The Sun.
London, England, 1855-09-07 00:00:00

T H E PATENT SLIP AT SYDNEY.

Thi4 gicfantie work has boon the re4ult of but thirteen
months' labour —a fact which ri-&ct4 no little credit

uponwhn the e
isenterprise
desre ad
nd es
that
arttlu,
sr resources
thetf tthe
largest
city, particularly
of it 4
kind in the world, and not only the largest, hut alto-
gether the most complete. There is every convenience
for three large ships being shored at the same time,
althongh up to the present nn more than two have been
on the slip together. The first vessel taken on the slip
for an experiment was the Shamrock, one of the Com-
pany's boats ; this; was at the close of April. Subse-
quently the Thistle, Col laroy, and the Ilialong were taken
and cleaned. On Friday, the 18th May, the barque
Favourite was taken on, and within 1.5 hours her copper
was taken off, and the vessel', side caulked and re-cop-
pered. On Thursday, May 31, the paddle-steamer Acheron
was launched from the slip, after having undergone a
thorough repair. This vessel was built, and has hitherto
been employed in her Majesty's service, and while on a,
surveying cruise three years ago, ran aground near New-
castle, where a great portion of her copper was scraped
off. Her injury being ascertained, she was condemned,
and remained useless in our harbour until April last,
when she WAS purchased at auction by Messrs. a A.
Lloyd and Co., for 2,1501. On being received on the
slip the Acheron was raised by the hydraulics a height
of twelve feet, to give the workmen sufficient :space
under the keel to perform their tedious repairs. It was
then found that, except in one or two places, where the
sheathing had been removed, and the worm had entered,
all the ship's timbers (of English elm) wers as sound as
on the day sbe was launched ; no damage whatever was
visible inside, and not one of the fastenings showed any
siene of having started. The keel, however, was
eaten through by the worm, as was also the bottom
plank. These have both been replaced by new ones,
ALA the vessel has been thoroughly new coppered,
and is now in all respects 'as good as a new
ship. Whilst on the slip her paddle-wheels were un-
shipped, and she will go home to London as a sailing
ship, taking her engines with her. The total expense of
constructing the slip, including both the cost of the ma-
chinery and the labour reqnired to complete the slip, i.,
stated as a little over 60,0001. Its termination in so short
a time, an!! in so effective a manner, presents one of the
fairest results of colonal wealth and enterprise, and may
may be taken as an earnest of the varied developments
of engineering skill, which, under auspices equally fa-
vourable shall, in quick eucceasion, rise in all direntions,
to promote both the public benefit and individual fame.

TEE MILITIA.—Two fresh returns have been published
relating to the Militia, on the motion of Colonels Buck
I,nd Doncombe. The one shows that on the 30th of
June, 1855, the strength of the English militia was 1,764
officers, 2,123 sergeant+, 780 drummers. and 29,885 rank
and- file present, and 272 officers, 122 sergeants, 21
drummers, and 6,048 rank and file absent. The etrongth
of the regiments on foreign service (on the 80th of
June) was 198 officers, 286 sergeants, 95 drummers,
and 4,608 rank and file. This wakes a total effective
force of 2,234 officers, 2,531 sergeants, 896 drummers,
and 40,541 rank and file. The second return shown
that the total number of rank and file embodied is
Erg 'and on the 14th of March, 1855, amounted to
44,198, the total number embodied on the 14th of April,
1‘,..,,55, to 39,945, tl:e quota of volunteers to the regular
trmy to 13,021, and the portion of the quota given
.Fall regiments to the reEular army to 11,268. In
-:cntlard the number of rank and file embodied on the
14th of April, 1855, was 5,119, the quota of volunteers
1,693, and the portion of the quota given by all regi.
ioents to the regular army 886. In Ireland 15,119
rank and file mere embodied on the 14th of April, the
luota of volunteers to the army was 4,736, and the
i,ortion furnished to the line by all the regiments 2,353,
I'hus, the grand total.nnmber of rank an.: file embodied
n the 14th of April, 1855. would be 51,183, the quota
,f volunteers to the line 19,450, and thy quota furnished
L'Y tU the regiultuts 14,07.

