The Sun.
London, England, 1863-07-07 00:00:00

FORTIFICATIONS AND WORKS.

The house having gone into committee,
Lord PALMERSTON rose to move for leave to intro-
duce a bill in continuation of the bill brought in last year
for the purpose of authorising the issue of terminable
annuities to continue those works which had been already
sanctioned by Parliament for the defence of the dockyards
and other stations. Of the amount authorised to be issued
last year, a sum of £600,000 still remained unexpended ,
that sum would not be sufficient to pay for the progress of
the works to be completed between that time and July of
next year, and therefore they asked for a further issue of
£650,000. He was happy to be able to state that the works
already constructed had been exceedingly well executed,
and that they would prove a very useful defence to the coun-
try. He should mention that, generally speaking, the works
to be found in the schedule of the bill were works already
sanctioned; but last year, in consequence of the doubts
about the relative merits of forts and ships, the vote with
respect to the forts at Spithead was suspended. But the ex-
perience which they had since derived from the war in
America showed that forts were remarkable antagonists to
ships ; and, moreover, the progress of improvements in the
construction of cannon in this country showed that solid
shot and even shells would pierce ships constructed like the
Warrior ; and he had no doubt that it could be done at 1,000
yards; but, as at Shoeburyness, they had only a range of
800 yards, they had not been able to experimentahse to
that extent. As the present motion was only with the object
of introducing the bill, he would not detain the committee
further, beyond expressing a hope that the house would be
willing to read the bill a second time on Thursday. The
noble lord concluded by moving, that, towards providing
a further sum for defraying the expenses of the con-
struction of works for the defence of the Royal Dock-
yards and Arsenals, and of the ports of Dover and Port-
land, and for the creation of a central arsenal, a sum not
exceeding £650,000 be charged upon the Consolidated
Fund of the United Kingdom; and that the Commissioners
of her Majesty's Treasury be authorised and empowered to
raise the said sum by annuities for a term not exceeding 30
years—and that such annuities shall be charged upon, and
be payable out of, the said Consolidated Fund.

Mr. S. FITZGERALD asked whethei the construction
of a central arsenal would form any part of this year's plan.

Lord PALMERSTON said it would not.

Sir F. SMITH did not think the action of the American
war had at all altered the position of matters ; he con-
tended that the erection of the Spithead forts would be
quite useless.
Sir S. M. PETO was likewise of opinion that the Ame-
rican war had not altered the position of the house on the
question of the construction of forts at Spithead. There
was no parallel between Charleston Harbour and Spithead.
There was no difference of opinion with regard to the point
upon which the judgment of the house had been so strongly
expressed last year. They only asked to have all the de-
tails brought before them so that they might be in position
to discuss it fairly and freely next Thursday.
Mr. AYRTON wished to know how it was that while a
central arsenal was one of the objects included in the reso-
lution, they should be told at the same time there was no
vote to be taken for it.
Viscount PALMERSTON explained that what was
meant was, that no vote was to be asked for this year.
Mr. Alderman SALOMONS said he had paid a visit
:some years ago to Charleston, and from what he knew of
that harbour he would be prepared to support any proposal
of the Government for fortifying their own harbours.
Mr. OSBORNE said he would not oppose the motion,
out of compliment to the noble lord, whom they were glad
to see once more in his place— (cheers)—but he would be
ready to meet the noble lord fairly next Thursday.
Sir R. FERGUSSON contended that there was great
similarity between the harbour of Charleston and Spithead,
and he could only express his surprise at the statement made
by the hon. and gallant member for Chatham.
In reply to Mr. LYQON,
The Marquis of HARTINGTON stated that very diffe-
rent results would attend an attack on Spithead, as com-
pared with Charleston, for both the ships and the guns
would be entirely different.

Sir J. HAY said the difference between Portsmouth and
Charleston dockyards was that the latter could not be bom-
barded without taking the forts outside, whereas Ports•
mouth could be shelled by guns of long range with perfect
safety to the enemy, He therefore opposed the erection of
the forts.

Mr. LOCKE, as a layman, thought that a fort added to
a floating battery must be better than a floating battery
alone—(hear, hear)--and therefore he should vote for the
forts, as ho always had done.

Sir J. FERGUSSON said the distance of the Portsmouth
forts would be 8,000 yards from the dockyard, whereas
Forts Moultrie and Sumter were only 6,000 yards from
Charleston.

Mr. NEWDEGATE strongly advocated the prompt
completion of the national defences.
Sir J. ELPRINSTONE thought a system of chains
across the harbour would be as good as forts.
The resolution was agreed to, and leave given to bring in
the bill.

