The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-26 00:00:00

TIE _NEW STAMP ACT.

A difficulty has arisen in connexion with the new
Stamp Act of this session, which is understood to come
into operation on the 11th of October next, on the point
as to whether it is to apply to foreign bills dated before
that day, but payable on or after it. The fifth clause
seems to admit of such an interpretation, while the in-
tent►on of the first clause appears to have been to ex-
clude all bilis drawn on or before the date in question.
By the wording of the one clause the stamp would ap-
pear to be necessary on every bill that may be negotiated
or presented for payment after the 10th of October,
while in the other the exemption of all bills drawn previ-
ously to the 11th of October is plainly shown to have
been intended, although the p:aaseology in this case
omits all reference to foreign hills. The matter is of
cofisiderable importance to the mercantile world, and an
application has been made to the Stamp-office, that it.
may be definitively cleared up. If it should prove that
foreign, bills are liable in the manner supp teed, the mea-
sure will have a very unfair restrospective operation.
The extremely inartificial 'canner in which the act
is drawn, and which has caused the annoyance now ex-
perienced, is a defect which seems to increase in pro-
portion as the necessity for accurate wording in acts of
Parliament becomes more essential.

DEATH OF MR. THICKNESSE, M P.—lt is with un-
feigned grief that we announce the mournful fact of the
decease of Mr. Ralph Anthony Thicknesse, one of the
members for Wigan. The henourible gentleman had
been spending a few days at Harrogate with his wife and
daughter, and was apparently in good health. On Sun-
day last, however, he wad seize!', while in church, with
something like a rheumatic, affection, which, ultimately
reaching the heart, proved fatal in the course of Tuesday.
Of course the void caused in the House of Commons by
this event is alieady the subject of local discussion.—
Liverpool Mercury.
THE CIVIL SERVICE.—Audit-office, Somerset-house-- •
Messrs. Orman, Copland, arid Alexander Keith have TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIERS.
been appointed assistant•examiners. Mr. Thomas Hodg• Sir,—Your account this morning of the trial of the
kin has been appointed temporary clerk, vice Howell, first steam despatch gunboat designed by the Admiralty
resigned. Mr. Riches has been appointed temporary for the Baltic fleet shows whether the requisites of a
clerk, vice Baker, acting with the Cominissariat Depart- despatch gunboat are to be found in this class of vessels
ment in the East. Cleneral Board of Health—Mr. J. or not.
F. Campbell has been appointed assistant-secretary, home
be at It is wise to make such trials at hforet hese
6001. per annum. Messrs. Maule and White have
been vessels are depended on for actual service. It is also
appointed clerks under the new Board of Health. Cl 14• important to the public service that the class of vessel
toms—Mr R. Staples has been appointed searcher at best suited for such service should he at once decided on,
Belfast. Mr. A. James has been appointed searcher at because we have still time before us to construct a flotilla
Swansea. Mr. C. J. Mark has been appointed clerk for for next year, suited to take Cronstadt or other fortresses
general business, in London. Mr. C. J. Gibson has that may require to be attacked from shallow water,
been appointed clerk at Plymouth. Mr. W. 11. Tucker provided it be at once determined what kind of vessel
has been appointed clerk at Plymouth. Mr. J. Broad- that shall be, or shall not be. Let us therefore examine,
bead has been appointed clerk at Plymouth. Post-office as far as this experiment may guide us, to what extent
—Messrs. Adolphus Burckhardt and Wm. White -have the present vessels, or others, possess the necessary qua-
been appointed junior clerks in the secretary's depart- lities of good steam boats.
ment. Mr. Robert Winter has been appointed a clerk As far as we have yet any practical experience, there
in the Railway Post-office. Mr. Jelin Shea Lawlor has are only two classes of steam despatch gun-boats prac-
been appointed clerk in the Inland-office. Mr. Charles tically known to the public,—those of which you this
Compton, who has been for many years the accountant- i morning give an account, designed by our own Admiralty
general of the Post-office, has just been superanriu ,ted, I for the Baltic, and of which the trial yesterday, in pre-
and Mr. Geo. Hyde, the Present chief clerk in the Re- sense of her Majesty, was a failure, aid those which the
ceiver-General's office, has been appointed coutr oiler of Admiralty of Prussia had constructed in this country for
the new department called the Accou:aant and Receive'. the B dtie, and of which the Russians are sail to have a
General's. Ordnance office, Pall-mall—Mr. Orlando
copy in the Pruth, which was used with so much advan--
Fitzroy has been appointed to is clerkship, vice Air. tape on the Danube against our allies. From a corn-
Marston, superannuated.—Ciril Service Gazette. parison of what we know of these, we may gather some
APOTHECARIES' HALE.—Nanies of gentlemen who iinp,irtant results. Ist, the most important quality of
pas
dsed the
and race iveir examination in
fica ttes he science and practice of gunboats appears to be their small draught of water,
meicine, d certi to practise, on Thurs- combined with a large capacity for troops, stores, and
day, August 24:—David King, Ayr, N.B. ; Thomas armament ; now, in this respect, it appears that the
Windsor, Manchester ; Bey amin Ke *ahaw, Rochdale ; Prussian gunboats Nix and Salamander draw five to
Henry Gray Philpoit, Brighton ; Whitehead seven feet water. The English gunboats Arrow, ac.,
Tito:wart Tuner, liazigport, draw 11 to 13.
Morris, Stalbridge, Lorea ;
8040/10114ite. , . 1 19.; Cpaelets, gof.ourg. lad WY 0* put"

