The Sun. — London, England, 1861-10-25 00:00:00

2HE NAVY. The portion of the Channel squadron which is at Plymouth is nearly ready for sea. The Revenge is lying inside the Breakwater, and may proceed to day to join the Warrior at Portland. The gunboat Porpoise, tender to the Revenge, having proved defective, is ordered to be superseded. The screw steamship Mohawk, 4, Commander E. 11. Howard, from the Mediterranean, last from Spithead, arrived yesterday in Plymouth Sound, where her crew was inspected. In the afternoon the Mohawk will proceed into Hamoaze, prepara tory to her being paid off. The crew of the Cambrian, 40, Commodore James M‘Cleverty, at Devonport, will be paid off to-day. The screw steamship Orion, 89, Capt. William C. de Vere, from the Mediterranean, arrived off Ply mouth Sound yesterday afternoon, and then pro ceeded to Sheerness, where her crew will be paid off. The crew of the screw steam sloop Greyhound, 17, Commander Sullivan, at Plymouth, were inspected on Wednesday by Capt. Jerningham, and exercised at target practice. Yesterday she went from th e sound into Hamoaze, where h er p resent cre w will be paid off. On the arrival of the Gladiator, 6, Commander Henry D: Hickley, at Plymouth, her crew will be transferred to the Greyhound, which is not to be dismantled. His Imperial Highness the Grand Duke Constan tine of Russia embarked from Ryde pier yesterday on board her Majesty's steamer Fire Queen, Master- Commander Paul, and crossed over to Portsmouth to visit the dockyard. On landing at the King's stairs he was received by Vice-Admiral Sir H. W. Bruce, Rear Admirals Hon. G. Grey and J. E. Erskine. He returned to Ryde in the Fire Queen. The Portuguese screw steam frigate Bartolemo Diaz arrived at Spithead yesterday from South ampton, for the purpose of docking. She will be placed in the dock lately occupied by the Warrior, at high water to-day ; and, as the Hero, 91, screw steamer, Capt. Ryder, also requires docking, it is very probable that she will go into the new dock at the same time as the Portuguese corvette, there being room to spare after taking in both vessels. The Assurance, 4, screw steamer, Commander C. Aynley, arrived at Spithead yesterday morning, from the Mediterranean, having sailed from Malta on the 9th inst. The President, 51, being nearly completed, and ready to be undocked during the next spring tides, orders were received at Chatham yesterday for the hired shipwrights and mechanics who have been em ploye& on her to be discharged to-morrow, their ser vices being no longer required. It was generally un derstood that the hired shipwrights entered for the President would,on the completion of that vessel, be transferred to the Bulwark, 91, which is to be con- verted into an armour-plated 51-gun screw frigate, 6 the Royal Oak and Ocean class,but the final orders for the proposed alterations of that vessel not having yet been received at the dockyard, the discharge of the shipwrights will be made to-morrow, and addi tional hands entered as they are required. An Admiralty circular was yesterday received at Woolwich, announcing that a medal roll is in course of compilation of the officers and seamen who are entitled to medals and clasps for the late China war. In order to make the roll in question complete, a list of the officers and men in each division of the Royal Marines is tobe prepared, showing under the name of the ship in which each person served the number of clasps he claims in addition to the medal. Should any officer or marine have been engaged in any active operations against the enemy between the dates of the first and second periods of the China war—viz., June 27, 1858, and July 31, 1860, and not have been present either before or after that date, a separate list of such exceptions ought to accompany, but not be included in the roll to be forwarded. An Admiralty order has been received at Wool wich instructing an immediate reduction in the ex penditure of the factory branch of the dockyard, on the plea, OS stated, of the heavy expense incurred in the construction of the Warrior, and the conse quent scarcity of funds, the reduction to be effected in the following manner :—Of the total number of men employed in the factory—namely, 550,150 are to be discharged, and the standing wages of those retained will be curtailed one-third, the hours of work to commence in future at 8 and terminate at 4. The principal draughtsmen, now earning 7s. per day, or £2 2s. per week, will be reduced to £1 95., losing 13s. per week; and the labouring men will receive 10s. only. This severe and uncalled for measure has, of course, created great dissatisfac tion among those who suffer from it. THE ARMJ. Yesterday morning the whole of the troops nom • posing the 9th and 10th battalions stationed at Col. cheater were assembled on garrison parade to wit ness the interesting ceremony of decorating four old soldiers with good conduct medals. The men whose meritorious conduct was thus publicly recog nised were—Provost-Sergeant Brack and Private Bishop, both of the 66th Foot ; Private Lally, let battalion sth Fusiliers ; and Private Tabrum, 44th Foot ; each of whom had been connected with his depot for several years, and some of whom wore three or four good conduct stripes. Three of the faur soldiers also received money gratuities in addition to their medals. Major-Gen. Rumley, Inspector-General of Infan try, yesterday resumed his inspection of the depots in Colchester camp by a careful examination of the battalion and hospital books, and returned to Lon don in the afternoon. It is understood that the general condition both of the men and the buildings composing the camp was found to be highly satis factory. Yesterday a further discharge of troops, to the number of 165 non-commissioned officers and men, took place from the invalid establishment, St. Mary's, Chatham, the whole of that number having been found to be unfit for further service. The troops discharged belonged to the Military Train, Ist (Royals), 4th (King's 0 iva), sth (Fusiliers), Bth (the King's), 12th, 13th (Prince Albert's Light In fantry), 15th, 19th, 20th, 24th, 29th, 31st, 34th, 35th, 37th, 43d (Light Infantry), 51st (Light In fantry), 52d (Light Infantry), 56th, 61st, 66th, 75th, 77th, 81st, 83(1, 88th (Connaught Rangers), 91st, and the Royal Canadian Rifle Regiments. The dis charged men were forwarded to their homes at the publie expense. The 17th and 24th companies of Royal Engineers will, on their arrival at Portsmouth from the Medi terranean, proceed, the 17th to join headquarters at Chatham, and the 24th to Aldershot camp. The 9th co mpany will leave the camp immediately on the arrival of th e 24th an d procee d t o W oo l w i c h, reliev ingthe the sth comp an y, w hi c h w ill re t urn t o Ch a th am same rill- The sth company, since it has been stationed at-Woolwich, has been employed in various engineering duties of that g arrison, and has been reduced to abo u t 1 0 men of all ranks. On its arrival at headquarters, however, it will be completed to its fall number from the, depot companies at Chat ham. The officers and men com pos ing the batte r i es o f the first division of the depot uric %de, Roy al Artil lery, at Sheerness , w er e drawn np ye sterday morn ing on their parad e g round to witness th e Presenta tion of a silver medal , to g e ther with a X 5, which had been aw arded b y the Duke of C ain_ bridge to Gunner A lfred Cavana g h, of No. 2 bat tery, for long service and good conduct. The medal was presented by Lieut.-Col. Talbot. The Royal Artillery stationed at Portsmouth were yesterday officially inspected in marching order on the Governor's -green, by Major-Gen. Lord W. Pau let, C. 8,, Lieut.