The Sun.
London, England, 1861-01-04 00:00:00

Her Majesty Queen Victoria, in grateful remem-
brance of the escape of the Prince Consort from the dan-
gerous accident which befel his royal highness during the
recent visit of the Queen to Coburg, has forwarded a sum
of money which is to be devoted towards the foundation of
a charitable institution in that place.
The Prussian Minister and the Countess Bern-
storff, who had been staying on a visit to the Earl and
Countess of Clarendon, at the Grove, returned to town on
Wednesday morning, on the receipt of the melancholy
intelligence of the death of the King of Prussia.
The Earl of Sandwich has been entertaining a
succession of visitors at Hinchingbrook, his seat in Hun-
tingdonshire, during the festive season.
The installation of Alderman Atkinson, Conser-
vative, as Lord Mayor of Dublin for the ensuing year, took
place on Tuesday.

The suspension has been announced yesterday
of Messrs. Whistler, Dawson, and King, colonial produce
agents, with liabilities for about £25,000.
A fall of between 4 and 5 per cent. took place
yesterday in London Dock Stock on the publication of the
accounts of the past half-year, showing the balance on the
30th of November to have been £180,632, or £14,231 less
than at the corresponding period of 1859. The revenue
returns appear to have diminished £19,790, while the reduc-
tion in expenses has been only £3,295.
The dividends will be paid to the public on Wed-
nesday, the 9th. On the same day all the advances made
by the Bank during the shutting of the transfer books will
have to be repaid.
The Pope gave a State dinner on the 27th ult.
to the two Dowager Queens of Spain and Naples, at pre-
sent in Rome. Four Neapolitan cardinals and a number
of distinguished persons were present. The banquet took
place in the pavilion in the gardens of the Vatican.
The London Glee and Madrigal Union, under the
direction of Mr. Land, whose entertainments at the Dudley
Gallery, Egyptian Hall, last season, obtained so large a
share of public favour, will resume their performance of
glees, madrigals, and old English ballads on Monday evon-
ing next.

THE GALE.—SHIELDB, Jan. 2.—The gale has
completely abated, and the sea is falling. It has done a
considerable amount of mischief at the pier works at
the north and south of the mouth of the Tyne. Two Goliah
cranes wore completely smashed. A vessel named the
TiniLuctoo, of Scarborough, one of the lades ships running
befor the gale for shelter in Leith Roads, has been lost off
Holy Island. Her crew were saved by the Athens, of
Blyth.

