The Sun.
London, England, 1864-11-18 00:00:00

Court of Common Council.

A Court of Common Council was holden yesterday in the
Council Chamber at Guildhall—the Right Hon. the Lord
Mayor presiding.

THE LATE LORD MAYOR.
Upon the motion of Mr Deputy HAWTREY, a resolution
of thanks was unanimously passed to the late Lord Mayor,
Mr Alderman Lawrence, for the services he had rendered
the City in his capacity of Chief Magistrate during the past
year, for his calm and impartial administration of justice,
Tor the readiness with which he had presided at the unusual
number of meetings of that Court which had been convened
during his year of once, for his liberality and hospitality,
and for the frank and courteous manner in which he had
treated every member of the Court on all occasions ; which
it was further resolved should be written on vellum and
ornamented, and forwarded to the late Lord Mayor, and
also that the resolution should be recorded in the minutes
of the Court.

Mr Deputy FRY brought up a report from the Improve-
ment Committee, on a reference to retoneider their report
relative to the expenditure incurred by the Commissioners
of Sewers during the years 1862 and 1863 in effecting cer-
tain street improvements, and recommending that a sum of
£l,OOO be contributed in respect of the improvements in
Bull and Mouth-street, Paternoster-row, and Upper Thames-
street. Mr Deputy Fry, in introducing the report, drew
the attention of the Court to the large sums which had
been expended in improvements in the City, and said he
had thought it right, considering the peculiar position of
the finances of the Corporation, to object to onlain grants
being made which had been the subject of previous refe-
rences. It had been said that the Corporation had in years
gone by contributed largely to street improvements, but he
reminded the Court that at that time the Corporation had
the 4d coal duty to fall back upon, whereas the whole of
that du►y had been laid by for years to come for other ob •
jects. Nevertheless he said the Corporation had of late
years contributed more towards improvements of the kind
referred to out of their income, minus the 4d coal duty than
they had while they were in the receipt of it; for from the
years 1801 to 1845 they had paid for public improvements
£12,820, whereas from 1545 to 1861 they had contributed
no less a sum than £32,770. The report which ho brought
up recommended that £l,OOO should be granted with re-
spect to certain improvements, and in moving the adoption
of the report he did not ask them to agree to it, but he hoped
the Court would consider well the step it was taking before
granting the money.
Mr BARLEY hoped that the recommendation of the com-
mittee would not be carried. He did not think for a moment
that the financial state of the Corporation was at all despe-
rate. On the contrary, it was in a good condition, and they
had only to husband their resources and be careful over the
expenditure to remain in the same healthy condition as they
were at the present time, and he moved that the contribu-
tion of the £l,OOO be not agreed to.
Mr Deputy BONE seconded the amendment of Mr Law-
ley. He said the Corporation had plenty of money if it
were used for legitimate purposes, but he did not think the
expenditure of £l,OOO, as recommended by the committee,
would be prudent. It was well known that the finances of
the corporation were never in a better state, but if they
were called upon to pay sums of £l,OOO for such purposes,
there would be a deficiency where there would otherwise
have been a balance. Although the Corporation had plenty
of money, there were no funds at present available for
street improvements. They were called on to pay a share
in other improvements, and had to contribute one-tenth to
every improvement that was carried out by another body,
and he hoped the Court would not agree to the report as far
as regarded the contribution of £l,OOO.
Mr DE JERSEY hoped the Court would agree to the re-
port, and was surprised that any discussion whatever should
have arisen upon a matter ofXl,OOO to be laid out on public
improvements. The Court had granted much larger sums
without a word of opposition, and it was only at the last
Court that £17,000 was granted, in addition to what had
been already spent, for the lunatic asylum, an undertaking
which they were not compelled to enter into. The Court
had by previous resolutions resolved to contribtate some-
thing towards the improvement mentioned in the report,
and if they rejected the report they would be acting at va-
riance with those resolutions, which he was sure they would
not think of doing.
Mr MEDWIN opposed the adoption of the report.

