The Sun. — London, England, 1860-09-20 00:00:00

THE NAVY. A letter from Malta under the date of the 14th Sept. says :—" The Peninsular and Oriental Com pany's steamer Pera, with the heaNy poi lion of the Ch;na and Calcutta mails, arrived here on the 9th inst. at 3 a.m., from Alexandria, and left the same day, at 10 a.m., for Gibraltar and Southampton. Among the passengers from Malta she took the following officers from the gaarison and fleet : Capt. Dumaresq., R.E. ; Commander Buckle, R.N.; Commander Nares, R N. ; and Paymaster Sec rarnbe, R.N. The Ceylon came into port on the 13th, at 6 a.m., with the heavy portion of the out ward Calcutta and China mails, and left at 8 p.m. the same day for Alexandria. The Ellora, with the heavy portion of the homeward Bombay mail, and the mail for Malta, arrived at 9 p.m. on the I:3th, and left on the following day at 8 a.m., for Gibraltar and Southampton. She left Alexandria at 5 p.m. on the 10th inst. Her Majesty's frigate Liffey had been there for some days, and was then leaving for Syria. M. Beclard, the French Com missioner, was to proceed to Beyrout in the French brig Sentinelle, from Alexandria, after the arrival of the Marseilles mail. The Viceroy is said to be very indignant at Lord Palmerston's notice of Egyptian affairs, as reported in the papers. The first instalment of the French loan was expected to arrive at Alexandria on the 11th inst. The French troops (700 in number), who arrived there some 12 days before the date of the letter we quote from (10th inst.), were still in port, waiting for a trans port to convey them to China. The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer Vectis had not arrived at Aiexandria when the Ellora left, nor had she been met with on the passage. The Peninsula r and Oriental Company's steamer Alhambra, char tered by the French Government for the convey ance of troops to Alexandria (en route to China), arrived last night at 11 p.m., with the second de tachment, consisting of 171 officers and men. Her Majesty's ship St. Jean d'Acre, Capt. T. P. Thomp son, came into port on the afternoon of the 10th inst., after cruising for some days in the Malta channel, and the Orion, to day, also from a cruise off the island. The St. Jean d'Acre left port again to-day. Capt. Thompson proceeded home in the Ellora this morning. The Caesar is under orders for Syria, and is expected to sail in a day or two. The receiving ship Hibernia, line-of-battle ships .Tames Watt and Orion, despatch-boat Caradoc, and gun-boat Boxer are the only men-of-war in port. The Messageries Imperial's steamer Amerique arrived on the 11th instant from Marseilles, with provisions for the French expe ditionary force in Syria. She left the same day for Beyrout. The steamer Gange, of the same com pany, which broke down on her way from Malta to Beyrout, with French troops on board, and put into Navarin, made her appearance on the morning of the 14th inst. (to -day), in tow of the steamer Indus, also of the Messageries Imperiale Company. The troops by her had arrived in Syria. The Gange, in tow of the Indus, left this evening for Marseilles. The following English screw steamers have arrived here during the past week ; Brena, on the 9th inst., from Odessa and Constantinople, with grain, &c., for London ; Laconia, 10th inst., from Liverpool and Gibraltar, with a general cargo, for Syria and Constantinople; Scotia, 11th inst., from London, with coals for Malta (to load fruit at Patras); Smyrna, 12th inst., from Smyrna, with fruit, &c., for London ; Araxes, 12th inst., from Liverpool and Gibraltar, with a general cargo, for Alexandria; Tiber, 13th inst:, from Liverpool and Gibraltar, with a general cargo, for Alexandria; Colocotronis, 13th inst., from Newcastle and Plymouth, with coals for Patras. All the above vessels left for their respective destinations a few hours after their arri val. The Russian screw steamer Boug left on the 9th for Havre and London. Another letter, dated Valetta, Sept. 15, 2 30 p.m., says :—" Since despatching my letter last night, and before the Vectis left with the mail for Mar seilles, the Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer Euxine came into port with the outward overland portion of the Calcutta and China mails, and London dates to the 10th list. She left, after replenishing her coal, for Alexandria. Among the passengers by her for Malta, were—Mr. Scamp, Civil Engineer (who has been despatched hero by her Majesty's Government, with reference to the extension of the harbour scheme) Major Colville, R. 8., Capt. Millet, 23d Regiment, Ensign Hon. J. Abercromby, R. 8., Lieutenant Glynn, R.B. The French Messageries Impel iales Company's steamer Simois, f-em Beyrout, and the English screw steamier Agia Sofia, with Indian corn, Sce., from Smyrna, arrived last night or eerly this morn ing. The Simois leaves at 4 p.m., with a mail for England, via Marseilles. The Belgian screw steamer Gustaf Pastor, from Constantinople, and her Majesty's steam troopship Himalaya, from Corfu, have just entered port. Her Majesty's line of-battle ship St. Jean d'Acre is still in sight, sail ing off the island." A Board of Admiralty, consisting of the Duke of Somerset, Vice-Admiral the Hon. Sir R. S. Dundas, K.C.8., Rear-Admiral the Hon. F. T. Pelham, C. 8., Rear-Admiral the Right Hon. Lord Clarence Paget, C. 8., M.P., Mr. Whitbread, M.P., Rear- Admiral Sir Baldwin. W. Walker, K.C.8., Con troller of the Navy ; Col. G. T. Green, Director of Engineering and Agricultural Works, and Capt. J. Moore, C. 8., private secretary to the First Lord, yesterday paid an official visit to the departments of Woolwich dockyard. They were received on their entrance within the gates in their official capacity, by an Admiralty salute from the guns of the flagship Fisgard ; a guard of honour, formed by a company of Royal Me-ine Light Infantry, with the regimental band, under Col. Stransham, C ern _ mandent. The Commodore Superintendent, Hon. J. R. Drummond , and b is staff of officials, were like wise in attendance, consisting of Commander 11. E. 8. Hawker, RN. ; Mr. Thomas and Mr. Hall, 'l asters of the Fisgard ; Mr. Philip Thornton, acting master shipwright, and corneae edant of the dock yard brigade of Artillery; Mr. Piers and Mr. Henry Johnstone, storekeeper and assistant storekeeper of the yard ; together with the commanding officers of the ships in commission. Their Lordships arrived at a quarter before 12 o'clock, and left at 3 o'clock, during which time every person unconnected with the department was rigidly excluded. The;* Lord ships, after transacting business w ith the commodore at his office, proceeded to inspect the smithery, in which great improvements are in progress to pre• vent the smoke, of - which the workmen and the vicinity have made constant complaints. They then proceeded to the saw mills, visited the Repulse, of 91 guns under construction on No. 5 sli p , and the Wolverine , o f 21 guns, on slip No. 6, the l a tt er ship being i n a very advanced state.whar The boat house was next inpected, and the fs, a z ,. Arriving opposite t he testing-house, their Lordships went on board the Steamboat Lu c y, belonging to the East and West India Dock Com pany, on board of which vessel one of Robert's powerful patent twin pumps is fitted for the service of the fire brigade of the docks. Their Lordships stood on the paddle-box and witnessed the working of the pump, which was expressly put into opera tion by the patentee, throwing a volume of five tons of water per minute a distance of 200 yards. The e ngine is !similar to, and of the same construction as, the ship's pump p fitted on board H.M.S. Indus try. Their Lordship s th en returne d b y the sea wall, exa mining the Devastation and Driver paddlewheel repairing in d oc k s N os. 2 and 3, pass ing!tea by v s e i s i s pNo, 4, from which the Anson, 91 guns, successfully launched on was sucSaturday, and exa mining of the Caledoniaof 91 the frame , guns, about to be built on the s ame slip. Th e now gun vessel, , British frigate, of 51 guns of 6 guns, and t he on slips Nos. 1 and 2, wer e next examined, aft er which they proceeded on b o ard the new gun vessel Land rail, Commander Martin, no w fitting out i n b asin for the Coast of Africa, and inspected the general arrangements for the ventilation and comfort of the crew. After visiting the Spiteful, also fitting for sea, and the new gun vessels just received from the con tractors, the Board proceeded to inspect the factory, the several works on hand being explained by Mr. Atherton, chief