The Sun.
London, England, 1833-11-09 00:00:00

DINNER TO THE CITY MEMBERS.

(Abridged from an Edinburgh Paper of Thursday.)
Yesterday a public dinner was given to the Lord Ad-
vocate and Mr. Ahercromby, the representatives of this
City in Parliament, in the Waterloo Rooms, at which
about 400 gentlemen were present—Adam Black, Esq., in
the chair ; the Solicitor-General, Sir Thomas Dick Lau-
der, Bart., Sir James Gibson Craig, Bart., and James
Spittal, Esq., croupiers. On the right of the Chairma❑
was the Lord Advocate, and on his left Mr. Abercrotnby.
Mr. Steuart of A►derston, M.P., Mr. J. A Murray, M.P.,
the Hun. Cul. Aliereromby, Mr. George Sinclair, M.P..
Sir A. Maitland Gibson, Bart., Mr. Hope Vere, of
Craigiehall, Mr. Murray, of Henderland, Col. Main, the
Rev. Dr. John Ritchie, Professor Napier, &c. &c. &c.,
scere also s,ate,l at the cross cable.

After the cloth was removed, the usual toasts were rjven

The CHAIRM•tV addressed the meeting as follows t—l 1
I hive now to crave a bumper—a flowing bumper to a
toast I give, and which know you wiil receive
with delight and exultation, for it is to one of Edinburgh's
most favorite sons ; one whose genius and lasours have
earned for him a death!ess fame and reflected a lustre on
his native town. His is not a Scotch—not a British re-
putation—but an European, I had almost said an universal
reputation : for wherever the English language is read
there is the admiration of J ffsey—(Tremendous cheering)
and with that is associated the name of Edinburgh. I
conclude by proposing the health of the Lord Advocate.
The LORD ADVOCATE, in rettrning thanks, said,
there were three points on which it was necessary for
him to say a word or two ; but on which he would not
detain them long. The first of these was with regard to
the pros,edings of Government on naval and military
sinecures. The second, respecting the large sum voted as
compensation to slave holders in the West Indies; end the
last regarded that great and unavoidable measure—the
Coercion Bill for Ireland. His Lordship then entered
into a short history of the naval and military sinecures ;
and stated that many years ago, before there was any
prospect of the present Government coming into power,
it had been the expressed opinion of Sir James Graham
and Lord John Russell that the system of thus rewarding
the services of meritorious officers, being considered Ily
the individuals themselves more honourable, and being
found to he the most economical for the Government, it
was expedient that it should be continued. A Select
Committee had been appointed to inquire into individual
eases, and this Committee embraced the whole of the Mem-
bers who generally took a lead in questions of economy,
viz., Mr. Joseph Hume, Sir H. Parnell, Col. Evans, and
others, and this Committee decided, by a great majority,
that it was fit and proper these sinecures should remain.
His Lordship then adverted to the question of compensa-
tion to the West India planters. He was aware that this
appeared to the country at large as being a lavish and
munificent grant ; but they must all be aware, that, when
they sought to purchase redemption for a great crime,
they ought not to grudge the payment of a great price.
(Cheers.) He then adverted to the Irish Coercion Bill;
and congratulated the meeting on the successful and
peaceful issue of that, at the time, painful but necessary
measure. He honoured the feelings of those who
opposed this measure upon principle, and he should
little value the support of any man who could look upon
the necessity which wrung that enactment front the first
session of a reformed British Legislature without feelings
of pain, agony, pity and humility, which: it would be
difficult to find words to express.—(Cheers,) Whatever
defects might be found either in the measures for
Parliamentary or burgh reform, there were others
in train which he hoped in the next session of Par-
liament would remedy all these. He came next to
the local question of the annuity tax, on which sub-
ject his Lordship said he was not now prepared, or did
he believe that any one was prepared, to propound
any scheme that would remove all the just objections to
this tax. But he might say, that he was very far from
being an admirer of the annuity tax, but that he held the
partial exemption from it as not only unjustifiable, but
ridiculous—(Cheers.)—and that even though these in-
equalities were removed, the tax was still liable to serious
objections. Nothing would give him greater satisfaction
than to find some substitute fir it which was more just
and equitable. He was not prepared, and he hoped he never
should be prepared to say that the Established Clergy
should be supported by voluntary contributions.—(Great
cheering.) He dill not think there would be any Justice
in the support of the clergy of this opulent city being
saddled upon the nation at large ; but that all the citizens
should contribute equally to the maintenance of the clergy.
In regard to the question of Parliamentary Reform, he
again stated that it was not to be considered as a final
measure, but as the instrument and means of other refoi nes.
His Lordship sat down amidst loud cheering.
The CHAIRMAN next gave the health of the Right Hon.
James A liercromby.—(Loud and continued cheering.)
Mr. Asrettcßomass, after returning thanks, said, that
although all the acts of the past session hat not been such
as he could have wished, yet, upon the whole, be could
bear testimony to Parliament being guided by a genuine
and sincere love of ill,erty.—(Cheers.) Although he
,elieved his Majesty's Ministers were the most proper
pet sons to bold the reins of Government, yet it was per-
fectly true that there were some occasions on which he
had felt it his duty to vote against them.—(Great cheer-
ing,) The Hon. Member then entered, at some length,
into his reasons for having voted against Ministers on the
Irish Coercion Bill. After adverting to the Irish Church
Bill, which he characterized as a large and liberal mea-
sure fur that country, the Right Hon. Metnb-r alluded to
the humble share he had had in the inquiry into the
Aluncipal Corporotions of England. This was a new

