The Sun. — London, England, 1862-09-04 00:00:00

AMERICA. LIVERPOOL, WEDNESDAY. The Liverpool, New York, and Philadelphia Com- Panra screw steamer City of Baltimore, Captain Kennedy, which left New York on the 23d and Cap e Race on the 26th ult., arrived at the bar of the river this morning. By this arrival we receive New York journals of the 23d ult., two days later than those by the Jura. Among the details of interest is the following speech of President Davis to the Confederate Con gress on their re-assembling on the 18th ultimo at Richmond :- 46 TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CONFEDERATE STATES. " It is again our fortune to meet for devising mea sures necessary to the public welfare, whilst our country is involved in a desolating war. The suf ferings endured by some portions of the people ex • cite the deepest solicitude of the Government, and the sympathy thus evoked has been heightened by the patriotic devotion with which these sufferings have been borne. The gallantry and good conduct of our troops, always claiming the gratitude of the country, have been further illustrated on hard fought fields, marked by exhibitions of individual prowess which can find but few parallels in ancient or modern history. Our army has not faltered in any of the various trials to which it has been subjected, and the great body of the people have continued to manifest a zeal and unanimity w hich not only cheer the battle-stained soldier, but gives assurance to the friends of constitutional liberty of our final triumph in the pending struggle a gainst despotic usurpation. " The vast army which threatened the capital of the Confederacy has been defeated and driven from the lines of investment, and the enemy, repeatedly foiled in his efforts for its capture, is now seeking to raise new armies on a scale such as modern history does not record to effect that subjugation of the South so often proclaimed as on the eve of accom plishment. The perfidy which disregarded rights secured by compact, the madness which trampled on obli gations made sacred by every consideration of honour, have been intensified by the malignity en gendered by defeat. These passions have changed the character of the hostilities waged by our ene mies, who are becoming daily less regardful of the usages of civilised war and the dictates of humanity. Rapine and wanton destruction of private property, war upon non-combatants, murder of captives, bloody threats to avenge the death of an invading soldiery by the slaughter of unarmed citizens, orders of banishment against peaceful farmers engaged in the cultivation of the soil, are some of the means used by our ruthless invaders to enforce the sub mission of a free people to foreign sway. Confisca tion bills of a character so atrocious as to ensure, if executed, the utter ruin of the entire population of these States, are passed by their Congress and ap proved by their Executive. The monied obliga tions of the Confederate Government are forged by citizens of the United States, and publicly advertised for sale in their cities with a noto riety that sufficiently attests the knowledge of their Government, and its complicity in the crime is further evinced by the fact that the soldiers of the invading armies are found supplied with large quantities of these forged notes as a means of despoiling the country people, by fraud, out of such portions of their property as armed vio lence may fail to reach. Two, at least, of the gene rals of the United States are engaged, unchecked by their Government, in exciting servile insurrec tion, and in arming and training slaves for warfare against their masters, citizens of the Confederacy. Another has been found of instincts so brutal as to invite the violence of his soldiery against the women of a captured city. " Yet the rebuke of civilised man has failed to evoke from the authorities of the United States one mark of disapprobation of his acts, nor is there any reason to suppose that the conduct of Benjamin F. Butler has failed to secure from his Government the sanction and applause with which it is known to have been greeted by public meetings and portions of the press of the United States. To inquiries made of the commander-in-chief of the United States, whether the atrocious conduct of some of these military commandants met the sanction of that Government, answer has been evaded on the pretext that the inquiry was insulting, and no method remains for the suppression of these enor mities bat such retributive justice as it may be found possible to execute. " Retaliation in kind for many of them is im practicable, for I have had occasion to remark in a former message that under no excess of provocation could our noble-hearted defenders be driven to wreak vengeance on unarmed men, on women, or on children. But stern and exemplary punishment can and must be meted out to the murderers and felons, who, disgracing the profession of arms, seek to make of public war the ()Mad= for the commission of the most monstrous crimes. " Deeply as we regret the character of the con test into which we are about to be forced, we must accept it as an alternative which recent manifesta tions give us little hope can be avoided. " The exasperation of failure has aroused the worst passions of our enemies, a large portion of their people, even of their clergymen, now engage in urging an excited populace to the extreme of fe rocity, and nothing remains but to vindicate our rights, and to maintain our existence by employing against our foe every energy and every resource at our disposal. "I append for your information a copy of the papers exhibiting the action of the Government up to the present time for the repression of the out rages committed on our people. Other measures now in progress will be submitted hereafter. "In inviting your attention to the legislation which the necessities of our condition require, those connected with the prosecution of the war command almost undivided attention. tr. The acts passed at your last session intended to secure the public defence by general enrolment, and to render uniform the rules governing troops in the s ervice, have led to some unexpect e d cr i t i cism tha t is much to be regretted. " The efficiency of the law has been thus some what impaired, though it is not believed that in any of the States the popular mind has withheld its sanction from either the necessity or propriety of your legislation. It is only by harmonious as well as zealous action that a Government as new as ours, ushered into existence on the very eve of a great war, and unprovided with the material neces sary for conducting hostilities on so vast a scale, can fulfil its duties. Upon in formed of the acts and plarr,l7, o iwthhoe Government, are fully and thoroughly imbued with the fe eli ngs sen timents of the people, must reliance b e and a p o laced to secure this great object. You can beat the means for establishing that entire co-operation the State and Confederate Governments wh ich of is essential to the well-being of both at all times, b ut which is now indispensable to their very existence. " And if any legislation should seem to you ap propriate for adjusting differences of opinion, it will he my pleasure as well as duty to co-operate in any measure that may be devised for reconciling a just care for the public defence with a proper deference for the most scrupulous susceptibilities of the state authorities. " The report of the Secretary of the Treasury will-exhibit in detail the operations of that depart ment. It will be seen with satisfaction that the credit of the government securities remains unim paired, and that this credit is fully justified by the comparatively small amount of accumulating debt, notwithstanding the magnitude of cur military operations. The legislation of the last session pro vided for the purchase of supplies with the bonds of the government, but the preference of the people for Treasury- notes has been so marked that the legis lature is recommended to authorise an increase in the issue of