The Sun.
London, England, 1862-03-05 00:00:00

THE NAVY.

All the hands at Chatham dockyard not required
upon the Royal Oak, 50, and the other more urgent
works at that establishment, have been transferred
to the iron screw frigate Resistance, 18, 600-horse
power, which is undergoing completion in No. 3
Dock, in order that everything may be prepared for
the undocking of that vessel by the date ordered by
the Admiralty—the 16th inst. Owing to the un-
torseen difficulties which occurred in completing
the Resistance by Messrs. Westwood, Baillie, and
Campbell, the contractors, the vessel on arriving at
Chatham was in a very unfinished state. The exertions
made, however, during the past few months by the
dockyard:hands have enabled the general fitting and
completion of the ship to be pushed forward with
so much vigour that in the course of a few weeks
this fine iron steamer—which exactly resembles the
Defence in size and tonnage, will be fit either for
the pennant or the Steam Reserve, whichever the
Admiralty may decide upon. Like the sister-ship
Defence, her bulwarks form a straight line fore
and aft, and she is also provided with a projecting
bow to enable her to be used as a steam ram,although
it is the generally received opinion among nautical
men that with the great weight of the boilers and
machinery placed along their keelsons, combined
with the heavy iron masts, both the Defence and
the Resistance are altogether unfitted for employ-
ment as steam rams, the damage they might inflict
in running down an opposingship being little likely
to supply an equivalent for the injury they would
themselves receive in the conflict. The Resistance
will be barque-rigged, like the Defence, and she
will also be fitted with Cunningham's patent top-
sail yards. She will be provided with four of the
110-pounder (late 100-pounder) Armstrongs, and
10 68-pounder 25 cwt. smooth bore guns, ot. her
main deck ; and on her spar deck two 110-pounder
Armstrong pivot guns, two 40-pounder Armstrongs,
and two 32-pounder cast-iron guns. Her supply
of shot and shell will be unusually large for that
class of vessel, and will consist of 240 common, and
240 segment 110-pounder shells ; 50 boxes of com-
mon and 50 of segment 20-pounder shells ; 125
cases of 12-pounder Armstrong shells ; 320 68-
pounder shells ; 20 cases of 32-pounder shells; and
109 boxes of 24-pounder shells for the pinnace and
launches. Her proportion of solid shot will be 220
110-pounders, 480 68-pounders, 140 32-pounders,
and 100 20 and 12-pounders. The amount of
powder she will require will be 345 cases.
The Lords of the Admiralty have decided on
having the armour-plated screw frigate Royal Oak,
51, under construction at Chatham dockyard, sup-
plied with iron lower masts and bowsprit, which
will be manufactured for her at one of the private
establishments. The Royal Oak is expected to be
the first of the new armour-plated ships which will
be afloat. To hasten her completion no efforts are
spared by the dockyard officials at Chatham. As
many as 600 hands are employed on and about her,
and in order that no time may be lost during the
approaching summer, the workmen will shortly
commence working overtime. The main and lower
deck beams have been fixed, and everything is in
readiness for fixing the upper deck beams, which
are of iron, as soon as they have been received from
the contractors.

The surveying screw steamer Swallow,9, 60-horse
power, Master-Commander E. Wildo, took her de-
parture from the Nore on Monday. She proceeded
direct to Plymouth, where she will remain a few
days before finally leaving for Japan on a surveying
expedition. In consequence of the great space on
board taken up with the charts and surveying in-
struments, the Swallow has been fitted with a com-
modious poop for the accommodation of the officers
and men. Before leaving the Medway the vessel
was visited by Vice-Admiral Johnstone,Commander-
in-Chief at the Nore, who inspected every portion '
of the vessel, and expressed his satisfaction with
the completeness of the arrangements on board..
The Swallow is not expected to return to England
till the year 1870.
A series of experiments have been carried out on
board several of the screw gunboats belonging to
the Steam Reserve at Chatham, by direction of the
Admiralty, for the purpose of ascertaining the com-
parative advantages of wood and coal as fuel in get-
ting up steam. The object more particularly kept
in view was to ascertain whether, in the event of a
fleet of gunboats being suddenly despatched to the
Canadian lakes, wood is likely to prove more eco-
nomical than coal. The result of the trials, so far
as they have been carried, is in the highest degree
satisfactory. It has been ascertained that, in using
the ordinary pitch pine wood which abounds in
Canada, steam can be generated in the boilers in
about half the time necessary when coal alone is
used.
The War Department steamer Baltic commenced
landing at the Ordnance-wharf, Chatham, yester-
day, upwards of 800 cases of the 40-pounder Aim-
strong shot and shell, from Woolwich, for distribu-
tion to the various vessels fitting for sea.
The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty :—J. A. R. Pelch, master, to the
Cumberland, for the Zebra ; A. W. S. Lyon, mid-
shipman, to the Nile ; J. Knight, in the Hero, pro-
moted to acting first class assist engineer; James
Fraser confirmed as second class assist engineer in
the Virago ; J. W. Watson, acting second class
assist engineer, to the Indus, as supernumerary; W.
Rhodes, assist paymaster, to the Pembroke ; C. E.
Phillips, assist paymaster, to the Royal Adelaide;
and W. Crosthwaite, assist clerk, to the Royal Ade-
-1 laide.

