The Sun.
London, England, 1867-07-17 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

VALETTA, July 10.
The regular mail being delayed, I take advantage
of the departure to-day of a French steamer, the
Junon, for Marseilles to send a line. Her Majesty's
screw iron troopship Tamar, Capt. E. W. Sullivan,
C. 8., left Malta on the 2d inst., in the evening, for
Quebec, having on board Lieut.-Col. L. F. Far-
rington, 28 officers, 692 non-commissioned officer s
and men, 57 women, and 79 children, of
the 29th Regiment. The Prince Consort, iron-
clad, Capt. E. A. Inglefield, having got her big
guns on board, and completed her repairs, is to
leave to-morrow for Hyeres, to join the Commander-
in-Chief, who had reached that rendezvous from
Gibraltar. The Tyrian gunboat, Lieut.-Commander
the Hon. A. Montagu, also leaves to-morrow to
join the squadron. The Caledonia, 24, ironclad,
bearing the flag of the Commander-in-Chief, Lord
C. Paget, and the Arethusa, 35, arrived at Hyeres
on Sunday, June 30, having proceeded all the way
under sail. They found already there the Royal
Oak ironclad, which had arrived on the 28th from
Malta. The Psyche despatch vessel, with the mails,
joined them on July Ist. The commander-in-chief
was to leave in the Psyche on the 3d inst. for Mar-
seilles, and proceed thence to Paris, returning to
Hyeres in about ten days, when the squadron would
move up to Toulon, and afterwards visit Nice and
the ports of Italy. The latter part of the programme
will no doubt be changed in consequence of the ap-
pearance of cholera all along the Italian coast.
There have been no appointments or removal of
officers since the previous advices, with the excep-
tion of Mr. J. S. Pearce, clerk, who had been lent
to the Psyche from the Arethusa for service during
the absence on leave of Mr. Hodge, Assist.-Pay-
master, in charge of that vessel. Mr. Hodge having
rejoined, Mr. Pearce has returned to the Arethusa.
Her Majesty's surveying steamer Hydra, Capt. P.
F. Shortland, arrived here on the 4th inst., and
being from Aci, in Sicily, was placed in quarantine.
She left again to-day, with a health guardian on
board, to pass the remainder of her term outside,
which time will be employed in taking soundings in
the Malta Channel. The Trinculo gunboat, Lieut.-
Commander V. de Sandars,leaves to-day for Patras,
after the court-martial which is to be held on Mr.
Stout, first-class assistant-engineer, accused of
bringing off liquor to the ship without permis-
sion of the commanding officer. The Austrian
screw steam frigate Schwarzeuberg (bearing the
broad pendant of Commodore the Chevalier Alois
Pokorny), Commander Zaccaria, arrived on the
6th instant, from Castelnuovo (Dalmatia) and Va-
lona. The Austrian ironclad Archduke Ferdinand,
Captain Alfred Barry, arrived the same day from
Pola and Valona. The latter ship, it will be remem-
bered, was the one which ran down and sank the Re
d'ltalia in the memorable battle of Lissa. She has
come here, without guns and ammunition, in order
to be docked, and is at present in the hands of the
dockyard. It is expected both ships will leave in
about ten diys. The Grand Duke Alexis of Russia
passed through Malta during the last few days on
board the Russian steamer Olga, on his way from
Odessa to Cadiz, to join the Alexander Nevski fri-
gate, and proceed in her on a scientific voyage to the
West Indies, subsequently visiting the United States.
Cholera has, I regret to say, appeared iu our lazza-
retto among the refugees from Tunis and Sicily. On
Friday afternoon a woman, who had already under-
gone 19 days' quarantine after her arrival fromSusa,
was attacked, and died in about 17 hours ; and on
the following day another woman of the same party
was attacked, and died after au illness of the same
duration. A third case, that of the master of a Sici-
lian sailing vessel from Trani, terminated fatally on
Sunday evening, the 7th inst., after eight days' qua-
rantine. Since then there have been no other cases,
and the island generally, both as regards the military
as well as the civil population, continues to enjoy
excellent health. Great praise is due to Government
for the energetic steps they have taken to stop the
spread of the infection. Among other measures a
resident physician has been appointed to the lazza-
retto, and the regulations have been rendered stricter
than ever with regard to the disinfection of the
clothes of passengers immediately on landing, and
the public roads in the vicinity of the lazzaretto have
been walled up. It is also under consideration to re-
move the soldiers from Fort Manoel, and to convert
it into a cholera hospital, for separating the sick
from the healthy. Quarantine has been increased
from 21 to 30 days on. arrivals from all places where
cholera exists, and as it has been ascertained that re-
fugees by availing themselves of the Marseilles route
might reach Malta from Tunis and other infected
countries in pratique, precautions have been taken
to prevent an apprehended influx of immigrants
from that quarter. At a meeting of the
Board of Health, held to-day, it was decided to warn
the agents of the Marseilles steamers that vessels
having passengers on board from infected countries
will be put in quarantine on arrival at Malta, and
no passengers will be allowed to land. The object,
no doubt, of this measure is to put agents on their
guard against shipping passengers at Marseilles com-
ing either from Barbary or the Italian and Sicilian
ports. The lazaretto being at present full, several
vessels with refugees from Tunis on arrival here
have been ordered off the island. The last accounts
speak somewhat more favourably of the cholera at
Tunis, and at Susa, where it was most severe, no
cases had occurred for four days. Much distress,
however, prevails, and a public subscription headed
by the Governor, has been got up in aid of the suf-
ferers. £lOO has been granted from the island funds
for their succour.