1.1 t , „

STEAM DESPATCH GUNBOATS FOR THE
BALTIC.

_.~~~

of the Baltic, the one is a useful boat, and the otbei use-
less. The importance of shallow draught is daily exem-
plified. In the capture of Bornarsund the danger 9f the
Penelope, the loss of life and of guns, arose from exces-
sive draught of water.
2. The second most important quality of "despatch
gun-boats," as these are called, is speed. Despatch is
the essential characteristic of the name, and in the Prus-
sian aviso is the same idea translated. These vessels
must have speed enough to keep at long distance, out of
range of the broadsides of larger vessels, and should al-
ways be able to run away when overmatched. Tile new
English vessels are said to have done 11 knots; the
Prus• jai, do over 13 knots.
3. The third quality such boats should possess is
ability to use the largest armament with advantage, espe-
cially in a rough se ~ Your reporter states that the
Arrow "rolled awfully, the sea being rough; taking aim
therefore was impossible."
Now, sir, I was present at a similar first trial of the
Prussian gun boats in a very rough sea, where the green
water was coming right over the bows of the vessel, and
the naval commission charged with testing the ships had
the guns worked steadily and quite satisfactorily, even
in a sea so rough that other ships ran for shelter and
could not keep to sea. A gallant commander now dis-
tinguishing hl -elf in the Baltic gave it as his opinion
that one of her Majesty's ships of-double the size could
not in similar circumstances have worked her guns:
The reason is obvious. The proper position for the
gun bouts to engage is "stem on," so as to expose them-
selves least as a mark to the enemy ; to do so the
English boats must have their guns in the bow. With
a heavy sea in this small class of vessel .it must be
im-
possible to take aim from guns worked in the bows from
the movements of the bow loaded, with heavy artillery.
All this is avoided in the Prussian gun-boats by having
their guns amidships, where there is least motion, and
whence they fire parallel to the keel—a thing impossible
in outs. This stable central platform for the guns is
therefore an' essential in which ours are wanting.
Now; sir, as we have still time to prepare fsr next
summer a fleet of steam gun-boats capable of saving such
vessels as the Tiger and the Penelope from running the
risks of shallow water navigation, I sincerely trust
that the Admiralty will not allow themselves to be
tempted into trying further eiPeriiiients, instead of
adopting that which has been already accomplished. If
the Prussian avisos have all the essentials of good gun-
boats, speed. small draught, and poWer ofusinpgreajubdtrire
armament effectively at sea, let us lay aside
and provide. ourselves with a fleet. suited, .not in some
respects merely, but in ail respects to the Baltic service.
When I add that these Prussian gun-boats (which were
built in England) have been• tried and approved by
officers now in command in the Baltic, when I state that
these very vessels have been all round Crotastadt up to
St. Petersburg, and in nearly every harbour of the
Baltic, during the last three years, and have been found
adapted to every exigency of the service. I surely do
not think the Government should remain any longer in-
active, but should immediately place this aria of the ser-
vice in as perfect a condition as those paddlewheel sloops
and those screw frigates, which have in their way al-
ready done such excellent service, though at so great
risk, for want of adequate support from gunboats. It
may be too late this year, but it is in time for next. I
am, Sir, your most obedient servant,
London, Aug. 24. AN EYEWITNESS.