The Sun. — London, England, 1849-01-29 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE. COURT OF CHANCERY, Jan. 27. THE ROYAL ETCHINGS. PRINCE ALBERT V. STRANGE AND JUDGE. The arguments in this important case were resumed by Mr. Russell on the Lord Chancellor taking his seat. Mr. Rolt followed Mr. Russell in support of the appeal of Mr. Strange from the order of Vice-Chancellor Knight Bruce, refusing to dissolve the injunct ion g ranted against the appellant. Mr. WARREN, who followed Mr. Roll, for the appel lant Strange, said, that he would confine his arguments to those points of law applicable to the case, which came within the province of that p art of the profession to which he belonged. The statements in the bill and its prayer raised questions of great moment respecting the jurisdiction of courts in res p ect to the p ro p ert y that a man had in the labours of his own brain. A parade had been made that Mr. Strange had submitted to that part of the injunction restraining the exhibition of the etch ings; but the reason that he had so done was, that such restriction was, as far as he was concerned, non ad rem; he had only had one of them in his possession, which he returned, and as for the other 63 or 64 he had never seen them. Then, with respect to the catalogue, the Vice-Chancellor had gone a great way indeed in grant ing the present injunction without giving Mr. Strange an opportunity of haring his legal title investigated by a court of common law; the more so as his Honour in his judgment had not stated that it was not a fit question for a court of law. The de cision of Lord Lyndhurst in the case of " Spottis wode v. Clarke and Phillips" had clearly defined what ought to be the rule of this court "in regard to cases of this description. His Lordship there stated that where the question depended upon a legal right the title must be very clear indeed for the Court to interfere by in junction before sending the case to law, as great injustice might be done to the defendant if it should afterwards turn out that the plaintiff's view of the case was an erroneous one. The same principle had also been laid down by his Lordship in a later case of " Rigby v. the Great Western Railway Company." There could be no foundation for the interference of this court except on the ground of property ; and yet the bill might be searched through in vain for an allegation that his Royal Highness Prince Albert claimed any property in the catalogue, or even in the particular copies of the etchings described in such catalogue. In addi tion, there was no charge in the bill that the pro perty of the plaintiff in the etchings, even if he had any, would be injured by the publication of the cats louge, or that the etchings themselves or the catalogue were of any value. With respect to the charge of fraud, the statements in the bill did not go to the extent of saying that Mr. Strange had obtained his information by any improper means, and it was therefore quite con sistent to infer that he had gained it bona fide, although the source from which it came might be tainted. It was extremely painful to have to argue a case of this kind, were the parties concerned were of such exalted station, but it was his duty to submit to the Court all the points of law bearing upon the subject. The whole proceed ings, most likely, were offensive to the royal personages insstasted, and it ;was much to be lamented that they should be so annoyed; but the answer of Mr. Strange contained a solemn disclaimer on his part of any in tention to cause such pain, and a declaration that the instant he discovered the exhibition would be dis tasteful to her Majesty and the Prince he determined to abandon it. It might be asked, what, then, could be the reason that Mr. Strange sought to annul the injunction? The answer was, that he had a character to maintain amongst the members of his own trade in London and the public, and could not, therefore, sit down quietly under the imputation that he had sur reptitiously ,obtained possession of his information. In the next place the allegations in the bill were, that some of the etchings in question had been done by her Ma jesty, which, he would submit, was no assertion of the plaintiff's having any property in them; for, by the sea tate 3d and 4th Victoria, chap. 2, sec. 3, it was enacted that the husband of her Majesty should not, jure mania, gain any interest in property belonging to her Majesty, but that the same should continue her own. And yet the injunction covered the whole of the etchings men tioned in the catalogue, which was too extensive, as the plaintiff ought too have have discriminated which were . his own property. The real question, however, was, had the plaintiff any property in the copies possessed by Judge, or in the catalogue? If he had, there was no such allega tion in the bill; nor was there any statement that the cata logue itself was of any value, although at the bar it had been urged that it might turn out to be extremely valu able if her Majesty thought fit to present it to any charitable institution. Could the conclusion, therefore, be drawn from the pleadings, that the legal title of the plaintiff was so clear as to justify the Court in abstain ing from submittinc , it to the usual ordeal of a trial at kw? The case of the appellant was, that no such clear 'title could be inferred from the bill and affidavits. Another point relied upon by the other side was, that privacy was one of the most valuable ingredients of right • annexed to property; but he would submit that it was only an accidental adjunct to property, to which the owner could not lay exclusive claim. The Learned Counsel referred to the cases of " Martin v. Wright" (6 " Giles v. Wilcox" (2 Atk.), and others, as proving this proposition, and also that the bona fide abridgement of the literary work of another person could not be restrained by injunction. He now came to 'the effect likely to be produced by the publication of the catalogue, and in no part of the pleadings was it stated that it would prove injurious to the plaintiff. It must, therefore, be presumed that it was of an entirely innocent character; and there was no reason for the interposition of the Court on the score of viola tion done to private feelings. In point of fact the cata logue, on the contrary, was of a most eulogistic charac ter. The appellant had proved that the catalogue was . the,emanation of his own brain, and the Court could only interfere with it on the assumption that the defen dant had no property in it, and that the plaintiff had. Now, could such a state of things be presumed? As well might it be said that a person, who happened to be in a shop when another person was purchasing a variety of articles of vertu, could be prevented from disclosing the fact and nature of such purchase. " Chandler v. Thomp son" (3 Camb. 82). Taking it for granted that the pub lication of this catalogue would be a source of displeasure to the plaintiff, that was not sufficient to give jurisdiction to this Court to interfere by injunction, for his Lordship did not sit as censor morum to punish parties for doing an injury to the feelings of others. If an injury were so sustained that the law could take cognisance of; the only remedy was in a court of common law. " Gee v. Pritchard " (2 Swanston), and the case of v. Sherward," in " Merivale's Reports," were then referred to and commented upon. If the Court did take upon itself to interfere in a question of this sort, it would be called upon in every similar case brought before it Hereafter—and, without doubt, there would be many such if such a precedent were once established—to in quire how far such a publication might be offensive to the feelings of the plaintiff. This would be an entirely pew jurisdiction, and one very difficult to be carried into operation. Lord Eldon had said that courts of law and equity should be kept as distinct as possible, and yet this would be an assumption of the functions belonging to the courts of low, if there could be any remedy for such a grievance. He would, however, deny that there was any remedy by action for the mere deprivation of plea sure, and consequently none for the violation of a per son's feelings. " Aldridge's case " (9 Coke, se, A). In looking at the judgment of the Vice-Chancellor, be could not help being struck by the confusion therein of law and equity, and equity and ethics. It appeared ns if this Court would admit of the argument eel verecunsliam, which seemed to him quite a novel plea. In conclusion, he trusted that the injunction would not be sustained, as it rested upon no legal base, but only upon a matter of feeling and character. He was well aware of the onerous nature of his Lordship's public duties, and hoped that he had not trespassed too much upon his valuable time. These, however, were not times to introduce any variation into the laws of this country, and he felt assured that the illustrious person ages interested in this case would willingly bow to his Lordship's decision if it should be opposed to their views, which he confidently expected it would be. The LORD CHANCELLOR here observed, that the por tion of the injunction restraining the exhibition of the impressions had been submitted to by the appellant, and yet he claimed the right of publishing the catalogue of those identical impressions. None of the arguments had been addressed to this point, whether the Court, having prevented the doing of a certain act, would allow the iublic announcement of the party's intention to do that net. It appeared to him that the catalogue was prepa ratory to the exhibition, which had been restrained ; and that it was connected with and ancillary to such ex- Jiibition. The catalogue even stated that every pur chaser of it would Jbe presented with a fat simile of her Majesty's autograph or of Princeto wsuch a statem en t Albert's, with th e i r permission ; ought the Court .r? __o to be put before the public, wnich could not be carried ' into effect, the more so as the appellant had admitted that he had no right to exhibit the articles named in the catalogue ? He made these observations as the attention of the appellant's counsel did