The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-16 00:00:00

" CONDESCENDENCE.

" COl2. I.—The defenders in this action are the
proprie tors of the Saturday Review, a weekly jour•
nal, punished in London. The articles in said
journal. consist entirely of comments on current
events, and reviews of books. For the most part
they are written with great ability, and in a style
indicating that their authors are educated gentle.
men. The said journal is much read by the more
intelligent classes, and has an extensive circulation
in Britain and the British colonies, and is read in
foreign countries also as a leading exponent of
British public opinion.

" Con. 2. The pursuer has for several years been
involved in a litigation in which she asserts her
right to be the declared wife of 'William Charles
Yelverton, major in her Majesty's Royal Artillery.
In 1861 a jury in Dublin affirmed that she is the
wife of Major Yelverton ; and by interlocutor of
the 19th December, 1862, the First Division of the
Court of Session in Scotland found the same fact to
be proved.
e Con. 3.—The said interlocutor of the Court of
session was appealed to the Rouse of Lords, and on
the 28th of July,
1864, the said House, in accord-
ance with the result of the opinions of Lords Wens-
le'ydale, Chelmsford, and Kingedown, and in oppo-
sition to the opinions of the Lord Chancellor and
Lord Brougham, recalled the said interlocutor. In
the Saturday Review, published by the defenders
oa Saturday, the 30th July, 1864, the judgment of
the House of Lords is commented on and approved
in an article headed The Yelverton Case.' The
.conduct and letters of the pursuer are also com-
mented on unfavourably in said article. The num-
ber of the Review containing such article was,
sold extensively in Britain, and has been circulated!
in various parts of the world. Moreover, the article
itself was quoted, in whole or in part, by many
newspapers in England, Scotland, and Ireland.
" Con. 4.—The article throughout abounds in di-
rect or covert attacks upon the pursuer's character.
It suggests that, had she appeared personally, she
would have enlisted the feelings of the Judges in
the House of Lords in the same practical way, or by
some similar way to that adopted in the case of an
Athenian lady of doubtful fame,' referring, it is be-
lieved, to Phryne, the Athenian courtesan, and in-
sinuating, and intending to insinuate, that the
pursuer is of profligate character or of doubtful
fame, or of both. It proceeds to state, falsely and
calumniously, that the pursuer's version of what
occurred in Ireland was absolutely untrue,' and in-
sinuates that because of her falsehood in this version
her word is not to be believed. And in dis-
cussing, and in part condemning, the character
of Major Yelverton, it states that he was much
more the pursued than the pursuer. At any rate,
he gave the lady fair warning. He pointed out that
her ruin would be the result of a renewal of their
acquaintance, and he gave her the choice of renew-
ing it or not. That renewal was her act, not his.'
All this is false in every particular, and it is espe-
cially false, and is besides calumnious, in respect
that it represents that her ruin was her own act, and
was chosen by her after warning, 'which is the
meaning and effect of the passage quoted,
" Con. 6.—The concluding passage of the article
is as follows As to Miss Lon; worth, we would
now say as little as we can. When all the world
was on her side —when she was the triumphant ob-
ject of what are called Irish ovations, when all Scot-
! nd made her virtues as much an article of faith as
Queen Mary's innocence, and when nearly the whole
of England echoed their salutations—we expressed
ourselves intelligibly on this lady's life and charac-
ter. The 1--ighest English tribunal has now fully
accepted that -view which four years ago was both
uncoram ati and unpopular. It were ungenerous to
press he avily on anyone who is down ; doubly un-
generous in the case of a woman of very remarkable
powers, great intellectual accomplishments, and now
labouring under the heavy burden of failure and hu.
railiation. To say that in our judgment she fully
deserves her fate may sound harsh ; bat to say much
less were to compromise the interests of truth and
morality. She has a thorny bed to lie on, but she
has made it for herself. And if we express ourselves
strongly, it is chiefly because the Lord High Chan-
cellor ot. England has thought proper, in his judi-
cial capacity, not only to pronounce a high eulogium
on the intellectual capacity displayed in Miss Long-
worth's letters, but to declare that their tone is con-
sistent with " honourable courtship." The inte-
rests of morality would, we think, be seriously com-
promised were this judgment to rest on any higher
grounds than Lord Westbury's opinion of what
may be the proper style of correspondence between
unmarried—or, for the matter of that, between
married—persons. To right-thinking persons there
is much in these terrible letters which is simply
loathsome. We have no notion of making a heroine
of such a person as Miss Loegworth. She is out of
keeping with society, both as it is and as it ought
to be. She is an adventuress, launched into the
world nobody knows how, with a previous history
which has never been told. She is a Scour de Cha.
rite, but she meets and courts adventures little in
keeping with semi-conventual dress and office. She
sinners it and saints it by turns or at once. She is
made up of passion and prudence, of hard intellec-
tual vigour and sensuous thoughts and feelings
She writes as no modest woman writes, and she
schemes as no modest woman would scheme. She
has religions scruples, but they do not restrain her
from provoking at least to sin. The best that can
be hoped for her is that she will abandon that world
which will act most kindly by forgetting her, and
forgiving her oflenee against society:
" Con. 6.—The said article, as a whole, and par.
ticularly in the passages aforesaid, is false and ea.
lumnious, and is calculated and intended to repre.
sent the pursuer as an immoral, disreputable, immo-
dest person, who was out of keeping with or unfit
for society, both as it is and as it ought to be; whose
conduct was inconsistent with her re'igious profes-
sion, and was such that she fully deserves failure
and humiliation' and ruin ; whose letters were in
their tone inconsistent with honourable courtship,
and were suoh as no modest woman would write,
and were of a style improper either for married or
unmarried parties, and were 'simply loathsome' to
right-thinking persons, from their immodesty
and immorality—or it makes one or more of
these false and calumnious representations or inein-
nations. Although the history of her whole life from
childhood was fully investigated, in order that her
character might be assailed, and was made the sub-