engineer. The inspection of the dockyard gave great satisfaction to the Board, who 1 ,1".0 to express their great pleasure at f,to order and regul arity which appeared to pre.val in all parts of the establishment. After partaking of luncheon with the Commodore they repaired to the Royal Marine batracks, and were received by the entire division, who afterwards marched past, formed into columns of companies, reformed in line, faced about, wheeled into divisions of companies, saluted the colours, and retired to quarters. His Grace expressed himself satisfied with their appear ance and movements, which he informed the Com mandant were " very fair," and then proceeded to the ship gun-drill battery under the com mand of Captain Clavell, Royal Marines. On their Lordships' entrance into the battery, which strongly resembles the quarterdeck of a ship of the line, they were received with a general salute from the men, who consist entirely of young recruits, and who have only undergone nine days' drill. Notwithstanding their short experience, they went through a succession of great-gun drill with extra ordinary proficiency, manned the starboard and lar board sides with admirable expedition and a cool obedience to orders which called forth their Lord ships' constant approbation. The heavy guns were cast loose, lowered, pointed, and fired with the judg ment and experience of men long in the service, and sponged and reloaded without confusion. Their Lordships, on leaving the battery, desired Captain Clavell to inform his drill instructors, the non-com missioned officers under his charge, that they had remarked with much satisfaction the result of their energy and attention, and the aptness of their men, which conferred great credit on the establishment. The inspection of the barracks, library, &c., occupy ing an hour, the board proceeded to the Royal Ar senal, where they visited the Armstrong gun fac tory, through the whole of which department they were conducted by Mr. Anderson, the resident superintendent, and left for London at 6 o'clock. The screw steamship Donegal, 101, Capt. Broad head, was appointed to 'go up Hamoaze from the Sound yesterday (Wednesday) to have her defects made good. The screw steam gun vessel Espoir, 5, Comman der Douglas, was towed by the steamer Zephyr, Bond, master, into Ply mouth Sound on Tuesday, and placed off the Devonport Dockyard to have defects made good. The Trusty, 14, iron-plated floating battery, is still in dock at Chatham undergoing examination by the officers connected with the dockyard. The result of the survey up to the present time has been to discover that her timbers are in an exceedingly rotten state, and her bottom greatly damaged by the ravages of the marine insect. It has also been discovered that the interior has been very much injured by the great shaking she underwent from the concussion of the shot fired from the Arm strong guns during the recent experiments made upon her. It is not yet decided what will be done to her in the way of alterations and repairs until she has been inspected by the Lords of the Admi ralty at their visit to the dockyard this day. The following appointments were made yesterday at the Admiralty :—R. R. Hopkins, S. H. Scroggs, W. J. Mayne, G. A. F. C. Seebles, W. B. Inman, and R. J. M. Macleod, assist.-clerks, to the Marl borough, as supernumeraries ; T. A. Miller and J. J. Gormally, assist.-clerks, to the Impregnable. THE ARMY. His Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief returned from Portsmouth yesterday afternoon. During the two days' stay of his Royal Highness at Portsmouth, in addition to inspecting the troops quartered there, he also visited every point of the existing defences and those in course of construc tion at Hilsea, Anglesea, and Browndown. His Royal Highness also visited the crest at Portsdown hill, and inspected the sites which are now being marked out for the proposed forts for the defence and security of that important position. On the Duke leaving Portsmouth the garrison saluting battery fired 21 guns, and the Royal standard was hauled down from the different forts and bastions where it had been hoisted during his Royal High ness's stay in the garrison. The s6th (Royal County Down) Regiment ar rived at Portsmouth yesterday from Aldershott, and, embarking on boerd the hired steamers Foyle and Zephyr, sailed for Warrenpoint, for Newry, Ireland. The transport Aliquis, Capt. H. Scowcroft, be longing to Mr. G. Marshall of London, chartered by her Majesty's Emigration Commissioners, under directions from the Horse Guards, sailed from Ply mouth on Tuesday for Madras, with 21 married men, 172 married women, two lads over 12 years, 14 girls over 12, 94 boys between the age of 1 and 12, 91 girls between the same ages, two male and three female infants, making a total of 339 souls, equal to 3011 adults, P 9 computed by the Passen gers' Act, under the charge of Surg.-Superintendent William Arthur and Assist.-Surg. Gregory, aided by the services of a suitable matron, and a few married soldiers, who al act as constables du-ing the voyage. The passengers consisted of the wives and children of soldiers belonging to the 91st, 18th 43d, 60th (Rifles), 66th, 68th, 69th, 7tth, Royal Artillery, Ist Dragoon Guards, and 17th Lancers, now serving in India. Capt. Beard is the military officer in command. The Aliquis is the last ship engaged in this special service; she was despatched by Mr. J. B, Wilcocks. A series of experiments for the satisfaction of the Ordnance Select Committee has been made during the past week, in the Woolwich Arsenal marsh, with the important object of verifying the advan tages of a new electric target invented by Lieut. Chevalier, Ist West India Regiment. The target, instead of being made in one solid piece according to the usual method of targets, is divided into a number of parts, thus : bull's eye, centre, and two outers. The ranges of firing varied from 400 to 700 yards, and the instant the target was struck a needle on the face of the dial indicated with perfect accu racy which part of the target was hit. The spot struck was clearly visible from a distance by the indication of the needle, and obviated th• necessity of approaching the target, a circum stance which has been attended in many in stances with accidents and loss of life. The re sult of the experiments was so successful, and exhi bited advantages of such important character, that the Select Committee immediately ordered a num ber of the electric targets to be erected at Hythe and Aldershott, and in a report to the Secretary of State for War, they have strongly recommended their immediate adoption for all the purposes of rifle practice. The 61st Regiment of Foot, under command of Lieut.-Col. Rainey - , arrived at Plymouth on 'rues - day evening at half-past 7 o'clock. The regiment includes 659 men, 29 women, and 35 children, who are now quartered in the Western Barracks, in the Plymouth Citadel. AIi.II3VERTISEMENT.]—The difficulties and dangers of b rin&:ng up infants by hand or wet nurses have been en tirely overcome by Du Barry's delicious Revalenta Arabica Food, vrhiclifeeds and strengthens, and removes all those little pains and irregularities infants are so subject to. The following letter speaks volumes :—" Archdeacon of Ross, Skibereen. Grammar School, Stevenage, 16th Dec., 1850. Gentlemen,—l think it but common justice to you to state that I have used Du Barry's Revalenta Arabica for the last four months, during which time our infant has never had disordered bowels, from which it bad suffered much during the previous six months, whilst being nursed, though every care was taken to prevent it. Had I known of your valuable food sooner it would have saved my infant much pain, and me, also, the heavy ex pense of a wet nurse.