The Sun.
London, England, 1862-11-12 00:00:00

THE NAVY.

Mr. Jones and a party of riggers belonging to
Woolwich Dockyard yesterday went down to
Gravesend, under orders to lay the moorings for
the anchorage of the Royal yacht, to disembark
their Royal Highnesses the Prince
Louis of Hesse. and Princess

The Eclipse, screw gunvessel,Commander Mayne,
steamed out of Portsmouth-harbour yesterday, in
charge of the officers of the steam reserve, to test
her machinery and boilers on completion of altera-
tions and repairs. The vessel steamed down to
Southampton Water and back, both boilers and
machinery being found to work in
a most satisfac-
tory manner. She is expected to
sail about Thurs-
day or Friday for the Australian colonies.
A court of inquiry was ordered to assemble yes-
terday at Portsmouth to inquire into and report to
the Admiralty upon certain differences said. to exist
between the captain in command and the officers of
a ship in commission in Portsmouth harbour.
Admiralty instructions have been received for the
engines of the paddlewheel steamer Terrible, 22, 800
horse power, to be erected and fitted on board that
vessel when she is afloat, the contracted space in
the steam factory, together with insufficient height
of the traveller from the floor, preventing their be-
ing fitted in the dockyard. As the Terrible will
remain in dock during the greater portion of the
winter, stern berthing is to be erected over her, to
prevent the vessel receiving any injury from the
weather.

The new screw sloop Columbine, 4, 150 horse
power, is, when completed fitting, to be placed
in the first division of the Chatham steam reserve.
The Leander, 51, 2,760 tons, 400 horse power,
which has been attached to the Chatham steam re-
serve, will shortly be completed for sea and out of
the hands of the dockyard authorities, when another
fine 51 gun screw frigate will be placed at the dis-
posal of the Admiralty.
The Arethusa 51, recently converted at Chatham
from a sailing frigate to a screw steamer, and fur-
❑ished with engines of 500 horse power, is to be
brought forward for the first-class steam, in readi-
ness for commission.

The Vigilant, 4, screw steam gunvessel, 680 tons,
200 horse power, Commander Lord Elphinstone,
was paid off on Monday in Sheerness Dockyard.
The crew were granted 14 days' leave. Owing to
the serious damage sustained when on shore on the
Gunfleet Sands, the Vigilant will require extensive
repairs before she will be again ready for commission.

The Lily, 4, screw steam gunvessel, 700 tons, 200
horse power, in the first-class steam reserve at
Sheerness, has been put in commission in place of
the Vigilant, paid off, and the pennant was hoisted
yesterday by Commander H. Harvey. The princi-
pal officers lately belonging to the Vigilant have
been appointed to this vessel.
good service pension is placed at the
A captain's
disposal of the First Lord of the Admiralty by the
promotion of Capt. Richd. CoHinson, C. 8., to the
rank of Rear-Admiral.
Four new guns, two 70 Pounders and two 40
pounders, fitted for side loading, have been orderer.
by the Admiralty to be forwarded from Woolwich
to Fort Cumberland, together with 600 rounds of

ammunitiou for experimental firing. A special re-
port of the results is to be prepared and forwarded
for the in formation of their lordships.
The rriachinery for bending the enormous slabs of
iron in' iended for the coating of the Caledonia at
Wool' pith being incomplete, the process is at pre-
sent attended with some difficulties and impedi-
mer its, which
will be remedied in a few days. Six-
ter en of tho slabs have been isnooesefully bent And

