The Sun.
London, England, 1839-01-31 00:00:00

THE NEEDLES LIGHT.

(FROM A CORRESPONDENT.)
This light, which in clear weather, however dark the
night, can be seen at a distance of twenty miles, in a hazy
night, in consequence of its great altitude, cannot be dis-
cerned at the most trifling distance, and is so often "capped"
that it is become absolutely .necessary that some alteration
for the better should if possible be effected. It is well-
known that it was unseen from nine out of ten of the un-
fortunate vessels which have been wrecked on the back of
the Wight, and that had it been seen from any of them it
would have warned them of their danger and saved them
from destruction. The Light on St. Catherine's (which was
above 600 feet above the level of the sea) was so continu-
ally " capped" when it was most wanted, that it was dis-
continued, and Government is now erecting a light-house on
a lower situation, near Rocken-end. Oa Sunday night a
Pilot vessel, a Barque, the Brunswick, with Ordnance stores,
having a first-class pilot on board, belonging to another pilot
vessel, the Falconer, the Countess of Errol, and two others,
merchant vessels, were at one time on shore on the Shingles!!!
within one mile of the Needles, and all placed in peril solely
from the Needles Light not being visible, though it had been
long anxiously looked for by the mariners on board these
ships, who were seeking shelter within the Wight from a
south-west gale, and whose only reliance it was to direct them
to a place of safety when they could no longer keep the sea; it
is true they were all got off on the tide's rising, but two of them
at least must discharge their cargoes, occasioning a serious loss
of time and money.
The attention of merchants, shipowners, captains, and un-
derwriters, not forgetting the Trinity Board, should be drawn
to this circumstance, and we think also, all who are interested
in the Southampton Railroad and Docks, for although we
have no recollection of any vessel being lost on the Wight that
was bound to any port inside of it (they have principally been
foreigners, who were not aware they were near the land till
they struck on it, having seen no friendly beacon to warn them
off), yet the immense numbers that must come inside when the
Railroad and Docks are finished, to discharge or take in car-
goes at Southampton, or to Cowes for orders, require more
than common attention to the Needles passage. It is not
enough that not one ship in a series of years ha been lost
there, and that when once inside the Wight thaf are as safe
as if they were in dock (unless a captain is so negligent that
he keeps no watch, and allows his vessel to break her sheer and
foul her anchor; but even then, if in Southampton water she
was to drift on shore, the mud is so soft she could take no
harm, in short, that port has so many and great advantages
from its peculiar situation, and is so protected by the Isle
of Wight—that all who value safety and dispatch will sail
to it if passible, and it is the interest of Southampton and the
adjrcent towns to make the access to it as easy and as safe as
t o

OFFICIAL FACTS, oR BARROW

VERSUS BARROW.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

SIR—In the Times of the 17th instant I find the following
passage, copied from the " Supplemental Chapter" of Sir
John Barrow's Life of Lord Anson:—

" Professing myself, moreover, as far as my official cha-ac-
ter is concerned, of no political party (my only party being the
navy), I claim the privilege," &c.
Now, in the Times of the 24th instant Sir John Barrow says,
in a letter addressed to you, " I do my duty to the best of my
ability, Conservative as I am, ever have been, and ever shall be."
In order that there should be no mistake in this avowal, the
Baronet prints the word Conservative in italics. After this
chat dependence can be placed on the statements of official,
or rather officious, people ?—I am, Sir,

A NAVAL OFFICER.
Junior United Service Club, Jan. 29.

CITY OF LONDON CORPORATE

REFORM ASSOCIATION.

At the last meeting of this Association, which was nume-
rously attended, JAMES HANNEN, Esq., in the chair, a desul-
tory discussion took place as to the expediency of the ques-
tion of the ballot being discussed by the Association ; and it
was eventually agreed that, although the majority of the
members were advocates of the Ballot, yet it was felt to be so
necessary to preserve intact the original principle of the So-
ciety, that no subject connected with state or party politics
should be contemplated—that it was eventually agreed to
exclude from the proposed petition to Parliament any allusion
fr) this question.
Mr. HICKSON then proposed a series of amendments, with
a view to the extension of the franchise from Household to
Universal Suffrage—the merging of the City Corporation in
a general Metropolitan Board—the elections of Aldermen and
Mlyor by the Council, and some others of similar tendency.
Mr. PRITCHARD remarked, that these resolutions had been
in substance brought under the notice of the Association at a
former meeting by Mr. Elliot, when they were fully discussed
and disposed of and their introduction now was ill-timed and
objectionable, as the scheme bad already been discussed seria-
tim, And approved. He then moved that the scheme which
has already been before the public be adopted, which was
agreed to.
A petition founded upon the scheme was then agreed to,
and directed to be put in course of signature, with a view to
its presentation on the opening of. Parliament.

It is dear that, before the Corn-law question is
decided, there must be an appeal made to the country by a
dissolution of Parliament. We ask, then, again, and most
emphatically—who are to be the Liberal candidates for Liver-
pool ? The leaders of the party here must surely be blind to
every thing which is passing round them, to be sleeping at
and are beaten by an amendment
such a crisis. Parliament meets on the sth of February, next
Tuesday week. Suppose that on that day, only ten days from
Crash—we have a disso-
lution, Ministers introduce the subject of the Corn-laws in the
?as coolly as if the tyrants of
without a struggle. We trust
most important interests of
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Chronicle. _

- -
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