chapter in the condition of the people, and before many
years elapsed, the result would appear in their improved
condition. In reference to the Septennial Act, the Hon.
Member said that although be had deemed it his duty to
vote against it, yet the question was brought forward
under such disadvantageous circumstances, as almost to
have justified its best friends to vote against it.—(Cheers.)
He thought, however, that now it might be as well to
wait snd see how what they had got should work, before
they asked for more.

Sir THOMAS DICK LAUDER. then gave—" The liberty
of the press ;" and, after several other toasts, the company
separated.

ERICSSON'S CALORIC ENGINE.

Various attempts have been made to construct engines
founded on the principle of the expansion of atmospheric
air by heat, but these attempts have still remained without
practical success. The caloric engine invented by Capt.
Ericsson, a large working model of which we have seen
in vigorous operation, seems to promise results of a very
different kind. Air and steam must now engage in a
desperate and probably a deadly struggle for the mastery.
If the sanguine, and, we think, not unreasonable hopes
of the inventor be realized, steam has seen its best days.
The principle of the engine is founded on the well
known property of fluids, that they transmit their pres-
sures equally in all directions. It consists of two cylin-
ders of unequal diameters, the area of the pistons of the
one being double that of the other. These cylinders are
connected together by means of a mks of pipes, called a
regenerator. If air be condensed in these cylinders, it is
obvious that the superior pressure exerted on the piston of
the large cylinder will vanquish the pressure on the small
one, and motion will take place till the larger piston has
reached the top of the cylinder, whilst the small one has
been pushed to the bottom. Here all motion would ceav,
if heated condensed air were not allowed to enter above
the large piston, and below the small one, so as to depress
the large one to tile bottom of the cylinder, and raise the
smaller one to the top. But this being done by sliding
valves, exactly as in the steam-engine, the motion is
constantly kept up. Oa this principle, then, we could
obviously have an air engine, which would perform its
operations by the sudden heating and cooling of condensed
atmospheric air. But this is not the principle which
distinguishes the caloric engine from others of the same
class. The marked difference lies in this—that the same
heat is made to circulate through the engine, and perform
the same duty over and over again, instead of being
thrown into a cold condenser, or into the atmosphere as so
much waste fuel.

The regenerator consists of a number of pipes, having
numerous discs of metal placed within them to make the
air circulate in eddies, and either deposit its heat in the
pipes or receive it from them, according to the difference
of temperature. These pipes are enclosed in a long
cylinder of sheet iron, which has also discs of metal eo
arranged that the air, passing along the outside of the
pipes, may also travel in a circuitous route, and deposit
its heat, or receive it, according to circumstances.
The heated air, after having done its duty in the large
cylinder, is made to circulate through the regenerator,
and deposit a very large quantity of its caloric before it
reaches the cold cylinder. The cold air from the small
cylinder is at the same time passing along the interior of
the pipes to the tubes above the furnace, and is thus
carrying back the same caloric to do the same work over
again. But though we have only mentioned atmospheric
air as the fluid actually employed, it is obvious that any
other fluid, whether •riform or liquid, may be used in
the same manner. But a simple statement of numerical
facts, furnished us by the engineer himself, will be of
more value in turning the attention of the public to this
invention than any general observations which we can
possibly make. The engine actually constructed has two
cylinders of eighteen inches stroke each, the one being
fourteen inches diameter, the other lOi inches. The
working pressure is 351 b. above that of the atmosphere.
The fly-wheel performs 56 revolutions in a minute. The
break-wheel is two feet in diameter, and loaded with a
weight of 5,2001b5. The power of the engine is calcu-
lated to be equal to five horses. The regenerator has
seven tubes about seven feet long and two inches diameter.
The engine requires only 21b. of coal per hour for the
power of one horse, and the whole heat which is actually
lost out of this quantity, or not returned by the regene-
rator, is only 31b. per hour; so that the other parts are
lost by radiation, msy be much dithinish,tl it.
an engine o❑ a larger scale, ant by surrounding certain
pares b effect conductors.—Times.

