The Sun.
London, England, 1850-02-14 00:00:00

APPOINTMENTS.

WOOLICICtr, FEE. 13.—Captain William A. Hen-
derson, C.B. (1838), to the Blenheim, 56, steam
guard-ship, at Portsmouth, vice Captain Horatio T.
Austin, C. 8., appointed to command an expedition to
the Arctic regions.

Assistant-Surgeons George Gordon (1846) and
Edward W. Pritchard (1846) to the Asia, 84, flag-
ship of. Rear-Admiral Phipps Hornby, C. 8., on the
Pacific station.

Midshipman W. B. Edwards to the Sphynx steam-
sloop, at Portsmouth.

PROMOTIONS.
Mato the Hon. H. A. Moreton (1849), at present
serving in the Vixen, 6, steam-sloop, on the North
America and West Indies station, to be Lieutenant.
Mate Gwinniett Tyler (1849), at present serving
on particular service, to
bi ne
the
Lieutenant. Scourge
steam-sloop,

William Moyse to be Acting Carpenter.
John Robertson to be Boatswain.
COAST GUARD.
Lieutenant John H. Crang (1840) has been ap-
pointed to serve in the Coast Guard.

THE NORTH-WEST RESUMED SEARCH.
GUTTA PERCIIN BOATS.
There have been so many jimcrack and flying•
kite inventions (some of them, indeed, more ingenious
than useful) offered and submitted to the Admiralty
to be employed on board the ships sent out to search
for Sir John Franklin, that we are loth to add
another that may perhaps be also considered in the
same light.

However, we are so much impelled with the notion
that gutta percha boats might be used in the forthcom-
ing expedition with great advantage and utility, that
we cannot help earnestly calling the attention of Capt.
Austin to this matter. A gutta percha boat appears
to us to possess every
desirable qualification for use in
the northern regions, The most intense cold and
frost renders gutta percha so firm and tough that it
will withstand the hardest usage (fire excepted).
Nothing injures it. It possesses great buoyancy,
comparatively with a common boat would be exceed-
ingly light It is impervious to water and damp—is
quickly dried after being wet. It is not liable to
crack or break ; and should any accident occur to
it, it is easily repaired by a solution of its own
substance prepared by heat. In broken ice a
boat of this description would be invaluable from its
lightness. Portages might easily be made by carry-
ing this boat over the ice from one open stream of
water to another. When a common boat would be
nipped or crushed by a pressure of ice, this boat
might be lifted and saved. A blow from a floating
piece of ice, that would stave in and destroy a com-
mon boat, would only make the gutta percha boat re-
bound.

Had Sir James Ross possessed boats of this de-
scription, and placed them on light runners or sledges,
his exploration parties would have been able to have
proceeded as far again as they did, and his men would
not have suffered so much from fatigue as they did,
as they would have had much lighter weights to have
dragged over the rough ice and snow. From the
above considerations we have no hesitation in endea-
vouring to draw Captain Austin's attention to the
services that might be derived from the use of a few
gutta percha boats in his north-west expedition.
We hear that the vessels to be used on this oc-
casion are to be purchased vessels, and not men-of-
war, and that they are now being selected. One,
however, will not be a searching vessel, but will remain
at some safe port in Baffin's Bay, to be pointed
out by Captain Austin, where she will remain as
a refuge vessel, in case any accident happening to
the searching vessels that the crews in their boats
may have a refuge to fall back upon. Had a third
vessel accompanied Sir John Franklin in his voyage
to the north-west, we should in all probability have
known in what direction to have searched for his
missing ships, and not been in our present predica-
ment, groping in the dark.
We have great faith in Captain Austin's energy
and experience. We believe he has been actively em-
ployed at sea for 32 years, and has always served
with great ability. We hope ho will not be fettered
with
.qualified or unqualified Admiralty orders.
However well Meant, tuey frequently hamper end