BT. PANCRAS.,
At 10 o'clock Mr. Wood met the vestry. The learned
assessor opened the proceedings by reading his appoint-
ment and that portion of the act relating to the particu-
lar business in hand. Thelifers to be 18 vestrymen for
every 1,000 householders rated to the relief of the poor
of the parish ; if over 1,00044 vestrymen ;. and 36 ves-
trymen if the ratepayers exceed 2,000 ; and 80 On in
proportion at the rate of 12 additional vestrymen for
every thousand houmeheldsre. The incumbent and
churehaverdene—and thee aistrict --rector, at present
constituting. any p +rt. of a vestry, shall con-
tinue to do so. When the number of qualified
vestrymen is below 18, the vestry is to consist of as
many as may be qualified. Parishes with more than
2,000 rated householders are to be divided into wards ;
no ward is to contain lees than 500 rated householders,
and the whole number of wards in any parish is not to ex-
ceed 8 ; an I their limits are to be defined before the 10th
of October next:- Should the population vary in a future
census, the number of vestrymen may be altered accord-
ingly. The qualification of a vestry.nan is to be rated to
the poor upon a rental of not less than 401. per annum ;
but in a parish where the 401. assessment is not more
the whole than one-sixth of the entire rating, then 25/.
rated rental will be sufficient, and a joint occupaney
amounting to 251. each occupier will also qualily for the
above office. The first election is to take place next
November, between the first and twenty-fifth days of
the month, when the full number of vestrymen are to
he elected ; and future elections will take place in
the month of May every year, the churchwardens giving
previously twenty-one days' notice. Tne third of
the vestry will go out of office every year, and the'
first and second years are to be determined by lot
among the whole of the vestry as to those who shall re-
. Vacancies can only be filled up yearly, and the
persons elected shall go out of office in the same order as
those parties would have done whose vacancies are sup-
plied. The auditors of parish accounts will go out of
office in the same way as the vestrymen. A number of
the existing vestry was told that assessments were based
upon individuality, that he that an owner of houses can-
net have votes for the houses, but only for his own rat-
ing, and that it was a question not yet determined in
what way the railways were to be represented in vestry.
In proceeding to mark the outlines of the wards from
the official maps of the parish, the assessor said that
the object to be attained was to equally apportion
the representative power throughout tne parish. When
wards were of small extent the number of vestry.
men would be small also, in order that the rate-
payers of a poor or small ward should be as well
reuresented, not aceardiug to their wealth, t.ut to
the number of qualified ratepayers only. The learned
assessor then proposed to divide the parish into 8 wards,
as follows :—No. 1 ward to be bounded on the north by
the boundary of the parish ; on the west by the same ;
on the south by Mansfield-road, to the boundary west-
ward ; and on the east by the Kentish-town road. No. 2
ward to be bounded on the north by Mansfield-road ; on
the west by the parish boundary ; on the east by the
Kentish-town-roal, to the obelisk opposite the Mother
Red Cap. and on the south-west by Pancras vale. No. 3
ward to he t minded on the north-east by Gloucester.
place, Kentish-town, to the parish boundary ; on the west
by the Kentidetewn-road, Hielestreet, to Gloucester
place, Camden-town ; on the south by Gioncester-place to
the workhouse, and on the east by the King's-road to Ox-
ford-street over the canal, thence along the canal to the
parish boundary. No. 4 ward to be bounded on the north
-and. west by the pariah-boundary line, and on the east
and west by Pancras-vale, High-street, Camden-town,
Southampton-st., Mornaigton-crescent, Crescent-place,
Serpentine-road, Augustus-street, Cumberland-market
(north side), Cumberland-street west, and Albany-street,
to the boundary of the parish.- No, 5 wardto be bounded
on the north-west by Southanipton-street, Morningtot,
crescent, Crescent-place, across the Railway bridge,
Serpentine-road, Augustus-street, north side of Cumber-
land-market, Curaberand-stref t west„ Albany-street,
Osnaburgh-terrace, Osnaburgh--treet, to the New-road.
On the south, by the New-road te Euston-square (east
side), and on the east by Eustotesquere (east side), Sey-
mour-street. Upper Seymour-street, Crawley-street,
Oakley-square (west side), and Eversholt-street to the
end. N. 6 ward to be bounded on the west by Euston-
square (east side), Seymour-street, Upper Seymour-
street, Crawley-street, Oakley-square (west side), Ever-
sholt-street to the end. On the north by Kingston,
Russell-place, Thorney-place, Wansford- place to King's
road. On the east by King',-riad, to Oxford-street,
along Oxford-street, to the Ceuta], and along
the west and south sides of the Canal to the palish boun-
dary; and then along that boundary to King's-cross.
On the south, by the New-road to Euston (ea=t side).
No. 7 ward to be bounded on the north by the New-
road from the parish boundary on the west to Eusten-
square (ea-t side). Ott the east., by Woburn-place,
Upper Woburteplace, Tavistock-square (east side), to
the parish boundary, and upon al! other sides by the
parish boundary. N.. 8 ward to be bou-ded on the
north by the New-road from Euston-square (east side),
Upper Woburn-place, Woburn-place, Tavistock-square
(east side), and all other sides by the parish boundary.
The above arrangements are subject to such correc-
tions as may be determined on afterwards, and the learned
assessor adjourned to a future day, for the purpose of
fixing the assessment for the respective wards.

