The Sun.
London, England, 1857-04-16 00:00:00

SPAIN.

The Madrid journals of the 11th relate that the
ceremonies of Passion Week bad been -celebrated
with the usual pomp in all the churches, but that
the Queen, as had been announced, took no part
in them ; the King, however, on Good Friday went
on foot to the church of Calatrava, wearing the
decorations of the order of that name. On Holy
Thursday and Good Friday no vehicles of any kind
were allowed to appear, and on the latter day a
magnificent procession of the clergy paraded the
principal streets, a vast crowd assembling to wit-
ness it. The greatest activity prevails in the diffe-
rent Government offices in preparing bills for the
approaching session. The Government has re-
quested the bishops to inform their clergy that
there was a great want of priests in Porto Rico,
and that it would give a , gratuitous passage to any
who might be willing to go there. A royal decree
enacts that captains-general of provinces should give,
every facility to the deputies of the Cortes proceed-
ing to Madrid to attend the opening of the session
on Ist May. A letter from Cuba states that au
immense quantity of guano was supposed to exist
in the southern part of the island, and that a com-
mission had been sent to examine it.

Accounts have been received from the Sandwich
and Society Islands, via San Francisco, whore the
Embuscade French corvette arrived 't)n Feb. 22
from those Islands. She had on board as passenger
Captain Rey, ex-governor ad interim of Taiti.
The corvette Eurydice had arrived at Honolulu
from Taiti on the 30th January. This vessel
brought from Callao to Taiti Governor de Bouzet,
who had been recalled to France to take his trial
for the loss of the Aventure corvette. He was
honourably acquitted and sent back to his post.

THE PENINSULAR MAILS.

PLYMOUTH, WEDNESDAY EVENING,

The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer
Tagus, Captain Edward Christian, from Gibraltar
for Southampton, arrived here this morning, hav-
ing in tow the dismacted ship Martin Luther, Cap-
tain Gordon, of and from Liverpool, with 498 pas-
sengers for Quebec. The Tagus left Gibraltar on
the 6th of April, Cadiz on the 7th, Lisbon on the
9th, and Vigo on the 11th. Her cargo consists of
10 packages of specie value 4,1321., 117 boxes of
eggs, 11 quarter-casks of wine, 609 chests of
oranges, 3 half-boxes of tangerines, 143 boxes of
dates, 61 bags of coffee, and 23 packages of sundries.
Among the passengers are Lady Buchanan, from
Gibraltar, Sir Morton Pato and Major Atcherly,
from Lisbon.
At Gibraltar the screw steamships Cressy, 80,
Captain Richard L. Warren ; the Curlew, 9, Corn.
W. Horton ; the paddle-wheel steam-ship Sphinx,
6, Capt. A. Wilmot; and the screw steam-ship Ma-
jestic, 80, Capt. J. Hope, left for England on the
6th of April.
At Lisbon the screw steam-ships Princess Royal,
91, Capt. G. Giffard ; Exmouth, 90, Capt. Harry
Eyres ; Colossus, 80, Captain T. S. Thompson ;
Brazilian corvette, a Dutch screw steam-ship of 8
guns, and the Belgian steam-ships Telonia and Me-
the screw stea.in-ship Atlantic, and the
tropolis ;
Peninsular and Oriental Company's steam-ship
Alhambra, with the out ward mails, arrived at Vigo
on the morning of the 11th, having Experienced
very heavy gales.
April 11 passed a yacht showing a Union Jack
over No. 59, running towards Vigo.
The Martin Luther, 1,241 tons register, left Liver-
passengol s and 1,200 tons pool on the 9th with 498
general cargo for Quebec. On S and t hel2th, in lat.
50 N., long. 8 W., she experienced very heavy wea-
ther.
from the north-west. At 8 p.m , when under
it mast
raenef ed topsailswas
caaardriercelelatifiyo.resaAil,sthae.mm.aionn-
db
t pu_gleai
Monday, when under close-reefed inaintopsail only,
the fore and rnaintopmast were carried away close
to the caps, taking with them the boat swa;n, John
' Westwood, of Dunfermline, Peter Branagan, and
three other seamen,
who were on the weather yard-
, arm endeavouring to secure the foresail, which had
broken adrift. They were all unfortunately
drowned. In order to clear the wreck the officers
and crow cut away the mainmast, which dragged
the mizerunast with it, and she thus became un-
manageable. On Tuesday morning she was fast
drifting to leeward before a heavy sea and nein-
west wind, and was only 18 miles from Ushant,
when she was providentially sighted by the TagirQ,
which, after considerable danger to herself and
damage to the lifeboat, succeeded about 130011 in
rescuing her. The hull of the Martin Luther is in
good condition, but in consequence of the heavy
weather most of the berths were broken and
knocked down, and the passengers have suffered
severely. •

SOUTHAMPTON, THURSDAY, 10 A.M.
The Tagus steamer has just arrived from Ply-
mouth, bringin,g the Southampton portion of the
Peninsular mails, all the rest having been landed
at Plymouth. She had a full cargo.
At Lisbon, on the 9111 April, were her Majesty's
ships Exmouth, Princess Royal, and Colossus.
The Plumper had left the previous day.
Lisbon Exchanges—Bills at three months on