The Sun.
London, England, 1859-08-25 00:00:00

(Copy.)

" Admiralty, Aug. 22.
" Gentlemen,—With reference to the tender sent in by
you to this office for the conveyance of her Majesty's mails
to and from Australia via Panama, I am commanded by my
Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to acquaint you that,
in consequence of the appointment of the committee of the
House of Commons on the general question of postal con-
tracts, the question of the Panama, as well as every other
projected mail service, must be considered to be under re-
ference to the consideration of a committee of Parliament.
—I am, gentlemen, your obedient servant,

" W. G. ROMAINE
" The Australasian and Pacific Company,
88, Cannon-street."

THE FRENCH DISARMAMENT.

(Front the Meniteur.)
The Emperor having ordered the effective of the
army to be reduced from a war to a peace footing,
the Marshal Minister of War by a circular of the
22nd inst., has given to the military authorities
the following instructions, a summary of which
appeared in The Sun of yesterday :
The soldiers entitled to their discharge in 1859,
now serving under their colours, will be sent in an-
ticipation to their homes, and will be inscribed
on the reserve lists in the recruiting depots, where
orders will be sent to deliver to the men their dis-
charge furloughs.
From this discharge, which will take place on
the 20th of September next, are excepted :-
1. The men proposed for retirement on pension.
2. Men declaring their intention of re-enlisting.
3. Volunteers and parties that have re-enlisted into
the service, in virtue of the law of March 21, 1832,
who may not wish to leave their corps before
the end of their time of service. 4. Those
who have re-enlisted and the volunteers after
liberation, who serve under the conditions
of the law of April 26, 1855. 5. Those
military men who, as instructors, belong to the
training companies of fusiliers or pioneers.
Subalterns, corporals, or brigadiers, and picked
men, releasable in 1859, who shall be discharged
before the expiration of their term, shall be re-
placed in the corps.
Soldiers discharged before their time, and who
may desire to reside in the departments of the
Seine and of Seine-et-Oise, cannot obtain leave
to do so unless they have their family settled
there, or can prove their capability of earning a
livelihood by practising some trade or profession.
Moreover, the inspectors-general, and the gene-
rals commanding the military divisions, will de-
liver furloughs of six months to those men who,
since their admission into the army, come under
one of the cases of exemption laid down by the
13th article of the law of March 21, 1832, and
who shall prove the same, and to those who show
that they are the indispensable support of their
family.
The departure of these soldiers will take place
on the Ist of October, 1859.
Excepted from this measure are those men
who serve in virtue of re-engagement or of an
engagement voluntarily contracted under the con-
ditions of the law of April 26, 1855.

THE CONVICT SMETIIURB7:

Since the condemnation of Dr. Smethurst for the
murder of Miss Isabella Bankes, and his transfer
from Newgate to Horsemonger-lane Gaol, consider-
able speculation and disappointment has been occa-
sioned as to the course the officials of the gaol would
adopt so as to give the condemned convict the free-
dom of communication with those friends who be-
lieve him innocent. The visiting justices of the
county prison of Surrey are alone the authorities
for giving permission to friends of the prisoner to
see him, although in strictness the high sheriff of
the county, Sir Walter Farquhar, could override
their decision.

Numerous applications have been made to see the
wretened man, all of which have been refused; and
so stringent has been the regulation that Mr. Keene
(the governor of the goal) refused admission
to Mr. Humphreys (the convict's attorney),
and that gentleman was obliged to obtain the
authority of the visiting justices to see the con-
vict. Yesterday afternoon, accordingly, he had a
very lengthened interview with him on the subject
of the trial and the course to be adopted in placing
the matter before the Secretary of State for the
Home Department so as to procure a remission of
the extreme sentence of the law. The result of
the interview was that immediate steps should be
taken to memorialise the Secretary of State for a
remission of the sentence, which will be supported
by the convict's counsel engaged in the case.
The memorial will be presented to-morrow, but
of necessity a few days must elapse before any final
decision can be come to. It is as follows :—" To
the Right Hon. Sir G. C. Lewis, Bart., Chief
Secretary of State, &c. The memorial of the un-
dersigned respectfully showeth—That your memo-
rialists have watched with much interest the pro-
gress of the trial which has resulted in the convic-
tion of Thomas Smethurst, and the sentence of
death passed upon him by Lord Chief Baron
Pollock. That whilst, on the one hand, your
memorialists would jealously uphold the sentiment
of respect with which the decisions of a British
court of law are universally regarded, they feel
bound, in the present instance, to express an
opinion that the prisoner has been convicted upon
a tissue of probabilities, none of them inconsistent
with innocence and unsupported by that clear and
indisputable medical testimony as to the cause of
death, which should alone have warranted a verdict
of guilty of murder. Your memorialists therefore
submit, that in a case surrounded by so much doubt
it would be most unsafe to allow the law to take its
course; and pray you to advise her Majesty to ex-
ercise the royal prerogative, and commute the sen-
tence passed on the aforesaid Thomas Smethurst
accordingly."

MIS DAY'S MARKETS.

CORN EXCHANGE.

IMPERIAL WEEKLY AVERAGES. - Wheat, 44s Id ;
barley, 31s ld ; oats, 25s 5d ; rye, 30s 8d ; beans, 44s
6d; and peas, 37s Bd.

THE Six WEEKS' AVERAGES. Wheat, 44s 4d ;
barley, 30s ld ; oats, 25s 4d ; rye, 35s 2d ; beans, 45s 8d ;
peas, 38s ld
ENGLISH GRAIN SOLD LAST WEEK.—Wheat, 79,149;
barley, 1,386; oats, 4,872 ; rye, 374; beans, 899; peas,
514 quarters.

METROPOLITAN CATTLE MARKET.
The show of beasts in our market to-day was moderate.
For prime Scots, crosses, &c., we had a steady demand, at
fully Monday's prices. Inferior stock, however, sold
slowly at barely late currencies. Aithough the supply of
sheep was seasonably good, the mutton trade ruled firm,
and the quotations were well supported. The best old
Downs realised 5s per 81bs. There was an improved
inquiry for lambs. In prices, however, no advance took
place. Prime calves sold readily, other kinds of veal
slowly, on former terms. In pigs and milch cows very
little was doing at late rates.

Per 81bs, to
s. Crse. & inf. beasts 2 d.
8 3s.
d.
0
Second quality do. 3 2 3 6
Prime large oxen 3 8 4 4
Prime Scots, &c. 4 6 4 8
Crse. & inf. sheep 3 2 3 6
Second quality do. 3 8 4 0

init the offal.

s. d. s. d.
Prime crs-wool do. 4 2 4 4
Pme. S' thdown do. 4 8 6 0
Large crse. calves 3 2 3 8
Prime small d 0... 4 0 4 S
Large hogs 3 0 3 6
Small porkers .... 3 8 4 6

- -
Lambs, 4s Gd to 5s Bd.
Suckling calves, 18s to 22s ; and quarter •old store pigs,
18s to 235.
TOTAL SUPPLY. FOREIGN SUPPLY.
Beasts l,OOO Beasts
Sheep and lambs .....11,572 Sheep
Calves
Pigs 4OO Pigs