The Sun.
London, England, 1851-08-28 00:00:00

EVENING, AUGUST 28 1851.

the station as attended the royal party from thence
this afternoon.

COURT CIRCULAR.

Her 11.1i.jesty and his Royal Highness Prince Al-
bert, with the Prince of \Vales, Prince Alfred, the
Princess R >y id, and the Princess Alice, attended
by the Countess of Dysart, the Hon. Beatrice Byng,
Colonel the Hon. C. B. Phipps, Lord Altred Paget,
and Lieutenant• Colonel the Hun. A. Gordon, arrived
at Buckingham Palace yesterday, at half-past twelve
o'clock, from Osborne, Isle of Wight.
The royal party left Osborne at a quarter to nine
o'clock, and crossed in the royal yacht Fairy to Gos-
port, where a special train was in readiness to start
for the Niue Elms station of the South-Western Rail-
way. 0:1 reaching the station the royal party en-
tered four of the Queen's carriages, and proceeded to
th- Palace, escorted by a detachment of Hussars.
The Queen and Prince Albert were received, on
alighting from their carriage, by the Vice-Chamber-
lain and klajor-General Wemyss.
Their Serene Highnesses the Prince and Princess
Hermann of Saxe Weimar visited her ➢lajesty yes-
terday, at Binkingham Palace.
The Queen and Prince Albert, with the Prince of
\Vales, Prince Altred, the Princess Royal, and the
Princess Alice, attended by Lord John Russell, the
Countess of Desert, the Honourable Beatrice Byng,
Colonel the Honourable C. B. Phipps, and Lieute-
nant-Colonel the Ron. A. Gordon, left Buckingham
Palace at half-past one o'clock yesterday afternoon
for the terminus of the Great Northern Railway at
King's-cross. The royal party occupied four of the
Queen's carriages, and were escorted to the terminus
by a detachment of Hussars.
Sir James Clark joined the royal suite at the sta-
tion. A special train was in waiting to convey the
august party to Doncaster.

OSBORNE, AUGST 27.

Yesterday was the birthday of his Royal High -
ness Prince Albert, but the weather was so inclement
as to preclude any of the Royal Family from leaving
the mansion.

The band of the Royal Marines performed a
matinee in honour of the day, of the following
pieces :
The Prince's Hymn ......
Selection, " Bohemian Girl" . Balfe.

Finale, " Fidelio" .. Beethoven.
Aria, " Les Huguenots" . Meyerbeer.
The band also performed a number of select pieces
in the middle of the day.
The only additions to the Royal dinner party were
Colonel the Hon. C. B. and Mrs. Phipps.
The band of the Royal Marines were in attendance
during the dinner, and performed the following
selection :
The Wedding March
Overture, " Les Diamans de la Cou-
ronne"

Duetto, " Tancredi".. ............ Rossini.
Cavatina, " Lucrezia 13,)rgia"
Scena and Aria, " Nino" ..... Verdi.

A deputation from Bethnal-green, on the subject
of nuisances in that parish, had an interview yester-
day with the General Board of Health, at their offices
Whitehall. The deputation consisted of the Rev. J.
B. Ansted, and Messrs. White and Z. Cornwell.

