The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-28 00:00:00

THE PATRIOTIC I TIND.

BRIDGWATER, SOMERSET.
SPEECH OF ARCHDEACON DENISON.

A public meeting of the inhabitants convened by the
Mayor (W. Browne, Esq.,) was held at the Town-hall,
Bridgwater, on Friday, at neon. The meeting was most
respectably attended, and the presence of the Archdeacon
gave an unexpected eclat to the proceedings.
The MAYOR took the chair. He need not inform
them that the object of their meeting was in compliance
with her Majesty's commission to consider the raising
of subscriptions for the relief of the widows and families
of those great men who had died in their service in the
present war. He called on the Town Clerk (J. 8.. B.
Carslake, Esq.,) to read the commission.
The TOWN CLERK read the commission, and drew at-
tention to the clause for the appointment of local com-
mittees.

The MAYOR felt it a duty to call them together with-
out delay, and was sure of their approbation for so doing.
They had now an opportunity of• giving according to
their means ; and to convince them that it would be in
a good cause, he need only read to them an extract from
a speech of Dr. Crely's, delivered at a meeting in Wal-
brook, London, in October, and which he had had re-
printed from the daily papers of Oct. 2.5 th last. Ho
called on

The Rev. T. A. STANTIALL, who proposed that it was
desirable to raise subscriptions in aid of the Patriotic
Fund. He extolled the unequalled bravery of our troops
at Alma, and appealed to the meeting, whilst their hearts
throbbed at such victories, to think of the fathers who
were left dead on the battle-field, and whose feelings
would, in the prospect of death, be soothed by knowing
that their wives and families would be protected from
want.

The REV. G. A. DENISON, Archdeacon of Taunton,
felt very thankful indeed to have an opportunity to say
a few words in support of this Patriotic Fund. It seemed
to him that they were then met in obedience to the
command of her Majesty, and he was sure that that
command never would nor never had received a more
ready or willing obedience than it would receive from
himself and that meeting. He had felt it to be a small
thing to sit at home waiting for the success of their
soldiers, even when as he himself had done—and he was
not ashamed to tell what he had done—even when offer-
ing up prayers and supplications to the Most High for
the safety and success of their brave soldiers who were
fighting their battles, if they could not do anything to
encourage them to fight. The Patriotic Fund was a
great opportunity for all classes to come forward
and give this encouragement. It was not enough
even to offer up supplications for the dying
soldier, as he had done; they must give up something
that they would not otherwise give up—something that
they would have been glad to use themselves. It should
come to every heart to do this, and he felt it difficult to
express what, he was sure, all felt • for, however elo-
quent the words, however burning the feelings sought
to be expressed, it was impossible, on such a subject, ;to
express them. Words were useless ; and, if they wished
to show how their hearts were with their brave soldiers,
they must do so by deeds and acts of alnisgivings to
their widows and children. The people of England were
never slow in acts of almsgiving; and, however many
differences and separations there might be amongst them
—and in this imperfect world there must always be sepa-
rations—he thanked God there was nothing to separate
them in the object of their meeting that day ; but they
could come forward with one heart and one mind, and
perform the duty they owed to the bravo soldiers wLo
had left their families to their care. (Applause.)
The resolution was then carried.

Mr. HUGHES, collector of her Majesty's Customs, pro-
posed the local committee, and announced that the Cus-
toms' officers of this port had readily volunteered a day's
pay to the fund, and as there was no other distinction
between the employ of Government and private employ
than that it was the worst paid, he hoped that the work-
men of the town would follow the example.
J. BROWN; Esq , seconded the motion, which was
carried.
Three honorary secretaries were then nominated, and
a petitiun to her Majesty, expressing the opinion of the
meeting, that provision should be made out of the pub-
lic revenue for the wives and families of all soldiers,
sailors, and marines who might die in the public service,
was also adopted. A subscription amounting to nearly
90/. was then made, and the meeting ended.

