The Sun.
London, England, 1857-09-11 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SIIN.

SIR,—,We have the pleasure to inform you that a
telegraphic despatch from Cagliari, dated Sept. 9,
announces to us that the submarine cable connect-
ing Europe and Africa has bean successfully laid
between Bona and Cape Teulada. The communi-
cation between Teulada and Spartivento, a distance
of 17 miles, has to be made before regular tele-
graphic communication can be"opened with Algeria.
The cable is a heavy one, with four conducting
wires, and has been laid successfully in above 100
nauts, of 1,600 to 1,700 fathoms water. The total
distance covered is 124 nauts, or 145 miles.

We are,
Your faithful servants,
R. S. NE WALL & CO.
24, Abingdon-street, Westminster,
Sept. 10, 1857.

The expedition, under the command of Messrs.
Newall, the engineers, started from Cagliari, on
the Sardinian coast, with the cable in the hold of
the Elba, and began paying it out, commencing
from the African coast at Bona, on the Algerine
frontier. Among the principal members of the ex-
pedition were the Cavaliers Bonelli, Minister of
Telegraphs in Sardinia ; M. Siemens, Minister of
Telegraphs for Prussia ; M. Branvillo, represen-
tative of the French Government telegraphs, with
Mr. J. W. Brett, the concessionaire of the line and
originator of the submarine telegraph system. Pre-
liminary operations were commenced on Monday,
and. the entire cable was safely submerged, and
communication effected with either coast on Wed-
nesday evening. The distance between Cagliari and
Bona is 150 miles, an island of rock called Galota
only intervening a short distance from the African
coast. The weight of the cable in tilt former ex-
periment that failed was at the rate of 8 tons per
mile, whereas the weight of the cable now so success-
fully submerged has been reduced to about I.i tons
to the mile, or about equal to that of the Atlantic
cable, and this, added to the perfection of the ma-
chinery for paying out, and the skill of the engi-
neering manipulation, tended greatly to facilitate
the operation. The bed of the MediterraneAn being
of a soft chalk and shelly character, similar to that
. of the Channel between Dover and Calais, fur-

Dishes an excellent place of deposit for the cable.
There aro four copper -wires for the electiic com-
munications, twisted spirally one over the other.
Every assistance was afforded by the French and
Sardinian Governments to the company, who have
an exclusive privilege granted them for 50 years by
the two government?, the French Government
giving a guarantee of interest of 4 per cent. on
180,0001., and the Sardinian 5 per cent. ou 120,000/.
About one-half the quantity of cable required to
extend the Mediterranean telegraph from Sardinia
to Malta, and from Malta to Corfu, is manufactured,
and as soon as the other half is ready these places
will be brought into the range of telegraphic con-
nection with England and the Continent.

THE INDIAN TELEGRAPH VIA THE
EUPHRATES VALLEY.

The following information, derived from an authentic
source, is a practical illustration of the security cf a
telegraph through Syria and Mesopotamia, and of the
wisdom of the Porte in refusing to incur the responsi-
bility of protecting it :
The reports of sarious disturbances in Syria and of
the disorganised state of t'aat important province of the
Turkish empire which have been current in Paris for
some days past, are fully confirmed by the following
letter received from B, yrout, dated the 10th of Aug. :
" Our merchants are in a state of great uneasiness; and
if order be not restored in the country all transactions
with the interior will Lecome impossible. The mail
which left this on the 10th inst. for Damascus was plun-
dered at a distance of six leagues from Beyrout by the
Druses, and two of the guards were severely wounded.
Cash to the amount of 182,000 piastres was carried off
by the highwaymen. Of this money 100,000 piasters
belonged to the local government, and the remainder to
private persons. The Emir of the Druses has written
to the Deftarder here to say that he took this money to
indemnify himself for the arrears of pay due to him for
several years. The local authorities, in place of punish-
ing the malefactor-4, are imposing fresh taxes on the
people to replace the money stolen. News of a still
more disastrous nature has been received here. It
is said that the great caravan, which left Damascus for
Bagdad two moths since, has been completely plundered
by the Bedouins of the tribe of Chammar. This
caravan, cimposed of 1,250 camels, carried merhcandise
worth 15,000,000 piastre3. The drivers in want of
water turned from the direct road to reach a branch
of the Tigris or Euphrates, and while-in the Desert the
caravan was attacked and pillaged. This news has
caused great anxiety among the merchants hero, who
still hope that it will not be confirmed."

MR. TOWNSEND, 31:P.-MEETING AT

WOOLTVICII.

