The Sun.
London, England, 1870-11-05 00:00:00

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA

In spite of the fog and the frost, Covent Garden 105
fairly well filled last night, and those who braved the
darkness and the all-pervading smoke were well repaid
for their courage. 'Neither smoke nor fog seemed to have
affected the singers. Titiens was in perfect voice, and her
notes were fuller and richer than usual. She wasraptu.
rously encored in " Tacea
,la notte placida" and in
"d'Amor Sull' alma rosa." Signor - Vizza,ni well
sustained the part of Ma itrico, but his vole°
failed a little at the close of "Mal reggendo." Signor
Cotogni gave " Il Balen " with great effect, and received
a most merited encore. Signor Vizzani and Mdlle. Scalchi
sang the well known duet, " Ai nostri monti" with great
feeling and Mdlle. Scalchi was inimitable in her represen-
talon of the gipsy. This opera, though so well known,
or rather because it is so well known, is a great favourite,
and it was a real pleasure to hear it rendered as it was
rendered on Thursday night.

POSTAL CIRCULARS.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE " SUN."

Sra,--41aving a large number of circulars to post an
nouncing our removal to new premises, we adopted the
precaution •of testing postal notions. Our printer for
warded two to our Dublin house, and the like to ourselveo,
enclosed in an envelope cut open at both sides, leaving lb
small portion uncut to prevent the contents falling out.
They were delivered for the halfpenny.
Being thus satisfied, we yesterday posted the first batch'
and one penny has been charged on each letter, to the
great vexation and annoyance of ourselves and friends.
We are, sir, your obedient servants,
KINAHAN AND CO.
GA, Great Titchfield-street, 3rd November, 1870.

MR. REED AND THE LOSS OF THE
CAPTAIN.
TO THE EDITOR OF " THE SUN."

SIB,— In your paper of yesterday's date you quote so
article from Macmillan by Mr. Reed which misrepr°'
sents me.

I wrote to prevent the public press from adopting Ml'
Reed's views on naval architecture, knowing that they
were erroneoas,"and would, i f adopted, lead to further
loss of life. This must be my excuse for asking the favour
of the insertion of this letter.
I anticipated that Mr. Reed would endeavour to escape
the force of arguments he could not refute by questioning
the accuracy of my figures. I therefore stated that they
might not be quite correct, but that they were sufficiently
so for the purpose of illustrating my arguments.
Mr. Reed classed the high position of the centre
of gravity of the Captain amongst the minor cans°
to which " persons imputed her loss." This is an opinion,
which, for the sake of life and property, I hope Mr. Reed
alone entertains.

I stated that the loss of the Captain arose from her net
having sufficient stability, and that her deficiency in this
respect arose from the fact that her centre of gravity w3B
too high, and that her centre of buoyancy, or displace'
ment was too low. I have since demonstrated the correct'
ness of that view in a pamphlet published by Messrs.
Snow, which I beg to forward to you.
I have further shewn that if these centres are badlY
placed, any ship will capsize if situated as the Captain
was with reference to waves, even though the side was a 5
high as Mr. Reed considers safe, and though it were 2'
feet higher than that.

I said the Captain was lost because there were defects ill
her design, which she had in common with other ships ill
the navy, and which, if not corrected, would prove fats'
to them also.

Within a few days, proving the correctness of my vie"ve
on these points, the Invincible has been tried, when it vi 753
found that she heeled over 14 degrees or more, without
any sail whatever, and not much wind, and this not'
withstanding that she had high sides, but because her
centre of gravity was high and her centre of buoyancy low.
There are six of this class, in which Mr. Reed has given
effect tc his erroneous views, and they are all unsafe.
If you or any of your correspondents will go down t°
the Thames,they may see barges loaded till their gunwhain°
are nearly level with the water, and it may be observed
that they are scarcely disturbed by the waves froml
passing steamers ; and this is so because they have great
stability, and because they have no side above water, in
consequence of which the waves pass freely over the.
deck, and therefore cannot disturb the vessel by adding
buoyancy to one side or the other.
These barges may be seen also under a press of sail
when so loaded, and with their gunwhales under water,
and yet they are perfectly safe, simply because they have
been given sufficient stability, not with a low side, but
without any side whatever above water.

