The Sun.
London, England, 1849-03-22 00:00:00

1340.

einminfe ofJanuery 1849, in the squadron of Sir Charles
'Napier, which " behaviour " is reported to have been so
gotal, comperison with the bad behaviour of certein
three-deckers, and of herself when she belonged to tlitt
class, that a case s,,erns to he made out for the reduction
of the rest. The erithmetic of the Admiralty will de-
tnoestrate what the country gains by cutting down three
deckers, vthieh dip their portholes into the sea ia th,
gentlest. of la( ezes, some of which they dare not send to
sea et all, as a breeze would lay them on their beam Nlfi.
or semi thew to the bottom; or if ballasted sufficiently
to be steady, the quantity of ballast required would
bring the water mark above the lower ports. One of
these three-deckers which has not been and canntl be
sent to sea, is the Nelson, built and named in honour of
the most famous of the working admirals, but lying in
dock, a monument of satire upon the political jobbers
who take upon themselves the management of the navy.
But the cutting down of larger vessels to a smaller size
is carried to a greater extent among ships of the inferh r
class. There is a return, dated the Ist of May, 1848,
showing the saving, and, consequently, the accession of
wealth, to the country by cutting down nine 42-gun fri-
gates to corvettes. It is shown that, to have built cor-
vettes, the cost would have been 27,0004 each, whereas
the nine have only cost as follows:
Curacoa
••• ••• ••• ••• •••
Aigle (expense returned as " unknown; not in
office")
..•
Magicienne
Amazon
Dmdalus
Brilliant
Havannah
Trincomalee
Amphitrite

£3,790

••• 6,610
••• 8,104
•.• 5,464
••• 8,321
••• 9,707
••• ... 11,721
••• ..• 15,238

Making a total of ... ... ... £68,955
Nine at 27,0001. each would have been £243,000
Deduct ... ... ... 68,955

And there is an accession of wealth
to the country, according to the
Admiralty, amounting to *174,045
There have been many more ships cut down than
those referred to in this section; but the specimens here
given are deemed sufficient to illustrate the Admiralty
system.
That system seems to be founded on the supposition
that nobody is likely to have penetration enough to see,
or power of reasoning to comprehend, that the cost 91
building the large ships should be the proposition in
the question of profit and loss on cutting them down.
As thus:—
Cost of building a three•decker ... £82,000
Cost of reducing that three-decker to a tyro-
decker ... ••• ..• 53,815

Total cost ... ... ... £135,815
Cost of building a two-decker ... ... 60,000

Loss by the Admiralty system of getting a
two-decker 75,815
But the " cutting down" is a trifling matter compared
with the " adding to the length " of ships to make them
into steamers.

This leads to an examination of the steam navy, a
more serious financial subject now than the sailing navy.
Thirty-four sailing frigates, which cost 45,0001. each, or
upwards, were found to be useless from mal-construc-
tion. One of them was lengthened. and made into a
steamer, at a cost of 59,4891., and the rest are to be
similarly dealt with. And this is to be done because the
steam-frigates, built of iron, are now alleged to be unfit
for ships of war. Thirty of those first-class iron steamers
were built by order of the Admiralty, in opposition to
the opinion of the practical servants of the dockyards,
without the iron being put to the proof as a material
for war. One of them, built and named in honour of
the town of Birkenhead, is, however, talked of as a ship
fit to be placed under fire, to prove how many broadsides
she will bear before going to the bottom.
No less costly method of proving the applicability of
iron to war ships has been suggested than a battery
upon one of the most expensive naval steamers. Proofs
were not sought until thirty such frigates were built,
and others ordered; and now, still without the proof,
thirty-three timber-built frigates are being transform,d
into steamers, to supersede those of iron, at an expeike
for transformation greater than their original cost in
building.

DISTRESSED CONDITION OF THE
COMPOSITORS OF LONDON.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY NEWS.