ject of lengthy evidence in the proof in the con-
joined actions upon which the House of Lords gave
judgment, the said article falsely asserts that she
is an adventuress, launched into the world nobody
knows how, with a previous history that has never
been told,' insinuat:ng, and intending to insinuate,
by this false and calumnious assertion that her pre•
victia history had been of so disreputable a charac-
ter that it could not be told without shocking pub-
lic decency, or Leaking some similar insinuation
pr,eiju_dicial to the pursuer's moral character.
Con, 7.—Tue said article, in whole or in part, is
of and concerning the pursuer, and is false and
calumnious, and contains statements for the making
of which there was anfl is no urobable cause ; and
the said statements are malicious, and aro not jus-
tifiable as fair newspaimr comments upon proceed.
jags taking place in a court of justice. By the said
slanderous statements the pursuer has been greatly
injured in her feelings and reputation, and this
action is necessary to the vindication or her charac.
ter, and to restore bar against patrimonial injury.
" C.A. 8. Tne defenders do not reside in Scot-
land, but sums of money dap to them have been
arrested, iurisdictionis funciandta causa, in the hands
cf Mes':ra. Adam and Charles Black, booksellers and

publishers in Edinburgh ; Messrs. Wm. Blackwood
and Sons, booksellers and publishers there ; Messrs.
Edmonston and Douglas, booksellers and publishers
there; and Air Will. ;u P. Niroiuo, bookseller and
publisher there."