The Greenwich Hospital (Provision for Widows) Bill
was read a second time.

The Vaccination (Scotland), the Police Improvement
(Scotland), tho Provisional Order, the Stipendiary Magis-
trates, and the Prisons (Ireland) Bills, were read a third
time and passed.

Other bills were advanced a stage, and the house ad-
journed at half-past one o'clock.

The "gentler sex" at sixty look with complacency on
Whitened tresses, but to youth it is a calamity ; remediable,
howayer, by Herring's magnetic brushes, &c., of which Dr.
Hassan reports, "I regard them as the most perfect brushes
hitherto made, as respects their mechanical construction and
their magnetical action." They are the remedy for grey hair,
neuralgia, rheumatism, &O. N.B.—Counterfeits are beipg
made, Offices, 3:, BaSillghall-street, London.

There is little reason to doubt that the great
national rifle meeting which commences this morn-
ing at Wimbledon will far exceed any meeting of
the kind which has been previously held. Profiting
by last year's experience, the council have remedied
little defects of organisation, and removed a source
of serious dissatisfaction in the principal competi-
tion of the meeting. For some weeks past Lord
Elcho and his confreres in the council have been
actively engaged in personally superintending the
carrying out of details which will tend very much
to insure the success of the gathering. Many mem-
bers of the association who knew and felt that its
most important function was to increase as much as
possible the taste for and skill in military rifle shoot-
ing, deprecated during the past year a course of
action which tended to unduly foster the use of the
small bore target rifle, at the expense of the less
accurate but more useful Enfield. This course would
tend to produce a few thousand splendid shots, who,
with their delicate and complicated and wonderfully
accurate weapon, would never miss a six-foot circle
at a thousand yards. At the same time, the judi-
cious encouragement of the military weapon will
assuredly lead to as great an improvement (so far es
our volunteers are concerned) as has been introduced
in small-arm practice since the musket and bayonet
superseded the how and the spear. It is much to the
credit of the council that they have felt the force of
this reasoning and have shown a liberal disposition
to encourage the use of what may now fairly be
termed the " national weapon." The wisdom of this
course is already manifest in the fact that over 1,300
volunteers have entered to compete for the Queen's
price, against 1,100 last year, of whom only 901
actually fired. Very few volunteers who go to
Wimbledon this year will fail to try for some of the
prizes offered for the competition of rifles of the
Government gauge. In this way it is to he hoped
that the council will see the wisdom of their
decision. There is plenty of room for still further
progress ; but, as a first step in the right direction,
they deserve all praise. •
The arrangements on the ground have been so
well studied, and proved so satisfactory in previous
years, that very little change is observable. The
office tents of the association are again pitched in
the ring fence to the south-east of the windmill,
while the volunteer camp, increased largely in the
number of tents, again dots the dry ridge overlook-
ing the valley of the Running Deer. Last year 66
officers and 146 non-commissioned officers and pri-
vates availed themselves of the convenience of the
camp. This year the numbers are 115 officers and
320 non-commissioned officers and privates. To the
latter increased accommodation has been afforded
by giving a tent to every four privates, instead of
one tent to every six, as last year. Better camp
Equipage is also provided, and one serious discom-
fort of last year, want of water, obviated, by an
adequate service. For this accommodation each
volunteer on arriving will deposit 12s. From this
sum ss. will be deducted, however short the stay ;
but beyond five days, ls. will be returned for each
day short of 12 which the volunteer may remain.
Lieut.-Colonel Luard and Captain Ruston are in
charge of the camp. The contract for the commis-
sariat department has been taken by Mr. Jennison,
of Manchester, whose admirable arrangements and
excellent accommodation justify the anticipation
that the result witl be in marked contrast to the
miserable failure of last year. A novel and most
agreeable feature in the general arrangements is
the establishment of a club, reading, and writing
rooms, which will be opened gratuitously to all
members of the Association, and to general visitors
at ls. per diem. There will be an electric telegraph
station on the ground, from which messages will be
transmitted to town at ls. each.

