The Sun.
London, England, 1846-01-15 00:00:00

-Cr"' 1

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LAUNCH OF THE AMPHION
FRIGATE OF THIRTY-SIX GUNS.
Woolvvicx, J.or. 14.—This fine frigate was ordered to be
built on the 16th of May, 1828, and to be named the Ambus •
cade, but from some well-grounded objection to that name,
it was altered to Amphion, by an Admiralty order of the 31st
of March, 1831. The building of the vessel commenced on
the 15th of April, 1830, and was carried on on the same lines
as the Castor frigate, but she has since been lengthened six-
teen feet by the bow, and fitted in the stern for a screw pro-
peller as an auxiliary, every other part and filling being the
same as a proper sailing frigate. She appears to be a sightly
vessel, and sits well upon the water. Her figure-head is a
bust of the late gallant Captain Sir William Hoste, Bart.,
and her stern is of a neat square form externally, but round
internally, for fighting her guns, and to all appearance will
be a fast sailer, and a good ship of war.
The following are her dimensions :

Feet. Inches.
Length of the lower deck 177 ... 0
Length of the keel for tonnage
Breadth extreme
Breadth for tonnage 42 ... 8
Breadth moulded
Burthen in tons, old measure, 1,473 66-94
Do. do. new ...... 973 141-3,500
Miss Psyche Hoste, daughter of the late Captain Sir
William Hoste, was to have named the Amphion, but in
consequence of that young lady's indisposition, the interest-
ing ceremony was performed by Miss Hawkins, niece of
Admiral Sir James Hawkins Whitshed, Bart., G.C.8., Ad-
miral of the Fleet.
At a quarter before three o'clock, r.si., Miss Hawkins, ac-
companied, by the Gallant Admiral, and escorted by Com-
modore Sir Francis A. Collier, C.B. and K.C.H., Captain-
Superintendent of the dockyard, entered the enclosed space
surrounding the ship, and the master shipwright having pre-
sented Miss Hawkins with a glass of wine, she drank to the
success of the Amphion, and the bottle, with the remainder
of the wine, having been attached to the bows of the ship,
was broken upon them. The men then suspended their la-
bours in knocking out the dog shores, as the tide had not
risen sufficiently high, and it was twenty minutes past three
o'clock before the vessel was allowed to glide into the water,
which she did in beautiful style amidst the cheers of the as-
sembled spectators, the band of the Royal Marines playing
the national anthem. The company present was very nu-
merous, and the day particularly fine, and every person
seemed gratified, as, owing to the hour of the launch being
later than announced, none were disappointed of witnessing
the interesting scene.
The Amphion is to be taken on Monday next to the East
India Docks, to be fitted with engines of 300-horse power, by
Messrs. Miller and Ravensforth, and will be the first con-
structed for the steam navy of this country with the whole of
her machinery considerably under the water line, and conse-
quently not liable to be deranged by shot during warfare.
The screw will be fifteen feet in diameter, on Ericson's prin-
ciple, attached to engines on the direct-action principle, in-
vented by Count de Rosen, with four feet stroke, performing
48 revolutions per minute. The boilers will also be under
the water-line, and the vessel is expected to be a superior
ship of war by the aid of these appliances.
The Danish Ambassador, Lieutenant-Colonel Dundas,
C.B. ; Lieutenant-Colonel Chalmer, Major Elgee, Royal
Ar-
tillery ; Colonel Nichols, Major Bright, Royal Marines ;
Commander Smith, Royal Navy ; and the authorities of the
Dock-yard, with a number of naval and military officers,
were present, and the scene was exceedingly interesting.