Mr. Alexander Baird, a member of the well.
known Ciarthherrie family, died in London on Sunday:

penditure of the public money, but notwithstanding
the opinion of the learned counsel reato the Court,
he thought they ought to take the opinion of the
Court of Error upon this important matter. But,
before recommending the Court to adopt that
course, he should like to know what the probable

Ixpense would be.
The CITY SOLICITOR said he thought it would be
within £2OO.

Mr. MTJRRELL asked whether this sum included
all the charges that would be incurred.
The CITY SOLICITOR said he was of course speak-
ing of the costs of the commission alone. In the
event of their being unsuccessful theywould of course
be much larger. (Hear, hear.)
Dr. ABRAHAM—Supposing we were unsuccessful
with the writ of error, do you suppose the expenses
would exceed £5OO ?

The CITY SOLICITOR—I do not think they would.
(Hear, hear.)
Dr. ABRAHAM said his opinion was in accordance
with that expressed by their counsel, that they had
not yet had the law of the question decided, and he
therefore thought they ought to go on and obtain
the law, so far as they were able. The opinion of
the gas consumers of the City was very strong in-
deed, and it had been very strongly expressed to
him, within the last three days, as against the
course which had been adopted by the Court in
withdrawing the bill from Parliament. Their legal
advisers were not satisfied with the decision
already obtained, and imagined that the law was
still on their side, and that the decision which had
been given had not been according to law, but ac-
cording to the principles of what was thought to be
the equity of the question. (Hear.) But this ques-
tion, in his opinion, ought not to have been raised
in that Court at all, for he held that what they
went to that Court for was to get a clear interpre-
tation of the clauses, and the intention of the act
of Parliament decided. He thought the clear and
obvious duty of the commission was to proceed to

the Court of Error and see if the decision of the
court below was confirmed or not. In conclusion,
he begged to move that that course should be taken.
Mr. C. YOUNG seconded the motion, and ex-
pressed his opinion that the commission ought to
do its duty to the ratepayers, and proceed with the
case to the Court of Error, and endeavour to get the
decision of the Court of Common Pleas reversed.
Deputy PILCHER also expressed an opinion
that the course recommended to be taken by Dr.
Abraham was the right one.
Deputy WHITEsiDE thought the Court ought to
proceed with the writ of error, as while the proceed.
ings in that court were pending, it was not at all
likely that the Legislature would entertain and dis-
cuss the bill which was being promoted by the Great
Central Gas Consumers' Company.
Mr. H. L. TAYLOR said he thought it was quite
evident that the Great Central Gas Company were
in doubt as to the validity of the judgment of the
Court of Common Pleas inasmuch as they were pro-
' secuting their bill in Parliament, and he thought
the commission ought to offer every opposition to
that bill. . ___

Yu
The REMEMBRANCER (Mr. E. Tyrrell) said that
the bill introduced by the Great Central Company
had not yet passed the standing orders of the House
of Commons.

Mr. J. WATERLOW—And are we in a position to
oppose it ?
The REMEMBRANCER—Yes, (Hear, hear.)
After a few words from Mr. SAUNDERS,
The REMEMBRANCER explained that the bill
which had been introduced by the Great Central
Company was to remove any doubts that might
exist with reference to the Metropolis Gas Act ap-
plying to the city of London.
s the commis-
aid that
sioners would, perhaps, recollect tho circumstances
Dr. ABRAHAM, in reply,
under which the bill which had been referred to
was applied for. As a matter of courtesy the com-
mission invited the representatives of the Great
Central Gas Company to attend the committee and
hear the opinion that had been given by the Re-
corder, the Common Sergeant, and Mr. Bovill, with
regard to that particular clause—the money clause
—in the Metropolis Gas Act, as affecting that com-
pany. When the chairman heard that the opinion
of their legal advisers was against their view of
charging 4s. 6d. per 1,000 feet, the return they re-
ceived for the courtesy they extended was, that the
chairman went immediately to his solicitor, the soli-
citor to the Parliamentary agent of the company,
who gave notice of the bill referred to some 17 or
18 days after the time allowed by the standing
orders of the House of Commons. Of course, when
the Court found out what steps had been taken by
the company, they felt it to be their duty to peti-
tion against the bill. At present, however, the bill
had not been before the Standing Orders•Commi.
tee, and the question would consequently agai.n
come before the Commission. He thought that if
the bill should pass the Standing Orders Committee
of the House of Commons, it would be
.the dutyof
Auld w ofe
ugt
ie ft y -
tt Commissionihnea clauses
utr tuod
uocpepdo
into
some of the injusticethathad been done by the
Metropolis Gas Act. (Hear.) He thought clauses
i
eit
t t hhtaht ev r
should especially be ntroducedrwevitehutrtehgearudnatopatuliy
i e
testing of the gas, and also to p
making up dividends of six years back ; and also,
further, a clause to define what was meant by the
company being permitted to raise the price of gas
from 4s. Gd. per 1,000 cubic feet to ss. and to ss. 6d.
(c from any circumstances affecting the company."
He thought they ought to know what was the mean-
ing of those particular words, for when he (Dr.
Abraham) asked the Remembrancer the legal inter-
pretation of the words, his
reply
was, that it was
difficult to say what such words might not be made
to comprise. Was it right that the company should
be allowed to secure to themselves a dividend of 10
per cent., through any sort of management, either
good, bad, or indifferent, and to do this by increas-
ing the price of gas supplied to the consumers. He

