The Sun.
London, England, 1857-01-15 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING; JANUARY 15, 1857.

TIIL BALLOT IN AUSTB,iLIA.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUE.
Sir,—May I ask you to insert the enclosed reply to the
Timrs ?—I am, &c. F. HENRY F. BERKELEY.
Victoria square, Jan. 14, 1857.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.
Sir,—ln your paper of yesterday, under the head " The
Ballot in Australia," you quote an article in a paper pub-
lished in Adelaide (South Australia), where the ballot is
not established, the writer of which states his opinion that
the ballot has failed in the adjoining colony of Victoria.
You have no doubt received, though you have not quoted,
the Melbourne papers which report, the facts of the recent
elections by ballot in Victoria.
It is a curious way of informing your readers on matters
of fact to withhold the evidence from the colony in which
the ballot is at work, and to quote from the press of an-
other colony where it is not established, and which is a jea-
lous rival of Victoria and its institutions. So far from the
ballot having failed in Victoria, the municipal corporation
of Melbourne, in consequence of the success of the measure
at the parliamentary elections, have resolved on its adop-
tion in the elections for their own body.
I subjoin someextracts from the Melbourne press, which
I trust your sense of fairness will lead you to publish.
Yours faithfully,
F. HENRY F. BERKELEY, Chairman.
Offices of the Society for promoting the adoption
of the Vote by Ballot, 6, Guildhall-chambers,
Basinghall-street, London, Jan. 14, 1857.

(From the Melbourne Herald, Sept. 11.)
The polling for the central provinces (Melbourne and the
suburban districts) came off on the 26th ult., when the
ballot was tested for the first time in the colony, and ope-
rated in a manner which not only satisfied the expectations
of its most sanguine advocates, but actually won over as
converts some of those who were previously its most deter-
mined opponents, both in and out of the legislature.
_ _

(rrom, th.e Allelbourne Herald, Sept. 27.)
To the silent operation of the ballot must undoubtedly be
attributed, in a great measure, the freedom from disturb-
ance and popular turmoil which has characterised the elec.
tion proceedings. Viewed in its social aspect, secret ♦oting
may be considered to have proved itself as successful as it
certainly has in its political aspect. With only very few
exceptions the demoralising intrigue& wllieh aro often put
in operation at elections have failed to produce those results
which, in other times and under a different order of things,
would have followed. Even in those instances where indi-
rect influence was resorted, the efficacy of the ballot was
proved by the notoriety which such practices at once ac-
quired. _