Mr Rudkin, Mr Saunders, and Mr Harris supported it.
Finally, the report was agreed to, upon a division, by a
large majority, and it was then referred to the Coal and Corn
and Finance Committee, to consider and report from what
fund the money was to be provided.
Mr F• L, TA71,01% brought up a report from the Mar-

A general order from the Horse Guards, eignod
by Col. Glocester Gambier, CAI., Deputy. Adjutant-
General Royal Artillery, has been promolgved by
order of the Field-11 arshal Commanding in• Chief,
in which it is announced that his Royal lliglonese,
with the concurrence of the Right Hon. the S. cre-
tary of State for War, has given instructions for the
name of Gen. Sir Robert William Gardiner, G CM.,
K.C.H., to be added to the names inscribed on the
memorial pillar in the rotunda at Woolwich. His
Royal Highness deems it unnecessary to recite to
the Royal Artillery the special actions in which
this distinguished officer acquired his own military
reputation, and contributed, with many gallant
comrades, to raise the fame of the British Artillery.
He expresses his earnest desire that the long service
and strenuous exertions of Sir William Gardiner for
the benefit of his corps, and that the personal clue
racter of this officer, conspicuous for its dignity and
chivalry, should be permanently and publicly com-
memorated.
A general order from the Horse Guards, signed
by Lieut.-General the Hon. Sir James Yorke Scar-
lett, K.C.8., Adjutant-General, has been received
and promulgated at Chatham, containing the rea
vised code of rules and regulations for admission to
the Staff College. Under the new rules ail applica-
tions to study at the Staff College must be made
while the officer making it is present and serving
with his regiment, through the commanding officer.
No application from an officer on leave will be en-
tertained. Although only one officer can be spared
from a battalion at a time for the purpose of study.
ing at the college, this will not necessarily prevent
a battalion sending more than one to compete at an
examination if circumstances admit of their absence
from their regiment. The principle under which
officers are allowed to enter the Staff College being
that of pure competition, it follows that candidates
who may be found quaiified at any examination,
but who from want of a sufficient number of vacan-
cies cannot then be admitted, will not have any
claim to subsequent admission without undergoing
another competitive examination.
Lieut.. Col. G. H. Vesey has been appointed to
the command of the Ist division of the Depot Bri-
gade Royal Artillery during the absence on leave of
Lieut.. Col. W. H. hooks.
Oa Wednesday evening the Duke of Somerset,
K.G., accompanied by Admiral Charles Eden, C,8.,
and by Captain Hall, R.N., private secretary to his
Grace, arrived at the Admiralty-house, Portsmouth-
dockyard, the residence of Admiral Sir M. Seymour,
G.C.H., Port Admiral and Commander-iu-Claief,
from London.
Yesterday morning it blew a hard gale, with con-
tinuous rain, from the southward, but the Duke, ac-
companied by Admiral Eden and Capt. Hall, and
by Sir Michael Seymour, Admiral Superintendent
G. Elliot, Capt. Sherard Osborn, C. 8., of the Royal
Sovereign; Captain Astley Key, C. 8., of the gun.
nery ship Excellent, Captain C. P. Coles, R.N., and
other cfficers, embarked on board the Admiral's
barge at the King's stairs of the dockyard, and pro.
ceeded on board the Royal Sovereign, now lying
in mid-stream in the upper part of Portsmouth
harbour. The Duke was conducted over the ship,
and all rsevired explanations were given by Csp-
' eins Osborn and Coles. One of the turrets was
entered, and the winches being manned it was
made to revolve and the principle was fully ex-
plained. The importance was pointed out of being
able by a partial revolving movement in 43 secs.
to throw the port out of the sight of the enetnyond
thus eiLctually close the port to an enemy's shot
without the use of theobjtctionable port swing shut-
ters, which were found to be so liable to get j inland
by shot on board the American Monitors. Tae gun-
carriages were then examined, and the reasons
explained for believing in the superiority of the
wrought-iron carriages, with which it is proposed
to supersede the wooden ones at present in use for
mounting 12-ton guns. The new leather collar
now fitting round each turret at the deck line was
also examined and explained. From the Royal
Sovereign the Duke and officers accompanying him
went on board the gunnery ship Excellent, where
the two 12-ton guns, one rifled and the other
smooth-bcee, were exhibited. Their peculiarities,
in the guns themselves and their carriages, were ex-
plained and commented upon by Captain Astley
Key, C.B. From the Excellent the Duke returned
to the Admiralty House, and in the afternoon, ac-
companied by Admiral Eden and Captain Hall, he
returned by the South-Western Railway to Lon-
don. = It may not be inopportune to refer in this
brief notice of the visit of the Duke of Somerset to
the 12-ton guns mounted in turrets on board the
Royal Sovereign,and in broadside ports on board the
Excellent, to the remarks made by General Todle-
tien during his recent visit to Portsmouth and the
Royal Sovereign on the broadside and turret ports
of ironclads. The General said that in measuring
the port on the broadside of an ironclad it had be-
come the custom to give the outside measurement,
whereas its true size must be measured on its inside
—on the inner side of the inverted embrasure, which
in fact it was, and which constituted its real weak-
ness. Thq General might also have added that the
broadside ports of our ironclads have become so
contracted that the gunners on board would bat
seldom obtain a glimpse of the enemy—the glimpse
could only be momentary, and the damage they
would inflict upon them by the discharge of their
guns would, therefore, most probably be very trifling
The Victoria screw three-decker, 121 guns, 1,000-
horse power, Captain James Goodenough, steamed
out of Portsmouth harbour yesterday and anchored
at Spithead, in readiness for her trial on Saturday,
and her voyage to the Mediterranean, as flagship
of the British Admiral in that station, in company
with French, Italian, and Austrian iron-clad fleets.
A series of important trials, with a view of test-
ing the relative merits of two ship's pumps, was