Treasury notes which the public service seetns to require. No grave inconvenience need be apprehended from this increased issue, as the pro visions of the law by which these notes are conver tible into 8 per cent. bonds, forms an efficient and perma nent safegua rd ag ainst any serious deprecia tion of the currency. Your attention is also in vited to the mea ns proposed by the Secretary for facilitating th e guarding theta preparation of these n otes and for against forgery. It is due to our people to state that no manufacture of counterfeit notes exists within our limits, and that they are all imported from the Northern States. " The report of the Secretary of Wa-, which is submitted, contains numerous suggestions for the legislation deemed desirable in order ti: add to the efficiency of the service. I invite your favourable consideration especially to those recommendations which are intended to secure the proper execution of the conscript law, and the consolidation of com panies, battalions, and regiments, when so reduced in strength as to impair that uniformity of organi sation which is necessary in the army, while an undue burden is imposed on the Treasury. The necessity for some legislation for contro llin g mili tary transportation on the railroads, ad improving their present defective condition , forces itself upon the attention of the government; and I trust that you will be able to devise satisfactory measures for attaining this purpose. The legislation on the sub ject of general officers involves the service in some difficulties, which are pointed out by the secretary, and for which the remedy suggested by him seems a ppropriate. In connection with this subject lam of opinion that prudence dictates some provision for the increase of the army in the event of emer gencies not now anticipated. The very large in crease of forces recently called into the field by the President of the United States may render it neces sary hereafter to extend the provisions of the con script law, so as to embrace persons between the ages of 36 and 45 years. The vigour and efficiency of our present forces, their condition, and the skill and ability which distinguish their leaders, inspire the belief that no further enrolment will be neces sary; but a wise foresight requires that if a neces sity should be suddenly developed during the recess of Congress requiring increased forces for our de fence, means should exist for calling such forces into the field without awaiting the re-assembling of the legislative department of the government. " In the election and appointment of officers for the provisional army, it was to be anticipated that mistakes would be made, and incompetent officers of all grades introduced into the service. In the absence of experience, and with no reliable guide for selection, executive appointments as well as elec tions have been sometimes unfortunate. The good of the service, the interests of our country, require that some means be devised for withdrawing the commissions of officers who are incompetent for the duties required by the position, and I trust that you will find means for relieving the army of such offi cers by some mode more prompt and less wounding to their sensibility than judgment of a court-mar tial. Within a recent period we have effected the object so long desired, of an arrangement for the exchange of prisoners, which is now being executed by delivering at the points agreed upon, and which will, it is hoped, speedily restore our brave and un fortunate countrymen to their places in the ranks of the army from which, by the fortune of war, they have for a time been separated. The details of this arrangement will be communicated to you in a special report when further progress has been made in their execution. " Of other particulars concerning the operation of the War Department you will be informed by the secretary in his report and the accompanying documents. " The report of the Secretary of the Navy em braces a statement of the operations and present condition of this branch of the public service both afloat and ashore; the construction and equipment of armed vessels at home and abroad, the manufac ture of ordnance and ordnance stores, the establish ment of workshops, and the development of our re sources of coal and of iron. Some legislation seems essential for securing crews for vessels. The diffi culties now experienced on this point are fully stated in the secretary's report, and I solicit your attention to providing a remedy. " The report of the Postmaster General discloses the embarrassments which resulted in the postal service from the occupation by the enemy of the Mississippi River, and portion of the territory of the different states. The measures taken by the department for relieving these embarrassments, as far as practicable, are detailed in the report. It is a subject of congratulation that, during the ten months which ended on the 31st March last, the expenses of the department were largely decreased, whilst its revenue was augmented, as compared with a corresponding period, ending on the 30th June, 1860, when the postal service for these states was conducted under the authority delegated to the United States. Sufficient time has not yet elapsed to determine whether the measures heretofore de vised by Congress will accomplish the end of bringing the expenditures of the department within the limit of its own revenues by the Ist of March next, as required by the constitution. " I am happy to inform you that in spite both of blandishments and threats, used in profusion by the Government of the United States, the Indian na tions within the Confederacy have remained firm in their loyalty and steadfast in their treaty engage ments with this Government. Nor has their fidelity been shaken by the fact that, owing to the vacancies of some of the offices of agents and super intendents, delay has occurred in the payment of the annuities and allowances to which they are en titled. I would advise some provision authorising payments to be made by other officers in the absence of those especially charged by law with this day. " We have never ceasing cause to be grateful for the favour with which God has protected our infant Confederacy. And it becomes us reverently to re turn onr thanks, and humbly to ask of His boun teousness that wisdom which is needful for the per formance of the high trusts with which we are charged. " JEFFERSON DA VIS. " Richmond, August 15,1862." Among the proceedings in the Confederate House of Representatives on the first day of the session were the following : A bill was introduced making Treasury notes a legal tender in payment of debts, and it was referred to the committee on judiciary. A resolution was passed directing the committee on military affairs to inquire into the expediency of co mpelling the commissariat department to furnish t h e soldiers with more and better food. B ill s were introduced to extend the application of the Conscript Act to a ll c i t i zens under 45 years of t ag e e; to provide that slaves taken in arms shall be delivered up to the authorities of the state in which t ired, to be disposed o f according to its la white officers, e ith er to be hung or ws, a c n a d Pf th e delivered up to the state authoritie s . Al so several r bills o vd for ed a thatt o any rY purposes, a mong which it is p Federal officers wh o may have i rel i a a t refused to treat Confederate soldiers as prisoners, or punished innocent private citizens, shall b e put to death if capt ur ed; that an equal numb er of P ri- soners (officers preferred) s hall suffer the f a t e uin flicted on captured Confedera te soldiers or citizens ; that Federal armies incon gr uously composed o f white and black, shall not he h e ld entitled to th e privileges of war, or to be taken p r isoners, and that of such as may b e ca pt ure d the ne groes shall be re turned t o their masters, or publiecommandersale convenient. The to be hung or shot OS od be most sold, l may, and their measures were referred to the mili taryßills were likewise offe committee. ing of 250,000 additionarled providin g - for the rais export duty on cotton and tobaccomen, and for an in indemnifying th e losses c:f ot . 