THE SICILIAN STEAMER BOMBAY AND
'TIE KING OF NAPLES.
The folio wing letter from Al. Ameri, late Minister
of Finance in Sicily, has been published in the
Democratie Pacifigue :
Sir,—l beg to request that you will glee me the as-
sistance of your journal in making an appeal to the
public against an act of the Neapolit tit Government di-
rectly affecting myself.
I will state in a few words the origin of the affair. The
Parliamentary Government of Sicily, under which the
portfolio of finanees was confided to me from the 28th
of March to the 31st of August, 1848, recognised the
necessity of arming several steam-vessels of war. The
Commons Chamber approved of this project, and in its
sitting of April 16, voted a credit for the acquirement
of four war steamers. The new debt, created by a de-
cree of the 13th of April, was found insufficient for this
expense, and the Chamber accordingly voted other re-
sources and extraordinary imposts, which were made
law on the 19th of May.
The executive power, on its part, through the medium
of Prince Granstelli and M. Scalia, its commissioners to
the British Government, concluded the purchase of two
steamers then building in England. In accordance with
the conditions stipulated, I made a first remittance of
between 126,000 and 127,000 ducats, _by means of bills
of exchange, indorsed to the two commissioners, MM,
Granstelli And Scalia. In order to provide for this ex-
pense, and of others in the war department, the Parlia-
ment in the month of December ordered a forced loan to
be male, which was paid with astonishing celerity. With
this money the new Minister, M. Cordova, and MM.
Count Amari, Prince Butera, and Marquis Cords, who
succoded him in the department of finance, successively
remitted to London a sum of more than 700,000 ducats,
by means of bills of exchange endorsed to MM. Grans-
telli and Scalia. The price of the two vessels was paid
in this manner, and several pieces of artillery, with other
munitions of war, were also purchased. The latter,
together with one of the steamers, were sent to Sicily.
On the arrival of the steamer at Palermo, in the month
of March, she received the name of the Indipendenza.
The other vessel, the Bombay, was arrested et the mo-
ment of her departure by the Customs authorities of
London, on the demand of the Neapolitan Ambassador;
but she was afterwards released.
Towards the end of April and beginning of May,
Sicily, as it is known, fell into the power of the King of
Naples, who hastened to possess himself ofall the muni-
tions of war, among which were those which had been
purchased in England. The French Government some
time afterwards made him a present of the Indipendenza,
which had been seized in the port of Marseilles. But
the Neapolitan Government was not so lucky with re-
spect to the Bombay, the other armaments, and the
money, which remained at London in the possession of
the Sicilian commissioners. Two obstacles were thus
opposed to the wishes of the Neapolitan Government,
The commissioners, true to their duty and
their honour, refused to give up to the, enemy the
money and armaments which the Sicilian Government
had confided to them, and, by the laws of England, it
was impossible to compel them, as the King of Naples
is not recognised in England as the legitimate heir to
the Parliamentary Government of Sicily. The result
has been that the steam-vessel, the arms, and the money
have remained a sacred deposit.
In this state of things the Neapolitan Government has
adopted another mode of attack. It established, some
time ago, an exceptional tribunal in Sicily. for the trial
of revolutionary accounts. This court, which rivalled
the councils ot war, has just condemned myself, and
MM. Cordova, Butera, Count Amari, Cerda, Granstelli,
and Scalia, to pay into the treasury of the King of Na-
ples, in Sicily, all the sums which the five Ministers
successively had forwarded to the two London commis-
missioners for the object in question.
This decree has motived my protest, Ido not know
before what tribunal it is intended to bring my colleagues,
but for myself I desire no other than the public, as I
believe the power in the name of which we have been
condemned to be illegal and founded on usurpation.
The King of Naples is neither more nor less than a
usurper in Sicily. The revolution of 181 S restored to
Sicily its aucieat and legitimate Parliamentary Govern-
ment. F. relinand of Bourbon recognised that Govern-
ment, and by a decree dated the 6th c f March, 1848, be
accapted the Act fir the convocation of the Parliament,
as it had been f• amed at the revolution. Afterwards he
refused to agree to this legislation, because he was not
content with the limits asBl2ned to the executive power.
the Parliament found itself compelled to confide this
power to a President of the Government and to six Mi-
nisters. By another well-known law the Parliament
decreed the dowr,f All of the Bourbons. After the events
of the war in Sicily and the Peninsula, the
Parliament
prorogued itself un the 14th April, 1849, without, how-
ever, dissolving itself. The seine was toe case with the
executive power, which only retired b, fore a military
occupation of the island. Not a soul in Sicily renounced
his political rights.
Übe King of Naples, who has never profited by the
