The Sun.
London, England, 1849-04-05 00:00:00

for the night in one of the buildings of the wharf,
which is hung with black cloth, and lighted up with
silver candelabras.

The Stoats Courant contains a list of appoint-
ments made by his Majesty King William 111.
The Chamber of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg,
in conformity with the usual custom, on the demise
of a sovereign, has held an extraordinary sitting.
The Administrator-General and President of the
Council, after dilating on the grief occasioned by
the death of his Majesty the Grand Duke
William IL, and the expectations which were built
upon his successor, his Majesty, the: Grand Duke
William 111., who had by letter expressed his regret
that he was unable :at this moment to appear in the
aaidst of his beloved Luxembourgers, invited the

Thamber to pay their homage to the new Sovereign,
by immediately appointing a Committee charged to
proceed to the Hague for the purpose of receiving his
Majesty's oath. After the discourse of the Admins-
trator•General, the Chamber proceeded to the nomi-
nation of the Bureau, when Mons. Charles Metz,
who was absent, was nominated President by 41 votes
out of 44, and M. Von Tornaco Vice-President, by
26 votes of 44. The Chamber decided that an address
should be drawn up to the King Grand Duke, and
should be carried to him by the deputation charged to
receive his oath. This address was adopted in the
next day's sitting.
The deputation charged to carry the address to the
Hague and to receive the oath of the King, is com-
posed:of Charles Metz as President, and twelve mem-
bers. With the exception of the President, who pre-
sided as a matter of right, the deputation was chosen
by lot.

EXPERIMEN TS IN THE MARSHES.
WOOLWICH, APRIL 4.—The experiments at the two-
gun battery in the Royal Arsenal were continued to-day
in the presence of Lieutenant- Colonel English, com-
manding officer of Royal Engineers, and Lieutenant-
Colonel Cbalmer, Assistant Director-General of Artil-
lery. 20 rounds were fired from the 8 inch howitzer,
and 20 rounds from the 32-pounder gun, a new axle
having been made for the rear wheels of the iron car-
riage, and the gun and carriage transposed to the left
side of the battery, the howitzer being taken to the right
side. The firing commenced to day by discharging both
guns at one time to give a greater concussion, and after
the second round the gun and howitzer were placed at
such angles that the shot and shell crossed each other,
and a number of rounds were fired with both guns on
the same angle, but no visible effect was produced, the
battery standing as firm as a rock, with one exception,
when a small pebble, of about three-quarters of an inch,
which had not been sufficiently imbedded in the ma-
terial, became detached. The firing was under the
direction of Captain Lawrence, R.A., who had the charge
of a detachment for manning two guns. At 2 o'clock
P.M. Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Downman, C. 8.,
K.C.H., Commandant of the garrison; Major-General
Lacy, Director-General of Artillery; Colonel Campbell,
Superintendent of the Royal Military Repository; Colonel
Gordon, Director of the Carriage Department; Colonel