ST. GEORGE, HANOVER SQUARE.
At 10 o'clock Mr. Allen att.-ruled at the office of Mr.
T. B. Chappell, vestry ch-rk of the parish of St. George,
Hanover-square, fir the purpose of piling the iuteu•
trona of the act into operation. . .

The assessor, in the course of his inquiries,
ascertained from Mr. Chappell, that his parish
was already divided into wards under a local act,
when it was agreed that they should remain as
they are. They are as follow—Dover, Curzon, Con-
duit, Brook, arid Grosvenor wards, which form the iu
wards. The two out wards, Knightsbridge and Pimlico.
He then proceeded to examine the books, in order to ap•
rri ion the number of vestrymen for each ward, which
will be according to the number of persons rated, and the
aggregate amount of the sums at which they are rated.
Out of the whole wards 120 vestrymen are to be elected
to form the vestry of the parish.
During the proceedings not one member of the vestry
was present, and but two or three of the parishioners at-
tended.

CAMBERWELL.
The COMMISSIONER (ifr. Cooper) opened the business
by informirg the meeting that as it was absolutely neces-
sary the proceedings should be adjourned, he only pro-
posed to ask a few questions, so as to furnish him with
data to found! he necessary papers upon, which he should
leave with them to fill up and return to him before the
meeting again assembled. The parish would have to be
divided into wards, and he should require some informa-
tion as to the number of houses in the parish, and the
number of persons rated.
The VESTRY CLERK said there were at present 10,700
houses assessed.
Mr. COOPER said, for the purpose of setting out the
wards, regard must be bad to the number of persons
assessed.
The VESTRY CLERK—The numbers of persons rated
are 1,900 in Camberwell, 2,903 in Peckham, 352 iu
Dulwich, 2.304 in St. George's, making in all 7,469.
Mr.COOPER wished to know bow many were resident
householders ?
The several parochial officers having examined their
books, it was found that the total number of persons
who would be entitled to vote under the aot for the en-
' tire parish amounted to about 6,000.
Mr. COOPER then requested that the parochial officers
should suggest to him the number of wards they would
like to have ; he certainly should not like to give them
eiftintghe committee ap-
pointed was held for the
more than six.
The VESTRY CLERK thought the feeling of the offi-
cers was in favour of bearing the opinions of the parf..li.
oners before they settled that point ; and the meeting
then adjourned.
purpose Yesterday
of receivingmorning a-
the vestry
. ST. MA.RTININ-THE-FIELDS.
on the 29th of March last to watch the progress
of. Sir Benjamin Hall's Bill for the Better Local Man-
agement of the Metropolis, and to consider the course
repormt f e
to be adopted in relation thereto; the Rev. W. G. Hum-
phrey, the vicar, in the chair.
Mr. DANGERFIELD, the vestry clerk, then read the re-
port of the committee. which, after after setting forth the
communications and interviews that had taken place be-
tween them and Sirßsujamin Hall and Sir J.Villiers Shel-
ley, proceeded to state that, with regard to the size anu
population of the parish, and to the principles involve,
in the provisions of the 3d section, the committee con-
sider that the act would be fully and equitably carried
out by dividing the parish into three wards, comprising
—let, Charing-cross Ward,2d ditto ditto, Suffolk-street
ditto---in one ward, to be called the West Ward. Bed-
fordbury Waid, New-street ditto, Long-acre and Dr ry.
lane—to be called the North Ward. Spur-alley Ward,l
Exchange ditto, Strand ditto—to be called South Ward.
The West Ward contained 610 ratepayers, assessed at
a
6e4? The North Want contained -$7O
4 t - - - _ ratopivoro,