This stability is due to two principal causes : a lo'
centre of gravity, and a relatively high centre of
buoyancy.

Common sense will dictate that what is attainable in
the barges is attainable, differing only in degree, in ships
like the Captain, and it only requires men with ordinal",
common sense, and an ordinary knowledge of naval archi'
tecture, to effect it.—l am, sir, your obedient servant,
E. GARDENER FISHBOURis.T.
London, Nov. 3, 1870.

" A Silent Member," who has just published the
first of a series of sketches of the House of Commons, has
taken the trouble to reckon up Mr. Gladstone's speeches
last session. The Premier was on his legs 178 times, and
his speeches occupy about eighty columns of the Times ;
placed in a single column it would be a sheet reaching to
the top of the Monument.
THE ACCIDENT TO THE PRINCESS LOUISE."'"
Professor Lister, of Edinburg, has, it will have been oh-
served, paid a visit to Balmoral. He was, we understand,
summoned to see the Princess Louise. The Princess not
with a slight sprain a fortnight since ; and, its effects not
having passed away so quickly as such little troubles often
do, it was thought desirable to have recourse to the set-
vices of the Queen's surgeon in Scotland. The Princess's
knee is in a state of irritation from sprain and over-exec'
tion.—British Medical Journal.

SCHOOL BOARDS IN PROVINCIAL BOROUGHS."'"
4.pecial orders were issued on Thursday night by the
Education Department for the immediate election of
School Boards in the following boroughs :—Birmingliani,
Sheffield, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Congleton)
Aberystwith (Cardigan), Bradford (Yorkshire), Middles'
borough, Bootie-cum-Linacre, Stockport, Salford, Itoch'
dale, Bolton (Lancashire), Coventry, Gateshead, Bridg-
water, Nottingham, Stockton -on - Tees, Chipping'
Wycombe, and Wolverhampton.
LORD CAWDOR AND GAME PRESERVING.—The
Earl of Cawdor has made a material concession to
his tenantry in regard to the ground game on the estate-
He has signified his intention of permitting the tenants to
kill and destroy all the hares and rabbits on their faro%
The only restriction he places is in the interests of winged
game. They are not at liberty to use a gun or a dog.
The new regulation comes into force on the let February
Previous to this, Lord Cawdor, on receiving complaint-4
about the injury to crops by the game, made over, in one
or two instances, the entire shooting to the tenant at a
nominal rent.—Scotsnidn.

Another daring burglary has been perpetrated in
Twickenham. It seems that a widow lady, named Mal'
mont, residing at 4, Alexandra-viflas-avenue, having some
days since received intelligence of the illness of a member
of her family, locked up her house and proceeded to
Scarborough to visit him, and not being able to return,
sent her daughter some few days afterwards to take
charge of her house. The latter, on her arrival, found the
house had been, entered, and a quantity of clothingn°
diamond ring \talked at 20 guineas, and about £7 10s. 1°
money had been carried off. A chest of drawers, where
the property was taken from, was completely broken to
pieces to open it, and several marks of a chisel or screw'
driver were to be seen about it.

