The Sun.
London, England, 1835-09-16 00:00:00

to this effect will be immediately sent to all the authorities,
Fiscal and civil.
" 2.d. Two months after the date of the present decree
'vessels bearing the flag of the Statcs of the King of Sar-
dinia, shall no longer be admitted into the ports of Portu-
gal, or of its dominions, unless, being driven by tempest, or
forced by some accident of the sea, they come for shelter.
In this case, however, they shall not stay longer than whilst
the danger lasts, and shall carry on no commerce, such aid
only being afforded them as humanity dictates.
" 3d. The subjects of the King of Sardinia who reside,
or happen to be in this kingdom or its dominions, will be
taken under the especial protection of the civil and military
authorities, who will be required to exert the greatest dili-
gence and activity to prevent their suffering harm, either in
their persons or property, in consequence of being deprived
of the support and aid of the Consular functions of their
nation by the provisions of the first article. This I have
particularly recommended to the attention of the proper
authorities.
" L,2t the Duke de Pahnella, Counsellor, Minister, and
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, thus understand this,
and cause thr: same to be duly executed, &e.
" THE QUEEN.

" Palace of flamaihad; A ugust 31.
!` The Duke of PALMF,LL A."

PARLIAMENTAIIY PAPERS.

MAIL COACH CONTRACTS.
Copy of a further Report, dated 13th August, 1835, made by
the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the Post-office
Department, on the subject of the Mail Coach ContrHlS
acts.
TO THE LORDS COMMISSIONERS OF
MAJESTY'S TREASURY.
Fifth Report of the Commissioners appointed by a Treasury
Minute of the 9th of May. 1835, to inquire into the mode of
conductinc, the business of the Post-office department.
The tendersb for the supply of mail-coaches fort seven yeawe
rs,
from the sth of January next, having' been submitd to us,
agreed with the Postmaster-General in rb':.'ommendin that the
g
the tender of gems. Wright and Horne, t;f London, and
Williams, of Bristol, should be received for the Sou._
and
Midland districts, and the tender of Messrs. Croall and V:.l-
- for the Northern.
From the information we have received as to the character
and responsibility of these parties, we feel assured that the
contracts will be well executed, and the conditions strictly
complied with.
In a former Report we ventured to express a confident
opinion that a very considerable saving might be effected, by
offering to public competition the contract for the supply of
snail-coaches ; our anticipations have been fully realized.
Under the present contract the rate of mileage is gene-
rally 3d., and in Scotland 3d. the double mile. The rates
under the new contracts will be—
For tit e Southern and Midland district 20.1. The double
For the Northern
including all expense of cleaning, oiling, and greasing, &c.,
for which an e.ztra sum, amounting to upwards of 2,2001. a
year is paid to the present contractor.
According to the statement of the number of miles now
travelled in each district, the sum to be paid for the supply
of mail-coaches after the sth of January 1836, would be—
For the Southern and Midland districts, 5,062
miles, at 2d
Northern district, 1,557 miles, at 2d. 4,735 17 6

£21,095 1 114
The average amount paid to the present contractor in each
of the ten years ending the 31st December 1834, has been
32,957/. 6s: .114 d. The difference which ought to be saved
to the public consequently, about 12,000/. a year. It ap-
pears that the mile age to the coach-builders is at present paid, not
by the Post-office dir:etly, but by the horse contractors, according
to their agreement wri.h the Post-office. The Commissioners,
however, do not think t,`. at there can be much difficulty in
securing to the public the benefit of the newto contacts.
A reduction ought to be made ,!n the payments horse
contractors corresponding to the reduction obtained in the
new contracts for furnishing the mails' ; or if this is not agreed
to, the Post-office may, as suggested ;
.1 the Report of the
Postmaster-General, take upon itself the engagement of the
furnishing the
contract with the builders upon the new terms;
which they
horse contractors with coaches at the present rat,'
are bound to pay for their use, and carrying to the account of
the public the difference between the two prices.
We were anxious, had there been sufficient time befcnT
settling the mail-coach contract, to obtain particular informa-
tion as to the best principle of constructing public carriages.
With this view, we recommended an extension of the pre-
sent contract until the sth of July, 1836, which would have
enabled us to enter fully into such an inquiry. Mr. Vidler,
however, having refused to complete the agreement which he
bad entered into, it became necessary to receive the tenders
and decide upon the description of carriage to be used with
the least possible delay.
We examined, with the Postmaster-General, several car-
riages, and various models and drawings offered for our in-
spection, and obtained the best information we could as to
the construction of a carriage which might be most adapted
for the service of the Post-office. From the suggestions
which we received, and the great pains which has been taken
by the Postmaster- General, we believe that the new mails
will be found to be in every way equal, and in many points su-
perior to those hitherto in use.
The evidence of Mr. Macneill contains much useful informa-
tion on the construction of carriages, particularly with re-
ference to the springs best calculated for the diminution of the
draught. The instrument which he has described appears to
be of reat utili in ascertaining the comparative merit of
roads g
and the power required to draw any description of car-
riage along them.
Although it has been impossible at present to have the full
advantage of Mr. Alacneill's suggestions, there not being time
to make the necessary experiments, we have submitted his
evidence to your Lordships, in the hope that it may be the
means of producing further improvements in public carriages.
In order to secure to the Post-office the full benefit of such
improvements, the contractors are bound to adopt, in the
structure of the mails,
whatever alterations the Postmaster-
General may at any tinae require.
DUNCANNON.