(From the Melbourne Argus, Sept. 24.)
As we visited the various polling booths in succession it
was impossible to avoid being struck with the quiet decorum,
amounting almost to silence, which prevailed at all of them.
The police had a sinecure of it during nearly the entire day,
and the remark of many was that the ballot, with all its
merits, made an election day "barren of incident." An
American gentleman, well known to the mercantile com-
munity, was heard to express himself to the effect that he
never saw the ballot work in greater perfecti( n, and that
nothing could be more unexceptionable than the manner in
which the public functionories appeared to discharge their
duties. So far the ballotmust be pronounced decidedly suc-
cessful in Victoria. Not a syllable was breathed through-
out the day upon which the smallest reliance could be
placed as to the chances of the candidates, and the surmises
which were put forth, and they were comparatively few,
were qualified by an honest confession of ignorance.
(From the Melbourne Argus, Sept. 27.)
One of the most interesting features of the recent elections
consisted of the experiment made of the ballot as a part of
an electoral system based upon a very extended franchise.
We are happy to pronounce it brilliantly successful. In
almost every instance most hotly contested elections have
passed off very peaceably indeed, and the excitement usual in
such conflicts has been so far allayed, even in the immediate
neighbourhood of the polling booths, as almost to have
vanished altogether. Besides this, the ballot has materially
decreased canvassing, bribery, and personation, and almost
annihilated intimidation and many other forms of undue
interference. It has diminished the cost of elections, except
in cases of candidates in very desperate need of return, and
very unscrupulous in the mode of securing it. Mr. Chap-
man, who contested the important suburb of St. Hilda,
containing 2,286 electors, stated that his whole electioneer-
ing expenses would not amount to above 501. And, while
good order and quietness have been introduced into our
electoral system by this very simple process, while a shield
of protection has been accorded to the poorest, weakest,
most dependent elector among us, the proportion of votes
recorded to the names upon the electoral rolls has been very
satisfactory, showing a warm interest in the result, and an
absence of all timidity in the expression of political opinion.
For Melbourne there are 8,597 electors, each of whom was
enabled to record five votes, that being the number of can-
didates to be elected. Allowing the odd hundreds for
names repeated on the roll (as qualified for more properties
than one) this number represents 4 ),000 votes. Of these
19,299 were recorded. Probably each candidate had some
hundreds of " plumpers," from voters particularly anxious
about his election. If we take these at an average of 200
each, we should find 2,000 electors who had foregone their
right to four votes each, adding 8,000 to the number pre.
viously stated, and representing 27,000 votes recorded, out
of 40,000 able to be recorded. Any one acquainted with
electioneering at home will bear us out in the assertion that
these are very large proportions of actual voters to electors.
But as a still more remarkable illustration we may men-
tion that Mr. Were, one of the returning officers for the
Upper House, announced that in his electoral division
every elector but fourteen had recorded his vote, and
a returning officer in Gips Land stated that in his division
one elector only had not voted, a thing probably unprece-
dented in election annals. In fact there is no use mincing
matters. The ballot is a perfectly successful mode of secur-
ing the sense of a constituency in accordance with the
spirit of free institutions. And our English readers may
rest pretty well assured that any ono who objects to the
ballot is beset with a desire to tamper with the votes of
those who may be in his power. It is all very well to sur-
round the sal ject with a great deal of mystery and false
argument which have nothing to do with it. But the real
question resolves itself into what we have stated, and the
friends of the ballot in England should make their arrange.
ments accordingly. The ballot here is a brilliant success.
( Front the Geelong Observer.)
Thank goodness, the ballot saves the people from much
of the annoyance they would have suffered under the old
regime. When party malice and individual rancour have
done their work, the ballot affords a few minutes for calm
reflection and consideration, and in that a few moments'
honesty, capacity, usefulness, and character, will have the
victory; and, after all, the chances are in favour of the
best men.

(front Hoba,l Town, Tasmania—(Private Correspondent.)
The ballot system has been adopted here, and succeeds
admirably, much to the disappointment of certain classes
who benefited by the old system of electioneering.

GREAT ACCESSION CF FORTUNE. —A man named
Goodall, who works at Messrs. Barrett, Exalt, and Co.'s
iron foundry, at Reading, has, with two others, just
come in for a sum of 100,0001., under a decree of the
Court of Chancery, in equal shares. He was almost
beside himself with joy on hearing the news.
THE EDINBURGH ACADEMY AND THE BISHOP 07
LONDON.--A meeting of the friends and admirers of the
Bishop of London, connected now or formerly with the
Edinburgh Academy, was held on Monday afternoon in
the Hopetoun Rooms, at Edinburgh, for the purpose of
congratulating his lordship on his promotion, and re-
questing him to sit for his portrait, to be hung up in the
hall of the Academy as a permanent memorial of his
connexion with that institution. Among those present
were : Mr. John Russell, P.C.S., the Earl of Southesk,
Lord Neaves, Lord Curriehill, and the Right Rev.
Bishop Terrot. Mr. Russell was in the chair. The
Lord Advocate, Lord Deas, iir W. Gibson Craig, and
several other gentlemen, former pupils of the Academy,
had also expressed their assent to the proposed testi-
monial. On the motion of Lord Neaves, a resolution
was adopted, offering "respectful and cordial congratu-
lations to the Lord Bishop of London on his recent
elevation to the episcopal bench, an honour well merited
not less by his great learning, talents, and industry, than
by the worth and excellence of his private character,
displayed in a brilliant and iieful career." On the
motion of the Rev. Dr. Grant, it was resolved that the
bishop should be requested to sit for his portrait. It
was stated that he had been one of the first and most
d'a,inguished pupils of the Edinburgh Academy, and that
he had been most assiduous in the duties of a director
of that institution, though a number of years past he
had resided at a distance. It was arranged that Mr.
James Swinton should be the painter of the portrait.