20 per cent., to aid al :ti ros b y the enem y. r e c c e r u th it e s re in to R fullyi c h it is asserted that th e erriv mond had raised the C on f e deratedfaor what it was before th e seven about a q uarter of a milli on of meiTls fighting, i e ., ' The New York journals have flaming acco the demonstrations in honour o f General Ccr s of in Philadelphia and New Y o rk. T hey claim trht:lt the enthusiasm of the people was " tremendous," and that the crowd in New York to witness th e military and civic pageant was fully 200,000. It is asserted that a junction had been effected between the Federal armies in Virginia. Williams burg was evacuated by the Federals on the 20th and burned, according to one despatch; but another and later account is, that it Was not destroyed, but remained still in possession of the Federals. The Washington Star of th e 22d sa ys it has th e highest authority for stating that the rumours of a disposition on the part of General M'Clellan to re- THE SUN, LONDON. TIT!RSt4Y E IlNt NFL, SE:PITO/39R ' 1 4, 1862, tire from active service in the field are without foundation. A despatch from St. John's of the 22d says : " The barque George Henry, of New London, Capt. Budington, from Frobisher's Bay, has arrived here short of provisions, and with Mr. Hall, of the n ew Sir John Franklin expedition, on board. 4 , The expedition lost one man the first winter out< He froze to death. "Mr. Hall reports that in consequence of the loss of some of his craft he was unable to prosecute his mission to the extent of its purpose. " The expedition had probably determined the fate of two boats' crews of Sir John Franklin's ex pedition, who perished in endeavouring to return. " Mr. Hail learned the fate of five men captured from Frobisher on his first voyage, and identified the exact places of their landing. " Mr. Hall explored over 1,000 miles of the coast, including the so•called Frobisher's Straits, which proved to be a deep bay, terminating in lat. 63 48, long. 70 west. " Mr. Hall also discovered a great glacier and mountain of fossils between Hudson's Straits and Frobisher's Bay. " The George Henry was about to start for the States in October, 1861, but was prevented doing so by the ice until the 9th inst. The ship's com pany subsisted through last winter by the hospita lity of the Esquimaux." The latest political and commercial news via Cape Race has been already published. now suffering with such exemplary patience and fortitude." The order announces that the subscrip tion lists will remain open during the current month, the subscriptions of the officers and troops being voluntary, and under no circumstances is an indivi dual to be asked to contribute. The contributions of the private soldiers are not to exceed 3d. per day, those of corporals 6d., and sergeants 9d., which amounts might be paid out of the " clearance" money at the end of the month. The subscription of officers are not to exceed half a day's pay. The offi cers commanding the various corps, together with the heads of departments are invited to form them selves into a general working committee for the purpose of carrying out the necessary arrangements. By the appointment of Major-Gen. Sir John Michel, K.C.8., to the colonelcy of the 86th Royal County Down Regiment, and Major-Gen. J. Nap per Jackson to the colonelcy of the 3d West India Regiment,two pensions for distinguished and meri torious services are placed at the disposal of his Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief, In accordance with orders received at Chatham garrison from the Deputy Adjutant-General,Horse- Guards, a selection was yesterday made from the non-commissioned officers and men of the Royal Engineers under instruction in the topographical and surveying departments at the Royal Engineer establishment to fill the vacancies which have lately taken place in the companies of Royal Engineers employed in the trigonometrical survey of Great Britain. The non-commissioned officers and engi neers selected will, on being approved by the Duke of Cambridge, be forwarded to Southampton, the headquarters of the companies employed on the survey. An announcement was yesterday promulgated at the Royal Engineerestablishment, Chatham, that in consequence of the present state of the cotton-market the price of all cotton articles issued to non-com missioned officers and men will be increased 3d. per article. Yesterday a general parade of the troops now at tached to the invalid depot, Chatham, took place at Mary's Barracks, when the names of a number of non-commissioned officers and men of various ca valry and infantry corps, who have recently been invalided home from India and the colonies, the whole of whom have been inspected by the Commis sioners of Chelsea Hospital and found unfit for fur ther service, were announced, the men selected being ordered to receive their discharge from the army this morning. The troops selected for discharge are granted pensions, according to their length of ser vice, and each man will be forwarded to his home at the expense of Government. We regret to announce the death of Lieut.-Gen. Sir R. Doherty, colonel of the 11th Foot, which took place on Tuesday in London. The deceased officer, entered the service in 1803, and saw much service in the West Indies and the coast of Africa, both in his military capacity and as a colonial go vernor. He returned a few years since from the Ja maica command, and obtained the rank of lieut.- gen_ in 1858. By his death another regimental colonelcy becomes vacant. The statement in our impression of the 21st of August concerning the fort recently erected on the Mumbles Rock, in Swansea Bay, which declared the works unable to stand the concussion of heavy ordnance, and that already a large rent had ap peared in the masonry, is, we are informed, untrue, as the character both of the foundations and of the general building is unusually strong. also in this instance remaining remarkably free from radiating fissures or cracks. No plates have ever been before submitted at Portsmouth to so severe a test, and none have as yet so successfully resisted the impact of shot as these two have done. Still these plates must not by any means be taken to represent the ordinary quality of our ships' iron armour. The Java target ship, lying in Portsmouth harbour, has now a number of armour plates on her sides which have been tested in the usual manner with the 681 b. cast iron shot, propelled by 161bs. of powder, at a distance of 2(10 yards, and the dif ference in the effects produced by the shot on the various plates is astonishing. Upon some the shot has made an indent, impressed its "mark" as though upon a piece of soft baker's dough, of an inch or an inch and a quarter at its greatest depth, and this has been the extent of the mischief. Not a crack is observable, nor is there a bolt started. The good metal in this instance has faithfully per formed its duty. It has allowed the would-be in trusive shot to leave its mark behind, but the shot's further progress has been stopped, and it has been hurled backwards in a hundred broken splinters, and this without the slightest injury to the plates' " backing" or frame of the ship. Other plates, again, have broken up like sheets of glass beneath the blows of the shot, and driven into the ship's side by each successive shot have shattered the timbers and planking into miatchwood, and have been turned into an active agent in the destruction of the ship they were intended to protect. The inference to be drawn from an inspection of the Java's side and her tested armour plates would appear to be this :—lf plates of iron can be manufactured of sufficient strength and tena city to resist the penetration of shot, wrought or cast, from the 95cwt. smooth-bore gun at close quar ters, it must be an immense advantage and protec tection to the crew to have their ship clothed with defensive