The commission of inquiry into the condition of
the volunteer force took evidence of much interest
and importance.
Colonel M'Murdo, Inspector-General of Volun-
teers, says of the force, " With reference to the ob-
jects for which it was raised, I consider it to be in
a satisfactory state of efficiency," and he adds that
the men are very much improved indeed since last
year. He assures the commission that there are
many corps which, in point of numbers, drill, and
the use of the rifle, may be esteemed at once and in
every respect admirable troops. About 48,000, or
more than a third of the rifle volunteer force, are
already organised in large corps or consolidated
battalions, and " would require little more to fit
them to take their place in a line of battle." The
remainder, generally scattered throughout the more
rural districts, are in provisional or administrative
battalions, and the proficiency of these, notwith-
standing their disadvantages, is generally speaking
and all things considered, satisfactory, and they
are progressing very rapidly. Some, indeed, are
really good, and may soon be depended on as so
many nuclei for future expansion ; this is their ob-
ject, to form the nuclei of larger battalions in time
of war, when the force would probably treble itself.
The intelligence of the volunteers is so great, and
their aptitude so quick, that such a nucleus with
recruits attached to it to expand it would become
fit for service in 20 days ; sooner, indeed, than great
coats and knapsacks could be provided for the vo-
lunteer force if it is left to that time. The progress
made by the Engineer Corps is described as quite
satisfactory, and their services would be of great
value for various temporary works, as a war in
England would be carried on principally upon rail-
ways. The state of efficiency of the Volunteer Ar-
tillery force is also pronounced to be in most cases
highly satisfactory; it numbers 350 batteries, and
is composed chiefly of engineers and workers in
iron, peculiarly qualified for the service. Captain
Darby, of the 3d Sussex Artillery Volunteers, re-
ports that he has a register of 600 draught beasts,
which Sussex farmers near the coast between Beachy-
head and Newhaven have pledged themselves to sup-
ply in case of necessity " for the use of Her Majesty
Queen Victoria." The point in which the force is
least in a satisfactory state is that of finance. The
subscriptions which started the movement cannot
be expected to continue. The fear of expense keeps
out many young men of character who would be
valuable officers, and appointments have been made
of men with the recommendation of money in their
pockets more than of sense in their heads, and it is
said that there are officers who do not know their
drill ; but Colonel M'Murdo states that he has been
much satisfied lately in seeing the very marked im-
provement in the efficiency of the officers, and he
believes that as time goes on they will become effi-
cient. This same consideration of expense prevents
many of the men from assembling so often as they
should. They find the cost of being volunteers will
be greater than they can afford; or think that if
they give their time the public ought to provide for
the expenses. The Government give arms and am-
munition, partly because it is necessary that they
should be armed with the same weapon as the regu-
lar troops; the Government also supply adjutants
and drill sergeants, because the Government alone
has, in fact, the power of supplying and controlling
them; but in other respects the volunteers have to
provide what is necessary to maintain their effi-
ciency. There might be many corps now who would
not desire Government aid, but of a large mass of
the force, it is stated, that without this it must
dwindle to a skeleton. Mr. Laird maintains that
it would be about the best expenditure that was
ever incurred. Independently of the value of such
a national guard, the effect upon the men them-
selves is admirable. Young men who used to hang
about billiard-rooms and bars of public-houses go
to drill and shoot at the rifle range. One of the
greatest evils among working men is when they are
purposeless ; in the volunteer corps they find an
object. They come in contact with other classes of
the community ; they feel themselves connected
with the defence of the institutions of the country;
they acquire a certain dignity and self-respect, and
form habits of order, cleanliness, discipline, self-
restraint, promptitude, obedience. A London
artisan declares that in his trade a man who
is a volunteer is worth 3s. a week more to
a jobbing master than a man who is not a Volunteer ;
he keeps to his work better. Colonel M'Murdo re-
minds the commission that without reckoning upon
the actual present efficiency of a portion of the force,
a most important step has been taken in the esta-
blishment of cadres, upon which the population of
the country can be organised for its defence in time
of danger,—a contingency for which the people
seem gradually preparing themselves. Thousands,
after passing through a course of drill, have left
their corps and been succeeded by others in increas-
ing numbers, while tens of thousands habitually
attend the musters as spectators, showing an un-
flagging interest in the proceedings, and indicating
by the casual remarks which may be heard that the
people are insensibly acquiring a knowledge of mili-
tary exercises which the increasing use of the rifle
will enable them to turn to good account if their
services as Volunteers are hereafter required. The
efficiency of the Volunteer force is to be estimated
not so much by its actual state as by what it is
capable of becoming at very short notice. The
views of the Government with respect to the grant
of aid to the force will doubtless be stated, and the
subject discussed in the House of Commons; i
and it
will be curious to recall that it will be but ocin..e
June,year
short of half a century since, on the t
a very
1814, Lord Palmerston, as "Hansard
nrceteildords, also
in the House of Commons, pronounced
body of men
animated eulogium on the inertito_riefendb eY
their coun•
who had boldly come forward o d
) try when it was threatened with
invasion."

