The Sun.
London, England, 1854-11-03 00:00:00

FLOATING BATTERIES FOR THE BALTIC.

SHOT-PROOF IRON PLA.TES.
So urgent are the authorities to have the batteries
ready for active operations against Russia in the !piing;
that the contract has been divided amongst the principal
makers in Glasgow, Newcastle, Lowmoore, and
Lancefield
places in the north of England. At t
be completed.
sent off, and about 20 tons
willa-week
essels are to be Forge here, several tons have been already
finished and
Report says that at least six such
n tadt by the spring of
pre-
pared for the attack
1855. Our readers George Mills.
steamer that has been my
Mills had in view when he de-
signed The primary object Mr.that of introducing something new
this vessel was
uponv,-ill
erCenreotuedllscbcyt
Mr.the description of
and experienced naval
before some eminent.
it, however,
back as last winter, those gentlemen
architects, so far
edil to bring it before the no-
Mr. Mills sPe Y.
as a design not merely for a mer-
cantile the way of steam navigation on the Clyde. On laying
requested
er but for a gun-boat or floating
tommen a ion that gentleman at once
passage,rh steam ' d• t
drawings of a floating battery on
battery.
d and the result was that, during the month of
300 in feet length, with breadth and
April last,
proportion, were drawn oat, at great trouble
hat no-
tics caoe
neoet adopted,
,principle, Government,..e: elaborate
orrea
adnedptelixipuense, by Mr. Mills, and forwarded to the Admi-
ralty, accompanied by full-written descriptions. They
met the highest consideration on the part of Govern-
ment ; and an eminent engineer in London, to whom
they were primarily sent, approved of them, and for-
warded them to the Admiralty, with the weight of his
name and recommendation. The following is a short
account of this floating and steam manoeuvring and pro-
pelling gun-battery :—Mr. Mills' floating battery was
proposed to be 300 feet long byiabout 100 broad, and to
have three tiers of guns, presenting an armament of
double the weight of the largest ship of the line. The
propelling paddle worked in the space between the two
f
hulls, where it could be rendered completely secure from
shot. There was a propeller at each end todm
couldancee be
the vessel and turn her about. Either end n
made the stem, so that there would
she was designed
b
for turning her. The lines upon which
and
with such an enormous armament, all her stores,
fuel,
would give her great speed in proportione to power ;no necessity
battery would only
crew, c., & on board, this floating
draw 15 feet water, or about half the draught of the
Duke of Wellington. It was
to be built of iron and
wood,
parse- I
-.•-----751(7115- -.c the Rev. J
in any way that would be found most serviceable.
Forth British Dam y Mail.

ST. CROSS HOSPITAL.—By the death of the Rev.
..
Haygarth, the living of Upham, Hants, is vacant. This
is one of the many valuable advowsons left to the above
hospital for its maintenance; for which the Bishops of
who for nitahneyb:rsehaorps have bccio.
Winchester are trustees,
l.
stowed them on their friends, to the great injury of the
charity. Notice of the event has seen sent to Mr.
Fearon, the solicitor to the Attorney-General, in order
that steps may be taken to inhibit
feting to it.

THE P.

FUND.

THE CITY MEETING.

