The Sun.
London, England, 1863-03-31 00:00:00

INSIDE AN IRONCLAD.

The special correspondent of the .New York
Herald was or board the Montauk when she at-
tacked Fort M'Allister in February. The vessel
carried 15-inch guns. I took up my position," he
writes, " in the pilot house, which, about half-past
eight o'clock, was bit a tremendous blow by a shot
Your cot respondent was at the instant of impact or
one knee writing a paragraph in 1-is note-book.
The shock was somewhat severe, and afterwards 1
found the shot struck c'ose to my head. It un-
balanced me, and I tumbled over against the side of
the narrow pilot-house, when, to my surprise, I was
struck by a piece of iron bolt with the nut at-
tached (weighing about lib.), first on the shoulder
and then on the knee. Some of the other bolts were
knocked out. The iron was, no doubt, of an inferior
quality, and had they been of the same character as
those in the turret such an event would not have
taken place. In view of such an accident, and
suffering from the shock, 1 left the pilot-house. I
feel satisfied that the pilot-house is as strong as any
part of the vessel, but the bolts will have to be
protected from flying inwards. The sensation be-
low decks was far different from that which I had
experienced in the pilot-house. The sound of our
own guns was more acute and unpleasant, and well
it might be when it is taken into consideration
that the whole volume of sound from the dis-
charge of each gun passed directly over and
within a few inches of our heads, the concussion
passing into the system through the brain by the
top of the head. I cannot say that it was painful,
but it was far from pleasant, and, in addition to this,
you were scarcely ever able to hear the word of com-
mend when the guns were fired. To hear the
officers say, Are you ready ? Fire !' takes off
much of the unpleasantness of the shock, but below
you do Rot have that warning. We fired both guns
on an average once in four minutes. It was just
six minutes past eleven o'clock, I was standing in
the wardroom, and in conversation with Dr. Bray-
ton, when a most terrific blow was struck upon our
deck plating directly over my head. I was driven
with much force into a chair, and my whole muscu-
lar system seemed for about two minutes perfectly
paralyzed. I was faint, and could scarcely obtain
my breath. I never experienced such an unplea-
sant sensation in the whole course of my life. It
was a heavy shock to my whole system ; in fact, it
exceeded my experience in the pilot-house, and I
thought I had done wrong in quitting it. And
while absorbed in such thoughts, slam ! came
another such a shot, but, fortunately for me at
least, about six feet away from where the first one
struck. -Weak as I was, this again gave me a shock.
I I soon recovered from the intense pain I suffered,
and resumed my notes, but was continually in ap-
prehension of having the dose repeated. Fortu-
nately, however, it was not. Shortly after wards Mr.
Browne, our paymaster, who took my place in the
pilot-house, came into the wardroom and reported
that it had been hit again, and quite a number of the
bolts broken off and flung violently across the
pilot-house, narrowly escaping :Doty, the quarter-
master, and himself. So I was thankful that I was
not there, for with so many in this little coop some
body would have been hit. At this time of the
fight it was bang, bang from our own guns, and
track, slam, whiz-z z z from the enemy's shot, the
combined noises fol fining a musical performance
seldom or ever heard with such composure by so
many men who felt themselves perfectly safe. Of
the fort we could see that the parapets were severely
injured, while the huge traverses bore deep marks
of our shells. But yet, in the main, the work bid
fair to stand for some hours longer, and our ammu-
nition was too costly to be used with such tal abject
in view, and it was decidi d to discontinue the action
before noon, and at 7 minutes before meridian the
anchor was away and we were drifting down the
narrow liver. The enemy, ri joicing over our de-
parture, manned his guns and blazed away as lively
as he could, We bear some marks of a heavy ham-
, paring, and yet we are se good as new—better, we

think, as we show proof marks of our invulnera-
bi►ity. The enemy put two of his shots quite near
our portholes, both being between the inner line of
them. The pilot house was struck by one rifled and
two round shot. The smokestack is well ventilated,
and looks something like a pepperbox for a giant.
The holes do not injure its draught. The side
armour is well marked, but the indentations in
nowise injure the vessel. The deck armour is badly
scarred, but no ill effects accrue from them, and it
is believed that the deck will not leak at the point
of impact."