Last year the Council inaugurated at their
Wimbledon meeting a new system of scoring,
by which bull's-eyes and centres were adopted at
all ranges. The object of this was to give to
steady shooting the advantage of which it was
frequently deprived by mere "finking" or chance.
This new system answered its purpose so admira-
bly, that its adoption, except for class shooting, at
once became general. This year a still greater boon
will be conferred on riflemen. At present The system
of marking in general use is for a man, protected
by a mantiet, to watch each shot as it strikes the
target, roughly signalling its position by means of
appropriate flags, and washing off the marks when
they become too numerous. The markers at the last
and previous meetings of the association were
fatigue-parties of the Foot Guards, men altogether
unused to the duties. It was not, therefore, a matter
of surprise that mistakes were made. All fear of in-
correct marking is now obviated by the adoption of
a system of marking which possesses all the advan-
tages of the Swiss system, in addition to peculiar
merits. It is the invention of Capt. Hill, of Brent-
wood, and consists of having appropriate discs to
show bulls.eyes, centres, and outers, each of which
has at the back a small brush. On a bullet striking
the target, the marker at once erases the mark, and
in doing so indicates to those at the firing-point the
exact position of the shot. By this plan the target
is always clean ; there is no loan of time in stopping
to wash targets; mistakes in marking are impos-
sible ; the markers run no risk; and, lastly, the
assistance this mode of indicating the position of the
shots affords to a rifleman in correcting errors tends
rapidly to make him master of his weapon. There
has been an increase in the number of targets to 60.
At all these, except those on the Swiss system and
those for pool firing, when only the bulls-eyes are
signalled, the marking will be on Capt. Hill's sys-
tem, which will, no doubt, hereafter rapidly super-
sede every other.
The total value of the prizes offered for competi-
tion is £4,300, or nearly double the amount of those
won last year. This year the association will
have a running deer of their own (that of last
year was the property of Mr. Lancaster) which
is coloured so as to represent a Highland Red
Deer, Another moving object for military rifle
practice represents a volunteer in the act of
"doubling." The figure, which is from the designs
of Mr. Watt, is vigorous and life-like. One side is
painted to represent a grey uniform, the other
scarlet. The number of times which each is hit
may tend to settle a moot point as to the best colour
3f volunteers' clothing. The proceedings to-day
will be preliminary to the actual commencement of
the meeting to morrow. They consist of the com-
petition between the representatives of the Middle-
sex corps for the county bronze medal, the winner
of which will be qualified to compete for the Prince
of Wales's prize, the Middlesex and Lancashire
match, other county matches, sighting practice, and
pool firing. A match certainly not less interesting
than that between two counties, and quite as much
of a representative character, was brought about by
a challenge from the lst City of Edinburgh to the
Ist City of London, to shoot, 10 men of a side, at
the Wimbledon ranges, five shots each. The coun-
cil, however, decided that no targets could be ap-
priated for the purpose. The gallant challengers,
however, rather than be disappointed, have accepted
the offer of the Ist City of London to shoot at their
range at Plaistow, and the match comes off this day
at 4 p.m.

THE AUSTRALIAN RIFLEMEN.—A short time
ago a challenge was received in England from an
Australian battalion of Volunteers to shoot an equal num-
ber of Volunteers in this country—the latter to be selected
from the best shooting company of enrolled Volunteers for
the year ending 1862, the firing to take place at any range
not being the range of the respective corps. This challenge
was addressed to the Council of the National Rifle Associa-
tion, and it appears that the best shooting company of
Volunteer Rifles in England for the year 1862 was the No.
lof the Nottingham Robin Hoods. This company has de.
dared its readiness to accept the challenge, and on Satur-
day morning Lieut.-Colonel Wright received a letter from
the Council of the National Rifle Association stating that
an answer accepting the challenge had been sent to Aus-
tralia. The contest will take place in September. The
distances are 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, and 800 yards ;
five shots at each range. The shooting will take place at
the same time in England and Australia-10 men from each
corps.

Full benefit of reduced duty obtained by pur-
chasing Horniman's pure Tea; very choice at 3s. 4d. and
4s. "High Standard "at 4s. 4d. (formerly 4s. Bd.), is the
strongest and most delicious imported. Agents in every
own supply it ill packets.