THE FARMERS' FRIENDS.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
read with much interest the observations made
by you, a few days back, on a letter published by Sir Charles
Walsley. The case put by Sir Charles illustrates the posi-
tions in which the landowner and the land occupier are rela-
tively placed with respect to each other. This valourous
prototype of the protectionists refers to the sale by his
nephew, and the purehasely Earl Talbot, of the Tixall (Tick
is all ?) estate. In this instance he states that the purchase
money was 240,0001., and the rental 6,0001. a year, being, as
Sir Charles states, barely 3 per cent. upon the investment.
This transaction is put forward to prove the extreme modera-
tion of the landed proprietors, who, as the farmers' friends,
claim protection and tins maintenance of the corn• laws. It
is, no doubt, put forward with a view to induce the public to
believe, that these men are so devoid of all avaricious and
grasping propensities, that out of pure and disinterested
benevolence they are content to sacrifice private interest, and
so prove themselves by deeds, as well as by words, the
farmers' friends. They claim credit for philanthropy in in-
vesting capital in " dirty acres," which will barely yield
them 3 per cent. ; whilst naughty Messrs. Cobden, Bright,
and Co. are making " the deuce knows how much" per cent.
upon the capital which they employ in trade and
manufactures. If capital, when employed in trade,
commerce, and manufactures, be capable of produc-
ing so much better interest than when invested in the
purchase of land, how noble and generous must be the feel-
ings that prompted Earl Talbot to make such a sacrifice as to
invest 240,000/. so very disadvantageously as in the purchase
of the Tixall estate I There is no law, that lam aware of.
which could prevent Earl Talbot, Sir Charles Walsley, and
his nephew, from laying out their capital in purchasidg cot-
ton, establishing a manufactory, and setting up a calico shop
in opposition to Messrs. Cobden, Bright, and Co., and so
make "the deuce knows how much " per cent. upon the in-
vestment. The only doubt that could be well entertained
as to the ultimate success of such a speculation in the hands of
a firm so composed would be that brains, as well as brass,
are required profitably to employ money in trade, commerce,
and manufatures ; whereas, any golden calf, with just brains
enough to keep him out of a lunatic asylum, and a modicum
of sense just sufficient to retain an attorney, and to employ
a land-valuer, may become the proprietor of a whole
district of country, and assume aristocratic airs, pre-
serve game, whip beggars, pound donkeys, represent
an agricultural constituency, and, in futuretimes, become
talked of by " the fifth transmitter of his foolish face,"
as the chivalrous and the pure-blooded founder of the ho-
nourable family of the Dilly doodles. The same observations ap-
ply with equal force to the cases of those who are land occupiers
as to those who are employed in trade, commerce, and manufac-
tures. Any member of the Dillydoodle family may lay out
240,0001. in the purchase of land, and claim great credit as
the farmers'friend for asking owly 3 percent., or 6,0001. a year,
as a return upon the investment, but where is that 3 per
cent. to be fnend? From what source is the 6,000/. a
year to be derived? It requires brains as well as brass—it is ill
take skill as well as capital annually to produce that amount.
In this case the farmer, and his labourers are the manufac-
turers. Supposing the Tixall estate to be 6,000, and sup-
posing it all to be-in Mr. Cobden's occupation as an agricul-
turist—the capital required to stock and to cultivate it would,
at the rate of 51. per acre, amount to 30,000/. Mr. Cobden,
as the provider of that capital, would have to make, at the
very lowest estimate, 15 per cent. before he could keep him-
self from actual loss.—( See Bayldon's "Art of Valuing Rents
and Tillages," p. 478.)
In addition to this 15 per cent., the farmer must manage
by his skill, and with his comparatively limited capital of
30,0001. to pay, in the shape of rent, to Squire Dillydoodle,
3 per cent. upon 240,0001. Thus the farmer must make, to
keep himself from actual loss, 35 per cent. upon his capital.
Of this amount 20 per cent., or 6,000/, which is one-fifth of
the capital employed, is paid over annually to some farmers'
friend, the preserver of game, the whipper of beggars, the
pounder of donkeys, and the representative of an agricul-
tural constituency, as a compensation for anxious thoughts
endured, and sleepless nights passed, in devising the best
means to be adopted for keeping at home a few sheep-skins
that had manifested a disposition to follow the fashion of
their fellows, by creeping up the spout as most others in the
neighbourhood had already done.
A FRIEND TO FREE TRADE.
Menai Bridge, Jan. 12th, 1846.

