The Sun.
London, England, 1857-03-24 00:00:00

. civilisation, and liberal institutions throughout the w 031,1.
It will be the distinguished privilege of your mission, we
tru.t, to contribute largely to these great objects. We
regret that your early departure for Washington will
prevent the opportunity of tendering the attentions
which it would have aff.rde4. us and our fellow-citiztne
great pleasure to render, and that wo can only offer you
in this interview a hearty welcome."
Lord Napier replied— •
- -

" Mr. President and Gentlemen,—l beg you will con-
- vey to the New York Chamber of Commerce my highest
sense of the honour they have done me in offering me
their cnngratulations on the occasion of my arrival in
this country. I can assure you that no efforts shall be
wanting on my part to realise the happy anticipations
which you have bad tho goodness to express, and to de-
serve the favourable opinion which you have gratuitously
formed of my ability to promote ;the interests of our
respective countries. I come with every desire to be
useful. Although I have never visited America before,
I. have enjoyed the intimacy and friendship of many of
your countrymen abroad, and I would gladly merit that
regard on the part of the nation which I as been ex'ended
to me by its individual members. The sentiments of cor-
diality which you have conveyed to me are those which
animate the Government and peopleof Great Britain. If I
fail in giving effect to them it may arise from a deficiency
of ability, but never from a want of goodwill. I am,
moreover, justified in anticipating that nothing can occur
to mar the harmony of our international relations, or to
diminish those friendly sentiments which, under no eir7
cumstances, have ever expired in the hearts of the two
nations. I venture to hope that the period of my em-
ployment in the United States may be passed in that
concord and co operation which are so essential to our
mutual welfare and to the best interests of mankind."

After a grief greeting the deputation retired.
His Lordship was to depart for Washington on
the 10th or 11th inst.

TDB BREAD POISONING AT CANTON.

The Moniteur de la Elotte gives some details of
the arrest and first interrogatory of the Chinese
baker Allum, whose execution fur poisoning his
bread has been already mentioned :
"Allum, who is a man of large fortune, and who
has extensive mills and granaries at Canton, where his
family usually reside, took to flight immediately after
the perpetration of his crimeoand embarked in the night
on board a junk for Macao. An English steamer was
sent in pursuit of him, and he was brought back on the
19th to Hong Kong, where he was immediately sub-
jected to an interrogatory by Capt. Adams, charged to
investigate the affair. The questions and his answers,
which were as follow, were male through an inter-
preter :—Q. ' On the 15th December all the foreigners
who deal with you received bread which bad been
poisoned with arsenic. Those who partook of it soon
felt the effects of the poison, and several are still in a
dangerous state. Soon after the committal of this
action you took to flight. Your domestics, on being
arrested and interrogated, declared that the bread had
been prepared under your direction, and that you per-
sonally mixed the poison, and threw the arsenic into
the dough. What have you to say to this r —A.
I acted agreeably to the order of the Viceroy, which
was brought to me by a 'satellite of the mandarin.
That order told me that, the English having de-
clared war' on my country, it was my duty to as-
sist in their destruction ; that the soldiers used fire
and sword to fight them, and that I was to use poi-
son ; that it was natural to do everything to injure an
enemy ; and that, moreover, if I disobeyed his orders
my family at Canton would be thrown into prison, and
all my property confiscated.'—Q. The conduot of the
Viceroy is horrible, but it is no excuse for yours. The
act which yen have committed is contrary to the laws
of war, as it is to those of humanity, and he who commits
such a crime is equslly guilty with him who advises it.
It is useless for you to attempt to excuse yourself by saying
that you acted against an enemy, for you have also poisoned
Germans, Russians, Italians, Americans, and French
with whom you are not at war.'—' A. It was involuntarily
that the poisoned bread wasdistributed to theee foreigners.
Q. What you now say is not the truth. Your domes.
tics have declared that, on that day, you made two kinds
of bread; one, poisoned, which was distributed by your
orders to all foreigners inaiscriminately ; and another,
which was good; and given only to the Chinese.'—A.
'_My domeAics are mistaken.',a-Q. 'That we shall see
Hereafter. Your crime is so horrible that it is very na-
tural that you should seek to dissemble, but when the
day of your trial arrives we will furnish proofs of all we
charge you with.' The first interrogatory took place at
the moment when the baker was brought back and
lodged in the prison of Hong Kong. It is a curious
document, and shows the feelings which now animate
the Chinese."

Mlle. Luther, the well-known French actress, has
just been married to N. Raphael Felix, brother of
Rachel.

THE WEATHER IN THE WEST RIDING.—For the last
few days the weather in the West Riding has been of
the most inclement nature. Throughout Sunday and
yesterday there was almost a continuous fall of snow,
and the country presents the appearance of midwinter,
the snow lying several inches deep.
PLATE ROBBERY.—Yesterday, at Worship-street
Police-court, a man named Browning was filly cons-
ftlit'ed for trial for stealing plate from the residence of
Hr. !Wilkinson, a wharfinger, residing at Lowor Clap-
ton. The ft liow went to the house to solicit work and
Charity, and by same means or other contlivol to get

:al the butler's pantry.
The prospectus has been issued of the Trinidad Rail-
Tay Company, with acapital of 300,000/. in 10/. share...

ft is prop-osed, in the first instance, to construct about
50 miles, to bring some of the principal sugar districts
into connection with the coast, and an application will be
made to the local Legislature for a guarantee of 6 per
cent.