not seem to have been directed to the point. Mr. S. Ssirrir was the fourth counsel who was heard for the appellant, and said that the cause , now under consideration seemed to have been anticipated by that of " Miller v. Taylor" (4 Bur. 1,056), which proved that there could be no property in ideas. Some of the observations set forth in the catalogue had appeared in the newspapers of 1840, and yet the injunction went to the entire catalogue, which rendered it almost impossible of being carried into effect. The injunction proceeded upon the supposition of a breach of trust, and yet the relation s betwee n the plaintiff and the person injoined, necessary to support such an order, had not been made out. If the re had bee n a breach of t rus t it h a d been committed by a third part y, a n d t h e appellant was in no way connected with it The injunctio n was also bad, as being too extensive in covering all the impres sions of the etchings named in the catalogue, whilst it . was admitted by the plaintiff himself that only a portion of the etchings were his own property. It was his duty to separate those which belonged to himself from th ose white were the property of her Majesty. Under these circumstances the injunction ought to be dissolved. The Loan CHANCELLOR, at the conclusion at the ap pellant's case, said, that he would proceed with the motion on Monday. The Solicitor-General, Mr. Sergeant Talfourd, and fir. W. M. James, will then be heard for Prince Albert. COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, Jan. 27. (Sittings in Banco.) HOARE v. DIXON. This case, in which a rule had been obtained to show cause why further proceedings . should not b e s tayed until the payment of costs in a former action, came on for argument to-day. The CHIEF JUSTICE said he had received a letter this morning from the plaintiff (Miss Hoare) which ho handed to his clerk, refusing himself to read it, and he told him that it related to a matter now pending in this court. It was exceedingly improper to send a private communication to a Judge upon any case coming before him in his judicial capacity. Mr. Justice MAULE—I suppose we have all been fa voured in the same way.—(Laughter.) J received one, and read a little of it, but saw quite enough, indepen dent of the impropriety of sending the communication, to show me that I was not compelled to i end the rest. Mr. CARTER showed cause against the rule. He was furnished with an affidavit of the plaintiff, stating that the costs in the former action, amounting to 4081. 10s. had been paid to the defendant or his attorney by the Royal Naval Benevolent Society, and that no sum was now due to him by her. She also stated that the action was not proceeded with in consequence of her solicitor neglecting to instruct counsel in time, and to get the at tendance of the necessary witnesses. The Learned Counsel stated that the payment by the society was good, that it mattered not from whom the money came, provided the debt was satisfied, and that therefore the defendant had no right to complain. On these grounds, and also on the ground that the merits of this case were substantially different from those of the former action, he contended that the course now taken by the plaintiff was not vexatious. The CHIE7 JUSTICE said it was a recognised prin ciple in Westminster Hall, where a party failed on the merits of the case and withdrew from the decision of the jury from a conscientious conviction that it would be adverse to him, and brought a second action on the same grounds, that the Court would, on application, stay further proceedings until the costs in the former one had been paid. The defendant was secretary to the Royal Naval Benevolent Society, to which the plaintiff had ap plied for assistance, and the action was brought upon certain communications he had made to it respecting the right of her claims for relief. The case came on for trial, when she elected to be nonsuited on the merits, which were precisely similar to those in the present case. The defendant had been exposed to a demand of 4081, which was enough to ruin many persons, and it therefore appeared to him and his Learned Brethren that the second action was vexatious and unjust. There was no pretence for saying that, because the society had paid the costs, the action having arisen out of the proper discharge of his duties, the plaintiff was discharged from the debt. The Court were, therefore, of opinion that the rule ought to be made absolute. Rale absolute accordingly. HOARE V. DICKENSON. This was an action brought by the same plaintiff. The CHIEF JUSTICE said there was no substantial difference between this and the preceding case, and was, therefore, of opinion that the rule ought to be made absolute. The other Judges concurring, the rule was made absolute. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. GUILDHALL. James Glyn, a well-known thief, living in Field-lane, was placed at the bar for final examination, on the charge of cutting and wounding Thomas Bresnahan, alias Brown, also a well-known thief, under the follow ing circumstances: — Police-constable Elgar, 85, said, that while on duty on Tuesday morning last, about two o'clock, he was passing the White Horse public-house in Fann-street, Goswell street, when he saw the prisoner and a number of other persons of the lowest character in front of the bar, quarrelling. He went in and told the landlady she must clear the house, and at the same time ejected the prisoner, who returned into the house. He then again turned him out, as well as the wounded man, and they commenced fighting. Just previous to the fight he ob served the prisoner put his hand into the right hand pocket of his trousers, and also noticed that ho kept the left hand still, and used the righ t only. He parted them, when Bresnahan exclaimed, "By G—, he has been and knifed ;" and he then saw blood flowing down his face and neck, upon which he at once took the prisoner into cus tody, and afterwards conveyed the complainant to Mr. Child's, the surgeon of the police force, who dressed his wounds, and he was then taken home. He saw the wounds; one of them extending along the neck under the left ear, about four inches, and the other under the cheek bone, and it appeared as if it had been inflicted by a blow struck upwards. On the way to the surgeon's he imagined the man must have lost a quart of blood. Police-constable 153 said, he was in company with the last witness, and conveyed the prisoner to the station house. He afterwards returned, and found the knife produced—a small penknife—lying on the pavement, covered with blood, at the spot where the fight took place. Thomas Bresnahan deposed that he was in the public house in question when the prisoner entered, and for a quarter of an hour he never spoke to him, until he inter fered with some one else. Witness told him ha had no right to interfere any more than himself. After drink ing a pint of beer he left, and, on arriving outside the door, a girl made use of some bad language, upon which he said that if he could get near her ho would slap her face. The prisoner immediately turned round in a fight ing attitude and struck him; before he could return the blow he was struck a second time, and then felt as if some hot water was thrown over him, but on looking at his hands he found them covered with blood, upon which he turned to some man and said, " By G—,;he has done for me, he has stuck me with a knife." He was after wards examined, and had his N./clads dressed by the surgeon, and then went home. Mr. G. B. Childs, surgeon to the police force, said, I examined the wounds of the last witness, about half-put two o'clock on Wednesday morning. He was very faint from loss of blood. I found that he had received a punctured wound in the left cheek, about one inch in length. It was over the radius of the lower jaw, and ex tended to the bone. There was also another wound coming from behind the left ear to the front of the throat. It was superficial, but I consider it most im portant as it was situated over the jugular vein and the carotid artery. In my opinion, it is a clear ease of at tempting to cat the man's throat, which only failed from the bluntness of the instrument used. Had it been sharp the man would have died almost immediately. The prisoner's defence was, that it was an old grudge. The ALDERMAN committed him to Newgate for at tempting to murder the prosecutor. WORSHIP-STREET. A young man named Thcmas Ivorg, the son of an ex tensive florist in one of the suburbs, was placed at the bar before Mr. Hammill, charged with the following violent highway robbery:— The prosecutor, a shipwright in the London Docks named Peters, went upon a pleasure excursion on the 26th ult., accompanied by his mother, brother-in-law, and sister, and on their return they all stopped at a public-house in Old Ford-lane to procure some refresh ment. There they stayed some time enjoying themselves, and the prisoner, who was there also, but a stranger to their party, perseveringly forced himself upon their at tention, and ultimately, upon their leaving the house at nine o'clock, insisted upon accompanying them part of the way hone, more particularly attaching himself to the prosecutor, whose arm he persisted in taking. I❑ this manner they walked until they reached a desolate part of the road on the edge of Victoria-park, when his brother-in-law left him to protect the women, who had gone in advance, and the instant he had done so the pri soner turned fiercely upon him, and, telling him he was determined to have his watch, grasped hold ef the chain, which he tugged so violently that it broke, and left the watch i❑ the prisoner's hand. The prosecutor attempted to recover his property by soiling and struggling with the prisoner, but was struck down by a terrible blow under the ear, and left in a state of insensibility, during which the prisoner effected his escape. How long he rem3ined senseless he could not tell, but he at length became conscious of his relatives feeling about for him on the grass in the dark ; and upon recovering he was in such a state of debility that ho was obliged to be supported until a cab could be procured to carry him