The Sun.
London, England, 1856-01-16 00:00:00

WEST INDIA AND PACIFIC MAILS,

SOUTHAMPTON, Jan. 16.—8 y the Royal mail
steam-ship La Plata, Captain Willis, with the
West India and Pacific mails, we have dates from
Jamaica, Dec. 16 ; Detnerara and Trinidad, 25th ;
Barbadoes, 17th ; Porto Rico, 31st ; Grenada,
26th ; St. Thomas's, Jan. 1.
The Plata brings 21 passengers and 13 distressed
British subjects. On freight there are 858,540
dollars' value in specie, 14,000 dollars' value in
precious stones, and a cargo of cochineal, bark,
indigo, cocoa, &c.
_ _

TLe Atrato arrived at St. Thomas from South-
ampton on the afternoon of the 31st ult.
On the 14th inst. the Plata spoke the Ship City
of Mobile, bound easterly.
At Jamaica the Legislature had adjourned to the
14th inst. Fever was prevalent, and the mortality
had been very great. The markets were dull. The
stock of bread was abundant, with no inquiry.
There was very little coffee in the market. Corn of
good quality was scarce. Exchange on London for
bills at 90 days was qtioted at 1 per cent. prem.
From British Guiana we learn that the Court of
Policy met on the 12th ult. The weather was
favourable to the crops, and the young canes were
looking well. Business was dull, and freights high.
At Grenada the Legislature was still in session.
The weather was favourable, and sugar-making was
being rapidly proceeded with, although the crop
would not generally begin before February. The
canes were looking well, and the cocoa plantations
promised abundance. Ships were very scarce, and
arrivals were anxiously expected.
The Pacific Steam Navigation Company's steamer
Valdivia had arrived at Panama, with 3,000 dols.
in specie for England ; and dates, from Valparaiso,
Nov. 30 ; Callao, Dec. 10 ; Parta, Dec. 15.
Advices from Peru state that every symptom of
another revolution was apparent ; Castilla was
losing his influence, arrests were being nightly
made in LiMa of persons supposed to be inimical
to the Government.
At Valparaiso considerable quantities of gold
had been discovered, the quality of which is ex-
cellent. In the markets sales were limited in con-
sequence of the scarcity of foreign arrivals. The
flour trade was animated.

THE PEACE PROPOSALS.

The Constitutionn,el has the following :

" Count Yalentine Esterhazy, when he handed to
Count Nesselrode a written. copy of the ultimatum,
agreed on in concert by all the Allies, of the 2d of De-
cember, informed the Russian Chancellor that his in-
structions did not authorise him to accept any discus-
sion of the ultimatum nor any modification of its contents.
It, therefore, he should receive on the Bth of January
any other reply than a pure and simple acceptation, he
would be under the necessity of leaving St. Petersburg
with all the members of his embassy.
"To prevent this scene, and to postpone the depar-
ture of the Austrian Legation for at least a few days,
the Court of Russia resolved to send its reply to Vienna
direct. If an ambassador is bound by his instructions, a
Minister of Foreign Affairs is not, and Count Buol could
not, at any rate, refuse to listen to the explanations of
the Russian Ambassador.

" It was on the evening of Friday, the 11th January,
that Prince Gortechakoff, the Rtissian Ambassador at
Vienna, received the, reply of his Government to the
ultimatum. On Saturday morning he communicated it
to the Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs. That reply
comprised a whole system of counter-proposals which
Rus.ia wished to substitute for the proposals she had
received.

" TneAe counterproposals were communicated by
Count Bual to the Ambassadors of France and Eng-
land, and were immediately forwarded by them to their
Governments.

"The reply of Russia not being the pure and sinap!e'
acceptation demanded from that Power, Austria could
not take it into consideration without being authorised
thereto by her two allies, France and England. The
Western Powers had no motive for giving up a decision
wide)* had been carefully considered and was irre-
vocable.

"It was, tberefore, replied to Prince Gortschakoff
that, if by the 18th of January Russia did not send her
cure and simple acceptation of• tlie ultimatum, Count
Valentine Estefbazv and his Legation would receive
orders to leave St. Petersburg.
"Immediately afterwards Austria will present to the
German Diet, through her envoy, propositions to the
effect of obtaining the armed concurrence of the Confe-
deration in the struggle which she will have to maintain
against Russia."