Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-01-07 00:00:00

THE VICTORIA BRIDGE, CANADA.

The Times says, in a leading article, this bridge is
the most magnificent work of-the kind in existence ; for,
although within our own island we have the bridge
across the Menai Straits, yet in every point the Victoria-
bridge is far superior. The St.. Lawrence, as may readily
be seen by a reference to the map, together with the
great chain of lakes, actually divides North America in
two, from the Rocky Mieintains to New Brunswick
There is, indeed, an admirably plannedwOOden bridge at
Niagara, but it is not to be mentioned as a rival
of the stupendous achievement at Montreal. The
provinces of the North American Union are now
so intimately connected by iron lines that all that
was wanting to bring the Union into close com-
munication with Canada was to span the St. Lawrence,
and this, has now been done. lt seems a prosaic test to
.apply to a work which appears to have been inSpired by
the very poetry of engineering, but th us there seems
something very prophetic of the future in the simple
statement of freight carried over the Victoria-bridge
dnring„five nights after it had been opened for traffic.
We. read that from West to East, there passed 162 cars,
containing 11,723 barrels of flour, 1,052. barrels of
pork, 140 bales of cotton and 110 tons of general goods.
From East to West the passed 130 ears, containing
534-tons of- general goods, 170 tons of iron, and 39,000
feet of lumber. Now, this looks very prosaic and
commonplace, but let us see what it means. Here we
hare evidence that the corn-growers, the provision mer-
chants, and the cotton planters of the United States are
ready, and eager to avail themselves of this opening for:
traffic. On the other band, and on the Canadian side,
salt persons engaged in the timber and iron trades, and,
as ,we may presume, the general merchants in the
mother countryi are nothing loth to meet the producers
of the Union half way, This simple register of com-
mercial transactions, which at first glance reads like a
mere invoice, is more significant than any of the con-
siderations which were urged with exuberant rhetorical
power by the speakers at the opening. banquet. .
It
,must be, remembered that, independentlyt of the
engineering difficulties., of this undertaking, the work
.had,to be carried on in a climate which for many months
of the year is almost Arctic in its severity. It is said,
however, that no, iron tubes, despite of these drawbacks,
have ever been put together more scientifically or securely,
and that never has stone been heaped upon stone with
greater care to insure durability than in the case of the
Victoria-bridge. It is, indeed, to he doubted if ever a
monument has been raised by human hands which can
offer a prouder memorial of the race which reared it than
• the—Victoriaclaridge.._ Tußobert Stephenson, is due the.
merit of its conception ; to Messrs. Peto and Brasseyihe
praise which:belong,s to the contractors foi such a work
wheri successfully executed. We believe that the great
bulk of the money which has been employed upon the
construction of the- line and the bridge has come from
the packets of British capitalists. The opening of the
Victoria-bridge will, as we all trust, prove the coin-
mencemenfof a new era in the prosperity
,of the Canadas.
An epoch of steady industry, and an absence of political
turmoil and squabbles, are all that is nee led to place
the provinces of British America in as favourable a
position is their more fortunate rivals of the United
States. What is mainly required is that they should
inspire confidence in the honest management of their
finances and in the industrial development of their
Country.

ACTION OF IRON NAILS IN Smrs.—M. Kuhlmann
asserts that the use of iron nails in building wooden
ships is one of the chief causes of their decay. The rot-
ting or decay of wood is a process of slow combustion,
and M. Kuhlmann considers that the iron nails act as
carriers for oxygen, and- introduce it into the substance
of the timber. 13y contact with water and air the iron
is rapidly -converted into a sesquioxide. IR this state it
yields:a portion of its oxygen to the wood, and is reduced
to the state of prcto.xide, which further action of air
and moisture converts to the sesquioxide, and so the
process goes on. M. Kuhlmann fortifies his theory with
several experiments, and- appeals to the well-known
blackened and rotten appearance of ship planks that
have ~been long in contact with iron nails or bolts.
Copper nine co not produce this effect. This is a
matter which ought to be investigated by olir naval
authorities, as a large proportion of our annual expen-
diture arises from the decay of ships.. We belieye
housewives wilt admit one fact whidh M. Kdhlmann
adduces, viz., the tendency to decay of those portions
of linen or cotton articles which are affected by iron-
-mould.