to the police station, at which ho gave such a description of his assailant as ultimately led to his ap prehension. When called upon for his defence, the prisoner ear nestly protested his innocence, declaring that he had gone straight home after leaving the prosecutor and his friends at the door of the house they had been staying at, and that he had never before been in custody for any offence in his life. The prosecutor's brother-in dew, however, likewise swore positively to the prisoner's identity, mentioning several facts which could leave no doubt about it; and a man named Wilkins, who had formerly been in the police force, proved that in October, 1847 the prisoner was in custody upon a charge of felony, for which he wa• subsequently arraigned and convicted, and sen tenced to a lengthened term of imprisonment in Ilford gaol. The prisoner upon hearing this became instantly silent, and, the depositions having been taken, he was fully committed to Newgate for trial. SOUTHWARK. Robert Duncan, Mary Duncan, and Pierce Wall O'Brien were brought up before Mr. Cottingham, for final examination, charged with conspiring to extort money from the London and North-Western Railway Company by pretending that they had been severely injured by an accident on that railway k they were also charged with defrauding the Eastern Counties Railway of 701., by pretending that O'Brien had lost a valuable carpet bag on that line; and with obtaining 651. from the proprietors of the unfortunate Cricket steamer, by asserting that they were injured by the ac cident on board that vessel. The prisoners were fully committed for trial for the conspiracy against the North-Western Railway. Mr. COTTINGI II3I offered to take bail for Mary Dun can's appearance at the sessions, and Darke (a witnes s ) was committed, in default of finding sureties, to attend and give evidence. Maria Ann Wright, Rosina Carter, and Henry Davies, three well-known characters, were brought befora. Mr. Seeker, charked with committing a murderous assault on Mr. F. Bellinger, a French merchant carrying on busi ness in Gracechurch-street. The complainant, who seemed very much knocked about, stated that on the previous evening he dined with some friends at Camberwell, and on his return home he met with a woman named Newman, and wont into a public-house near the New-cut. While drinking at the bar he saw the prisoners, who seemed to be acquainted t with th e woman w h o accompan i e d him. A little after two o'clock h e went w i t h N ewma n to her lodgings in White Horse- s t ree t, w h ere h e undre'sed and went to bed. About five o ' c l oc k h e was aro used by some parties breaking into the room,towar towards him. looking The womenrou n d hesaw the prisoners rushemptied his pocket s and stole his purs e , cont a i n ing a sovereign, while the male prisoner pulled him out of bed and beat him in a most unmerciful assistance, and i n a f e ciful manner. He called out for w s minutes a policeman came up to prisoners. him and secured the ers. Ho had been drinking a little, but was quite positive his purse when he ente re d the house, the money was safe in Police•constable 196 L said, lir Z . in question a little after fi ve o'clockatshat passing morning,the housewhen he heard a scuffle in the first floor front room. He lis tened, and heard some parties beating another, when he instantly procured the assistance of another constable, and entered the house. After some difficulty they suc ceeded in entering the room in which the prisoners cv, when he perceived the prosecutor lying on the fl uor , quite naked and covered with blood. He was speech less, but pointed with his hand that the prisoners were behind the door and under the bed. lle seized Davies, while another conatitble secured the ()thus. Police constable 67 L corroborated the last witness's testimony, and added that he found the prosecutor's purse on the stairs near the door. A sovereign was found on Davies, who struggled hard to get away. In answer to the charge, the prisoners denied stealing the purse and money. They were drunk when they ar rived home, and were exasperated at seeing a stranger in the room. They were committed for trial. GENERAL ORDER AND BOARD MINUTES RELATING TO THE REVISION OF lIER MAJESTY'S DOCKYARDS. THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, JAN UARY 29, 1849. throu , h them in one coroinulus line, when entc,ring or le,vine; th- H.r.,1, The ticlo-ts. v.ltet , en by the b posited in boxes kept by the leading men, and the heads of the different trades to which the men belong, at their respective working places; and these boxes are not to be re-•opened until the ten minutes' bell, for dining, or quitting the yard,has actually begun to ring. The super intendent is to take care that the muster galleries are opened at the same time, and not sooner; so that the men, having to take up their tickets at the ship's side, and then to deposit them in the muster galleries, will not leave the yard before the time intended by the re gulations. H. G. WARP. NO. Y.-SUPERINTENDENCE AND WORKING STRENGTH. Baring fixed the working strength of the yards, my Lords have also considered the amount of superinten dence, and they see reason to believe that it consider ably exceeds the legitimate wants of the service. The whole of the evidence collected by the committee of revision proves that a leading man may take charge of 20 men as easily as 15, which was the number fixed by the " Dockyard Cirular" of February 27, 1847; and my Lords are consequently pleased to direct that the yards shall be new shoaled in March next, and the size of the gangs increased from 15 to 20, including appren tices, 10 men and boys being placed under each leading man, and three leading men under each inspector. This will make a reduction of 51 leading men out of 219 now employed in the dockyards; but as men who have earned their present situation by passing the ex amination required cannot be deprived of it without in justice, ray Lords desire that, after superannuating such of the leading men as are no longer fit for active duty, the intended reduction in the number of the remainder shall be made by filling one vacancy in two, leaving the extra leading men, for the time, at the disposal of the master shipwrights. At Deptford, where no promotions have been made under the new system, the reduction will take place im mediately, the extra leading men being reduced to their tools after the yard is re-shoaled, with the promise that they shall be noted for the first vacancies. My Lords also consider that the present number of inspectors is larger than the new distribution of labour will warrant; and they are, consequently, pleased to re duce eleven inspectors —seven of shipwrights, and four of joiners, as will be shown by the printed forms of the new establishments. My Lords are also pleased to reduce eight foremen : —One at Woolwich, one at Chatham, one at Sheerness, two at Portsmouth, two at Devonport, and one at Pem broke. The master shipwrights and master shipwrights' as. sistants remain unaltered. H. G. WARD. NO. VI.-MORNING MEETING OF OFFICERS. My Lords, desiring to secure a prompter co-operation between the different departments of the dockyards, and to afford to the officers in charge of them more frequent means of communicating immediately with the superin tendent, are pleased to direct that a morning meeting of all the principal officers be held at 9f A.M. precisely in each dockyard, where the orders for the day aro to be read in the presence of the superintendent, or of the officer next to him in rank. My Lords desire it to be understood that at this meet ing any principal officer may make personally, and pub licly, such suggestions to the superintendent as he may think necessary for the better conducting of his depart ment, or for the more prompt execution of the particu lar duty assigned to him, which under the present sys tem he can only do by a written communicatio n , p ass i ng through the superintendent's clerk; and where two de partments are concerned in the same order, the superin tendent will have the means of satisfying himself that it is properly understood by both. My Lords see reason to believe that many misunder standinge and delays will be put an end to by this ar rangement; b u t, i n carr ying it out, the sup er i n t en d ents will recollect that their first duty is punctuality, not merely because the officers should not be kept from their duties unnecessarily, but because the regularity of their own attendance will serve as the measure of that of the dockyard. H. G. Went). NO. TIL-QUARTERLY MEETIN3 FOR THE DEMAND OF STORES. The progressive increase of the vote for stores, which has risen from 426,9581. in 1835, to 1,694,1521 in 1846 7, and has averaged 1,524,0321. during the last three years, has called for the most serious consideration of the Board of Admiralty. My Lords are aware that a large proportion of this increase may be ascribed to the purchase of machinery for the steam navy, which amounted, in 1846-7, to no less a sum than 450,0001., and to the growing consump tion of coals, which reached 108,1801. in 1847-8. But they are also convinced that there is room for much greater economy in the use of stores, and that this will be best enforced by making the superintendents respon sible both for the demand and the expenditure, over which at present they exercise no direct or personal control. The storekeeper of each yard now receives, at the commencement of every quarter, from the professional officers, the "demands" for their respective departments, and calculates his own by the quantities remaining in store of the principal articles required. But these calcu lations are very loosely made. The " demands" are not formally brought under the notice of the superintendent, nor does he consider it a part of his duty to ascertain, be fore transmitting them to Somerset House, whether there may not be on hand, " repairable" articles fit to supply their place. aMy Lords are, therefore, pleased to direct that the professional officers shall make their "demands" upon the storekeeper on the sth day of the first month of each quarter, and that on the 7th, or on the following day, if the 7th be a Sunday, the superintendent shall hold an estimate board, to be attended by all the principal offi cers, at which the demands of each department shall be discussed and settled. The result is to be communicated at the usual time, and in the ordinary form, to the Store keeper-General, who now receives on the 14th, and 21st, of the first month of each quarter, a return of the quan tities of each article in store, and of the probable wants of each dockyard (Forms No. 162 and No. 163); but the superintendent is to communicate directly with the Board of Admiralty, and to state that the demands for the quarter have been duly considered at the estimate board, and do not, in his opinion, exceed the legitimate requirements of the yard. In those dockyards where there are factories or metal mills a separate statement of their " demands " is to be made at the estimate board by the chief engineer, and not departed from, when sanctioned by the superinten dent, with due reference to the work in hand, and to the probable wants of the ensuing quarter, without the special sanction of the board. For my Lords ascribe to the novel, and unforeseen, demands of th e f ac t or i es th e growing under vot e N o . 