The departures from the port of London for the Aus-
tralian colonies during the past week have compriied six
vessels—three to Sydney, two to Pert Philip, and one
t ► Adelaide—with an aggregate capacity of 3,740 tons,
The rates of freight have exhibited greater firmness.
• In the general business of the port of London during
the past week there has been increased activity. The
total number of ships reported inward was 238, showing
an augmentation of 95. Those included 54 with cargoes
of grain, rid; &c., 22 with cargoes of sugar, and three
from China, with tea and silk, comprising 24,784 pack-
ages of the former, and 4,800 bales of the latter, worth
about half a million sterling. The number of ships
cleared outward was 130, including 11 in ballast, show-
g an increase of 9.
REBUILDING OF THE ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA.—Yes-
terday notices were affixed to the walls of Covent garden
Theatre, announcing that the ruins would be submitted
to public sale by auction early next month. This looks
Hie a beginning to the rebuilding of the edifice. It is
said that Mr. Gye is about to give English operas on the
" off nights" of the Lyceum, at Drury-lane Theatre.
Mr. Sims Reeves will sustain the leading parts.
THE LATE GAROTTING CASE AT CAMBRlDGE.—Yester-
day the three men charged with garotting and robbing
Mr. Arubery, who, it will be recollected, is an under-
graduate of St. John's College, and was proceeding from
the Market-place to King's parade, through St. Ed-
warrie-passage, at 11 o'clock at night, on the 12th of
January, and bad just entered into the passage when an
arm was suddenly thrown round his neck and gradually
tightened till he lost all consciousness and was robbed of
his money. The three fellows were transported for 20
years each.
THEATRE-ROYAL, EDINBURGH.—On Saturday night
last Madame Celesto again made her appearance in the
Theatre-Royal, in the exciting drama of " Like and
Unlike," and was received, as she deserved to be, with
rapturous applause. Her double personation of this
difficult piece was admirably sustained, and it is due to
Kr. Wyndham to state that the novel stage necessaries
which he has introduced afforded the highest satisfaction
to the crowded audience. Madame Celeste will appear
in a number of new characters each evening during the
present week.—Oaledonian Mercury.
THEB INKRUPIOY-OF LEOPOLD REDPATH.----Two ladies,
named Primrose and Dennistoun, applied through Mr.
Lawrence, and with the consent of the assignees, yes-
terday to the Bankruptcy Court that certain furniture,
pictures, &c., which they bad left in the care of Mrs.
Redpath, wife of the notorious railway defaulter, for
safe custody, might be given up to them. The affidavits
of the ladies were handed in (or rather their declara-
tions.) The goods had been taken possession of by the
messenger, and held under the order and disposition
clause (125th). His Honour made an order accordingly.
DETERMINED SUICIDE.—A suicide of a very distress-
ing nature occurred on Sunday morning, at half-past 10
o'clock, at the City-road bridge, Regent's Canal. It ap-
pears that a man named Henry Wilson, a tailor, of about
50 years of age, residing at No, 4, Francis-street, Barns-
bury-road, had been out walking with his wife early in
the morning, and, on returning by the CitTroad, he
was observed to look very intently over the bridge into
the water. They proceeded home, and, shortly after
arriving there, Mrs. Wilson being called up stairs, the
unfortunate man took the opportunity of his wife's ab-
sence to leave the house, and going direct to the City-
road-bridge, threw himself into the canal. The alarm
was instantly raised, and, though but four minutes
elapsed from his fatal plunge, he was taken out insen-
sible, and removed to the wharf of Messrs. Sturge, coal
merchants, who rendered every assistance, and in the
most kind and prompt manner procured medical aid,
but without effect. The body was removed to St. Luke's
Workhouse, to await an inquest. It was ascertained
from the wife of the unfortunate man that he was in very
distressed circumstances, and had on the previous Sa-
turday night attempted to drown himself in a water-
butt at his home.
ALARMING FIRE NEAR TEMPLE-BAR.—Last night, at
a few minutes past 9 o'clock, an alarming creflagration
broke out atWatkinson's furniture warehouse, Strand,
on the south side, a few doors from Temple-bar, which
in a few minutes communicated to the premises adjoin-
ing, a lath and plaster house, occupied as an Alton ale
store and dining rooms by Mr. M‘Lean. The flames
mounted rapidly, and the light of the conflagration
Chancery
daee. thoroughfare
se Several
ebr
ae
brought an immense ultitude into Fleet-street and the
up
tween s Churchblocking an t
Brigade engines, and the Royal
of the London Fire
Strand,s t ocmi eetoelty,
Society'si fire-escapet, wfetrhee quickl attendan-ce.
inmateys lof the burning
Fortunately the whole o
out of
.them, and a plentiful supply
d the firemen set to work
houses
water
ht
flames. Immense volumes of sparks
to extinguish the
into the air, and fall for
aqsainiegkibYeen obtained the
continued to burst high up
flames were
not until past midnight that the
some distance, on to the adjoining houses, and it
entirelywas
subdued, the Alton ale-house being entired
and
kinsou's furniture warehouse partialllr, des.roye ,\ ly, and Vat.
several houses in Palsgrave- place and lhanet-place much
damaged. _ The origin of the fire could not be ascer-
tained. Th parties are insured. '