon was fired fifty times
pwriitrahiinnganwihroe,uro,r whaitvhionguta
vent
the use of
a
sponge, a
tender. Perhaps a cannon never before underwent such a
test. Each cartridge weighed from one pound and a
quarter to two pounds of powder, prepared expressly,
the stPength of which was thirty per cent. greater than
that used in our army and navy. And the percussion
caps were equally powerful. They forced fire through
the flannel and paper wrapper of the cartridges with
ease and without failure. Many other other cannon
would have exploded with like charges.
It was impossible to ascertain how far the balls
were thrown,. for manY went into the %later. The dis-
tanta-af one was-measared,-and found to be fourteen
hundred yards.
The accuracy with which Mr. Cochran throws a ball
is remarkable. At the fourth fire of the gun, and his
first sight, he sent a six pounder directly through the
centre of the bull's eye, on a target 500 yards distant.
So much for the experiments, and advantages, and Ca:
pabilities of this new instrument, to deal out death and
destruction. It is
the greatest improvement of the kind
ever made. Not since the invention of powder has such
a death-dealing cannon been offered to our modern war-
riors. It is to be principally used to throw hollow shot'
and shells, and will,-no doubt,t ;
in a very short time,
change entirely the system:
eod moderna
warfare. Attar
Henry Clay had seen it t i
~ tI Washington, last win-
ter, he said to Mr. Cochran,
_, should think that your
cannon ought to commend itself strongly to those who
are charged with the care of the public defence."
This
cannon goes to England shortly with Mr.
Cochran, and there is no question but that the British
Government will adopt it for their service. Our naval
officers speak highly of it, and say that for gun-boats, no
cannon is so well adapted.

PHILADELPHIA.
SALES OF IN PHILADELPHIA.

. 1-
$1,445 Camden ana.d.?lmb_uy Bonds 93 ; 100 shares
United States Bank 04:1 100 ditto s w flat, 64 ;
11 ditto Philadelphia Bank, 108 ; 50 Vicksburg, 8q;
100 ditto s6O 81 ; 25 ditto, 84 ; 200 ditto, 8i ; 125
ditto, 9.

1841, 36 10 Girard, 391 ; 5 Mc"
Second Board.
ebaljneichis7"h36li'ive;lst3 N. Bank Kentucky, 90. -

NEW YORK MONEY MARKET, OCT. 9.
There was an increased demand for bills by this
packet, and sales have advanced since the last steamer.
The quotations on England are to 9 per cent. prem.
or $4 83 to 484 the pound sterling, On Paris the
rate is M. 15i to sf. 164. The amount of bills sold

is not large, and the packet carries out $240,000 in

specie.
In stocks there was more business at the board ;
prices generally declined. United States Bank fell off
per cent. ; North American Trust and Banking Com-
pany 3 per cent. ; Delaware and Hudson 4 per cent. ;
Farmer's Trust 4 per cent. ; Harlem 4 per cent. Sto-
nington improved I i per cent. ; Moaawk declined
per cent: - -
The public debt of the State of Virginia, according
to the Norfolk Beacon, is at the present time
$16,500,000, exclusive of its liabilities under acts autl,o.
rising loans for works of internal improvement, which
amcunt to $3.442,19.0 more.
Money continues exceedingly plenty, and the value
of most southern securities, as well as State stocks, con-
tinue to improve, under the demand for investment.
The rates at which the most recent purchases have
been made, evince much improvement. Domestic ex-
changes and bank bills are nearly all equalised with 3
per cent. The purchases have been small this fall, and
the crop about to come forward is large, with the pros-
pect of a good market. Its appearance will still further
tend to equalize the domestic excnanges and reduce the
rate of foreign bills, which is already reaching a point
which renders specie the best remittance to the continent.

(From the New York Courier and Enquirer, Oct. 10.)
TILE QUESTION SETTLED.—For the last six months
the Loco Focos hero and in Washington, have been
sending circulars throughout the United States, alleging
that the electoral vote of New York would certainly be
given to Martin Van Buren. Of the falsehood of this
declaration no one in this State entertains a doubt. It
is known to be false by the men who make it, and is
only intended to deceive the people of other States in
the desperate hope of thereby increasing their exertions
in behalf of the present corrupt administration. There
are in this State fifty-seven counties, of which the Whigs
claim thirty-six ; and yet it will be perceived by tbe
following offer of a bet in the Albany:Evening Jownal,
;Aid) tbe I:tiao-Foco dire- not take, that seven of our
thirty-six counties will give a larger Whig majority
than all the Loco Foco counties in the State ! This
bet has been offered four successive days in the Albany
Evening Journal ; and as the Loco Focos dare not ,
take it, tet our friends at a distance feel as confident in
regard to the result in New York as we are.