10, upon t h e stan di ng 7 9 6 . in " c 8 contracts,wlhe4iBc7sh has risen f rom 6 , 3 35 1 . in 1846, to 4,, , and to 54 , 0004 in the first six months of the present financial ye ar . My Lords are also pleased to direct that, in the super intendent's quarterly return, the storekeeper of the yard shall insert the money value of the stores demanded, as well as the quantities, so that it may at once appear whether the demand for the quarter exceed its fair pro portion of the Parliamentary vote. An account of the works in progress,' and of the pro bable expenditure upon them, should also be laid before the superintendent, at the estimate board, by the officer in charge of works ; and the certificate of the audit of the wages for the preceding quarter is to be made out, and transmitted, at the same time; so that each of these quarterly meetings will present a complete epitome of the progress and requirements of the yard. A record, or register of the proceedings of the esti mate boards is to be kept by the superintendent's clerk, and to be submitted to the Board of Admiralty upon its annual inspection of the dockyards, it being their Lord• ships' intention to examine closely into the manner in which these instructions have been carried out. H. G. WARD. NO. VIII.-MONTHLY RETURN S OF EXPENDITURE OF CIRCULAR TO HER MAJESTY'S DOCKYARDS AT HOME. Admiralty, Jan. 25, 1849. Sir,—l am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to transmit to you a series of minutes, numbered from 1 to 26, and a sheet containing the new establishment of the dockyard under your superinten dence, as about to be submitted for the approval of her Majesty in Council. The minutes embody such of the recommendations of the committee of revision, which has recently ♦isited the dockyards, as my Lords have been pleased to sanc tion, and they are to be carried out simultaneously in all her Majesty 's home establishments on the Ist of April next. The first five minutes regulate the future working strength of the dockyards, the admission of apprentices, the hours of labour. the mode of muster, and the present amount of superintendence, which my Lords believe to exceed the legitimate requirements of the service, and which it is, consequently, their intention to reduce. My Lords will themselves decide upon the proper mode of effecting this reduction, and transmit to you further in structions upon that head. The four next minutes (No. 6 to No. 9) assign fresh duties to the superintendents, the object of which is to secures _ _ 1. A prompter co-operation amongst the different de partments of the dockyard ; 2. A proper check:upon the:" demand" for stores; 3. A proper control over their expenditure; 4. A proper audit of the large payments made an nually for wages; — all of which it is their Lordships' 'desire to bring more directly under your control. The discharge of these duties will impose upon you some additional responsi bility; but, to meet this, my Lords have armed you with additional powers, and they are satisfied that they require nothing from you that is not indispensable to the good management of the great establishment at the head of which you are placed. The minutes numbered from No. 10 to No. 14 relate principally to the charge of stores; but there are two of them—No. 10, which places all returned stores under the charge of the store receiver, and No. 13, in which you will find instructions with regard to the general survey ordered to commence on the Ist of April next, to which lam directed to call your especial attention, as my Lords must look to you for many of the preliminary arrangements which are necessary to carry their wishes into effect. The rensaindear of the minutes refer to separate sub jects, with regard to which the orders given are suffi ciently explicit to render comment unnecessary ; but they all form part of that system of improved economi cal management which my Lords desire to see enforced in the dockyards. You will pay particular attention to the new modo of keeping the accounts, which is to be adopted in the fac tories, metal works, roperies, and other manufacturing establishments under your orders; to the introduction of the ten hours' sj stem of work into the smitheries; the steady application of the principle of partial measure ment ; the improvement of the inspectors' day-books; the better division of labour; and, above all, the prompt and effectual remedying of those defects in the pre sent arrangements for the receipt and stowage of timber, which the committee of revision has pointed out as the great source of unnecessary expenditure in her Majesty's dockyards. My Lords are perfectly aware that improved economy depends much less upon the written rules laid down by the Board of Admiralty than upon the spirit in which those rules are carried out by the superintendents and the principal officers of the dockyards. But, after a very searching inquiry, they have thought it advisable to lay down certain new regulations, which seem to them calculated to remedy obvious defects, and to give a re gular, and uniform action to all the parts of the exist ing system of management. They trust that you will use wisely the authority thus confided to you, and im press upon the minds of all under you the fact, that the only way to disarm the jealousy with which the grow ing expenditure of the naval yards is ♦iewed, is, to sa tisfy Parliament, and the country, that these great na tional establishments are conducted with the same regard to economy,—the same honest desire to make promotion dependent upon merit,—and the same scrupulous atten tion to those minute details of management, upon which the loss or gain of a manufacturing establishment de pends, that in all private enterprises have constituted the secret of success. I have the honour to be, &c., Jan. 25. 1849. H. G. WARD. P.S. The form of the monthly return adverted to in No. 8, having been revised and altered in the store keeper-general's department, will be transmitted next week. ORDER, AND SUBJECT, OF MINUTES. ESTABLISHMENT.—No. 1. Establishment of yards. No. 2. Apprentices. No. 3. Working hours. No. 4. Muster by tickets. No. 5. Superintendence, and working strength. SUPERINTENDENT'S NEW DUTIES.—No. 6. Morning meeting of officers. No.i7. Quarterly estimate board, for demand of stores. No. 8. Monthly return of store expenditure. No. 9. Audit of wages. STOREI.—No. 10. Returned stores. No. 11. Revision of store establishment. No. 12. Standing contracts. No. 13. Triennial survey. No. 14. Annual visit of storekeeper- general. GENERAL ARRANGEMENTS.—NO. 15. Mode of pay ment. No. 16, Manufacturing establishments. No. 17. Smitheries. No. 18. Measurement. No. 19. Reduction of one measurer at Sheerness. No. 20. Inspectors' day books, and returns by leading men. No. 21. Burnetti sing process. No. 22. Superannuation. No. 23. Re sorting hemp. No. 24. Arrangements for the receipt and stowage of timber. No. 25. Timber inspectors. No. 26. Division of labour. NO. L-ESTABLISHMENT OF YARDS. My Lords are pleased to direct that the number of shipwrights now employed in her Majesty's dockyards be reduced to 3,500; and that corresponding reductions be made in the other branches of skilled labour, accord ing to the scale now in use for regulating the Propor tions between the shipwrights and other classes of artificers. A printed sheet, containing the future establishment of each yard, which my Lords hare fixed with due re ference to the programme of building, and repairs, pro posed by the surveyor for the next five years, will be transmitted with this minute; and my Lords, having al lowed all vacancies from superannuations or deaths to remain unfilled since August last, in the anticipation of those reductions, which are not to take place until the commencement of the next financial year (Ist April, 1849), they are willing to hope that the pressure upon the working classes will be greatly alleviated by these precautions. The superintendents will take care to hold a general survey of the yard in the month of March, and to re commend for superannuation those who are unfit for ac tivo service, retaining the younger and more vigorous men, who must otherwise be discharged. H. G. WARD. NO. IL--APPRENTICES. My Lords have taken into consideration the number of apprentices admitted of late years into dockyards, as compared with the number of shipwrights. They find a perfect unanimity of opinion as to the ad vantages of filling all vacancies iu the yards by young men brought up in them, not only because of the habits of subordination which they acquire there, but also on account of the excellent education that they are now receiving. . . But, on the other hand, my Lords are satisfied that the entries of the last seven years greatly exceed th© an nual vacancies by death, or superannuation ; and they are, therefore, pleased to reduce the establishment of apprentices in each yard by one-sixth of the number of shipwrights, in lieu of one-fourth ; and the entries in the present, 'and each subsequent year, to one-seventh of this reduced ;establishment, which they believe to be amply sufficient to provide for the wants of the service. This will give to— Established Apprentices. Annual Entry. Deptford 6 Woolwich 75 ... 