The Sun.
London, England, 1850-03-18 00:00:00

THE PENINSULAR MAILS.

SOUTUAMPTON, SUNDAY MIDMGUT.—The Penin-
sular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company's ship
Ju;;iter, Captain P. Meehan, arrived off Southamp-
ton, at midnight, with the usual Spanish and Portu-
guese mails, in charge of Lieutenant Langton, R.N.,
Admiralty Agent.
Her dates are Gibraltar, March 8 ; Cadiz, 9 ;
Lisbon, 11 ; Oporto, 12 ; Vigo, 13. She brings
only a few passengers, end but a small cargo, also 78
rank and file, nine women, fourteen children, and two
officers, invalids from her Majesty's troops in Gibraltar.
The Jupiter has been delayed by the heavy easterly
gal.'s prevailing.
According to the accounts of the 11th instant, re-
ceived by this steamer, from a correspondent in
Lisbon, the exchange on Lonclun fur bills at three
months' had still further declined, and left off at
54:1, with few takers besides the Board of Public
Credit ; Pal is quoted 520 to 518 ; Amsterdam, 43i;
iLmburgh, 491; and Genoa, 510. Portuguese Five
per Cent. Stock was at 531 to 54 ; Four per Cents.,
44f to 45—with few transactions, and a dull market
after the news of a fall in foreign markets had
reached Lisbon. Bank of Portugal Shares, 75 to 72
,allreis discount per share these rates are for Lisbon

B ink-notes, which remained at a discount of 19 per
cent.; and the Bank of Oporto Shares at 18 to 10
miireis discount per share in metal.
Thi AL Avila, Lad followed up his
finance report by several projects of law, to improve
the collections and other fiscal regu'ations, as also by
the usual money bills, but was still keeping in reserve
his plans Er meeting the deficit and extraordinary
expenses.

The Prince and Princess of J,)invillr, who had left
Lisbon in th Portuguese war steamer Mindeilo,
had arriwd at Cadiz, and had not completed their
three days' quarantine when the Jupiter touched at

The merchant steamer Guide, Captain 11. White,
put into Lisbon for coals, on her way from Newcastle
to Constantinople on the 10th, and was still in the
Tagus when the Jupiter sailed.

THE UNITED STATES.
LIVERPOOL, SATURDAY NIGHT.
Within the last twenty-four hours we have had
two packet shipq, which bring us later intelligence
from several quarters of the United States. The first
was the Plymouth Rock, from Bcston, and the other
the Ivanhoe, from New York. Our accounts by the
former are to the 20th, and by the latter to the 21st
ult., both inclusive.

At Washington, matters remained in much the
same state as last reported, the slavery question being
the great topic of discussion both in and out of CM`
gress.

According to accounts from New York, we find
that there was to be a great aggregate meeting of
men of till parties, on the 25th ult., in favour of the
compromise resolutions introduced into the United
States Congress by the Hon. Henry Clay. The re-
quiiition calling the meeting had been signed by
nearly 3,000 persons of considerable standing in New
York. The Journal of Commerce, of the 21st, says
that the Whig general committee are to co operate in
the movement.

General Taylor was to leave Washington on the
21st, on his promised visit to Richmond, to be pre-
sent at the ceremony of laying the foundation-stone
of the Washington monument.
1 p to the evening of the 21st the subscriptions in
aid of the Hague-street sufferers had amounted to
20,800 dolls. The most anxious sympathy was felt
for these unfortunate creatures.

Later intelligence from Chagres and Panama bad
reached New York via New Orlean?. The intelli-
gence throu4h this source informs us that there had
been an attempt to get up an insurrection at Ciudad
Victoria and TumaulipuF. The Governor of the pro-
vince had been attacked by a force of twenty men,
and after a skirmish, in which several were killed and
wounded, his Excellency was made a prisoner. Don
Z. de Fortuna had issued a proclamation announcing
the deposition of the Governor, and convoking the
Legislature for a trial.
The Legislatures of Tenessee and Alabama bad
adjourned, the former on the 11th and the latter on
th 6 13th ult.