GRAND BANQUET TO ROBERT

STEMEIsTISON, ESQ., M.P.
BANGOR, AUGUST 27.—The ovation which has
this day been accorded to our eminent and justly
celebrated engineer has proved one of the grandest
affairs that the counties of Caernarvon and Flint, or
the Isle of Anglesea, have witnessed for many a long
year.
It was understood that Mr. Stephenson, who
arrived here last evening, was to "drive the last
rivet" in the Britannia Tubular-bridge to-day; but
whether the report were used figuratively in refer-
ence to the banquet, or literally, because one of the
bolts, about 60 yards from the Caernarvon side, re-
mains to be driven " home" some two inches, an ope-
ration which it has been reserved for Mr. Stephenson
to accomplish, we are unable to say. Certain it is,
however, that, at a very early hour, vast crowds had
assembled near the Tubular-bridge, in the expectation
of witnessing that interesting ceremony. The ham-
mer was awaiting the Honourable Gentleman, and the
officers were in expectation of his arrival, but after a
considerable delay public impatience became ex-
hausted, and the majority crossed the Straits, under
the direction of guides, either directly through the
tube, or upon its summit, the latter proving a perilous
operation to many wbo, having attained as far as the
Caernarvon Tower, were compelled to retrace their
steps, owing to the stiff breeze that was then blowing,
and seek the safer route. Passing from the Caernar-
von side to the centre, or Britannia Tower, the noble
mansion of the Marquis of Anglesea, and the summer
residence of Admiral Sir James Gordon, were full in
view. The elegant craft in the Menai Straits, deco-
rated for the occasion with flags, and the steamers in
full sail far beneath, all formed a coup d'ced difficult to
describe. Having at length reached the Angiesea
side, the visitors walked about two miles to the Menai
Suspension-bridge.
About half a mile from this as George Hotel is
situated, the grounds of which, on this occasion, have
been fitted up with a very magnificent pavilion,
capable of accommodating upwards of five hundred
guests. The interior of this gigantic tent was entirely
lined with cerise and white muslin ; the roof, about
thirty feet high, arranged into a beautiful network,
with festoons at intervals, and fan-shaped brackets at
the sides.

have taken place, in honour of the successful achieve-
meats of the most intrinsic and gigantic task ever
presened to modern engineer, has given an impetus
to science, such as has been rataly felt. In throwing
a line of communication across the Straits, the first
difficulty which presented itself was that in the con-
struction of the bridge no obstacle should be offered to
the usual navigation, thus preventing the use of cen-
tering., &c., generally ad. pted by engineers in the
construction of arches. The first design, therefore,
was a bridge consisting of two cast-iron arches of 350
feet span each, the centre pier resting on the Britannia
Rock, which lies exactly in the middle of the Straits,
and which is the chief reason why that particular site
was chosen for crossing; centerings being out of the
question, it was intended to erect the arches on a
plan adopted some years since by Sir Isambart
Brunel, in the construction of brick arches without
centerings; in the case of the Britannia-bridge, it
was proposed to place the voussoirs on each side of
the pier simultaneously, end tie them together, the
arches. gradually 'Treading out like wings on each
side of the pier, keeping each other in equilibrium.
`1 he same thing would have gone on from the abut-
ments, until the arches bad been joined at the apex.
These designs were presented to the Board of Admi-
ralty for their approval, but they did not meet their
requirements. The conditions imposed on Mr. Ste-
phenson were, to maintain a clear space of 103 feet
throughout two spans of 450 feet each, the pier on the
Britannia Rock not to be more than 50 feet square at
the base, because according to the Admiralty not only
was there to be sufficient heights allowed for ship's'
masts to p%ss, but the structure must be limited in
certain parts, to interfere as little as possible with the
effects of the wind. Mr. Stephenson's real difficul-
ties had, indeed, now commenced; the suspension
principle was thought of, but the tendency of the
Oa form to undulation by the weight of the trains
i‘as a serious objection. It was then proposed to
stiffen the platform by means of boiler plate rivetted
together; the idea gradually developed itself until the
bridge assumed the form of a huge wrought-iron
tube of sufficient size to allow of the passage of trains
through it, having chains on each side to act as auxi-
liaries; in fact, the
,tube was supposed to be like a
huge beam, the top and bottom of which acted like
the top and bottom of any girder, that is, the top sub-
ject to compression and the bottom to extension; here
Mr. Stephenson set Messrs. Fairbairn and Hodgkinson
to institute experiments on the strength of tubular
structures. Mr. Stephenson at first thought that a cir-
cular form would t o the most suitable; but in the course
of experiments the rectangular form was found the
strongest. It was also found that a rectangular beam
could be made sufficiently strong, and of the neces-
sary length, without requiring the assistance of chains ;
the top and bottom of the tubes, upon which depended
their strength, were composed of series of cells ; in
the course of experiment also it was found that
wrought iron could not resist compression so well as
extension ; there are, therefore, eight rectangular
cells in the tap and six in the bottom of the tubes. Mr.
Stephenson wished to have chains, which would allow
of the tubes being erected in their permanent posi-
tion. It was known that Mr. Stephenson was averse
to floating the tubes.
Mr. Edwin Clarke, however, proposed a feasible
plan of raising the tubes, Mr. Stephenson's floating
scruples were overcome, and it was decided to erect
the tubes for the large span on shore, to float them
to the base of the piers, and raise them to their
permanent height by means of b) draulic presses.
The land tubes were erected in their present position
on scaffolding. This bridge, therefore, has two cell-
tral spans of 460 feet each, and two of 250 feet. Ali
these were ultimately joined together when in their
respective places. Tne same spot in which were wit-
nessed the first formation, flowing, and completion of
this wonderful bridge, has been rendered finally cele-
brated by the due glorification of its originator and
completer, Mr. Robert Stephenson.

