The Sun.
London, England, 1862-04-11 00:00:00

AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS.

Mr. CAIRD asked the Secretary of State for the Home
Department if he would state to the house, and lay upon
the table, the substance of the rages by the Courts of
Quarter Sessions to his circular on the subject of agricul•
Surat statistics ?

Sir G.OREY said that the queetion of the hon. member
had referenen to theemployment of the police in the collec-
tion of these statistics, and the reports received were gene-
rally unfavourable to the use of that agency.
CAPTAIN COLES' PLANS.

Lord ROBERT MONTAGU asked tho Secretary to the
Admiralty when Capt. Cowper Coles first submitted to the
Admiralty his plans, which have lately been adopted for ships
of war ; if such plans were to be reported on at the time ;
and, if so, by whom, and whether that report was favour-
abl .") or other Wise: and if there was any objection to lay the
Tapers on the subject upon the table of the house ?

Lord C.,,PAGET said that the Admiralty had no objec •
tion to laying any information before the house which hon.
members might require, but it would be inconvenient if the
all
Admiralty were to be °ailed on for information respecting
the inventions submitted to them. It would be attended
ith considerable inconvenience if the reports of the confi-
denhetia
tth
loeT.c‘etrs of the Admiralty Were to be made public.
tvhey ~.aterriesty's present Government came into f)ffice
shield R of Captain
the same feeling with reference to the
Coles that their Predecessors had done,
not onti with
ryalso to ship,, ro gard to their application to batteries, but
theltewas found, however, that there was some
difficulty
I:aecution of the shield, but when that had
been snrmotrat
t'dpiatn4d,tthe experiments proved satisfactory,
the house was
With respect tc,n° for a grant for their construction.
taide4;iFeneral subject of inventions, the
Admiralty had
as rersted C.aptairni up from time to time, and
90feg, 111 had been put on
fall pay,' an a-ityy V;i. h.
carrying out of hi, invention. expenses during the
re,,,,„,e,...,T,.h0wever, was not re-
garded in the light ,of
ton for his inventions.
(Hear, heir:).
MR. SAM CELSOWS-6//xt
Lord FERMOY asked the Secret„..7
Admiralty
Mr. A.
whether it was true that, so far back atileatanthte
Samuelson sent in to the Board of Admiralty:lZ,
eifications for a double-skinned self-subnierging ape-
similar to the Naugatuck already built by Mr. 5tet,75175
for
the Federal Government of America • andt if so, whether
the Admiralty will take steps to have. the plan tertian,"
adopted. as bits been the case in America ?
Lord Q. PAGET ..aitlthat.l4r. Samuelson, in 1860, had
proposed the plan of a vessel which would have the Myatt-
tar.re of tiding -submerged a certain distance so as to present
only a limited surface above water. However, the plan
was not considered suited to the servive of her Weal, but
ar• Samuelson was informed by the Admiralty that any
future proposal :he might make would receive attention.
(Hear, hear.)
THE LARGE BELL OF THE CLOCK TOWER.
Sir J. HAY asbed the First Commissioner of Works
whether the large begin the Clock Tower was to be taken

down and re-east, or whether it was to be used in its pre-
sent condition ?

Lord HOTHAM expressed a wish that any future ex-
penditure incurred on the subject should be fi submitted
to the house for their sanction•

Mr. COWPER said that this bill had 13:,(n a source of
great anxiety to him. (Laughter.) He ha consnited some
of the most eminent scientific men in re '.ence to the bell
when it was discovered that it was cracked, and their report
was to the effect that the bell might come to pieces and
fall on the heads of the passers by. Under these circum-
stances, he did not think he should take any steps in refer-
ence to the bell unless he was properly authorised to do so,
and with respect to the remarks of the noble lord (Lord
Hothato) he could assure the house that before any more
money was expended on the bell, the subject would be
brought before the house. (Hear, hear.)