Sir,—Amongst the numerous artizans in London who
are suffering through non-employment, the deplorable
condition of the numbers of that heaven-born art—
printing, is to be commiserated. Of all the arts and
sciences that have been discovered, that of the art of
printing has conferred the greatest benefits upon man-
kind, yet there never was a time in the history of print-
ing in which compositors have suffered so much distress.
Throughout the late eventful year only one-third of the
compositors of London were in full employment. Now
that the Parliamentary sesiion has commenced, there
are still great numbers out of employment. This is,
in a great measure, to be attributed to the recent altera
dons in Parliamentary printing, which has been con-
siderably curtailed. The only remedial measures that
will benefit the compositor are the repeal of the
paper and advertisement duties. The paper duty
is a tax upon thought and reason ; by repealing this
duty a great boon would be bestowed upon the working
classes by placing within their reach for a small
sum the treasures of literature. The advertisement duty
is a fetter upon the poor tradesman, inasmuch as the
high duty p-events him from advertising his goods—even
the poor servant girl must pay eighteenpence to the
Government before she can advertise for a situation.
From the vast numbers of cheap publications which
everywhere meet the eye, a . careless observer would
imagine that printing was the best business going. Let
him look but a little beneath the surface, and he will
find the contrary to be the fact. Out of fifteen months,
I have only received three months' casual employment;
and, from present appearances there is no evidence of
returning prosperity, as in the history of all nations
literature follows commerce ; and until the manufactur-
ing districts are fully employed will the compo.itor re-
main in " virtuous poverty." As your paper has the
largest literary circulation, I hope you will give inser-
tion to this letter, that the literary world may take note
of the depressed condition of the London compositors.
I am, Sir, &c.,
• A COMPOSITOR.

THE ARMY.—It was currently reported yesterday
that the Government had offered to Lieutenant•Geneiul
Sir George Napier, K C. 8., the important situation of
Lord High Commissioner aed Commander of the troops
in the lonian Islands, in succession to Lieut. General
Lord Seaton, G.C.B.

The following will add another to the many in-
stances of bravery evinced by our troops in India. In a
letter from Captain W. 1I•Leod, of the Bombay Infantry,
who writes from Kurrachee, he says :—" F. C. Rivaz,
of our Ist Fusiliers, distinguished himself very much
at Moultan the other day. He saved a brother officer's
life, killed the man, and cut down two others directly
afterwards." It may not be uninteresting to state that
this young gentleman is but an ensign, and that the
present has been the first opportunity he has had of
marching onward in the active path of duty.
ALARMING FIRE.—FOUR LIVES SAVED BY THE
FIRE ESCAPE.—On Tuesday, about a quarter before 11
o'clock, the oil and Italian warehouse belonging to Mr.
Bowman, No. 3, Tottenham court-road, was discovered
by police-constable No. 70 Etobe on fire. The officer
immediately sprang his rattle and raised an alarm, and
after repeatedly knocking at the front door, he succeeded
in arousing the inmates, consisting of Mr. and Mrs.
Tompkins, the lodgers, with their two children. These
parties were sleeping on the second floor, and upon be-
ing aroused from their slumbers, found the building so
filled with sulphurous vapour and smoke, that none of
them were able to make their descent by the staircase.
Mr. Tompkins made the best of his way to the front
room on the second floor, the only place of escape le ft,
when the police called to him, and told him to remain
until the fire escape arrived. The man, appre-
hensive thst some of the gunpowder or other
inflammable articles would explode, was just on the
point of throwing his family out of window when two
of the Royal Society's fire escapes arrived. The con-
ductors having mounted their machines, they entered
the second floor, and in the back room they found the
four parties above mentioned, whom they succeeded in
carrying in their arms and dropping them down the can-
vass bagging of the machine. So dense was the smoke
that the female was completely overcome and dropped
senseless on the staircase prior to being conveyed to the
front room, and the conductor himself nearly fell as he
was carrying the parties out. The engines of the Lon •
don Brigade and West of England Company quickly at-
tended, under the commaed of Mr. Braidwood and
Messrs. Staples and Connorton. Plenty of water having
been obtained the flames were extinguished, but not
until considerable damage was done. Mr. Bowman was
fortunately insured in the County Fire Office. The ori-
gin of the fire is unknown. A strong muster of police,
under Mr. Superintendent Grimwood, rendered essential
aid to the firemen, by keeping the great crowd of spec-
tators out of the reach of danger.
ACCIDENT ON THE EASTERN COUNTIES RAILWAY.
—Considerable excitement was created at the Shore-
ditch terminus of the above line, on Sunday evening
last, in consequence of the non-arrival of the Norwich
Parliamentary train, due at forty minutes past nine
o'clock. Tho Woolwich train, being likewise overdue,
increased the consternation, and on inquiring down-the
line, it was ascertained that an accident had occurred at
the other side of Mile-end station, by the Woolwich,
with two engines, having overtaken and ran into the
Norwich train with such violence as to have thrown the
pilot-engine of the former off the line. About half- past
ten o'clock both trains arrived at the terminus, with from
twelve to fifteen passengers (Norwich) more or less
severely injured. Mr. Richardson, the superin-
tendent, and Mr. Hancorn, the surgeon, were instantly
in attendance on the sufferers, some of whom were
ultimately conveyed to their residences in cabs,
while others it was found requisite to accommo-
date with beds in the neighbourhood. It is stated that
the delay of the Norwich train was through inability to
make way iu consequence of the slippery state of the
metals, and that every precaution against accident was
adopted by showing the signal lights, &c. The Wool-
wich train was heavily laden with passengers who would
not proceed to London by the steam-boats on account of
the prevailing fog, and the driver of the pilot engine as-
serts, that no signal lights were elescried by him until
too late to avert the accident, ho of course deeming the
Norwich train to have passed long previous.
THE PLAINTIFF PRELATE.—The word verses ap-
pears so often in the law reports, in connexion with the
name of the Bishop of Exeter, that after ages ts ill per-
haps be led to suppose that it was actually one 01 his
Lordship's titles. There is probably nut a single -con-
fessor or martyr that has had eo many trials as Bishop
Phillpotts,--Punch.