._---
_—,-----
As a woman named G— was on Saturday lend-
ing her daughter, a little girl six years old, to a school in
the Rue de Charenton, the child stepped off the foot pave-
ment to pick up her shoe which had come off as she ran
long. At that in a passing carriage happened to
swrve towards the side of the
road and ran over the child,
,
,:
a.rly
killing the same morning another
her on the spot
accidents death occurred m the Rue de Suresness, A
,the foul air. His comrades drew him -
nightmare ,-ho had gone down into a cessoll was instantly
efforts to restore animation proved
out ha,
insuedffe
jeaatteediy,%yut
fa fruit.
leo.

it had been proposed to make the East Gloucester-
shire line for £soo,ooo,its cost would be £1,000,000.
The line would not get any traffic, and it would not
pay its expenses. He had not been successful in
obtaining the prayer of his petition, but the bill was
now in a position that it was in the power of the
proprietors to get it thrown out. They knew tha t
the cost of constructing lines was generally very
much under estimated in prospectuses. In support
of this statement Mr. Brown quoted the estimates
which had been first put forth for the construction
of lines in connection with the company several
years ago. The estimate, he said, had been
£3,876,500, but it had been exceeded to the extent
of £2,823,000. They' could apply that result to
the East Gloucestershire. Having alluded to leases,
amalgamations, and extensions as the causes of the
company's present position, he said it was for the
shareholders themselves to say what was to be done
with their property. If they did not co-operate in
the effort to raise the company, it was needless
for him and those connected with him to pro-
ceed any further. He was glad to say that the
assurances of support the 3 had received justified
them in going on. He would repeat that his
object was only to benefit the company. He would
not become a candidate for a seat at the board
that would be formed after the amalgamations were
effected, but he would do everything in his power
to ;promote the interests of the proprietors. He
concluded by moving a resolution condemning amal-
gamations, extensions, subsidies, and leases,!and ad-
vocating a pacific policy in relation to neighbouring
companies.
Mr. GILEs seconded the motion. The affairs of
the Great Western Company were at the present
time, he said, in a most disastrous condition. A line
that at one time had paid the original shareholders
8 per cent. had been so far mismanaged, that it now
only paid ss. per cent., and even the last dividend at
that rate had not been earned in the half year, for
all the expenses for that period had not been
brought into account. (Hear.) If they had been
accounted for the balance-sheet would have shown
that the company had been considerable losers. It
was therefore time that the shareholders should be-
stir themselves, and take such steps as would lead
to a complete investigation of the company's affairs.
It was not the first time they had had to take that
course—(A Voice—lt is the third time)—which had
on each occasion been followed by an improvement

in the management of the company, and a conse
quent return to prosperity; but no sooner did they
approach that point than a return to what he would
call the traditional policy of the company took place.
Extensions, subsidies, and loans again came into
fashion, and at their reappearance the reviving pros-
perity of the company vanished. (Hear.)
Mr. MOGGS asked for some further information
with respect to the East Gloucestershire line.
Mr. ADAMS replied that it was proposed to run
from Farringdon to Cheltenham, and a second sec-
tion would connect that town with Burton-on-the-
Water in connection with the West Midland line,
With regard to the first section it passed through a
bad country, in which there was not a single town
of uny importance. The gradients, too, were
very bad, one of four miles' length being one in
sixty. It, in fact, went over the hills instead
of going round their bases, and would,
in consequence of the steepness of its gra-
dients, be a very expensive line to work—so ex-
pensive as to neutralise the advantage of its bring-
ing Cheltenham 24 miles nearer to London. It
would, too, cost £BOO,OOO to construct it, equiva-
lent to a loss of one per cent. on the company's capi-
tal; and that loss, capitalised, amounted to £2O,
and that sum each holder of £lOO unguaranteed
stook would in fact throw into the pockets of the
East Gloucestershire landowners. The excuse for
the line was, that if the Great Western did not
make it the North-Western would run a line from
Oxford to Cheltenham, which would lessen the dis-
tance between that town and the metropolis ; but
that was only a red herring drawn across the scent
by Sir W. Russell to mislead them in the chase. In
the first place, the London and North-Western
Company were not such fools as to make a line
through such a difficult country; and in the next
place they could not, having to go round by Bletch-
ley, save the same length of mileage the East Glou-
cestershire line would. However, the best way to
to pro
-
guard against any such aggression Was notes
the
yoke it by aggression on their own part, y
had hitherto done in the invasion of the territories
of the North Western and the South western :
h they had acquired.
Com-
panies, and by trying to get rid of the sinister char-
acter for sharp dealing which
session they had either promotedparliamentary expenses
or supported
as many as 22 bills, and the be £25,000.
had been aemitted el who received in fees
by the chairman to
He knew of one junior coune
d'n s in addition to
Such Poeee g • • - •
£3,500. (Shame.)
expenses' were otherwise injurious
their pecuniary ;_rapacy, as they kept about
to the interests of
moos
e.
s all the session those officers
in developing the traffic
the House of Coemein
who ought bto
hich Pnloyed
world, if the policy of the man.
of the
line, w
altered, pay the unguaranteed share-
agement were
holders by the
end of 1867 8 per cent.
orted
sAlEtt having sup P the resolution,
was unanimously adopted ; and,
motion of the CHAIRMAN, seconded
On the by
Mr. Alderman COFFIN,
it was resolved
to appoint
committee to carry out the viewsof
a
Mr. J. DEACON then moved, and Mr. BATIERSBY
(who came from Ireland to attend the meeting) se-
conded the motion, " That the shareholders present
should resolve themselves into a general committee
for that purpose."
This having been agreed to, a requisition was
signed by those present, calling on the directors to
convene a special meeting for the consideration of
the matters complained of ; and the proceedings
terminated.