CHATHAM, Jan. 3.—The screw frigate Undaunted,
51, has been lashed alongside the sheer-hulk preparatory to
being fitted with engines and machinery. It is not yet
decided whether she is to be taken to Sheerness to be fur.
nished with her engines, but should it be decided to fit her
at this dockyard she will have to wait a considerable time
until one of the docks has become vacant. The Isis, 44,
sailing-frigate, has been placed in the second dock, where
the caulkers have already commenced caulking her, and
preparing her for a coal depot on the African coast. The
interior of her hold is to be lined with sheet iron, and some
considerable alterations are to be effected in her to adapt
her for the service on which she is to be employed. The
Rattlesnake, 21, screw corvette, building on the first slip,
is very nearly completed, and will be the next vessel
launched at this dockyard.
THE IRON-PLATED FRIGATE DEFENCE.—The
large iron-plated frigate ordered by the Government of
Messrs. Palmer, Brothers, Jarrow-upon-Tyne, is in course
of construction at the works of these gentlemen, and is mow
making very rapid progress, and, though inferior in size to
the Warrior, she promises to be equally formidable in pro-
portion to her bulk. Upwards of 1,000 men are at present
constantly employed upon her, and they work almost under
cover, while the whole exterior of the fabric is lit up by gas,
so that the workmen mayprolong their labours after sunset.
Notwithstanding all the efforts which are being made to
hurry on to completion this gigantic undertaking, it will be
fully four months before the work will be complete. A Go-
vernment inspector is in attendance in the yard to see that
the timber which underlies the iron plates, and which con-
sists of Indian teak, is perfectly seasoned.
PLYMOUTH, Thursday, Jan. 3.—The paddlewheel
steamship Trent, Commander Jas. Moir, from St. Thomas's
Dec. 6, put into the Sound this morning. She left with
the disabled paddlewheel steamship Shannon, Commander
Abbott, in tow, but was compelled to abandon her during
a heavy gale from the north-west on the 20th of December,
in lat. 35 58 N., long. 40 58 W. The Shannon is coming
along under canvass, and when the Trent is coaled she will
probably go in search of her. After the 18th of December
the Trent experienced continual gales from the wort, vary-
ing occasionally from the north and south. Yesterday,
when entering the Channel, it blew a heavy gale from the
north-east. Spoke, on the 27th of December, in lat. 42 13
I N., long. 20 39 \V., the ship Indus, from Madras for
London.
THE WEATHER IN ESSEX.—The heavy fall of
snow on Saturday night, followed by the rapid thaw and
showers of rain on the succeeding day, has resulted in one
of the deepest floods in this county which has been expe-
rienced for many years. In the immediate neighbourhood
of London nearly all the marsh land is submerged, and the
ice in the various rivers which at first resisted the fall in
the temperature having prevented the melting snow from
flowing down to the sea, immense tracts of land, comprising
several thousand acres, are under water. The rich deposit
thus cast upon the meadow land will be highly beneficial,
but to the young corn great mischief will ensue wherever it
is flooded, as the return of the severe cold will probably
cover all such land with thick ice. In Chelmsford and Col-
chester, arid various other towns through which the railway
passes, houses are flooded and rendered uninhabitable, and
in those spots where the railway crosses the streams, im-
mense bodies of water and ice have been formed, jeopard-
ising the safety of the bridges and sapping the foundationof
the embankments. The iee having, however, now all
broken up in the rivers, It is thought the flood will gradually
subside. During the intense cold of the past week no less
than three persons were frozen to death in various parts of
the county, and there now threatens to be a return of the
severity of the season, the thermometer having fallen
several degrees below freezing point, with a strong north-
easterly wind of piercing coldness, which still continues.
NOTHING LIKE LEATHER.--A decision of interest
to tanners was on Saturday given by the Imperial Court.
Some years back a person named Durand caused sales by
auction of hides to be made by a broker in a building at
Paris belonging to him, and these sales continued regularly
at intervals of a month, until a short time since, when one
Pelletreau, finding that they injured his business, had a
prosecution instituted before the Tribunal of Correctional
Police against M. Pouillet, a broker, for having made the
sales, and against M. Durand for having allowed them to
take place in the building, the two having thereby, as he
contended, violated a law of the 28th of May, 1858, on pub-
lic sales,which enacts that sales by auction shall be effected
"in places specially authorised for the purpose," whereas
no authorisation had been accorded for the edifice in ques-
tion. The defendants raised the objection that the Cor-
rectional Tribunal could not entertain the case inasmuch as
a clause in the said law reserved to the Tribunals of Com-
merce the decision of all questions arising under it, The
Tribunal, taking that view of the question, declared itself
without jurisdiction. Against that decision an appeal was
presented, and the Imperial Court heard the matter argued
on Saturday. The Court declared itself to be of opinioi
that, in virtue of certain regulations, made by an Imperial
decree of 1859, for carrying out the law of 1848, which had
force of law, the Tribunal of Correctional Police had power
to try the case presented to it, and it therefore quashed the
previous decision; but, judging the affair itself on the
merits, the Court declared that the complaint was not proved
under the said decree, and accordingly ordered it to be dis-
missed with costs.

