The Press. — London, England, 1857-11-07 00:00:00

1086 TO CORRESPONDENTS. It is impossible to acknowledge the MISS of letters we receive. Their insertion is often delayed owing to a prose of matter, and when omitted, it is frequently from reasons quite inde pendent of the merits of the communication. We cannot undertake to return communications of which we do not avail ourselves. Advertisements sent from the country must be accompanied by a remittance or a reference for payment in town. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION FOIL (STAMPED) Per Annum ... Half Yearly.. Quarterly .. ebe Vress: .. .81 6 0 .. 0 13 0 .. Ci 6 8 PAYABLE IN ADVANCE. Subscribers are requested to send their orders through News A cents; if direct to the °Mee, accompanied by a remittance Advertisements also must have a reference or remittance Mousy Orders to be made payable to Mr. ALWItED Ivi, ilO Strand, London. =ttr -I' l rtoo+ LONDON, SATURDAY, NOV. 7, 1857. POSTSCRIPT. PARIS, Thursday evening. Telegraphic accounts from Constantinople and Athens have come to hand, but they offer no interest. The Austrian Ambassador has had two interviews with Redschid and Aah Paellas. The Queen of Greece arrived in Athens on the 28th ult. The Gee k Chambers were to open on the 13th inst., but would be prorogued for six weeks. THE BISHOP OF OXFORD'S VISITATION. The Bishop of Oxford commenced his triennial 'visitation of the diocese of Oxford on Wednosday. The right rev. prelate delivered his charge to the clergy, in the course of which ho adverted to the progress of religion and education in the diocese during the past three years, which, on the whole, he dwelt upon in a tone of satisfaction. Upon the sub ject of preaching the right rev. prelate spoke as follows : Again, suffer me to ask—and I ask it of myself just as much as of you—are our sermons what they ought to be, and what labour and prayer might make them ? Now, I am by no means disposed to give an indiscriminate assent to the truth of the popular outcry against our sermons which has of late reached the ears of all. But, yet, are they not too often deficient precisely in those qualities which arc neces sary to make them really effective with our people ? Fur is there not in general the taste of essays or disquisi tions about them, and their merit soundness, mode ration, perhaps exactness? And is not their fault — that really unpardonable fault to the listeners of every class, and especially to our class of listeners—that of dulness? And is not what we want to teach our people a style of composition the exact opposite of this, one which is intellectual, terse, pointed, dealing in short sentences ; using Saxon words as close to every-day life as it can be without being profane Cr vulgar; being at once impres sive in its subjects, its applications, its illustrations, and its assertions? Should it not be rough enough, so to speak, to make it felt through their (lull skin of ignorance and inattention? Should it not startle the careless and positively jog the drowsy man ere his slumber is sound ? Should it not be pathetic, for who more notices than our common race that which reaches them through the affec tions? Should it not, through illustrations, convey truths which the unlearned never receive? Should it not avoid the easy uniformity of a man applying a nostrum, and with the living earnestness of one who believes he ).as all-important truths to convey, declare the curse of sin and the blessed remedy provided for it in the sacrifices and perpetual offering of our Lord, and in the working of God the Holy Ghost? Should you not dwell on and proclaim Christ on His cross, Christ in His work of love, Christ in His word, Christ in His Church, Christ in His sacraments, and Christ crucified; Christ risen, Christ mediating, Christ saving? Should it not embrace all the variety and fire and love which belong not to a mouth full of phrases, but a heart and mind and soul full of their subject, and that subject eternal life, man lost or man's salvation, and the love of Christ and the working of the eternal Spirit, and the blessedness of the Church of the redeemed ? Aud should not eli these be delivered, as if we were in earnest, because we are in earnest? I must leave it to you to determine for yourselves whether you can best speak, then, for Christ from or without a manuscnpt. I believe generally the best course is to preach once each Sunday a written and once an unwritten sermon—by no means one which has been committed to memory, bat one which, through fresh utterings of the moment, is the pro duct of thought and study and prayer; for the written ser mon secures exactness and variety, and the unwritten the habit of speaking to our people from the heart to the