_ .
Duudas, C. 8., Inspector of Artillery; Colonel Crutten-
den, Royal Artillery ; Lieutenant-Colonel Chalmer,
Assistant Director General of Artillery; Lieutenant-
Colonel Bell, Royal Horse Artillery; Lieutenant-Colonel
Anderson, Commanding Field Batteries; Lieutenant-
Colonel Bent; Lieutenant-Colonel Nevett ; Major Burn,
Assistant Inspector of Artillery; Brigade-Major Bing-
ham; Captain Tylden, Deputy Assistant Quartermaster-
General; Captain St. George, Captain Lawrence, Captain
Cannon, Captain Anderson, and a great number of officers
of the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers, assembled in
the marshes to witness experiments with 32-pounder shot
on the principle submitted by Mr. Minesinger, an Ameri-
can, from Pennsylvania. The shot were cast under the di-
rection of Col. Dundas, at the foundry in the Royal Arsenal
at Woolwich, and being mere elongated than the
common round shot, Mr. Minesinger's being exactly
shaped like an egg, with a slightly-curved projection, not
unlike the four-leaved screw propellers, at the biggest
end, they required such a quantity of metal to fill the
bore of the gun that each of the six shot fired to-day
weighed several onces above 461 b. Mr. Minesinger
having stated that his principle would carry a much
heavier shot with the usual service charge of powder,
101. for 32 pounder guns, it was to test the 461 b weight
shot with the common 32-pounder shot, that the experi-
ments were carried on to-day. The first round fired was
a round 32-pounder shot:at 1,250 yards range, the ele-
vation of the gun taken by a quadrant being 2i degrees.
Lieutenant-Colonel Chalmer directed the firing, and
the gun was so excellently laid that the first shot
knocked down the target at that long range. The second
round was fired with one of Mr. Minesinger's 4(.1b. shot,
the gun elevated 2i degrees, and the shot tell
about 150 yards short of the target, a very little to the
left. The third round, with the common shot, went
about a yard above the target; the fourth round, with
46-pounder, went near the base of the target on the left;
the fifth round, with common shot, about five feet over
the target; the sixth round, with 46-pounder, a few
yards short; the seventh round, with 32. pounder shot, a
few feet to the left; the eighth round, with 46-pounder,
near the base of the target; the ninth round, with 32-
pounder, about two feet on the left; the tenth round,
with 46-pounder, a few yards short, but in a very direct
line with the target; the eleventh round, with 32 pounder,
close to the target; and the twelfth round, with 46.
pounder, having been put into the gun without wadding,
Mr. Minesinger being of opinion that the wadding was
too thick and elastic, and his judgment was found to be
correct, as the shut was carried several hundred yards
over the mound, and, after grazing, entered the river.
The two last rounds of Mr. Minesinger's shot were fired
at an elevation of three degrees.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF COMMONS, April 4.
FRIENDLY SOCIETIES' BILL.
Mr. BROTHERTON said the observations of the
Hun. and Learned Gentleman who had just sat down
were worthy of the deepest consideration, because it was
of the utmost importance that friendly societies
should be put on a safe footing. At present
there was no law to prevent defalcations, and he
was therefore glad that this measure had been
introduced. It would prove no doubt very useful, but
he trusted the Hon. Gentleman who had charge of it
would not render it inoperative by encumbering it with
heavy fees.—(Hear.) It was of the greatest importance
to the country to encourage friendly societies, but he
was sorry to think that many of them now in ea-
istence were based upon erroneous principles, and the
consequence was that when a member, who had sub-
scribed all his life, came to require relief, he found there;was
nothing to divide—(Hear.) Another bad practice was the
system of holding the meetings in public-houses. He
thought that practice ought to be done away with, as
well as all secret signs and the plan of placing the con-
trolling power entirely in the bands of the elder mem-
bers.—(Hear, hear)
Mr. ADDERLEY said there was nothing to
prevent Odd Fellows' societies coming into the law, but
their secret signs.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL—Yes, there is the
Corresponding Societies' Act.
Mr. ADDERLEY did not think that Act could
prevent Odd Fellows' societies from being legalized.
The funds collected by these societies were exceedingly
large, and he thought this was the proper time to make
an effort to induce the Odd Fellows to give up their
signs, and place their funds and institutions within the
jurisdiction of the law.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. HUME said it was of the greatest importance
that the suggestion of the Hon. and Learned Member
for Plymouth should not be lost sight of.—(Hear, hear.)
At present, so expensive was the mode of proceeding to
obtain a legal opinion as to the solvency or va-
lidity of a friendly society, that societies notoriously
insolvent were allowed to go on increasing the mischief
they had already commenced.—(Hear.) He had always
thought that the best means for securing the welfare of
the icdustrious classes was the establishment of a safe
and sure institution for depositing their small earnings,
and he, for one, was ready to remove the difficulty the
Hon. and Learned Member for Plymouth had complained
of by consenting to the appointment, at the expense of
the State, of competent legal officers, to whom the so-
cieties should have access, free of charge,
wheu they entertained any doubt ea to the validity of
their proceedings.—(Hear, hear.) He wished to know
whether the Attorney-General would object to some
measure to bring these societies into a secure state, and
within the pale of the law. The defalcations that had
lately taken place among these societies rendered it
necessary that something should be done.
The ATTORNEY. GENERAL thought that some
measure must be adopted to place these societies upon a
sound footing.
Mr. E. DENISON trusted after what had taken
place to-day some measure would be adopted to make
these societies take a larger scope, by being placed on a
better footing.
Mr. P. SCROPE thought that the Government was
the only party that could properly manage these socie-
ties, and he trusted that the time was not far distant be-
fore the whole subject would be taken into consideration
by them.
Lord D. STUART said that the excellence, the uti-
lity, and the importance of these societies was allowed on
all sides; and if this was the case, it was evident that it
was also important that they shonld be legal societies.
Some of them had gone on, blindly no doubt, to do many
in accordance with the
Hebadhoped that be should have
been able to convince the Attorney-General last year of
letter
of things
which
thelaw. were
not exactly
the necessity of granting some boon to these societies.
He trusted, though he had not been successful last year
he hoped he might be this in inducing the Hon. and
Learned Gentleman to make some provision for the ad-
vantage of these societies, especially including those of
the Odd Fellows.
Mr. E. LEWIS said that as there seemed to be some
objection to the second reading of the Bill, he would
suggest that it should be • and that it should
be reintroduced with withdrawn'
which had been the advantage of the improvements
that plan was not spuugrgsested during the discussion, or it
troduced in the sad'progrue fhe thought they might be in
Mr. SOTHERON saidoe Bill through Committee.
that out of the 32,000 that
soci when it was recollected
venue of 6,000,0001., only 14a0tvith an aggregate re-
-18,000 had no legal protection were enrolled, while
whatever so
legis-
lation was clearly necessary upon the 'sub'
was happy to accept the suggestion of the noject. He
man, and trusted that he might have the Gentle-
man, assistance of
the Government in a o c mplete modelling of the whole
of the law with respect to friendly societies.
Mr. E. LEWIS had no objection to impose that useful
duty on the Hon. Member, and would render all the aid
which, as a member of the Government, it lay in his
power to give.
The Bill was then read it second time.