—l a m , &c., Robert Ambler. ' Avoid Pills and Medicines : they invariably aggravate and perpetuate diseases ; their annoyance, disappointment, and expense may be avoided by using Du Barry's Food which, at a few pence per day, saves 50 times its cost in other remedies, removing effectually, without purging, constipation, indigestion (dyspepsia) nervous, bil ious an d liver complaints and all their conseptencee. Certificate No. 36,418. We find it the safest remedy. Andrew Ure, MD., F.R.S., Dr Harvey, Dr. Wurzer, Dr. Shorland, Dr. Campell. Let invalids avoid the fearful dangers of spu rious and injurious imitations offered under a variety of false pretences. Nevill's imitations are prohibited by th e high Court of Chancery under a penalty of £5,000 against Alfred Hooper Nevill and his agents ; and the pretences that Nevill has a patent for Arabica Food and that Du Barry's are connected with such patent are utterly false. No canister is genuine without the name Barry Du Barry and Co., 77, Regent-street, in full, on the seal and wrapper. Shopkeepers who attempt imposition in one article must expect to be distrusted in all others. Packed in tins 11b. t. 9d.; 21b. 4 s. 6d. ; 51b. Ils. ; 121 b. 225. ; 241 b. 40s. The of '. and 241 b. c an i s t ers are sent carriage free on receipt Post -office order by Barry Du Barry and Co., 77, Re gent-street, London; Fortnum Mason, and Co. ; Abbis, 60, Gracechnrch-street ;4, Cheapside ;63 and Ox ford-street ; 330 and 451, Strand ;49 and 60, Bishopsgate street ; Batty 16, Fi ns b ury Pavement ; Phillips and. Co, tea-dealers ; 'Petty, 'Wood, and Co King William-street, City; at 127, High Holborn ; milli grocers. GUN AND MORTAR BOATS. The Select Committee appointed to inquire into the circumstances which have caused the alleged defective state of a considerable number of the gun and mortar boats and vessels of the Royal Navy have agreed to the following report, published yesterday :- 1. Your Committee have examined the following wit nesses : Rear-Admiral Sir Baldwin Walker, K.C.8,, the Con troller of the Navy ; The Hon, Robert Dundas, the Storekeeper-General of the Nary ; Mr. 0. W. Lang, the master shipwright of her Majesty's dockyard at Chatham ; Mr. R. Abethell, the master shipwright of her Majesty's dockyard at Portsmouth; Mr. Luke, inspecting officer in the department of the Controller of the Navy ; Rear-Admiral Peter Richards, R.N., C. 8., formerly a member of the Admiralty ; Vice-Admiral the Right Hon. Sir Maurice Berkeley, G.C.8., formerly a member of several Admiralty Boards; Mr. J. T. Fletcher, of the firm of Fletcher, Son, and Fearnall, shipbuilders, Limehouso ; and Mr. John Laird, shipbuilder, at Birkenhead, both of whom built some gun boats for her Majesty's service in the years 1855 and 1856 ; Mr. Richard Green, of the firm of Messrs. Green and Sons, shipbuilders at Limehouse, who built some gun and mortar boats for her Majesty's service in the years 1854, 1855, 1856, 1859, and 1860 ; Mr. James Davis, foreman shipwright in the employ of Messrs. Green ; Mr. George Penny, foreman of sh;pwrights in her Ma jesty's dockyari at Chatham, who had been employed for one year and 10 months, from May, 1855, as Government inspector of the boats built under contract by Messrs. Green ; Mr. John Treleaven, foreman of shipw,ights in her Ma jesty's dockyard at Devonport, who had been employed, in conjunction with Mr. George. Penny, from October, 1855, until May, 1856, as Goveinment inspector of the boats built under contract by Messrs. Green; Mr. John Watts, foreman of ship , A.:ights at Portsmouth dockyard, and attached to Haslar ; 2. From the evidence given before your Committee it ap pears that, in consequence of the Russian war, there were built by contract for her Majesty 's service, between the years 1854 and 1857, inclusive, 286 gun and mortar boats and vessels, of which 58 were of i-on. 3. That under the specifications for these contracts which were prepared by the department of the Controller of the Navy the contractors engaged to build the wooden vessels "in a substantial and workmanlike manner, and with good, sound, and proper materials of every kind, to be approved by such officer or officers as should be appointed to super intend the same." 4. That to each private yard in which gun or mortar boats were built for her Majesty's service, a Government inspector was appointed to superintend the con sti action of the boats. 5. That a general supervision over the whole was exer cised by Mr. Luke, an officer in the department of the Con troller of the Navy. 6. That certificates of the inspectors were required as to the due fulfilment of the contracts before instalments were paid to the contractors, and that certificates of the master shipwrights at the Royal dockyards where the contract built vessels were delivered were essential to obtain for the contractors the final settlement of their cleims. It does not appear that in any case these certificates were withheld in consequence of any supposed breach of the conditions of contract. 7. That the multiplicity and variety of the duties per formed by the inspecting officer of the Controller's depart ment were such as to prevent his exercising anything be yond a very general superintendence of the vessels while in course of construction. 8. That the number of inspectors was so small in some of the private yards, in proportion to the number of vessels built under their inspection, that it was difficult for them to secure the due performance of the contract, considering the necessity that existed for the works being executed with the utmost possible despatch. 9. That by a paper (No. 1) deliveredin by Sir B. Walker, dated June 13, 1860, it appears that the vessels contracted for in 1854 were 53 in number, for which there wore rine Government inspectors; that in 1855 223 vessels were con tracted for, and that for these there were only 28 inspectors; that in 1856 there were 10 vessels contracted for, and that for these there were four inspectors ; and, lastly, that in 1859 32 vessels were built by contract, for which there were 16 inspectors. By paper No. 2it appears that there are 130 gunboats, either in commission, in the steam reserve, or hauled up at Hasler, and in good condition ; that 14 are at present under repair, and that the remaining 14 are waiting further inspection. 10. That it is manifest that the number of Goverement inspectors employed in 1854, 1855, and 1856 was quite in sufficient, for in the year 1!54 each inspector had from five to six ♦essels to supervise, and in 18:55 between eight and nine ; and it is stated in the evidence that the amount of work which devolved upon these inspectors ware so exten sive that it would have been utterly impossible for them to be entirely resnonsible either for the quality of the work manship or of the materials. And, in point of tact, it ewes not appear to have been the intention of the Government that the responsibility should rest exclusively upon their inspectors, or that by their presence the contractors should be in any way relieved of their responsibility either as to materials or workmanship; nor does it appear, from the evidence of the builders, Mr. Fletcher, Mr. Laird, or Mr. Green, all of whom offered themselves as is anesses, that they entertained such an opinion. 11. Sir Baldwin Walker informed your committee that it would have been impossible to augment the number of competent inspectors without seriously crippling the esta blishments in her Majesty's dockyards. 12. The evidence brought before your committee shows that a considerable number of the gun and mortar boats were found, on examination, more or less defective. In se veral boats unseasoned and sappy timber had been exten sively used, end in a few of them short bolts were driven, and some bolts were unclinched which ought to have been clinched. Nevertheless, highly improper and contrary to the stipulations of the contract as these departures from the specification undoubtedly were, the dockyard authorities have expressed an opinion that none of the vessels exa mined, except the two mortar boats, Nos. 30 and 32, that were broken, were actually unseaworthy. The Cherokee, Coquette, Caroline, and Mackerel are reported to be in the worst condition of all those boats examined up to this time. It is stated by the witnesses that these vessels, and all, indeed, .against which the most serious complaints have been made, were built in the winter, and in very bad weather, the men frequently working after dark, and that the vessels were planked and covered in while the timbers were wet. Under these circumstances, it is not surprising to ysur committee that decay should have appeared in many of these boats. 13. Defects, however, were discovered which reflect discredit upon those who were responsible for the proper construction of the vessels—viz., the presence of sappy timber, of unclinched bolts, and bolts too short for their re spective positions, all being breaches of the contract. 14. With respect to the fist of these there is discrepancy in the evidence. In some private building yards it is alleged that two descriptions of sap are recognised—viz., ordinary sap, and maiden or incipient sap, the latter of which some builders do not consider objectionable, whereas the officers of the Government yards proscribe any description of sap, not only as being objectionable in itself, but also as being contrary to the specifications for the contracts. 