11 Chatham 76 ... 11 Sheerness 63 9 Portsmouth ... 135 19 Devonport ... 125 ... 18 Pembroke ... 66 ... 9 My Lords conceiving that it would be at once unjust and uneconomical for the public to take charge of boys up to the ago of 21, and then discard them, propose to provide f or t h e apprent i ces com i ng out of their time during the next five years, by a hired list, under Order in Council, to be composed entirely of those apprentices, and to cease when they are placed upon the establish ment. This privilege, however, may be forfeited by misconduct of any kind; and the selection of apprentices tor establishment will be decided by the board, not by seniority, but with due reference to the recommenda tions of the superintendent and the master shipwright. 11. G. WARD. NO. lII.—WORKING HOURS. bly Lords are pleased to direct that from and after the Ist of March next the working hours in all the dock and victualling yards shall be regulated by one unfurm scale, which is to be as follows: NEW SCALE OF WORKING HOURS IN ALL HER MAJESTY'S DOCKYARDS AND VICTUALLING YARDS. Bell rings Gates close. lien rings. Gates close. 5 m. before Dec. Ito Jan 30 7'45 11'50 1.10 4.15. February Mar. Ito Oct. 30 7 . 10 11'50 110 61)0 November 7'25 1154 1.10 5.15 H. G. WARD. NO, IV.—MUSTER BY TICKETS. Nly Lords are pleased to direct that the Chatham sys tem of muster by tickets be adopted in all the dockyards, from the Ist of April next; and they have desired pro vision to be made in the estimates for erecting the ne• cessary buildings for the ticket tables, the muster gal leries being so placed as to admit of the men passing STORES. My Lords having provided for a more regular " de mand " of stores, are desirous to introduce some addi tional check upon their expenditure. At present, this is by no means a satisfactory state, for, although the check upon " issues " is complete, no stores being issued, however small the quantity wanted, except upon an " issue note," signed by a foreman, or by the head of the branch, or trade, for which the stores are required—which " issue notes" are sent daily to the superintendent's office, and checked by his clerk into what is termed the " abstract sheet," and from the " abstract sheet " into the ledger—still these minute precautions are not turned to proper account, the total monthly expenditure of stores not being officially shown, or its progress so traced that at the close of the year, when an excess has occurred, my Lords may at once acertain where and with whom the responsibility rests. My Lords are, therefore, pleased to direct that a monthly return sh a ll be prepared in the superintend ent's office, embr a ci ng all the principal articles of ex penditure, with a view of ascertaining to what extent they exceed or fall short of the parliamentary vote. All the materials for this return exist already, for the issue notes, when entered in the ledger, are " totalled" monthly, after being converted into money by the rate book now in use; and a balance is struck quarterly in the receipt ledger, the difference between " issues" and " receipts" constituting the " charge" for the ensuing quarter; and the results thus obtained are entered in two " Expense Books" (No. 316 A, and No. 316 B), the one for the " Cost of Ships," and the other for " Yard Services," from which again the annual returns $8 and 89 are compiled. My Lords can foresee no difficulty, therefore, in fill_ ,in up, monthly, th e f or m of return herewith transmitted ; and they conceive that it will have the double effect of bringing the whole expenditure of each yard under the eye of the superint en d en t, at short and stated intervals, and of enabling the Board of Admiralty, whenever an excess appears, to check it by demanding tim e ly expla nations. 11. G. WARD. wages paid in th N e O. d i o x :ya w r A ds ° , Es a . mounting to near My Lords find that the exclusive responsibility o f t h o 800,000 L a y o a r, now res ts with the p storekeepersayulisstt7 without anys, check the of the ab s edockyards,absentees, and whose prepare cl er the k s a ttend weekly t 3 h , e musters, inquiry being made, either locally or at Somerset House, into the manner in which these accounts are kept, and without even the semblance of a subsequent audit. My Lords can only regard this system as iiananomaly unprecedented in th e pu bli c s ervice. In considering the remedy that mi g ht b e b est a pplied to it, they feel th a t c w o h n i t l r e o i l t o N t 7 t huel d A b e e c d o e u s n i t r a a n b t Gleteonnerirani, the inconveni ence o f transmitting such a mass o f vou chers, weekly, to So mers , t g . the dockya r d wages, like every other ite m o f nava l expenditur?, under the di rec t House, the inqui r i es t h at t h e y' w ould give rise to, an d t h e correspondence to which those inquiries would lead, present insurmountable obstacles. They prefer, therefore, a local check, the inquiry being immediate, and, where error is detected, the remedy always in the hands of the proper authorities; and they are consequently pleased to direct that in each dockyard an experienced clerk shall be transferred from th e store k ee per's departm en t t o the I office of tho superintendent, whore he will ossist in teliticut, pa,s neo , un - ; widlout 6atis.y%llg himself that the sums paid aro those really due, and that no error or irregularity has been committed. At the end eaeh - quarter the superintendent will transmit a certificate to the board, stating that the ac counts for the preceding twelve weeks have been exa mined and passed; and the accountant oo deputy Ac countant• General of the Navy is to visit the dockyards once a year, and to examine the manner in which the wages account is kept, directing such changes to be made as may appear to him to be desirable, either in the form of the account or in the vouchers. My Lords believe that the uniformity of practice, and a proper check upon the expenditure in wages, will be more speedily produced by this mode of proceeding than by any regulations that they could lay down at present; and they are, consequently, pleased to direct that a let ter be written to the Treasury, requesting its sanction to the increase of establishment proposed, and recapitu lating their reasons for considering it indispensable. H. G. WARD. NO. X.-RETURNED STORES. My L)rds are pleased to direct that the receipt of all " returned stores" shall be placed henceforward under the responsibility of the store receiver, assisted, as in other cases of receipt, by proper professional officers, to be selected, upon his application, by the master ship wright. An article charging him with this duty is to be added to the dockyard instructions ; and in this, the store receiver is to be directed to call the attention of the Board of Admiralty, through the superintendent, to those ships, from which the largest proportion of stores is landed in the best state, as well as to those in which neglect and wastefulness are apparent. H. G. WARD. NO. XI -REVISION OF ESTABLISHMENT OF STORES. My Lords are pleased to direct that the " establish ment" of stores in the dockyards shall be revised, and a list made out of all such stores as have become obso lete, and may in future be dispensed with. 11. G. WARD. NO. XII.-STANDING CONTRACTS. My Lords also desire that all standing contracts be opened to public competition, upon due notice, at stated intervals, not exceeding three or four years. Whenever this is done, the fullest information is to be given to the contractors as to the average quantities of each article required annually during the previous contract, my Lords considering that the uncertainty of the liability tends, at present, to enhance the prices. A new rate book of the value of stores is to be pre pared for the use of the yards, or the present rate book is to be revised, and to be corrected arinu: - lly, by the aid of the most recent contracts and of the price current, which is to be supplied weekly to all the storekeepers. H. G. WARD. NO. XIII.-TRIENRIAL SURVEY. My Lords having considered the present practice in the dockyards, with regard to the charge of stores, con cur with the committee of revision in thinking that the amounts given by the storekeeper's ledger should be checked, periodically, by actual survey. My Lords are aware that the heavy expense with which surveys have hitherto been attended has in duced successive Boards of Admiralty to limit them to a charge of storekeepers by death, or removal. But, on the other hand, they see that no private establishment could go on for eighteen or twenty years without taking stock, and they ascribe to the want of a similar regula tion in her Majesty's dockyards both the discrepancies that have universally arisen between the results of the survey, when held, and those given by the ledger, and the want of proper economical arrangements for the stowage and preservation for timber. A periodical survey will force upon each superin tendent the necessity of seeing that the whole of the timber, thickstuff, and plank under his charge is pro perly class -d and stacked, and the quantities duly re corded, or he will be held justly responsible for the delay caused by his neglect of these precautions. There will then be no difficulty in making the survey by the help or the timber-inspector's register, in which the marks cut upon the butts of each piece of timber, when received, are to be entered, and the surveying officers will only have to ascertain that the quantities in each stack correspond with those registered, or when timber has been drawn from the stack or shed, to note the differences between the remainder and the original entry. My Lords are therefore pleased to direct that a general survey be held in all the dockyards, of timber, and every other article in store, to commence on the Ist of April next; that its duration be limited to three months —pro vision being made in the estimates for this purpose. That the superintendents in each yard be directed to make the most strenuous exertions during the ensuing quarter, and before the establishments are abated, to prepare the yards for this purpose, by bringing the stores, and particularly the timber, into better order ; and that the storekeepers be instructed to begin the sur vey in their own departments, when their stocks are lowest, by calling in the aid of the store receiver, and be informed that the results, when certified by him to the superintendent, will be considered as the datum line, from which the general survey will begin. Another general survey will take place on the Ist of April, 1852, and once in three years from that time forwards, and my Lords expect that the superintendents will give every facility to the introduction of the new system, which my Lords believe to be essential to good order, to sound economy, and, consequently, to the best interests of the naval service, by so shaping the arrange ments of their yards as to make them correspond with the change now ordered. H. G. WARD. MODE OF CONDUCTING SUR-VEY. The storekeeper-general is to prepare, and submit to the board, a plan for conducting the survey, which is to comrn•nce on the Ist of April next, in the most effec tive, expeditious, and economical manner. H. G. WARD. NO. XIV.