1. The Metropolitan Railway, Additional Lands,
Stations and Railway Works Bill.—The Engineer
stated that the Metropolitan Railway Company ob-
tained, during the last session of Parliament, an act
for the extension of their line to Finsbury-circus.
That portion of the present project which affected
the City was to enable the company to take down
the houses on the northern side of Long-lane, from
Charterhouse-street to the point at which the re-
moval of the property by the company was already
authorised. The whole of the northern side -of
Long-lane might therefore now be expected to be
demolished, affording an opportunity such as might
never occur again of widening the thoroughfare
throughoutits entire length; and as it would at
future day be one of the most important approa-
to the new meat and poultry markets frotr
eastern parts of London, it was to be hoped that
occasion would be taken advantage of of making
a suitable street for that purpose. The usual powers
appeared to be reserved to the commission in the
bill as it stood ; but it would be requisite to have it
clearly arranged that none of the public way of
Long-lane, included in the scheduled limits, was to
be appropriated by the company.
2. The Metropolitan Meat and Poultry-market
('Western Approach) Bill.—This the Engineer re-
ported to be an application made by the Corpora-
tion of the City to enable them to form a new street,
60 feet in width, from Victoria-street to the intended
Meat and Poultry-market on the site of Smithfield,
for which purpose almost the whole of the property
on both sides of West-street, from Victoria-street
to Smithfield, was scheduled, the total area being
41 acres, nearly the whole of which was within
the City. West-street would be entirely destroyed,
the new street being substituted for it. Nearly the
whole of St. John's•court, and Fox and Knot-court,
would also be destroyed. The powers of the com-
mission with regard to the sewers appeared to be
preserved in the bill, but the intention of the pro-
moters with regard to St. John's-court and Fox
and Knot-court should be known, and measures
taken to insure that one of the courts alluded to
should be left as a passenger way between the pro-
posed new street and King-street.
3. The Concentration of Courts o f Justice (Ac-
quisition of Site) Bill. The report stated that this
project was the same as reported upon last year.
The property scheduled was bounded on the north
by Carey-streetand Yates'-court ; east by Bell-yard,
Fleet-street ; south by Fleet-lane and the Strand
from Bell-yard to Clement's-lane ; and west by a
lane running from the last-named point to Horse-
Shoe-court, Clement's-lane. The total area, includ-
as •
about 16 acres, of which four or
i nag r p
houses
way-only,
w
five were within the City. The Temple
b
was scheduled. The area of property taken
itself u
in the City was about 300 yards superficial. Shire-
lane would be destroyed as a thoroughfare. If the
arrangements made with the Government with re-
gard to the bill of last year could be extended to the
bill of this year, it seemed to the engineer that the
requirements of the commission would be met.

Upon the motion of Mr. H. L. TAYLOR, the report
was referred to the Improvement Committee to con-
sider and report.

THE SANATORY STATE OF THE CITY.
Dr. LETHEBY, the medical officer of health, sub-
mitted the following report to the Court :
" To the Honourable the Commissioners of Sowers for the
City of London.
" Gentlemen,—The inspector's returns, which arc before
you, relate to 173 houses that have been inspected during
the week; and I beg to submit a list of 27 places for sana-
tory improvement in various particulars. I likewise sub-
mit a list of places for further proceedings on account of
orders already issued, but which have not yet been executed.
The markets and slaughter-houses have been duly in-
spected, and the officers have seized 2,2061b5. of meat as un-
fit for human food. It consisted of 21 sheep, 4 calves, 1 pig,
8 quarters of beef, 20 joints of meat, and G head of poultry.
" The mortality returns for the week are a little below the
average for the season. Last week the number of deaths
was 51, whereas in the corresponding weeks of the last 6
years the average proportion was 01. Seventeen of the
deaths were among children of less than five years, and 15
were among old persons of GO years and upwards. The chief
causes of death were as follows :--Pulmonary consumption
5, pneumonia 5, bronchitis 6, mesenteric diseases 6, whoop-
ing-cough 2, continued fever 2, scarlet fever 1, making
together 11 deaths from tubercular diseases, 11 from inflam-
matory affections of the lungs, and 5 from zymotic diseases.
These returns are indicative of a satisfactory condition of
the public health.
" There were 56 births returned for the week, namely, 27
boys and 29 girls.—l am, gentlemen, Sc.,
(Signed) "H. LETREBIL."
After transacting some other business the court
adjourned.