The Sun.
London, England, 1857-11-04 00:00:00

THE PENINSULAR MAILS.

SOUTHAMPTON, TUESDAY.
The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steam-
ship Tagus, Capt. E. Christian, with the mails from
the Peninsular ports in charge of Lieut. J. Reid,
Admiralty agent, arrived at Southampton yesterday
at 9 a.m. . She left Gibraltar Oct. 24 ; Cadiz, 25 ;
Lisbon, 29 ; Oporto, 30 ; and Vigo, 31. The Tagus
experienced strong northerly winds on the coast of
Spain and Portugal and fine weather through the
Bay of Biscay. _

This steamer brings 15 passengers, 2 packages of
specie value 5001., and a cargo consisting of 30 boxes
of onions, 160 boxes of eggs, 14 baskets of chestnuts,
80 hides, and 36 packages of general merchandise.
During the voyage home the Tagus passed, on
the 29th ult., the screw steamer Teutonia steering
direct for Lisbon ; on the 31st a large paddle
steamer, with two funnels, steering to the south-
west ; and on the 2d inst., in lat. 48 52 N., long.
4.55 W., the stsam-brig Brilliant, steering, south-
west. Capt. Christian also reports that on the 2d,
in the Channel, he passed a splendid Aberdeen
clipper, proceeding down Channel under full sail ;
but, although he hoisted his colours and made sig-
nal, asking the name of the ship, the people on
board had not the common courtesy to answer, or
take the slightest notice of the signals.
Dates from Gibraltar are to the 24th ult., at
which time the Curlew was the only British ship of
war lying in the bay. The Vulture, Capt. Campbell,
left on the 16th for the eastward, to join Admiral
Lyons's squadron, which was expected to arrive at
the lonian Islands from Greece about the end of
the raontb. Dr. H. Fisher, of the Royal Artillery,
took his passage in the Vulture for Malta, whence
he proceeds to India via Alexandria,.
The steamtugs Reddole and Orient had returned
to the Bay from their search after the French bark
Adolphe at Laura, which was in collision with the
steamer Rhone in the Straits on the 14th ult. ;
but, beyond a boat belonging to bar and some
boxes floating, containing lucifer matches, which
were picked up by the crew of the Orient, nothing
was discovered of the ill-fated vessel.
• A large British steam-ship, supposed to be the
Australasian, with the mails of the 12th for Aus-
tralia, passed the garrison to the eastward at 7
o'clock on the morning of the 17th ; she was full
of troops, and signalled all well on board.
Two screw steamers, the Albanian, Capt. A.
Bruce, for Genoa and Leghorn, and the Melita,
Capt. Langlands, for Malta and Constantinople,
arrived at Gibraltar from Liverpool on the morning
of the 22d.

Gibraltar exchanges on the 24th were quoted as
under :—London, 90 days' date, 50i ; Paris, do.,
Of. 37c. ; Marseilles, do., sf. 38c. ; Genoa, du., Of.
39c. ; Madrid, 8 days' sight, 1 die. ; Cadiz, do.,
; Malaga, do., par ; Seville, do., dis. ; Ali-
cante, dis. : Valencia, 4 dis. ; Barcelona, idis. ;
Spanish pillared dollars, 4 per cent. premium, none;
no demand.

When the Tagus left Lisbon on the 20th ult. the
Portuguese ships of war were decked with flags
for the birthday of his Majesty Don Fernando, ex-
Regent, and a levee was to be held at the Palace of
Necessid %des. There wero no foreign 'vessels of war
in port.

The reports of the fever at Lisbon vary little from
the last received by the Petropolis steam packet.
The new cases for 24 hours up to the 10 p.m. on the
26th were 230—deaths -77, and cured 132 ; and up
to the same hour on the 27th 23], with 92 deaths,
and 162 cured ; under treatment in the hospitals,
648 ; and in private houses, 965. The weather con-
tinued cool and rainy.
Little money offered upon the Lisbon exchange,
and the Board of Public Credit was the principal
take of London at 54, for three months. Paris was
done at 520 ' • Amsterdam, 431 ; and Hamburg,
481. Genoa, 516, nominal.
Business generally continued suspended, and
stocks are quoted nominally the same as by last
packet.

The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer
Alhambra, with the outward mails of the 27th
from Southampton, was at Vigo.

LADY FRANKLIN'S ARCTIC EXPEDITION.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SlR,—The enclosed letter from Captain 111‘Clintock
will, I think, be read with interest if you will obligingly
insert it.