Yesterday, a meeting of the citizens of London was
held at the Mansion-house in aid of the Royal Commis-
sion. The Lord Mayor presided ; and there were also
present :—The Lord Mayor Elect ; Mr. T. Baring,
; Mr. G. C. Glyn, M.P. ; Mr. Thomas Hankey,
M.P. • Mr. S. Gregson, M.P. ; Mr. M. T. Smith, M.P.;
Mr. J. G. Hubbard, Governor of the Bank of England ;
Mr. T. M. Waguelin, Deputy Governor of the Bank
of England ; Mr. R. C. L. Bevan, Mr. B. Oliveira,
M.P., Mr. C. Mills, Mr. C. B. Young, Mr. J.
Bates, Mr. E. Baring, Mr. E. Burmester, Mr. R.
W. Crawford, Mr. J. H. Palmer, r. R. Hanbury, Mr.
R. N. Fowler, Mr. J. Dillon, r. K. Hodgson, Mr. D.
Meinertzhagen, Mr. S. Hodgon, Mr. A. Perkins, Mr.
Alderman Finnis, Mr. J. P. Foster, Mr. H. H. Gibbs,
Mr. D. B. Chapman, Mr. Alderman Salomons, Mr.
Alderman Wire, Mr. J. Cattley, Mr. R. Sturges, Sir
J. L. Goldsmid, Mr. A. W. Roberts, Captain Shepherd,
Sir John Musgrove, Bart., Mr. B. Cohen, Mr. J. D.
?espies, Mr. G. Moore, Mr. W. G. Sheddon, Mr. G.
Houghton, Mr. G. Lawrence, Mr. C. S. Paris, Mr.
J. Blyth, Mr. B. B. Greene, Sir G. Carroll, Kt.. Mr.
Alderman Farebrother, M. T. H. Brooking, Mr. G.
Frith, Mr. H. J. Prescott, &c.
The attendance in the body of the hall was large and
respectable.
The LORD Maroft said he could not agree with those
who thought we were approaching the close of a mo-
mentous struggle. On the contrary, he was afraid
that we were only at the commencement of a great
European war. (Rear, hear.) He had received many
letters, enclosing liberal cheques in aid of the object for
which they had met • but it was only right to say he had
also received several others, stating that the writers
could not conscientiously subscribe to such a fund, be-
cause they considered it to be the bounden duty of the
Government to provide for those who fell in battle.
(Hear, hear.) But whatever might be the abstract
right of that propoaition, there was no statute by
which relief of that kind could be afforded, and there
could thus be no such national provision as those per-
sons contemplated. (Hear, hear.) Reason, judgment,
and justice alike declared the war to be a necessary
one ; and if we duly valued our national privileges—
if we prized, as we ought, the freedom of which we
were the inher:tors, and the constitutional principles,
the extension of which so many expected as one of the
results of the war—we shoold feel ourselves bound to
act liberally and justly towards those brave
and patriotic men who had volunteered to go
forth to a distant clime, to endure hardship
and to meet perils of which we at home could form
nothing but the faintest idea. (Cheers.) He felt cer-
tain that the citizens of the present day would not allow
themselves to be surpassed by those of the last half cen-
tury. Forty or fifty years ago the citizens of London
had set an example of patriotic benevolence to the whole
world ; and he trusted that they would again repeat
that example, and make a liberal response to the appeal
of her Majesty's commissioners. (Loud cheers.) His
lordship then stated that he had received a great num-
ber of letters of apology—amongst others from the Arch.
bishop of Canterbury and the Bishop of London, who
both pleaded diocesan engagements. He had also re-
ceived a great number of remittances, amongst which
were cheques from Messrs. Cooke, Son, and Co., for
1001.; Sir Peter Laurie, 20/ ; Mr. Thomas Haynes (the
Mansion-house reporter), 10 guineas ' • the Illustrated
News, 100/. • Sir G. Carroll, 501.; the Lord Mayor and
the Lord Mayor elect, 501, each ; Aldermen Farncomb,
Hunter, Musgrove, Wire, and Duke, 201. each ; the
Shipwrights' Provident Society (a working man's in-
stitution), 1001.; with a promise of further donations,
&c., &c.
Lord J. Russitet. was received with loud applause.
He said—My Lord Mayor and gentlemen, I am sure it
will not be necessary for me to use many words to per-
suade you to adopt the resolution that I shall have to
propose. We are engaged in a just and necessary war—
a war in defence of an ally—a war for no immediate ob-
ject of our own, but in order to defend and maintain that
ally, and to support the independence of Europe.
(Cheers.) Upon that point I need not, and I shall not,
attempt to adduce any proof. When as a candidate for
this City I had to speak to the electors of London, I
addressed myself to that subject. I had afterwards oc-
casion to speak in Parliament upon the same topic ;
and both Parliament and the electors of the United
Kingdom have generally—l might say almost unani-
mously—assented to the justice and necessity of that
war. (Hear, bear.) But, gentlemen, even if the
war were altogether an error, I hope we shall not be
the less inclined to support those brave men who, at
the call of their country and at the desire of their
Queen, had gone forth to the East, to distant climes, to
dare every privation, to submit to every disease, and to
encounter every enemy- that might be found. (Cheers.)
This is not a question depending upon the general policy
jof the war. It is a question that depends upon the
udgment that you are inclined to pass upon your own
countrymen in arms. Upon that topic I have not one
word to say. I said the opinion of the public upon the'
war was nearly unanimous ' • but I think that upon this
subject public opinion will be quite unanimous. All will
agree that never did Englishmen more distinguish them-
selves—never did they show greater patience under pri-
vation—never did they show greater valour in the field
—than they have done in the course of the present war.
(Loud applause.) We have seen how, on the heights et
the Alma, they met and overthrew the enemy to whom
they were opposed. We know that every obstacle was
placed in the way of their success. We know that all the
machinery of war, all the dread engines which are
employed in martial enterprises, had been collected