As M. Repairs, Secretary of the Archives at
Bayonne, was two evenings back walking on that part of
the new jetty, at the mouth of the Adour, where the para-
pet has not yet been erected, he was seized, it is supposed,
with sudden giddiness, and, falling into the water, was
drowned. The body was found the following morning, and
on being examined two severe wounds were discovered on
the head.

international law and constitutional law, and stated
that the knowledge of the former gave very little
assistance to the constitutional lawyer. Referring
to the history of the Northnn States in the 12th
and 15th centuries, it appeared thtit before a neutral
could be touched, ho must have done somethinr to
place himself in the position of an There
were three ways in which he might inteinge Lis
neutrality. The first was shipping goods for the
enemy, and hence neutrai ships did not then cover
the enemy's property ; the second was conveying
troops and articles contraband of war ; and the third.
any attempt to relieve a place besieged by sea..
Those rules, however, were greatly modified by the
Dutch in 1584, chiefly in regard to the carriage of
enough goods on board of neutral vessels, prohibit-
ing conveyance not only of military supplies, and
protract the siege,
such other commodities as might
but also goods of every kind. He then traced sub-
sequent modifications of the rules wizich were from
time to time established by the sever nations of
Europe, extending the list of contraband articles,
and applying the blockade not only to a besieged
port, but also to an extent of coast line. A block-
ade to be binding must be effective, and this led
him to discuss the question of what the law ought
to be. The only escape he saw' from the perpleza-
ties of the present system was to regard ccmmer-
cial blockade as lawful only when the neutral per-
formed an un-neutral act, and thus put himself in the
place of an enemy, and it should only apply to be-
sieged places and contraband of war,. and not to
regulate commerce, as had formerly been the case.
After con4deraSle discussion,
Lord STAikgr, Saidit was hardly possible to deal
with a question 91.:ii4at importance and magnitude
in a mannezatitt.Was .not very fragmental. A per-
son whois leading a public life could not pledge
himself to an opinion on this group of questions
without great consideration. He did not think
they had sufficient knowledge of the various ques-
tions involved, nor was the public mind sufficiently
formed to deal with them. If he made any remarks
he wished it to be understood that it was only for
the purpose of suggesting questions that he should
like to have solved by others. They could not
separate the question of blockade front maritime
power_ In the attempt to conclude a war with
as little bloodshed as possible, it was a question
whether the interests of neutrals should be con-
sulted. 'When neutrals were affected by a war in
which they had no interest it was a hard case, but
it,was one of those hard cases, only on a larger scale,
of the individuals in whose fields the warlike ope-
rations were carried on. To make war seldom, to
make it uncostly and as little bloody as possible,
any limitations to the power of preventing com-
merce such as those proposed would have the effect
of strengthening the weaker party against the
stronger. They would tend to equalise the forces
of the combatants, and by that means tend to pro-
tract the war. In the present day nothing has
such a tendency to put a stop to war as the inter-
ference of neutral powers. The nations were day
by day acting more upon one another—influencing
one another. All wars were now fought by general
concurrence of opinion of the surrounding powers,
and it was essential that they should be brought to
an end. When two nations—under such circum-
stances as they now saw in America—were at war,
one was entirely debarred from trade, and every
neutral power felt it. The result was that every
power not engaged in the war had a direct inte-
rest in putting a stop to it. The question was,
if they let two nations go on at war unre-
stricted in them commerce, whether neutral nations
would have so direct an interest in bringing the
war to a conclusion. They would say, "You may
go on fighting as long as you like, for you do not
injure us," and the result would be that-the com-
bating powers would be weakening and exhausting
one another, and losing their influence in the scale
of nations. It is, therefore, certain that it is the
interest of all nations which feel the effects of the
war. There was another aspect to look at it in
which it had not been noticed, probably because it
was not thought of sufficient importance. It was
that the wars were now not carried on by the whole
male population of a nation, but only by a class of
the population, therefore there was not so much
suffering as there used to be. There was a great
pressure upon the people for the expenses of a war ;
bat as the wars of the present time were carried on
mostly by loans, the people did not feel it so much,
and if there was not some pressure on them in an-
other way, there would be no desire on their parts
to terminate hostilities. If no trading interests
suffered by the continuance of the war, it might be
a question whether that peace party, which sooner
or later springs up in a country, would spring up
as soon, or have as much power as they had when
they did rise. There were three questions they
would have to consider in advocating the proposed
alteration—First, whether they were not equalising
the powers of the combatants, and enabling them to
continue the contest ? secondly, whether they were
not taking away the inducements to neutrals to
bring about a peace? and thirdly, would they not
diminish the interest of the people of the belligerent
countries in asking for a cessation of hostilities ?
It was one of those questions where the advantages
and disadvantages were so nearly balanced as to
prevent them rushing to a conclusion on a question
which might affect the country so seriously. There
was one thing also to be borne in mind, that what-
ever laws they might make there was no power
to enforce them. For instance, if France,
England, and Russia were engaged in a death
struggle, and each believed that their only
chance of existence was to do that which they
thought best for themselves, what power was there
to prevent them ? It was therefore for them to con-
sider whether it would be well for them to make
rules which, at the most important crisis, there was
no power to compel the observance of.
The discussion was then adjourned, and a vote of
thanks to the noble chairman terminated the pro-
ceedings.

