The Sun.
London, England, 1856-01-03 00:00:00

TEE BRITISH MISSION IN PERSIA.

A letter just received from Constantinople,
says .

The differences between the British mission in Per•
sia and the Persian Government, which induced the
British Minister to strike his flag, arose in the following
manner. The British mission has two kinds of native
employes, called Mirzas, one for all written communica'
tions and the reduction of notes and memoranda, the
other for verbal transactions, messages, &c. Last year
one of these latter died, and it became necessary to fill
up his place. A man named Mirza Hashi was among
the competitors. He is married to one of the nn-
morons daughters of the 150 sons of shah Fetch
Ali, and his wife enjoys on that account a pension of
6,000 piastres. This lady was rather strong-minded for
a Persian woman, and had sown intrigues among the
European part of the community, in consequence of
which the couple had reason to fear the loss of their
pension.

- " Under these circumstances the husband thought it
advisable to become one of the Mirzas of the British
mission, which position offered likewise considerably sn•
perior emoluments to the irregularly paid 6,000 piastrel
of his wife.

"He was appointed and presented to the Grand Vizier.
Thii latter objected to have dealings with st man who
had been employed in various services, even of a menial
character in the palace, and who was, besides, from hil
unscrupulousness, a dangerous perso❑ to intrust with
any communications between the Persian Government
and the British mission. In consequence, however, of
subsequent representations the British mission did not
insist.

"Some time after the man and his wife,protesting that
their lives were endangered, took advantage of the right
of asylum which all European missions iu the East so
conveniently afford, and took refuge in the palace of the
mission.

"The thing was referred to England, and the Go•
vernment sent out instructions to get an assurance from
the Persian Government that the man should not be
injured. The Persian Government was quite ready to
give an assurance of this kind privately to the mission,
and promised to leave the man quiet ; but it would not
give any written deCaration, as it was afraid that the
man would use it for his own purposes, which was not
at all improbable from his character. Then the English
Minister, carrying out literally his instructions, struck
his flag.

" The affair is expected to be soon arranged, but no
news has as yet arrived of its being settled."

COMMERCIAL TRAVELLERS' BALL.

The annual ball in aid of the funds of the Commercial
Travellers' Benevolent Institution was held yesterday
evening at the London Tavern, and, notwithstanding th•
prevalence of private parties at this particular season,
was fully and fashionably attended. Upwards of 200
ladies and gentlemen were present, and danced with
great vivacity and enjoyment up to a late, or rather an
early, hour in the morning. The dancing arrangements,
which were excellent, were under the superintendence of
Mr. Frampton, who fully sustained his reputation as an
accomplished master of the ceremonies. Sir James Duke,
the president of the institution, was one of the earliest
arrivals, and the Lord Mayor entered the room shortly
At about half-past 11 o'clock the company ad-
journed to the supper room, where an abundant enter-
tainment had been provided, and a few toasts were pro-
posed and honoured previous to the resumption of the
proper business of the evening. The Lord Mayor gave
"The Health of the President of the Institution," and
the preside❑t, Sir J. Duke, eloquently returned thanks,
taking occasion to notice in justly complimentary terms
the assemblage of beauty and fashion which he saw
around him. The health of Mr. Gunton and one or two
other leading supporters of the institution were then
proposed, and having been appropriately acknowledged,
the company returned to the ball-room, where the strains
of Adams's hand gave them full and pleasant employment
for the remainder of the evening. Too much praise
cannot be given to the stewards—Messrs. W. Yates,
Chas. Blowers, Wooltorton, Hazeltine, and Harvey--for
the polite solicitude they exhibited in promoting the en-
joyments of their numerous guests. Some donations
were acknowledged, amongst others five guineas each
from the Lord Mayor and Mr. Gunton, and ten guineas
from Mrs. Cuffiey, a lady honourably distinguished for
her very liberal support of the various commercial chari-
ties of the metropolis.

after,

TELE COOLIE TRADE.-Wl-10LESALE
MASSACRE.

The atrocities of the Coolie trade from China have ex-
cited universal indignation, both among those who know
they are generally the result of ignorant or brutal ma-
nagement, and others who understand nothing about
the trade, and make no distinction between hired coolies
who are treated as slaves, and voluntary emigrants who
pay for their own passages. But all former instances
have been outdone by a wholesale massacre, of which
accounts have just been received. The horrible tale
may be briefly told.
The Waverley, an American ship of 750 tons, recently
sailed from Amoy with 442 coolies for Havana or Callao.
The captain having died shortly after her departure, the
first mate in command of the vessel brought her to Manila
for the purpose of procuring another officer to take hie
place. On anchoring at Cavit6 it would appear the mate
had alarmed the captain of the port about the sanitary
condition of the ship, which prevented free intercourse
with her ; and as, besides the captain, one of the coolies
had died, the prejudices of the Chinese were offended at
the mode in which the burial was about to be con-
ducted, or at some unexplained treatment of the dead
bodies. But the only explanation afforded to them was
the mate's lifting a revolver and shooting down one or
more of their number, the rest being driven without dif-
ficulty below and made secure under hatches, without
any precaution, or apparently any thought about venti-
lation.

The mate thereafter attended the captain's funeral, and
spent the day on shore ; and it was not until after mid-
night that the agents of the ship, who may till then have
been unaware how the matter stood, took alarm, and in.
sisted that the mate should then ascertain the state of his
human freight ; and so, at 2 o'clock next morning, 12
hours after the hatches had been pnt on, they were re-
moved to discover that 251 of the coolies were lifeless
corpses. Forty-five more are missing, leaving only 146,
of whom several are not expected to survive. The mate
and crew have been imprisoned by the Spanish authori.
ties, and it is said that the United States consul declines
to take any cognisance of the matter.
Other coolie ships have recently left China under cir-
cumstances that afford ground for apprehension that they
may not complete their voyages without disaster.
In connection with this subject (which has not hitherto
been treated as slave dealing) we may mention that the
Governor of .11acao has imprisoned two Portuguese sub-
jects charged with buying Chinese girls, chiefly at
Ningpo, for the purpose of exporting them to Havannah;
in shorti with eve dealing.—China Moil, Nov. 16.