The Sun.
London, England, 1856-02-18 00:00:00

AMERICA.

. LIVERPOOL, MONDAY, 10 A.M.
The Royal Mail steam-ship Africa has arrived,
with advices from New York to the 6th instant.
She has brought 30,394 dollars in specie on
freigh t.
Oonp•ress was organised on the 2d, on the adop-
tion of the plurality rule, by the election. of Mr.
Banks as Speaker. The last ballot stood—Banks,
103 ; Aiken, 100 ; Scattering, 13. Subsequent to
the declaration of the result, and the announce-
ment by the tellers that Mr. Banks was chosen
Speaker, objections were started by the Know-
Nothings as to the legality of the whole proceed-
ing, whereupon a resolution endorsing the action
of the House was offered and adopted, 39 members
dissenting.
On the 4th the usual course of swearing in the
members took place.
The official organ of the Government remarks ;
" Although the result is one that every rational
m
yet,th as the Republicans have a
known
majority house, and therefore are
an mast regret,
in
entitled to a Speaker, there is reason for acquiesc-
ing, inasmuch as it enables the machinery of Go-
vernment once more to move on."
There was some talk of a difference on account of
the transference of Russian vessels to Americans.
The Washington correspondent of the Herald
says—
" It has leaked out of the State Department that
the French Government has assumed a position in
relation to certain Russian vessels that have been
transferred since the commencement of the Eastern
war to citizens of the United States, being at the
time of the transfer in American ports, which it is
likely will make difficulty unless the President
faints. A list of the vessels has been furnished to
Mr. Mason, our Minister at Paris, and the deter-
mination avowed on the part of the French and
English Governments to hold them as lawful prizes

of war if they are captured. Mr. Mason, it is
reported, exhibits some apprehension on the sub-
ject. The correspondence will probably be called
for in a few days."

Advices from Havanna of the 28th ult. repor
that two French frigates were in the harbour, bul
no English,

SAILING OF THE TRANSIT.---PUBLIC
DINNER AT MILFORD.

On Wednesday a public dinner to commemorate the
departure of the Transit—the first ship leaving Milford
Haven for the Australian colonies—was given at the
Lord Nelson Hotel, Milford, to the captain, the owner,
and the charterer of the vessel. There were present
nearly sixty of the merchants and tradesmen of Mil-
ford and Haverfordwest, and others iutere,ted in the
prosperity of the Haven. Colonel the }tin. R. Fulke
Greville presided —supported by Captain Clarke,
Messrs. Alexander F. Ridgway (of London),
Charles Grierson, Captain Thompson, of the Transit,
Messrs. William Owen (Mayor of. Haverfordwest),
J. A. Field, J. Sales (sheriff of Haverfordwest), James
0 ;ten, &c.

The usual loyal toasts having succeeded the with-
drawal of the cloth,
The CHAIRMAN gave "The ship Transit, the first
ship leaving Milford for Australia—may ber voyage bo
prosperous." With this toast he would couple " The
health of Captain Thompson, and long life and prosperity
to him." That occasion was the commencement of a
great future in the history of that county. They met to
celebrate the union of the railway with the ocean. He
felt that that would be another of those invisible but
powerful links which united the industry of England
with the commerce of the world. It was not a ques-
tion of the size and tonnage of ships, or the nature of
the goods they were to transport, but it was that the
gentlemen, under whose discreet and able management
the commencement of a trade between Milford and
our colonies had been begun- -had turned their
attention seriously to Milford. Nature had
placed almost insurmountable barriers between
Milford and the manufacturing reel commercial towns of
England. There was the ocean flowing intc their har-
bour, ready to bring the traffio of nations there, but
nature had opposed hindrances to its being conveyed
into the interior. They had at length linked themselves
by lines of railway with the manufacturing districts of
England—they bad, at length, advanced from steam on
the ocean to steam on the land, and now they could give
not only harbour room to the commerce of the world,
but every facility for conveying it away. (Cheers.)
Captain Teromsoet returned thanks.
The CHAIRMAN next proposed, "Milford and Austra-
lia, may commerce unite them, and may their union be
permanent." He begged in connection with the toast
to drink the health of Mr. Ridgway.
Mr. RIDGWAY, in responding, said he was down there
for the purpose of carrying out an object which he had
long bad in view •rend which if successfully achieved would,
he believed, make Milford Haven the first port in the
world. He had, after close examination of the matter,
formed his opinion that there was no port equal in advan-
tages, for purposes of commerce, to Milford, and he had
resolve], when the proper time arrived, to prove that
by some practical experiment. Circumstances had
brought him into somewhat close proximity with Aug-
tralia, and he was now determined to try whether a trade
with Austi aim could not be commenced there. He had
brought the first ship there, but whether the project
should be eventually successful or not would depend upon
themselves. There was much ignorance existing even
amongst shipowners and captains as to the capabilities
of the ,port. He had recently conversed with one
shipowner in London who had asked him whether
a large ship could anchor off Milford. Let it be theirs
to dispel that unaccountable ignorance front the minds
of merchants and others, and show to the world what
were the advantages of that splendid port. The great
Duke of Wellington had been launched high up in the
harbour of Milford, together with many others of those
great ships now doing good service for the country in
other seal.