15. In this latter conclusion your committee concur, and indeed it would appear that the builders submitted to the frequent rejection of sappy timber by the inspectors, al though occasionally complaining to Mr. Luke, the inspec tor of the Controller's Department, of the severity of the in terpretation of the contract on the part of the inspectors. 16. As regards the second class of defects—vis., the use of short and unclinched bolts, this breach of contract can ma. L teo qoverely condemned. Year committee believe that it occurred at a time when a strong temptation was offered to the workmen to use any bolts that came readiest to hand, whether of the proper dimensions or not, partly owing to the supplies of bolts from the Admiralty coming in slower than the demand, and partly owing to the system in which the vessels were built in many of the private yards, —that is, by gangs of workmen taking portions of the vessels at piecework. It must be evident that as each workman's share of profit depended upon the time taken to complete the section on which he was engaged, the greatest induce ment existed to finish the work in the most perfect manner. 17. The manifest evils of such a system can only be met, if they can be met at all, by the most vigilant and rigid supervision ; and the evidence shows that there was net in some cases a sufficiency of inspectors and foremen. 18. It must be borne in mind that, at the time the gun and mortar boats were built, in 1854, 1855, and 1856, there was no possibility of constructing them in the Government yards, and that recourse was had to the private builders as a matter of necessity, although it was known that neither in their yards nor in the timber market was there an ade quate supply of seasoned timber ; and there is evidence to show that the stock of seasoned timber in the Government yards was too limited to admit of any quantity being sup plied to the contractors. The matter, however, was urgent, the services of these boats being immediately required, so that a degree of haste was necessary hardly compatible with sound and durable work; and, in order that no obstruction should be offered on the part of the Government to the punctual fulfilment of the contracts, the inspectors were in structed not to press too rigid a construction of some of the requirements. 19. Your Committee have to report that in general the gun and mortar boats were not built under cover, and that they were much exposed to the weather, so as to aggravate any original defect in the timber. Mr. Laird constructed roofs on purpose to protect the materials and workmen, and as yet no complaint whatever has been made against the vessels supplied by bim ; it would therefore seem desirable that on any future case of emergency of the like character a preference should be given to those builders prepared to construct the vessels under cover. 20. A bonus of 30s per ton was paid to the contractors who finished their work within a certain period, in cone- THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 20, 1860. deration of the great and unexpected increase in the wages they were compelled to pay to the shipwrights and other workmen employed on the Government vessels ; but the evidence shows that some of the builders still lost large sums of money by their contracts. 21. Your Committee directed their attention to the cause of the rapid decay which took place in some of the vessels. On that subject there is a great diversity of opinion among the witnesses. The Government master shipwrights who were examined and some private builders consider that it was unadvisable to haul them up on the slips at Haslar ; while Sir Baldwin Walker, Admiral Richards, Sir Maurice Berkeley, and Mr, Watts hold a different opinion; at the same time your committee have conclusive evidence from the latter witnesses that these gunboats could not have been taken for repair into the Royal Dockyard at Portsmouth without occupying space required for ships of a more im portant character, and that the slips at Haslar present the advantage of facilities for repairing defects and economising the room in Portsmouth harbour. 22. It certainly has not been proved to your committee that there is any great difference in the result of the treat ment in respect to the vessels hauled up and those kept afloat, with the exception of that portion in which elm tim ber was used ; and your committes are of opinion that it would be most desirable, whenever practicable, to keep up a ventilation through every part of the vessel, whether hauled up or afloat, especially when constructed under such ur fa vourable circumstances as existed in respect to the defective gun and mortar boats which have been under our conside ration. 23. Your committee are also of opinion that when the whole of the defects in the gun and mortar boats shall have been repaired they ought to be carefully watched, to prevent any extensive recurrence of dry rot, and that it may be fairly expected that these vessels will be a valuable addition to the naval force of this country. In conclusion, your committee would observe that, from the experience which late events have afforded, it seems important that the esta blishment of timber in her Majesty's dockyards should be increased, and a large supply kept in store to meet sudden and unforeseen emergencies; and would also recommend I that in the wording of all future contracts it should be dis tinctly specified that the timber, deals, and plank to be used in the building of vessels for her Majesty's service should be entirely free f-om sap or other defects. August 13, 1860. RAILWAY ENTERPRISE IN INDIA When for the first time Indian legislation is retrogres sive, and when the absence of Government threatens the extinction of half the European - capital in Bengal, we de rive new confidence from the two facts that it is non-official energy which has doubled the trade of the country and created a vast railway system in ten years. Since 1850 eight companies have been fohned in England to carry out ten separate railway projects in a country in which no finished material and no skilled labov7 exist, to which 800,000 tons of iron and 700 European engineers and work men have been sent. These projects involve a capital of nearly £53,000,000 sterling, of which not one million has been raised in the country to be benefitted by their execu tion. These companies have undertaken the gigantic task of opening 4,917 miles of communication at a cost compa ratively as low as that of the cheap American lines, through districts rich with the virgin wealth of centu ries, but hitherto separated by the impassable barriers of distance. In ten years they have completed a fifth of the work undertaken, and have so forwarded the rest that it will be finished in four years more. Engi neering difficulties have been encountered unknown to Europe, miles of quicksand and river have been bridged, and the steep ascents of mountain ranges have been climbed by the iron way. Science has triumphed over nature, and that in a land to which she was a foreigner, under a sky which to her votaries has too often been disease and death. Living as we do on the spot, looking only at local delays and official obstructions, remembering rash promises that were rolde in the infancy of Indian railways, and sad disas ters which would have been averted in 1857 had these pro mises been fulfilled, we have a tendency to undervalue the extent of railway enterprise in the East. But, if we look at the picture of it as I whole, drawn by Mr. Danvers, the secretary to the railway department of the India-office, we shall be astonished at its magnitude, and congratulate our selves on its present results. As we read his pages of figures and accurate statements of facts, imagination fails to grasp the full extent of the benefit which these £53,000,000 of English capital will confer on India. And when we re member that this capital is to be applied almost exclusively to trunk lines, that when they are completed branches will run out from them into every district, that there is no spot in the plains of India where a line will not pay, we may well pray for peace, that knowledge may be allowed thus to run to and fro and cover the whole land. The bas;s of trade as of the military seer -ity of India is a complete railway sys tem. We have so often described the progress of each rail way that we shall draw on Mr. Danvers only for a few of the more striking facts. Hls report is a complete history of railways in India up to the close of last year. Notwith standing the delays and destruction of material caused by the Santhal raids and mutinies ; in spite of the distance of India from England, the loss of materials on the way, the mortality among the European servants of the companies, and the difficulty in many cases of securing labour ; and in tb. farm .4' +l,-. 