The Sun.
London, England, 1858-05-13 00:00:00

ROYAL MAIL STEAM PACKET COMPANY.

• It appeals from a parliamentary return just
issued that the Royal Mad Steam Packet Company
undertook to assist the Australian Mail Packet
Company to carry out their contract, on condition
that the Government should extend the Royal Mail
contract to 1864 ; that five days longer should be
allowed for the Australian mail to reach England
during the monsoon months ; that the Royal Mail
Company should be permitted to convey all the
mars in screw vessels, and a few other minor altera-
tions in the existing Royal and Australian mail
contract. The Government declined these terms,
but offered to ex:end the Royal Mail contract -TS
1864, on condition that the Royal Mail Company
expedited the Brazilian steamers by not calling at
Madeira and Teneriffe. The company accepted
this offer. The passengers to and from Madeira
furnshei a considerable revenue to the Royal Mail
Company, but as far as the mails are concerned,
the leaving out of Madeira, from the Brazil will not
be of much consequence, because the African mail
steamers call there, and they also call at Teneriffe.
Madeira and Teneriffe tookthe Brazil packets about
103 mils out of their course, and the stoppages at
those two places amounted to about a day addi-
tional. By the new arrangements, the Brazil
packets will arrive in England on the sth instead
of the 16th of the month, and as the outward packet
leaves England on the 9th, there will be four days
to reply to letters, and the course of post to the
Brazils will thus be reduced from 68 to 57 days,
and to the River Plate from 98 to 87 days. The
Tamar will take out the first Brazil mail under the
new arrangements on the 9th pros. She is one of
the fastest steamers belonging to the Royal Mail
'Company's fleet, and there seems to be zio fear of
her not returning to England by the sth July. The
company are also building three other fast steamers.
It is under,tood that the company is not committed
to a permanent amalgamation with the Australian
Mail Company, and that it is possible the grand
experiment of taking the Australian mail across
the Pacific Ocean may erelong be tried. The Royal
Atiil Company are now working in concord with
the Pacific S earn Navigation Company. Return
tickets, which last a twelvemonth, are issued by
the f ,rmer to any place in the West Indies or ou
the Southern Pacific coast of America, and through
tickets are issue 1 by the Royal Mail Company to
any place al, ng the route of the Pacific Steam Na-
vigation Company's steamers. Thus a man may
book himself in London for Valparaiso, a distance
of nearly 8,000 miles.

DESPER 4TE BURGLARIES IN THE
NORTH-EA,YT TOWNS.

During the past 10 days great alarm has been
caused in Shields and its neighbourhood by a series
of audacious burglaries which have been perpe-
trated in the residences of some of the leading in-
habitants of those towns. Last week Etal Villa,
the r, sidence of the Mayor of Tynemoutb, was en-
tered while the family were agleep, and every room
was ransacked. Above 1501. worth of silver plate
was stolen, and since then three notorious fellows
have been apprehended offering for sale from 60 to
70 ounces of silver melted down in bars. The
residence of Mrs. Hall in North Shields was also
entered last week. The thieves took away all the
keys of the house, and made an attempt to effect a
second entrance the same night, but were fright-
ened away. The next night they administered
poison to a large watchdog and attempted the resi-
dence of Mr. George Baines, but did not succeed in
making an entrance ' • and on Sunday morning the
re sid,eice of Mr. John Unr, of King James-street,
Gateshead, was robb d of silver and eleotro-silver
plate. Mr. Carr, having been alarmed, got up,
and saw one fellow leap out of the window and es-
cape. Having discovered that part of the stolen
property was elect' 0-plated, they had deposited
what they considered the worthless portion on the
sea shore near South Shields on the same day. Two
persons have been apprehended on suspicion of
having committed this robbery. On Tuesday morn-
ing one of the most audacious burglaries on record
was committed in Western Villa, near South
I Shields, the residence of Mrs. We'd. The
family retired to rest about half-past 12
o'clock, and about 3 some of the household
having got up discovered that in that short time the
house bad been broken into through the only win-
dow that had not a bell, and that every room had
been ransacked. The villains had entered the bed-
otnheeythethey domestics
ha dowu et roef sleeping,theirdre ss pockets
and took
o whatm
and a small sum out of a chest in one of the girls'
rooms. It is supposed they had used chloroform to
the girls to cause stupor. There is little doubt that
sliwttleer me
they had also "doctored" two dogs that are kept
about the place. After clearing out of the house with
some 101. or 121. in gold and silver, they had re-
galed themselves on tee green with provisions and
beer, which they had stolen out of the pantry. On
Monday night a serious accident arose out of the
excitement consequent on these burglaries. Persons
are arming themselves, and it seenui that Mies
Emma Waun, daughter of Mr. J. T.
Waun, a
county magistrate residing at West Belden, found
a pistol in one of the bedrooms, and attempted to
fiie it out of the window. As • it missed fire, she
thought it was not loaded a In( , putting a cap on it,
she ran down stairs, and pres • entini it at her corn-
p tuion, Miss Niece, said playful manner,
" Your money or your life !" aMa',
Lead aside and said, 1.3 s Niece bent her
"Don't point that at me,"
and by swerving her head she_ appears to. have saved
her life, for the
pistol went off and its contents
were kdged in her shoulder. Sixteen shots have
been taken from her
danger.

His Royal Highness the Prince Consort, attended by
Poosonby, inepected on Wednesday the "Strand
Baddings" (improved Dwellings for the Poor), in Angel-
court, Strand. His Royal Highne.is was received by Vie.
count Ingestre, M.P., cha;rrean • Viscount Ranelegh,
Rev. Dr, Worthington, Rev. A. d. Ed ward, Major-Ger.
Tremet,heere, H. B. Adams, EA., H. Pownall,E•q. N.
%V. Winstanley, E•q , members of committee; G. Mor-
::ao, Esq., Hon. Secretary and Architect; Messrs.
Piper and Son, builders. His Royal Highness minutely
..xarained the buil ling, and a xpressed his gratification at
i.tie result of hi, visit. The buildings will be opened to.
morrow, the 14,h of May, when the Duke of Marl-
borough will preside.