Ocher toasts followed, which were responded to by
AieFsrs. Crimson, W. Starbuck, Colonel Greville, &c._

Ilaverfordwest Telcjraph.

COURT CIRCULAR.

The Queen rode on horiebaek on Saturday morning,
attended by the lion. Mary Baited, in the riding school
attached to Buckingham Palace.

Prince Albert rode on horseback, attended by his
Equerry in waiting.
Prince Arthur and the Princesses Helena and Louisa
took a carriage drive.

Her Majesty, Prince Albert, with the Princess Royal
and Princess Alice, took a drive in the afternoon in an
open carriage and four. Major-General Bouverie and
Captain Du Plat attended on horseback.
The Queen had a dinner party in the evening at Buck-
ingham Palace. The company included the Duchess of
Cambridge, the Princess Royal, the Princess Mary of
Cambridge, the Turkish Ambassador and Madame
Musurus, the Hanseatic Minister, the Marquis of Bread-
albane, the Marquis of Lansdowne, the Earl and Coun-
tess Grey, the Countess Somers, Lord Panmure, Der-
vish Pacha, Lieutenant-General Sir George a)wles,
and Baron Kuesebeck (in waiting to the Duchess of
Cambridge.
Her Majesty's private band attended after dinner in
the Palace, and performed the following pieces :
Ovvrture—"Lticrcziau ... Marschner.
Selection;—"L'Etoile du Nord"
Duo—"jenny Bell' s Auber.
Pelissier Marche
. . .

Yesterday the Queen and the Prince, with the Prince
(4.' Wales. Princess Royal, Prince Alfred, and the
Princess Alice, the Ladies and Gentlemen of the Court,
aid the Domestic Household attended Divine Service in
the Plivar, Unapel ~t BuoAiztg-hant Palace. The Hon
and very Rev. the Dean of Windsor officiated.

A Cabinet Council was held on Saturday afternoon at
the Foreign-office, Downing•street. It was attended by
Viscount Palmerston, the Lord Chancellor, the Mar-
quis of Lansdowne, Earl Granville, th,, Earl of Harrow-
by, Sir George Grey, Mr. Secretary Labouchere, Lord
Panmure, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Charles
Wood, the Right Hon. rt. Vernon Smith, Lord Stanley
of Allerley, the night Hon. M. T. Baines, and the
Duke of Argyll. - -The Council sat three hours and a
half.

Meetings of the Oxford University Commission were
held at No. 17, Great Queen-street, Westminster, on
Friday and Saturday last. The commissioners present
were the Earl of Harrowby, Mr. Justice Coleridge, the
Hon. E. Twisleton, the Dean of Wells, and Sir J. W.
Awdry, with the Secretaries.
Despatches from the Governors of the West India
Colonies, the Gambia, and the British Settlements on
the West Coast of Africa were received on Saturday at
the Colonial-office. Despatches were sent in the even-
ing to the Governor of the West India Colonies.

