The Sun.
London, England, 1856-08-27 00:00:00

SOUTHWARK.

ROBBERY ON BOARD A FOREIGN STEAMER.—Gcorge
Takelin, a labourer, was brought before Mr. Combe on
,uspicion cf stealing a small bag of cloves from a foreign
tteam•vessol lying in the River Thames.
Charles Johnson, a Thames police officer, deposed
,hat this (Wednesday) morning, about 8 o'clock, he was
m duty on the river off Horselydown. He saw the pri-
3oner and other men leave the Kielmansegge steamer,
which bad arrived from Hamburg. He suspected them,
and on nearing the small boat witness saw the prisoner
stoop down, and place something under the stern boards
in front cf him. Witness rowed up to the boat, and on
searching the bottom part of the vessel he found a bag
of cloves. Witness subsequently made inquiry on
board the steam-vessel, and ascertained that last even-
ing there were 10 large bags of the same description
of spice safely stowed away on board the Kielman-
segge, and that one of them had been broken open
and a large quantity of the cloves had been removed.
The prisoner had been engaged on the vessel as a
labourer in carrying goods ashore.

Captain liorsemann said be bad no doubt that the
cloves had been extracted from the bag.

The prisoner, in answer, said he was not the man
who had stolen the spice.

The prisoner was committed to prison for one
month, with hard labour.

POSTAL AND PASSENGERS COMMUNICATION

WITH THE NORTH OF t.REEAND.

We desire to draw attention to the following
Treasury minute. The subject is important, and
we shall have something to say about it hereafter :
" Copy of Treasury Minute of Aug. 15, 1856.
" My lords have under their consideration several
memorials, signed by persons interested in the commu-
nication between the north of Ireland and Scotland, and
praying that their lordships will take measures to de-
termine the ports best adapted for the establishment
of a short sea passage between the two countries,
with a view to promote the quickest postal and pas-
senger communication. One of these memoriols prays
for a public loan to the County Down Railway Com-
pany, in order to enable them to complete their line to
Donaghadee. Fully recognising the great advantages
which would be derived by the extensive manufacturing
districts in the north of Ireland, in the west of Scotland,
and in the north of England, by establishing a communi-
cation between the two ports which should reduce the sea
passage to the shortest possible time, and in connexion
with a system of railroads on bothsides, wh:ch, to a certain
extent, already exists, and the completion of which, my
lords understand, is in contemplation, by which a direct
communication will be opened• between all the above
important districts, my lords referred the subject to
the Admiralty for their lordships' opinion upon the
nautical question raised in the memorial. Their lordships
have now before them the reply of the Admiralty, in
which the Lords Commissioners report that the most
favourable ports for the establishment of a short sea
passage aro those of Portpatrick sand Donaghadee, and
they suggest that instructions should be given to them
to institute an inquiry as to the best and cheapest
manner in which these ports may be made suitable for
the purpose. These instructions my lords have al-
ready issued. Before any expense, however, is incurred,
it becomes necessary that my lords should clearly state
their views upon the subject, for the information of all
the parties who have appeared heron) them, either by
memorial or personal application, and others who take
an interest in it. It has, been represented to my lords
that—i❑ the event of the Government deciding upon
the best ports for the passage referred to, and especially
in the case of .Portpatrick and Donaghadee being
adopted, and provided the Government was willing to
use it as a mail communication—in the first place a
steamboat service, suited both for passengers and mails,
would be established by a private company, without any
aid from the government, except a fair price for carrying
the mails ; and, in the second place, that the rail, aye,
on each s'de of the channel, would be completed, so as
to connect Donaghadee, on the one side, with Belfast
and the main line, and Portpatrick, on the other side,
with Glasgow to the south, and Asith Dumfries to
the east, by which all the important parts in
view would be fully attained. All this, it has
been understood, will be performed by private
enterprise, if only the government, on its part,
will-Ist, Determine the ports most suitable for the
service. 2. A,topt it as a mail passage. 3. Make such
improvements in the ports as shall best fit them for the
purpose. These conditions my kris are prepared to
adopt. They have already, upon the advice of the Ad-
miralty, decided, that the best ports will be Portpatrick
and Donaghadee, and have instructed the Lords Com-
missioners to report upon the improvements and altera-
tions required, to render them suitable for the service ;
a• d, when a A am service elm 1 Le established, suitable
for carrying the mails, they will he prepared to use
it for that purpose, upon fair and reasonable terr 2.4.
But, before my lords proceed aetuaily to incur any ex-
pense upon the ports named, for ti .e r improvement, in
pursuance of any report that might he made ly the Ad-
miral ty, it will be quite necessary that they should be w ell
satisfied that all the arrangements herein referred to,
and which would be necessary to give public utility to
the echeme, will be completed. With regard to the
memorials for aid in completing the railways by a public
loan, there is no fund disposable for such a purpose,
except that annually voted by Parliament for public
works, and administered under the Board of Commis.
sioners appointed for the purpose. it will, therefore,
be necessary for those requiring such a loan to apply to
the Public Commissioners, with whom rests the
responsibility of judging of the security to be accepted
in such cases, and who alone can determine how far the
other demands on the fund at their disposal will enable
them to entertain the request."

THE BARMECIDE BANQUET TO THE GUARDS.

A contemporary tells of the "solids," the " substan-
tial reinforcements," the "cold rculds," and the "judi-
cious relays." Where our contemporary found these
victuals of the imagination we know not. We saw roti
ala I:ceuf—Anglice, small dry " sticking-s ;" and beef a
la mouton, vulgarly translated into pork pies ; but there
were certainly no "reinforcements," no "relays," and
no " substantials" of any kind. The shadowy recrea-
tion of su-picious champagne—a " topping" singularly
ill-chosen for the bottle of Dublin stout per man
—was far too fleeting for the vigorous John Bull thirst
of Fusilier, Grenadier, and Coldstream, who drank out
before grace, what of the "pop" had not flowed over
the tablecloth in the openi❑g. Hence, the "Charge
your glasses" t f the great Harker fell on vacuity—there
was nothing to drink. A few ladies used to housekeep-
ing, might have been very advantageously added to the
committee. They would never have been guilty of the
egregious blunder of setting French cooks to get up a
dinner for British Guardsmen—but would have followed
the injunction of the "Rolliad"—
" Crown the frothed porter, slay the fatted ox,
And give the British meal to British Fox !"
—Morning Chronicle.