The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-03 00:00:00

castle. Sir W. ARMSTRONG'S coil system of con.
structing guns has proved a success, and without
disparaging Mr. WHITWORTEes plan of construct-
ivg guns, by a succession of hoops, the former plan
seems to be the one, as yet, in greatest favour, and
might be safely adopted. All of the most success-
ful guns as yet constructed is that known as the
" Somerset" gun, an account of its ccnstruction
having been requested by the First Lord
of the Admiralty. It is a light nine-inch gun, not
weighing more than six tons, we believe, and
capable, when rifled, of throwing a 2201 b. cylin-
drical or a 1151 b. spherical shot. Why, let us ask,
are not many of these provided P Is it necessary to
wait until the one at present at Shoeburyness has
been destroyed to prove its capabilities P The plan
of proving all guns to destruction, which seems to
be the fashion at present, reminds us of the old
ordeal for witchcraft, by drowning the suspected
individual to show that he had no compact with
the Devil. Even when ships have been supplied
with heavy gune, it seems to have been
the object as much as possible to render
them as useless as they could. Why, for
instance, has the Royal Sovereign been armed
with smooth-bore guns—which, although ten and
a half inch gauge, and weighing 12 tons, are only
capable of throwing 150 pound shot, surely if the
ship carries a twelve ton gun, it ought to be a
rifled one, and throw a 300 pound shot. Three
hundred pounders are in all probability the heaviest
gnus that can be conveniently carried at sea,
although perhaps in exceptional cases even a 600-
pounder might be used, but as rifled 300-pounders
are proved capable of penetrating any armour
plates that ships can carry, a large supply
should be forthwith constructed, irrespeotive
of the rival claims of any maker. So long
as a gun is good enough for the purpose
it is wanted for, it is no reason it should be rejected
until it is proved to be the best that can be con-
structed, for as improvements are al ways being
made, we might wait for ever in a state of inde-

cision. Every other nation is content tq tialse the
best guns that are to be procured prompkly...Cap.
tain BLAKELY has supplied the Prussian Govern-
ment with whole batteries, while we are debating.
France is well provided for, as are also Austria and
Prussia, while, on the other side of the Atlantic,
eleven and thirteen inch guns are quite common, and
we believe that the Americans have more than one
fifteen inch gun, and are actually constructing a
twenty inch one, capable of throwing a
shot weighing 1,600 pounds. It is, of course,
a matter of speculation how such a monster will
succeed ; but whatever the results of the experi-
ment, it warns us that we must not be idle. Let

the experiments at Shoeburyness be carried on with
vigour. Let us gain all the information possible for
our future guidance, but in the meantime it behoves
us to turn the knowledge we already possess tg
practical account.

Again has the Mayor of Cork deemed. it expedient
to direct public attention to the dangers of Daunt's
Rock, as yet. unmodified or unprovided against by
any official arrangements. It will be remembered
that some months ago, on the occasion of the lamen-
table disaster which took place on that rock,
Mr. MAGUIRE was active in his efforts to get some-
thing done at once to protect the shipping from the
danger caused by.this obstruction. But, although
his entreaties and observations were supported by
painful and incontrovertible evidence, for the good
ship City of New York still lies embedded in the
rock, the best months of the year are being suf-
fered to slip away while nothing is done. We heard
before of many difficulties being in the way—of
disputes as to authority, of differences as to expense,
of local antagonisms, official delays, and other
obstacles. But many of there impediments are
now, according to Mr. MAGUIRE, removed. Gene-
rally speaking, too, it is a very slow process to con•
vince officials of the necessity of improvement or
alteration, but, thanks possibly to the wreck, there
can be no dispute as to the dangers and inconve.
niences of Daunt's Rock. Mr. MAGUIRE says that
" each department appears most anxious that
something should be done," but reTertheless
nothing is done. Again he says, "Letters have
been written, correspondence has multiplied, dif-
ficulties have been got rid of, misunders-

tandings have been explained away, a common
accord has ever been established, but still there
remains the damning fact that Daunt's Rock is, up
to this Ist of August, without beacon or protection
of any kind." The real difficulty probably lies in
the triple government—the Board of Trade, the
Trinity Board, and the Irish Ballast Board—for we
know that if in the multitude of councillors there is

wisdom, in the multitude of rulers theie is certainly
hesitation and delay. All parties, however, are
agreed not only as to the expediency but the neces-
sity of something being done before winter sets in,

but the fear is that with the best intention this

apparently interminable procrastination will be pro-
longed until the precious summer months are past,
and the storms of autumn renew the terrors of last
year, greatly increased, as Mr. MAGUIRE reminds
us, by the position of the wreck. Mr. TURNER, of
the City of Washington, states that that vessel nar-
rowly escaped destruction last April, having almost
gone bodily on the wreck. Had she done so with
her 500 souls on board, there would have been a
terrible addition to the legends of Daunt's Rock.
The best way to get rid of it would of course be to
blow it up, but in waiting for that more tedious and
expensive process, it is proposel to place a bell
beacon on the rock ; and the three Boards have
agreed in approving of the bell beacon of Mr. HER-
BERT, similar to that found useful in tho Mersey.
They are also unanimous in wishing the beacon to
be of the largest dimensions to mark the dangerous
locality. But although they have advanced so far,
no one seems disposed to take the necessary steps.
This state of things has really gone on quite long
enough, and it is time that a little more energy
were infused into these several departments. Now
that the construction of a dock in Cork harbour is
seriously contemplated, it is useless to attempt to
underrate the importance of that port; but it is
quite in keeping with the zeal of our nautical
administration that we should spend thousands on
costly experiments, and failures like the Mersa
Dock at Malta, while we cannot find means or
energy or opportunity to remove a reel danger out
of the way of our shipping within our waters.

THE Charivart, according to the French Correa•
pendent or the _Herald and Standard, publishes a
version of Lord Palmerston's farewell speech to the House
of Commons, such as, it declares, his lordship either de-
livered on the last day of the session, or ought to have done.
The usual recapitulation of the labours of the session was
this year, it makes the noble lord declare, exceedingly easy,
since the Government could sum up all in the single
word —" Nothing ;" the Cabinet remained in cffice,
not becau.ie it possessed the confidence of the country,
Lut because many members voted for it to avoid
the annoyance attendant on a dissolution; lastly, as the
Ministry had preserved their places, the Polish question,
the Danish dispute, and the various reforms which the
country looked for, were not of the slightest importance;
the essential was to get away from these endless interpella-
tions, harrassing questions, and uncomfortable critiques,
which rendered the position of the Dlinistry so little desir-
able towards the end of the session ; the licaikaitaight de-
pend on being summoned together at the mOiMetant mo
ment possible.

STAMP DUTIES ON PROBATES.--Under the new
act (27th and 23th Viet., c, :,6), probate and letters of ad•
ministration are exempted from stamp duty where the
Vt*le do not emoted £lOO in value.