together to oppose their progress, But the nerve
aria, the bravery of Englishmen overcame all those
ok,stacles, and made them victors on the crest of
Alma. (Loud cheers.) This shown, gentlemen, that
notwithstanding many years of peace, the character
of our countrymen Las not degenerated, and that our
soldiers have not been enervated by that long Teriod of
tranquillity. (Cheers.) It show:4, likewise, gentlemen,
that discipline has not been relaxed ; for there are no
men, however brave, who would have attempted such
an enterprise or encountered such an enemy unless they
had been hound together by discipline, and had had full
confidence in one another. (Hear, hear.) Theie is one
change, perhaps, with regard to the British soldiers of
our own times; but it is a change that can only give
us gratification. The letters which have been published
from officers and private soldiers during the last few
weeks have shown that there are private soldiers that
call express themselves with an intelligence and pro-
priety, that while it marks their good feeling, at the
same time proves how much progress has been made in
their education since the former war. (Cheers.) In the
meantime we have seen that while this progress has been
made under their auspices and with the encouragement
of those who have had the administration of the army,
there has been no corresponding loss of that energy
and of that nerve which distinguished the British
soldiers of former days. (Cheers.) I think we have,
therefore, an earnest that in whatever remains to be un-
dertaken—and at this moment a great enterprise is keep-
ing the whole of the country in anxiety—in whatever re-
mains to be undertaken, you may rely upon the valour
both of your armies and your fleets in order to accom-
plish all that human skill arid valour can achieve. (Loud
cheers.) The Lord Mayor has alluded to the opinion of
some persons who think that whatever is sought to be
provided by the fund now being raised should be sup-
plied by means of votes out of the national funds. (Hear.)
.NOW, that is a question I am certainly not going to dis-
cuss. It has been the opinion of Parliament hitherto
that such grants could not be made on ordinary occa-
sions without leading to great abuses. (Hear, hear.)
Lute be that as it may, we know that there are no such
funds at present ; and that it is to the voluntary zeal
and the voluntary liberality of the people of this country
that we must look to supply the needs of these widows and
orphans, and to give that last consolation which a man
dying on the field of battle or expiring on the bed of
sickness can have—namely, the thought that, although
his arm may be wanting, his family may yet look to the
gratitude of their country for support in their future
life. (Great cheering.) With these observations, there-
fore, I venture to propose to you a resolution which I
am sure you will all heartily adopt ; and I will only say
that I have no doubt the civilians of this country in the
conduct of this war will show themselves worthy of
their brave countrymen abroad. (Cheers.) The resolu-
tion is as follows :—" That this meeting regards with
the highest admiration and gratitude the gallant con-
duct of their countrymen who have been engaged in the
recent naval and military operations in the East of
Europe."
Mr. T. BARING, in seconding the resolution, said the
case bad been ably stated by the Lord Mayor, and elo-
quently seconded by the noble lord ; but the deeds of
our brave countrymen themselves spoke so eloquently
that the eloquence of words was not needed. (Loud
cheerk) Allusions had been made to the duty of Go-
vernment to supply the wants of the widowed and
"Phal'eti families of our soldiers and sailors, but it
must surely be much more gratifying to those who tall
in the terries
of their wives of their country to know that the wants
sympathy and little ones will be :net by the libe-
ralcountrymen themselves than by
any dry and formal
e their
contested at every Parliament which might be
stage.s of
(Cheers.) Englishmen abroad
bad nobly done their duty ; let Englishmen at home now
do theirs. (Loud
ci
The resolution waseuelisOalimously agreed to.
Mr. HUBBARD, , the
or of the Bank of Eng-
land, moved the next
resolutionTer :—" That this meeting
cordially responds to the preoepri
etion of her most gracious
Majesty, that a patriotic feoldiesr formed for the relief of
widows and orphans of
, and marines
killed in action, or dying from s'Otahati"B sualties when
ue
esmteentte
dw war.
Who
employed on services connected withe;theee
Mr. BEvest, in seconding the
presh:nlutAiospny,ir
the committee of the Infant Or
stead had last night agreed to recommend toatthe g'
vernors at the next half-yearly meeting to place 20 f-eee-
lidmiesione at the disposal of the r
commissioners,
(Cheers.)
The resolution was unanimously agreed to.
Mr. J. DILLON rnovcd the third resolution :—"That
the several bankers and joint-stock banks of the city of
London be requested to receive subscriptions, and that
a COMMittee be formed for the purpose of promotinr
the collection of funds by such inean.s ;44 they may thioi:
fit, consisting of the fulloaing with power to
add to their limber : —The Cimirman of this ineotine.,
the Lord Mayor for the time being, the Governor of trio
Bank of England, Mr. Hubbard ; the Deputy Governor
of the Bank of England, Mr. Weguelin ; the Chairman
of the East T.ndia Company, Major Oliphant; the Deputy
Chairman of the East India Company, Mr. Macuaughten;
Captain She, herd, Deputy of the Trinity House ; the
Masters and Prime Wardens of the Livery Companies ;
Jobe' Maste rrnan, Esq., M.P. ; the Baron Lionel de
Rothschild, _ ; and Sir James Duke, Bart., M.P.'
Re had been requested to state that the Chief Commis-
sioner of Pa ice had requested him to announce that the
City police is itended to appropriate to thefund one day's