Naval and Military Intelligence,

One of the most important subjects oe 'nquiry
brought under the consideration of the Lerds of the
Admiralty during their official visit to Plymouth
last week was that which relates to the dock ac-
commodation at Devonport and at Keyham. In
Devonport yard there are four
,docks—viz., the
basin dock, 266 ft. long, now occupied by the Cale*
donia, 35 ; the new long dock (formerly two, one
inside the other), 415 ft. 6in. long by 73ft. broad,
the longest at Plymouth, and which was occupied
in June by the Black Prince ; No. 3 dock, 209 ft.
6in. long ; and No. 4,263 ft. 4in. long. Nos. 3 and
4 are the docks which will probably be lengthened
to suit ships of modern construction. In Keyham
yard there are three docks,—No. 1, now occupied
by the Zealous, 277 ft. by 90ft. Bin., made just long
enough about fire years since to receive the Hima-
laya with her rudder placed on one side ; No 2
dock, now occupied by the Megr-era, 2811 ft. 9in. by
92ft. ; and No. 3, or the Queen's dock, 94ft. broad
(the first ship received being her Majesty's ship
Queen), lately lengthened to 384 ft. When the
Channel squadron was at Plymouth in June No. 1
dock received the Edgar, No. 2 the Royal Oak, and
No. 3 the Warrior. By the report of the Select
Committee, published in The Sun on Friday, it ap-
pears that some of the witnesses think that two ad-
ditional first class docks are required here ; others
think three. The difficulty of deciding whether
there should be two or three bears no relation to
the difficulty of determining the length, breadth,
and position of the docks, so as, if possible, to anti-
cipate the size and requirements of the future navy
of Great Britain. The south basin, 7 acres, 32
perches, has during last year been deepened Eft. ;
it is now 25ft. deep, but it can be filled by pump-
ing to 28ft. The north basin, 5 acres, is being en-
larged in a northerly direction to, say, 10 acres.
The side of the northern boundary wall next the
basin will be finished with wrought stone, water-
tight; the side to the north distant 60ft. is faced
with the rough stone from the buildings of the old
gunpowder magazine. There is some discussion
about the possibility of placing one dock inside the
other, as in some of the Russian arsenals, by which
mode the level of the platform of the inner dock is
considerably higher than that of the outer. Then
there is a difference of opinion as to whether the
docks should run north and south, parallel with the
Hamoaze, or at right angles with that harbour, like
those already constructed inside the basins both at
Devonport and Keyham. It is to be hoped that in
this case the longest dock will be placed immedi-
ately opposite the entrance from the sea, and not
like the Queen's dock in Key ham basin, the en-
trance to which is diagonal from the lock; and it is
further suggested that the entrance to the new
basin should, if possible, not be at right angles with
the stream outside. In order partly to remedy this
defect it has been recently necessary to erect a
diagonal jets outside the comparativelynew entrance
to the south basin of Keyham Steaniyard. From
what transpired during the visit of the Board to
Plymouth there appears to be no present intention
to build iron ehipa there. It is more probE.ble that
Pembroke Dockyard, which is so near the iron and
coal districts, may be converted for that purpose,
and that at Keyham increased facilities will be
given to fit ships out after they are constructed—a
duty for which that yard appears, by the report of
the Select Committee, to be admirably adapted.
The screw steamship Majestic, 80, Capt. James
A. Paynter, from the Coastguard service at Liver.
pool, arrived in Plymouth Sound yesterday morning.
The official trial of the new steam tender, con-
structed on the double-screw principle, which has
been built for the iron frigate Achilles, took place
in Chatham harbour yesterday afternoon, under
the superintendence of the officials connected
with the dockyard. It was highly satisfactory,
and showed the immense advantages possessed by
vessels fitted with twin screws as compared with
those driven by the single propeller. The little
steamer tested yesterday is in all respects similar to
the tender recently constructed at Chatham for
the Bombay, 67, 400-horse power, Capt. Colin A.
Campbell, flagship of Rear-Admiral the Hon.
C. G. J. B. Elliott, C. 8., and fitted with engines
by Messrs. Penn and Co. She is exactly 421 t. in