A crowded public meeting was held last night at the
Lecture-ball, Nelson-street,Woolwich, for the purpose,
as stated in the handbills, of bearing from Mr. Town-
send, M.P. fur Greenwich, an account of his parlia-
mentary conduct during the late session. Mr. Eugene
Murray took the chair. Mr. Townsend, who was re-
ceived with great cheering, after recapitulating the quer-
tious on which he had voted during the session, stated
that until property qualification was abolished, and a
very large extension of the suffrage obtained, the peoi le
would never be able to send members of their own
choice. After referring to his labours to obtain ald i-
tional pay for the dockyard labourers, be promised in
the next session of Parliament—and he should be
there in spite of Iris enemies—(loud cheers)—to
submit a motion to increase the wages of govern-
ment labourers to lfis. a week. He had been in busi-
ness at Greenwich fourteen years, and until recently
no man ever had to call upon him twice for a debt.
Mr. Townsend then entered into detail with a view to
prove that at the period of his election he possessed the
requisite legal qualification, and that his subsequent
difficulties were caused by the persevering efforts of
a solicitor whom he name 1, and who had boasted 'that
he would drive him from his seat. He had just begun
to find his way about the House of Commons ; be had
to the utmost of his ability served his constituents ; and
it now became a question whether he should eJatinue to
serve them—(cries of " Yes")—or not. If they,wished
him to resign his seat, be would not be a stubborn man ;
but if otherwise, his enemies should not wrest the seat
from him. It gas the caws of the constituency he was
Belting. His enemies did not object to him as John
Townsend the auctioneer, but as John Townsend the
member of Parliament. Mr. Townsend resumed his seat
amidst the most uproarious applause.
A resolution of coufid‘nce is Mr. Townsend was
unanimously passed.

CRYSTAL PALACE , FLOWER Snow.—As we antici-
pated, the fine weather of yesterday brought down large
numbers to the Crystal Palace. A flower show at a
shilling i 3 really a novelty, and must have been doubly
so to many of the visitors yesterday. Toe specimens of
fruit and flowers, especially the former, retain all their
bloom and freshness, and bid fair to be as attractive to-
day as they were on Wednesday. Not the lea-t interest-
ing portion of the show is the AMateurs and Cottagers'
Collection. In this the exhibits show a great advance
on last year, both in quantity and quality, and the fruit
and vegetables would do no disxedit to professional
growers. The Crystal Reface Company has originated
an idea that is likely to be of real service in the promo-
tion of private hortnulture.
CRYSTAL PALAOd'.—ONE SHILLING DAY.—THIIRSDAY,
SEPT. 30 --,-Admission on payment, 13,252 ; ditto, by
season tickete; 1,375 ; total, 14,627.
Exaggerated ani alattining reports have been circu-
lated to the effect that a solicitor has absconded, leaving
liabilities to the amount of about 150,0001., represented
in part by forged bills. It is added that one of the Lon-
don joint stock hanks is a heavy sufferer. The facts of
the case appear to be as follows :—Mr.T. Dean, solicitor,
'of 7,.Kine's Bench Walk, Temple, has absconded. We
believe, Cowever, that the total amount of his liabilities,
so far as can be ascertained, does not exceed 25,000/. ;
that the circle of sufferers scarcely exceeds, half a doz
persons, chiefly his own relatives and immediate clients;
and that the sum in which the bank referred to is inte-
rested is under 2,0001 , and may be partially covered
by other securities. Mr. Dean lived, in apl tin way, at
13arnes Common. Hie practice was never extensive, but
be bad been some 25 or 30 years in- tLe profession.-
-Daily News.
FRENCH AND ENGLISH FIsHERILEN.—On Wednesday
Louis Gifford, master el the No. 299 of Dieppe, and N.
Germs, master of the N-,. 3IS, of Boulogne, were brought
before the North Shields magistrates by Lieut. Simpson,
of the Octer, charged with ,fishing within a mile and a
half of the Northumberland coast, and the charge being
proved against them, they were each fined 101. arid
costs. Lieut. Eimpsoo, in answer t, a question from
the Mayor, stated that the English fishermen complain( d
very much of the damage done to their nets by the
French boats Jibing upon the English ground. lie
stated that the c.e v of a French lugger bad been
guilty of a very mali,nant act on the previou
night. Tuey bad sailed their veseti with a grapnel-
iron over h r at .rn, through a fleet of English boats,
and tore away five or s x of their nets. The crew
had, however, coy, red their number, and the English
fishermen had not been enabled to ident fy the vessel.
At present about 150 large. French ;uggene in impel
with crews of from 15 to 20 men each, are fishing for
herrings in the North Sea. As wo have before stated,
by international tr at:y the fishermen of either )unlety
are prohibited from fishing within three miles of their
neiglibcurs' coast ; but the Di itish Admiralty have only
provided one stEarner this season to cruise between the
Humber and Berwick, and protect 150 miles of coast.
Of course, all the best fishing is within thi_e milts of
the lawl, and, as the' crews of the French loggers Ex-
ceed in number the men en Board our boats three t
one, they have literally the possession of the hi rring
fishing, and do as they like ; fur it is not found that the
one solitary steamer can keep up any sort of regulation
along such a solitary line of coast.