SURREY SESSIONS.
(f 3 fore j. W. FREsuFIELD and a full bench of nzgis

trates.)
Ye3f.;,r(lay, William Greenwood, 61, a respectable;
looEing Old man, Was iririctoci for stealing a cruet-stalla
CCd TWO silver pthe property of Thor
Saunders.

The nrise,utor, apus,ar,d, is lan,slord of this Yk.rit'
sou-q, t thy e. Wat eriet. and )I.'iik"
roads. ()!i the at ~1 the 16..1) ult. the frisoner
entered the coffee-roont, and during the absence of the
waiter purloined the from a sideboard and slid'
deuly left the house. The son of the prosecutor, seeing
him leave so abruptly, suspected him, and oh entering
the coffee-room discovered the felony. He instantly
pursued the prisoner, and after a sharp chase succeeded
in capturing him, when the cruet-tops were found in lug
possession. The prisoner's family were highly connected,
he having been for some time in a respectable situation
in Parliament street, when he embarked in railway sr
cul.itions, which caused his ruin, and drove him to corn-
mit crime. The prosecutor produced a letter which 11°
had received from the prisoner while in prison, begging
to he forgiven, and expressing his contrition for the
offence. lie (tile prosecutor), therefore, begged leave
to recommend him to mercy.
A verdict of Guilty having been recorded,
The COURT sentenced him to three months' hard
labour at Brixton.
/in A eaves, 20, and Joseph Frenhoirn, 20, two note•
rious thieves, who were tried and acquitted for the
murder of Mr. Belleharebers, at Westminster, were re'
dieted for stealing a quantity- of lead, the property of
Michael Bryan, at Lambeth.
Police•constable, 65, L, deposed that he met the pri-
soners carrying some lead in the direction of their
lodgings, in the New Cut. As soon as they perceived
him approach, they threw the lead at his bead, and ran
away. lie, however, pursued them, and after a severe
struggle, secured them, and took them to the police-
station. The lead was picked up by another constable,
and shortly afterwards the officer ascertained that it bad
been stolen from the prosecutor's house.
The prisoners denied having the lead in their posses'
sion, but the jury found them Guilty.
Romaine, an active officer of the L division. said that
the prisoners were notoriously bad characters. The/
were tried with Sale for the murder of Mr. Bell•
chambers, and acquitted. They had been in custody
several times since for felony, and had been equal],
fortunate. At the last Surrey sessions they were tried
for stealing lead from a dwelling-house, but owing t°
some informality they were again acquitted. Two days
after that occurred they were caught with the lead in the
present case.
The COURT complimented the conduct of the constr
bles for the activity they had displayed in bringing txh
bad characters to justice, and sentenced each of the prre
soners to ten years' transportation.