-Governor of the garrison and com manding the district. Col. Campbell, commanding the Woolwich divi sion of Royal Marines, yesterday assembled the battalion on parade, and selected 20 volunteers from the Light Infantry to be transferred to the Artillery division. Each man selected was required to be sft. Bin. in height (the average height of the divi sion being Mt. 6in.), and suitable in every other re spect for the Artillery, who are not expected to re emit their own men, but, by a manifest injustice, are Permitted to deprive the Light Infantry of the VITT I x 8 t men when they have state of _ been drilled to a 4isbt being e f fi c iency. oo 4 Zreat attention was paid as to number of recruits were yes- terday transferred from the division to the depot at Deal. The Royal Anglesey Militia complete 3 their period of training and exercise on the 14th inst. Every man on the books of the regiment was pre sent, accepting one, whose absence was ccounted for. This is, we believe, the best muster of any Militia corps since the system of voluntary enlist ment was introduced. , RIFLED ORDNANCE. The competitive trials at Shoebaryness of the rifled 32-pounder service guns have been brought to a close by the Ordnance Select Committee with out any very satisfactory results. At the final trial Lancaster's (oval bore), which had previously fired about 90 rounds, stood the 57 competitive rounds without serious wear, but every shell had to• be rammed down with a heavy metal rammer by two or three men, and several were cracked or broke up in firing. Scott's (three groove centrical bore) had already stood 300 rounds, but this gun burst at the 10th round from a flaw in the bore. Hadden's (eliptical three groove), which had fired 130 rounds, was cracked at the vent after 50 rounds. Jeffrey's (five groove segmental bore) had fired 50 rounds, and stood the 57 rounds without apparent injury. Britten's (seven square groove) had fired 300 rounds, and stood the final trial, but all the grooves show considerable wear. Armstrong's im proved shunt gun burst at the 45th round. The gun rifled upon the French plan (three groove) was rendered unserviceable after 42 rounds. The Lancaster and Armstrong shells fit tight; Scott's centres against the groove, but allows a windage of about 1-12th of an inch ; the others have more or less windage, Britten's as much as 1-7th, which greatly reduces the strain on the gun. With two degrees of elevation Scott's and Lancas ter's and Jeffrey's ranged 1,100 yards, Hadden's 900, Armstrong's 1,000, and Britten's varied from 750 to 1,050 yards. The simple iron shells of Lancaster, Scott, and Had den have less wearing effect on the bore, require no covering such as the others necessitate, and the velocities of effective breaching distance appear to be decidedly in favour of the simple iron projectile. The trials have been con ducted under the superintendence of the Select Com mittee, whose report will be looked for with much anxiety, as the Whitworth and Armstrong heavy guns, as well as the service guns tested at Shoe huryness, have all failed to answer the expectations of the inventors, and none of them appear to be cal culated to meet the requirements of the day. THE ESTABLISHED NAVAL RIFLED (ARMSTBOIVG) GU.N.] The following letter has been addressed to the editor of the 2inies : Sir,—ln furtherance of the important object an nounced in your article of the 9th inst., recently received here, of promoting an inquiry which shall place before the public " the whole truth about the Armstrong gun," I beg to offer for your service the following facts and observations. When the first 80-pounder or 100-pounder Arm strong gun, for shot of both these and of intermediate weights were alike employed—was used against the Trusty, in September, 1859, the interior of the gun itself was defective, having become so while under proof, and the defect had been reamed out at Wool wich, whether the gun had been returned from Shoeburyness for the purpose. This gun was the type of the present naval 100- pounder, which differs from it only in being about 15 cwt. heavier, with a calibre of 7 in. instead of 6 in. ; but the first of these was not brought to proof till November, 1860. It was then sent to the Stork gunboat, at Portsmouth; and your own columns, as well as those of your contemporaries, announced to the public in the following December that, after sustaining but a few rounds, it, too, had been condemned as dangerously defective. In June last, when making inquiry about the particular gun used in some experiments at Shoe buryness, I found it to be a second naval 100- pounder, which had become defective, and had been returned as dangerous from the Stork ; but at Shoeburyness it was considered as still capable of cautious use. In August last, when examining the gun abou to be used against Mr. Jones's target, I found it im. possible to omit noticing a most evident flaw of con. siderable apparent length on the left-hand interior of the breech, which I was informed was then five eighths of an inch deep, had made its first appear ance after about 14 shots, was gradually deepening each time the gun was used, and had made it neces sary for a fourth specimen of the established naval rifled (Armstrong) 100-pounder gun to be demanded for the service of this one gunboat alone since the previous month of December. I necessarily conclude the three guns thus suc cessively disabled by service in the Stork to have been considered sound when supplied, as the use of these guns in this vessel is also considered to be our nearest representation of their fitness for real action, and thus we have a continued series from the first production down to the present day of those wea pans on which England places her special reliance, breaking down one after the other under proofs very far below that severity which the first reality of war must impose on them. These 100-pounders of the Stork have been han dled as well as superintended by the best gunners of the navy. Each of them has been disabled while using only the lightest charges and missiles for which they are designed—the 811 b.-shell with 121 b. charge. The 1101 b. solid shot, with 141 b. charge, was used for the first time out of the third gun only, subsequent to its condemnation when firing at Jones's target on the 21st Aug. last, tle shot itself having had no existence as a " supply" prior to July last. In no case, it is believed, had an aggregate of 50 rounds been fired out of either of them before they became defective ; and up to the present time this gun has never been subjected to any represen tation of real action by 50 consecutive rounds of rapid fire, for those 50 rounds stated by your con temporary to have been delivered " in something (From the Mechanic.? Magazine.) like eight hours" can hardly be admitted as having If any doubt had existed as to the necessity of a put the gun to any such practical proof. full and impartial investigation into the alleged de- Besides eliciting the several defects in the strut- fects of the Armstrong gun, Sir William Arm ture of the guns themselves, their limited use from strong's letter, published in The Sun of Friday the Stork has sufficed to elicit their liability to week, would have settled the question. Such in choke up their shallow grooves with the lead vestigation is the more necessary, as Sir William covering of their missiles. When the radical vice of declines to continue the controversy. No doubt this " stripping" this lead covering :takes place, all ac- controversy has been needlessly embarrassed by curacy of fire is then destroyed, and the gun must personalities foreign to the matter under debate. undergo a tedious and delicate process in c l e aning This, though to be regretted, is hardly to be won out the grooves before it is again serviceable. dered at, as it has been the fashion for artillery con- Of the naval 40-pounder, which each day tells us structors to appropriate, readily enough, whatever is being supplied with its heavier sister to