1-ILABOUCHERE.
SEYMOUR.

Office of Woods, 13th August, 1135.

FASHIONABLE INTELLIGENCE.

ARRIVALS.
The Dowager Marchioness of Salisbury, at her house in
Arlington-street, from Hatfield ; the Countess of Dartmouth,
in St. James's-square, from Broadstairs ; Mr. and Mrs. Brook
and family, at Crawley's Hotel, Albemarle street, from Leam-
ington ; Captain and Mrs. Egerton, in Harley-street, from
Brighton ; Mr. and Mrs. Clive, in Grosvenor-street, from the
Continent ; Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton and family, at the Ha-
nover Hotel, Hanover-square, from Paris ; Mr. and Mrs.
Sutton, at ditto, from Brighton ; the Polish Princess Bora-
tinxy, at Mivart's Hotel, theerß Brook-st
ofreet Clogher and Lady
, from a tour of
the Isle of Wight, &c. shop
Robert Tottenham, at ditto, from their seat, Newtown Mount
Kennedy; the Prince Soltykotr and suite, at ditto, from Rus-
sia; Rev. Mr. Mackie, in Baker-street, from Lamberhurst,
Kent.

DEPARTURES.
The Marquis of Hertford, yesterday, for the Continent ;
Major Tynte. for Paris; Lady Nelthorpc, for Sevenoaks,
Kent • Col. Gore Langton, for Dover ; Hon. Charles Man-
ners 'Sutton, for Doncaster ; M. Shakspeare, Esq.. from
Brighton, for the Continent ; Lord and Lady Mandeville and
family, from the Cavendish Hotel, Jermyn-street, for the
Continent ; Lady Olivia Sparrow, from ditto, for ditto ; Wm.
Fergusson, Esq., from ditto, for Somersetshirc ; Mr. and
Mrs. Moore and family, from ditto ; Lord Douglas and
Capt. Douglas, froni Coxon's Hotel, Mount-street, for Scot-
land ; Charles Greville, Esq., from Crawley's Hotel, Albe-
marle-street, for Doncaster; Sir _Robert Otway, Bart., from
Ellis's Hotel, St. James's-street, for Brighton ; John Hall,
Esq., from ditto, for Cheltenham ; Doctor and Mrs. Sper-
ling, from the Hanover 11
M tel, Hanov
er
Hon. M. quare, for E
d
i
n
-
-
burgh ; Lord Wodehouse, r. and th Raik
for Witton Park, Norfolk.
Currie, from Hyde-park terrace,
RECENT ARRIVALS AT 1312NITON.—The Bishop of Lichfield
and Coventry, the Earl and Countess Somers, Lord Skel-
Tnersdale, Lord Liddlesdale, Mr. Justice Perrin, Hon. Mrs.
Hopwood, Sir Robert Clifton, Dowager Lady Bromley and
Miss Bromley, Lady and Mrs. Sherbrooke, Lieutenant-Gene-
ral Sir Evan Lloyd, the Lady Trimleston and Miss Lloyd,
Mr. Walker, M.P., Mr. Daniel O'Connell, M.P., and family,
Captain Higgins and Mr. Lynch, Mr. and Mrs. Crookenden,
nd Mr. Crookenden, jun., &c.

A very singular instance of suicide occurred oo
Sunday afternoon in presence of several persons at Graves-
end, w.ho had arrived by the steamers. A respectable look-
ing young man, whose name is said to be Birch, who dined
at the Ordinary of the New Inn, was asked by the waiter,
who stood at the door, as is customary, for the reckoning,
in common with others, on which the individual took a pen-
knife from his pocket, and saying, " I will pay it this way,"
inflicted a deep and fatal wound suddenly, on his own
throat, to the great horror of all the persons present. An
inquest was yesterday held upon the body, when the jury
returned a verdict of Temporary insanity.
PET RIF A CTlONS.—Remarkable instances of this
transformation have been found in different parts of the
world, not only of vegetable, but even of animal substances.
When the foundations of the city of Quebec, in Canada,
were dug up, a petrified savage was found among the last
beds to which they proceeded. Although there was no
idea of the time at which this man had been buried under
the ruins, it is however true that his quiver and arrows
were still preserved. In digging a lead mine in Derbyshire
in 1744, a human skeleton was found among stags' horns.
it is impossible to say how many ages this carcass had laid
there. In 1695, the entire skeleton of a crocodile was
found in the mines of that county. At the beginning of
the last century, John Munte, curate of Slmgosp, Scania,
and several of his parishioners, wishing to procure turf from
a drained marshy soil, found some feet below ground an en-
tire cart, with the skeleton of the horses and carter. It is
.i:?.Tesimed that there had formerly been a lake in that plaee,
anti the carter attempting to pass over on the ice had by that
ineaeo probably perished Edinburgh Corant,