THE SCOTCH PIGIRON TRADE.--This important
trade has remained in a state of comparative sluggishness
during the past year, and stocks have accumulated to the
extent of 97,000 tons. Nevertheless, an immense business
has been done, 903,000 tons having beou taken into con-
sumption. The state of the trade during the last 15 years
is shown in the following table :-
Year. Make. Consumption. Stock.
1845,t0u5.. 475,000 .. 390,000 .. 245,000
1846, 570,000 .. 666,000 .. 149,000
1847, .. 510,000 .. 579,000 . • 80,000
1848, ~ .. 580,000 562,000 .. 98,000
1849, ~ .. 690,000 .. 578,000 .. 210,000
1850, ~ .. 595,000 .. 535,000 .. 270,000
1851», • • 760,000 .. 680,000 350,000
1852, »• • 775,000 .. 675,000 .. 450,000
1853», • • 710,000 .. 950,000 .. 210,000
1854, » • • 770,000 .. 860,000 .. 120,000
1855, ~ .. 825,00) .. 847,000 .. 98,000
1856, ~ • . 832,000 .. 842,000 .. 88,000
1857, ~ .. 915,000 . • 813,000 .. 160,000
1858, „ .. 915,000 .. 810,000 .. 295,000
1859, „ .. 950,000 .. 815,000 .. 330,000
1830, 1,000,010 .. 903,000 .. 427,000
At the close of last year the number of furnaces in blast was
131 (44 were out of blast), as compared with 125 in 1859,
132 in 1858, 123 in 1857, 128 in 1856, 121 in 1855, 117 in
1854, 114 in 1853, 113 in 1852, 112 in 1851, 105 in 1850, 112
in 1849, 103 in 1848, 100 in 1847, 98 in 1846, and 88 in
1845. Of the 427,000 tons at present estimated to be in
stock, 161,000 tons aro in warehouse-keepers' stores, and
263,000 tons in the hands of makers. The exports foreign
and coastwise last year were 563,000 tons, and 340,000 tons
were consumed in local foundries and malleable ironworks
and sent by railway. The malleable ironworks consumed
_ _ _

170,000 last year as compared with 150,000 tons in 1859 ;
and the foundries 185,000 tons as compared with 190,000
tons in 1859, the orders last year having been principally
for light goods. France last year took 50,013 tons as com-
pared with 51,345 tons in 1859; Germany and Holland,
69,469 tons as compared with 63,215 tons in 1859; Russia,
3,925 tons as compared with 5,669 tons in 1859 ; Spain and
Portugal, 9,934 tons as compared with 8,629 tons in 1859;
the United States, 77,632 tons as compared with 8.5,187
tons in 1859; British America. 1:5,255 tons as compared
with 10,777 tons in 1859; and Italy, 15,255 tons as com-
pared with 10,470 tons in 1859. The growth of the trade

may be strikingly illustrated by the fact that while the

production last year was 1,000,000 tons, in 1839 it was

only 197,000 tons; in 1825, 29,000 tons; and in 1805,

9,00 tons.

THE ALLEGED ROBBERY IN A FRENCH CAFE.
—ln our Marlbprough-street Police-court report yesterday
the "Cafe Regence" was by mistake mentioned as the
place where the alleged robbery of a silver wreath occurred
—it should have been " Cafe Riches."
THE RECORDER OF HULL.—The Hull Epiphany
Quarter Sessions were opened yesterday by the Recorder,
Mr. Samuel Warren, Q.C., and many persons filled the
court in expectation of hearing the learned recorder deliver
one of his customary charges. From some cause or ether,
however, Mr. Warren uttered but a few sentences and the
business of the day proceeded.
THE RETURN OF THE FROST.—Yesterday the
water in the parks was again crowded with people deter-
mined to enjoy, while they may, the exhilarating pastime
of skating. The day was very fine and clear. Thousands
of people filled the promenades and covered the lakes ; but
we do not learn that any accident terminated fatally.
GREAT NORTHERN HOSPITAL, KING'S-CROSS.—
Number of patients fur the week ending 29th Dec., 994, of
which 522 were new cases.
IMPORTATION OF FOREIGN GRAIN, &c.—There
were imported into Hull last week—Wheat, 19,559 qrs. ;
barley, 8,398 yrs. ; oats, 328 qrs. ; beans, 3,153 qrs. ; peas,
2,368 qrs.; tares, 427 qrs.; linseed, 7,861 qrs.
MR. COBDEN ON THE CLIMATE OF ALGIERS.—
Mr. Cobden, writing from Algiers on the 28th of Dec.,
says :—" The weather here is a complete contrast to what
you aro experiencing. On Christmas-day the English
residents met at church, and on coming away everybody
remarked, How warm it is We have green peas every
day for dinner and ripe strawberries, and beautiful roses
and flowers in the gardens. With good British steamers to
Marseilles we ought to be only 72 hours from London. It
is a wonderful change of climate with so short a time and
distance."