armour. But, on the contrary, to clothe a ship with such brittle material for amour as may be now seen driven into the sides of the Java would be merely to insure the ship's destruction the first time she came under fire, when she would in all probability speedily go down from the effects of leaks caused by her broken armour plates. If the published accounts received in this country of the testing of armour plates in France be correct, the results obtained there are much more favourable to the resisting power of the 41 inch plate than the generality of such results in England. On the other hand, it is asserted by the English manufacturers themselves that the quality of plates forged in Eng land is much superior to that of the best plates of France. In the Paris correspondence of a contem porary has appeared some very important and in teresting extracts bearing upon this point from an article by M. Boinvilliers, a member of the Imperial Naval Commission of 1857. In one part of this article M. Boinvilliers, in referring to the trials of iron shields at Vincennes, says : " The Emperor himself attended many of these trials. He was particularly pleased with the result of a heavy dis charge against an iron plate forged by MM. Petin and Gau det according to the plan definitively adopted. This proof consisted in firing shot in succession, at a distance of 20 yards, against the pattern plate, attached to a wooden plank representing the side of a ship, much weaker than the pro jected frigate. The guns employed on the occasion were three, one of which was a 50-pounder on a French model, and two others of 68 of the strongest English model exist ing. They were of the smooth bore, &c. . . These guns were therefore fired with the largest charges of powder they could bear—that is, 161 b. for the French guns and 171 b. for the English guns. The three shots were fired so simul taneously that only one report was heard. The Emperor quickly approached the plate, the subject of the trial, and found it not in the least shaken, but bearing a deep mark of the threa shots, and perfectly hot to the touch from the concussion, but without the slightest crack." If these results are correct, better plates can be manufac tured in France than those manufactured by the Thames Iron Works Company, by Messrs. Brown, of Sheffield, both of which were tested under the severe circumstances to which we have referred, and also superior to the plates ma nufactured by Messrs. Beale, which stood so severe a ham mering on Jones's target, both in its angulated and up right position—in the first named from the 95cwt. 68- pounder, and in the latter from the Armstrong 110-pounder. In this report of M. Boinvilliers there is, however, a grave error, which may not be unaccompanied by others—errors which, if corrected throughout the report, might give it a different colouring altogether. M. Boinvilliers states that 171 b. of powder was used for the English 68-pounders— " the largest charge of powder they could bear." So far from this being the case, we have shown that in the firing last week at the Thames Iron Company's and Messrs. Brown's plates the shots in each case were fired with 2 llb. and 251 b. respectively. It is probable, therefore, that the two guns " of 68, of the strongest English model existing," which were used in testing the plates at Vincennes in the Emperor's presence, were not English guns at all, but guns made after the English plan, yet very different wea pons from our magnificently smashing weapon, the 95cwt. 68-pounder. Again, " the strongest English model exist ing" of the 68-pounder is the 112 cwt. gun, which is fired with a charge of 181 b. of powder, but would bear a much heavier charge with perfect safety. A .RAILTVAY 7HRO UGH 7HE PYRENEES. The successful completion of a Spanish railway across the Pyrenees, and the first which has actually passed over either of the two greatest of the montainous ranges of Western Europe, may perhaps be deemed of sufficient interest in several respects to deserve a passing notice. Various circumstances also in connection with the under taking of which the first and most difficult portion has been thus happily accomplished are remarkable enough ; and they are indicative of the rapid though silent progress which Spain is making, On Aug. 20, 1862, the first railway train, drawn by loco motive engines, crossed the chain of the Cantabrian Py renees, over the northern division of the Tudela and Bilbao Railway, from the seaport of Bilbao to the town of Miranda on the Ebro. On the 22d the Minister of Public Works for Spain made his inspection from Miranda to Bilbao, return ing on the 23d, the passage across the mountains being made by trains running also in both directions each day. The distance from Bilbao to Miranda is about 66 English miles, of which more than 40 miles are in ascending from the coast to the summit, which is 2,163 feet above the sea being the lowest pass in the whole range of the Pyrenees! The northern slopes are almost invariably steep. Here the difficulties to be overcome are concentrated. In the pre sent case they have been surmounted by winding along the shoulders of the mountains, with heavy works of excava tions, tunneling, and embankments, until the railway re sembles a turnpike road more than such a line as is usually considered should be made to enable a locomotive engine to travel over it with speed and safety, and dragging heavy loads. The average rate of ascent from the sea if 54 feet per mile ; the maximum is 76 feet. The predominant curvature has a radius of 300 yards only, and the curves are constantly reversing. There are two p oints on the line at the entrance ofthe Concha, or basin of Ordima (the ancient capital of the Province of Biscay , distant only 600 yards apart measured horizontally across the neck or gorge of the basin, which are distant fully 81 miles from each other in travelling along the line, and which differ 456 feet in level. A technical de scription of the railway would be out of place here, and it would occupy pages to paint in words the grandeur of the mountain scenery, seen as it was, in full perfection, under the beautiful sunny sky which beamed over each day's pas.. sage of the trains. The changes of view were almost as rapid as the motion of the locomotive engine, owing to the tortuous character of the course, forced upon the engineer by the rugged country traversed. The last glimpse of the northern landscape which the passengers had was over the Gujuli waterfall, and down to a depth of 400 feet to the bottom of the ravine into which it fell; after which the carriages rushed into the summit tunnel to emerge into a wider meadow with a gently falling stream; for the de scent on the southern side is very gradual, the average rate from the summit to the Ebro being less than 24 feet to a mile. The valley being wide the curves are also much easier. The most remarkable point in the descent is the pass or gorge of the Techas, through which flows the river W Bazas at the village of Subijano - Morillos, where ellington had his head-quarters a night before the battle of Vittoria, in the summer of 1813. The time occupied by trains between Bilbao and Miranda is two hours and three quarters. To the powerful loco motives of this railway, the sharp r eversing curves and steep gradients in ascending from the n or th to the summ it appear to make no difference with trains of seven or eight carriages. On the occasion of the crossing of the mountains on the 22d of August, there was the usual cortege of authorities and c fficials meeting the Minister of Public Works and the gentlemen of his party. Tbo usual breakfast was set out, but there were no toasts and no speeches. upon arriving in Bilbao a small steamer took the distin g uished group down to the mouth of the river (N erv i on). w h e re a good view wa s obtained of the deep Bp,, "J of Bilbao, where it is proposed to construct a breakwater more than a mile in length, with in which nearly 1,000 acres of sheltered anchorage will be at tainable—in fact, a safety harbour, so much