BIRMINGHAM.—Mr. Dixon's friends have become
the possessors of Mr. Murphy's tabernacle, and Mr. George
Dawson, M.A., was to address the supporters of the former
on his behalf last evening. Both parties are exerting them-
selves immensely. Mr. Dixon's friends imagined that they
had nothing to do but to nominate any one of their roll of
candidates and have a "walk over," whereas there will be
a sharp contest. Mr. Lloyd is really a most formidable
opponent, and Mr. Dixon's friends are at length awakened
to that fact. Such is the urgency of the case that Mr.
Bright is coming down.

METEORITES.—On this subject M. Wilfrid de
Fonvielle, a scientific writer whom we have often
had occasion to quote, has published a series of highly in-
teresting articles in the Revue des Cours Scientifiques. After
condensing in the former articles all we knew concerning
fire-balls and falling stars, the author, in the last article
published, ventures to suggest an hypothesis, which ap-
pears worthy of some consideration. Certain observers, he
remarks, suppose the atmosphere of our globe to be com-
posed of two envelopes of different composition, each, of
course, gaseous and transparent, but of a peculiar and dis-
tinct nature. Whether this be true or not, M. do Flu-
vielle does not presume to decide, but he points to the
circumstance that even in the inferior region there
is a considerable difference between the strata con-
taining aqueous vapour and those that do not. it
may be admitted, ho thinks, that this difference is the
image of that which exists in the upper regions
with regard to the gaseous bodies entering into the com-
position of the media. To this it may be objected that
the chemical analysis of the specimens of air taken in
the higher strata, whether by balloon ascents or on the
summits of mountains, reveals no perceptible difference in
their composition, except that of aqueous vapour, carbonic
acid, and other secondary ingredients; but our author is
not without a suspicion that such analysis may have been con"
ducted with insufficient precautions; for Mr.'Graham, the
well-known inventor of dialysts, has detected a prodigious
quantity of condensed hydrogen in the pores of the aerolith
of Lernato. Now, hydrogen is not a constituent of the
atmosphere except as an element of aqueous vapour, and
hence it is by no means improbable to assume that the
interplanetary space may be filled with hydrogen, the
lightest gas we know. If such were the case, Valtz's ex'
planation touching the enormous diminution of the diame-
ter of comets when they approach the sun would be con-
firmed ; and it might moreover be supposed that there_
would be the least possible friction in an atmosphere 4):
hydrogen, even in those regions where the pressure i 9
perhaps a thousand times greater thmt exists at the bottola
of the deepest oceans.

" N Y /1 K TIL .1J

AND
COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE,

TWELVE o'CLocK.
To-day the Discount Market has been very quiet,
and the rates are without the slightest change.
A small sum of gold, amounting to £9,000, was
received at the Bank of England yesterday.
The Wellesley has arrived from Australia with
gold to the amount of £90,000.
Atlantic and Great Western Railway Debentures
remain firm at 29 31, and the Consolidated Mort-
gage Bonds at 23 24.

On Saturday next there will be a holiday on the
Stock Exchange, owing to the review at IVinil
blecion.