THE VICISSITUDES OF LIFE.—Some days ago, a Mr:
Wyatt, of Reigate, was summoned to the Bromley petty
sessions to show cause why.he refused to maintain his
wife, Amy Wyatt, then a pauper lunatic, 'at Barming.
Asylum. His reasons for refusing to maintain her will'
appear in the following narrative :—About eight years
ago he was living with his wife at Reigate, where they
kept a little general shop, he being occasionally em='
ployed as a labourer. The husband went out one morn-
ing, the wife telling him not to hurry home, as she would
keep the dinner hot. On his return he found she had
gone, leaving her only child, a little boy, behind. In-
quizies were made, but nothing was heard of her. The
brewer Who supplied them with table beer for sale told the
husband that he had seen her at home during the day
when he called. Months passed. on, and no tidings
whatever were heard, when, a letter was unexpectedly
'received from his wife, giving as a reason why she had
left her home that she could not live any longer in such
a smoky house. Her whereabouts, however, was not
even then discovered. The brewer's wife died in the
meantime from distress, through her husband's effects
being sold for debt. Mrs. Wyatt;s sister and sister's
husband, who, it has since appeared, had 'some hand
in decoying her from home, also died under distressing
circumstances; the brewer was lost sight of, and the
hUshand had given up all thoughts of again -seeing
his wife. Being over at Bromley one day on business.
at Farwig he saw on the sign of the Royal Oak a very
familiar name. Curiosity induced him to enter, when
the first person he beheld was his old friend the brewer
of Reigate. Their mutual salutations induced a female
to come out of the bar, in whom the visitor discovered
ro other than his long lost spouse. Leaving our readers
to conjecture the scene which ensued, we may add that
Wyatt industriously circulated the tale of his wrongs,
the business fell off, and the concern was sold. She
who had deserted her partner was in turn deserted her-.
self, and in consequence became a lunatic and a pauper.

Saturday, January 7, Ig6o.

ADMIRAL SIR CHARLES NAPIER ON THE
NATIONAL DEFENCES.

LOWESTOFT, Jan. 5. s
Admiral Sir Charles Napier undertook to be present
last evening, at a meeting held in this town to-promote
the enrolment of " Royal Naval Volunteers" along the
coast. Captain Steward presided, and the meeting was .
numerously attended.
Sir, C. Napier saidOhose present no doubt knew per-
fectly well that for some time past anxiety fiad prevailed
in - Ilngland with reference to the position of the
country in respect of France. All over England.
rifle and military corps were being formed for the 1
defence of the country, for the' army of England
being very small, and the greater part of -it being in 1-,
India and China, the people. had thought it necessary ,
to assist the Government by . enrolling themselves in
various ways. He heard, however, that there was
but little doing at Lowestoft, a rather remarkable cir-
cumstance; considering how exposed the place was to
attack. Whether the Emperor of the French intended to
attack us it was impossible to say, but for the last 20 years '
there had been a constant augmentation in the navy of that '
country, although, geographically speaking, France was .
very differently, situated to ourselves. Great Britain, as s
an island, relied for her defence on her' navYsiurd the-
fortresses on her coast; while .France, as a military
power, had an army of 600,000 or 700,000 men. Nobody ,
could know better than the present audience that the
aspect of naval affairs lad now greatly changed. In days
gone by there was no such thing as steam, and the country
was then defended .- by the navy alone. The application '
of steam to modern warfare had now produced a great I
change, and given other countries a great advantage in
attacking us; and although' he believed that the superi-
ority and skill-of our men would always be maintamed,
still the difficulty of invading our coast was not so great as-
in former days. "A year ago it appeared that the French
navy was almost equal. to our own,. and he was sorry to
say this was owing- to the inattention we had paid to
our hairy. (Hear.) 'For some years he had seen danger
in our position, but we were now, he was glad to say, '
building a, number of,large ships and fine frigates. Still, -
,;
what 'Would be the use Of building ships and erecting
forts if we had not men to man them ? This was our
real necessity. When .Parliament voted a certain num-
ber
of "seamen-30,000 or 40,000—that total" could be .
. • kept up when it was once obtained, by bringing forward
the boys, as they grew up, to meet casualties and deaths; ,
but when a' sudden augmentation was required, as in
the case of alarm or invasion, and the government -
found it necessary to call out 10,000 or 20,000 more, - .
the men, under ordinary circumstances, were not to
be had. The mercantile marine- had its number of
men, and the navy its number, but in the case of an
emergency extra men for the latter were not to be had ;
and he was glad to find that the Government had at last '
'come forward.,,and taken measures for forming a reserve
,-,
force. Coast volunteers had been for some time organised
to assist the coast-guard in looking after smugglers, and
if necessary they. would come forward in the event of k
war suddenly taking. place, and man the reserve ships.
It was true they might 'have t 6 fight, but at present
they had only to ,put down their names and come-4'.
forward in case of an emergency to defend the coast.
The boats plying on the coast were some of the=
finest in- the world, and they were fit to receive
the enormous. men, elephants he might call them,
who' went out -in them sometimes to save -life and '
property. When they thus put off to ships in distress -
they _braved great dangers, and could not say whether
they would come back again. Fighting was nothing at all
to this, for there was excitement in it. (Laughter.) The
plan under which enrolment was now invited was dif-- ,
terent from that ti the coast volunteers. The Govern-- -
meat hoped to raise 30,000 men, to'be ready in the event- .
of an invasion of this country or an attack from France,. ,
and they would be required to serve -in any part. of the
world in time of war. The classinvited to enrol them--
selves were able-bodied seamen, and they would receive ;
a a year merely to be ready when wanted. They would
assemble for 28 days' drill annually, and receive while-_i
up Is.. Ad. per day victualling money, andls. per day ,
pay, with' the advantage of a pension of no less than
412 a year 'alter ten years' enrolment, which, under.
certain arrangements, might be enjoyed by their wives ~'
after their decease. In addition to this, whether wounded-
or not, they would be eligible-to an asylum in Green-- ,1
, with Hospital. The time for drill would be so selectedsi.
as not to interfere with their fishing and other ordinary '•
occupations; they might, with leave, go foreign voyages,-.'
and gunboats could be stationed so that they had their,,
drill,At honie.
,What inconvenience, he would ask,would
they endure; in learning, under such circumstances as
these ,s different exercises with guns, cutlasses, .and
muskets, in order that they_might be effiCient defenders -
_of their country in the event of war ? Alen not drilled
were nothing mere than a mob. Some might be in-
clined to say, " Oh, we should do very well ;" but if he .
took 100 of the 400 seamen present_ and accustomed
them by discipline to the use of guns, cutlasses, &c., he
would wager his life that if he were to put himself
at their head, be would "lick" the whole of the
rest. (Laughter and cheers.) Sailors and beachmen,
could not be expected to come forward as rifle--
men ; they were born to the sea, and accustomed:
to the sea only ; but it was to them that the country)
'looked for its defence. The Government had not asked-
him to address the meetinwrs but being on a visit to his
daughter in- the neighbourhood, he had volunteered to'
ask those present to volunteer. If they did not do soy •
any "lousy" privateer might come down upon then,
burn their houses, ravish their women, commit all man- '
ner of atrocities, and drive them like a flock of sheep-
before the wind. Another view of the matter was that •
in the event of war the Government might compel •
them to come forts-ard: The Queen had a right to call
upon them-to defend the 'country, but now, when there-.
was no immediate chance of attack, her Majesty offerecla
them a certain sum of money to go and be drilled, that
in the event of war they might be able to defend them-
selves,. their wives, and property. With reference t 0,,,
impressment, the parliament and people of this country
were dead against it. He had' himself brought a bill
into Parliament, not to establish the press-gang, but to ,
• exercise a little gentler compulsion. His measure was
to the effect that every bey-after serving three or four
years in the merchant service should, before he was-
entitled to be ranked as a British seaman, be compelled
to serve two or three years on beard a man.-'6
of-war, that he' might be fit for service. Hei'-
thought when he brought this measure for- "ii,
ward, . and he thought now, that this would be an
. excellent preparations, but the House of Commons would
I not entertain the scheme because it was a species of
compnlsion. He stated this to show that the House of
Comb-ions was opposed to the slightest show of coinpul- .
sion,' and for this reason sailors were' now called upon to'
. .