required at the extremity of the Bay of Biscay. The southern division of the Tudela and Bilbao Railway, (which is to be compl e ted by th e earl y par t of the y ear 1863) proceeds eastward from Miranda for nearly 90 miles, always on the right or south bank of the Ebro, for strategic though not for engineering reasons. In its course are pass e d many Places of historical celebrity or interest—Haro, Briones, Cenicero, Navarete, Logrono, Calahorra, Alfaro, and various others. Between Alfaro and Tudela this rail• way joins the r an aplona and Zaragoza line now in operation, and the line from Zaragoza to Barcelona was opened last year. The amount expended and to be expended on the 155 miles of the Tudela and Bilbao Railway is about £2,500,000 sterling. The 66 miles from Bilbao to Miranda (including 20 miles of the most difficult railway works known, princi pally through the Pyrenees) have cost merely for construc tion more than .C 1,000,600 ; the 89 miles along the Ebro have been made for four-fifths of that sima. The rest of the money has been spent on stations, rolling-stock, man agement, Sec. The total with all paid and capital account closed is £16,000 per English mile, and is within the capital of the company. The whole of this capital is Spanish money, mostly subscribed by Bilbao and its commercial connections. Not a share is held out of Spain or the colonies of Spain. No bonds have been issued, nor any mortgages given. The credit of the company and of its directors stood high enough to procure them all the financial aid they wanted ; and they were spared the necessity of having to issue their obliga tions at the ruinous discount common to other railway com panies on the continent. There is a Government subven tion equivalent to 30 per cent, of the capital, but the period and conditions of payment are such as to keep back the in stalments, ane meantime the company have been thrown on other resources, which have not failed them in the hour of their need. It should be mentioned that this line joins the Northern Railway of Spain at Miranda on the Ebro, which railway is opened from Madrid to the southern slope of the Py renees, near Alzazua, about 25 miles N.E. of Vittoria, with the exception of a gap of 30 or 40 miles, including the Guadarama Mountains. By this route the Minister of Pub lic works (Marquis Armigo de Vega) returned from Bilbao to Madrid in 18 hours, of which only 12 were by railway. When the above gap is closed, as it will be next year, the journey from Bilbao to Madrid will be performed in 14 hours. It will perhaps be some years longer before the Northern Railway of Spain will be completely connected with the French lines at the frontier ; but towards the end of next year (1863) there will only remain a portion unfi nished equal to four or five hours' travelling by diligence across the Pyrenees, forming the only exception as to a through route by railway from Pads to Madrid ; and, in deed, the distance between these two capitals may then be traversed in 36 hours, notwithstanding the above drawback. In the Engineering Court at the International Exhibition there is to be seen a very fine and accurate model on a large scale of the Passage of the Tudela and Bilbao Railway across the Pyrenees. It has been pronounced by competent judges to be the most perfect topographical and geological model yet exhibited. An inspection will give a better idea of the character of the railway than any description by words. The engineer-•in-chief of the railway, as well as of the proposed breakwater, is Mr. Vignoles,F.R.S. The con tractor who executed the works through the Pyrenees, and from Bilbao to Miranda, is the celebrated Mr. Brassey. The iron for the railway, the engines, and the vehicles were made in England, as were also nearly all the materials for the station except the mere shell of the building. The chairman of the company is Senior Don Pablo de Epalza, who may be considered as holding the highest rank as a Spanish merchant. The managing director is Senor Mon tesino, formerly director General of Public Works in Spain. He is a member of the Cortes, and one of the Commission ers for Spain at the International Exhibition. On the completion of the Tudela and Bilbao Railway, it will .beccme the great channel through which the corn, wine, and oil of Castile, and the rich agricultural provinces west of Burgos and 'Valladolid as far as Leon, will find their way for exportation at Bilbao. THE LATE MYSTERIOUS MURKER IN THE ISLE OF SHEPPEY. COMMITTAL OF THE PRISONERS. SITTINGBOURNE, WEDNESDAY. This morning the two prisoners, William and Edward Johnson (father and son), were again placed at the bar of the county Justices'-office, before the Rev. G. B. Moore and E. Twopenny, Esq., on the charge of murdering Wm, Elliott, at Minster, at Sheppey, on July 29 last. They appeared to treat the charge with a good deal of indifference. Consi derable interest was manifested in the proceedings, which occupied eight hours. Mr. S. G. Johnson again appeared on behalf of the accused, but refrained from putting any ques tions to most of the witnesses examined. The Chairman (Mr. Twopenny) announced that the bench had determined to begin de novo, and the following evidence was then given : John Ralph, labourer, living at Halfway House, near Minster, deposed that on the 30th July last, while going to his work with four others, about ten minutes before six, he observed that the wheat in Mr. Vincent's field was trampled down. About six feet from the fence, in the wheat, he found the cap produced, with shot holes through the peak. It ap peared as if the body of a man had been dragged through the wheat, t.nd the track went straight a little way and then turned to the left, and there witness found the dead body of deceased lying— about a rod from the cap • it was on its back, with the left arm up behind t he head. He also found a piece of paper, stained with powder, on the bank opposite the track leading to the body. There was a large pool of blood where the cap was picked up. Cross-examined by Mr. Johnson—The track was about the size of a man's body. It appeared as if it had been dragged by one arm and the collar. Could not say from the appearance of the wheat in what direction the shots came. Elliott (sister-in-law of the murdered man) said the deceased lodged with her at Queenborough. On the night of the murder deceased left her house about half-past eight, in his usual health. He was in the habit of going out for a walk about that time. The next time she saw him he was dead. He had neither money nor a watch with him at the time he left witness's house. By the Bench—Deceased was not in the habit of poaching, or looking for rabbits as she was aware of. Never knew deceased to take a gun out with him. Believed the deceased had no acquaintance with the prisoners. George Edward Elliott, surveyor, produced a plan of the locality where the murder was committed, and spoke to the correctness of the distances marked. John Mackrell, farm labourer, heard a cart pass along the road near the 13 acres field mill, about five or ten minutes past nine, on the night o f th e murder, from the direction of Queenborough and King's Ferry towards the Halfway House. It stopped at the place where the body was afterwards found. A few minutes after the cart stopped witness heard the report and saw the flash of a gun. It was too dark to see either the cart or the persons in it, Witness did not hear any cry for assistance. Shortly afterwards he heard another cart go along the road, but he could not say in which direction. Edward Strode, surgeon, deposed t o examining the body of the deceased, and describe d the nature and direction of the wounds , I t had been shot in andbot h o n shoulders, e a both d, breasts, the righ tbilthou a ides of the face, and breast most, thus showing that the deceased must have b ee n below the line of fire at the time. The lungs were penetrated through the right breast, and death must have been instantaneous. William Pilcher, William Edwards, George Brown, and several other witnesses, repeated