every amount of fame and eclat their advocates and friends size of ship at home or abroad, the only proof it has might be pleased to award them. This involves undergone within my knowledge at all represent- antagonism, and to some extent implies personality. ing real action has been in the recent experiments But the time is now come for investigating this with Capt. Coles's cupola, which had to be inter- matter without personality. If the inherent defects rupted by the successive breaking down of three of of the Armstrong gun be as alleged, the public these guns also ; and, though the pieces were again should know of them ; and, if otherwise, Sir Wil made serviceable after intervals varying from 72 to Ham will derive solace and satisfaction from the 6 hours, in each case the effects on the issue of an results of the inquiry. There have recently been action must have been all those produced by self- many inquiries on subjects of much less importance, disabled guns. and looked forward to with much less anxiety. Here, toe, the best gunners of the navy were It will be seen that Sir William Armstrong's letter, selected to work and superintend, but about 15 which we reproduce in another column, does not re shots s eem t o have been the utmost continuous fir- fute the statements made by us a fortnight since. ing which occurred without accidents ; these, as Sir William, in reply to our allegations, quotes the well as th e di sa bli ng o f t h e guns, tak i ng p l ace b y resu lt s o f certain experiments conducted at " Shoe the breakage of the vent-pieces, 12 of which were buryness last week." Now, the fact is, that the destroy ed ofth in e sluepsspntehesanimlmooaeurloautnedws wrought-iron)— month, not at Shoeburyness , but at Woolwich. It them failure referred to by us occurred within the last being and, from thi s fi res attempt to represent the stress is to be regretted, in the interests of that fair play of real action with either of our larger naval rifled which should characterise all scientific investiga guns, we thus arrive at the nece •ts of providing tions, that Sir William should, in his letter, have spare vent-piece s on a scale ve ssi tionate to the suppli es o f shot and ry ir shell. spoken Proper. ignored the occasion on which the experiments spoken of by us were made. Possibly, owing to his These vent-pieces, moreover, are reali in • ty the numerous engagements, he might not have been breeches of the gun s , which consist of a solid metal cognisant of these experiments, but we must say it plug or stop, having a separate screw with whi c h is difficult to assume so much. We beg to state that to fix it from behind, whereas the bre ec h o f th e the occas ion fowling-piece has the screw tapped u p on authorities w was official ; the naval and military eppre place . e t whensir Williamthe occurrence Arnietren g de the ordinary plug itself—but, as the separate screw of the tailed by us took er Armstrong breech is hollow, for the purpose o f l oo k- own assistant, Mr. John Anderson, was also present . ing through it, whenever the plug is blown out or The Shoeburyn • ess expeliments have been need destroyed the barrel , like that of the fowling-piece lessly introducedint o the di • scussion. They arc beside the issue, and tend t o p romote confusion. Since, how with its breech out , ca n be seen throu g h from end cud. The apertu re, however, by which the plug ever, they have been introduced • I , t is well that the ME ARMSTRONG GUN. THE SUN, LONDONA FRIDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 25, 1861 of the Armstrong breech is removed and. replaced at each shot is on the top , not at 'the end of the barrel, and thc , s the plugs themselves, when blown out whole, or their fragments, when broken to pieces in the sea ting, have undergone these frequent operations hitherto without occasifining loss of life. Four of these breeches were thus blown out in ser vice against the enemy during t i le 3,800 rounds de livered in all from the Armstron.g batteries in China, being at a rata of loss at that time of only one per 1,000 shots, which is about the number that a good grouse moor in a good season will afford per w eek to its owner; but after thus exploding a gun breech per week for the first month of his sport, t)'iere are few owners I think who would become so e'jamoured of so new-pr&tterned a gun as to emplo - f its maker any further. Nevertheless, the great r Ational manu factories employed to produce the vieapons destined to destroy, not our grouse, but our enemies, have received even increased pe ,tronage since this first proof of their powers of delivering shot at both ends; only that by a very ingenious device the plug itself, as suggested by the China practice, is now prevented from fl ying, out at all, and seems to re sent this impro - Jement in restricting its liberty by a practice, as v le see, 120-fold more frequent, of fly ing to pieces • vvhere it is, besides disabling the gun itself as it does so. Without following your contemporary into the cause he as,signs for this constant destruction of Armstrong breeches, in which I believe him to be quite righ*4 and to which he might have added one more equally as apparent and cogent, and without seeking to support from my own observations all he says and fears in respect to shot and shell and fuses, all of which are delicate and complicated chemical and mechanical compounds, combined and propor tioned under their present conditions for the first time, and only to be confirmed therein as they may stand the tests of durability in all atmospheres, at all temperatures, throughout all changes of climate and all 'nodes of treatment and transport, such as years of watchful study can alone furnish—without enlarging on any of these, I will only offer one practical illustration more. At the second shot fired at the Trusty on the 28th of September, 1859, the "right rear man" at the gun was blown down by explosion from the plug aperture of the breech, which in that first gun was at the side. He was picked up scorched, the hair of his face burnt off, and his sight temporarily injured by what is still mildly termed " an escape of gas ;" for to this day the 100-pounder, at least, delivers this rear explosion with equal force as it did then, notwithstanding that the two years' interval has been employed on every device which promised a remedy. That remedy was hoped for by the adoption of what are termed " expanding cups"—perhaps " saucers" would be more descrip tive—by what the joint at the breech-plug is sup posed to be kept firetight, but with what success may be judged of by the fact that when recently firing at Mr. Jones's target the sides of the "saucer" itself, which is of ordinary tin, were doubled up and blown out in considerable pieces at the breech aper ture, notwithstanding that at each shot the breech screw was carefully hove tight upon the back of the plug. Meantime, with the warning given by the first accident I have quoted, the aperture itself has been removed from the side to the top of the barrel, that the explosion may take place into the air, but with the following consequences :—The plug itself (vent-piece) is of that weight to require two men to lift it out and in, and its position is so awkward that in order to do so they must stand up on the gun-carriage, their shoulders reaching to a height of not less than 7 feet. The operations they have to perform are essential, and require much care, both preceding and terminating those of loading, during which their persons as low as the knee are visible from the level of a small boat on the water ; from a deck of a similar gunboat their entire persons are open for rifle aim. No such amount of personal ex posure as this has ever yet accompanied the use of any known gun, and if this 100-pounder be indeed capable of being fought " between