length and lift. in breadth, or in other words, is of
the dimensions of an ordinary man-of-war's launch.
From a vessel of this kind she only differs in being
fitted with a portable steam engine for driving her
screws. Her machinery, which has been con-
structed by Messrs. Maudelay, Sons, and Field, is
nominally of 3 horse power, but being on the high
pressure principle, and capable of being worked up
to 1001 b. to the square inch, her power can be in-
creased to that of 26 horses. Each screw is driven
by means of its own independent shafting, which
thus enables either propeller to be worked either
ahead or astern. The screws are four bladed and
are set at a pitch of 3ft. 4iin. The diameter of
each screw shaft is 2in., and the length 18ft. There
are four cylinders, each of 41b. in diameter, and the
length of the stroke is 6in. The total weight of the
engines, with 9 cwt. 291 b. of water in the boilers, is
4 tons 7 cwt., or about one-third less than those of
the engines of the tender built for the Bombay. The
officials embarked at the dockyard pier yesterday,
the trial being under the direction of Mr. Baker,
chief engineer and inspector of machinery; Mr.
Warriner represented the firm of Messrs. Maudslay
and Co., and had charge of the engines. After
getting clear of the harbour the head of the steamer
was laid for Garrison Point and a run was made
down Gillingham Reach to the iron frigate Achilles.
At this time there was a pressure of steam of from
65 to 701 b., and the screws were making 300 rave.
lations per minute. Tl-. 0 trials with the tender then
commenced, and her rate of speed was ascertained,
but in consequence of the Lords of the Admiralty
not yet having had a measured mile laid off outside
Chatham harbour, an approximate estimate
only was formed of her speed, which was taken at
about 61 knots per hour, with 280 to 330 revolutions
of the screw per minute. The most important por-
tion of the trials, however, was that relating to her
powers of steering by means of the screw without
the rudder. With both screws working ahead the
circle to port was made in 1 miu. 15 secs., and that
to starboard in about the same time. Reversing the
screws—and in this lies the chief advantage of the
doable-screw principle—the complete circles were
made in from 35 to 45 secs., the launch spinning
round in a circle the radius of which was about her
own length. This demonstrated the annoyance
which could be inflicted on a vessel of war of large
dimensions by a few of these launches, each armed
with a 40-pounder Armstrong.
Yesterday the Royal Engineer forces at Chatham
garrison were employed in extensive engineering
operations for the destruction of a large cliff, com-
posed of chalk, earth, and stones, at Caxton, near
Rochester. For about six weeks past a portion of
the Royal Engineers have been encamped in the
neig hbonrhood, and have been daily employed, under
the direction of Lieut. Fraser, in sinking the shafts,
driving the galleries, and in other operations re-
quired before the cliff could be destroyed. For this
purpose four shafts were sunk in various parts of
the cliff, the depth of the lowest being 62 ft., while
the base of each communicated with galleries in
which were deposited the four charges of powder,
containing, in the aggregate, between 5,0001 b. and
6,0001 b. weight. The number of smaller charges
was 54, each consisting of 100 lb. of powder. The
necessary operations of " tamping," See., having been
completed, arrangements were made for igniting the
charges, which was effected by means of a current
of electricity from the voltaic battery, each charge
being fired simultaneously. Tho whole of the
operations were under the charge of Capt. Parsons,
while the general arrangements were carried out
by Col. Lovell, C. 8., and Col. Scott. Everythiug
being completed, the bugle sounded the order to
" fire," and the batteries having been brought into
use the charges were ignited instantaneously. The
huge cliff then bulged out with a dull roar, end the
entire mass NVIIS thrown down. Th 3 quantity of
chalk and flint detached by the explosion was cal-
culated at 1,000,000 cubic yards, but the exact
result will be ascertained today-.
The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty :—George S. Goddard, assist.-
plyairLtter, to the Irresistible; John C. Thompson,
first class as:iist.-engineer, end Thomas F. P. Shel-
-1.9y, second-class assis!..cngineer, to the Urgent.