heart, instead of reading a composition in their presence. The remainder of his lordship's charge, which was of very great length, was devoted to the considera tion of the manner of conducting church services as lately settled by the ecclesiastical courts, and the position of the clergy in reference to the Divorce Bill of last session. THE PRESS, NOVEMBER 7, 1857. ATTEMPTED LAUNCH OF THE LEVIATHAN STEAMSHIP. ON Tuesday last thousands of spectators assembled at Deptford and on the river opposite Millwall, where the huge but elegant ship, the result of the genius of Brunel and of Scot Russel, has been built, in hopes of witnessing the launch of this, the first of those floating towns destined to work such a change in the political and commercial relations of this country. The preceding night had been one of incessant labour, and nut till a few hours before high water was every support and impediment cleared away except ing the chains winch were to control and direct her movement, and two " cranks" which preserve her equilibrium, and, fitting on to iron-shod " ways " sloping down to the river, are to let her glide gently into the water. When thus exposed to view the beauty of the lines—the wave lines of Scot Russel—excited universal admiration; and the cellular structure, planned by Brunel, proved its strength, for, sup ported only at two places, the enormous mass was deflected by its weight but one inch in its entire length—six hundred and eighty feet. The bottom of the cradles and the top of the ways being iron the exact friction could not be calculated front expe rience, as formerly wood on wood, or iron on wood, had been used, so that means we re provided to force her off or to hold her back as the angle—one in twelve—proved too little or too much. Another reason why great precautions against a too sudden descent were necessary is that, owing to the limited width of the river and the great length of the ship, she must be launched sideways. It is evident that the speed which would be proper for a vessel entering the water stern first might cause one entering it broadside on to capsize. Most providential was it that Mr. Brunel bad made ample provision in this way, having passed round each cradle huge cables, one end of each of which was moored in the ground and the other wound round a windlass. The foundations of these windlasses were embedded in the earth and abutted against those of the ways, so that, even if they gave, the motion of the whole affair must be uniform. Of course powerful levers are necessary to work the breaks of windlasses of a size proportionate to this ship, and multiplying gear to enable manual labour to turn them for the purpose of gathering in the slack of the cables. In case of the incline not being enough to let the ship descend by its weight alone, two hydraulic rams were provided, one capable of giving a push of 600 tons, the other of 1,000 tons; in addition to which chain cables were passed from the ship round sheaves in lighters moored in the river and back to stationary steam-engines on shore. One of these cables being fastened to the axis of the screw quite aft, and the other to the extreme bow, power was given to regulate the motion of the two ends, and thus keep the ship parallel to its original position. At half-past twelve, all being clear, the ways blackleaded, and every precaution that science and experience could suggest taken, Miss Hope christened the ship The Leviathan, and Mr. Brunel took his post to direct the launch. He distinctly ordered the cables on the windlasses on shore— those to retard the descent—to be hauled taut ; but the men stationed at the after windlass turned it the wrong way, so that when The Leviathan moved the end unchecked naturally went faster than the other, gained momentum, and when the strain came on the after cable, it, in uncoiling itself from the drum of the windlass, set the multiplying gear in rapid motion, and five men were hurled from it with frightful violence. Two of these, John Donovan and Henry Stacey, had their legs broken, besides other severe injuries, and are in a precarious state ; the others, we trust, will do well. We need not say what sympathy was felt by all who knew what bad happened, and what a gloom was thrown over the remaining proceedings. Had a steady strain been kept on the chains, as Mr. Brunel intended, it would never have reached such an amount ; yet, unexpectedly great as it was, it was withstood by the machinery when the breaks were applied, as they were instantly on the occurrehce of the accident. The Leviathan, after a quiver, once more stood still ; and anxious was the ensuing examination of her condition, and that of the cradles, ways, and chains, by Mr. Brunei, and Captain Harrison, her