The Press.
London, England, 1855-08-04 00:00:00

NEW SHIPS OF WAR.

THE launch of the gigantic screw ship of war the
Marlborough was announced to take place at Ports-
mouth on Tuesday last, when the Queen had pro-
mised to be present and to give its name to the huge
vessel. The event accordingly attracted an immense
concourse of spectators, including, of coarse, all the
authorities of the dockyard, arsenal, and town of
Portsmouth, together with several members of the
Admiralty Board, and other public departments.
All the preparations were made for the reception of
her Majesty, who arrived some time before noon,
and took her place in a box specially provided. In
a few minutes afterwards the Queen went to the
bow of the ship, and with the usual formalities be-
stowed on her the name of the Marlborough. Some
time elapsed while the wedges were being driven out
in order to allow the new ship to glide off the " way "
into the water. At length she began to move slowly
off, stern forwards, out of the slip on which she had
been built. Then followed an alarming disappoint-
ment, which marred the eclat of the event, and for a
while threatened serious damage to the new vessel
even before she bad commenced her career on the
waters. The noble fabric having glided to the
length of her own shed, it become perceptible to
those who understood the matter that as she did not
gain velocity in her descent she would soon be
brought up, which was the case, and immediately
opposite the Queen's box. The most intense
excitement ensued. Messages were instantly sent
for a couple of steam tugs to make fast to her quar-
ter; hut all was of no avail. The Sprightly, Pigmy,
and Echo were put in requisition, but the attempt
was futile, as might have been conjectured. In the
interim the Queen got into the royal carriage and
proceeded to the Admiralty-house, where her Ma-
jesty honoured the Port Admiral, Sir Thomas Coch-
rane, by partaking of luncheon.

After remaining an hour, the Queen again got
into her carriage, and amid the cheering of the mul-
titude proceeded to the military hospital, where the
invalids were in position to be inspected by her
Majesty. The Queen most graciously inquired after
them, and by what means they had received their
wounds. Her Majesty then took her leave, re entered
the dockyard, and embarked on board the Fairy on
her return to Osborne. The Marlborough was
meanwhile left hanging on the " ways," strenuous
efforts being made so to shore up her vast bulk as to
prevent all damage and strain during the ebb tide.
In the course of the night, when high water re-
turned, by enormous exertion on the part of the
dockyard artificers and officers, she was safely
floated off, and brought up alongside the dock. Ac-
cording to the official statements since made, she
has escaped without sustaining any injury of con-
sequence.

Another large ship is to be at once commenced
on the slip the Marlborough has vacated, and to be
several feet longer, and of greater tonnage. She is
to be called the Victoria. The timbers for her
frame are already prepared for putting together.

ATTEMPTED LAUNCH OF THE NEW STEAM-SHIP
"Royal. CHARTER."—The launch of this magnificent
steamship, which has been built at Sandycroft,
within five miles of the city of Chester, on the banks
of the Dee, was fixed for last Tuesday. She is
about twenty-five longer than the Great Britain
steam-snip, being in extreme length 335 feet, her
beam 411 feet, her depth 261 feet, with poop and
forecastle. Her engines have been manufactured by
Messrs. Penn and Son, of London ; and she is in-
tended to be propelled by a screw. Her anchors
are Trotman's paten, which the Government trials
decided to be by far the best, and subsequent expe-
rience has confirmed their superiority ; they were
manufactured by Messrs. Wood Brothers, of the Dee
Ironworks, Saltney, near Chester, and of Liverpool,
by whom also the ship's cables have been made.
The Royal Charter is registered 2,780 tons, old
measurement, and has been built for the Liverpool
and Australian Steam Navigation Company
(Messrs. Gibbs, Bright, and Co., of Liverpool, dtc.)
The launch was arranged to take place at one
o'clock. At five minutes past one the last support
of the cradle was knocked away, and the noble ship
glided sideways into the river, which is too narrow
to admit of so immense a vessel being launched in
the usual manner. She, however, had hardly pro-
ceeded one-third way of her whole length along the
cradle before she struck upon the sand and
remained immoveable. Every effort made to get her
off proved unavailing.—Chester Courant.

Workmen are busily employed in driving piles into
the river opposito the centre of the West Wharf, in
the arsenal, Woolwich, to fnrra a jetty to run out into
the river, to enable large vessels to come alongside
and receive their cargoes at once. At present, the
stores have to be shifted, first into the lighters or
barges, and then from the barges into the ship.
By this plan, considerable time and labour will be
sand.

SATURDAY,

THE HYDE•PARK RIOTS.