volunteer. He.clid not wish to deceive them. Ira wir''.4
broke oat it would be absolutely necessary to compel'
men. to come forward, and everybody must do—so,
not only sailors, but gentlemen and noblemen. He wets..:
not one to say that the poor man should be the first to
serve and fight; but every man, from the prince of royal
blood down to'the poorest in the land, ought to come for-
ward if it was necessary for him to do so for the defence.
of the country. (Cheers.).

AN AnTime THIEF.—The greatest pleasure enjoyedl,
by Prince Gortschakoff, it is said, is to sit in his dress=
ing gown in a large arni-chair, before an easel on which.
thereis a fine picture. Crossing his legs, and swinging
One on the other, while he plays with his slipper,. and"
smokes his cigar, he gaz es for hours together on the picture.
He had a fine gallery. of modern pictures, and he had a
valuable album containing sketches by the best living,
artists. Two or three years ago, a French diplomatist
asked to see the album ; to his surprise, he fotind
the best sketches were gone, and said so to the prince,.'
True enough," replied the latter, "my best sketches
have been stolen out of it." " Stolen ? Do you suspect
by whom?" " Oh, yes—one 'of my messengers ;he
took to imitating .me in my love for art, and helped
himself out of my album." "But didn't you arrest
the scoundrel ?"• "Oh dear, no ! the puppy showed
such deucedly good taste in the selections he mad; I
could not think of having him arrested! '
THE ENGLISH WORKING CLASSES IN PARIS.—OIL
the last evening of the year a special service for the
English working classes was held at the English
Church, Rue d' Aguesseau. „A_ considerable number
attended. The chaplain, the Rev. E. Forbes, preached
from Isaiah 55, v. 6, and earnestly and affectionately in-
vited them to avail themselves of the means of grace pro-
vided for them in the re-openin. of that church. Hitherto
this class have been as sheep'having no shepherd, and -
being scattered over Paris avid its outskirts, have been
very difficult of access. Connected with the Agucssau
church, there is a chaplain, an assistant "chaplain, and
a Scripture reader. The_two latter are wholly occupied
in visiting among the English poor and working classes,
who, in many case, have lapsed into absolute heathenism,
the parents connected with no religious body, and the
children unbaptised. We trust much good will be
effected by the efforts now made in their behalf.—