GRACE DARLING'S FAMILY.—The venerable Wm.
Darling, who has passed the greater part of his long life
upon the outer Fern island, or Longstone, on the bleak
coast of Northumberland, as keeper of the lighthouse, and
who is best known to fame as the father of the heroic Grace
Darling, has been pensioned off by the Corporation of the
Trinity-house, London, and has left the Fern Islands, in
order to reside with his only surviving daughter at North
Sunderland. Mr. Darling is succeeded at the Longstone
by his son, Mr. Wm. Darling, and another of his children,
Mr. Brooks Darling, is keeper of the Coquet Island light-
house, also on the Northumbrian coast.
A SHARK AND A SEAL.—A bottle-nose shark was
caught a few nights since in Christchurch Bay, in a sprat
net, and damaged the fishing smack with its tail before it
was killed. It was seven feet long. A seal was shot a
short time since at the back of the Isle of Wight. Two of
them were together basking close to the beach.
A comparison of the cost of living in hotels,
on either side of the Atlantic, is undoubtedly in favour of
America. For the excellent accommodation, and the
sumptuous fare which I have described, the charge is 21
dollars, or 10s. English, per day each person, including
everything except wine, spirituous liquors, and washing.
It is a fixed charge, paid whether the lodger takes his
meals in the hotel or elsewhere. At all the best hotels
in the United States the same rate obtains, and the style
and quality of the provisions are superior to anything
known in similar establishments in England. But if the
visitor deviates from the ordinary routine of the esta-
blishment, the advantage, in point of cheapness, is no
longer on the side of America. A private sitting-room, for
example, is charged from five to ten dollars per day.--
" America as it Is," by Jelin Cassell, in Cassell's Illustrated
Family Paper.
EMIGRATION.—According to the report of the
London directors of the Grand Trunk Railway of Canada,
the following is a comparative statement of the number of
emigrants who arrived at the port of Quebec from 1857 to
1860 inclusive :—ln 1857, frem England 15,471, from Ire-
land 2,016, from Scotland 3,218, from the Continent of
Europe 11,368, and from the Lower Provinces 24, making
a total of 32,097. In 1858, from England 6,441, from Ireland
1,153, from Scotland 1,424, from the Contizont of Europe
3,578, and from the Lower Provinces 214, making a total of
12,810. In 1859, from England 4,749, from Ireland 417,
from Scotland 724, and from the Continent of Europe 2,723,
making a total of 8,683. In 1860, from England 6,481, from
Ireland 377, from Scotland 979, and from the Continent of
Europe 2,326, making a total of 10,163, and showing that
the total number of emigrants who had arrived at Quebec
during the last four years amounted to 63,753. It appears
that during the last two years no emigrants have arrived
from the Lower Provinces.
MAN FOUND.—On Tuesday last a young man,
about 28 or 30 years of age, was found lying in a ditch at
Dulwich, in an insensible state, either from the effects of
violence or in a fit. Medical attendance was immediately
procured in the neighbourhood, and ho was afterwards
conveyed to Camberwell workhouse, where, notwithstand-
ing every attention has been paid to him, he still remains
quite unconscious. He has never spoken since he *as dis-
covered, and nothing has been found on him to lead to his
identity. A small memorandum book was taken from his
pocket, which contained memoranda that would lead to
suppose he resided, or had friends at or near Vine-street,
or in the vicinity of Highbury Tavern; also a stonemason's
chisel, and two pawnbrokers' duplicates given in the name
of Anst or West.

RATING THE VICTORIA STATION AND PnfLICO
RAlLWAY.—Yesterday the Representative Council of the
parish of St. George, llanover-square, met at the Vestry-
hall, Mount-street, to consider a special report in reference
to rating the terminus and premises of the above company
situated in the parish. Tho Rev. H. Howarth, 8.D., occu-
pied the chair. Mr. Chappell, the vestry clerk, submitted
for approval the special report of the committee, which
recommended the immediate appointment of Mr. Charles
Lee, surveyor, of Golden-square, to assess a proper rating
to the poor of the said premises, inasmuch as he was an
experienced assessor of extensive works. A resolution
having been moved that the report be adopted, an amend-
ment was proposed that Mr. Roberts, of Cavendish-square,
be employed to assess the property. Upon the sense of the
meeting being taken, the amendment was negatived, and
the resolution carried. The meeting shortly afterwards

