The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-25 00:00:00

The prayers were read by the Rev. Dr. Vivian.

Sir George Smart, who usually presides at the organ
upon this occasion, was not in monthly waiting, and the
duty was performed by Mr. Turle, the organist of West-
minster Abbey.
The most aged man last year had reached his 102 d
year, but he has since died. The most aged man who
received the Royal alms in 1853 is 91 years, and the
most aged woman 88 years.

Viscount Gort had an interview with the Earl of
Aberdeen yesterday at his official residence in Downing•
street.

Sir Thomas Fremantle, chairman of the Customs,
had an interview with the Chancellor ok the Exchequer
yesterday at his official residence in Downing-street.

HEAD-MASTERSHIP OP (7111tIST'S 13OSPI2'AL

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR, —ln your paragraph respecting the head-master-
ship of Christ's hospital, you mention my name as one
of those selected by the committee on March 15th.
I trust you will, in justice, state farther, that it was
immediately withdrawn, for reasons which I have com-
municated to the governors.—l am, Sir, your obedient

servant,

HUGO D. HARPER,
Head Master of the King's SChool, Sherborne,
March 24, 1853.

NEW LIFE-BOATS.

Yesterday some interesting experimental trials were
made at Limehouse with two new life-boats, on the de-
sign of Mr. Peake, of her Majesty's dockyard, Wool-
wich, built by the Messrs. Forrests for the National
Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck,
which are to be placed at Whitehaven and Bude-haven.
Mr. Peake, the designer, Captain M`liardy, RN.,
Captain Ward, R.N., the life-boat inspector to the
society, and several other gentlemen, were present on
the occasion. As the results of these trials, than which
nothing could be more satisfactory, are grouped together
in the following list of the principal dimensions of each
boat, which we give in detail, as life-boats on this plan
will probably gradually supersede all other life-boats on
the coast, no preliminary remarks are required :
Length, extreme, 27 feet ; length of keel, 22 feet ;
breadth, extreme, 7 feet 6 inches ; breadth at one-sixth
the length from extremes; 5 feet 8 inches ; proportion of
breadth to length as 1 to 3.60 ; depth of waist to under-
side of keel, 3 feet 5 inches ; height of stem and stern,
5 feet 3 inches ; sheer of gunwale, 1 foot 10 inches ;
rake of stem and sternpost, 2 feet 6 inches ; number
of thwarts, 4 ; distance apart of thwarts, from centre
to centre, 3 feet ; length of stern sheets, 4 feet 6
inches ; depth of midship thwart below gunwale, 8
inches ; depth of fore thwart below gunwale, 8 niches ;
height of mid thwart above deck, 1 foot 31 niches ;
height of deck above under side of keel, 1 foot 5 inches ;
number and length of oars, eight of 14 feet ; width and
depth of side air cases, in inches, 11/ by 13/ ; length of
raised air cases at each end, 4 feet ; capacity for holding
water to level of thwarts, 115 cubic feet ; number and
diameter of delivering tubes, six of 6 inches ; proportion
of delivering area to capacity, 1 to 63 ; time required
for freeing boat of water, 38 seconds ; weight of boat,
or light displacement, 32 cwt.; displacement at load
water line, with crew and stores. 56 cwt.; capacity for
crew and stores, 24 cwt.; proportion of oars or power to
light displacement, 1 to 4.00 draft of water,
ininches,
light, with crew, extra load, 10-13-16; height of free
board, light, with crew, extra load, 31-28-25; number of
men will carry, and pull all oars, 35; stability, as shownby
number of men standing on one gunwale to bring it level
with the water, 15; nature and weight of ballast—iron
cwt., cork 3 cwt., total 8 cwt. ; the boat self-rights
instantly ; depth of keel, 5 inches ; and boat is built of
elm, clench. The visitors having viewed some other
life-boats on the same plan, but of various sizes, and
of course of proportionate dimensions, building for
the above society, to be placed at Aldborough (Suffolk)
Lyme Regis, Barmouth, Cemlyn, Anglesey, and other
places, seperated, much pleased with the trials that
had been made with the before-mentioned boats.

PAPAL MAILS.—GENERAL POST-OFFICE, MARCH, 1853.
—Letters for the Papal States, when specially addressed
to be forwarded in the Prussian closed mails via Belgium,
may, in future, be sent either unpaid or paid to their
destination, A the option of the sender. The combined
British and foreign postage chargeable on such letters
will be lid. when not exceeding half an ounce in weight,
ls. 10d. when above half an ounce and not exceeding
the
scale one ounce • and so en in proportion, according t
.
scamnd
leifor
thatcl'La lettersrging in
as a rule, via France (and are liable to the rates of
postage laid down in Instructions No. 13, i 18521 , unless
lafenrdthe letters.
Papal Postmastersstatea arefo will a r bear
in r
in
route.
DEATH OF LIEUTENANT-GENERAL JAMES WEBBER
telligence has been
they are specially addressed to be sent by any other
SMITH, C. 13., ROYAL ARTILLERY.—In
received in the garrison at Woolwich of the death of '
this gallant officer at Brighton, to which locality he re-
tired on resigning the office of director-general of Artil-
lery on being appointed colonel-commandant of the 4th
battalion. Lieutenant-General James , Webber Smith
had seen considerable service, having been present at
the attack of Minorca in 1798 ; at the siege of Malta in
1800 ; defence of Porto Ferrajo in 1802 ; and in the ex-
___ _
.. Sebastian,Tofhe
taxes 1815, includingtoan dthe
h
e
ex-
pedition to Walcheren and siege of Flushing. He
ved the gold medal
pro-
ceeded to the Peninsula, and was engaged in the
tne: .
oyt r
ih I thecampaign
TeanAreceived
Re ses ti,
cam-
paigns in Spain and Portugal from January, 1813, to
May, 1814, including the battle of Vittoria, passage of
the Bidassoa and Nive, and the siege of St. Sebastian.
silver war medal and two clasps for Nivelle and Nive.
Altogether he had two medals and eight clasps.
ail thenelvd wbuoaaAnstTet lalsoAeelaoTafeopnWßgNfaaoEgtryee
ATTORNEYS
PO:
attorneys are subjected are, first, a stamp of 1 which
201. upon
the articles of clerkship, which on an average produces
annually 72,000/. ; secondly, a tax of 251. upon admis-
sion, producing annually 12,000/. ; and, thirdly, the tax
of which they complain as an intolerable grievance,
namely, 121. yearly for a certificate, if practising in Lon-
don, Edinburgh, or Dublin, and 81. yearly if practising
in any other part of the United Kingdom—this pro-
ducing annually upwards of 118,0001. This treble taxa-
tion amounts in the whole to upwards of 200;000/, per
annum. -