The Sun.
London, England, 1858-02-05 00:00:00

which in this great commercial country have a
fairer claim on the aid of the benevolent.
It has been said that this Fund should be
self-supporting, i.e., that the Clerks themselves
should contribute sufficient to meet the cases of
distress arising among their own body, but to
effect this the contributions must be calculated on
a scale which would remove it entirely from the
position of a charitable or benevolent fund, and
also place it beyond the reach of that very
portion of the clerks', for whom more especially
its benefits are designed. It would of course
be easy to secure for every widow and every aged
clerk an ample annuity, if the parties interested
were prepared to pay its commercial value, but a
transaction of this kind in no way way merits the
title " benevolent." It is to give to the widow
and the orphan, to the afflicted or unfortunate
clerk, that aid which their necessities require,
and which their incomes, too often very
very narrow, will not allow them to purchase.
This is benevolence ; it is for this purpose the
Provident Clerks' Fund has been established, and
these are the objects which it has already to a
large extent effected.

While we thus urge the claim of this Fund to
the contributions of the wealthy, and especially of
the mercantile classes, we feel that from the clerks

themselves, a heartyandunanimous support should
be accorded.
The assistance of their employers, though both
merited and required, should be regarded as an
auxiliary, not as the mainstay of the institution,
nor can we do^ubt that this fact will be fully
recognised by a body so intelligent and so edu-
cated as the clerks must of necessity be.
We rejoice sincerely to find that year by year
the institution has extended its sphere of useful-
ness, and we cordially trust that its future will
realise all the hopes of its able and energetic
founders.

LATEST NEWS.

WEST INDIA MEXICAN, AND
PACIFIC MAILS.

(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)

SOUTHAMPTON, FRIDAY MORNING.

The Magdalena steamer, Captain Abbott, has
arrived with the West India, Mexican, and Pacific

mails.

Her dates are—Vera Cruz, Jan. 4 ; Elavannab,
9th ; Greytown, sth ; Colon, 10th ; Jamaica,
12th ; Demerara, 11th ; Trinidad, 11th ; Bar-
badoes, -14th ; and St. Thomas, 19th.

The Magdalena brings the most valuable freight
sent home by any ship from the West Indies for
many years. Specie amounts to $2,223,893 ;
jewellery, &c., value 8,456 dols., 2,520 serons
indigo, 631 serons cocoa, besides quantities of
sarsaparilla, cochineal, cigars, nuts, &c.
Among her passengers aro the Bishop of British
Guiana and the Rev. F. Wyatt, from Demerara.
A large Spanish fleet was in commission on the
9th of January at Havannah.
Rear-Admiral Sir H. Stewart was expected at
Barbadoes from Bermuda about February Ist-, in
H.M.S. Indus.

At 3.35 p.m. on the 19th the Magdalena spoke
the Orinoco steamer, off the Virgin Llands ; all
well.

The subject of direct steam communication
between Demerara and England via Madeira was
again being agitated. Weather at Demerara
showery, with squalls, which has occasioned some
damage to the coasting craft. The schooner
John Walker was capsized in a squall, and all but
one man perished ; several other vessels laden
with produce wrecked or damaged. Produce was
coming in in large quantities. Markets well
stocked, and business dull.
At Trinidad crops looking well. Business dull.
In Barbadoes the canes are reported to be
ripening fast, and crop of sugar expected to be
the largest ever reaped. American provisions
scarce and dear.

Col. Tucker, of the Royal Eugineers, died at
Port Royal on the 10th of January.
Nothing particular from Jamaica. Business
produce market inactive. Exchanges
on
London,
d6uoll' and
days
; 2 ditto, 30 days.
No fever at St. Thomas, either afloat or on.
shore. Business very flat.
The extermination of Walker
tPhilelirbauwst:sh hadop
a cheering
Five
e
of
Nicaraguan effect at Greytown, as'
of the saloon servants of the Royal Mail
steamer Thames, lying at the above place, were
drowned on the evening of the 4th of January, by
the upsetting of a small punt. Their names were
thei
v
F
Alfred awards, Elwin Morgan, Thomas Parrott,
wliara E
Guy,
and Henry Barnes.
il

of Denmark was suddenly seized, the
evening
COPENHAGEN, FEB. 3.
before last, with an inflammation of the
c:Tesltf i iromnhich he has before suffered on several
occasions. The malady showed itself by a frequent
and last night was tranquil.
cough, attended. with fever. Yesterday, these
Ha Majesty is much better to-day.
abated,
symptoms had