decks" at all, the decks, and, therefore, ship, must be built of an especial height for the purpose. Such, sir, is the new rifled ordnance which Eng land has at present " established" for the navy, and if the exhaustless ingenuity of its author should succeed to-morrow in finding permanent remedies for all those "numerous failings," in itself and missiles, he is now without doubt instantly engaged on, its "inherent defects" as a great arm for naval warfare would still remain as follows : Under circumstances however critical and immi nent-Ist, it cannot be loaded at the muzzle; 2d, it cannot be double shotted ; 3d, it cannot throw an incendiary (Martin's) shell ; 4th, it cannot be used with reduced charges for fear of the effects of air space ; sth, within certain limits of distance it can not be used to cover either troops or boats with either shot or shell, for fear of the lead which strips from all its projectiles, as proved on service in China, and as openly admitted by the author him selt in May last. The facts thus presented for public consideration on this grave matter have been acquired under no special facilities. On the contrary, they have been gleaned under a full share of those obstructions by which our present official system deems it a duty to impede the efforts of all officers desirous of occupy ing unemployed time by acquiring practical know ledge in those great professional changes now so rife. But that even an approach to such facts can be gleaned and stated at all of our present position, after at least two years of unlimited expenditure, and the devoted aid of so much professional talent, military and naval, may perhaps be held to indicate that possibly the time has now arrived to draw breath and look around us, lest by a blind continu ance of this full-mouthed chorus after the great Armstrong system we find ourselves pursuing far ess directly towards a national triumph than into :he humiliation of a great national delusion. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, E. PELLEW HALSTED, Captain, R.N. Talladh-a-Bheithe, Perthshire, Oct. 15. MR. ONSLOW, M.P., AT GUILDFORD. I SOCIAL STA public should know a little more about them. The accidents which occurred to the Armstrong guns at Shoeburyness were of a graver character than that of disabled vent-pieces. A 40-pounder and 25 pounder had their muzzles blown off, while under going experiments ; and an artillery officer, Capt. Hodgson, narrowly escaped being killed by a frag ment from ene of the exploded guns. We more over have to state that the only 100-pounder which seems to have been tested to any extent was rendered unserviceable by cracking of the breech. It would be an interesting point in the contemplated inquiry to ascertain if possible the number of Armstrong guns which have burst, or have been otherwise rendered useless during expe- rim en tal trials. Sir William admits that the vent piece is the weak point of his gun ; but he says the, weakness is one of construction, and not of principle. Now, is not this altogether begging the question ? The state- ment is at all events unsupported by any proof, and mechanicians consider they have good grounds for disbelieving it. Let us examine the limits of the question. These are evidently cohesive force of material, and mass or weight of materia2. Now, with regard to the first, it is not competent fcr Sir William to invent a new metal. Ho began by making his breech-pieces of 'wrought iron; that not succeeding, he used gun metal; then he used steel, and now he proposes wrought iron again. With regard to compensating for deficient cohesive force by weight or mass, convenience of handling the breech-pieces imposes a limit soon reached. If a return were made of the various mutations these breech-pieces have undergone, and the number which have been destroyed, some important light would be thrown on this part of the subject. The fact that these pieces are still defective after five years' experience, during which time Sir William has had all the resources of the Government to aid him in his experiments, goes far to prove that the admitted weakness is one of principle and not con struction. The letter referred to says—" There is reason to believe that the breaking of the vent- pieces in the Trusty experiments arose from special causes." The writer believes that by improved manufacture and other means the liability to fail in future will be entirely obviated. But what if future experiments should disturb his calculations At present we are in a state of uncertainty and suspense. We have, at the expense of millions sterling, been reconstructing our artillery system t we have been told to rely on a new arm of strength which, in the hour of emergency and danger, may fail ; 6,000 men are daily employed in the manu facture of Armstrong guns ; these guns are being distributed for service in the navy, and on shore batteries, and now we learn, from experiments recently made, and from admissions of the inventor himself, that the Armstrong gun has not passed through its initiatory and experimental stage. Would it not have been better to have ex perimentalised and demonstrated first, and then proceeded with the manufacture ? We have been taking something like a leap in the dark, and the sooner the best available light be thrown on the subject the better. Passing from a consideration of guns to shells, Sir William states that the attention of the Ord nance Select Committee and the superintendent of the chemical department of the Arsenal having been directed to the condition of 40,000 shells now stored at the wharf at Woolwich, the result proves the shells to have undergone no deterioration. This, if correct, is so far satisfactory ; but the question is suggested why did the Ordnance Select Committee and the chief of the chemical department specially direct their attention to the condition of these shells ? Why, moreover, have they ceased to make shells at Woolwich on Sir Wm. Armstrong's prin ciple, and adopted the plan patented by Mr. Bash ley Britten—that of introducing zinc between the lead and iron ? At Elswick, however, where Sir William reigns supreme, the zinc coating is not yet applied. Since, however, the plan of introducing zinc between lead and iron has bees adopted we should be glad to know whether Sir W. Armstrong could find any chemist who would speak on theo retical grounds to the competence of this expedient? If voltaic laws mean anything the zinc should perish more rapidly. than the iron does now. There is strong a priori ground of objection to the lead and iron combination; stronger still if zinc be superadded. Ordinary iron railings in the streets illustrate the action galvanic deterioration. Iron railings are fixed in their bedding sockets by mol ton lead, and common observation testifies that in the course of a few years ordinary atmospheric agencies assist in the destruction of the iron. The Admiralty have noted this defect in compound Armstrong shells, and the inference is that given a sufficient time the effect will be general. Let a dozen of these shells be deposited in the South Ken sington Museum, in a . steam-moist chamber, so as to imitate the conditions of storage in a trying climate. If no deterioration takes place, so much the better for Sir William Armstrong. Let the public, who are quite competent to form an opinion, judge for themselves. Sir William seems to expect much advantage from the lengthening of his cartridges, so that they may completely fill the chamber. It is to be hoped that the safety and efficiency of the Armstrong artillery will never have to depend on a small mat ter of detail like this. Cartridges are often required to be made up during the heat of action at sea. Is it well that the efficiency of a cannon should have to depend on the exact fastening of a flannel bag? Sir William Armstrong observes that