The Sun.
London, England, 1858-04-14 00:00:00

THE PENINSULAR MAIL.

SOUTHAMPTON, TuzsDlY.
The steamship Alhambra, Capt. Babot, arrived
this evening, at five o'clock, with the Peninsular
mail, 2.: passengers, 18 packages of specie (8,5021.),
48 boxes of eggs, 1 cask of wine, 563 half-chests of
oranges, 11 boxes of tangerines, 294 boxes of dates,
52 serons of almonds, 6 baskets of potatoes, and 14
packages of sundries.
The dates of sailing were--Gibraltar, April 5 ;
Cadiz, 6 ; Lisbon, 9 ; Vigo, 10.
At Gibraltar were H.M.S. Curlew, the Portu-
guese brig of war Pedro Nunez, and the Swedish
corvette Orines.
At Cadiz was the Swedish corvette Najades.
At Vigo were several vessels from the bar of
Oporto, in consequence of the prevailing strong
westerly winds.

On the 9th, ten miles north of the Burling,
spoke the English ship showing third distinguish-
ing pendant No. 2,486, steering north by west.

EQUALISATION OF POOR-RATES IN THE
METROPOLIS.

The bill of Mr. A. S. Ayrton, M.P. for the
Tower Hamlets, " To Provide a Remedy for the
Inequality in the Rates for the Relief of the Poor
in the Metropolis," was yesterday issued in a
minted form. The preamble assumes the inequa-
lity in question, and declares the expediency of
providing a remedy for the evil. At the first quar-
ter sessions after the passing of the bill, and at
every future quarter sessions to be held in October
in each year subsequent to the year 1859, for the
several counties of Middlesex, Surrey, and Kent,
and the City of London, the assembled justices of
the peace will appoint from the resident metro-
politan justices a certain number to form a body
called "the Metropolitan Rating Sessions," four for
Middlesex, three for Surrey, two for Kent, and two
for the City of London. The Court is empowered
to require returns, and to proceed as a committee
for preparing a basis or standard for assessing the
county rates, and the overseers of the poor must
make annual returns to the sessions under a penalty
of 2011. The sessions may cause new valuations to
be made, and after Lady Day in every year they
will prepare a basis and estimate the net annual
value and the expenditure of parishes, and the
excess or deficiency paid by each. The basis
or standard of estimates or amount of excess
or deficiency will, when allowed and con-
firmed by the sessions, after mature considera-
tion and the bearing of objectiens, ctc.' be valid,
legal, and effectual to all intents and purposes,
and upon this basis or standarl the assessments to
tk3 poor-rates will thenceforth be made and continuo
to be made under the act. The guardians will be
required to pay the deficiency of their expenditure
by a precept from the sessions, and if the guardians
disobey the p ecept warrants will ba issued to the
overseers of the parishes to pay the amount. Should
the overseers prove equally disobedient, the sessions
may levy the amount by distress and sale on the
goods of the offender, and, in default, commit the
overseer to the common gaol or house of correction.
All orders of the sessions will be final, and subject
to no appeal whatever. The bill awaits its second
reading.

NAVAL AND MILITARY INTELLIGENCE.

Major Teesdale, C. 8., Royal Artillery, Aide-do. Camp to
the Commandant of Woolwich Garrison, on Monday received
his nomination as Equerry to his Royal Highness the Prince
of Wales.

Col. Bloomfield, Aide-de Camp to the Queen, commanding
the Royal Horse Artillery, has taken up the temporary com-
mand of Woolwich Garrison in the absence of Major-General
Sir W. F Williams, who has returned to his Parliamentary
duties in London.
The committee ordered by the Commander-in-Chief to re-
port upon the cooking apparatus invented and erected by
Capt. Grant, late Royal Artillery, at the Royal Artillery Bar-
racks, Woolwich, composed of the following officers, viz.,—
Col. Bloomfield, It )yal Horse Artillery, President; Colonel
Hamilton, C.B Grenadier Guards; Col. Hodge, C. 8., 4th
Dragoon Guards; Colonel Lysons, C 8., Assistant-Adjutant-
General ; Surgeon Major Bostock, Scots Fusilier Guards; and
Major Ewalt, Royal Engineers, assembled at Woolwich on
Monday, and visited the cook-house, in which the dinners
for 1,05,1 men were being prepared in different ways, such
as boiling, stewing, baking, dre, Tho committeo were pre-
sent during tho "serving up," and noticed with much satis-
faction that, although the huge stewing cauldrons, baking
dishes, &c., emitted each a heavy cloud of steam, the atmo-
sphere was not oppressive, and at no time exceeded 65 dogs.
of Fahrenheit, the temperature being controlled by a succes-
sion of well-adapted ventilators throughout the roof of the
building. To accommodate the baking branch of the establisif
ment, so as to meet the wishes of so large a body of men, the
messes cuter into mutual arrangements for the use of the
oven during alternate days, and by this means each mess is
provided with a baked dish of meat twice a-week.
Detachments of Royal Artillery, consisting of 137 and 150
rank and file, are about to embark in the steam transports
Asia and Golden Fleece, to fill up the vacancies in the Ist, 2d,
3d, 13th, and 14th battalions on service in India.
The steam-transport Gibraltar has commenced s'aipping
war stores, &c., from Woolwich for Gibraltar.