FIESr WARD MUTING IN TRH CITY.—A avard
meeting of the inhabitants of Cordwainers' Ward was
held yesterday afternoon in the vestry-room of the
church of St. Mary-le-bow, Cheapside, to take into con-
sideration the recommendations of the Royal commission
in respect of the widows and families of soldiers and
sailors who have fallen in the service of their country.
Mr. Alderman Salmons was in the chair, and the re-
quisite resolutions were unanimously agreed to. The
meeting was addressed by the chairman, the Rev. Mr.
Bennett, Mr. G. Moore, Mr. James Lamb, the Rev.
Dr. Croly, &c. A committee to collect subscriptions
was appointed.
DERBY.—.A. meeting called by the high sheriff of the
county, J. Drury Lowe, Esq., was hold in the County-
hall, Derby, yesterday, at noon, for the purpose of de-
termining upon the best mode of carrying into effect
throughout the county such portions of her Majesty's
Royal commission as relates to the raising of a Patriotic
Fund far the relief of the widows and orphans of those
soldiers, sailors, and marines who may fall in the present
war. The attendance was numerous. The necessary
resolutions were carried unanimously, and a committee
appointed. One thousand pounds was collected in a
few minutes.
BRIGHTON.—A meeting of the inhabitants of Brighton,
convened by John Fawcett, Esq., the mayor, was held
yeatstrda_v_ for the purpose of estab-
lishing a local committee in aid of the Patriotic Fund,
under her Majesty's commission. The mayor presided,
and the necessary resolutions were carried unanimously.
The mayor was appointed treasurer to the fund.
LlVERPOOL.—Yesterday, in accordance with the de-
sire of the Worshipful the Mayor, J. B. Lloyd, Esq., a
publio meeting of the inhabitants of this town was held
at noon, at St. George's Hall (being the first that has
been held there since the opening), for the purpose of
arranging local committees to aid the general committee
formed in Loudon, which by Royal commission it is in-
tended shall receive subscriptions and distribute them
amongst the widows and orphans of our soldiers and
sailors who have already fallen, or may fall, in the East
or in the Baltic. The necessary resolutions, which were
unanimously agreed to, were proposed and seconded by
the Venerable Archdeacon Brooke, Colonel de Rinzy,
Mr. T. B. Horsfall, M.P., Mr. Joseph Ewart, Mr. G.
Henderson, the Recorder of Liverpool, Mr. Adam
Hodgson, Mr. Thornely M.P., and Mr. Bramley Moore,
M.P.
KING'S COUNTY.—Immediately upon the receipt of a
notification from the executive, intimating to the Earl of
Bosse, as lieutenant of the King's County, that in such
official character he had been nominated as a commis-
sioner-to aid in the establishment of local committees,
and the collection of funds, to be appropriated according
to her Majesty's commission, the noble lord put himself
in communication with the magistrates of the county,
and according to arrangement, a large number of the
magistrates met his lordship at the court-house of Par-
sonstown, and it was agreed to divide the county into
threo districts, and to have a committee for each, who
are to appoint sub-committees. A subscription list,
which has been opened, is headed by the Earl of Rosso
who has contributed 1001. John P. Armstrong, Esq.,
has also subscribed 801.

THE EFFECTS OF SHOT.

(From the Siecle.)

It is on an average at about 600 metres that the allies
have traced their first parallel before Sebastopol. To
render clear to persons not familiar with the military art
the effect which artillery may produce at that distance
on the works of a fortified place, we think it as well to
point out the power which guns of various calibre pos-
sess of penetrating into the different substances employed
in fortifications. It must not be forgotten that, as Se-
bastopol is not sufficiently defended by its permanent for-
tifications on the land side, the allied armies will have to
attack defences raised by means of earthworks. In set-
tled ground, half sand and half clay, a ball of 36, fired
at a distance of 600 metres, with a charge of 6 kilogram-
mes of gunpowder, penetrates 2 metres 9 centimetres ;
fired at 800 metres with the same charge, its penetration
is lna. 92c. A ball of 24, fired by a charge of 4 kilog.
of powder at the distances just named, penetrates lm.
84c. and lm. 68c. The charge of guns of 36 is almost
always 6 kilog. of powder, but that of guns of 24 comes
down pretty often from 4 kilog. to 3. In that case the
penetration diminishes ; at 600 metres it is lm. 78c. in
place of lm. 84c., and at 800 metres, lm. 57c. iu place of
lm. 68c. The gun of 16 is fired with a charge of 4 kilog.;
2 kilog. 67 hect. ; and 2 kilog. Its penetration at 600
and 800 metres is lm: 56c. and lm. 42c. That force of
penetration explains the remarkable effect produced at
Bomarsund by guns of 16. In oak timber of ordinary
quality, a ball of 36, fired at 600 metres, penetrates lm.
12c., and at 800 metres, 95c. only. At these distances, the
penetration of a ball of 24 with a full charge is 95c. and
78c. ; and that of a ball of 16, 81c. and 65c. The pe-
netration of a ball of 36 into good mason-work is, at 600
metres, 46 centimetres, and at 800 metres, 38c. ; that
of a bail of 24 is 42c. and 34c. Now, since so much is
said of bombshells, let us state their penetrating force at
the moment of their fall. Fired at 600 metres, a bomb
of 32c. in diameter penetrates 50c. into ground half
sand and half clay, 22c. into oak, and 10c. into masonry.
This is not altogether in accord with the effect generally
attributed to shells ; but that is, however, exact. We
may, however, state that if the shell is fired at an angle
which allows it to acquire the greatest possible rapidity
in its fall, it may penetrate 400. into oak and 80c. into
masonry. Thus it is seen that even at 700 metres, on
an average, onr artillery must produce absolute ravages
in the fortifications of various kinds of Sebastopol. ft
must not, however, be supposed that the penetration
will be doubled when the distance is one-half less. A
ball of 36, which at 600 metres has a penetration of
46e. into good masonry, has only 57c. when fired at 300
metres. It had been believed that Sebastopol was sus-
ceptible of being taken by a coup de main, and that
opinion would perhaps have been verified if we had pos-
sesaed a strong cavalry force to prevent the broken
masses of the enemy from re-forming. But when an
army is conveyed in a fleet on a difficult sea, it is always
the cavalry which proves defective at the first moment,
and often also the field artillery. Fortune is determined
to make us pay for what she could have given us ; it
will only be an additional honour for the soldiers of
France and England.

-----
NEW TROOP SIIIP.—An iron-screw steamer, 1,800
tons (not yet named), which was launched from Messrs.
Mare's yard, Blackwell, on Wednesday last, has been
hauled into the East India Dock Basin, to be equipped.
She has been purchased by the Government for a troop-
ship.