the alle gation of the lead stripping away has often been answered ; and he thinks that no inefficiency in regard to it remains to be dealt with. Whether the lead be sufficiently fixed or not is a point on which great diversity exis s, and one that ought to be definitely settled. It is alleged that during the Chinese campaign two vent pieces were disabled, and the guns put hors de combat ; and, moreover, that the lead flew off and inflicted casualties on the skirmishers of the 44th. - Would not a surgical re turn throw some light on this point ? Sir William has himself suggested grounds of doubt as to the effi ciency of the lead covering, by his known persistent endeavours to construct projectiles without any lead covering at all. But it must never be forgotten that for weal or for woe, his system of breech-loading absolutely requires a lead•covered shot, and if plain iron projectiles be perfected and adopted, Sir Wil liam only contemplates using them with muzzle loading guns. When last referring to this question we inciden • tally alluded to certain alterations recently made in the construction of the 12-pounder Armstrong gun, and though we stated such alterations were compa ratively insignificant, Sir William, in his letter, seemed to regard them as among the principal charges we have brought against his system. This was a misconception on his part. He should be the last man to look with contempt on details. We have from the first regarded his gun as a complex machine of great delicacy, rather than a simple weapon, and the public are not aware of the confusion and waste occasioned by incessant alterations. Hence our in cidental remarks on alterations in his 12-pounder. When some nine or ten months since we informed our readers that each Armstrong gun produced cost the public about £2,000, Sir William, in a letter which appeared in The Sun, emphatically, and almost contemptuously, denied the fact. A short time after Mr. Baring, the Under- Secretary for War, in his elaborate speech on the War Estimates in the House of Commons, showed that each Armstrong gun had cost on an average £2,160, thus proving that we were sufficiently guarded in our statements. We have been equally guarded in what we have said on recent experiments, and though Sir William has again denied the accuracy of our information, we are quite content to await the testimony of time. Either the allegations raised against the new artillery are valid or untenable. If valid, the country has an interest in being made aware of them; if untenable, the inventor's position will be all the stronger after the ordeal. For a long time— perhaps, too long—the new artillery has been re garded by the public somewhat as an Eleusinian mystery ; the public, not knowing the construction of Armstrong guns, are beginning to contemplate them as an association of mechanical parts amenable to mechanical laws. If Sir William desires to maintain that high character for, scientific intelli gence now awarded to him, and which, indeed, be- longs to him, he will be ill-advised if he does not welcome the fullest investigation. (From the Times.) It is said that Sir Cornewall Lewis has suspended for the present the issue of 100-pounder Armstrong Guns, and has directed such experiments to be made as will bring the efficiency of this new ordnance to a decisive proof. This resolution will certainly be satis factory to the country. It was impossible that doubts should have been permitted to circulate without notice on a subject of such high national im portance. We have not the slightest wish to pre judge a question which will now be practically solved, but we are certainly of opinion that a prima facie case for inquiry had been established, In our columns this morning will be found a second extract from the scientific periodical which has taken this controversy in hand. We do not think it adds much to the strength of the attack, but it indicates what was undoubtedly a weak point in Sir William Armstrong's defence. It will have been obvious to all who compared the state ments of the conflicting parties that the answer made by Sir William in our pages was so far inconclusive that it advanced a case for himself without impeaching the case on the other side. His opponent had appealed to the results of certain experiments as demonstrating the insecurity of the Armstrong vent-piece. Sir William replied by ap pealing to experiments giving no such results, but it was evidently possible that the disputants might be speaking of two different transactions, and this proves to have been the fact. Sir William spoke of certain trials at Shoeburyness ; his adversary of other trials made previously at Woolwich. It may be urged, however, that the latest ordeal was the most important one. The gun might have been im proved between the two experiments, and if it finally came out in a satisfactory form its past failures were of little consequence. It will be seen, however, that graver defects are now said to have been discovered in the piece ; that muzzles as well as vent-pieces have been blown away, and that the Armstrong Gun, in fact, is alarmingly liable to fracture. But these charges seem advanced solely on the evidence of experimental trials, and there is probably no gun of any description which might not burst under those peculiar conditions of practice. The question is not whether Armstrong Guns may not be now and then imperfectly manu factured, but whether the guns actually proved and issued for service are as serviceable as they ought to be. If an excessive percentage of fractures occurs in the process of proving, that -would tell, no doubt, against the economy of the manufacture, but not against the ultimate efficiency of the gun. A more general argument urged in disparagement of the invention is, that instead of having been brought to perfection it is still almost in its infancy, after five years of expenditure and experiments. We are told that these experiments should have preceded the adoption of the gun as a national weapon, and that it would have been time enough to establish Government factories when such questions as are now raised had been finally determined. We doubt, however, whether the public would have approved such a system of action. If such a plan had been followed, the result would have been that, while all other States had get rifled cannon, we should have been left with the artillery 50 years ago. We should have been acting, in fact, exactly as we acted in the ease of iron-clad ships. We should have been experimentalising and procrastinating while other nations were actively employed in turning the new principle to immediate account. Whether the Armstrong gun is better or worse than the Whitworth gun, or the Blakely gun, or any other gun, may be a question deserving attention, but it is not the question here implied. That is of a totally different character. It is simply this— whether the Armstrong gun was not the most pro mising specimen of rifled cannon known five years ago. We have no doubt that by adopting this gun we gained a great national advantage. Perhaps it may not be the best that can be made, but as far as we can understand, it has undoubtedly been the best hitherto in use. No rifled gun of any description adopted in any foreign army appears to be superior to our own weapon, and that, to the best of our knowledge, is not only the opinion entertained in this country, but the opinion of foreign authorities also. Perhaps we may now get something better still, but that does not touch the original question. We hold that the Government acted unquestion ably for the best in furnishing the army with a weapon which, till within the last few months, was universally believed to be the best obtainable. It is almost enough to demolish our expectations from future experiments when we observe that the actual trial of these