Protector Endowment Loan and Annuity

Company.

The ordinary general meeting of the shareholders
of the above company was held yesterday afternoon,
at the offices, 34, liing-street, Cheapside. Alfred
Sweet E.q., F.R.S,„ chairman of the board of di-
rectors, presided.

The routine business having been disposed of, the
following report was submitted to the meeting :
"We have again the pleasure of meeting 3ou to submit
our annual report of the operations of the company, and our
statement of receipts and disbursements for the year, which
ended on the 31st of December last, and also to transact
such other buiiness as devolves, by our constitution, on the
ordinary annual general meeting of the shareholders of the
company. A period of five years having elapsed since our
last valuation of the company's assets and liabilities, we
shall also on the present occasion have the pleasure of lay-
ing before you our statement of valuation of these matters
as they stood at the end of the year 1862.
"The directors who retire by rotation on this occasion are
J. L. Hancock, Esq., and J. Beadnell, Esq. ; both gentle-
men are eligible, and are willing to continue their services
in the same capacity as heretofore, and ara therefore now
recommended to you as forming the present list for election.

" It is also required by our constitution that the auditors
of the company's accounts retire annually—George H.
Ladbury, Joseph Williams, and George Lowe, Esqs.,
therefore now retire: these gentlemen are all eligible to
occupy their former position, and are willing to give their
services for the current year.
" The statement of receipts and disbursements for the
pest year is as fellows

" We shall now submit to yeti the statement of the assets
and liabilities of the ecmpany, valued up to the end of the
year IH2.

" STATEMENT.

" The statement of the receipts and expenditure has been
printed and duly forward, d to each of our shareholders.
It contains in itself a complete record of the transactions of
the company for the year in every department, and shows as
a result in figures a very considerable improvement over the
operations of the year preceding. Beyond this there is no
point sufficiently prominent to be made the subject of re-
mark, Our mode of conducting the business has LOW been
so long and thoroughly fixed and determined in all its de-
tails by our past experience, that every branch works with
the most constant and perfect regularity.
" As heretofore, the directors have been constant in their
endeavours to advance the interests of the company, and
have been always ready, whenever occasion has required,
to devote their time, their labour, and their thought towards
this end.

" Since our last general meeting the Joint Stock Com-
panies' Act, 7 & 8 Vic., cap. 110, under which we were origi-
nally incorporated, has been repealed, and has been replaced.
by the Companies' Act of 1862.' We have now to report
that we have duly complied with all requirements nkcessary
for registration, and that we are now incorporated under the
new Companies' Act the 25 and 26 Vie., cap. S 9: we have
made no change in our constitution, the liability of our
shareholders remaining limited as heretofore, by special
provision, in all the contracts of the company; the employ-
ment of such special provision being compulsory utder our
deed of constitution.

"As we have arrived at the close of a quinquennial period
of the company, and have had the pleasure of laying before
you a valuation of assets and liabilities, it will not be out of
place here to review very briifly the results of the two lead-
ing departments of our business—our deposits and our ad-
vances on loan. From the origin of the company to the
end of the financial year just cloned the total receipts on
deposit have amounted to £167,447, and the total repay-
ments to .E 128,223. Our total advances on loan for the
same period have amounted to 1272 556, supplying effective
relief and assistance to hundreds in time of difficulty, and
unquestionably fulfilling a great public requirement, not
fulfill, d either by discounters or bankers. Our total ascer-
tained loses on this largo amount amounted to no more than
£4,040. showing that our losses from the commencement
have not reached 1 per cent, of the amount advanced.
We may justly point to ur deposits as showing that we
have merited and obtained the confidence of the public, and
to our loaning, as giving VE ry positive evidence of the care,
circumspection, and judgment which have teen unceas-
ingly bestowed upon it.

