The Sun.
London, England, 1853-08-26 00:00:00

WICH DOCKYARD.

The Right Hon. Sir James Graham, First Lord of
the Admiralty ; Rear-Admiral R. S. Dundas, C. 8.,
Captain. Alexander Milne, and the Hon. William Fran-
cis Cow per, M.P., Lords of the Admiralty ; Mr. Ber-
nal Osborne, M.P., First Secretary to the Admiralty ;
Captain- Sir Baldwin Walker, K.C.8., Surveyor of the
Navy ; and Lieutenant-Colonel Greene, Director of
Architectural and Engineering Works, arrived at
Woolwich Dockyard to-day at a few minutes before 11
o'cloett, and were received 13y Commodore Henry Eden,
the tmperintendent ; Flag-Lieutenant Gore, of the
Fisgard ; Lieutenant Robertson, of the steam depart.
ment afloat ; Master P. C. D. Bean, of the Fisgard ;
Master H. W. Allen, commander of the Lightning
steam-vessel ; the Rev. J. C. Connolly, chaplain of the
Fisgard ; Mr. John M‘Donald, master attendant ; Mr.
Rice, master shipwright; Mr. Gottlieb, storekeeper;
Mr. Morgan, store receiver : Dr. Browning, surgeon ;
Mr. Atherton, chief engineer ; Mr. Chatfield and Mr.
Peake, assistants to the master shipwright ; Mr. Tric-
kett, assistant to the chief engineer ; and Mr. Bernays,
clerk of works. Their lordships, on alighting from their
carriages, proceeded to the Commodore-Superintendent's
offices, and remained there upwards of three-quarters of
aullimir inspecting documents and learning various de-
tails referring to the works, &c., in the dockyard. On
leaving the Commodore's offices, at a quarter before 12
o'clock, their lordships proceeded to inspect the prepara-
tions for building the Edgar, a 91-gun screw steam-ship,
the keel of which has been nearly all laid on the same
slip whence her sister ship, the Agamemnon, 91, screw
steam-ship was launched in 1852. They then looked at
the Lightning, in the adjoining dock, and from the re-
port of her present state, it is probable the works on her
will be suspended, and a new vessel built to take her
place. The Rosamond, in the east dock, is being new
coppered, preparatory to being made ready for commis-
sion. At the extreme east end of the yard they inspected
some small buildings close to the dockyard wall, which
from their construction do not appear to be worth re-
pairing,r and are, therefore, likely to be taken down for
improvements. A considerable time was occupied in
ond,
inspecting the cordage and rigging-house, the rus.
t
and a piece of ground outside the present dockyarda-
boun-
dary, but belonging to the Admiralty, although used for
drawing up and repairing the Woolwich and Water-