The Right Hon. the Speaker gave his second full-
dress Parliamentary banquet this session on Saturday,
at. his temporary official mansion in Eaton-square. A
large patty of members of the House of Commons dined
with the right hon. gentleman, inc'uding the right Hon.
B. Disraeli, the Right Hon. S. Walpole, the Right Hon.
Sir J. Pakington, Lord Stanley, Lord J. Manners, Vis•
count Newport, Lord Claude Id aniilton the Right Hon.
J. Napier, the Right Hon. J. W. Henley, Sir William
Jolliffe, and others.
The Archbishop of York and the Hon. Mrs. Mus-
grave have arrived at their mansion in Belgrave-square,
from Bishopthorpe.
The Marquis and Marchioness of Kildare have arrived
in town from Ireland, baying paid a short visit to, the
Duke and Duchess of Sutherland at Trentham, en route
from Dublin.
The Countess of Carnarvon has arrived at Hpwchin's
Hotel, St. James's-street.
The Count and Countess Jarnac havo arrived at Cla-
ridge's Hotel, Brook-street.
Viscount Wellesley has left the Clarendon for Dray.
cot-honse, near Chippenba,m.
Lord Claude Hamilton, M.P., has arrived at Howchin's
Hotel, from Rome.
The Lady Cochrane gave birth to a daughter on Friday,
at Bedwell-park. Herts..
Colonel and Mrs. Clifton have arrived at their new
mansion, 31, Portman-square, for the season, from
Lytham Hall, Lancashire.
The Countess Dowager of Meath, and the Lady Maria
Meade, have arrived at Claridge's Hotel.
The Earl and Countess of Laneshorough have arrived
in town for the season.
Viscount Palmerston entertained at dinner, at his re-
sidence on the terrace, Piccadilly, on Saturday evening,
the following members of the House of Commons :
Viscount Raynham, Col. L. Freestun, Mr. Antrobus,
Mr. Atherton, Mr. Chambers, Mr. Craufurd, Mr. Dun-
des, Mr. Pinney, Mr. Ellice, Mr. Scrope, Mr. Ewart,
Mr. Steel, Mr. Headlam, Mr. Hindley, Mr. Luce, Mr.
Morris, and Mr. Kirk.

Lord and Lady Olivia Ossulaton arrived in town on
Saturday, from Hampshire.
Sir E. B. Lytton entertained at dinner, on Saturday
last, a distinguished party, amongst whom were the
Duke of Montrose, the Duke of Wellington, the Earl of
Derby, the Earl of Ellenborough, Lord Lyndhurst, Lord
Colchester, Laird Colville, the Marquis of B!andford,
the Earl of Eglinton, and Sir H. Bulwer, G.C.B.
YO9TAL
~0313IUNICATION WITH InELAND.—A Treasury
minute, dated October 19, 1855, with a view to improve
the postal and passenger communication betwixt Eng-
land and Ireland, was published yesterday. My Lords
desired to know if it were practicable, 1. For a mail
leaving London in the morning to arrive in Dublin in
time for the, departure of the evening mails, and also
for a delivery in Dublin the same night ? 2. For a mail
leaving London in the evening at its usual hour to reach
Dublin in time for the day mails from Dublin, and for a
convenient morning delivery in Dublin ? 3. For a mail
to leave Dublin in the morning, after tha arrival of the
night mails from the provinces, in time to reach London
for the departure of the night mails, and for a late de-
livery that night ? 4. For a mail to leave Dublin in the
evening, after business hours, and to arrive in London in
time for an early delivery, and the day mails out of Lon-
g
don ? If such arrangement were practicable, their
Lordships would be prepared to ;incur a considerable
expenditure in order to secure them ; in that Case, in
the majority of instances, the Iri,ih postal service both
ways would bo advanced by periods varying from 6 to
12 hours, and in many cases, for business purposes, 24
hours would be saved in replies, besides the most perfect
passenger accommodation being secured. It is assumed
that the maximum time occupied in the journey between
the two capitals would be 11 hours, and that arrange-
ments would be made for sorting letters on board. The
minute was ordered to be refared to the Postmaster-
General and the Chief Secretary of State for Ireland.