guns in the Chinese war is ap pealed to with confidence by both parties alike. We certainly thought that the efficiency of the weapon had been conclusively demonstrated against our Tar tar enemies. The guns were found to bear rough usage, to be manageable in the field, and to possess the most formidable powers of destruction. Nothing' could be more satisfactory than the reports received, while the practice, it must be remembered, took place before the critical eyes of our allies. Yet it is now said that, because " two vent-pieces" were disabled during the campaign, and the lead casing of some of the shells flew off, the experience acquired in the expedition tells against the invention. On this point, however, it is surely possible to bring the controversy to a practical issue. Were not the Armstrong guns found to be infinitely superior to the old field-pieces Taken with all their imperfections—whatever these may have been— were they not considered by the Artillery and the army at large to be most formidable cannon Would they have been willingly exchanged for a battery of old 12 pounders or a battery of any other guns then known ? We admit, of course, that there is another ques tion behind all these,—viz., whether a rifled gun may not be producible of a pattern more formidable still ? Allowing that Sir William Armstrong is a great inventor, there may be inventors greater than he. Others may establish their claims, if not to supersede him, at any rate to share his privileges, This, in fact, is the very question now brought for ward for decision. If the proposed experiment should go against the Armstrong Guns, some other guns must take their place. It would be useless, of course, to anticipate the result by speculation or con jecture, so we will only remind our readers that the question is essentially one of comparison. What ever may be the imperfections discoverable in the Armstrong Gun, they may be fewer, after all, than the imperfections found in guns of other kinds. It may be safely taken for granted that any cannon of any description singled out for preference will be attacked with as much pertinacity as the cannon of Sir William's manufacture. It will be pulled to pieces instantaneously, from breech to muzzle. All the old charges will be dinned in our cars over again. We shall be told that the new weapon is unmanageable, complicated, ponderous, unsafe, or extravagantly dear. The whole affair, in fact, re sembles the struggles for political place. Sir Wil liam is in:office, and the " outs" are all against him ; but they would be equally vehement in their attacks upon his successor. If any inventor is to be honoured by a monopoly of favour, his invention will infal libly be assailed on all sides. All this, however, we repeat once more, tells nothing against the pro posed inquiry. It is indispensable that the country should know on what it can rely. Possibly the larger Armstrong Guns may not be so successful as the smaller ones; possibly the invention may be better adapted to land than sea service ; possibly it may come out triumphantly in all respects. But in any case the necessary tests should be thoroughly and impartially applied, so that the public may learn both in what degree the Armstrong Cannon is really defective, and to what extent it may be hoped that any rival invention may prove less imperfect. MORTALITY AMONG INFANTS IN FRANCE.—At a recent sitting of the Academy of Sciences, Dr. Bouchut presented a statistical account of the mortality of children within a period of 20 years, viz., from 1839 to 1859, taken from the registrars of the Administration of Public Assist ance. One of his tables comprises 48,525 children deposited at the Foundling hospital; another table comprises 24,169 children sent to nurse by the Administration. The principal results at which our author arrives are as follows :-1. Mor tality among children in France amounts to one•sixth dur ing the first year of life, while formerly it was one fourth. 2. Within the same period the mortality among males, taken alone, is one-fifth; among females, one-sixth. 3. Mortality is greater among the children of the poor than among those of the rich. 4, Cold weather increases the mortality of newly-born infants ; and in winter children cannot without danger be taken either to the mairie or the church. 5. Among foundlings, the mortality is 11 per cent. during the first ten days of life, and 65 per cent. within the first year. G. Dry-nursing or bringing up by hand greatly increases the chances of death among foundlings. 7. The mortality among children of the middle classes sent out to nurse is 29 per cent. within the first year. 8. Within that period mortality is greater in the 13 de partments which lie around Paris than in any otherdepart ment of France, and this is probably owing to the greater number of foundlings they contain, to the want of neces sary care by the nurses that receive the children, and to the influence of the endernical or epidemical disorders that pre vail in the capital. [ADVERTISEMENT.] —Holloway's Pills.--Saved from Destruction.—The most serious diseases which can afflict mankind first manifest themselves by trifling signs. 'Tis wisdom to meet and subjurrate the first disordered action. Holloway's pills will effect this without risk, pain) or e ! ther drawback. These well-known and universally appreciated pills relieve the circulation from all difficulties, expel all impediments to the natural action of any organ, and pr ic. - vent undue " wear and tear" to the system. B 7 t s } ?e o l s purifying power over the blood the whole body is . reire. u and each individual function properly and healthily stimu lated. The child, the adult, the frail, and infirm may re sort to these pills with confidence ; they are the surestex terminators of all constitutional taints, and the readiest be getters of lzealtj► and spirits, Mr. E. Onslow, M.P., attended a public meeting held on Wednesday, at Guileord, and addressed his constituents in a speech reviewing the events of the past session. Mr. ONSLOW, having been received with much cheering, said he could assure them he felt great pleasure in meeting them for the third time to ren der an account of his stewardship. He begged t l h say that he sincerely thanked them for having placed him in such a proud position. His family had represented that borough for the long period of 166 years. (Hear.) He was, he could assure them, highly proud to represent what he believed to be one of the oldest boroughs in the kingdom. He had been told it was always open to be bought, but he did not believe it, as they had returned him rather than a millionnaire. (Loud cheers.) He had nothing to offer them but his political sentiments, yet they preferred him, who was, as it were, a stranger to them. (Hear.) The first night of the session nothing was promised and nothing had been done. (Laughter.) He was one of those who were called the FortyThieves—(laughter)—as they protested about nothing being said about Reform. He voted for the amendment on that occasion, and received the thanks of the constituents of Brighton for so doing. He was one who was of opinion that their representalives ought to look out for the expenses, and the only chance he saw of curtailing them was a better repre sentation. (Hear, hear.) The expenses were enormous, and tended greatly to oppress the poor, and he felt satisfied that they wished the shackle removed. (Hear, hear.) He was glad he was in the minority on the occasion to which he had alluded, and he had no hesitation in saying that Reform was shelved for the present. The hon. member then alluded to the bills brought in by Mr. Baines and one of the members for the county on the subject of Reform, adding, that they shared the same-fate as the Reform question. Mr. Onslow next alluded to the question of the ballot. Its enemies had