lessons of adversity, seems to have preferred, after the
occupation of Sicily, to remain there as an usurper,
rather than adopt a line of conduct by which a govern-
ment might succeed in legitimatising itself. So far from
respecting the fundamental condition of his dynasty, his
own decree of the 6th of March, 1848, or even that of
February, 1848, which was the result of French and
English mediation; so far from re-assembling the Sici-
lian Parliament, he has insulted Sicily, by instituting in
that country in the place of its old parliament, a consulta,
composed ot seven salaried government officials, possess-
ing neither the initiative nor a deliberative voice.
So far from governing according to the laws, be
has only manifested his power in Sicily, by sentences
of death, arrests cn masse, decrees of exile, terror,
and insult. Without any Parliamentary decrees, he has
re-established the tax upon the grinding of corn, the
stamp duties, and a duty on the exportation of sul-
phur. He has in the most arbitrary manner charged
Sicily with enormous war expenses; he has augmented
its public debt to the exclusive advantage of the Naples
treasury; but he has not blushed to ascribe the war debt
to the malappropriations and destructions of the revolu-
tion. I think that no casuist will venture to call a go-
vernment legitimate so vicious in its origin and so ce-
testable in its conduct. No one will recognise in its orders
any other value than tt.at of brute force, the right of
brigands and wild beasts.
It is very natural that I should decline a jurisdiction
proceeding from such a government. But however ille-
gitimate in its origin, am!, perhaps, inefficacious in its
effect', a sentence which has for its pretext the restitu-
tion of public moneys, always conveys areunplessantidea
to the public mind. Most certainly lam not the person
to la main silent under such a decree, or to hesitate to
place it in is true light before the public.
The facts which I have mentioned et the beginning of
this letter are sufficient for the proper appreciation of
the decree of the exceptional magistrates in Sicily. It
is only necessary to add that that authority has con-
demned us without summoning us to appear before it—
without listening to a word in our defence, and in my
case, at least, without notifying its decree. I will sup-
pose for a moment that the government of Naples pos-
sessed the right of undoing all that has been done by
the Parliamentary government of Sicily. Under this
supposition even, it is evident that the ministers of
finance could not be made responsible for al expendi-
diture so explicitly ordered by the Parliament, nor fur
the acts cf the commissioners in London, who were not
of their choice, but who were appointed by the president
of the government, assisted by his council of ministers.
Among the causes of this decree there is one which says
that the forwarding of the money from Palermo to
London must be regarded as a commercial operation,
because it was effected by the ministers of finance. by
means of bills of exchange, and not by sending
cargoes of gold and silver. It is not necessary that I
should exhibit all the odiousness and absurdity of this
reasoning. 1 may however call attention to the
injustice of the demand for the restitution of
all the sums of money sent to London, while
the Neapolitan Government has in its posses-
sion at least one-half of the amount, that is to say. the
steam corvette Indipendenza, with great portion of the
arms, and other munitions of war. But 1 shall leave to
those who will be compelled to justify themselves before
the judges of the King of Naples the full development of
these arguments, in order that they may make a full and
complete defence of themselves, and so, perhaps, save
their property from being impounded by the publie
treasury.
For myself, I shall insist only on one argument.
The money which the different ministers of finance in
Sicily forwarded to London, in order to arm their
country against an enemy who attache I it unjustly, that
money is, I say, the prof erty of Sicily, and not of its
enemy. That money was the produce of extraordinary
resources, created, as I have stated, by the decrees of the
13th April and the 19th May, and by the loan of De-
cember, 1848. Whatever may remain of it, whether in
money, ships, or objects of war, neither ought nor can it
be given up to any one but the Sicilian people, or its sole
legitimate representative—the Parliament.
To give up their money or its representatives to any
other power than the Sicilian Parliament, would be aid-
ing or instrumental.to an act of robbery.
Profoundly convinced of this truth, I not only refuse
to submit to the decree, the illegality and injustice of
which I have just shown, but I shall do all in my power
to render it utterly inefficacious.
The Government of Naples wishes to add the steamer
Bombay to its squadron, to increase its magarines by a
few more pieces of artillery, and to add a little more
money to its treasury. Unable to effect any one of these
objects before the English law courts in its own name,
because it Was not the party sending the money, the
Neapolitan Government has discovered a very simple
means of proceeding against some of the ex-ministers of
finance who possess property in Sicily. It Wants to force