-STOREREEPER•GENERAL TO VISIT YARDS ANNUALLY. My Lords are pleased to direct that the storekeeper gcneral shall resume his annual visit to the dockyards, where he is to take cognizance, personally, of all matters connected with his department, reporting to the board, upon those points, which he may uecm deserving of special attention. H. G. WARD. NO. XY.-MODE OF PAYMENT. My Lords are pleased to direct that the mode of pay ment in all the dockyards shall be assimilated, the pay ment by distributors being discontinued, and the factory system of individual payments adopted. 11. G. WARD. NO. XVI.—MANUFACTURING ESTABLISHMENTS—LACTO- RIES, METAL MILLS, ROPERIES, &C My Lords have alreaiy sanctioned and circulated in structions for the factories at Woolwich and Portsmouth, which will place them, in all essential particulars, as re• gards book-keeping, accounts, and the periodical taking of stock, upon the same footing as the best conducted private establishments. The same principles wore also applied by their Lord ships' minute of the 20th of October last, to the metal mill at Chatham, where the whole of the copper used in her Majesty's navy is now " received," refined, and rolled into sheets; and were ordered to be extended, on the Ist of January, 1849, to the ' other manufacturing establish ments in that yard, which comprise a ropery, a lead mill, a paint mill, a metal and iron foundry, and a sheathing nail shop. At Deptford Victualling-yard, where raw materials to the amount of 87,0004 a year are worked up, the accounts are kept with an accuracy that admits of no improvement, with the single exception of the cooperage, which is now to be brought under the same system; and my Lords are pleased to direct that the books and forms used at Chatham and Deptford be adopted, on the Ist of April next, in all the other dock yards and victualling yards where any manufactures are carried on, stock being taken, and books kept, after the custom of private establishments, so as to show a per• fact debtor and creditor account at the close of the finan cial year. With this view, all raw materials issued by the store keeper are to be charged by him at the contract price, which is to be stated in writing, to the establishments to which they are supplied, and the heads of those esta blishments are to debit themselves with that amount, and to add to it the whole cost of manufacture, with ten per cent. for the wear and tear of machinery, and with in terest upon the plant and buildings, when these have been constructed within the last ten years. The manufactured articles are to be received back by the store-keeper at the increased value, and so charged by him when re-issued fefttie. -My Lords desire to impress upon the minds of all connected with these great national establishments the necessity of the most scrupulous economy in their ma nagement. Public attention has baen fixed upon them by the inquiries of last year, and the country is keenly alive to the disadvantages under which all manufacturing establishments must labour which are not conducted under the eye of a master, and checked in their expendi ture by the necessity of drawing upon funds at his sole disposal. My Lords are aware that it is difficult to combine a rigid economy with that unlimited command of capital which Government establishments are supposed to pos sess, or to impress those who administer them, by any written rules, with the same frugal ideas which feelings of self.interest naturally and necessarily inculcate. But they have selected as the chief engineers of the three principal dockyards men favourably distinguished in private trade; and, having placed at their disposal the means of commanding success, and secured to the country, by the publicity of their annual accounts, the fullest knowledge of the issue, my Lords must leave it to time and their exertions to show that an adequate re turn is made in new work and repairs, for the vast outlay which Parliament has already sanctioned in connexion with the steam navy. 11. G. WARD. NO. XVIL-SMITIIERIES. My Lords having taken into consideration the heavy expense incurred by the introduction of Nasmyth's steam hammer into the dockyards, and the impossi bility of producing the same amount of work from them that is produced in private trade, unless the work ing hours aro assimila,ed, the want of con tinuous labour in the dockyards causing a greater consumption both of fuel and material, are pleased to direct that, from the Ist day of April n"xt, the ten hours' system, recently introduced at Devonport, shall be adopted in the smitheries of all the dockyards, the wages of the men being increased in the proportion of 2,719 to 3,130, that being the difference of the number of hours worked under the dockyard s, -, stern, and under that now in force at Devonport. H. G. WARD. NO. XVIII.-MEASITREMENT. My Lords find, with pleasure, that the system of par tial measurement, introduced into the yards in March last, is working satisfactorily. They wish, however, to remind the superintendents that the principe of the pre sent system is, not to measure all the work done in the dockyards, but that all work should be measured occa sionally. The measurer is an instrument, of which the superintendent, or the master shipwright, is to avail himself whenever he is dissatisfied with the work of a par ticular gang, and wishes to ascertain whether the men r To n.rn; , ),:r thPir T 1 ii. ut•tault is exereisA by to Ina, er-stilp r,g : t . — attention paid by the superintendent to the woricworkingor the system generally—and th e i m p re:s ion thus diffused amongst the inspectors and men, that the means which the superintendent has of evimating accurately the ex ertions of all under him, will materially guide him in his recommendations for promotion. My Lords desire that a frequent inspection of the measurer's books be con s id ere d as one o f t h e principal duties of the superintendents ; and it is their intention, at their own annual inspections, to require, in each yard, a report of the working of the system, and a precis of the results which it has presented quarterly. My Lords are aware that the value of those results depends upon the accuracy of the schemes of prices, upon which they are founded; and that, in some res pects, the schemes now in use are defective. But many omissions and defects will be corrected by the returns already received from the yards, at the close of the first six months; and my Lords have no doubt that, with the experience of another half-year, when similar returns will be called for, a committee of master-shipwrights, and measurers will be enabled to supply all that is want ing, especially as regards shipwright's work, the scale for which is now founded upon the old scheme of 1825, corrected in 1829, which makes no provision for the new wants and new works connected with the steam navy. My Lords, expect that particular attention will be paid to the points here enumerated, feeling confident that, with proper care, the system of measurement may be made to work with satisfaction to all concerned, and with decided benefit to the public. H. G. WARD. NO. XIX. —MEASURER. My Lords are pleased to direct that one measurer shall be reduced at Sheerness, the scale of work in that yard not requiring three. H. G. WARD. NO. XL—INSPECTOR'S DAY 11100X8, AND RETURNS BY LEADING MEN. My Lords see much reason to be dissatisfied with the manner in which the inspectors' day-book is kept in most of the dockyards, and desire that it may be much more strictly looked to than it has been of late, both by the foremen and the master shipwrights. The day-book, when first introduced, was intended to be the basis of the weekly " Expense Sheet," and this again is the basis of Form 89, in which the annual cost of labour employed in ship-building is abstracted by the storekeepers for the surveyor. It is, therefore, of the highest importance that the day-books should contain such an account of work done as will tally with the " Expense Sheet," in all essential particulars, and my Lords desire that the foremen will acertain this carefully before they submit the " Expense Sheet," which is pre pared by the inspectors, under their superintendence, for the signature ut the master shipwright. The returns made out, one.- a week, by the leading men, under the Dockyard Circular, as to the conduct of the gangs under them, are to be reduce.' to once a fort night. H. G. WARD. NO. XXL—RCRNETTIZING PROCESS. My Lords considering t.ie tact, that the Burnettizing process, al hough attended with a considerable expense must still be regarded in the light of an experiment, sufficient time not having yet elapsed to test its results practically, are pleased to direct that the process shall be confined to the three yards where it is already in use; namely, Portsmouth, Chatham, and Woolwich; res ry ing to themselves the power of extending it to the other dockyards, when experience shall have established its value. IL G. WARD. NO. XIII.