THE SITTINGS' OF THE JUDICIAL COMMITTEE.
The list of the forthcoming sittings of the Judicial Cour
mittee has just been issued. It contains as many as
"seventy " appeals, besides three Patent cases. There are
four Ecclesiastical oases, and the Archbishop of Canter-
bury will attend on Thursday next in the case of the Rev-
Mr. Voysey. It is expected to occupy two or three days
On the 14th instant the Archbishop of York will attend
in the case of Mr. Mackonochie, on an application to en•
force the monition of the Court with respect to kneeling
after the Prayer of Consecration. His Grace will hear
the case on " Vestments," from Brighton, and also the
"Ledbury scandal" ease. The regular sittings of the
Committee will beein on the 26t instant, with more than
60 appeals, and upwards of 40 from Bengal alone. The
sitting will last to nearly Christmas. The arrears of
appeals are onsiderable. •
SALE OF VALUABLE JEWELS.—An attractive
jewel sale took place at Debenham Storr, and sous',
King-street, Covent-garden, on Thursday. The most
costly lots were as follows : —1,809. A magnificent hail;
hoop brilliant ring, £lO7. 1,810. Three large ane
lustrous brilliants, mounted as a ring, 200 guineas. 1,811.
Five remarkably ne brilliant stars, Co form tiara, brooches,
or pendants, 100 guineas. 1,900. A cluster brilliant 0010
necklace, consisting of 26 stars, each composed of a flee
centre stone, surrounded by others . of smaller size,
a single brilliant connecting each star,. 300 guineas, 2,901.
A beautiful brilliant collet necklace, consisting of well"
graduated stones, all of fine quality, 270 guineas. 1,909.
A rare large opal, surrounded with numerous diamonds,
mounted as a pendant, beautifully enamelled 25,4 guined•,,
1,910. A magnificent fine spread brilliant, of grey
lustre, and the extraordinary weight of 12i carats,
275 guineas, 1,954. A large emerald of beautiful riel,l
deep
,colour, and surrounded with diamonds mounted
as a ring, 27 guineas. 1,955. A curiously designed rose
brooch, composed of pearls of remarkable size and fora)!
enriched with a profusion of rubies and diamonds, 21
guineas. 1,960. A superb three-stone brilliant ring,
splendid match, and the finest lustre and water, enriched
with six smaller stones, 129 guineas. 2,017. A magaifr
cent opal, of superb quality, 5n carats, £230.

;rarden ova
braved the
well repaid
bled to have

:„, and her

was rapoi

a,n(l lil
zzani WeLi

his voice

)." Srign°
Ld receite4
lle. Scalchi
with great

represeir
ell knOlo,
favourite,

as it W 59

to post an-
Idopted the
printer
for
L;o ourselves,
s, leaving a
falling out.

first batch'
ter, to the
I friends.--

ND CO.
870.

THE

u quote an
i uaisrepro"

[opting jr.D
that they
to further
the favour

it to escape
question ing
I that they
suffic ientli

the centl

;nor causes

an opinion
e Mr. Reed

rom her not
3ncy in this
gravity w3B
3r displace'
the correct'
by Meaare.

are badlY
the Captain
side was 01
i it were 20

re defects in
her ships 13
prove fats'

of my views
when it Nos
ire, without
id this nut'
because her

ancy low•

3d has give°
ansafe.

go down to
r gunwhalee
be observed
eaves frova
r ha ve greAt
re water, in
r over the•
by adding

Tea of sail
nder water,
e they hay°
ow side, but

tses : a low
centre of

tainable
ee,in ships
th ordinaff
naval arelli.
servant,
3OURN•

dished. the
unions, has
es speech
times, and
e Times ; if
reaching to

Lo um; .
ye been ob'
Lnderst and,
rincess not
effects not
mbles often
to the ser-
f Princess's
over-exer•

;ht by the
election of
rrningharn,
Congleton,
), Middles'
!ord, Itoch-
ead, Bridg.
Chipping'

[NG.—The
Lcession t°
the estate.
tenants to
heir farms.
; of winged
or a dog•
FebruarY•
complaints
ver, in one
enant at a

9 trated in
uned Mar
wing some
a member
oceeded to
to return,
Is to take
, found the
clothing,.
£7 10s. 10
rers, where
broken to
1 or screw-

lITTEE.
icial Cour
many as
There s.re
If Canter-
)f the Rev-
,hree days
will attend
tion to en-
kneeling
e will hear
d also the
gs of the
more than
ne. The
arrears of

attractive
rnd Sous'?
The most
icent hair,
colt,

'

, brooch- ~
iant CO'o&

of a line

R,ller
er 1.901'

dial iondat
guineas:.
of area'

eai.ato,
ttiful nob
mounted

d ros'

tnd forty,

nonds' 95 -
it ring, of
enriched
magoifi•