their respective testimonies, the substance of which has already appeared in our report of the inquest upon the body of the murdered man. Ambrose Kite, of Sheerness Dockyard, saw the prisoners on the night of the murder with their cart at the top of Mile Town, a few rods from the Queen Hotel. They drove away in the direction of the Halfway House. William Johnson had a bundle under his arm. It was about a quarter past ten. Sergeant Noakes, K.C.C., stationed at Sheerness, deposed that on the night after the murder he met the prisoners at the Halfway House. He asked them if they did not come along the road from Queenborough turning in a cart the previous night. They were both about to answer, when the elder prisoner told the younger one to hold his tongue —he would answer. He then said they did come along that road. Witness then asked if he met any one. Willi am J o h nson sa id " No," but almost immediately c orrecte d hi mse lf by saying that he met young Mr. Lees at the haystack. The stack is in the corner of the meadow adjoining the wheat field where the murdered man was found. Witness asked if he had a gun with him in his cart? The prisoner said, "Yes ; they took it out the day before to shoot a stoat with. He had only one charge of shot, and the gun was then standing empty in his stable," Witness then said " I suppose you have no objection to my riding down to see the gun." He replied " Oh, no, get up." Witness did so, and rode to Mile Town. When about halfway between the Halfway House Mile Town the prisoner said " Cannot one of us get down and walk with you, and the other drive the cart on, as it will make such a talk if we are all seen together." Witness said he had no objec tion to do so. 1% hen they got to the top of Mile Town witness said if Wm. Johnson went down with him the younger prisoner could go on with the cart. Witness and Wm. Johnson then got out of the cart, and Edward Johnson drove on down Mile Town at a brisk rate, the horse being a fast trotter, On going with the prisoner William to his stable, near the Hope beerhouse, he looked in two or three places where he said his son was in the habit of keeping the g un, but could not find it. In less than five minutes Edward Johnson came in with the cart and said " Did not Mr. Brown order Regents of you ? " (The younger prisoner had previously stated that he was going to Mr. Brown's.) Wm. Johnson then asked where the gun was. Edward Johnson t oo k it from behind a post in the barn. (Gun pr o d uced.) The point of the ramroad was flattened. I t was then nearly t o'clock. The nipple of th e right hand barrel was a little rusty, but the left-hand nipple had the appearance of having been recently discharged. He told the prisoners that. The younger prisoner said " That is the cne we fired at the stoat.' Could not say whether the word yesterday was used or not. Witness then went with Wm. Johnson to his residence, and a leather shot pouch was produced which the prisoner said he was in the habit of using, and emptied the shots from it into witness's hand (produced). On the following Friday morning wit ness went to the prisoner's premises, and about two or three feet from the barn door ho found two small pieces of paper (produced). They smelt of powder. Ralph Allsworth, landlord of the Odd Fellows' Arms, near the Halfway House, said Wm. Johnson came to his house about 7 o'clock on the evening following the murder, when they entered into con versation about the murder. Witness said it must have been spite, for the man could not have been shot for what he had got, and he (witness) believed he had been shot twice—first in the road, and then dragged into the field. That the party came back on finding he ia as not dead, and shot him again, as there were so many shots. The prisoner made no reply, but shortly after left the house. The next morning the prisoner again called, whilst witness was talking with Mr. Newport and Mr. Parker about the murder. Witness remarked that, as it was reported the man was shot by accident, he believed Johnson was innocent, as he considered that he had too keen an eye to shoot a man for a hare. " Yes," the prisoner replied, " you made me savage the other night. I was a good mind to swear at you." Witness asked for what. Johnson said, "Because you said the man was shot twice." Wit ness repeated his belief that from the number of shots the man must have been shot twice. The pri soner said, " Who do you think would shoot him twice ?" Thomas Gorfett, schoolmaster, of Queenborough, repeated the testimony he gave at the previous ex amination, and the witness then asked the magi strates if he could be protected from personal vio lence threatened him by the brother of the prisoner's and a person named Hammond. The Bench replied in the affirmative, and after the witness swore that he feared he would be assailed and maltreated unless protected by justices, the two persons referred to were ordered into cus tody to answer the charge preferred against them. Cross-examined by Mr. Johnson—This letter is in my handwriting (put in and read). The sugges tion in that letter that the words I heard might have been, " The man that was shot I never knew," has not altered my opinion in the least. lam still of opinion that the words Johnson used were, "The man I shot I never know." I wrote the words down the same night on the piece of paper produced. I struck my pen through the words the next morning because my wife suggested that if the paper fell into other people's hands it might be suggested that I had murdered some one. J. Rolfe, K. C. C., produced the clothes worn by the deceased at the time he was murdered. There was no appearance of his pockets having been rifled. Sergeant Noakes recalled. On the 22d ult., the placards were received from the head-quarters, offering a reward of £lOO for the discovery of the perpetrator of the murder. Wm. Palmer (the driver of the second cart spoken to by several of the witnesses) deposed to passing the spot where the murder was committed, about 10 minutes past 9 the same evening. He saw a man sitting by the corner of the meadow with his hand on his chin. He had a dirty white smock and dark cap. By the Bench—Have never said I saw a body lying exactly where the body of the murdered man was found. Mr. Johnson reserved his defence, as it was evident the justices intended to commit the accused for trial. Indeed, it would be the best course that could be adopted, so far as the prisoners were concerned. He applied for them to be admitted to bail, as sub stantial surety could be forthcoming. The prisoners were then formally charged with the offence, and they both replied that they had no thing to say. The Bench fully committed both the prisoners for trial for the capital offence, but agreed to admit Edward Johnson, the younger prisoner, to bail, himself in £5OO, and two sureties of £250 each. GOUNTRY ~.1. ~,,,, ,1,,...., •• ..- ... ~.... NEWARK—WEDNESDAY. Our market was moderately supplied with wheat, and new was taken off at 2s to 3s per qr decline, Barley in fair supply, at late prices. Oats a steady trade. Beans were scarce. White wheat new, 59s to 61s Red do. sss to 59s Old white 60s to 64s Red do. 56s to 60s Barley, malting 388 to 408 Peas,.... IBarley, grinding 30 s t o 32 s Oats, old, .. 26s to 30s New do 23s to 27s I Beans.. 40s to 448 I Beans, new —s to --s 398 to 40s BOSTON-WEDNESDAY. To-day's corn market was fairly supplied with wheat, and prices were 2s to 3s per qr under last week. Barley a very small show, at about the same rates as of late. Beans in tolerable demand, but scarce. *hire wheat 58s to 60;1Barley . 32s to 37s Red sos to 57s I Oats, new, 24s to 26s Beans ....42s to 50s I Peas 40s to 500 HULL—TUESDAY. A moderate supply of English new wheat on offer to-day, but only a few samples of old. A quiet demand, at prices 2s to 3s lower than last week's currencies. Foreign about Is cheaper. Oats not much altered. Beans firm. Wheat.... Old white.... per qr sBs Od to 61s Od Old red New white .. „ New red .... ~ Dantzic, Konb , &c. old white 588 Od to 63s Od Dutch, Belgian, and French. 