The Sun.
London, England, 1855-04-23 00:00:00

20,060,000/.

Total 2ooyears at 15 pr. ot.

. . .
Average torminatithi of annuities 50 years, and inte•
rest 31 per cent: ; .which- average interest would form i ~
yearlycharge of 750,0001. for an amount finally termi,
nating with the last year of the present century. &it,
even calculating the interest at the extravagant rate of
5 per cent—allnwed-to the,Bauk of England, for, advanc-
ing 11,000,0001. of its capital in 1823 (a great portion of v
which no thitibt was the money of its customers) for ati'''
.aLn.uity -terminable in 1857,. called
,bhe ‘f. Deadweight I.' -,
of the Bayik, 1,000,000/ would defray the charge. Now, .
such 20,00.0,000/. and 3;060;000/. of Exchequer Bill's is
I proposed would make- up the 23,000,6001. leaving for •
contingencies the additional revenue from
.spirits,
although I fear the proposed &titles Will prove strong
temptations to illicit distillation and to smuggling. I
also doubt the wisdom of increasing the income tax after
the large additict Made telt la,,t year. . •' '
Iti cencluion, I am at a loss to account•for theapathy„
of the.prqent_llouse of Commons and many of itOca;l7 .-.
ing members during the present session, and especially
Ix the_nr-patalteled rapidity with which the estimates
were voted.. Neither on these nor on the budget, have
Mr. Cobden oriltr. Iji ;gilt opened their mouths. Do they,
in order to retiderthe war odious to the nation, vrish the
nation and its industry, and the comforts. of its inbabi-..-
1 tantg, to be smothered by taxes, which will render ne-
cessaries dear ? Do-they really cherish the infatuation..
"Let my dogma live .it the .nation should perish r ..,xf -
not, let them not sacrifice their forrncr principles.
Surely Me.' Gladstone,' who; if it were in his power,•
would-meet the,expelidituro by, the revenue to be levied •
during
-the year, cannot give his approbation to the new _
budget. ' .
Is it possible that Mr. Disraeli will not oppose it with
all his might and skill ? If he approves of it, he may
rely on it he will as il, statesman be looked upon with
grave suspicion, not only by the party which he has been •
accost imed to lead, but by the whole public. . .
I have the honour to be, Cu, very respectfully,
• - Your obedient servant,
JOHN MACGREGOR.
..
Allidnmum Club, April 21, 1855.

LANCASTER'S GUN AND THE OVAL

SHELL.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Stn,---In your paper of the 13th of November last you
did me the favour to insert a letter of mine on the sub-
ject of the "Lancaster Gun and
.Oval Shell ;" and I now
take the liberty of troubling you again respecting theM, •
as I have just received from a friend of mine in the
Crimea a sketch of the said oval shell, taken by him on
board a gun-boat at Kersonese, fitted with the guns and
shells in question ; and, according to this sketch, the •
shell corresponds with the oval shell of my invention minus
the circular plat e at the base. And my friend adds :—" I find
also amongst the naval and military men, that " Lan- -
caster, of Bond-street,- London, is the inventor of the t
Lancaster.gun, and it derives its name from him."
So much for the assertion of the Orinance-office and
Select Committee. that my oval shell "was not adapted
to military purposes, and had nothing whatever to do
with it ;" and of Mr. Lancaster himself, that be " kneio -
nothing whatever about it but what he had seen in
,thf
newspapers !"
Judging, however, from the sketch referred to, it cer-
tainly is no-wonder that we have heard so little of the
effective use of this vanted shell, as, from its shape rsnd.
method of propulsion, it is the very reverse of that cat-
culated to obtain the desired object and result. And
it would appear to be no inapt illustration of the. m - ,
nagement (or mismanagement, if you like) of the present'
lamentable war, by applying the thing the wrong wily or
beginning at the wrong end.
But, notwithstanding, I way again be told that nay
inventions are " not adapted to military purposes."
undertake and guarantee that my oval shell shall take ,
loeger range, a more steady and undeviating flight,. and
be more effectual and destructive in its effects than t_h_Sl
' known as Lancaster's shell of equal size and weig?!, •
and who, I am sure, will not undertake to ties!:alir!,t.T.,
or ball a distance exceeding the rangeo oefeemn
whatever its size or description.
t_Te litp 01
point —I not only question and deny
ith
g.
Lancaster's shell, but at once claim
ovalle'llws
(fora.
disguise. I will try any ~aof Mr. of Lancaster's .ado-
;doati cdec willha
they are various) againP"ua" way be pleases
tion, at any time and Toh fu. al an be
the
cicsseupet
o;
rann
t.
stake anything p
battering shells, &c. (alluded to
and proof of superiority upouninosinmtio-
-I:::°:;Brrnbitalloyltt one, I know %hat, concl
beranteceesrsitd
shali precision,not
I notat called
burntlled cannotat
La a
nlail
from the nature of their
(e, ,al;e:lonsrr criihgetvae Yee:
hlthaoeitttfath.ntletiniroyMthaar: destructivelypoant than that " e
Coyatarunecitio&c.—f
greater tueuilsrat
force lDNvt
which
aiteaEssofl:neyorYt'''wh:ei'a'tir:het:ijnepad:nutesiirnot)alfpsrh ells,
advantage deeafsncmdriybstee..vkal
enormous outlay is now incurring to
I may admd,tic
shells, all of mine. may
expressly fur the soi-disant Lancaster
shells,sdini supply
r'w. ylaielsglivlueagnun ofs adequate responding calibre. be adapted to any existing and
size and strength, and of car-
Thus the great additional expenditure might be avoided
by making shells for the guns, instead of guns for the
shells.
I therefore think that I may fully and fairly claim.
and be entitled to, at leak as much credit and advantage
for my original inventions as Mr. Lancaster .for that
claimed by him ; and who I dare Say had not the same,
polite insinuation put to him that I had, namely—
" Which end do you pat the fuse ?"—I remain, Sirs •
your obedient servant,
Liverpool, April 4.

R, B. FEATHER,

4B:artetuhnedßlausstsiaynesa,r,have been tem.
Nearly 150 Poles and Fins who for some time box
having volun.
been in the barrack at Millbay, Plymouth, with the othe
t ee re d prisonerslor taken
serviceat
porarily removed on board the Royal William ordinary
guard-ship at DeVonport, Captain J. Kmgcombe ; this
was a necessary- precaution from the hostile feelibir
evinced by their Rusuan_COrarades on hearing they 1:
ogfrect Scviiiirfe'agaio Runic