Captain Flackmann, a brave Alsatian, retired
by
fy Correc-
tionalhi
s environs
dog
from
the
c a lastt3-torteuikalls appeared livinganswer
fo ra
no'his before
offencept he se
committedipension
Tribunal
in
th
ofPilrirs
Pochard, who, while in company with his master at a cafe,
had bitten a gentleman's leg. From the explanations given
before the Tribunal, it appearedthat the captain had a pas-
sion for angling and also for coffee, and that his dog was his
constant companion everywhere. During one of the fine
days last month the captain. accompanied by Pochard, was
enjoying his usual amusement on the banks of the Seine,
watching his float with cage; eye as he saw symptoms of a
bite, but the fish managed to take the bait without the
hook. Disappointed of his prize, he determined to make
another attempt, and looked round for his beit, a piece of
cheese, which he had laid on the bank. The cheese was
gone, and he reproached Pochard with the theft. The next
day he lost the cheese again in the same manner, and re-
luctantly gave Pochard a thrashing to teach him better
manners. On the third day the captain was again at the old
spot, and having caught a fish was,going to bait again,when
he saw a rat in the act of running off with the cheese. Be-
ing at once convinced of poor Pochard's innocence, and
struck with remorse for having unjustly punished him, the
captain loaded with caresses, and promised to make
amends by giving him a cup of coffee in the evening, ford
Pochard had so far adopted his master's tastes as to be ton
of that beverage with plenty of sugar in it. After dinnerof
the captain went to his cafe, and ordered twon cups
finished
coffee—for himself and Pochard. The latter
o asoporoach his
his share, and, wanting more, ha
resented, and
nose rather too near the cup of a
table. This liberty was somewhat
with the person,
when Capt. Flackmann rein?
by a
ptPerrPensooungedhsiltyttingpat the next
quarrel, in which
high words ensued,
.followed
ter, and bit the person's
Pochard took part with hi°
injured party appealed to the
and the tribunal, after hearing hoth
The
llaegwrafothredrainseaverege°,Vcapt.
Flackmann to pay a fine of 16f.,
sides, condemned
with 15f. damesfor the plaintiff. The captain left the
court vowing vengeance against all water-rate,