—SUPERANNUATION. My Lords not being satisfied with the present mode of recommending tor superannuation in the dockyards, are pleased to direct that a superannuation beard shall be formed in each dockyard, which is to consist of the following members:— The superintendent; The captain of the ordinary, or flag-ship; The master shipwright; assisted by the medical officers of the dockyard. This board is to be held on the first Monday of each month, and superannuation Cases may be brought before it, by the superintendent, the master shipwright, the surgeon of the yard, or the officers generally, in their respective depart nente; and, atter such a preliminary investigation, my Lords feel confident that many of the defects, which they havo noted hitherto, will be put an end to. H. G. WARD. NO. XXIII.-RE•SORTING HEMP. My Lords having taken into consideration that por tion of the report of the committee of revision which re presents the inconveniences that result from the practice of re-sorting hemp after survey, which prevails at Chat ham, and is sometimes resorted to at Portsmouth and Devonport, are pleased to direct that this practice be discontinued, and that the first test, in all cases, be made final. • H. G. WARD. NO. XXIV.—IMPROVED ARRANGEMENTS NOR THE RE- CEIPT AND STOWAGE OF TIMBER. My Lords have learned with much regret that the arrangements for the receipt and stowage of timber in her Maj-sty's dockyards are generally of the most un satisfactory character. My Lords are aware that some excuse may be found for the costly and slovenly practices brought under their notice by the Committee of Revision, its the great works that have been going on in many of the yards, and the consequent derangement of the ordinary lines of commu nication. But the very first duty of each superintend. ent, now that the yards are about to be restored to their natural state, must be to select in each yard the largest open space that can be found, within a reasonable dis tance of the landing-place, and to set it apart exclusively for the receipt tied survey of timber. My Lords have directed provision to be made in the estimates of 1849-50, for opening .a communication by tramway and travellers, with the spots selected as the future receiving ground at Portsmouth, Chatham, and Woolwich, and it is their intention to - provide all the dockyards with similar facilities, - hen satisfied with the arrangemeuts made for taking advantage of them. Th.. superintendents, in conjunction with the master ship wrights and the timber inspectors, are to submit a gene. ral plan for the mare econowical mansgemenc of timber, to the Board of Admiralty, at the next inspection of the dockyards, when my. Lords will invea•tigate the subject very strictly, as they see too much reason to suppo•e that a large proportion of the labour placed by the libe rality of Parliament at their disposal, is wow wasted by the want of proper method. H. G. WARD. NO. XXV.-TIBIBER INSPECTORS. My Lords see no reason materially to alter the duties which it was their intention, originally, to assign to these officers, except.as regards the timber 'accounts, which aro to be kept, as now, by the storekeeper. The timber inspectors are to test, , measure, and " re ceive" all timber, in conjunction with the store receiver neither being absolutely bound by the decision of the other, and both empowered, in doubtful cases, to appeal to the superintendent, and the master shipwright. A fixed proportion of labour, in every yard, is to be placed at the dispose! of the timber inspector, who is then to be held responsible for carrying out, unds.r the sanction of the superintendent, a general plan for .the removal of all timber, after receipt, and for its being slacked at the pro per time, in proper order, so as to create no difficulties upon the general survey. The timber inspector is to keep a register of these stacks, as well as of the contents of each shed where plank or thickstuff is deposited. He is also to be respon sible for the conversions, in which he will be assisted by the first and second converters; and my Lords feel satis fied that, if he show proper activity ire the discharge of these duties, a great improvement will, be effected in the present economy of the dockyards. My Lords desire, however, to reg ulate remuneration by work; and seeing that there is a. great difference, both in responsibility and labour, between the larger and the smaller yards, they are pleased to direct that while the salary of the timber inspector continues to be 400/. a year at Portsmouth, Woolwich, Chatham, and Devon port, it shall be reduced to 3501., upon. the next vacancy, at Pembroke, and to 3001. at Sheerness and Deptford. H. G. WARD. NO. XXYI.-DIVISION Of LAaSOUR. My Lords are not satisfied with the present distribu tion of labour in the dock} arils. They have already directed that a fixed proportion of labour in each yard shall be placed at the disposal of the timber. inspector; and, in lieu of leaving the remainder tit the absolute dis posal of the boatswain, they consider that the superin tendents should agree with the master shipwrights upon some general scheme of labour, taking care, first, that the shipwrights themselves be adequat sly supplied, so as to prevent the necessity of employing skilled artificers to do labourers' work, and forming the remainder of the labourers into general service gangs, to be employed in loading and unloading stores by task and job, uuon a scale of prices which my Lords will direct to be pre pared, with due reference to those now paid in the river. In the yards where there is convict Labour my Lords are pleased to direct that it shall, so fax as possible, be employed in large masses, and upon duties distinct from those of the tree labourers, and the superintendents, in conjunction with the heads of the convict establishment, are to prepare and :submit a scheme for this purpose. H. G. WARD. THE COUNTRY MARKETS. READING. JAN. 27.—There was a good attendance of farmers and dealers at market this morning, but the supply of wheat was by no means large. An evident improvement was maeitest in th e d eman d f or a ll ki, tis of grain, and in fact it was the oniy market fer many weeks past at watch business to any extent has been transacted. There was a good clearance effected in wh , at at full is per quarter above last week's prices. Barley was in fair supply and good demand, and all descrip tions were full is dearer. In oats, beans, and peas there is also an improved demand, at better prices. Wheat, per quarter, 34s to 56s ; barley, 25s to 365; oats, 16s to 224; beans, 30. to 40s; peas, 30s to 40s.—Pig market : A short supply of stores, with a fair trade. Fat hogs, 9s to 93 6d. Porkers, 9:i 6d to 10s per score.—Yourry market: Fowls, per couple, 3, 63 to 4s 6d; ducks. (tato, 3s 6d to 4s 6d; gee.e, each, 5a to 5s 6d; butter, per pound, is Id is 2d; egg 3, Bto 10 for ls. MANCHESTER, JAN. 27.—A tolerably fair consump tive demand for flour has been experienced throughout the week, occasioned, no doubt, by the reduced state of the stocks of this article in the hands of the dealers and bikers generally, and the currency of the preceding market day was supported. Oatmeal, on the contrar), has met an exceedingly slow sale, at barely previous :rates. This morning a firmer feeling prevailed, and 'wheat was held for th, full quotations of this day se'n xiight. Flour moved off steadily, and choice wrll known marks fully maintained their previous; value. Oats mutt be noted the turn dearer, whilst oatmeal was very diffi cult of sale at late prices. — LIVERPOOL, JAN. 27.—The'dut;es on wheat, flour, t.nd oats, :.re at the highest point order th existing core• law, and there is an advance this week of 6 , t per quarter each in the duty on barley, rye, beans, and peas. There waii a moderately fair sale of wheat at our market yes terflay, at an improvement of Id per buskel on Tuesday's 7 • tp :y _ .! 3 ...g 26 , 26: b wring bow paid kVestern Cant'. o , its, barley, and oatry,:a were un changed in value. Beans and peaq were rich 13 per quarter cheaper. There was nut much doing in Indian corn yesterday, but the price was tolerably well main tained. Bonded flour is again in ri quest to-day, but there are few sellers. The price of Indian corn is ratlicr \veaker. Th4.r.e. is no other change fr( m yesterday. s. cid s. d. s. d I Barley, Feeding.. 3 t to 3 Eye, per 4801 b 0 0 0 0 Beans, English, pr imperial quartr 32 0 34 0 Irish and Scoteh, per 4801 b.. 311 0 31 0 Foreign, duty pd. 26 6 27 0 European, per im perial quarter.. 30 0 31 0 Peas, English, per imperial quartr 33 0 35 0 Foreign .. 22 0 33 0 Malt, English, per imperial quartr 54 0 58 Do., Irish • • 50 0 0 Do., brown 45 0 50 0 Flour, English, pr 2801 b • . 35 0 37 0 Iri h , extra fine.. 37 0 38 0 United States, per S. d. Wheat, nix 701 b : English, white • . 7 0 to 7 3 Do. r.d.. .. 6 9 7 0 Irish, new .. 5 6 6 0 De., old .. • • 6 3 6 6 Dantsic • . .. • • 7 0 - 7 6 Do., good mixed 6 8 7 0 Lowerßaltic,whit., 6 9 6 10 Do. red .. 6 9 6 10 American . .. 7 0— 7 2 Canadian • • .. 7 0— 7 2 Spanish, red and . 0 o—o 01 white.. .. Tuscan and Bar e letta, red .. •• 6 6 6 9 Marlanopoli • • 6 3 6 6 Odessa, Polish .. 6 0 -- 6 6 Do., hard.. •• 4 6 5 0 Egyptian .. 4 0— 4 6 Oats, per 451 h : English and Scotch 2 8 2 9 Welsh • • •• .. 2 6 2 7 Irish, mew •• 2 6 2 7 Do., old ••• .• 2 8— 2 9 Barley, English, pr imperial quarter 32 0 - 34 0 Irish, Scotch, and Ilanx,per6olb.. 3 6 4 3 • • .. 29 0— 31 0 ABERDEEN, JAN. 26.—There was an average attend ance at market to-day. Sales stiff and little business done. Oats, 14s to 16s, 401 b per bushel; barley, 23s to 24s Od, bear, 23s to 245, 521 b per bushel; wheat, 50s to 545; oatmeal, 13s to 14s per boll ; flour, 43s to 491 per sack, ABERDEEN PROVISION MARKET, JAN. 26.—Beef, 5d to 7d; mutton, 5d to 7d; veal, 5d to 7d per lb; pork, 4s Od to 5s per stone; lamb, Os Od to Oa Od; tallow, 4s 61 to 5s per stone; potatoes, 10d to is per peck; butter. 