A FRENCH MARRIAGE OF PRUDENCE.—The 8/CCU
contains the following :—On Dec. 29 last a town in the
north of France was quite en fete on account of the mar-
riage of Mdlle. Eugenie D—, the only daughter of a ma-
nufacturer in the neighbourhood, with M. Charles V—,
the son of a wealthy merchant of Paris. The marriage was
one of prudence and arrangement ratherthan of love. All
the questions of interest had been carefully attenued to,
bat the point of mutual inclination was totally neglected.
Every one seemed gay and happy except the bride.
However, the ceremony took place, and a wedding ban-
quet fcllowed, the whole beingterminated by a ball. The
festivities were drawing to a close, when a servant in-
formed the bridegroom that a gentleman desired to
speak with him on a very urgent affair. The bridegroom
went out, but did not return for the rest of the evening.
The guests, one by one, retired, but the husband still
remained absent, and at last, long after midnight, the
, bride withdrew to her chamber. There she at once dis-
covered the cause of her husband's absence, for on a table
by the bedside she found a small parcel, and the following
note from her husband Madame, if I had no right,
in marrying you, to expect a sincere affection, since we
were but-little acquainted with each other, I, however,
looked for a heart which had never throbbed for another,
and which I might by assiduity and tenderness in the
end make my own. But a long series of letters from
you to another man have just been placed in my hand
—letters which prove that if you gave me your hand,
your affection has been given to another. I cannot,
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imploring your pardon.'':p

proper to record that the services they rendered on this
melancholy occasion wire highly appreciated by the
,re-
cipients of their bounty, and we are quite sure ;hey wid
be duly estimated by the community, of which they
have proved themselves such admirable members. Both
the Ladies Scott and the young earl, who is scarcely 10
years of age, were upon 'the beach all yesterday after-
noon, and the former only left the spot to prepare for
the reception of the officers and crew at Encombe. The
Lady Charlotte Bankee, elder sister of the family, who
is married to the Rev. Mr. Bankes, rector of Corte
Castle, emulated her noble sisters is showing attention
to all who needed it, and Mr. Bankes' curate, the Rev.
Mr. Bradley, and his wife, were sedulous in offering
every assistance in their power.
Among the passengers who came on to Encombe with
the officers were Dr. Acland, Mr. Edwardes, and Mr.
Tootal. The former, by his presence of mind and
judgment, was of great service to the captain from the
moment the ship struck, rendering much assistance in
disembarking his fellov .passenger,, and calming the
fears of those who were most alarmed. Tee list of
officers included Capt. Vincent, R.N., Capt. Valler, Mr.
White, Mr. Bray, Mr. Wright, Mr. Bertram, and Mr.
Hey, the five principal officers, and Dr. Perceval, the
medical gentleman in charge of the ship.
During last night her Majesty's steam frigate Deva,;•
tation came round from Portsmouth to render assistance.
She anchored about 400 yards outside the wreck, where
she still remains.

At four o'clock this morning Capt. Vincent and Capt.
Valler, with the other officers of the ship, went on board
and made a close examination of the ship's hull. Capt.
Vincent at once determined to erect a bulkhead at the
stern of the vessel, within the point where the plates are
started. If the weather continues calm, and this can be
accomplished, the water can then be pumped out of the
ship, and in about three weeks' time, when the spring
tides are on, there might exist a chance of floating her.
It is feared, however, that, under the most favourable
circumstances, the chance is but a remote one.
The officers of the Devastation went on board the
wreck this morning, and remained some time in consul-
tation with Capt. Vincent.
The crew, on being summoned to go on board this
morning, refused aluaest to a man, and, with few excel).
tions, they have proceeded to Southampton. Even the
joiner of the ship deserted at a moment when his services
might have been useful. Capt Vincent fortunarely
brought round 61) hands with him, so that the loss of
these men will not be seriously felt.
The precise cause of the accident is not explained.
Capt. Valler attributes it, in the first instance, to the
dense state of the atmosphere. He also fears an undue
variation may have existed in the compasses, which
might have thrown him out in his reckoning. There was,
he says, a strong current running to the westward, with
a stiff south-west breeze on the bows, added to which
the ship, having very little cargo, was extremely light ;
and all these circumstances might have combined to
produce the disaster, though be says he was perfectly
satisfied up to the moment the ship struck that he was
steering direct for the Needles.
Capt. Valler is a very old officer of the Royal Mail
Company, having been in the service nearly 17 years.
He was chief officer for two voyages, and has since com-
manded the Esk, the Prince, the Con .icy, and lastly the
Tyne. He is a thorough sailor, and bas risen from be-
fore the mast.

