The Sun.
London, England, 1831-12-12 00:00:00

DUTCH PAPERS.

THE HAGUE-SECOND CHAMBER OF TILE
STATES-GENERAL.

A Royal Message was read, accompanying a project, by
which, considering the uncertainty that exists whether
circurustaaces will allow the men of the National Militia
of the classes 1826 and 1827 to be discharged in 1832,
special provisions are made respecting the levy of recruits
fur 1832, which is fixed at one man out of every 300
souls. The time of the levy is not to be anticipated.
The remainder of the sitting was occupied with hearing
and discussing reports from the Committee of Petitions.
The sitting of Saturday, Dec. 3, was likewise occupied
with petitions.
THE HAGUE, DEC. 4..—His Royal Highness the Prince
of Orange arrived here last night from the army.
His Majesty, by a decree of the 25th ult., has authorised
Colonel Kleerens to raise a corps of Yagers. A number
of officers who served with the Colonel in the East Indies,
and a great many soldiers, have already of to serve in
this corps, which is annexed for the present to the 2d bat-
talion of Yagers.

Admiral Ziervogel is appointed Commandant at the
Heider. _

The Department of the Marine by his Majesty's com-
mand, has determined, that from the Ist of December, this
year, to the end of Februrary, 1832, all ships liable to
quarantine, and appearing before the Muse and the Goree
roads, shall be refused admittance there, and shall be sent
to the Texel to perform quarantine in the Nieuwe Diep,
and that during the above period no use shall be made of
the quarantine ports of Wieringen and Gemeten.
THE HAGUE, DEC. 6.---The birth-day of his Royal
Highness the Prince of Orange is kept to-day with the
usual testimonies of public rejoicing.
The reserve battalion of the 13th division of infantry,
coming from Nitneguen, passed Dordrecht in steam-boats,
going to Helvoetsluys. We learn that the first ban of the
militia of Breda and of that of Bergen-op-zoom, which
will go to Breda for the purpose, are to march to Bois-le-
Due, and join those of the latter town, so as to complete
the battalion of the militia of the towns of North Brabant.
The 200th anniversary of the High School at Amster-

dam is to be solemnized at the beginning of January for
three successive days.

AMSTERDAM, DEC. (i.
Actual Debt, `..N per cent 4OW to 4014
Amort Syndic, 4 per cent 6414 to 644
Ditto, ditto, 3%, per cent. 5314 to 5314
Voluntary Loans, 6 per cent 861.4 to 87W
Exchange upon London, one month 1 i 90
Two Months
—Dutch Papers, Dec. 7.

IMPROVEMENT in STEAM NAVIGATION.

MANSION-HOUSE.

It will be recollected, that about seven or eight
weeks back, numerous complaints were made to the
Lord Mayor relative to the accidents, which were
constantly occurring in consequence of the rate at
which steam-vessels proceeded in the river ; many
wherries and barges having been swamped in the
swell left by their paddles, and many lives thereby
sacrificed.

On Saturday a gentleman named Stevens, accom-
panied by several watermen, presented himself to his
Lordship, and said that he had discovered a remedy
for the evil complained of. He then exhibited a
very beautiful model of paddles, which in their ope-
ration would have nearly double the power of the
paddle-wheel, and which would leave the water per-
fectly smooth in the vessel's wake. A single glance
at the model is quite sufficient to demonstrate even
to a person wholly unacquainted with mechanism,
that it must accomplish this very great desideratum
in steam-navigation, while its extreme simplicity
excites astonishment that it has not before been
thought of.
Mr. Stevens apologised for intruding upon his
Lordship with a matter of the kind ; but
The LORD MAYOR said that the object to be at-
tained was most important in every point of view,
and for his own part it would give him great pleasure
to witness the success of any plan which tended to
the protection of life and property. His Lordship,
after examining the model, observed that it appeared
to be extremely simple, beautiful, and efficacious.
A Common Councilman who was present ob-
served, that the plan was precisely similar to the
eccentric wheel of a steam engine.
Mr. Stevens said that in its operatio❑ it was so,
while it avoided the friction of an eccentric wheel ;
and added, that it not only left no backwater, but
had also the additional advantage of avoiding that
vibration which is alike disagreeable to the passengers
in steam-boats and injurious to the vessels themselves.
The Water-bailiff of the Thames, who happened
to be present, said that this was the very thing that
was required; and if the steam-companies in ex-
istence refused to adopt it, vessels ought to be
started in opposition to them. Such a course would
soon compel them to give up the paddle-wheel ; for
if the vessel with the new paddles could get to Mar-
gate, an hour or two before them, and with a far less
expenditure of fuel, they would meet with no en-
couragement from the public, particularly as the new
paddles would obviate all the objections to steam
navigation in the river.
Mr. Stevens said that he applied to the LORD
MAYOR, as the Chief Magistrate of the City, to lend
his sanction to an improvement which must lead to
a great saving of human life. He had not himself
the means of placing a vessel on the Thames ; but
lie thought that where the improvement was so ob-
vious, the City would not be backward in enabling
him to bring his paddles into operation. He did not
seek for pecuniary assistance; but, as an individual
whose means were limited, he felt that his only
chance of bringing his invention into use was by
public application to the highest authority in the City.
The LORD MAYOR intimated that this was a case
in which the public Press ought to interfere, and he
had no doubt that it would do so as soon as it learned
the great utility of the invention. It was most cer-
tainly very simple and very beautiful.
The Common Councilman observed, that its
power must be infinitely beyond that of the common
paddle, and the circumstance of its leaving no swell
in the wake of the vessel rendered it invaluable. The
only thing to be overcome was the prejudice which
existed against every improvement, however valuable
-that once accomplished, it must come into general
operation.

Another gentleman said he was present when the
experiments were tried with the paddles, which
proved the superiority in every respect over the
paddle wheel, which was also corroborated by the
watermen.

Mr. Stevens then presented to his Lordship copies
of testimonials in favour of the invention from Pro-
fessor Millington, Mr. Toplis, Captain Low, R.N.,
and various other scientific and naval gentlemen, and
obtained permission of his Lordship to renew the
subject at an early period.