" The national system of fire assurance, based upon
the mutual principle, founded by this company five years
since, has continued up to the present time to meet with
unabated prosperity. This system, which gives the se-
curity of an assurance against damage by fire to the
masses of the population of this country at cost price,
fosters the provident habits of the people, by reducing
to the lowest point the necessary outlay. The directors
of this company have popularised this principle by the
establishing of branch offices and agencies, and the dis-
semination of information by means of the press, through-
out the country ; believing that the principle of mutual
fire assurance requires only to be known, and under-
stood generally, to be universally practised. They have
also, during the past year, obtained the additional secu-
rity of a guarantee fund of 200,0001., which has been
effected, without interfering with the mutual principle
upon which the company is founded. It is believed that
a very large proportion of the property in this country
is uninsured, affording ample scope for the operations of
this company ; and the directors have urged upon the
agents and policy holders of the company earnestly to make
known its features to persons not at present assured in a
mutual office. With this view, also, nearly two hundred
respectable persons have been appointed as additional
agents during the past year. The business of the com-
pany has very considerably increased during the past
year, and the losses have been, both in the year and
from the commencement of the company, less than half
the premiums received, and it is considered that if the
vigorous measures in operation for the safe extension of
the company's business be ably seconded by the policy-
holders, still more encouraging results will appear in the
year ensuing. The directors reported last year that they
had applied to Government to remove a very onerous
tax imposed under the Joint Stock Act, whereby every
mutual office had to pay a registration fee of ls. per
policy holder, which, seeing that the company has issued
above 9,000 policies, amounted to a considerable yearly
sum. The directors are happy to state that, upon these
representations, the above tax was removed, and the
removal made to apply to all mutual offices, whether for •
fire or for life assurance. And if the suggestions tl
directors are about offering to Government in respect to
the partial abolition of the fire insurance duty are equally
successful, two great obstacles to the spread of fire in-
surance among the masses of the middle and working
classes will have been removed. During the last year
2,016 new policies have been issued by the company,
assuring property to the extent of 910,5611., and making
the total assurances effected 8,782 for 3,664,6811. ster-
ling. The receipts of the past year have been 8,1242.
2s. 10d., being Premiums, 4,107/. 14s. Bd. ; duty,
4,0161. Bs. 2d. The total receipts from the com-
mencement of the company Premiums, 12,3651.
18s. 3d. ; duty, 12,462/. 2s. 2d. ; total, 24,8281. Os. sd.
The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the report,
congratulated the meeting on the prospect which had
attended the operations of the society, and all those con-
nected with the office had done everything to insure suc-
cess. He was glad in one respect that the starting of a
mutual office was attended with difficulties ; but not-
withstanding the difficulties which they had to encounter,
the company was now founded on a sound basis, and all
they wanted was to get their friends to join them, that
they might be participators of the benefit the office was
calculated to confer on the public. He believed that
the office was now in a fair way of coming up in pros-
perity equal to the old companies. Their policies had
during their past transactions increased by 2,016 and in
soundness of the
amount to 3,664/. 6s. Bd. Those figures showed the
prosperity of the company,ar
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and he had no doubt as to the success of the society, and
ILS attiv.,b,..6,, 4,, +L. 0,11,11,1r1,,1e and the public gene-
rally. He concluded by proposing the adoption of the
report.

Mr. ISAAC DOXSET seconded the resolution, which
was agreed to after a short discussion.
The proprietors present were unanimous in awarding
credit to the directors and the officers of the coinl any,
and in anticipating great advantages from the company.
The meeting then separated.

FESTIVITIES AT WivroN-HousE.---The Right Hon.
Sidney and the Hon. Mrs. Herbert have arrived at
Wilton-house, from London, and on Saturday after-
noon the beautiful lawn in front of the mansion was
the scene of a most gratfying spectacle, a liberal treat
having been provided for the school children to the num-
ber of between 400 and 500. The party assembled at
the National Schools at about three o'clock, and, as soon
as the necessary arrangements were complete, formed a
procession through the town into the park, preceded by
the Wilton band, and accompanied by their teachers and
friends. On arriving at the mansion they, were met bud
welcomed by Mr. and Mrs. Herbert ; tne band then
played a portion of the National Anthem, after which
to
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and f
the children took their places in regular order at the
tables arranged on the lawn, and their cieat, and happy
faces, together with the repast spread before them, rel.
supply
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happiness
could e
dered the scene truly exhilirating. Theytain
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them,ly enhanced by being
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waited upon by their munificent patrons, who appeared
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to be very desirous of contributing by every possible
means to their pleasure. A large number of the elite of
the neighbourhood were present on the occasion. The
whole of the park and adjacent grounds were kindly
thrown open to the public. The flower-garden, too, was
thronged with visitors, who seemed determined to give
themselves up for a while to innocent pleasure and re-
creation. The tea being concluded, various sports and
pastimes Were introduced and engaged in with much
spirit by the juveniles. A number of the girls were soon
engaged, in racing for bonnets and shawls, whilst the lads
amused the company by jumping in sacks, &c., for
various useful articles of wearing apparel. These amuse-
ments were followed by a country dance, in which both
Mr. and Mrs. Herbert joined.