The squadron at Spithead, comprising the Renown, 91,
Captain Forbes; the Diadem, 31, Captain Moorsom, C B. ;
the Curacoa, 31, Captain Mason ; and the Racoon, 21, Capt.
Painter, are filling up wit i prov sions and coals for seagoing
service. It is presumed Viey wi Ibe despatched on a cruise
towards Lisbon, where they will rendezvous in time to do
honour to the marriage ceremonies at endaut upon the union
of the King of Portugal with the Princess Stephanie ef Hohen-
zollern at the end of Vie p-esent month. Her Highness wilt
visit her Majesty at Osborne, and the Victoria and Albert is
being prepared for special service in connection with that
visit The Di:+dem has been trying her machinery after the
repairs of her boilers by cruising about Spithead the last two
days, and the Renown will steam about to-day to prove hers.
She is still in want of hands to complete her complement.
The Victory, Captain G. 11. Seymour, C. 8., .D.C. to the
Queen, &c., flagship of Rear-Admiral Sir G. F. Seymour,
K.C.8.. was unlocked yesterday at Portsmouth, after a most
elaborate refit extending to nearly three-quarters of a year,
which has made her as fit as ever for the duties she has to
perform.
The Blenheim, 60, Captain Francis Scott, C. 8., is so far
refitted as to be ready to bend her sails.
The Vulcan troop-frigate, Commander John Seccombo, is
again ready to embark troops, whom she will take in ou the
16th, as before reported.
The Echo stcamtug embarked a detachment of the 4th
Foot from Portsmouth dockyard yesterday for the depot of
the Isle of Wight.
The intention to commission e. Channel fleet forthwith, as
announced by the First Lord of the Admiralty in the House
of Commons on Monday night, has created the most lively
feelings of satisfaction in naval circles and among the trades-
men of Portsmouth, where the fleet will rendezvous. Rear-
Admiral the Hon. Sir Henry Keppel, K.C.8., is mentioned
as the lrobable Commander-in-Chief of this fleet.
On Saturday her Majesty's steam-transport Urgent arrived
at Queenstown, with detachments of the 80th and 2d from
Malta. She will take out detachments or reinforcements for
the 14th an other regiments now serving in the Mediterra-
nean or in India.

uncLl • Shortly after daybreak on Sy the fine screw steamship
Abeona, Smith master, arrived off Kingstown harbour, hav-
ing on board 700 men under orders for India. SLo had the
yellow flag at the fore topmast head, indicating that there
was contagious sickness on board, but she remained out-
side the harbour until the officers went on board to in-
spect her and have her placed at proper moorings under
the regulations of the quarantine laws. Out of the whole
crew and the troops on board, it was ascertained
that only ono man was affected with smallpox, which
disease made its first appearance on board the ship on Wed-
nesday week, when she i ad embarked her complement of
troops at Gravesend for Calcutta. When the Abeona had her
full number of men embarked this virulent disease made its
appearance. The satire body of troops were immediately dis-
embarked, and, after a minute medical inspection, such of
the troops as were found to have been affected, numbered 70,
wore with the greatest promptitude despatched to the mili-
tary hospital at Chatham. The remainder of the troops who
were pronounced from the epidemic were, after precautionary
measures were adoptod, re-embarked, and the vessel put to
sea ; but it would appear that when off tho coast the disease
reappeared in one man, and the captain of the ship decided
on bearing up for the nearest port, which was Kingstown.
The undermentioned officers have been appointed Inspect-
ing Commanders in the Coastguard service :
Commander T. Heard; Commander A. W. W. Fletcher,
rice Commander T. Lysaght, period of service expired ; and
Commander H. W. Comber, Tito Commander Gennys, de-
ceesed.

Tho following appointments hayo been made at the Admi
ralty

Lient. J. H. M. Martin, to command the Pluto, Tice Swin
burn, promoted ; Lieut. R. Gibson, to the Agamemnon ;
J. Gregory, mate, to the Marlborough.

A Berlin letter in the Hamburg News says :
" The medical advisers of the king have ordered a
change of residence in the course of the summer.
His Majesty is to proceed to Zapport, near Dant-
sick, for sea bathing."
Another letter from Berlin of the 9th says :
" In the Chamber of Representatives yest:.rdly,
the chapter of receipts of the penitentiary establish-
ments coming under consideration, M. Wentzel
proposed to c'eclare that the cellular system, which
had been tried in several of the State prisons,
should be regulated by a legislative vote, and that
until such had taken place the plan should be no
longer carried into practice. After M. Wentzel
had developed his proposition, M. Roichensperger,
of the Catholic party, said that if the State applied
that system, the prisoners ought to be separated
according to their religious creeds. The Minister
of the Interior observed that after 1848 the ques-
tion of the cellular system was most carefully
examined by the Government, at the express wish
of the King. Nothing, however, was done until
1856, when Dr. Wicheren of Hamburg was called
on to direct its introduction, and the result of the
first experiments was most favourable. Before,
however, a bill should be presented on the subject,
the Government wished to have a further examina-
tion into the matter. He should consequently
oppose the amendment of M. Wentzel, as_ being
a vote of mistrust, and calculated to impede the
h
execution of the measures contempla'ed by e _cro-
vernment. The discussion afterwards turned on
matters of religion, which was checked by the Pre-
sident, Count Schwerin, who said that honourable
members appeared to have forgotten that the sub-
ject wider discussion was not ieligiou, but the cel-
lular system. The amendment of M. Wentzel was
ultimately put to the rote mad rejected,"