Yesterday afternoon an accident hanpenel on the
London and North-Western Railway at Wolver-
hampton, which occasioned injuries to upwards of
20 persons. The third-class train which leaves Liver-
pool at 715 a,m. was a quarter of an hour late on
arriving at Stafford. On account of this delay, ari
engine that usually leaves the shed of this company
near the Bushbury junction at Wolverhampton, to
take up a train at the passenger station in that
town, was not allowed to pass the Bushbury junc-
tion at the customary hour. At 12 45 the Liver-
pool train had duly arrived at the ticket platform
of the Wolverhampton station, and the officers had
scarcely commenced to collect the tickets when an
alarm was raised that a collision was about to hap-
pen. The collectors left the carriages and closed the
doors, and the engine and tender that had been kept
waiting at Bushbury junction came up at a speed of
about 8 or 10 miles an hour and ran into the rear of
the train, which was a very long one. The force of
the collision shattered the end and sides of the
guard's break van, and materially damaged two
third-class carriages which were next to it. These
carriages were filled with passengers, 23 of whom
received injuries which required immediate surgical
attention. Of these, four were conveyed to the South
Staffordshire Hospital, in Wolverhampton. Their
names are Thomas Armstrong, aged 48, traveller, of
7, Gorton-lane, Gorton-brook, Manchester—general
internal, but not serious injuries; Elizabeth Knight,
aged 11, of Dudley Port—wound of nearly 3 inches
in length over the right eye ; Matthew Hantley,
aged 33, of Benacre-street, Birmingham—injury
over left cheek bone and other facial contusions ;
John Hantley, aged 5, son of the last named—slight
injury to the abdomen ; and Thomas Hall, aged
30, of 52, Edgware-road, London, a city mis-
sionary—cut over the left eye. There was also con-
veyed to an inn in the town Mrs. Elizabeth Hinton,
of Penkridge, aged 50, who is suffering from injuries
to the stomach. Two of the injured persons who
were conveyed to the hospital have since left ; and
excepting the two who are now there and Mrs.
Hinton, the remainder, after having had their in-
juries attended to by surgeons sent for from Wol-
verhampton and Birmingham, proceeded to their
destinations or returned home the same afternoon.
No bones have been broken, and it is not expected
that any deaths will result. John Oliver, the driver
of the engine that ran into the train, is understood
to confess that he alone was at fault, for the auxi-
liary or distance signal, which is 800 yards from the
ticket platform, and can be seen a mile away, was
" against him." He is understood to have been at
the time on the wrong side of his engine, and thus
to have had his view intercepted by the funnel of
the engine.

More cases continue to be reported; 31 persons
are now known to be injured—one, it is feared
dangerously.

COUNTRY MARKETS.

GLOUCESTER-JULY 4.

The show of wheat to-day was pretty good, with a small
attendance of farmers. English wheat declined is per qr.,
and foreign, with a limited sale, also is down. Oats were
6d per qr lower in value. Beans and peas at late rates.

COLCHESTER—Jazz 4.
A moderate show of wheat, with a lair business doing
and the prices of last week were rather improved.
Wheat, white. 46s 66s Beans,Mazagan..3os 331
red ........42s 52s middle & small.3ss 42s
Barley
Oats

CHELMSFORD—Jury 3.
At this corn exchange to-day there was a very thin
attendance, and the small amount of business done ren-
dered prices almost nominal. In Spring corn there was no
alteration.
Wheat, old white...3os 53s
new ..34s 508
old red.... 368 48s
new 34s 45s
Barley .. 2bs 36s
Chevalier ..28s 40s
Grinding 22s 31s
Ma1t.....
Chevalier . 64s 69s
Oats 20s 28s

Peas, Partridge 37s 400
White 39s 400
Boiling 4os 43s
Dun .. 35s 38s
Ditto new .. —s —0
Beans, Tick, old ..34s 39s
new..—s —0
Harrow Ticks ..35s 40s
new..—s —s
Mazagan .......30s 383

KIRKCALDY GRAIN-7111T 4.

We had small supplies of wheat, very few oats, and
only one parcel of barley. Sales slow, and prices about
the same as last week.
Wheat. Barley. Oats.
First....33s Od I 27s Od 238.0d
Second .. 39s Od —s Od 24s Od
Third Od —s Od —s Od

COAL M.
Prfoes of Coal per Ton at

ARKET.
the close of the market.

s. d.
Buddle'aWest Hartley 15 3
Davison's West Hart-

Walls End.

ley ..15 3
Wylam 15 6
West Wylam 15 0
Carway and Duffryn
Malting ... 19 6
Eden Main l5 3
West Hartley 15 3
North Pelton Gas. 13 3
Tanfield Moor Butes 13 6

0. d.

Hetton
South Hetton 17 0
Hartlepool 16 6
11 Trimdon Hartlepool 16 6
East Hartlepool. 16 9
South Hartlepool 15 3
11l RSoeulltrii l5 9
elloe
15 9
11Cassop ... 15 9
Tunstall
Whitworth 15 0
Haswell ..17 3
1 Riddell ....
1 Framwellgate.. l4
:et, 71; sold, 54.