58s Od to 62s Od Baltic and Hamburg, red St. Petersburg and Riga, old sos Od to 52s Od Barley.... English malting 34s Od to 37s Od Grinding 3ls Od to 33s Od Saal and Oderbruck Holstein and Danish 34s Od to 36s Od Grinding Oats English, new __ _ Archangel and Riga, per st 0812}d to —l3ci Friesland and Dutch osl3d to 03131c1 Swedish and Danish oBl2ld to osl3d Beans ....English, old, per qr New pigeon 42s Od to 44s Od New tick. 4os Od to 42s Od Egyptian Peas Foreign breakers Grinding 3Bs Od tc 41s Od Tares .... Spring, —a Od to —s Od Indian Corn Linseed, feeding s2s Od to 56s Od crushing ..,. 40s Od to 52s Od Linseed cakes (Hull) £9 0 0 to S 9 5 0 Foreign Bl5 oto 9 0 0 Rape cakes 6 0 oto 6 5 0 Bones 5 5 oto 510 0 COAL M wrioes of Coal per Ton at s. d. Wylam ............ ..16 Byass's Bebside West Hart1ey.......... 15 6 Carway and Duffryn ! Malting Do. Anthracite 21 0 Carr's Hartley 15 6 Eden Main 15 3 Walker Primrose 12 3 Craighead Steam 13 9 Hol ywell . Hastings . Hartley ....15 6 16 0 North Pelton Ga 5..... 13 0 Walls 1;nO. Belmont 15 0 ARKET. the close of the market. a. d. Walls End. - r South Kelloe 15 9 E. elloe Cassop l5 9 Framwellgate 15 3 Trimdon Hartlepool l6 0 Hartlepool l6 0 Caradoo Heugh Hall 15 3 South Hartlepool 15 3 Hetton Braddyll's Hetton 15 6 South Hetton 16 9 Haswell .... l6 9 Hedley 14 9 - - Ships at market, 58; sold, 39. [ADvEßTlsmENT.]—Holloway's Ointment and Pills,— Natural Treatment.—Healthy skins sometimes suffer from exposure to the vicissitudes of temperature and noxious gases prevailing in winter; diseased skins are tortured by them. The best remedy is Holloway's cooling Ointment and purifying Pills ; the former soon and safely subdues the local ailment by restraining all over-action, and reducing the velocity, or raising the depressed action of the circula tion ; while the Pills extract from the blood all morbid matter which cause and perpetuate the disease. Hollo way's remedies are specific for sallow complexions. They furnish to every mother and nurse a plain an d easy means of cure of those distressing cutaneous complaints which begin in infancy, and, when neglected, terminate only with life. NEWS FROM RICHMOND. Mr. G. N. Sanders, late American consul in Lon don, passenger, arrived incog., by underground rail way, direct from Richmond, Virginia, in time for the steamer Jura, and has important despatches for the Confederate commissioners, Messrs. Mason and Slidell, Mr. Sanders says that General Jos. E. Johnston and Beauregard had so far recovered as to be able to resume active duty ; that the Confede rate army in Virginia, east of Petersburg, under command of Generals Lee, Johnston, Longstreet, and Jackson, numbers about 200,000, including more than 400 pieces of well appointed field artil lery, under General Pendleton, and 10,000 splen didly mounted and efficiently armed cavalry, under Generals Stuart and Fitzburgh Lee ; that the Con federate army was in fine condition, marching upon the enemy and anxious to meet and give them battle on any fair field. No one in or out the army doubted the result ; that Generals Beauregard, Bragg, Price, and Kirby Smith were at the head of 150,000 infantry and artillery and 12,000 cavalry, in supporting distances of each other, in North Ala bama, East Tennessee, and South-Eastern Ken tucky, marching to the front and rear of Buell and Grant's armies, supposed to number less than 150,000 ; that the Confederate cavalry, under Gene rals Forrest and Morgan, had cut off the Federal reinforcements and supplies by river and rail, de stroying transports and trains from close proximity to the rear. It was confidently believed at Richmond that Buell's army would be captured or dispersed; that it could not possibly make a successful stand south of the Ohio River; that General Humphreys Mar shall had left Abingdon, Virginia, with his divi sion, entering North-eastern Kentucky, for the Blue Grass Region, expecting to form a junction with General Kirby Smith, from Beauregard's and Bragg's army; that Major-General Holmes, at the head of 30,000 men from Texas, North-west Louis iania, and Arkansas had passed Fort Smith, and would soon co-operate with the 20,000 State troops and partisan rangers already in the possession of the larger portion of the State of Missouri; that to hold St. Louis and Missouri against this rapidly augmenting force, it would require a Federal army of not less than 150,000; that all accounts from Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Maryland, represented the young men of these States ready to rise and co-operate upon the ad vance of the Confederate armies; that the Confede rates calculated upon adding not less than 150,000 to their numbers from these States, as they had furnished scarcely a regiment to the Federal army under the recent call. 71 - 1 E NAVY. The ironcased vessels Enterprise and Favorite, now building on adjacent slips in Deptford dock yard are making rapid progress. Nearly the whole of the shipwrights employed thereon are at work extra time. The Enterprise is completely in frame, in so far as the wooden hull is concerned, and is ready to receive her planking and internal works. The whole of the frame in the wake of the armour has been filled in solidly, the timbers and fittings being " dowelled" and bolted to each other, to increase the strength of the fabric, in accordance with plans furnished by Mr. E. J. Reed, the de signer of the ship, who personally superintends the construction. The Favorite is also to be framed in the same manner. In the official return of iron plated ships, quoted in The Sun last week, this vessel is described as a partially cased ship. Since the return was ordered, however, the design of the Favorite has been modified by Mr. Reed in such manner as to provide for the complete casing of the ship with armour ; and the Admiralty have issued orders for the adoption of this improvement, which has been secured without increasing the immersion of the vessel or interfering with the progress of the work. The Favorite will, therefore, be a thoroughly protected, iron-cased ship, in every way fitted for foreign service, although of about 2,000 tons burden only. Vessels of much smaller tonnage than the Favorite, completely protected with armour, and adapted for foreign service, are about to be laid down, in conformity with designs prepared by Mr. Reed, in concert with the Admiralty, to take the place of our existing unprotected sloops and gun boats about to become obsolete. The chartered transport Washington Irving, Captain Durant, yesterday went down to Woolwich under orders to ship shot, shell, guns, and other war stores for Quebec, and will also embark the wives and families of officers of the Royal Artillery, who have gone out recently in command of batteries to Quebec. Mr. H. Loyalty Peeke, master shipwright of Deptford, having been promoted to the same office at Sheerness dockyard, which gives him increased pay only, yesterday terminated his duties in the former establishment, and was succeeded by Mr. Moody from Portsmouth yard. The frequent trans fer of master shipwrights from Deptford to other yards, which is virtually a promotion, is complained of as being injurious to the service, and in conse quence suggestions have been made to the Admi ralty for the purpose of advising the urgency of placing the superior officers of Deptford on a uni form ratio of emolument with those of other yards in her Majesty's service, which would obviate the necessity of removals, at all times attended with considerable detriment to the service. Many offi cers of the old school of naval architecture, and who are somewhat advanced in years, are about to be superannuated, to make place for the new system of construction about to be pushed forward with vigour. IHE ABMI'. On Tuesday lastrdteer commandrs t eh d w e t o ft :q a or u trfh a i d vce e r o o ndl n .ia : l s tvh o is i rt. f ) D t i e h ni 1 c e dz ks l ors 6 (ro) t un( h wt, el-fh,raenfnormer ct thehere s yc , under awm : prea tq the uAni Sheffield. This splendid regiment is expected to 6 8 t e