1 , 1 , the supervision and interference of Government, a committee of the House of Commons declared in 1858 that the construction of the In dian lines will bear favourable comparison Rath that of the English. The same remark is true of the cost of construe tien and the expense of working. The Indian companies have had no legal and Parliamentary expenses, while they have paid nothing for the land. The eight companies at present in the field having guarantees as to the interest on their capital are : East Indian, from Calcutta to Delhi, pith line to Jubbulpore Great Indian Peninsular, from Bombay to Finished. Total. 3761 1,338 Jubbulpore (with branch to Nag - pore) on the north, and to Moodgul on the south.. Madras to Beypore on the south-west, and to 3loodgul on the north .. .. 137 850 Sinde and Punjab, from Kurrachee to Ko tree, and from Mooltan to Umritsir Bombay, Baroda, and Central India, from Bombay through Surat and Broach to Ah medabad .. .. .. •• „ Eastern Bengal, from Calcutta to the Ganges at Kooshtee Great Southern of India, from Negapatam to Trichinopoly Calcutta and South-Eastern, to the Mullah River - 298 i 1,266 .. - 364 40 300, 109, - 80 Miles • • .. 852 4,917 In addition to these actually sanctioned, lines are being surveyed in Oude, and from Umritsir tc Delhi. Lines are contemplated front Kooshtee to Dacca and Darjeeling, from Delhi to Meerut and Mozuffernugt-er, from Nagpore to Madras, from the Trichinopoly to the Madras line, and in Rohilcuncl and Kunmon. The capitil estimated as re quired by the eight companiesis£s2,43o,Coo. On £34,133,000 ng ll7r r a e i n se te d e l d ast December. Though , and of that amount lo f27,07t 9 i , n 7 t l e 2 r e h s a t d h b a e s be e na c ctua shares can be registered here as well as in England, only £625,971 has been subscribed in India. The sum of £3,840,790 had been paid as guaranteed interest to the end of 1859, of which the three worbin t companies had re ceived almost the whole. Up to Jane last they had re paid £562,633. It is a most gratifying fact that while the East Indian had opened a seclon representing only £1,716,000, and had received interest on £13,000,000, its profits amounted to one-fifth of the sum paid for the gua rantee upon that whole. Reckoning the dividend of the three railways at 7f for the East Indian, 6 for the Great Indian Peninsular, and 3 for tb3 Madras line, both Govern ment and the shareholders ss ill be gainers. On the East Indian, fer instance, the former will gain 1i per cent., and the latter 6i, instead of 5, the guaranteed minimum. As soon as Government has been repaid the whole of its money ith simple interest the shareholders will receive the full per cent., or whatever is the amount. The whole num ber of English shareholders about 15,000. The cheap ness and vastness of Indian railways will be seen from a comparison with any of those in England, say tho London and North- Wes tet n. The direct lime from Calcutta to Della is just 1,120 miles, and will cost for a double line of rails 17,480 per mile. The railway which begins at Euston square is 6861 miles, each of which cost £50,000, or three times that of the former. As to speed in construction, the line of 121 miles from Calcutta to Raneegunge, the distance of the Great Western froze. London to Bristol, occupied just four years. As to engineering works, the waterway of the Jumna, Tense, Keeul, and Hullohur bridges is 9,150 feet, or twice that of all the Thames bridges from London to Westminster inclusive. There are no rail way works out of America to compare with the Soane, the Jumma, the Taptee, and the Nerbudda bridges, nor with the inclines up the Bhore and Thull ghauts. The total number of employes on all the three working railways is 737 Europeans and Christians and 7,708 natives. To the Indian Government, as to the public, the question of greatest interest is, when \sill these 4,917 miles of railway be completed. The political, commercial, and social inte rests involved in their termination are vast. A mutiny be comes impossible, the existing trade of India is doubled, , civilisation is advanced a century, and England brought nearer Calcutta a week. This report promises that the whole railway system will be complete in 1863. We do not expect it till the cold weather of 1864. We shall be content if the line from Rajmahal to Allahabad and Jub belpore is ready in the cold weather of 1863, and from Cawnpore to Delhi in that of 1861; if overland passengers from Calcutta can go via Madras and Beypore to Suez 18 months hence, and via Jubbulpore and Bombay in three years tiled a half. — The Friend of India. [ADvEnTrsEmENT.]—Holloway's PUN Air.—ln numerous occupations in which persons are daily employed these essentials to perfect health cannot be en joyed. Hence the many maladies which afflict the student, clerk, and artisan. Let all so suffering try the purifying pills. They s ill quicken the languid circulation, rouse any secretions which aro sluggish, expelall vitiated humours, improve the digestion, act as mild aperients, and regulate the whole animal economy. These pills prevent want of exercise and impure air exerting the deleterious influence over both mind and body. Holloway's pills are admirably well adapted to cure all cases of dyspepsia, hypochondriasis, and nervous disorders which make life a misery. By ex;• pelling all impurities they secure sound health and cheer- Waco. THE POPE'S "IRISH BRIGADE." The Pope is not happy in his appeal to the sword. Cialdini retains his good fortune, and pushes his successes. In a pitched battle under the walls of Ancona he has defeated Lamoriciere, and shattered to fragments that mercenary force which was the last hope of the Sovereign of the Pontifical States. Lamoriciere, whom the last accounts had described as seeking a junction with the Royalist Neapolitan troops, and threat ening a southward movement upon the Garibal dians, had appeared suddenly before Ancona ; Cial- diva accepted the offered battle, and the event has been that the African General was totally and entirely routed. Those bands, from whom so much was expected, seem to be of no avail what ever against the Sardinian soldiers. This fire-eating and pious soldado, who had fulminated such dreadful threats, and who was known to have done such strong deeds among the Arabs, has really done nothing in Italy which might not have been done by one of the College of Cardinals. With 11,000 men and the vigorous aid of tilt gar- rison of Ancona he has simply marched up to a signal defeat. He has been beaten upon his own ground, and upon a field of his own choice,—as fairly and as innocently beaten as a young ensign might be in his first skirmish. If Lamoriciere do not effect something better than this to justify the noise his name has made in Europe we shall soon begin to believe that he has been rated by compa ison with a different enemy to that with whom he now has to cope, and that he is only good to smoke out Arabs and drill Irish mercenaries. However, there must have been one other obsti nate fight, for the telegraph tells us that " the six hundred prisoners of war taken at Spoleto are Irishmen !" We have not yet received the account of the great battle. The struggle was, perhaps, so desperate and the carnage so tremendous that all hands are too busy burying the slain to spare time even for working the telegraphic wires. Spoleto is, of course, a mass of ruins, only there is no one just now at leisure to tell us the fact. Spoleto was famous for her defences. She gave the first repulse to Hannibal, and emblazoned the boast upon her gates. But what could that fight with Hannibal fresh from Thrasymene have been to that last scene which has been so curtly yet so fully described in the sentence we have above quoted ? " The six hundred prisoners of war taken at Spoleto are Irishmen !" What compression there is in this laconic phrase ! How it opens out into a thousand details as we meditate over it ! The comparative anatomist looks upon the tooth, and the whole creature becomes shaped forth in his mind. NV