" With reg,rd to the balance in our favour, as shown by
the statement of easels and liabilities, the directors are
strongly of opinion that it would be imprudent to recom-
mend any portion to be dEalt with as a division of profits.
They consider that the interest of the company will be
much better consulted by applying for the pre& nt all
available resources to produce results in the future. In
their (pinion the object for which we should all work is the
extension of the company's operations, based on an exten-
sion of its funds, and we canliot help here reminding our
shareholders how often we have appealed to them to aid
us to the utmost of their power towards this end, and have
urged on their notice the simple fact, that with our staff and
machinery, and without sensible increase of outlay, we
could as welltransact a loan business of £200,000 per annum
as one of £53,000.

" Before closing this report wemay mention that we have
now under consideration a scheme for extending our opera-
tions, from which we have good reason to hope for a favour-
able result. It would be quite premature to enter into any
details row, but we hope that when we have the pleasure
of meeting you at the end of another year we may be able
to report both the completion of our scheme and its success-
ful operation.

" We recommend that thefihare dividend be the same as
last year, namely, at the rate of 5 per cent_ per annum."
The CHAIRMAN, in moving that the report just
read be received and adopted, congratulated the
meeting on the great success and increase of busi-
ness that had attended their operations during the
past year. This was a circumstance which he felt
certain would give satisfaction to every per-
son present, and showed that the objects of the
company were largely appreciated by the general
public. They were at present the largest Loan
and Annuity Company in the metropolis, but with
the present effective staff and machinery
they possessed, they could transact double the
amount of business if it only came to their office.
Individual exertion would do much, and he did
not think he was asking over much if he pressed
on the shareholders the mutual advantage
that would arise from additional business. (Hear,

hear.) Another matter of congratulation was the
result of the close of the quinquennial period, from
which it would be seen that from the origin of the
company to the end of the financial year just closed
the receipts on deposits had amounted to £167.447,
the total repayments being £128,223. (Hear,
hear.) The total advances on loan for the same
period amounted to £272,556, thus, as the re-
port truly stated, supplying effective relief and
assistance to hundreds in time of difficulty, and
unquestionably fulfilling a great public requirement
not offered to the public by either discounters or
bankers. While this large amount of business had
been transacted it was highly satisfactory to know
that the total loss from the commencement of the
soJiety amounted only to £4,040. (Hear, hear.)
After some further observations, the Chairman
resumed his seat, after formally moving the adop-
tion of the report.
The motion was carried unanimously, and thanks
having been awarded to the directors and manager,
the proceedings terminated.

BANK OF ENGLAND AND FRANCE.

MEETING THIS DAY.

An'extraordinary general meeting of the proprietors of
the Bank of England and France was held to-day to con-
firm the articles of association in lieu of the provisions con-
tained in schedule 13 of the Joint Stock Companies Act,
1856; Mr. Colchester in the chair. The meeting was
merely of a formal character, and the necessary resolutions
having been carried, the proceedings terminated.

THE LORD CHANCELLOR'S CHURCH PATRONAGE.
—The
Lord Chancellor has presented the Rev. Robt.
llenry cx
M.A , of Trinity College, Dublin, vicar of Dus-
ton, near Not thanipto^, to the vicarage of Hardingstone, in
the same county. The benefice is worth £550 a year, with
a house. The vicarage of Duston, which becomes vacant
by Mr. Cox's preferment, is worth £175 a year, and is in
the gift of Viscountess Palmerston. The Lord Chancellor's
vicarage of Brafferton, near Boroughbridge, Yorkshire, has
become vacant by the death of the Gray,Rev.Wßme.Bidenar
ti 111; fAo.,
of Queen's College, Cambridge, Canon
Ripon Cathedral. The benefice is worth £3OO a year, with
a house. Mr. Gray was presented to it by Lord Lyndhurst
in 1827. The Lord Chancellor's rectory of Little Stain-
bridge, near Rochford, Essex, has become vacant by the
death of the Rev. Nathaniel Meeres,.B.D., formerly of St.
John's College, Oxford. The Lendice is worth £l6O a year,
with a house. Mr. Neeres was presented by Lord Cotten-
ham in 1827,