The Sun.
London, England, 1861-02-22 00:00:00

For the Account, Threes, which opened at 67f 95e,. G'REA:f DESTRUCTION OF RUSSIAN
are now at 67f 90c. The following are the last I GRAIN BY LOCUSTS.

quotations :-
41 per per Cents ... 97 90 Credit Foncier 925
Do end month.... 97 95 Belgian 41
3 per Cents
Do. end month 67 90 Roman
Bank Shares 2872 50 Austrian
Credit Mobilier.... 656 25 Spanish Threes 4B
Do. Account 652 50 Home Debt
RAILWAYS.
Cash. Account.
Orleans 1405 .. 1402 50
Northern
New ditto 892 50 ..
Lyons and Mediterranean 932 50 .. 931 25

Geneva — „ •
Southern
Western .... 560 .. 560
Eastern
Sardinian
Au strian
Lowbard

TIZE PENINSULAR MAILS.

-..-.-- ----4.--

The screw steamer Alhambra (of the Peninsular
and Oriental Company's fleet), Captain J. D.
Steward, arrived at Southampton at 2 p.m. yester-
day, with mails from Lisbon of the 17th inst., and
from Vigo of the 18th, in charge of Capt. Robinson,
R.N., Admiralty agent. Bad weather prevented
the Alhambra communicating with Oporto. She
had fresh north-westerly breezes and cloudy
weather on the 17th, and subsequently experienced
a succession of strong south-westerly gales, with
thick weather and heavy rains.
The Alhambra brought nine passengers, includ-
ing Dr. Somerville, R.N., and Mr. Wright, assistant-
surgeon, R.N. ; and on freight £2,200 in specie,
76 half-chests of oranges, 341 cases of eggs, and 16
packages of general merchandise.
The Royal Mail Company's steamship Oneida
arrived at Lisbon on the 13th from Southampton,
and sailed at 4.30 p.m. for the Brazils.
When the Alhambra left Lisbon there were lying
in the Tagus her Majesty's steamships Edgar, Tra-
falgar, St. Jean d'Acre, and steam frigate Diadem.
The Algiers had left the previous day for Malta.
There had been no debates in the Cortes of par-
ticular interest. It was understood the Pope's
Nuncio, M. Ferrari, would be allowed to remain
at the Court of Lisbon, notwithstanding the pub-
lication of his unfortunate despatch, and that no
opposition would, in consequence, be made to the
Portuguese Government's capitalizing the church
property.
Exchanges for three months were quoted this
packet, on London, 541 ; Paris, 527 ; Hamburg,
481; Amsterdam, 42k; Genoa, 524 ; Portuguese
Three per Cent. Stock, registered, 47.1 471; cou-
pons, 471 471 ; Deferred, 381 39 ; Bank of Portu-
gal shares, 14 141 per cent. premium.
The steamship Coralline, of Glasgow, was at
Vigo.

At noon on the 20th, in lat. 48.6 N., long. 5.30
W., the Alhambra passed the Peninsular and
Oriental steamer Tagus, bound for Lisbon ; and at
5 a.m. on the 21st, off the Start, the Pera, bound
for Gibraltar.

The Alhambra will take out the return mails
for the Peninsular ports on Wednesday next, the
27th inst.

211. E BOP GROWERS AND 111 E CHAN-
CELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER.

Yesterday afternoon a numerously attended
public meeting of the hop planters of Kent was
held, at the assembly room of the Star Hotel, Maid-
stone, to consider what steps should be adopted in
consequence of the refusal of the Chancellor of the
Exchequer to grant a further postponement of the
duty payable in respect to the crop of 1859, or to
receive a deputation on that subject. The chair
was occupied by Mr. Pannett, of Chart ; and
amongst the most extensive planters present were
Messrs. J. Whatman (formerly M.P. for West Kent)
Elvy, Hartridge, Collier, Mercer, Buckland, Sim-
monds, Park, Clifford, Hatch, Stuart, and Hayes.
Letters were received from Lord Holmesdale and
Sir E. Filmer, members for West Kent, expressive
of regret for their unavoidable absence.
The CHAIRMAN observed that the meeting had
been originally convened for the purpose of appoint-
ing members of a deputation to wait upon Mr.
Gladstone, but it had since transpired that no such
deputation would be received by the Chancellor of
the Exchequer, and therefore they knew what to
expect. The chairman then read a letter from Mr.
Gladstone, to the effect that he went to the extreme
verge of his authority on a former occasion by
granting a postponement of the duty, and he could
not now accede to a postponement of that postpone-
ment. They had now met to consider the present
state of the question, and to say whether they
would remain content with the treatment they had
received at the hands of the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer. (No, no.) The Sussex planters had
already decided to adopt active measures to obtain
a reversal of Mr. Gladstone's refusal. Several in-
fluential members of Parliament had promised their
co-operation, and it would be well for that meeting
to consider what course should be taken by the
Kentish planters.
Mr. ELVY (of Yalding) moved a resolution re-
questing the county members to continue their
exertions for a postponement of the duty.
Mr. HARTRIDGE seconded the motion, which was
unanimously adopted.
Mr. HATCH, Mr. HAYES, and other gentlemen,
addressed the meeting, and it was resolved to co-
operate with the Sussex planters to obtain a fur-
ther postponement of the duty by every legal
means.

A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the
proceedings.