e look upon this telegram, and we ask ourselves what must have been the preceding circumstances to such an event as is here chronicled. What noise and bloodshed does this result involve ! We remember that the " Irish" of whom this telegram speaks are the high heroes who went forth, inflamed by reli gious zeal, to champion the rights of their Holy Father, and to trample out the discontent of his rebel subjects. These heroes were a mixture of the swash buckler and the saint. They were fighting Irishmen, eager to cut the throats of Italians, and pious Irish men, hoping for Heaven and good pay for their pains. All Ireland looked to them with pride, and the Pope and his Cardinals sheltered themselves under their shadow. Now, that the Sardinians should have made six hundred of these heroes pri soners involves all the antecedents of a tremendous fight, enduring so long that, after seeing all their comrades fall around them, the remainder of the sacred band, fatigued with slaughter, must have sunk down exhausted under the pressure of over whelming numbers. What brave deeds have been done for the honour of Old Ireland ! How bright the valour of the Irish will shine among the nations ! How ardently other distressed tyrants will now bid for such a profitable and stedfast guard! Although all elsewhere is going wrong, although Lamoriciere has been routed before Ancona, and guns, arms, and generals are among the spoils, yet there is a resting place of satisfaction in the desperate gallantry of the noble Irish who have made the defence of Spo leto, if disastrous, still illustrious. We must have a statue erected to Ireland's Own Papal Brigade, and especially to these six hundred. There is a precedent in it. Mercenaries are not generally thought to have much to do with glory or with honour. When they are paid their wage of blood, and when they earned it by the animal courage of the hound, whose instincts they imitate, accounts are quit between hirelings and master. But even low qualities may be intensified into grandeur ; and when our English tourists go splash ing up the little back paths to look at the Swiss Lion at Lucerne there is an inclination among them to believe that even foreign hirelings who died at their post, and disdained to surrender or retreat, de serve an honourable memory. It would be an in sult to the braggarts of the Irish people—who. as distinguished from the Irish people themselves, have been the powerful promoters of this Papal Brigade—to doubt that the actions of the Irish at Spoleto have been at least equal to the devotion of the Swiss in Paris. So let us set about getting up the statue. If a site be wanting Mr. Smith O'Brien will perhaps be able to negotiate the pur chase of the cabbage-garden of that lone widow. Since the telegram flashed the fact of the great Irish captivity upon this metropolis its inhabitants have, of course, been impatient for further news. Some sanguine Irishmen have insisted that the whale thing was but a ruse ; that 600 Irishmen, in any Sardinian camp, were enough to turn it inside out, and that they would even yet be heard of march ing to Rome, after dispersing the Sardinians and Garibaldians, and with Cialdini and Garibaldi in their train as prisoners. Other very different and very distressing, not to say impossible reports, are dropping in while we write. It is even averred that there is no account of any great carnage to be re ceived, that there are no deeds of Irish heroism to be recorded, that these heroes, blessed by the Pope, and relied upon for desperate fighting, gave in without anything worth the name of a fight, and have all been taken in a heap, huddled up together like so many of their own pigs. There are most unpleasant rumours that these our compatriots, white men of our common country, have behaved no better than as many Hindoos, and that these 600 fellows are all sound in skin and quiet captives to a few Italians. This, if true; is very vexatious. We knew they were going out to disgrace us. It can not but be a blot upon the fame of a free people that cutthroats have gone out from among them to serve as the instruments of despotism. We knew we should have to endure this reproach ; but we never thought that 600 Irishmen could be picked out, even from the refuse of the population, who, be the cause what it may, would surrender without a fight. The Sardinians are treating their prisoners with a contempt whieh seems to favour the idea that they obtained them without much trouble, and that they do not reckon the captivity of 600 of the Pope's Irish as an achievment. Cunning Count Cavour tried to make a favour to Eng land of giving up these valuable acquisitions to the British Minister ; but Sir James Hud son dirt not think that these ehopfallen heroes came within the definition of " distressed British subjects" whom it is part of his duty to help to wards their homes. They are the Pope's soldiers, not ours. We never had any Irish in our service who behaved with the cowardice these men have shown, or who have so softened under the tuition of their priests. But then, indeed, we never sought out the class of Irishmen fit for the work to which these were destined. So ends the Pope's Irish Brigade. It Is a a; grace. The couniry must feel rather as a family fees when a mauvais sujet whom they knew to be a ruffian turns* out also to be a sneak. Six hundred men ought to have made a fight for the Pope after taking his money. Much as we hate their cause, we have a natural interest in their pluck. They had no right to go abroad and disgrace the name of a Briton in that respect. We all expected at least some good rough fighting from them. Perhaps, however, we ought to have known better. Human creatures who could have been got together for such a cause must have been the offscourings of the island which gave them birth. They could have had no confidence in each other, or in their cause, or in their leaders. Ireland, brave, loyal, and sound-hearted Ireland, proud in the memories of a thousand battles, where shoulder to shoulder we have together gained renown, can well afford to look without much emotion upon the shame of these outcasts. But we wish she had not paraded them before Europe to her own and our discredit. If there is no market in Europe for such services as they can render, the best thing they can now do is to steal back to their homes and hide themselves ; they will serve as a warning to their neighbours against temptations by recruiting priests.—Times. [ADVERTISEMENT.] Pills and medicine invariably ag gravate and perpetuate diseases ; their annoyance, dis appointment, and expense may be avoided by persons in indifferent health sending only their address to E. S. Barry, Esq., 77, Regent-street, W., London, and they will receive gratis and free by post the " INVALIDS' OWN GUIDE," or Natural Restorer, without medicine or ex pense, of perfect digestion, strong nerves, sound lungs, and refreshing sleep, to the most enfeebled, insuring the removal of indigestion (dyspepsia), constipation, liver complaints, nausea, epilepsy, paralysis, debility, nervousness, palpitation, cough, asthma, consumption, dropsy, flatulency, diarrhoea, dysentery, biliousness, fevers, sore throats, catarrhs, colds noises in the ears, rheumatism, gout, impurities, eruptions, hysteria, neuralgia, irritability, sleeplessness, acidity, palps, tation, heartburn, headache, despondency, cramps, spasmi sinking, fits, rtuelittio,—"UnquestionablY the safest Oulde, to health.'.! CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT, Sept. 19. OLD COURT. (Before Mr. Justice Byles.) THE COLNEY HATCH LUNATIC ASYLUM INQUIRY. Wm. Slater and Wm. Vivian were charged with the manslaughter of Wm. Swift. The evidence for the prosecution appeared in The Sun of yesterday. Mr. Metcalfe proceeded to address the jury for the prisoner Slater, and in the course of a very able speech he said that the charge against him was one in itself of a very extraordinary character, and it was sought to be supported by evidence equally extraordinary, viz., that of two lunatics ; and he expressed his confidence that no jury would feel themselves justified in convicting two respectable men of felony and ruining their prospects for life upon evidence of such a character. He called their attention to the facts, and remarked upon the vio lent character of deceased, and the probability that he had received the fatal injuries in the struggle with the warder Gann upon the occasion when he made the desperate attack upon him. He observed that the occurrence was proved to have taken place in what was called the refractory ward, which was inhabited solely by violent lunatics ; and he asked the jury whether anything could be more likely, supposing they should not believe the fatal injuries were received on the Wednesday, than that some act of violence might have taken place among the lunatics themselves, during which the deceased, who was proved to have been a quarrelsome, violent man, might have received them. It was, he said, admit ted that the witnesses were liable to delusions, and he urged that, for anything that appeared to the contrary, the tale they had told about the violence used by the prisoners to the deceased might be an entire delusion. Mr. Robinson also made an eloquent speech to the jury on behalf of his client. He went over a good many of the topics that had been urged by the other learned counsel, and particularly called the attention of the jury to the fact that they were asked by the prosecution to convict the prisoners of this serious offence upon the evidence of witnesses who were under no moral or legal re sponsibility, acknowledged lunatics, who could not be indicted for perjury, even if it was proved that they swore never so falsely, and who were in fact utterly irresponsible for the consequence of the evidence they had given. Mr. Justice Byles, in summing up, said the case was undoubtedly one of very great importance to the public generally, to the unhappy persons con fined in these asylums, and also to those who had the charge of them ; and he then called th• atten tion of the jury to all the important facts bearing en the inquiry, commenting upon them with the greatest impartiality as he proceeded. The jury, after deliberating a short time in the box, retired. They were not absent more than a quarter of an hour, when they returned into court and found both prisoners Not Guilty. There was a slight attempt at applause when the verdict was pronounced, but it was speedily re pressed by the officers of the court. NEW COURT. (Before Mr. Justice Blackburn.) Wm. - Williams was indicted for the manslaughter of George Mitchell, and Wm. Henry Walker and Wm. Davis were indicted for aiding and abetting in the commission of the offence. _ _ _ Mr. Orridge prosecuted ; Mr. Thompson and Mr. Ribton defended Walker, and Mr. Lilley and Mr. Best the other prisoners. It appeared that the deceased man and the pri soners were fellow-workmen, and some quarrel having taken place between the deceased and Wil- Hams, they agreed to fight for £1 a side. They met on Sunday morning, Aug. 13, at Battersea, where, after fighting for half an hour, during which both men were much beaten, the prisoner Williams was declared the winner. The deceased went home and laid down upon some chairs, and never spoke. He laid for two days in that state, and upon an examination of the body it was found that death had resulted from the injuries received in the fight. The prisoners Davis and Walker who had attended the fight and acted as seconds, when they heard the police were inquiring into the matter, went to the station and gave themselves up. The Jury found Davis and Williams guilty, acquitting Walker, and added that they did not think the case a very serious one, and recommended them to mercy. Sentence deferred. CLERKENWELL.—RIITURNING FROM THE MATCH FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE THAMES. —James Spaing, aged 36, an ivory turner, with a large profusion of beard and moustache, residing at 3, Norman's-buildings, St. Luke's, was charged be fore Mr. Corrie with being drunk and indecently assaulting' Mrs. Laura Hassell, in Goswell-street, St. Luke's. The complainant stated that bite was returning home from a juvenile party last night when the prisoner stopped her, called her his dear, and raised the whole of the front of her dress. She remon strated with the defendant, and would not have given him in charge had he begged her pardon, but he was very impudent and said he never begged pardons from persons who belonged to goose clubs —(a laugh)—and he was not a tailor. (A laugh.) Police-constable 'rubbings, 183 G, said he took the defendant into custody, at which time he was not drunk but the worse for beer—(a laugh)—he was rather gone. (A laugh.) . The prisoner, in defence, said that he had been to the regatta and was rather the worse for liquor. He was very sorry and would apologise. Mr. Corrie fined the defendant £3, or in de fault 14 days' imprisonment. The fine was paid. WANDSWORTH.—DARING ROBBERY AT THE EX-CHA➢IPION'S.-A young man, dressed in dark clothes, who gave the name of Edward Fanninge, and described himself as a costermonger, was charged with the following robbery at the house of the ex-champion of the Thames. It appeared from the evidence that the Bells Tavern, Putney, kept by the renowned Henry Kelly, was crowded on Tuesday evening, after the boat race, and while Charles Kelly, the brother of the landlord, was standing in front of the bar, the prisoner, who was being watched by Smith, a con stable in plain clothes, raised one arm to conceal the working of the other, and then put his hand into his (Charles Kelly's) waistcoat pocket. He withdrew it very rapidly, and before the constable could seize him he put his hand behind him and dropped some money on the floor. The prosecutor charged him with robbery, upon which he said, " Don't make a mistake—it might be somebody else." He, however, afterwards said, " Will you forgive me if you find your money ?" He was taken to the station when the constable found upon him two white pocket-handkerchiefs, one being marked with the initials " C. G., 4." The prosecutor said that he had between ss. and 6s. in his pocket about five minutes before, as he had given change for some ale. He afterwards re covered a portion of it, but a florin could not be found. The prisoner, who denied the charge, was re mended for inquiries. LAMBETH.—THE SCHOOLMASTER AT HOME.— Mr. James Hoare, a cheesemonger, carrying on an extensive business at No. 2, Surrey-place, Kenning ton-cross, appeared before Mr. Selfe to answer to a summons charging him with assaulting Mr. William aeorge Tvvitcnzu, t.h.s proprietor of a highly-respectable school, No. 24, Harleyford street, in the same neighbourhood, by spitting in his face. _ _ Mr. Twitchin said that for some time he had teen in the habit of dealing at the shop of Mr. Hoare, and in the end owed him a balance of 305., and for this amount he summoned him to the county court. An order was made for its payment, and while it was being discharged he (the witness) was subjected to the greatest possible annoyance by messages being publicly delivered at his school to the effect that if he did not pay the rest he should be sent to prison. By some mistake or other, in the last instalment, Bd. was left unpaid, and the consequence was a repetition of the former annoy ance. He told the boy who delivered the insulting message that if the balance was not paid immedi ately he should be sent to prison, he could scar ce l y suppose that he came from his master with s uc h a message; when the boy said that he did, and th at he should continue to come until the balanc e was paid. The balande, if anything, being only eight pence, and that the result of error, and the b oy having repeated that his master had said h e s h ould se nd him again, he, under the temporary feeling, exclaimed, " Your master is an impudent, ignorant, di r ty butterman," and the lad went away. In alarmeddoknnagll was heard about ahalf thestreet an r hour eet after door, which h l i o e u h d ocki .c o , r he found inmates, and on going to the of his presenting pupils. the defendant there, who, on h himself, spat in his face in the presence? The defendant also sidled up to h . clenched, and in a very menacing . un ni . (Mr. Twitchin) felt from the ositio a n n h n with his fists he held el b d ut th. h a e t h h i e m c , o a u n ld d ndoetteernnateirneindtoonapugilistic. encounter with appealing to the law for pron. A t ect io solicitor, on the part of the defendant, asked the . complainant if he w gong further into the matter,o ul d withb e satisfied, anao g without apology Mr. Hoare. Mr. Twitokin re pl ied that he should be satisfied _ - with an apology, and also with the defendant's be ing bound over to keep the peace. Mr. Selfe observed that this would be mach the best way of settling the matter, and Mr. Hoare having expressed his sorrow for what he had done, and entered into the necessary securi ties, the summons was dismissed. FRIGHTFUL DEATH. Yesterday a very