The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-15 00:00:00

THE PEDINSULAR, MAILS.

SOUTHAMPTON, SATURDAY 31 ORNING.„
By the Peninsular and Oriental Company's
steamship Madrid, Captain Bradshaw, we have
dates from Gibraltar March sth ; Cadiz, 6th ;
Lisbon, 9th ; Oporto and Vigo, 10th.
The Madrid brings 22 passengers (among whom
is Prince Charles Lucien Bonaparte, from Lisbon),
and 40 distressed seamen. On frieght there are
five packages of specie, value 1,5361., and a cargo
consisting of 220 boxes of oranges, 15 boxes of tan-
gerines, 4 cases and 5 casks of wine, 20 cases of
dates, 17 boxes of eggs, and 40 packages of Go-
vernment stores from the wreck of the Canterbury.
During the homeward voyage the Madrielltexpe-
rienced strong head winds. On the 10th instant,
spoke to the Peninsular and Oriental steamer Tagus
off N.E. end of Bayonas, with the outward Penin-
sular Mail ; 13th, passed the Royal Mail Steam
Company's ship Great Western, steering to south-
ward, in lat. 48.57 N. long. 5.1 W. ; 14th, passed
the Robert Parker, beating to windward, in lat.
50.13 N., long. 3.05 W.
There is no news of importance from Lisbon.
The Madrid left her Majesty's steam-ship Blen-
heim, Captain Hall, at anchor in the Tagus, on the
9th inst.

The Lisbon exchanges for three months are
quoted by this packet at 55d.. for London ; Paris,
518 ; Amsterdam, 431 ; Hamburg, 491 ; and Genoa,
517. The transactions upon the continent were
limited, but a good deal was negotiated on London
at 55, and although, a few bills were done at 541
towards the close of change, bills remained over
which could not be passed under 55. The stock
market had again become dull, at 43 to 43i for
Three per Cents., few buyers appearing at the
recent advance. Bank of Portugal shares 500 to
502 milreis each, and Oporto Bank shares, 16 to
17i. per cent, premium.
The debates in Parliament continued devoid of
public interest.

From Gibraltar our dates are to the sth inst.
The steam-transport Eagle left for London on the
Ist inst. The Peninsula, laden with medical stores
for Balaklava and Scutari, and the Northumber-
land, had left for the Crimea. The Peni asula,
Progress, General Codrington, and Black Prince
had also touched at Gibral tar en route to the acimea.
The Prince Arthur arrived in the bay on the morn-
ing of the 4th from the East, with shot and shell
for Gibraltar and Deptford ; and the steam-traus-
port Chanticleer, from Malta to Spithead, laden
with gunpowder, sailed on the same day. The
steam-transport Pioneer was discharging the stores
she brought from Malta preparatory to starting for
Deptford. The steam-transport Berwick had nearly
completed her fittings for horses and mules, which
she was to receive on board on the sth inst.

SUFFERERS BY THE LATE 8188 AT

COVENT-GARDEN THEATRE.

-
Mr. Mitchell having received numerous sums of
money to be applied to the temporary relief of the la-
bourers and mechaniez, and others thrown out of em-
ployment by the recent destruction of Covent-garden
Theatre, and this morning having been entrusted with
`the munificent sum of 1001. by his Grace the Duke of
Devonshire, begs to announce that be is ready to re-
ceive any additional subscriptions ; and that arrange-
ments will be made for affording immediate a'sistance to
the most pressing cases, and for a proper application of.
the funds which may be kindly entrusted to him.
A list of the subscriben may be referred to, but it
will not he considered necessary to incur the expense of
advertising the names.
Royal Library, 33, 0:d Bond-street, March 14.

SIR BENJAMIN HALL AND THE SUNDAY QUESTION.—
On Thursday a deputation from the West London Sun-
day-Rest Association had an interview with Sir B. Hall.
Mr. Haldane explained that the object which the asso-
ciation had in view was to prevent the desecration of
the Sabbath by the opening of the British Museum, the
National Gallery, and the Crystal Palace on that day,
and also to abolish the practice of the band playing in
Kensington Gardens on Sunday evenings. Sir B. Hall
said he did not see how the Sabbath was desecrated by
the band playing. • For wore than 100 years bands
played on Sundays in every town where a regiment was
quartered. No case bad been made out for discont:nu-
ing the practice. As. Kew Gardens had been refined
to, he would say that be could net recommend their
being closel on Sundays, or Hampton Court either, nor
could he give any assurance that the band would be
Prevented from playing in Kensington Gardens.