The Brazilian Consul at Liverpool (Mr, Bragah), the
Spanish Consul at Madeira, and the American Consul
at Pernambuco, were among the passengers.
A portion of the specie and jewels were sent on to
London last night in charge of the purser. The remain-
ing and more valuable portion was taken on this evening
by Dr. Percival, who was specially requested to take
charge of the valuable freight by Captain Vincent.
At five o'clock this evening the wreck was sitting per-
fectly upright between two ledges of rockstone. The
weather was calm, and there appeared every probability
of its continuing fine.
Captain Vincent and Captain Valler, and all the offi-
cers, will pass the night on board.

The following is au extract from the ship's log :
Jan. 12.

Noon—South-east gales, with small rain. Course, E. by
N. iN. Speed, 10 knots.
4.0 p.m.—Stopped and sounded in 46 fathoms. Fine

sand and shells.
5.30 p.m.—Passed a steamer steering to the westward.
5.50 p.m.—Slowed engines.
5.0 p.m.—Stopped and sounded in 41 fathoms. Fine
sand. Set on half-speed.
8 p.m.—Stopped and sounded in 36 fathoms. Coarse
gravel. Fresh breezes, and cloudy weather.
11.30 p.m.—Made Portland Lights N.E. and E.; sup-
posed distance 15 miles. Altered ship's couree to

eastward.
Midnight—Portland Lights N.E. Stopped and sounded
in 30 fathoms. Gravel.
1 a.m.—Portland Lights N.N.E.tIC.
1 40 a.m—Portland Lights bore to the north.

2.10 a.m.—Portland Lights bore in one, N.N. W.l W.

Distant about eight miles.
2.3o—Portland Lights dipped.
This is the last entry made on the log slate.
It may appear unnecessary to publish certificates in
favour of an officer of Captain Vallee:3 standing and ex-
perience. That such testimonials were always obtained
by him is a well known fact. On his last outward voyage
he received the annexed, signed by 77 passengers, after
a voyage of some difficulty

" At Sea, Dec. 1, 1856.
" Dear Sir,—We, the undersigned passengers, before
leaving the noble ship under your command, avail our-
selves of this occasion to thank you most warmly for
the great kindness and gentlemanly attentions received.
at your hands during the present prosperous and rapid
voyage, due, under Providence, to your skilful and
sailor-like management ; and, should the opportunity
ever again offer of our making a passage with you,
we feel assured that our treatment will be equally as
good as that we have now experienced. Wishing y,lu
every prosperity and happiness, we are, dear sir, yours
very sincerely, (Signed by 77 passengers.)
" Captain William Valler, R. M. Steamer Tyne."
The subjoined was unanimously voted to Capt. Valler
on Monday evening before sighting Portland :
" Dear Sir,—We, the undersigned passengers, before
leaving the noble ship under your command, feel great
pleasure in tendering you our warmest thanks for the
kindness and gentlemanly attentions we have uniformly
received at your hands, and our appreciation of the
nautical skill and ability you have displayed during our

" With sincere wishes for your prosperity and hap-
piness, we are, dear sir, yours very sincerely."
(Signed by 53 passengers.)

ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
SOUTHAMPTON, WEDNESDAY.

