The Sun.
London, England, 1854-03-10 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

PORTSMOUTH, MARCH 9.
At the monthly examination of officers for promotion,
and candidates for entry into the navy, held at the
Royal Naval College, on the Bth instant, the following
passed :
_ _

For Mates.—C. H. Stevens, G. J. Key, A. G. Woot-
ton, G. D. Fitzroy, A. A. Walton Onslow, P. H.
Colomb, H. R. Wratislaw, W. B. Stubbs, W. J. Sterne,
A. G. Boyle, N. Salmon, and R. A. Parr.
For Second Masters.—J. B. Baines, J. R. Allen, and
J. Lucker.

For Naval Cadets.—Wynne Albert Ba.nkes, J. M.
Joike, W. Thresher, J. Du Bowlay, D. R. Hewett, W.
P. Barrow, and E. A. R. Lane. Messrs. Cochrane,
Hope, Croft, Haydon, Booth, Houghton, and Wise
also passed, from Mr. Eastman's preparatory naval es-
tablishment.

For Masters' Assistants.—•E. J. Welch, J. A. R.
Keating, H. Hosken, and A. S. Bradley.
For Clerks' Assistants.—J. Haslar, W. H. Whichelo,
H. M. D. Wilson, B. B. French, and W. H. Chambers.

SHEERNESS, MARCH 9.
The Cressy, 80, was inspected on Wednesday fore-
noon. The ship's company, having been previously
mustered, were exercised at the great guns, &c., and
performed the various evolutions in a manner satisfac-
tory to the inspecting officer. An additional numb..er of
men from the Coast-guard embarked in the afternoon,
and the crew were paid two months' wages in advance.
A very few hands are wanting to complete the full
number of 750. The Cressy got up her steam early on
Thursday morning, and proceeded on her voyage to
join the fleet at that anchorage.
The Monarch, 84, Captain Erskine, will sail for the
Downs in a day or two, and there await the arrival of
the other ships belonging to the fleet.

PEMBROKE.
The garrison duties of this establishment aro now
carried on by the depot of the 31st Regiment and a..
tachment of the ihegirnent, -winielxbave replaced the
four companies of the Ist battalion of Royals, the latter
having left to join the head-quarters at Plymouth, where
the regiment is completing its strength prior to embarka-
tion for the East. The Royals have carried with them
the hearty good wishes of alt classes of the inhabitants,
by whom they were loudly cheered on leaving. The
dockyard artificers also lined the sea face, and rigorously
greeted the men as they passed down the haven.
The detachment of the Royal Artillery now doing duty
here are shortly to be replaced by a draught from Capt.
Turner's company of the Ist battalion at Woolwich, con-
sisting of 2 superior, 5 non-commissioned officers, and
about 40 gunners,
The Harrier, screw steam-corvette, of 16 guns, will be
ready for launching during the month of May.
Several other vessels aro being rapidly pushed on, the
threatening aspect of foreign afitirs having rendered it
imperative that the whole of the vessels now on the
stocks should be proceeded with as fast as possible.
Her Majesty's new yacht, the Windsor Castle, has a
large body of men employed upon her, and already shows
good progress. Her stern has been raised and fitted into
place, and the whole fabric promises to make a first-rate
steam-yacht. Her length appears to be enormous, being
300 feet on the keel and 315 feet over all. Her beam is
greater than many ocean-going steamers—being 40 feet.
The tonnage is estimated at nearly 2,500 tons.

DESTRUCTION OF BIELEFIELD'S

PAPIER MACHE WORKS.

About 10 o'clock last night a fire broke out at the
papier macho works of Messrs. Bielefield, Wellington-
street North, Strand.

Messrs. Bielefield's establishment is 90 feet deep by
36 feet wide, and 80 feet high, under one roof. The
premises were built by the firm in 1839, at a cost of up-
wards of 5,0001. There are five floors above the base-
ment storey.
It was on the fourth floor that the fire broke out. It
was first observed by a private watchman. Mr. Biele-
field, jun., was in the act of entering by the private
door when the alarm was given. He instantly apprised
his brother, whose children had retired to rest. With-
out a moment's loss of time they were removed to a place
of safety.

The alarm very soon reached the interior of the Ly-
ceum Theatre, and the audience, in a state of uncertainty
as to the precise locality of the fire, manifested consider-
able anxiety, until it was announced to them that all
who desired to leave might find egress through the pri-
rate box extrance in Burleigh-street. The Queen and
Prince Albert, with Prince Leopold of Saxe Coburg,
had fortunately retired previously to the alarm reaching
the interior of the house.

When the engines had got their gear out and were all
ready for working, there was a most lamentable want of
water. From the great altitude of the building, and the
fire being in the upper storey, an unusual force of water
required to reach the flames, and more than half-an-hour
elapsed after the arrival of the engines before any attempt
could be made to stay their progress. At length, by
great exertions, lengths of hose were carried by means
of the fire escape ladders to the tops of the opposite
houses in Exeter-street, and by this means sonic water
was thrown upon the fire.
The fire soon descended to the third storey, and thence i
to the second, which, with those above it, was destroyed
with the whole of the valuable contents ; but the fire did
not penetrate further, and before 1 o'clock all danger
was at an end.
Mr. Bielefield is insured in the Phcenix and Lanca-
shire Fire Offices. The last time he took stock it was
valued at 10,0001. A vast quantity is saved on the
ground floor, and, as the principal manufactory of the
firm is at Staines, it is hoped that the business will not
be materially interrupted.
Mr. Albert Smith was in the crowd, recounting to
Mr. Edwin James, Q.c., his experience of a fire at
Pera, when in Constantinople last year, and Mr.
Charles Dickens was encouraging the firemen in their
labours. Mr. Charles Mathews was here, there, and
everywhere.
The warlike spirit of the mob was curiously expressed
during the fire by the men employed at the engine '
pumps singing in chorus, by thousands, " Rule
Britannia " and other national songs.