7d to 8d per lb ; eggs, 7d to 9d per dozen; hens. 3s to 3s 6d; chickens, 2s 6d to 3s; ducks, 2s Od to 2s 6d; ducklings, 2s to 2s 6d per pair; turkeys, 4s 6d IC 5s Od; Reese, Os to Oi Od each. Butter for exportation (present cure), 58s per cwt. Eggs, wholesale price, bid per ckzen. Bread, 41b loaf, 8d; 21b loaf, 4d. Pork, per stone of 141 h, 3s 6 , 1; pork, fine small, 5s 6(1; pork, large. 3s 6d to 4s 3d. Ship pork, per barrel of 204 lbs, 1003. ABERDEEN MEAL MARKET JAN.2S —We had an aye !age sup' o' meal at alai ket to- night. Trade ruled ieavy, at last week's prices. Oatmeal, Is 4d to Os Od; nearmeal, 1. 4d to O Od; peasteeal, 2s Od to 2s 2d; side, 6d to 7d; barley flour, Is 5d to le 611; harley dust, 7d to 2s to 2s 3d; barley, per lb. lid 2d. INSCH, JAN. 25.—The number of castle brought for ward to our monthly market on Monday last, far En ceeded what we have ever been accustomed to, either last season or the present, and •we venture to affirm, that there are few districts in this part of the country who could produce a similar surplus stock. Notwith standing the presence of a mime. ous body of dealers, sales were effected with difficulty, at a considerable re' action frein that of Deeemb.r. By three o'clock, however, a good deal of business was transacted, maul being obliged to submit to the reduction, having no doubt previously taken a survey of their turnip fields, which can bear no comparison to that of the correspond aig period of last season. Others seemed resolved to hold out for some time, iu hopes of a reaction taking place. Some of the more superior animals brought from 161 to 191 barrel - 26 0— 27 0 Canadian 0 27 0 Oatmeal, English, & Scoteh,pr24olb 45 0 26 0 Irish, new .. 23 6 —24 0 Do., old .. . 22 0 23 0 Indian corn, per 4801 b STONEHAVEN GRAIN MARKET, JAN. 25.—Oats, 401 b, I4s to 14s 6d; barley and bear, 531 b, 22s to 24s per buihel. MONTROSE, JAN. 26.—Our market had an upward tendency to-day for barley and beans. Wheat, 621 b, 445; barley, 531 b, 235; oats, 4010, 16s to 17s ; beans and peas. 621 b. 23s per quarter. INVERNESS, JAN. 23.—Prices are falling, and as the duty on foleign corn ceases next month, there is little probability of any rise in the southern markets for some tune, unless the weather should prove exceedinglY stormy, and destructive to the young brairds. Things were dull in our market to day, and wheat, which had been quoted higher in our market than in others, came down very considerably. 45s was the highest price for 621 b going, and offers were current as low as 408. pro bably none were accepted, however, at this low figure; as the farmers will hold till the spring; but the bakers seemed determined to offer very little more. Oats are stationary. First flour is down 3s per sack on the toe; second is down 6s. Oatmeal is is per boll lower. Ia the retail market there has also been a reduction. Wheat, per qr of 621 b per bushel ... 40s Od to 45s Od Barley, do 541 b do ... 26s Od to Os O d Oats, do do do 18s Od to 19s Od INVERNESS MEAL AND PROVISION MARKET, JAN. 23 ' —Oatmeal, 16s; ditto second, 15s od; barleymeal, 11 1 8d; peasemeal, 14s to 15s per imp boll; bran, srl to B °' per stone; Ist flour, 40s to 425; 2d ditto, 30s to 32s per 280 1h; oatmeal, best, is 8d; ditto, second, is 6d; bso' leymeal, is 2d; peasemeal, Is 6d; Ist flour, 2s 9d cas h ' 3s credit; 2d; ditto, 2s 3d cash, 2s 6d credit per sta le of 141 b imperial. Potatoes, 3d to 4d per atone; beef, lid to 8d; veal, 4d to 6d; mutton, 4d to 7cl; pork, 4d to 7d per lb; fowls, 12d to 15d; chickens, 121 to 16d per pair; eggs, 7d to 8d per dozen; butter, fresh, 9d ; ditto, salt' I to Is; croudie (curds), 20 per lb; 41b loaf, cash, 6 to-7d; ditto, credit, 6P to 7d; coals, 9d per cwt; halo 6d per stone. BELFAST, JAN. 25.—Whether it is from the severity of the weather, or from our farmers joining in the gene ral feeling that we are, after the Ist, to have an advance in prices, and, speculating accordingly, are withholding the usual supplies, but so it is, that we have bad veil bare supplies of grain since Friday, y e t d ea l ers were n° disposed to buy beyond their immediate wants, price* 69 undernoted, are generally on the d ec li ne . Whe t nn g declined 3d on the best qualities, and fully 6d on 113 e other sorts, on the week; and th e s ale s o f prods are very limited at a similar decline. Flour—All rode s sell as they can, and it is difficult to get at the actul selling prices. Our quotations are, in some instances , 6 lower this week. B a rrel fl our a p re t t y t ree sa l e , at 21' to 28s per barrel. Barley is difficult of sale at le prices. Oats are 3d to 4d lower, but sell readily at the decline. °stillest has again declined 3d, and is dull 0 sale. Isdian corn is in small bounds, and in few haul and sells pretty freely at 71 7s 6d t o 7110 s f or w hite, a° 71 lOs to 71 15s for yellow. Conn, JAN. 27.—Flour—Firsts, 14s 6rl to 15s 6d; extra, 16s 6d; seconds, 13s 6d to 14 , 6d; households, lls to 13s; thirds, 8s to lOs per cwt. Meal—Oatme al ' Ils Od to Ils 6d ; Indian meal, 8 s Od ; w h eat meal, 05 ° K J per cwt. Indian corn. 71 to 71 10, per ton. Brad, per ton. Hay—Farmers', 25s 01 to 45s od; averag e ' 38s ; dealers, 42s to 48s per ton; average, 46s per toe. Straw—Farmers', 18s Od to 31s Od; ass rage, 245; desli era, 30s Od to 34s Od p er t on , B ree d—Wh eate nlo° ' 7d to 7d; household loaf, 6d to oid per 41b. Newport, 17s; Lvdney, 18s; •Landore, 17s; best No' culm, 16s per ton. Tallow 48s 6d per cwt. Why' 25 over proof, 6s Od per i m p eria l ga ll on . Meat—Dna 4d to 7d; m'itton. 5d to 60; veal, 50 to 7d; pork , to Sid; bacon, 7d to 8d; sausages, 6d per lb. 1100 ' 6/ lOs per cwt. Bangor slates, 312 s 6d to 315 s p e r toe' Bark—Barbary, 6/ to 71; Valonia, 11l to 131; Frenc h ' 61; English, 6/ per ton Fleece wool, lO s t o 128 P / e , stone. Hemp, 351 per ton. Fish—S co t c h h err i ng s, 18 to 00s; red ditto. 25s to 27s per brl; Newfoundland, I , a to 121 lOs per ton. Plusher—New Memel, 4110 s; °; scarce red pine, 31 15s; yellow pine, 3/ per ton; des' ° ' first quality, 20/; second quality, 171 per 120. Hider: Market, Ils to 16s; salted, Ils to 16s per cwt; calf sloe" 2d to 24d; market, 2d to 2d per lb. Guano—Pe ru vian, 101 103; Ichaho e , 9/ p er ton. Potatoes, white, I" to 12d; Minions, 18d. 'l'ar —Archangel, 18s per brl. DUTCH SHEEP.—On the 15th inst., an ewe, b e ' longing to Mr. James Waldi.', Leith Walk, dropp ed twin lambs, one of which is black and the other whi te ' and both are doi ng we ll. I t i s somew h at s i ngu l a r $ 1311 , 1 the same ewe dropped a lamb in January last, wh t , was sold at a high price i n M arc h, an d a f oster lam b was then placed So the ewe, which she also brought.r_. fr pidly forward t o grest p er f ection Th e ewe w as ir"; ported from Holl a nd in autumn 1847.—Edi n b urg h P 6 411 f ADVERTISEMENT.j—THE EARL OF ALDROSOOdg AND HOLLOWAY'S PILLS.--An astounding cure by this miraciillis medicine, alter every other mean s h a d f a il e d. S ee extrac t from fi b, Lordship's letter, dated " Villa Messina, Leghorn,Feb.Feb 2 1 , " , Professor Holloway—Sir : I beg to acquaint you th a t y our pills have e not fected a cure of a disorder in my li ver an d s t omac h which all OIL - f 0 t eminent of the faculty, at home and all ever the continent, had - . 11 been able to effect; nay, not e ver th e wa t ers o f C ar l s b a d or S i g rienbad. (Signed) " ALDBOROUGH." These wonderful pills cure any disease of the liver or stomach.—Sold (also Holler% Ointra.nt) at Professor Holloway's Establishment, 244, Strand, '- iy• all medicine vendors through•nt the civilised world. BIRTHS. On the 14th inst., at Glasgow, th e l a d y o f Captain ..- v • Haines, 92d Highlandets, of a daughter, of On the 20th inst., the wife of W. Bosworth, EEO Charley-hall, Leicestersire, of a daughter. On the 23d inst., M h rs. Humphrys, of Bursledon, Sout h ' ampton, of a son. t., At Ampthill-square Hampstead-road, on the 24th il ls the wife of T. J. Barker, Esq., of a daughter. of On the 25 h inst,. the wife o f F . S . W i lli ams , Esq 0 Lincoln's Inn, of a son. On the 25th inst., at D e v ons hi re - p l ace, t h e l a dy of •D Kennedy. Esq, of a daughter. ll' On the; 26th inst., the w if e o f H. Whi te, E sq ., Carro n, wharf, London, of a son. • On the 26th inst., at Gib son - souare, the w i fe o f t he B e ' ir Charles F. Vardy, A.M., of a daughter. ___.----- MARRIED. On the 23d in , t., at Kirk Alalcw, Isle of Man, tafttig Wi rt gram. Es q., of Lincoln's Inn. son of th e l a t e Sir Ito" - Wigram, tart., to Lady Catherine J. Douglas, P ang° daughter of the late Earl of Selkirk. On the 24th inst., at Weill, gton, Shropshire, Robert d, Jones, E q. third son o f P ryce Jones, E q., of Cyffro n % vd C. J .ntgomeryshire, t o J ane, th i rd daughter of St. o" Charlton, Esq., of Apley Castle, in the former county.____„,-, DIED. On the • 9th of Sept em b er l ast, at Well i ngton, New <— land, Colonel William Wakefield. em it, On •he lt:th i nst., at the Rectory, ChelQfield,l he Rev. J. E. Tarleton, D.C.L , formerly Fellow of Souls College, Oxford. the On the lith i ns t .. at Rickmansa °Hi), netts, Mari , cite of Major ‘N• m. Stone, of at place. net On the 23d inst., at Hastings, aged 46, H. Colebo ur Esq . M.D., of Stockwell;villas, Clapham nuke' On the 24th i ns t., at S t . L eonard ' s-on-Sea, George Esq., aged 46. LOP On the 25th inst., at Queen-street, Ch ea pside, I' , • Esq., aed 81. of On the `Loth inst., James L. J e ff ree , E sq ., churchwarden St. Luke's, Chelsea, aged 51. K ent ' th ,inst., John Webster, e ld es t son of 7, of Laurie te-race, George's-road. S o u t hwark. age" - On the 26th inst., .drs. Dudley, of Connaught-terr ace• o 2o On the 25th inst., at Garrick's.villa, Hampton, Louise, the eldest daughter of S. Phillips, Esq. 0 Clft On the 2 inst., at Belgrave cottage. Wandswortlrr Vauxhall, Sophia Eldertou, formerly of •Clapham-ri'''''.----••", London: Printed and Published by. MURDO YO i — No. 112, Strand, Printer, at The Sun Office, rat, of Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the °Q ui "' Middlesex, Monday, January 29, 1849. A And' Coast i o r the orer th and R e . 800, Will be e ach of Ana: term s c SePtern shar es d aY to Mares 4 latest i Works Session The] The C anters The] The, tially 0 4 -nd the the, Th e 1 , 4 41 14 ic k tto e c Th e The ~r The T , Acrd e