yesterday commenced in Woolwich dockyard. The
trials, more properly speaking, were to test the
working powers of a newly•invented fire-engine and
bilge pump, manufactured by Messrs. Morton and
Wilson, of Stockton.on-Tees, in competition with
the " Downton pump," manufactured by Messrs.
J. Stone and Co., of Deptford, and used upwards of
40 years on board the ships of Her Majesty's ser-
vice with success. The experiments took place
under the supervision of Commodore Dunlop,
superintendent—Mr George Turner and Mr William
Henwood, superintending shipbuilders of the yard

—Commanderßiddlecombe, master-attendant—Mr.
Gossage, from the department of the Storekeeper-
general of the Navy, the Hon. Robert Dundee, and
other officials. 'they were carried out on board the
old paddlewheel sloop Hecate. The two pumps
were fixed within working distance of each other on
the orlop deck, and were manned by eight men, who
worked the two pumps in succession, each being
fitted with suction-pipes leading to a tank on a raft
under the ship's bows, and capable of containing
about four tune, or 850 gallons of water. The first
pump put to the test was the Wilson pump, which
filled the tank in 11 minutes 46 seconds, making
501 revolutions. This was considered highly satis-
factory. At a given time the process of filling the
tank through the medium of the Downton pump
was commenced and completed in ten minutes 18
seconds, making 478 revolutions, thereby corrobora-
ting the opinion generally entertained of its
efficiency and value. The respective firms were
represented at the trial by their senior members.
On the part of the Messrs Stone and Co. it was stated
that their Downton pump used on the occasion was

but little more thaniwo:tbirds the size or capacity
of the Wilson pump, and that it laboured under the