coin mender. She was found to have advanced six feet at the stern, and about two feet at the bows. Once more ail was cleared for a renewed attempt, and the whole force of all the prepared appliances brought to bear to push her ofy, but in vain. The chain to her bows broke, the engine to wind it broke, and one hydraulic ram got out of order, yet she moved not. The fact is, the crad!es were jammed on the ways by the unequal motion of the two, as we sometimes see a window jammed when one side is pulled. Means to cvercome this difficulty could not, of course, be supplied in time for a launch these spring tides ; but, doubtless, next month success will reward the skill, energy, and patience of the con structors of this the latest wonder of the world. It was most pleasing to observe the interest felt by the spectators, who were chiefly men who liad left some daily occupation, not idlers, and, above all, their sympathy with the engineers. All seemed to enter into the feelings of the chief actor, and ono constantly heaid the words, "What a moment for Brunel !" Though we cannot help feeling disappointment at the present want of success, we yet feel more confi. dence than we did before the attempt. The strength of the ship has been tested, and that of the cradles, and controlling chains and break apparatus ; and, but for a misunderstanding of orders, all would seemingly have gone well. Some fears are entertained that the ways mny sink under the load of 12,000 tons before the month is out, but the chance of a partial launch was foreseen, and doubtless amply provided for. LORD SANDON, M.P., ON EDUCATION. VISCOUNT SANDON, M.P., recently presided at the annual distribution or prizes given by the Associa tion for the Advancement of Education in the ➢fin ing and Manufacturing Districts of North Stafford shire, which took place at Stoke-upon-Trent. Lord Sandon, on opening the business of the evening, briefly traced the history of education, and pointed out how unsatisfactory was the result of twenty-five years' effort:— They found the agricultural labourer just where he was before. The mechanic had made little progress, and the collier and miner had not improved in intelligence and morals. What was the reason of all that? They found from statistics that crime had not decreased, that those humiliating objects, public gaols, were as large, if not larger, than ever, and that the number of their inmates did not decrease. Now, he believed if children were longer in the hands of their masters that they would prove more valuable to their parents and employers, and more useful members of society : They were now in a kind of transition state from the old to the new system. Half the population was educated and half was not ; if, indeed, that favourable estimate was correct. The educated portion looked down upon the un educated as inferior to them, and thus arose a complaint that working people were above their position. Well, they were now passing through what he had called a transition state, and as soon as they got the whole of the population educated every one woud feel in his or her own proper place. No man would then think that because he was a good reader, cr a good writer, and a good arith metician, lie was above his fellows, for everybody would be in the same position educationally, and he thought it was not extravagant to say that the spread of general educa tion would produce that result. . . . The meeting was also addressed by Viscount Ingestre, M.P., and by several local clergy and gentry. fabal and Dilitarg `,nttiligtutt, FROM an official tabular statement of the occupa tions of recruits passed in 1855 0, it appears that 27,989 were husbandmen, labourers, and servants, 20,079 of mechanical trades, 4,223 shopmen and clerks, 79 of professional occupations, as students or licentiates of law, medicine, or divinity, and 2,161 boys--in all 52,586. Tut: 68TH LIGHT INFANTRY have been presented with new colours, and eml , ark at once for India, vii the Cape. The 09th, it is understood, will proceed overland. THE COURT-MARTIAL held at Ilong Kong, on Commander Chambers and cn ►he master, for the loss of the Transit, has resulted in a severe repri mand on both officers - - The South Devon Militia will be embodied at Plymoutl► on the 10th inst., under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Sir John Yarde Buller. This regiment, which is to proceed to Waterford imme diately, was employed on carrison duty during the whole period of the last war. The present strength is 840 of all ranks. Th. 3 Shropshire Regiment of Militia, under the command of Colonel Bill, were embodied for perma nent service on Monday, the 2nd of November, at Shrewsbury. The regiment is destined fur service in Ireland. 11 •