THE committee of inquiry into the late proceedings
in Hyde-park is at length concluded, atter collecting
a voluminous mass of evidence. During the week
the chief witnesses called have been policemen and
superintendents, who have offered testimony designed
to rebut the charge of causeless or extreme severity
on their own part towards the crowd. The heaviest
allegations of this nature given by preceding wit-
nesses lay against Inspector Hughes, the " man on
the chesnut horse," who on Tuesday entered into his
own defence, in which, it may be observed, those alike
of his superior, Sir It. Mayne, and his subordinates
were intrinsically involved.
On Thursday the professional advisers of the re-
spective parties, Mr. Mitchell for the complainants,
and Mr. Ellis for the police, each summed up
the evidence, and addressed the court on behalf of
their clients. The president (Mr. Commissioner
Wortley) in closing the proceedings said :

The evidence having been concluded on both sides, and having
heard the observations of those who had been intrusted with
the conduct of the inquiry on each side, he thought it becloud
the commissioners to say they felt deeply obliged to the gentle-
TIM who had conducted it. Mr. Mitchell's clients had every
reason to be satisfied with the manner in which their caves had
been brought before the commissioners, and Mr. Ellis hod
shown great ability, forbearance, &nu good temper, under the
difficult circumstances in which he was placed, and the sudden-
ness with which he was called on to undertake the duty. He
was, however, anxious to correct a misconception which seemed
to prevail in the public mind. lie accepted in the widest terms
the statement of Mr. Mitchell as to the general right of the peo-
ple of this country to meet and discuss their grievances. They
might meet in any numbers in any public place, and discus.
them with the utmost freedom, If they did not use violence and
carry arms, and resort to those sortof demonstrations calculated
to create alarm ; but when they supposed they were at liberty to
hold public meetings in the parks because they were public
parks, and in some sense the property of the public, he believed
they would find it was a mistake. Parka were public, no doubt,
but for a particular purpose—viz., for the recreation of the mul-
titude. They were public in the sense of being dedicated to the
public by the Crown. But they were the property of the Crown,
and under regulations for the benetitof all who frequented them,
and it was by the ranger appointed by the Crown the regulations
were made. These circumstances showed that, if they were de-
dicated to the public for the purposes of recreation, they were
not, in the widest sense, public property ; and it would no doubt
prevent recreation, and disturb the enjoyment of a large portion
of the public, if the parks were used for the purpose of political
meetings or discussions. He made these observations not as
laying dowu the law, but in order to remove what he behaved
was a misconception.

Owing to the extreme length to which the evidence
has run, it is believed that some considerable time
must elapse before the commissioners will be able to
present their report.

THE prospectus of a Railway Electric Signals
Company has appeared. The association is to start
with a capital of 60,0001., and power to increase to
120,0001., in shares of 1/. each, to be paid up in full.
The company has purchased Mr. Tyer's patents, and
proposes to treat with railway and other companies
for the erection and maintenance of his electric
signal instruments, which it is stated have been satis-
factorily tested by eighteen months' working on the
South-Eastern Railway Company, and by successful
experiments in France. The system is now in full
operation on the North Kent line. The propnetors
of the patents are to receive 10,000 free shares, and
one half of the net profits beyond 10 per cent. on the
capital invested. The company is constituted under
the French law "en commandite."

ACCOUNTS of another great fire at Constantinople
are given in the Moniteur. The conflagration broke
out on the 17th July, and for a time exposed the
French military workshops to imminent danger. The
fire began just after noon, and, favored by the heat
of the sun and an impetuous changing wind, con-
sumed 130 houses. The buildings occupied by the
French were entirely of wood, and were only saved
by the incessant exertions of the pompiers, who like-
wise saved many houses of the town, which must
otherwise have been destroyed.
TABLES, taken from the Irish agricultural returns
last published, show that the cultivation of wheat has
decreased to a remarkable extent in Ireland, the
number of acres in 1853 being 45 per cent. less than
in 1850. The extent of land under oats shows little
difference; but barley has decreased about 7 per
cent. Potatoes, while they only show an increase in
acres of about 2 per cent., have increased in produce
about 45 per cent. since 1850, the produce of 1853
crop being 10,000,000 barrels more than that of
either 1851 or 1852, and 14,000,000 more than that
of 1850.

A SPECIAL MEETING of the Company of Copper
Miners in England was held on Wednesday, to elect
a governor in the place of Sir John Dean Paul. The
deputy-governor, Sir J. H. Pelly, was unanimously
appointed to fill the vacancy. Mr.i George Gay was
elected deputy-governor, and Mr. G. H. Pownall, one
of the assistants, appointed to the vacancy occasioned
by the elevation of Mr. Gay. It was mentioned, in
reference to the failure of Messrs. Strahan, Paul, and
Bates, that the claim of the company against the
estate did not exceed 1,0171.

Orders have been received at Woolwich arsenal
to have 130 8-inch, 10• inch and 13-inch mortars
ready as soon as possible, to be sent to the Crimea.
60,000 18. inch shells are ordered to be seut imme•
diately.