pointed to America and France, and said it was a failure ; but he denied it, and felt sure that in this happy country there was no fear of the honest artisan going wrong with regard to the ballot. (Hear, hear.) The hon. gentleman next alluded in humorous terms to the various parties in the house, and spoke in high terms of praise of Messrs. Cobden and Bright, both of whom, he said, were good statesmen. It was to the Liberal party they owed all they possessed, and he dreaded going back into the hands of the Tories. (Hear, hear.) He hoped the Liberal party would remain in power till the dissolution, and he said the sooner it took place the better. The hon. member then alluded at some length to Mr. Gladstone's budget, which he observed, in spite of all the bad omens which had been predicted, pleased everybody ; and, in bis opinion, that gentleman well deserved their confi dence, as not only having provided for a large de ficiency, but one penny in the pound was taken off the income tax, and the tax was taken off paper. Church-rates had been the last party fight. He was of opinion that every church ought to support itself. It was said if the church-rate was abolished the Church would be in danger. He was, however, of a different opinion, or he would not leave it ; and he considered that under the voluntary system it would become brighten than ever. The contest on the question of church-rates was one of the most extra ordinary dead-heats on record, the Speaker giving his casting vote with the minority ; but he trusted they would prevent such an occurrence from again taking place. (Hear, hear.) With reference to the new Bankruptcy Bill, he had his doubts whether it would answer the expectations which were antici pated. In consequence of a domestic affliction he was unable to be in his place for a short time, and in the meantime the bill passed for the appropria• tion of seats. The hon. member then alluded at some considerable length to non-intervention, ob serving that the ways of England .were ways of peace, and alluded in a very touching manner to the reaction which had taken place in Italy by Gari baldi, adding that both England and France were ready to lend their aid. (Hear.) He saw on all sides signs of war, but not to England. (Hear.) He was of opinion that war would break out in Hungary in the spring, but that England was des tined to enjoy peace. In his opinion the present war in America came about from the Tories. He had given his support to the bill which was brought in for the better government of India, and had no doubt of its success. With reference to the com mercial treaty with France, he was in favour of believing it would be one of the means of prevent ing war with that country. (Hear, hear.) The Emperor of the French had done great good in Italy, and he was deeply sorry that his honest intentions to this county were not properly received ; and it was owing to such distrust that we were called upon to spend so much money. The hon. member then read an extract from a work called The Money Market Review, which stated that in various countries there were nearly four millions of men under arms, the cost of which was no less than 150 millions per annum. He considered they had been spending twelve mil lions uselessly in fortifications. In former times they could blockade the French coast. The public ex penses were enormous—if not checked they would lead to serious results ; but he was happy to say that the remedy was in their own hands. With refer ence to the grant to Maynooth, he voted against it, as he had, whilst in Italy, seen the bad effects of it. He considered to the Pope of Rome was to be attri buted the shedding of so much blood, adding, that he (the Pope) was propped up by bayonets. (Hear.) The last topic touched upon was a bill for the better management of Archbishop Abbot's Hospital in Guildford ; the whole of the persons appointed were Tories. It was understood that the Liberal side should nominate four, which was agreed upon; but ho did not approve of the choice, as not one of the number resided in the town. In conclusion, the hon. gentleman said he returned them his warmest thanks for the kind manner in which they had re ceived him, and assured them that so long as he had the honour to represent them he would never break the promises he first made them. He resumed kis seat amidst loud cheers. JOSEPH HOCKLEY, Esq., addressed the meeting at some length, speaking in high terms of the hos. gentleman's services, and concluded by moving a cordial vote of thanks to Mr. Onslow, which was unanimously agreed to. The Hon. Gentleman briefly returned thanks. A vote of thanks was given to the chairman, and the meeting separated. THE EXPEDITION UP TEE YANG- TSE-KIANG. The Friend of India thus summarises the" Notes on the Yang-tse-Kiang from Hankow to Pingshan, by Lieutenant-Colonel Sarel, F.R.G.5.," one of Captain Blakiston's exploring party, who failed in their efforts .to reach Lassa ;—" The expedition left Shanghai on thell.th of February. From Yochow to Pingshan the river has been carefully surveyed by Captain Blakiston. Specimens of mineralogy, ferns, and insects have been collected and forwarded to England. At Ichang, 1,100 miles from Shang hai, up to which steamers can go, the party engaged a boat fit for the ascent of the rapids. Above this the scenery is very grand, coal abounds, and gold is found in the streams. Poppy and tobacco are everywhere grown. Except for 80 miles betweeii Ichang and Ruaichow, and even that is practicable, the river is navigable as far as Pingshan, where the expedition turned back. There the river begins to be called Kin-cha-Kiang, or river of gold. The boatmen call it the Yunnan river, the boundary of that province being just below Pingshan. To the west are the Maoutse, or independent tribes; th ey are a totally different -lookin g race from the C hinese, their faces being open and honest, whic h the Chines faces certainly are not. The rebels in the cou n t ry are not the Taip-ings, but robbers encouraged by the weakness of thp Tartar Government. Part of the Mussulman population of Yunnan is also i in i nsur rection under the leadership of a li tdj, by name Ma Yussu ; his head-quarters are at Ta-lif, on the high road leading from the Burmese frontier to Yunnan, the capital of the province, and to e C e h u i t n h g t n u n , d the west, capital eet,may ofhe saidS ' c t h u et e l China, to the of the Government. Colonel So b arelo says--" a t y o s f — t the hands attri bute our failure to penetrate into Thibot to no hos tility on the part of the authorities, but to the impossibility of obtaiwhre nin e g people to accompany us chancetltroug li e fa having country their threa t t h s ey eu h t. ad T a h v e er g e is the Governor of Thi bet, and is sa i d to beicrooy well od affected towards foreigners; he is a brother of the newly-made Minister for Foreign Affairs at Pekin, and resides at Galva.'" ISTICS OF AUSTRALIA, In a country peopled by immigration it is to be expected that the males will greatly outnumber the females; the immigration of 18 years, 1842-1859, into Victoria (deducting the emigration thence) brought 235,770 males and only 130,759 females. At the census last April, taken on the same day as in this country—at least, within the 24 hours— there were only 64 females to every 100 males. In WeEtern Australia not two years ago there were only 56, and 72 per cent. of the male adults wero either unmarried or had no wife in the colony. Per haps it is not surprising to find among the convic tions at the quarter sessions of the year one for " selling a wife." In New South Wales the " blue book" for 1859 shows no less than one person in every 18 taken into custody in the course of that year (counting repeated arrests of the same person) an enormous proportion to come under penal re straint; but half were cases