I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
Athanmum, Nov. 3. JOHN BARROW.

" Yacht Fox, lat. 71 deg., off Cape Cranetouo.
closed at Uppernavik, Aug. 6.
" My dear Ta row,—Although I have but little news
to relate, I am sure you will be none the less rejoiced to
hear from the po•ir little Fox. Here she is off Cape
Crans',oun, in lat. 71 dog., having on board au Esqui-
MaUX and 10 very fine dogs obtained at Disco. She
also is complete with coals, having filled up at the coal
cliffs in Waigat Strait. I have sent home one of my
crew, who proved to be conleumptive, and, having proved
the others pretty well, I can answer for their soundness
ar d willing cheerfulness. We get on admirably—exactly
as in the old Intrepid. At Lively I saw two whaler
Captains, whose ships were crushed in Melville Bay last
June. They seemed to think I should not experience
any difficulty. I cannot find that we have forgotten
anything, great as was the hurry of sailing. We are
very comfortable ; our provisions are nao,t excellent.
The Fox sails well, but steams slowly in consequence of
the screw being too small. As she gets lighter she wi 1
go better. I have tried her among the ice, and find that
her sharp bow readily opens a passage where a bluff one
would knock in vain.
" I did not stop at Atonkerdluk, where the fossil wood
and leaves are, so have none to bring home for your
friend.
" I write by this opportunity to beg that the Admi-
ralty may grant to my crew upon their return, if succes-
ful, that their time for pension may be allowed to count.
I am most fortunate in my officers and crew ; all deserve
my praise alike.
Aug. 6.
" Blowing strong from the southward. Hove to off
Uppernavik. We have got 30 dogs, and are abut to
proceed on our voyage, so I must end rather hastily,.
" Yours very siz._e rely,
" F. L. M'CLINTOCK.

THE GAS COMPANIES' CO3IBINATION.

Yesterday, at the meeting of the Beard of Works for
the Holbert] District, Mr. Baldock in the char,
Mr. HOPWOOD, the clerk to the board, read the report
of the committee to whom it had been referred to inquire
as to the intention of the gas companies in putting an
end to competition to raise the price of gas to con-
sumers, which stated that the committee had had in-
terviews with the London, the Chartered, and the Im-
perial Gas Companiee, and inquired of each Of the com-
panies whether it was a fact that the several companies
lied entered into a contract tQ divide the metropolis into
districts amongst themselves, with a defined boundary to
each company, and also whether, if such an arrangement
had been come to, the public may expect to derive an ad-
vantage by a reduction in the pried of gas, or what were
the ultimate views of the companies.
While the directors of the gas companies admitted
that such an arrangement had been come to by the eas
companies, they stated that the objects in the course pur-
sued was to realise capital which had fur a long time
remained unproductive through competition, and to avoid
in future the great public inconvenience which had been
caused by the same line of road being opened and
re-opened by conflicting companies, far the repair and
use of the several pipes and mains, together with the
great and useless expense to themselves caused by the
serious injuries done to their property by rival workmen
of different companies.
The committee received a positive assurance from the
directors of the several companies, that they bad no in-
tention in the arrangement referred to of raising the price
of gas to the consumers, but the committee failed to ob-
tain a like assurance from the companies ttat they had it
in contemplation to diminish the expense to the con-
sumers ; the committee being reminded by one of the
companies, in answer to an inquiry upon this point, that
gas was supplied to the consumers at a low rate already,
and that the expense of the alterations at present being,
ntaile Was such that the companies couid not give any
positive assurance upon this point.
With regard to the quality of the gas, the London Gas
Company gated that it would in future be their study
to keep it up to the proper standard, for which p uirstrtsoe
they had appointed au eminent scientiac c rem
pet iodically test it, and they invited the
board,,or the
public, occasion Illy to take means at any t) check
funl competent
and test the qualby, by the appointment of
person on their part.

NOMINATION OF SEIERIFFS FOR ENGLAND AND WALES.
—Thuri.iday, the 12th instant, has been appointed for the
nomination of gentlemen to serve the office of sheriffi for
England and Wales during the next year. The Chance!.
for of Vie Exchequer, the President of the Council, and
other ministers of state wilt attend, and the whole of the
judges will be present for the purpose of submitting their
nominations for her Miljesty'B selection and approval
The proceedings will take place in the Court of Excite
quer, Westminster Hall.