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.
LONDON AND NORTH-WESTERN.
The statement of accounts for the six months ending
31st December last was completed yesterday.
After deducting 167,0001. charged against revenue
for interest, there remains a net profit of• 633,0001. on
the traffic of the half-year.
A dividend, after the rate of 6 per cent. per an-
num; would amount to 534,0001., or 1,0001. more
than the entire) net profit for the half-year. If a
dividend at the rate of 51 per cent. per annum be
declared, the balance to be carried forward to assit
the June half-year will nct exceed 45,0001. The
balance hitherto carried forward to the Jane account
has been about 70,0001. A dividend at the rate of 6
per cent. par annum would leave a balance of 89,000/.
for the June six mouths.

The balance carried forward by the London and
North-Western Company for the December half-year
has never been less than 70,000/. If, therefore, a
dividend at the rate of 5f per cent. per annum should
be asked for by the shareholders—for we believe the
directors are likely to recommend a 5 per cent. divi-
dend—the probability is, that the next June dividend
would be at the rate of 44 per cent. per annum, un-
less the large increase of traffic which has come upon
the railway since the commencement of the year
should be maintained through the current six months.
—Herald.

LEEDS AND BEAEPORD RAILWAY.—LESDS' FED.
13.—T0-day the ordinary half-yearly general meet-
ing of the above company (which is leased by the
Midland Company, at 10 per cent.) was held at the
White Horse Hotel. John Waddingham, Esq., for-
merly a Midland director, and chairman of the. Leeds
and Bradford since Mr. Hudson's resignation, took
the chair. Mr. Best, the solicitor, read the adver-
tisement convening the meeting, and the seal of the
company was then pro forma affixed to the register of
shareholders. The statement of accounts was next
read. The disbursements during the past half-year
were 42,794/. 165. 3d., which, being added to the
previous expenditure, made a total of 1,419,607/. Ts. 9d.
The receipts during the half-year were 35,1671.195. 6d.,
which, added to the previous receipts, made a total of
1,419,3961. 6s. Id. There was also a balance due to the
bankers of 211'. is. Bd. The statement of accounts
having been approved and adopted, the chairman
submitted a proposition for the appointment of a
director in place of himself, as he retired by rotation ;
but if the shareholders thought he could be of any
further service to the company, he should be glad to
continue a member of the board. Mr. Murgatroyd
moved the chairman's re-election, which was seconded
by Mr. John Goodman, and unanimsusly adopted.
Mr. George, one of the retiring directors, was also
re-elected ; and Mr. Miles Illingworth was appointed
auditor in the place of Mr. Robert Milligan, who had
declined to act. A. dividend for the half-year ending
the 31st of December last, at the rate of 21. 104.
(less the income-tax) per share was then thciared
payable on the Ist day of March next. The Chair-
tnan then stated that Mr. John Rhodes had been
elected a director in the place of Mr. George Hud-
son, M.P , and Mr. William Henry Ripley in place
of Air. John Rand, who had retired. After a vote of
thanks to the Chairmao,_the meeting adjourned.
E WOLVRUAMPTON, CHESTER, AND BIRKENHEAD
RAlLWAY.—Yesterday the utlairs of this company
came on for winding up before the Master in Chan-
cery Brougham, upon the petition of five of the
shareholders, which set forth that the undertaking
was for a line between Birmingham and Birkenhead,
with a proposed capital of 1,000,000/., in 50,000
shares of 201. each. All the shares were eagerly
taken up, but, owing to the general panic of the
period, only a small amount of money was paid. The
preliminary expenses amounted to 12,0001., and of
this a large amount is now outstanding and unpaid,
and to liquidate it the petitioners have been called
upon at law to, pay between 400/. and 500/. each.
The Master proceeded with the first class of contri-
butories, consisting of 100 provisional committee-
men, whose names appeared on the prospectus, and
who were declared liable under the Act
RAILWAY BILLS ON STANDING ORDBES.—The
Select Committee of the House of Commons, at their
usual sitting, declared that the standing orders ought
to be dispensed with, and that the parties be per-
mitted to proceed with their respective measures in
the following cases :—Waterford, Wexford, Wicklow,
and Dublin Railway; North Staffordshire and Man-
chester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway ; Mid-
land Great Western Railway of Ireland ; and Dublin,
Dundrum, and Ratbfarnham Railway.