lengthened investigation took place before Mr. Langham, deputy-coroner, in the board-room of St. George's Hospital, respecting the circumstances attending the death of James Hol land, aged 60 years, who was in the employ of the Imperial Gas Company, and who lost his life by inhaling some foul gases while working at a new main being laid down at St. George's-place, Knights bridge, and at which, also, a boy named Dennis Carrol narrowly escaped. Thomas Page, a pipe layer, said he was at work on Friday last in laying down the new gas main in St. George's-place, Knightsbridge. He saw the deceased, who was a pipe joiner, go into the pipes, accompanied by a boy named Carrol, carrying bags of cement, &c., for the purpose of cementing the inside joint. Aont six o'clock he was called by another man, w h o sitated that he had heard cries for help issuing from Ow pipes, and, believing the deceased and the boy were in danger, he at once entered the pipes, and after going up them for about 180 feet he found the de ceased lying on his side in an almost insensible con dition, and about 24 feet higher up was the boy in a similar condition. With the assistance of others the deceased and the boy were taken out of the pipes, and conveyed to the hospital. In answer to the coroner witness further stated that the pipes were about three feet in diameter, and that when he entered he detected no smell of foul gas, and could not account for the state of the de ceased and the boy. Several other witnesses corroborated this testimony. Dennis Carrol said, he assisted the deceased on Friday last in cementing the inside joints of the pipes, and was his general labouring boy. They entered the pipes shortly after 3 o'clock. After being there for some time, he (witness) was suddenly overcome by a. strong smell of gas, and complained to the deceased, who said, " I think we shall be suffocated, Dennis." He (witness) and deceased then tried to make their escape, but had not gone far before they both felt down, but witness had just strength left to call for assistance. They were about 180 feet up the pipes, and when endeavouring to get out the candle by some means was extinguished, and they were left in total darkness. The Coroner having summed up, the jury, after a consultation, returned a ver dict, " That the deceased died from accidentally in haling some foul gas while engaged at work in the new main ;" but the jury recommended that for the future those overlooking the work should not allow the men to go higher up than six joints, as they considered the distance the deceased went dange rous and unnecessary. COUNTRY MARIBTS. LYNN-SEPP. 18. A fair supply of new wheat to-day, most of which was out of condition, and prices for good fresh qualities were is per qr above former rates. Old in good demand, and is to 2s:higher. New barley 38s to 425, according to quality. Old beans limited, and is up. Old white 58s to 62s I Old red ..53s to 60s New white 54s to 61s 1 New red... ..50s to 56■ SHEFFIELD-SiaT. 18. At to-day's market the supply of wheat was moderate. No reduction in the price of old wheat, but new slightly declined. New oats declined 6d per qr. Other kinds of grain and flour unchanged. Red wheat, per load of 3 imperial bushels...22s 6d to 231 6d White ...258 Od to 263 Od __— New red 1 If --- a Od to—s Od New white „ 1 9 • -s Od to —s Od Beans /9 // l9s 6d to 21s 6d Peas, per qr 48s Od to 62s Od Grinding barley, per qr 33s Od to 36s Od Malting ditto, „ 34s Od to 374 Od Oats ?) 2BB Od to 34s Od Millers' prices for flour-2s 3d, 2s sd, and 2s 7d per 141 b. HULL-SEPT. 18. At our market to-day there was a moderate attendance, with a fair supply of old English wh ea t, w hi c h c h ange d hands at about 2s advance. New samples in very bad con dition. New foreign wheat sold at late rates. Barley, oats, beans, and peas met with a good demand, at former quotations. Wheat.... Old white.... per qr 63s Od to 67s Od Old red New white .. ~ New red .... ~ Dantzic, Konb , &c. old white 53s Od to 66. Od Dutch, Belgian, and French. 53s Od to 64s Od Baltic and Hamburg, red St. Petersburg and Riga, old 451 Od to 49s Od Barley.... English malting 3Ba Od to 439 Od Grinding 3ls Od to 37s Od Saal and Oderbruck Holstein and Danish 34s Od to 38a Od Grinding Oats .Englis h , old _ 26s Od to 30s Od _ _ Ard‘,.. 6 !,1 ~,,a P;ffo, rm at Os lid to Mid Friesland and Dutch OBl4 d to Oslbd Swedish and Danish OBl4 to 03140 Beans ....English, old, per qr ' New pigeon 44s Od to 458 Cd New tick. 43s Od to 44s Od Egyptian 3Bs Od to 4,0 s Od Peas Foreign breakers ,_, Grinding Tares .... Spring Indian Corn Linseed, feeding • 52s Od to 54s Od crushing Linseed cakes (Hull) Foreign BlO oto 9 0 0 Rape cakes 5 5 oto 510 0 _ _ _ Bones 5 0 oto 5 7 6 ED/NBURGII GRAIN—Sm. 19. Imports of foreign grain are small. A fair business was done in old foreign. Spring corn also in better request. Wheat on the top 2s Od up average 3s 9d up. Barley on the top 2s Od up .average is ld up. Oats on the top is Od down. average Os 6d up. Beans sold at 44s 6d per bushel; weight, 641 b. COAL MART (feces of Coal per Ton at Walls End. I :ET—SErT. 19. the dose of the market.) Walls End. Haswell .... Lambton 19 9 Kelloe Stewart's 20 0 Auckland Park..i ....17 6 Ships at market, 8 ; sold, 7. THE MAILS. MAILS DUE. Australia, Ceylon, and Mauritius (via South ampton) Sept. 18. Do. (via Marseilles) Oct. 13. Brazil and Cape Verds .. • • • • Oct. 5. Buenos Ayres, Monte Video, &c. .. • . Oct. 5. Bahamas and Havana (via New York) .. .. Sept. 27. Canada, &c. (via Galway) • • • • . • Sept. 22. Cape of Good Hope, &c... • • • • • • Oct. 1. China, Penang, (via Marseill es) S ept. 26. g , and Singapore (via S'ampton) Sept. 18. D o , Gibraltar (via Southampton) Sept. 18. India (Calcutta), Ceylon, &c. (via Southampton) Sept. 18. Do. (via Marseilles) Sept. 26. India (Bombay), (via Southampton) .. .. Sept. 25. Do. (via Marseilles) .. Sept. 19. Lisbon Cuba ........ Sept. Sept. 21. Aden (via Southampt on ).. S ept. 18. o. (via Marseilles) .. Sept. 19. Vi g o, and Oporto .. • • Sept. 21. U n it e d States, California, &c. .. • • .. Sept. 27. Malta, Egypt, and M andio9 • : Sept. 28. Western Coast of Africa, Madeira, Teneriffe .. Overd ue . W es t Indies and Pacific, Carthagena, Cuba, &c. Sept. 28. DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.—A fire broke out on Wed nesday morning in some extensive tea warehouses at Exeter, occupied by Messrs. Dinham and Wilcocks, merchants. The fire raged for three hours, and completely dp.trayed the back part of Lb,. g romwes. A very large Quantity of tea, coffee, ezo., was spoilt and damaged, and the loss sustained is heavy. The property was insured. BIRTHS. CURRY.—On the 17th inst., at Chettle-lodge, Blandford, the wife of Capt a i n D ouglas Curry, of H.M.S. Aboukir, of a son. DATIS.---OR the 19th inst., at 38, Clapham-road-place, the wife of Alfred Downes Davis, Esq., of a daughter. GREY.—On the 18th inst. at at Cheltenham, the Rife of Lieutenant-Colon e l Grey,. 85th Light Infantry, of a daughter. MARRIAGES• _ CAND LER . — .TEMPLE.—On the 18th inst., at Marylebone Church, E ugene . son o f Th oma s W. Candler, E sq. Rose Cottage, UPper Lewisham-road, it pat, and o f hof a_ liter-street, London, to Selina, only survivin g daughter of the late Rev. Ebenezer Temple, of Rochford, Exeter. WESTHEAD—T'OURDRINIER.—On the 18 th lust. at Trent Vale Church, Staffordshire, Thomas C. Brown last., of Highficld House, Barlastone, youngest son Qt . J. p . BrownWesthead, Esq., M.P., of Lea Castle, Worcester.. shire, to Marian, fourth daughter of George Fourdrinier, Eeq., of The Villas, Stoke-upon-Trent. DEATHS, at Loeser Hall, aged 4 ts o n " Coare, Esq., solicitor, near Shrews bury,_Grand, Veayitree, Exeter. Kings Bench-walk, aged 34, eldest son of G. Coare, o lk ' il f ° t n h t e - I l e 7t h inst, Henry Hurst, Esq,, second son c E o u 4A u i t 'r E o ._R . — ist O e BURTON, — O n the the eßluBr l tt 4 hot Burton, i i n n og s t :. q : . w, Leadcnhall-street, and of - 1 c o N. aged 29. Highbury place f H u o E f i s t I s q lr -r . JENNINGS.—On the _:F7th inst., at Rockferry, Cheshire, il --4 liarn Hurst, Ea% of 6, Thomas Jenvings, Zsq., forpaerly of Shrewsbury, aged 71. • Mood.—On the 1812 inst., suddenly, at Bristol, Jnmes Mogg, of Fahnouh, aged 65. RlTso.—On James Ritso, the lth inst., at R anisgate, Frederick Henry Elq. LONDON : Priced and Publb3hed by MURDO YOUNG, of No. 112, krand, Printer, at The San DfUe:e, No. 112, strand, i n i t ePreeizot of the Savoy, in all eouney Middlesex, lleXredilifs September 29, 1900, ;