-----
POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
CLERKENWELL.
Mary Watt, alias Mary Wilkens, alias Mara Mather",,
a handsome, fashionably-dressEd woman, 40 years 0
age, who was remanded on a charge of stealing a ban'
ker's parcel containing 4001. in gold and silver moneiP
was again placed at the bar before Mr. Combe for further
examination.

The case excited considerable interest, the court being
crowded to CXCOS3. Several ladies were allowed send
during the proceedings. The parish authorities of SC4
Pancras were also in attendance.
Mr. Bu,h, the solicitor to the Bankers' Protection So'
ciety, attended for the prosecution; and Mr. Parry, di°
barrister, for the defence.

Since the last examination, the officers Archer sea
I.4'clterby traced the prisoner to have taken lodging
about three weeks ago, at No. 2, Bridge-street, Lsel''
beth, where she went by the name of Miss Matheet
On searching the place, a number of empty jewel cat('
were found, which it is expected will lead to the disco'
very of other robberies. It sppears that after taking the
above lodgings, she was driven to the house in a eabrie;
let, with several trunk,, when she said she had Pisa
arrived from the country on a visit to a friend who be
met with injuries, tit 1 wa'i then a patient in Guy's 11°19,
pi tal, and she furnished the apartments, and subsequently
tht. patient in the hospital was recognised as a returnee
transport, named Jackson, who, on dropping from the
wall of St. Pancras workhouse, where a robbery had bee.
committed, broke his leg, and was secretly conveyed '-
the above hospital.
The evidence adduced communicated no new feature
to the case, and was merely corroborative of the feet,
deposed to at the first examination, as to the ingenietla
way in which the prisoner and her male confederate hti
attempted to obtain possession of the parcel at the ere,.
Keys Inn, St. John-street. The man is not yet in cue
tody. After the evidence had been heard,
Mr. COMBE said he should commit the prisoner fer
trial on the charge, and the witnesses were bound over ta
prosecute at the Central Criminal Court.
Mr. Parry said, by his advice, the prisoner would re;
serve her defence. He now applied for the restoratter
of the six sovereigns, &e., found in the prisoner's P°
session after her apprehension.
Lockerby, the officer, said that some of the direntere
of the poor of St. Pancras parish were present, and they
:(
had reason to suspect that the money was the producer;
a robbery which took place at the workhouse, a 5h.,(31
14
time since, and if he were allowed, he (Lockerby) c°" a
give his reasons why the money should be detained, and
the prisoner remanded.

Air. Parry a aid the officer bad no right to prejudic:
the prisoner by such statements. Was there 611:0
other charge against her? The officer ought not 'a
have said what he had in the presence of the press all
the public.

CONBE justified the officer.
Mr. Parry—Then I waive my application, ana he
will apply to a judge, and I have no doubt as to t
results.

Mr. COMBE said, as the police asked for a remand, he
Should remand the prisoner for a week.
Sergeant Archer—There is another party yet wanted
Mr. Bush said he had instructed the officers to 06
every effort to trace and apprehend the man alluded ,0
and if possible they ought to do so before the session the
Mr. Parry said if it was the determination of
Bench to commit, and to remand the case, which c-. 1
tainly required further investigation, he would 0
nothing more.
The prisoner, who was allowed to sit during the it 0
vestigation, conducted herself with the utmost Ceelligoi
and self-possession. She was conveyed to the Rase
Detention.