MR. J. E. JONES'S CASTS FOR MARBLE BUSTS OF
HER MAJESTY AND PRINCE ALBERT.—We have had
the pleasure of inspecting in Mr. J. E. Jones's studio
the casts indicated above, and more successful repre-
sentations of her Majesty and the Prince it has never
been our fortune to see. Her Majesty's features are
exactly reproduced, and their character and ex-
pression most accurately conveyed. The Queen is
represented with a diadem on her forehead, and the
belt of an order passing over her right shoulder.
We understand that on Mr. Jones submitting the work
to her Majesty, the only alteration suggested was the re-
moval of a buckle which had been placed upon the belt,
with the view of making the tournure of the shoulders
uniform. The bust of Prince Albert is an equally faithful
portrait, representing the symmetrical features of his
Royal Highness with perfect fidelity, and conveying the
full expression of intelligence of his face. Mr. Jones is
entitled to high praise for these very faithful representa-
tions, and doubtless, when they are in marble, the effect
will be increased.

LAW OP SETTLEMENT.
Mr. R. B. WHITESIDE moved—.." That this court do
present petitions to both houses of Parliament in favour
of a bill for the abolition of the existing laws of settle•
ment and poor removal, and for the more equitable dis-
tribution of the charge for the relief and maintenance of
the poor." The law of settlement, which was *tits-
Wished as it now stood in 1662, had at intervals been
modified, so that although the principle upon which it
was first founded existed at the present moment, yet very
little of the effect which it was calculated to produce now
resulted from it. Relaxations in the amendment acts,
more particularly that of 1834, and subsequently the re-
moval act, and the act passed for charging all persons
irremovable on the common fund of the union, had
tended in a great measure to repeal the positive law of
settlement as originally passed. It would be found that
for the various 620 unions in England and Wales, nearly
one-half of the expenditure of the poor-rates was now
charged upon what was called the common fund, which
common fund was raised upon a different principle to that
which was originally intended ,by the act, and it there.
fore so far relaxed the original as intended to apply
to the 14,000 parishes of England and Wales. There
was a bill before Parliament which sought to abolish the
compulsory law of removal ; by which bill it was pro-
vided that every person who became destitute, wherever
he might happen to be, should receive relief from that
union, and that this and all other expenses should be
charged in equal proportions upon distant unions. If
such a bill were passed, it would improve the present
condition of things, and would, he conceived, be a step
towards the settlement of the very difficult and important
question which he had brought under the notice of the
court. The law of settlement was cruel in its operations.
It was no crime for a deserving person to be poor. Why,
therefore, should he be dragged before a magistrate and
sworn to his place of birth or servitude ! He (Mr.
Whiteside) twenty years ago was elected church warden
of a parish in the City, and the first act he had to per-
form was to sanction a sum of 3/. for an outfit for a poor
woman to be married to a pieman. (Laughter.) The
woman had been a source of great trouble, and had some
illegitimate children. At that time the duty of the parish
was to try how many women they could get married to
men in other parishes, and scores had been married under
that unholy system. He had known persons indicted
and found guilty of perjury, for falsely swearing that
they belonged to a particular parish, with a view to their
not
not t boeibe contng reminued.oved. Such a system, therefore, ought
Mr. ABRAHAM seconded the motion.
Deputy LOTT moved as an amendment, " That this
court views the bill with distrust, inasmuch as it will in
the opinion of this court necessarily lead to a national
rate for the relief of the poor, or to charge their mainte-
nance on the Consolidated Fund, which system of
chargeability would ultimately lead to recklessness and
extravagance in the management of the poor, to an ex-
tensive system of vagrancy and roving, and would tend
to weaken the interest which men take in local affairs,
and thus destroy one of the best safeguards of the free-
dom of the country."
Mr. PARKINS seconded the amendment.
Mr. C. HAWKINS said it, was not for the court to ex-
press its opinion respecting any particular measure, but
to affirm the general principle that the present law of
settlement was unjust, and should be repealed. He was
in favour of the motion.
Mr. Barkly, Mr. Co; and Mr. A.nderton opposed the
motion.

Mr. ELLIOTT thought the best course for the court to
take was to negative the motion. The question of pau-
per policy had distracted the public mind, and confounded
the judgment of some of the soundest philosophers for
years past. Nothing could be more pernicious or more
corrupting to the feelings of the poor than the system of
equalising the poor rates.
Mr. Davis found fault with the existing law because
of its tendency to tie a man down to remain and work
at the place of his birth.
Deputy INGLEFIELD and Mr. BARNES supported the
motion.

Mr. WHITESIDE having replied, the court divided,
when there appeared—For the amendment 46, against
it 42 ; majority 4.
The amendment having become the original question,
Mr. Cox moved, by way of amendment, the previous
question.
Deputy HOLT seconded the amendment, which was
put and carried amidst applause.
LONDON FEMALE DORMITORY AND INDII4TRIAL