FATAL ACCIDENT AT THE 'BURLINGTON HOTEL.
—Between two and three o'clock this morning the following
fatal and dreadful accident occurred at the Burlington Hotel,
Cork-street, Bond-street. William Adams, valet to Hud-
son, Esq., M.P., who is staying there, returned home in a
state of extreme intoxication, and having ascended the
stair-case to the third story, stumbled, and falling against
the bannisters, overbalanced himself and fell down the well
of the stair-case. He was taken up bleeding and insensible,
and expired in a few minutes. his skull was dreadfully
fractured, and one of his arms broken.
PUGILISM. -- JOHNNY WALKER AND LANE OF
BIRMINGUAL—WaIker attended at Broome's last night to
go on with this match for 200/. aside. Lane's friends, how-
ever, were not forthcoming for so large an amount. It is
whispered that they think a match with Forty Fox, of
Manchester, now pending, would be a safer speculation:
hence Walker's disappointment. 201. additional has been
made good on Harry Broome and Terry's affair, and both
men are actively preparing for the day.
THE LEAGUE MOVEMENTS OF THE WEEK.--The
lbiPsre(sWideree,d'inanenliadi.adtyho)et
three great league events of the present weelahkkaerawpillylacbieeliethhrsies,
ge7eantinmge, eattinwghinichComvern. Covent-gardenwTihlseoantrewilt
speakers announced are the Hon. Chylllesalgsor,et
M.P., Thomas Gisborne, Esq., , and Thomas Milner
.pßriodgrinamdminen
of
t*
he
Gibson, Esq., M.P.
the quarter of a million.
at Leeds; asit)
(Wednesday) evening,
pro-
ceedings at which will befound elsewhere. Mr. Cobden and
Mr. Bright are to address the meeting. To-morrow (Thurs-
day) evening, there will be a
titioivorenmso'clock
ee last evening,
neer\o-iteensr,ienamgna,disnvo
Trade Hall—probably ever known, for at
large gathering in the Free
very
irtlys
innflegewlr
eo utfsiecrhktaehdt
the body
obbreo been the
htolefire
thet ahpepphl applica-
tions,
hall.
That the demand should be so large at this unusually early
period, shows that the interest of the public in the proceed-
ings of the League, so far from abating, is greatly increasing.
The speakers announced are Mr. Cobden, Mr. Bright, and
Mr. W. J. Fox ; the two former fresh from the great York-
shire manifestation, and Mr. George Wilson, within 24 hours
after presiding over a metropolitan assembly in Covent-
garden Theatre, will again occupy the chair at the Free
Trade Hall. Thus, although there are no special topics of
great importance, no announcement of what the Ministerial
measure for the alteration or repeal of the corn-law will really
be, there will be no lack of interest or of subjects, for each
will have something cheering to tell of the spirit and liberality
of these great assemblages in the cause of free trade. Next
Tuesday, we understand, there is to be a free trade meeting
at Norwich, to promote the great fund and the qualification
movement, and it is announced that it is to be addressed by
Mr. Cobden. Mr. Wodehouse, M.P., we see, has intimated
to the Protection Society, that if Mr. Cobden is there he
will meet him; and we shall look with some curiosity to
ascertain whether the protection and monopoly advocate
really does " show up" on the occasion.—Manchester GuBr.
Nothing could be better devised than Nicoll's Re-
gistered Paletot to suit the ever-varied nature of our climate,
forming, as it now does, not only the sine qua non of the
railway traveller, but is equally so adapted for any gentleman
taking out-door exercise. It may be said distinctly to mark
the costume of the nineteenth century, if that is rightly
called marked which is only conspicuous for an unpretending
and graceful bearer, the wearer feeling so much at ease.
Certainly as an over-coat it is patronised highly, and is also
a general public favourite, being so peculiarly English, and
avoiding all foreign extravagance of style. It must be ac-
knowledged as a vast improvement ever the old great coat,
associated in our remembrance with an uncomfortable sensa-
tion of tight buttonings, which, from its very clumsiness,
defeated its object, the warmth of the person, as interferingn,ues
with the proper circulation of the blood. The principal
are black, blue, brown, and olive • also the clerical mix ure
called Oxford, and can be had of the patentees, or only of
.t
in the lining w
~ H.
J. and
the most respectable clothiers out of London.
privateEver7 ofD
winterthe
paletot is three guineas, and is stamptedith
Nthiecowno,rldls4,
,"RRegegeinstt_esrterdeet
The Guernsey Star states that a
depot of the 27th regiment, named Thomas Curry, stationed
at Fort St. George, has been committed to prison on a charge
of attempting to commit highway robbery.
BLnOdn7doVni.e" cap.
6 j
It is said that just at the moment before the fall of
the viaduct of Barentin, M. Lorgery, flour merchant, of
pavilly, was about to cross one of the arches in his cabriolet,
when the horse stopped short, and refused to pass. M. Lor-
gery struck him with his whip, but all in vatn—he refused
to stir. At the same moment the fall took place. The
water of the river was poisoned with the viantity of lime
that fell in, and a great number of fish CAYLIO to the surface
dead.
ENORMOUS PIKE.—On Tuesday a pike wall shot
by Mr. Ray, at Tring, which weighed 14'i lbs.