of drunkenness. In a population of 320,,00 to 350,000 there were no less than 9,419 instance s of persons being taken into cuotody by the police for drunkenness. In that colony the children a,%tending school were about a tenth of the population.; the Government grant was £1 9s. 4d. per head in the derflominational schools, and £2 9i. 4d. in the national—the whole grant amounting to £40,834, and the voluntary contribu tions to £22,172. Sovi:h Australia, with a popula tion of 122,000, had no less than 2,123 Sunday school teachers, and eight times that number of scholars. In Tasmania there were 29 colonial chap lains and 13 incambent3 of parishes, the income of the 42 amounting to £18,243, an average of £434 ; their congregations li-timbered 6,600 persons, of whom as many as 1,725 were communicants, and the offertories produced £2,936 in the year, but the pew rents were only £1,491. More than half the men in Western Australia arrived there as convicts. Victoria itself had xather a narrow escape of being a penal settlement. In a garrison order dated Port Philip, December 31,1.803, Colonel Collins, in order ing the loading of the ship Ocean to be continued by all hands on the l'.;unday, states " that it has never been his wish to Wake the Sabbath any other than a day of devotion. and rest, but circumstances compel him to employ it in labour. In this the whole are concerned, since the sooner we are enabled to leave this unpromisin g and unproductive country, the sooner shall we be able to reap the advantages and enjoy the comforts of a more fertile spot." So the Governor and his convicts shook the dust of Port Philip from their feat, and sped away to found a settlement in Van Diemen's Land. A generation passed, and in 1836 the first census of Port Philip was taken, and it was found to contain 177 residents of European origin. In less than a quarter of a century more the population exceeded half a million. Of course, only the young are native born ; two in every three persons come from the United Kingdom. Notwithstanding the attraction of the goldfields for the labourer, Victoria produces about half the wheat it consumes. COUNTRY MARKETS. MANCHESTER—OcT.'24. English wheat was in slow demand, at no advanee on former rates ; American held for a decline of 2d to 3d per 100Ibs. English and foreign flour a limited business, and prices as of late. Other articles unaltered. BIRMINGHAM—OcT. 24. At to-day's market ilere was a short supply of English wheat from the farmers, which found buyers at a slight decline on this day week - . Foreign descriptions offered at a decline of is to 2s per qr., but no buyers. In barley, oats, peas, and beans the trade ruled slow, at late rates. PLYMOUTH—OcT. 22. The market was thinly attended, with a fair demand for wheat at 2s Od per qr advance. Flour is lower. White wheat, 63s to 64s ; red, 56s to 57s per qr ; French do., 60s to 62s ; American, 61s to 63s ; Spanish, 74s to 76s ; Rus sian, 60s to 625. Barley at about late rates-36s to 43s per qr for malting ; grinding, 32s to 36s ; oats, 24a to2Bs; and beans, —s to —s ; flour, 44s to 46s Od. CORK-OCT. 23. The following were the quotations this morning :—ltEd wheat, 18s Od to 29s Od ;White, 23s Od to 30s Od; barley 98 Od to 108 Od ; oats, 6s Od to 14s Od. EDINBURGH GRAIN—Ocr. 23. Wheat on the top 24s Od up average 4s 6d up. Barley on the top is Od up.... average Os ld up. Oats on the top Os 6d up average Os 10d up, Beans on the top Os 6d.down .average 2s 6d down. Averages per Imperial quarter. Wheat.... New wheat .... -12ths Barley 1 15 2 5-12ths Oats 1 9 0 3-12ths Beans Total Supply and Sales. Wheat ...1239 qrs Sold 907 qrs 8ar1ey........ 1901 qrs Sold 1293 qrs Oats Beans 1083 qrs 99 qrs Sold 23 qrs DERBY SMITHFIELD—OcT. 22. A moderate number of fat beasts to-day, and the demand was fair for fine qualities at former prices. A less supply of sheep, generally of good quality, and realising good prices. The supply of calves was better, and readily dis posed of. Pigs in average supply. Beet Gd to 61d 1 Veal lid to 81 Mutton .... 7d to 7id Pork .. Gd to6id ,Lamb .. 70 to 8d Rough fat, 4s 8d per stone. Hides, 3d to 41c1 ; calf skins, 5d to Gd. FO.RBIGN MAIL PACKET LIST. MAILS DUE. Australia and Mauritius, via Southampton ..Nov. 18. via Marseilles Nov. 12. Brazil and Cape Verds, by British packet.. Nov. 4. Cape of Good Hope, Ascension, and St. Helena Nov. 1. China, Penang, and Singapore, via Southampton Nov. 2. via Marseilles Oct. 27. Falkland Islands Gibraltar, via Southampton .. Oct. 26. India (Calcutta), and Ceylon, via Southampton Nov. 2. via Marseilles Oct. 27. India (Bombay), via Southampton via Marseilles Nov. 4. Lisbon Malta, Egypt, and Aden, via Southampton.. Oct. 26. via Marseilles Oct. 27. Newfoundland Oporto and Vigo .. Nov. 1. U. S. and British N. America, by Brit. packet Oct. 30. by U.S. packet by Canadian packet Oct. 23. W.C. of Africa, Madeira, and Teneriffe Nov. 10 . Bahamas, via New York Nov. 21 . Mexico ....0ct. 29. All parts of West Indies, including Chili, Peru, C a lifornia,and British Columbia.. I Oct 29. The transit of Mercury across the sun's disk will occur on the 12th of November, but it will only be visible at Marseilles, and even there but partially. The first transit was observed in 101 by Gassendi, and since then there have been 21; the last occurred on the Bth of November, 1848. Before the end of the present century five mere will take place, viz., on the 4th of November, 1868; May 6, 1878 ; Nov. 7, 1881; May 9, 1891; and Nov. 10, 1891. NEW WAY OF MAKING A PENNY.—One of our lairds, who shall be nameless, had occasion lately, in • the course of business, to put into the hands of his law agent here a small sum of money. The writer entered the money in his cash-book, and was proceeding to give a receipt, when the laird thus addressed him :—" Now, Mr. So-and -so, it it needless for you to be at the trouble o' writin' a receipt on that bit o' paper, an' stickin' a penny stamp on't ; jist gie me the penny, and I'll trust tao yer bo o k s. , , The man of business good -naturedl y handed his client the penny.—Scotsman. BIRTHS. BABY.—On the 21st., at Saudgate, the wif e o f C ap t a i n D. A. Baby, of a son. , CECIL. —On the 23d inst., Lady Robert Cecil, of a son. DowsoN.—On the 22d inst., the wife of John Dowson, E s q., of a son. NorancoriE.—On the 233 inst., at Monk Okehampton, the wife of the Rev. H. M. Northcote, of a son. MARRIAGES. BALSTON—OLIVER.—On the 24th inst., at St. James's, Piccadilly, Thomas Balston, Esq., of Chart Sutton, Kent, to Ellen Frances, eldest daughter of the Rev. W. M. Oliver, rector of Boringer, Essex. CHAPPELL—ELLis.—On the 22d inst., at St. George's, Hanover-square, Thomas P. Chappell, Esq., .of George street, Hanover-square, to Marian Ellis, widow of the late Wm. Ellis, Middle Temple'. DEATHS. ABET.—On the 11th inst., at Alexandria, Egypt, Ananius Abet, of Finsbury-circus, city, and 19, Petubridgo-gar dens, Bayswater (ot the well-known firm of Abet Brors. of London). BRANDON.—On the 21st inst., at Avenue de Neuilly, near Paris, Alex. t) randon, Esq. GILL.—On the 20th inst., at his residence, Brooklands, Tavistock, Thomas Gill, Eaq., Deputy-Lieutenant for the county of Devon, and formerly M.P. for Plymouth, aged 73. H OUS EHOLD.—On the 21st last , at Peterborough, John Household, Esq., aged 69. SKEET.—On the 21st in , t., at 5, Windsor-terrace, Maida bill, Robert Skeet, Esq., aged 62. Wumox.—On the 22d inst., at Brighton, .Robert Edward Dudley, eldest son of Sir Henry S. Wilmot, Bart., of Chaddesden, Derbyshire, aged 31. WYMARK.—On the 23d inst., Mark Wymark, of 19, Myd.. delton-square, Pentonville, aged 72. LONDON : Printed and Published by BIURDO YOUNG, of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at Thu SUN Office, No. 112,Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the County of Iliddleeex, Friday, October 25, 1601. ,