ARRIVAL OF THE ENGLISH MAIL. IN MELBOURNE.

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 57, 26 May 1863, Page 2

ARRIVAL OF THE ENGLISH MAIL. IN MELBOURNE.

The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamship Northam, Captain Collett, arrived in Hobson's Bay punctually yesterday, at five o'clock, p.m., from Galle, with tlie European March mail, in charge of Captain Elli--, R.N. Tlie marriage of the Prince of Wales and the Princess Alexandra took place at Windsor on the 10th March. Her Majesty was present at the marriage. The Princess is described as having made a most favorable impression by her beauty, grace, and sense. The proceedings in Parliament have been unusually tame. There have been interpellations on every possible subject, from the Gladstone subsidy to the Polish revolution, but no debate. The strength of all parties seems to be reserved till after Easter, when (on the 16th April) Mr Gladstone brings forward his budget. Should the Opposition attempt any hostile move, Lord Palmerston is understood to be quite ready to dissolve. The war in America proceeds slowly. Vicksburg is still besieged. The Confederates are descending the Mississippi with rams to the nssaiilt of New Orleans. General Banks had been shot in that city. It was rumored that the Confederates were about to invade Kentucky. The Iterate claim to have won a battle on the Yazoo River, and captured 7000 Confederates and eight ships. Congress has done all that Mr Lincoln could desire. It has indemnified him for the past and invested him with despotic powers for the future. As to intervention, the Com-

mittee of Foreign Relations has reported that foreign mediation only fosters rebellion, and has furthermore, declared that the war must be carried on till the rebellion is crustiedy-and: that any attempt at interference .will be regarded as an unfriendly act. These resolutions are lo be forwarded to foreign powers. The great closing act of Congress has been a bill rendering void all loans of gold above par. The effect of this measure upon the Stock Exchange is indescribable. There was a panic in Wall-street, such as has never been witnessed there before. The fluctuations in the value of gold were as eccentric as a column of mercury exposed to a rapid alteration of atmospheric influences. After sinking down to fifty and forty-nine, it rose again to sixty-three per cent. Should the Federal arms experience a great reverse anywhere, it would rise again to eighty or ninety. At Richmond gold is up to the unintelligible piemium of 350 per cent. The Conscription Act is of the most severe character. It embraces all citizens between twenty and fortyfive years of r e, excepting governors and the judges of the high courts. General Grant's army before Vicksburg is much reduced by sicklies?. Nearly every tent is said to be a hospital, and the number of sick is given at not less than 12,000, many of whom are dying daily. A bartle took place on March 5, between tie Confederates under Van Dorn, and the Federals under Coburn, at Springville, Tennessee, thirteen miles south of Franklin. The fight lasted all day, and resulted in the defeat of the Unionists. The Federal forces consisted of tliree regiments of infantry. 500 cavalry, and one battery of artillery. Nearly all the Federal infantry were cut to pieces or captured, but the cavalry and artillery escaped. The Confederate forces consisted of infantry and heavy artillery. The revolution in Poland has received n serio\is blow by the defeat of the force under Langiewicz. That leader unfortunately gave battle to a body of Russians in the open plain, a serious error of judgment. Several successes had previously attended the arms of the insurgents. A severe engagement is reported to have taken place between the Russians and the Pole"., at a place called Konin, in the north division of Kalisch, towards the Prussian frontier- far away indeed from the scene of Landiewicz's exploits. The Russians, it is affirmed, sustained severe losses, four of their officers and six^y privates being killed and Prince Wittgenstein left wounded and a prisoner in the hands of the Poles. Reinforcements were immediately sent to the Kalisch. There is a report of the advance of a Polish legion through Besarabia, and of the Russians having se/it a fjroat force to meet the insurrgeiK . M. Chojecky, private Secretary to P. 'ice Napoleon, is stated to have passed through Cracow on March 25, bearing impouantconrnur'^ations to the insurgents, betvv; m whom and the French Prince their ai ears to have been p* jvious communication. The distre s in Lancashire continues unabated. Riots have broken out at Staleybrirlge, Ashton and other places. The police were unable to quell the riots, and the mili Lai / were called in. Many persons were wounded, but none killed. These events have led to the discussion of the question of assisting the distressed operatives to emigrate, which is now generally approved. The Now Zealand command has been offered to General R. Wood (Malta), General Rowland Smyth, General Brook Taylor (Al- j dershot) and General Sutton (ShorneliffJ ; by all of whom in turn it was refused. The command was then offered to General Dupuis, bu^ as ho was abroad, and there was a delay in the answer, it was meanwhile offered to Sir R. D acres, who accepted it. General Jhipuis, in the meantime, sent a telegram accepting it ako and was in London when the mail left. A frightful conflict has taken place on the river, off Black wall. The Peruvian corvette Arica is fitting out in the West India Docks. The greater part of her crew, half of them sailors and half soldiers — is on board the hulk Venus in the river. On Thursday, March 19, the soldiers were on shore on leave, anol a large number of them got drunk. When they returned on board, they refused to obey orders, and the sailors were called upon to secure the most disorderly, and clear the decks. Then commenced a fearful fight. Eventually, however, tho soldiers were driven between decks, and there kept the sailors at bay. The captain was sent for, and on his arrival, leaped, cutlass in hand, among the mutineers, and was followed by the sailors. A hand-to-hand encounter ensued, which lasted for some time, but finally the mutiny was quelled. During the fight one of the officers appears to have been thrown through a port into the river, where he was drowned. Another, a midshipman, who was ill in the cabin, died through the excitement. Two of the soldiers were found dead on the deck ; others were fearfully hurt, and some arc supposed to have been drowned. The ringleaders were put in irons, and the bodies of the deceased were removed on shore. The mutiny is now (March 23) proved to have been attended with the loss of six lives at least. A wounded soldier died on March 22, and others remain in a precarious condition. Inquests have) been bold on ten women wLo wore crushed to death in the crowd ou the night of the illuminations, and verdicts of accidental death were in each case recorded. Among the victims who have died in the hospitals is Mr. I <aac Walker, a gentleman residing at Stamford Hill. He was in (lie throng at ('ornhill, and was so terribly crushoil that, though he lived for four days, he never recovered consciousness. About a hundred pers'itid have been more or less injured — broken limbs, sprained backs, fractured ribs, and bruised laces, being among the most common of the hospital cases.