,g
THE IRON TRADE.--WOLYERIIAMPTON, WS"i- 110
DAY. —The demand during the past week for irclqbe
not been as brisk as during the preceding week.
demand, however, is such us to warrant the maintenP";e,
of the late advance of 20s. per ton, and unless sonleo
trograde movement, caused by the unfortunate turn ~
things have lately taken on the Continent, s_ h
sll tie
place, the above rise will, we think, be declared 5t tb
,0
next meeting of the trade for the spring quarter. „,,,
are a majority of the masters in favour of the adva-iti
but there is an influential minority rather opposed t° pa
but on the whole the trade is steadily improving,
furnaces are being blown in.
c
COMMISSIONERS Or SEWERS' RATING OF --1
CHURCHES.—On Saturday the several inspectors elff
pointed by the Commissioners of the Court of Seweef
for the city of London were busily engaged in
..,°3bes
suring the ground on which the several City chni',.o
stand, for the purpose of being assessed to the sew
rate. Hitherto the sacred edifices have only been teno
towards the Consolidated Fund ;_ the only excePtit-il
being the Cathedral Church of St. Paul's, and these" .c 4
burial-grounds attached to the building, the whole or
which are exempted by an Act of Parliament. -1'1;d of
three weeks since, the medical officer of the Boar,„-be
Health caused the area of the several churchyards 'ate
tiken, and the number of interments within the rthe
ceding p ar. The variation being so great, led 10( the
:opposition that a similar difference in respect °Do'
churches might exist, and as, under a recent Act 0t the
liaaie:it, the above buildings are liable to be rated t"d a 0
sev.ers rate, the deputies of the several wards is;tleo. the
order for their re-admeasurernent, the Act gi,v:lf,3er
power to levy a rate of 2d. her square yard.
the
sure has already created a powerful sensation 'fld ob•
City, it being looked upon in the light of a new and the
noxi.Jus tax, which will come indirectly out °og/
pockets of those assessed to the several rates. Meet ear
are contemplated tor the purpose of directing them the
b,l.s of the Court of Common Council to oPP°9ii
proposed assessment, which, in all probability, lied,
done, as the members of the court are annually e'e
and irons which body the commissioners are chosen. of
ASSOCIATION FOR THE AID AND /3E141E111000
DRESSMAKERS AND IT ILLlNERS.—Yesterday afternoiit,
AshleY, bar
a numerously attended meeting of the Ladies' ,_,Cer°4 le
tee of the above association was held at their °thee" Profe'
Clifford-street, Bond-street, the Viscountess Grey )
siding. Amongst those present were the Countess
Ellesmere, Viscountess Canning, Lady
The refoug.
James Taylor, Mrs. H. 1). Grainger, &C.
stated the progress of the society to be very etle°l!nate
ing, more especially for the reduction of the Word'
_ei
hours of labour of the vast numbers of young fenl.3,
employed in the dressmaking and millinery establre
ment3. To carry out the objects of the association le
fully funds are required.

BIR,THS.
the lady of W. V

EsE94'Ot

On the 14th inst., _tie lady . Whitehouse,
is
Brighton, of a daughter., _
~,, wi
daent
,loefm
apsleo-ng.rove, East Sheen, L.
el.
of
wife of 'l'. Sheppard, jun., Esq., of a daughter. wife
On the 16th inst., at John-street, Bedford-row, the
of
oOf inni ettßhheee'll:Dtthlir.iintß7siw", at Wappenham,
G. Train, Esq., of a son.
*eel°
On the rith inst., at Camberwell, Mrs. Henry
Northamptonshire'
Smithers, jun., of a son.
On the 17th inst.,
Jack;
the Training College, —Battersea' t_.....116 wife of the Rev. T. ackson, of a daughter.

At Pleasance, DundeeMAR
on
theRIED. 13th inst., Charles 111„beg,
'st
Esq., formerly of St. John's, New Brunswick, to
daughter of the late A. Lowson, Esq , Arbroath.
h-10144
On the 13th inst., at St. James's Church, Toxte- AtArf,
Major Reed, of her Majesty's 84th Regiment, E
youngest daughter of II Denison, Esq., of Liverpool. xiorf
On the IfAh inst., at Foxearth, Mr. Charles Long, ofhter of
street, Portman-square, London, to Henrietta, `daughter
F. W. Bethel, Esq., of Foxearth, Essex.

MED. oOv' T
On the 16th inst., at Abbey-place, St. John's- -w
W. Botys; aged 21. ingtollf
On h e 17th inst., at Nelson-terrace, Stoke Newwilloita
Mrs. Sarah Mountford, aged 83, relict of the late
Mountford, Esq., of Stamford-hill. Catherine
At Hammersmith, on the 16th inst., aged 51,
the wife of Dlr. W. Morison. „
On the 18th in Fitzroy-square, Samuel \vac] 100-
On the 16th inst., at Lancaster-ledge, New-road'
mersmitn, I\lr. T. Hill, aged 39.
London t Prink(' and Published by MURDO 1-01 j.,), 1111
No. 112, Strand, Printer, at The Sun Office, -o'""ty
Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the Co"-
Middlesei, Thursday, March 22,1849;