There seems very little hope of saving this unfortunate
vessel, judging from the scraps of information which have
reached us from tine to time during the day. A consi-
derable portion of the baggage, however, and a small
part of the cargo have been rescued, and arrived here
about half-past 4 this afternoon in the Aid steam tug,
which left the Tyne about half-past 10 in the morning.
There were then five tugs rendering assistance, besides
her Majesty's steam frigate Devaststion, the paddlebox
life boats of which were of great use in keeping up com-
munication between the Tyne and the tugs. From in-
guinea made on board the Aid, we ascertained that there
were 2 feet of water in the steamer's saloon at high
water, and that the boilers had moved about 6 inches
forward when the ship struck and the rteam pipe had
also burst. A Coastguardsman was unhappily drowned
last night by the swamping of a boat as it was going
from the shore to the ship. Part of the crew of the Ori.
noco, who had gone down to render assistance, nave re-
turned in the Aid. The crew of the Tyne came up from
Wareham by railway this afternoon.
We had the opportunity of a long conversation to-day
with one of the Tyne's passengers, Mr. Win. Utley, from
America, late United States consul at Pernambuco; and
from his explanations we are able to supplement our ac-
count of yesterday, and correct one or two statements
relative to the accident. It was first understood
and reported that the steamer ran aground while at
lull speed. This gentleman states that the engines were
reduced to half speed at 11 o'clock on Monday night,
and again at 1 o'clock in the morning to about quarter
peed, or perhaps a little more ; in addition to which the
vessel was stoped every 2 hours for soundings to be taken.
About 1 o'clock he was conversing with Capt. Yeller in
hie cabin, and, in answer to Mr. Lilley's inquiries as to
whereabouts they were, the captain pointed out on th e
chart where they were if his calculations were correct,
and he then went on deck, stopped the engines, again took
soundings, and found that he was right. The first tune
the ship struck the shock wamslight, a second shock much
more violent, and then a third nut quite so bad, Mr.
Lilley was awoke by a fellow passenger (Dr. Ribeiro)
when the ship first struck, and after the third bump he
was drawing on his socks, when a lurch of the shin
threw him forward on his bead. The ship was soon in
a state of great alarm and confusion—everybody rush.
ing on deck, the ladies in their night-dresses in terrible
alarm, and the darkness and gloc n adding to the
terror which prevailed. The bumping of the ship kept
on for four hours at least, and began to ease after 8 o'clock
in the morning. For an hour atter the Tyne grounded,
Mr. Lilley states, nothing could be seen, the night was
so thick and hazy. The ladies were on deck wrapped up
in blankets. He left the ship in the afternoon, in charge
of the ladies in a lifeboat, and came on from Wareham
to Southampton last night. When he left the vessel she
was making water fast, and the after compartment was
filled with water. She was in an upright position, grind-
ing heavily, and in our informant's opinion, evidently on
a rock, making a berth for herself. He believes that
if she had been a wooden vessel not a soul would have
been saved, as it would have been perfectly useless to
attempt to lower a boat before daylight, the hazo
being so thick as to prevent them seeii g what course
to take, and the surf and swell being exceedingly vin'
lent. They fired guns and threw up rockets, but received
no answer. When daylight broke they saw a high bluff
land rising up just before them. The captain behaved
throughout with the greatest coolness and intrepidity,
and was desirous of attempting to land the passengers
early in the morning, but a Coast-guard boat which
came off remonstrated, and the attempt was not made
until the middle of the day when the landing was
effected in safety, although one or two of them had an
unpleasant immersion by the beats swamping.
Mr Lilley and all the rook of the pggeogero whom
_ _ _ _

[Plum! 4D. ► 3TAISIPED si.

we have seen speak in the hnhest, tertn,=. of Lord Eldon's
praiseworthy conduct in providing for t he corntort of the
passengers and crew. His lorasn ip pro vided them witt,
food and lodging at his estate, a nil, of ter using every
horse and vehicle he had, sent to Wareh am for a coupe
of .omnibuses to transfer them from "x e shore to the
rail way station.

The-Tyne, as we stated yesterday, ji one of th,
strongest of the company's fleet, and her value wa.
abont 80,0001. The company's vessels are not insured,
a reserve fund for the purpose being set apart from a
portion of earnings.
Should the attempts to recover this noble vessel fail,
as there is strong reason to fear they will, this will mace
the ninth steamship the company have lost since their
formation—viz., the Medina, wrecked on Tur k's Island ;
the Isis, foundered off Bermuda ; the Sol w ay, lost off
the coast of Spain ; the Actwei, on the Span Ish Main ;
the Tweed, on the Alacra►:e's rocks, in tl ►e Gull of
Mexico ; the Forth, on the same rocks ; th e Atnazen,
burnt at sea ; the Tay, wrecked on Cape R :xo, in the
Gulf of Mexico ; and no w the Tyne, off St. Alban's
Head. In addition to these, one of their small schooners
was lost, and the Demerara, built at Brist, tl, it will be
remembered, broke her back in going down, the Sever,
before she was out of the builder's bands.