adjourned.
THE EASTERN CHURCHES ,- SPREAD OF PRO-
TESTANTISIC—For some months past Bishop Costandios,
of Brousa, has been in the capital under ecclesiastical arrest
on very grave ethical charges, brought against him by a
large number of his people. With these, however, untried,
the Patriarch has sent the bishop back to his diocease. A
numerous deputation of the most respectable portion of the
Greek community of Brousa immediately left with a pro-
test to the Porte against this act of episcopal whitewashing.
We further learn, that in consequence of all this scandal to
religion and morals at Brousa, as also of the other clerical
administrative abuses which flourish there, more than 500
of the most respectable families of the local Greek commu-
nity are on the eve of publicly embracing Protestantism.
Protestant tenets, indeed, are said to have made most sin-

gular progress both amongst the Greeks and Armenians of
Brousa, notwithstanding the counter efforts of a number of
zealous Lazarists and other Roman Catholic missionaries
who have done their best to draw the waverers into their

fold, with, besides other promised advantages, the assur.
ante of prompt and effective French protection.—Levan
Herald.

CHINA.--The Marquis de Moges, who formed
part of the Embassy of Baron Gros in 1857 and 1858,
mentions several striking contrasts between Chinese and
Western civilisation. In China the magnetic needle points
south ; there are five cardinal points ; the left is the place
of honour ; white is the symbol of morning ; gcod breeding

requires every man to remain with his head covered in

presence of a superior or any person he wishes to hon our;
they read from the right hand side of the page; they
begin their repasts with fruit and end with soup; in

schools, boys are punished for silence as a sign of idle

ness ; and nobility conferred on a man does not descend
to his children, but ascends to his ancestors. At

Pekin, the streets arc narrow and crooked. The public
buildings and the yamotan, or princely residences, have alone
some appearance of grandeur. All the other houses are
small and cramped. The shops present little variety ; there
are some for skins, coloured paper, fans, furniture, lucifer
matches, porcelain, grotesque figures, Bouddhas ; sweet-
meat, twisted sugar, crystallised aniseed, and preserved
fruit. All these establishments hate rather shabby out-
sides, but very pompous signs, which greatly puzele inter-
preters. Over the entrance to inns and lodging-houses may
be seen-such signs as ' Hotel of the Four Felicities,' The
Palace of Happy Dreams,' The Celestial Table.' Con-
fectioners are very recondite in their signs, as the following
specimens will show :—' The Rivers of Milk,' The Candid
Isles,' The Delights of Confucius.' "
SOUTH AUSTRALIAN COPPER COMPANY.—A
meeting of the Great Northern Copper Mining Company
of South Australia was held yesterday, Mr. C. Bonney in
the chair, when the report was adopted unanimously. It
was stated that, in consequence of certain allegations ques-
tioning the accuracy of the prospectus on the mineral capa-
bilities of the various properties, the chairman proceeded to
South Australia, and by personal examination and from in-
dependent testimony proved. that the announcement origi-
nally put forth were substantially correct. At one of the
mines alone 1,000 tons of ore are in sight, and three fair
average samples have been assayed, showing respectively
34 per cent. of pure copper, 51.2 and 82.8. No time has been
lost in carrying on the works, and a large quantity of rich ore
is already in course of transit to this country. It is hoped
that better terms than the present lease of the property
may be obtained from the Government, including the
right of purchase for a reasonable sum. The colony have
offered liberal concessions for the construction of railways.
In answer to questions it was mentioned that the distance
from the mines to Port Augusta is by road about 120 to
125 milem. The ordinary means of carriage are by bullock
drays, and the contract price for the conveyance of ore is
.D 5 10s. per ton. In a favourable season an ample supply
of drays can be gradually hired, but when the pasturage
on the road has been destroyed by drought—a very unusual
occurrence—as in the past year, it is very difficult to obtain
carriage at all. It was suggested that a traction engine
to be it that th( t-sr,
already had this step under consideration. The sum of
£250 was voted to Mr. Bonney for the remuneration of his
services in going out to Australia, his absence from Eng-
land haying been nearly sin months,