IMPROVEMENTS ':I the CITY of LONDON.

A PETITION AGAINST SOME OF THE DOINGS OF " THE

BRIDGE C,IIMITTEE."

The Memorial alluded to, a copy of which has been
forwarded to u 4, is addressed to the Lord Mayor, Aldermen,
arid Common Council, and is, we are told, receiving signa-
tures to a great amount. It requests that the particular
attention of this great conservative body may be directed
towards the arrangements now in progress to complete tte
new line of street from London-bridge to the west end of
Cornhill. Perhaps the better way of explaining the object
of this petition would be to give a few extracts from the
dwument itself, because, though firm, it is respectful,
stating the cruse of complaint fairly, but without casting
any unpleasant reflections upon any of the parties con.
cerned. After stating that it is the petition of the
undersigned inhabitants and citizens of London, it thus
proceeds
" That your petitioners have heard with surprise that the
London.bridge Committee have resolved to leave standing the
banking-house of Messrs. Smith, Payne, and Company, in
building the new street from London-bridge to Cornhill.
This will be seen by a reference to the plans of Sir Robert
Smirke. Your petitioners, therefore, respectfully submit for
the information of your Honourable Court the said plans, and
also one showing the alteration proposed by your petitioners,
with four views illustrating the great advantage in beauty of
appearance which this change would produce.
" That your petitioners regret that the improvements which
have been commenced with so much boldness of design for the
public good should be spoiled by so abrupt a termination of
the inteadecl new street.

" That it would be a subject of great and lasting regret if the
entrance of the new street, near the Mansion-house, should
be: narrower than the centre; for at that spot the traffic is
incalculable, from the convergence to it of so many streets, so
that it would, in that case, be impossible to prevent continual
stoppages.

" That if the said house of Messrs. Smith, Payne, and Co.
were removed, according to the plan proposed by your peti.
tioners, an uninterrupted view of the portico of the Mansion_
house and great part of Cheapside would be obtained from
Lombard-street; and also that the now obscured but handsome
church of St. Mary,Woolnoth, would be seen from the Poultry,
and that a commanding view of the new street, with the Monu-
ment in the distance, would present itself from the east corner
of the Mansion-house.

"'That the daily increase of population, and the immense
traffic teat must of necessity pass through the new street, de-
mands a wide pavement at the crossing from the Mansion_
house to Cornhill, to Lombard-street, and the new street;
whereas the pavement opposite the house of Messrs Smith,
Payne, and Co. is much narrower at present than any part of
Cornhill, the Poultry, or Cheapside."

We have given these extracts at large, that our readers
may understand the real bearings of the case ; there are
other strong points put forward, which we have not room
to insert, with the exception of one, which we think will
be considered of very material consequence by the citizens
at large, namely, " The necessity that exists for opening
every thoroughfare so far as to afford facilities for carriages,
chariots, coaches, carts, and waggons to pass freely, that
visiters from the \Vest-end who conic to make purchases
the ease with which they may
bmeayenbaebliendvitt.edridtoe,
do
orisvo by the
walk through any part of the
city." This hint speaks volumes, and we hope will not be
thrown away upon the Lodon-bridge Committee. These
gentlemen are now anxious to pull down a number of
0;e metropolitan churches, under the pretext of giving
more facilities of ventilation and traffic. Let them now
show the sincerity of their pretences, by abating fifteen
feet of a banking-house, at the most important point of
conveyance for the city trade, and where b?auty and utility
would be eminently united. If the Bridge Committee
should neglect to secure this point of importance to the
citizens, it will certainly create strong suspicions in the
public mind that a vast increase of jobbing patronage and '
profit is contemplated in the new scheme for pulling down
the ancient churches, and desecrating the monuments and
the sacred ashes of our forefathers. We hope that the
petition will receive the serious attention which it de-
mands, and that its very reasonable request will be corn•
plied with, and in the mean time, as St. Thomas's day
approaches, we would recommend the citizens to press
their just claim to the improvement they so properly and
respectfully require; let them be equally prompt and
vigilant in their movements, and we have no doubt the
respectable firm alluded to will acquiesce at once, and
gratify the reason ible request of those fellow citizens with
whom they have been so long connected and esteemed either
as men of business or as private friends. —Morn. Herald.

Viscount and Viscountess Beresford, who
have been for some weeks on a tour, arrived in Cavendish-
square early in the week, and have since taken their de-
parture for Mepdene.

The first Cabinet dinner will take place on
Monday, at Mr. Stanley's.