We extract the following from " Rylands' Iron
Trade Circular" :—" The manufacturers of the
black country had rarely experienced quarter days
so discouraging as those of the present week,. At
Wolverhampton, on Wednesday, the complaints of
the condition of trade were louder and more general
than at the commencement of the year, and at Bir-
Mingham, on the following day (Thursday), affairs
were not much better. The merchants and factors
do not hold out much hope of any- immediate im-
provement, and short time among the artisans of the
district is now more general than ever in all the lead-
ing branches of industry. The continued depression
of the Australian demand—on which so many local
industries almost wholly depend—is becoming quite
serious, and manufacturers engaged for that market
are at their wits end as to what to do with their
workpeople. The South American shippers experi-
ence a decline in the inquiries from that quarter of
the world, which was a couple of months ago so
good a customer to this district. The Cape and
Continental trades remain quiet, and the home de-
mand is by no means buoyant. The announcement
of the death of Mr. Scholefield, M.P., has been re-
ceived with unfeigned regret throughout the black
country, where he was held in great respect by a
large circle of friends."
The following report has been presented at the
meeting of the London and Westminster Bank :
" The directors have to report that, after making
Provision for all bad and doubtful debts, paying the
income tax, and setting apart £2,000 towards the
buildings of the bank, the net profits of the bank
for the last half-year amount to £146,065 17s.
2d- This sum, added to £45,889 4s. 3d., the un-
appropriated balance of the preceding half-year
will amount to £191,955 Is. sd. Out of this
amount interest on the Rest or surplus fund at the
rate of five per cent. per annum (£12,000) has been
added to such fund. The directors now declare a
dividend to the shareholders at the rate of six per
cent, per annum, and by way of further dividend out
Out of profits a bonus of 11 per cent. on the paid-up
capital. After these payments are made there will re-
main £39,95515. 5d., which the directors have appro-
priated as follows, viz., £B,OOO to the rest, which will
then amount to £500,000, and the balance, £31,955
18. 5d., carried to the profit and loss account for the
current half-year. The directors will submit reso-
lutions for increasing the capital of the bank by
the issue of 50,000 new shares of £lOO each, and
11r allotting the same to the shareholders, and also
for making such alterations in the deed of settlement
48 may be necessary to give effect thereto. The
proprietors are aware that on each of the new shares
sum of £3O is to be paid, viz., £2O per share in
Part payment of the capital, and £lO per share pre-
mium to be added to the reserve fund. The paid-
UP capital will then amount to two millions, and the
reserve fund to one million.

Two O'CLOCK.

According to Reuter's telegram from Paris to-
day, the French Rentes were 68c. 95f. Inanimate.
Principally owing to the extreme dulness of busi-
ness, and a few speculative sales, Consols have re-
ceded 1 per cent., viz., to 941 1 for money, and to
941 1 for the account.
The New Threes are 941 11; Reduced An-
tuities 94i ; Red Sea Telegraph, 201; Exchequer
Bills 245. prem. for June ; Bank of England Stock,
255 254/ ; India 5 per Cents., 111/ 111 ; ditto 4
Per Cents., 99/ 1; ditto Enfaced 4 per Cents., 87 ;
ditto 5 per Cents., 103+ ; ditto 51 per Cents, 108 ;
ditto 5 per Cent. Debentures, 1051; ditto Bonds
Under £l,OOO, 655. prem.
There has been a little more activity in the
Foreign Market. Greek have advanced 1, to 161 4 ;
Italian 1, to 491 ; Mexican 1, to 16 1 ; Spanish
Passive /, to 211 221 ; Certificates /, to 151 161;
~ilrkish 5 per Cents. have declined 1, to 311 1 ;
%.;hilian. Scrip remain at 21 11 dis. ex div. ; and
Russian Scrip is better, at 1 / prem.
American Securities are unchanged, with the ex-
ception of United States 5-20 Bonds, which are 1
I\v. erl at 721 1 ; Erie Shares are 461 47 ; and
Lunois, 761 ni.
onl7 a moderate amount of business has been
transacted in the Railway Share Market, and the
downward movement in prices has made further
h
4.l.°greßs• Metropolitan have receded 1, Lancashire
GYorkshire 1, Great Western I, Brighton 1,
l
ned at Northern 1, ditto A Stock 11, and Mid-
andll.
ti The Foreign and Colonial lines show little varia-
A". Great Luxemburg are dealt in at 101 1.
I,4,twerp and Rotterdam at 8/, East Indian at
v'i 108, and Great Indian Peninsula at 107 1071.
l'or Bank shares there is still a very limited in-
-10 Y. London and Westminster have receded to
e4l and Bank of Australasia to 64 ; London and
tillty are marked 55.
Miscellaneous and Finance Shares remain without
alteration in values. Anglo-American Telegraph
Ile dealt in at 18i. ; Hudson's Bay Company at
Pp. 151 ; National Discount Company at 114 ;
Vtliesular and Oriental Steam at 421 43 ; and
lecroY of Egypt's Mortgage Loan at 68+ 1.