P h r r e i I.: s l g i t e ii c o lto m y m a a l o I d r i s o h f rec eive orders for India in thuoenf Yestert f l r a o y m tw A o l s d q o u rs a n d o r t z Lancers, Capt. Edward Boyd, succeeded th e 16 t h Lancers a t Windsor , and this morning marched en route to NorthamP on . On their jour ney to l A r indsor a nt a occurred, in the n e i g hb ourhood of luable charger on which C ap t. Car denH was met by two gent l emen dri v i ng a p h ae ton, when the captain's hors e be came restive, and plung e s a r g io s was serious a , c i t c o : i a e n vg. e plunged against the vehicl e w i t h . such violence that i ts l e g was broken. . Al l order of the day ham I,commanding the forces 5 -1 Major-Gen. Eyre, was yesterday issued atChat at once be opened among the officers and troops of i t n h et that t rthe distress now relief of district,Bo announcing that a subscription will districts, from which so many thousands are and existing districtin the townanrtdt cotton n the manufacturing IRON-PLATE EXPERIMENTS. Some interesting experimental firing has taken place at Portsmouth recently with wrought and cast iron shot and 8-inch shells from the 95cwt. smooth-bore gun of the Stork gunboat, under the supervision of Capt. R. S. Hewlett, C. 8,, command ing her Majesty's ship Excellent, the gunnery ship at the port. One day's experiment consisted of the testing of a cellular target built on a plan proposed by Capt. Hewlett. The front and back plates of this target were composed of 14-inch plate, sepa rated by f,-:-inch ribs, 15 inches in depth, to which was attached the front and back plates of the target by Finch angle irons, 4 inch by 4 inch. Thew', ribs were placed vertically, and in six feet of the target's length were eight inches apart only, in the remaining six feet being 18 inches apart. The in terior of the target was thus composed of a series of cells or flues, in one half of the target measuring eight inches' breadth, 15 inches in depth, and eight feet in length. In the remaining half of the target they measured the same length and depth, but were 18 inches in breadth. The whole structure was 12 feet in length, 8 feet in breadth, and 15 inches in depth (internally). It was fastened by the ordi dinary form of bolt, with nut and screw, from the inner plate only to the ship's sides. This slight structure was not expected to arrest the progress of the 681 b. shot, with a velocity through the air of 2,000 feet per second ; but comparative results only were sought, as a guide to the minimum thickness of plate required to so crush the 681 b. cast-iron shot in its passage through an armour plate that it should afterwards be powerless to inflict any mate rial injury upon any substance within a certain dis ance of the plate's reverse side. To clearly illus trate this, suppose that, instead of clothing a ship with its armour in slabs of iron of a certain thick ness, as is the case with our present iron-cased ships, the same amount of metal was divided into two slabs, separated by iron ribs of some 12 or 15 inches in depth; the theory is that the outer plate of the cellular side must be of sufficient thickness to de stroy the shot in its passage, and render it incapable of inflicting any injury upon the inner armour plate, or disturbing the fastenings which attach the armour to the bhip's side. In fact, it is contended that this form of armour should perform for the ship what the Knight's shield did of old—it might be destroyed without necessarily causing injury to the body it was intended to protect. The result of the practice at this target was, therefore, as already stated, only of a comparative and purely experimental nature, but still the data obtained must be of great value with reference to the subject of ships' cellular ar mour. that in o l n t e my of a ca n p o t t be Captain n out of Cole's placefirst models h d el e s r o e f t h o is t 0 planleC for shield ships his ship's sides were constructed on the cellular plan, the inner armour plates being Jones's angulated side, extending from the top of the turrets or cylinders to below the water-line, and the outer side being in the ordinary vertical posi tion. This proposed form, it was contended at the time, would not only prevent the waves from wash ing up plates h were angulated sides, but the outer a n g ulated sides, with their fastenings, from any in jury by an enemy's shot, however close he might bring his guns to bear. It is also obvious that an immense addition of strength would be given to the vessel's frame—a point of the greatest importance to all iron-clothed, but more especially so to cupola ships by this combination of angular and vertical sides. Two other experiments made have a special degree of interest attached to them, inasmuch as they relate more particularly to the quality of the metal of which the armour plates of our ships of war are composed, rather than to any precise thick ness or form of plate. The two plates selected for the experiment had each been previously fired at several times on the day they were officially tested, according to the usual mode, with a 95cwt. gun, at 200 yards' distance, throwing a 681 b. cast iron shot with a charge of 161 b. of powder. In the experi ment referred to the gunboat was moored at a dis tance of 50 yards only, in lieu of the ordinary prac tice range of 200. The gun used was the Stork's 95 cwt. smooth bore, with wrought iron shot in both instances. The Thames Iron Works Company's plate of ham mered iron was first selected for trial, and the wrought iron shot was sent a gainst its least damaged part with a charge of 221bs. of powder. The shot buried it se lf t wo - th i rds of its di ame t er i n th e pl a t e , but th e l a tt er h ad no cracks whatever exten di ng be yond th e i mme di ate fracture cause d b y t h e pene tration of th e shot ---about 9 inches, or exceeding the s'let,'s diam e t er b y one inch. Th e secon d s h o t, also of wrought iron, was directed against the least damaged part of a rolled plate, manufactured by Messrs. Brown, of Sh e ffi e ld , with a charge of 251bs. of powder, 31bs. additional to the last experiment. The shot in this instance embedded itself in the plate about three-fourths of its diameter, the platei BIRTHS. CAYLEY.—On the 3d inst., at 11, Dean's-yard, Westmin ster Abbey, the wife of G. J. Cayley, Esq., of a son. CAMPBELL.--On the 2d inst.', at Longfield Cottage, Harts hill, Mrs. C. M. Campbell, of a daughter. CRO THER.—On the 2d inst., atWoodside, Dolgelly, North Wales, Mrs. Crowther, of a daughter. TURNER.—On the 20th ult., at Streatham-hill, Mrs. H. Turner, of a son. MARRIAGES. ALLPORT—WILKS.—On the 2d inst., at St. Mary's, Rei gate, Douglas, elder son of Douglas. Allport, Esq., of Epsom, to Ellen, youngest daughter of th e late J. B. Wilks, E S n C.S tli cR e 2d inst., a t B oulogne-sur- Mer, Colonel Richard Crewe, to Emma, widow of the late Captain H. F. Siddons, of th e M adras Light Ca :DID 0 N il s . . E — J O . Ca valry. DEATHS. BinxnEcK —On the Ist inst., suddenly, Morris Birkbeck, Esq., of Bradford, Yorkshire, aged 64. DAVY.—On the 30th ult., at Countess Wear, near Exeter, Robert Davy, Esq., in the 1001 h year of his age. DOHERTY.—On the 2d inst., at Ckarles-street, St. James's, Lieut.-General Si r Richard Doherty, Colonel of the 11th Foot, aged 77. HILL.—On the 2d inst., at W a lmer Lodge, D ea l , L ady Hill, reli c t o f Admiral Sir John Hill, aged 97. HAY.— On th e 2 d inst. at Devonshire - place House, New road, D ame Anne P res t o n Hay, widow o f the late Sir John Hay, Bart., of Smithfie ld a nd Hayston, ag e d 66. MAREIS.—O n t h e 2 d inst., at Pentonville, Mr, Chas. Marks, aged 64. MELVILLE. On the Ist inst., at Roehampton, Ernest L. Melville, fourth son of the Earl of Leven and Melville. NoEL.—On the Ist inst., at Wimbledon, Byron Noel, Vi scoun t Ockham, aged 27. : Printed and Published by JOHN CHAPLIN, Lo o x"iv f No. 112, Strand, Printer, at 'TIE Stag Office N 0.112, Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the County of xiddlesex.—Thursday, September 4, 1862.4 cha Cot,