The Sun.
London, England, 1863-11-21 00:00:00

results,

This gun, which carries a 3001 b shot, closely re-
sembles an ordinary muzzle-loading Armstrong in
outward appearance, the muzzle, however, being
more prolonged. Mr. Lynall Thomas's invention
consists in substituting a series of ribs for the usual
grooves. The shot are made with grooves coated
with soft alloy to fit the ribs of the gun, and are
similar in form to those used in the Armstrong, but
appear to be slightly longer. It is perhaps hardly
necessary to add that the " shunt" principle is not
employed by Mr. Lynall Thomas. To test the
range and accuracy of the gun 10 rounds of cast
iron shot were fired from it at 2 deg. elevation, 10
at 5 deg., and 10 at 10 deg., the charge being
401 b in every instance. The initial velocity of the
projectiles was ascertained in the care of those fired
at 2 deg. elevation by Maj or Navez's electro-ballistic
apparatus. It was intended to repeat the experi-
ments with cast-iron shells, but Mr. Thomas ob-
jected to those upon the ground of being too long ;
a similar objection to the shot was also urged by
him during the course of the experiments. He also
stated that the ribs were finished too abruptly at
the spot where they join the chamber of the gun.
It seems a pity, however, that as the gun, shot, and
shell were made at Woolwich, under Mr. Thomas's
directions, he did not make these objections during
the progress of the work, The velocity and range
of the shots fired are very unequal. This is
accounted for by Mr. Thomas by the facts mentioned
above, and by the powder not being always rammed
home to exactly the same mark. Whether the latter
circumstance has any weight or not is doubtful, as
in other rifled guns the ramming home of the pow-
der to the same place within a few inches does not
seem to affect materially the flight of the shot.
Notes were taken at each round of the exact depth
to which the charge was rammed ; it will therefore
be seen hereafter whether this circumstance really
has any influence on the projectile or not. If it
should turn out that it has, it would be, we imagine
a serious defect in the gun. The exact lateral de-
viation of each shot has not yet been correctly cal-
culated; it was stated, however, to be irregular.
Gen. St. George, Col. Lefroy, and Capt. Heath
were present during the experiments on the part
of the Ordnance Select Committee.
While the experiments were being made with
Mr. Thomas's gun Mr. Randall and a party of men
were busily engaged in taking off a series of impres-
sions of the inside of Sir William Armstrong's
monster gun, to ascertain if the rifling had sustained
any injury during Thursday's trial, but not a flaw
of the size of a pin's head could be detected over the
whole of (I Big Will's" interior. In our impression
of yesterday it was stated that the bore of this gun
was 13ft. 3in. in diameter—a very obvious typogra•
phical error for 13.3 inches. It is intended shortly
to try the gun upon a massive floating target, which
will he moored about 2,000 yards from the firing
ewliamrmen,ts yesterday
at present when Mr. Thomas's
were again
sunny weather.
point.favouredgun will
nTbbo
eyth et
kce
ansletomexwdl:
nwith shell: ,

THE CITY REMEMBRANCERSHIP.

A Committee of the Common Council to whom it was re-
ferred on the 2d July last to inquire into the nature, duties,
and emoluments of the ancient office of Remembrancer in
the corporation of London, and whether it was susceptible
of amalgamation with advantage either with the office of
City Solicitor or that of Town Clerk, or partly with both,
have just presented a report on the subject. The inquiry
arose on the retirement, from advanced age and failing
health, of Mr. E. Tyrrell, who had spent upwards of 50
years of his life in the service of the corporation, and who
had at one time thought the amalgamation of the office with
some other in the corporation practicable. He was in the
receipt of a salary of £l,OOO, besides professional charges
he was allowed to make for business done by him, and
which on an average of the last ten years raised his net
income to £2,020, in addition to an allowance of £250
a year for office expenses. The office of Remembrancer
has ex;sted during nearly 300 years, having been instituted
in 1570. Its first holder appears to have been one Thomas
Norton,
Council recommending as his successor " our well-be-
loved Dr. Fletcher, distinguished for his learning, inte-
grity, and other commendable parts!' With such a cer-
death,
autograph in
letter to the Court of Common
1588, Queen Elizabeth deigned
to address n
whose
cer-
tificate of character, it is presumed the worthy doctor was
oan
appointed to the vacant berth. Originally the emoluments
could not have been at all equal to their amount in late
years, seeing that her then Majesty charged the Common
Council to award the successor of Mr. Norton " a decent
maintenance." The Parliamentary duties, so called, of the
Remembrancer are said to require a daily attendance at the
House of Commons, and a point is made that he has from
time immemorial enjoyed the privilege of a seat under the
gallery of the House of Commons. He is there to keep watch
and ward over the interests and privileges of the city, and,
as his official designation imports, to keep the Common
Council apprised from time to time of all measures in any
way affecting the rights of the corporation—in other words,
to see that they are not caught napping, for the civic autho-
rities always appear to fancy that " every man's hand is
against them." For years past they have had a standing
committee whose special function has been to watch and
resist all attempts at reform in the corporation when these
have been in contemplation by the Government of the day,
and among this most conservative body for • that purpose
are men holding liberal opinions on most other political
subjects. The Committee on the Remembrancersbip, after
an elaborate recital of the duties incident to it, ceremonial
and Parliamentary, recommend that the office should be
continued as a distinct and separate one, having regard to
the interests of the corporation, and that the income at-
tached to it should be no longer fluctuating, but fixed at
£1,500 a year, with an annual allowance besides, not ex-
ceeding £4OO, for office expenses. The committee pay a just
compliment to Mr. Tyrrell, the retiring Remembrancer, to
the effect that he has at all times well and faithfully dis-
charged the trust reposed in him, and in recognition of hi
services in the business of the corporation, extending over.
half a century, they recommend that he be allowed a Pen
sion of £7OO from the date of his retirement. The salary of
£1,500 which has been recommended is equal to that have
Under-Secretary of State, and the committee say tl_
fixed it at that amount after having carefully considered
to st
the position which the gentleman appointedd
tpheeculpioar
must necessarily occupy, and the important with the
duties he will be called upon to discharger
fand an
their de-
sire to see the corporation fitly represented n
commu-
nications with the Crown and the Government of the
country.

pi
mostta
intolerablet ion all
i,
7 over,
, 71. Lord
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