Carter, a member of Congress from Ohio, has
been much censured for not paying proper attention
and deference to the United States Supreme Court.
The friends of the late Rev. Dr. Dick, in Phila-
delphia, have opermd a subscription for the relief of
his surviving relatives.
In commercial intelligence we have no change to
report. The sales of cotton on the 20th February
were 3,800 bales, at very full prices, principally fur
speculat ion.

Flour was rather firmer than when the steamer had
sailed. Prices were ranging 5 dolls, to 5 dolls. 12c.,
fcr. common stale, with but very little to be had at
the former quotation.
Corn (Indian) was very steady, with a fair business
doing, principally for shipping.
Pork was quiet, and nominally quoted at 10 dolls.
50c. for rms., and 9 dolls. for prime.
Ashes ware better, with sales of pots, at 6 dolls. 63c.
to 6 dolls. 75.; and pearls steady at 6 dolls.
Freights were firm—to Liverpool, corn, 6d. ;
flour, 2s. ; heavy goods, 25i. ; beef, 2 6d.; cotton,
3-16 d. per lb.

TO THE SECRETARY OF THE

BRADFORD REFORM ASSOCIATION.

Sir,—On Wednesday the 13th, the Public Libraries
and Museums Bill was read a second time by the
small majority of 118 against.lol. There appeared a
considerable inclination in the opponents to harp
upon small difficulties; which may perhaps be con-
strued into a disinclination to enter into contest on
the real grounds. A shrinking of this nature is by
itself a proof of the progress of the public feeling.
Oa Thursday a Bill to amend the Factory Act was
brought in without a division. A good deal ( f
was shown in some quarters to connect the
subject with threats, and other unpleasantnesses to the
manufacturing interest. The case is tolerably safe as
it stands. The working classes are neither to be led
into a movement for restricting motive power, nor to
be persuaded that all the improvement in their con-
dition has arisen from working ten hours. The manu-
facturing interest as it is styled, has no union against
the object of the Bill; and therefore it is no wonder
that the Bill should go on.
On Friday was produced, the mystery, the budget.
The expectations of those who hoped for reductions
of taxation in infinite variety, must submit to the
pruning-knife. A removal of the duty on bricks,
and some alterations or Equalizations in the stamp
duties, appear to comprise all that can be quoted in
the way of direct remission. A portion of the sur-
plus is to go towards the reduction of the debt;
which promises remission hereafter. But the greater
part of the surplus—indeed some say they do not
know where any surplus is to come from after it—is
to go into that gulf which yawns open night and day,
the possession of the landlords. Some see i❑ it a sop
to the Cerberus, and view the refuell of the G ,vern-
ment to re-enact any tax on corn, as a kind of
quid pro quo. The money, it appears, is to he lent
to them, on condition of paying six and a half per
cent. interest, which in two-and-twenty years (if what
I hear is correct), is to bs both interest and capital.
It is understood, there is something like a real power,
cf taking possession of the land in case of irregula-
rity in discharging the arrears.
The business of the Opposition, fir the rest of the
evening, appeared to be to demonstrate and impress
the little gratitude they felt. The true interpreta-
tion of which is, that they will at all times take any-
thing they can, without admitting any bar from pre-
sent concessions. Such indeed is the common end of
concessions of the kind in question.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
AN OLD REFORMER.
Londun, 18th March, 1850.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Six,—l read in The Sun of yesterday a letter
from Mr. A. Guinness, suggesting the use of silk
instead of paper to be distributed from the balloons
in the Arctic Regions in search of Sir J. Franklin.
Perhaps you will permit me to state, that the
"satin" for this purpose was ordered the day before
that gentleman's letter was published, together with
the balloons, and all the requisite apparatus for print-
ing the slips in the Arctic Regions, and were dis-
patched this day to Southampton to be forwarded by
the West Indian Mail to the Sandwich Islands, to
meet the expedition under Captain Collinson, C B.
The me of " satin " for the above purpose was
suggested by me more than two months ago.—l am,
Sir, your obedient servant,
G. SHEPHERD, C.E.
P.S.—I have inclosed you a sample of the slips—
there are various colours.
London, 16th March.