M. _MIRES AND TILE 7 URKISII LOAN.

A statement published yesterday morning that
£280,000 of Constantinople bills fall due on M.
Mires to-day is fortunately quite incorrect. No
bills whatever drawn from that quarter upon M.
Mires become due until the 12th March. Between
that date and the 26th of the same month, there
will arrive at maturity 11,666,000 f. (£466,000) of
bills at three months' sight, which were drawn on
the 12th and 26th November upon M, Mires by his
agents at Constantinople, Messrs. Arland Court
and Co., to order of the Turkish Government, and
which 'were on account of the first instalment on
M. Mires' Turkish Loan. Of this amount 10,000,000 f.
(£400,000) have already been discounted by the
.Societe de Credit Industriel of Paris, who had been
provided by M. Mires with securities by way of
cover. The balance is too small to admit of a doubt
of its being provided for. In the beginning of Feb-
ruary there were also drawn upon M. Mires from Con-
stantinople bills to a further amount of 11,666,000 E,
at 45 days'date, which fall due on the 15th of March.
Of this amount 4,000,000 f. have already been dis-
counted, it is believed, by M. Mires himself, through
the intervention of the Turkish Minister in London,
and the proceeds (£160,000) have come into the
hands of the agents of the London Loan of 1858, and
will be applied to the dividend due the Ist March
on that stock. There thus remain between 7,000,000 f.
and 8,000,000 f. (say £300,000) of bills on M. Mires,
due the 15th March, for which no provision has yet
apparently been made, but which are fully expected
to be met in due course. They are on account of the
second instalment of the loan, and all bear the
endorsement of the Turkish Government. There is,
therefore, no instant cause of anxiety. Meanwhile
the Greek interest continues to manifest an unex-
pected degree of strength under the existing critical
circumstances. A loose statement was published
this afternoon upon the authority of the Levant
Herald to the effect that the whole of the Galata
houses were expected to stop payment. This state-
ment is dated the 16th inst. News by telegraph
has, however, been received to the 20th, when the
Greek houses, instead of stopping payment, had
just shipped a further large amount of gold—com-
puted at about £loo,ooo—for Marseilles.
At Paris the Mires scandal continues to excite
great attention. In addition to M, Mires, MM.
Solar and Avond, two financiers associated with
him, are said to have been arrested. It is also said
that one nobleman has cut his throat, and that two
more hare fled. These are the fruits of the gigantic
system of Bourse jobbing which has extended into
the highest circles, and which has long compromised
the French Government in the eyes of Europe.—
L aily News.

ATTEMPTED MURDER AND SUICIDE.--On Tues-
day
rt
allbli re.
circumstances, Palmer
cut
rp, a b
his w
ifue
,tsc butcher, o
throat,
f B
andr i gin
afterwards
temeo .
arrnd
8-
fbis own. For some time past they have lived very unhztp.
pily, and on several occasions, when in a state of excite-
went, caused through drink and jealousy, he being a person
advanced in life, while his wife is not more than 20, he has
threatened her. On Tuesday, they having had some angry
words, he took a clasp knife, and deliberately cut his wife's
throat, whilst she was in bed, in a most shocking manner,
and then cut his own. He at once ran downstairs and
alarmed the neighbours, who sent for the neatest medical
assistance. The wounds were dressed, and although they
were found to be very extensive, the lives of the unhappy
individuals are not despaired of. During the day the pri-
soner Sharp was able to speak, and was informed that he
must consider himself in custody, to answer the charge at
the Lincoln assizes, to be held in March neat.

The following is from the circular of Messrs.
Carr, of Rostock:—

The tot al shipments of wheat from Russia up to
the end of September were 684,871 quarters,
against 5(38,105 quarters in 1859. Taking into
account t he sad havoc done by the locusts in the
whole of. Southern Russia, Russian and Austrian
Poland—•the devastation being so enormous that
in the Odessa districts alone some 400,000 or
500,000 quarters of wheat were destroyed—and
considering that from the St. Petersburg, Riga,
and Aro•hangel districts, and from Poland
the yield is not great, but the reverse, I
think I may estimate Russia and Russian Poland's
capabilities or exports for the next campaign at
one million quarters.

Having so often been written to and asked to give
an idea of the devastation committed by the
locusts, it may not be out of place, once for all, now
to do so. In the distance a swarm of locusts looks
like a dark thunder-cloud, and as they approach a
whistling sound is hoard in the air, similar to a
violent thunder-storm ; the sun, if shining at the
time, is darkened, and the temperature becomes
5 or 10 deg. Reaumer, cooler, as the warmth of the
sun is prevented from penetrating the mass.
The swarm takes from twelve to fifteen hours
to pass over, and the enormous mass or quantity of
this fearful scourge in the atmosphere, as far as
the eye can reach, makes such an overpowering
impression on the human frame that a person feels
such an inward depressing feeling, such as difficult
breathing, and inability to shake off the horror-
striken nervous sensation. Business is suspended..
If these plagues have once reached the ground the
earth is for several miles in extent a foot deep at
least with them, and they do not ascend until they
have eaten every particle of grain, pulse, grass,
&c., and the soil then looks as if it had been laid
waste by fire.
_ _

These insects can only be got rid of when they
are not tired and able to fly away, when a great
noise is made and several thousands of persons set
to work together ; indeed, it often happens that
the Government sends two or three regiments of
soldiers to assist the farmers ; if, however, the
swarms are tired and so enormous that they cover
the fields a foot deep or more, then it is not in the
power of human beings to prevent their commit-
ting sad havoc, and when killed and left on* the
ground (or should a swarm be driven into the
sea and afterwards washed ashore) the stench is
past bearing and generally is followed by a pesti-
lent disease.

According to a map drawn whilst the Governor
General of Odessa made a tour of inspection. early
last May, about seventy-five Russian sqßare miles
were covered with the eggs of these insects. In
the fields surrounding the small town of
Tomaszow no less than 625 baskets of living locusts
(each basket containing about 6,400, and 551
gornats of 15,600 eggs each, making in all about
four million locusts and nine million eggs) were
delivered to the burgomaster of the place.