disadvantage of having sm. ion ,rge
pipes, which, being new, resists fr_ of
the water, and consequently occupied more time in
filling than would ordinarily take place, in which
case their victory would have been more complete;
they therefore requested a second trial, with the aid
of six men only. The permission was granted, and
!he trial will most probably take place to day.
The Ariel, 6, screw sloop, Commander Chapman,
arrived at Spithead yesterday from foreign service,
having sailed from the Cape of Good Hopson the Ist
of September, from St. Helena on the 17th, A,cen-
-28;1), Sierra Leone on the 12th of October, and Fayal
on the Geh inst. Sho brought, home as passengers
[Aut. Bush, R,N., Mr L9w, paymaster, RN., and
a few naval invalids. No orders were received by
the Arid yesterday, but she is expected to proceed
round to the Medway to be paid out of commission.
The Ariel has been lucky in prize captures.
A naval court martial esscrubled vests rday on
board her Majesty's 8!lip
Vic'ory, at Port.,k,mouth,
underthe risidency of Cape. Sir Leopold M'Clin-
lock, of her :',l,.j.ecsty's ship Aurora, for the trial of
Mr John _Robert, on, boatswain of the first ekes, and
serving on board her .Majesty's ship Victoria, Oil
charges of drunkenness, Tne Court found the
charges proved, and sentenced the prisoner to be dis-
missed his ship and placed at the bottom of the list.
The boisterous state of the weather at Portsmouth
having rendered it impossible to complete the re.
quired temporary repairs to the target-ship Alfred
by to-day, the firing at her from the Whitworth
gun. to test the penetration of shot under water,
has been postponed for the present.
The following appointments and promotions have
been made at the Admiralty :—Commander the
Hon. Walter C. Talbot to the Steady, vice Harvey,
invalided ; Commander the Hon. Reynolds Moreton
to be inspecting commander in the Coast Guard ;
Sub.-Lieut. Charles Johnstone, to the Defence;
Snb..Lieut. James Y. F. Sulivan, to the Firefly;
Owen H. H. Bentley, midshipman, to the Victoria ;
William Skip worth, midshipman, to the Bombay;
Leonard E. Dick and Robert E. Clarke, nominated
to naval cadetships ; the Rev. George G. W.
Clemenger, chaplain, to the Dauntless; Dr. William
Carmichael, assist.-surg. additional, to the Cumber-
land ; William F. A. Greet, second master, to the
Victoria; W. Millar and J. M. Sales, engineers to
the Fisgard, as supernumeraries; Benjamin R.
King, of the Industry, and John M. Watson, of the
Rattlesnake, promoted to first-class assist.-engi.
neers.

Now ready, price twopence,
FVN ALMANACK for 1865, full of Comic
Engravings and llumorous Writing.

LIFEBOAT SERVICES.—During the storms
of the past year the boats of the National Lifeboat
,institution saved 417 persons from different wrecks on our
coasts, The Institution also expended £13,819 ?s. 2d. in
tt c same peri..d on lifeboat ettab ishments, in addition to
gr;.ntilig J,'sl 65. Cd. as rewards for say ng 714 shipwrecked
ver.4ons by its lifeboats, and other means.
TL'e Committee of the Institution earnest'y A i.'PEAL to
the public for ASSISTANCE to enable them to meet the
continued heavy demands on the Institution's 137 lifeboat
establishments. Contributions are received by all the L n-
don and eountry bankers ; and by the Secretary, Richard
Lewis, at the Institution, 14, John street, Adelphi.

MAJESTY'S THEATRE.
EF.ole Manager and Director, 3lr. W. ILirrison.
ARRANGEMENTS FOIL THE WEEK.
'THIS EVENING, and during, the week, the performances
will commence with YOU K OW W.llO.
Followed by Verdi's Grand Opera. Tlt AVIATA. Violet-
tß, 31adame Kenneth; Gcrmont, Mr. Santley.
TO-morrow Evening 'Saturday?, Gcunod's Grand Opera,
I: BUST. Margarda, Miss Louisa l'yno ; Faust, Mr. dims
lteeves.