MR. TYRWHITT, THE MAGIS RATE; THOMAS
LEDGER. THE SCHOOLMASTER; AND THE
LITTLE BOY, PHILLIP WHEATON," WHOSE
BACK WAS BARED IN COURT, AND EXHI-
BITED FROM THIRTY TO FORTY BLACK
AND BLUE litilivKS."

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Sza,—lt I write incoherently, let your readers at-
tribute it to the indignation with which I seize the
pen
,to send you a few hurried remarks on the above
brutal case and brutal judicial treatment of it, as re-
ported in your paper of last evening:—
" A little boy snapped his fingers in school hours, and
for so doing the master gave him two cuts across the
hand, and afterwards, when no one was present, caned
him till the weapon split. He then got another cane,
and held the face of the boy downwards by putting his
foot upon him, and flogged him thus till a gentleman
heard his screams, when the little boy was permitted to
crawl away."
Sir, in the name of common humanity, such half
butchery of little boys ought to call down the execra-
tion of every man who was once a boy. In the name
of Christianity, of his religion who said, " Suffer little
children to come unto me, for of such is the kingdom
of Heaven," such barbarous attacks upon God's own
pure and tender workmanship ought to arouse the
loudest remonstrance from all hearts that beat in
unison with the gentle Nazarene's, or who possess
one spark ofjealousy for " God's own image."
But, Sir, it is not the brute who beat the boy, it
is not the accursed case itself, on which I would
bestow now one single word ; it is the magistrate
whose ear I claim, it is be that I would address
through your pages.
Is Mr. Tyrwhitt not aware that his cruel and
antiquated barbarism has been long exploded from
every system of education enlightened by moral
philosophy and experience, and adopted under the
guidance and graces of a Divine religion ? Is the
bench, Sir, the place from which_ to pronounce notions
on education which have long been condemned by
religion, philosophy, and common sense ? Take Mr.
Tyrwhitt's remarks seriatim, and they begin and end
in absurdity and cruelty. But your pages will not
allow me to more than enumerate them.
Firstly. lie tells the parents that " no great harm
has been done to their child !" Is the man that says
this a father ? If he be, and his own child " crawls"
home some night escaped from the highwa) man's
cudgel with forty black bruises on his hick, will
he repeat the inhuman words, " no harm is
done ?" But, Sir, he must be better acquainted
not only' with our physical system but with our
moral nature, and our being's end and aim, than he
evidently is, before he can be capable of understand-
ing what harm has been done. I.will leave medical
men to say what internal injuries have been caused,
or bow lasting in its effects is an injured vertebi ve, or
what shock to a nervous temperament may have been
produced. But I can say myself imagine a far more
serious harm inflicted on the wind, the memory, the
affections. Into these things Mr. Tyrwhitt is in-
capable of entering or of understanding, for he was
brought up (according to his own acknowledgement)
under the disadvantages of the cruel and iuhumaniziug
system. Had be possessed the advantages of a good
education, had the heart's natural sympathies not have
been stunted or destroyed by the mode in which he
was brought up, he would have felt what a " harm,"
what a foul blot on the mind and affections of a
child had been perpetrated by such cruelty, associated
with the aged, such oppression with the preceptor,
such pain and suffering with learning and a school.
He goes on to say that, " far heavier punishments
were inflicted in the school wherein he was brought
up." The very strongest argument, Sir, that could
possibly be used against such punishment, if we judge
by the best of all tests—is the consequences. But he
further tells us that he has seen it inflicted on those
who 'are our nobles and naval and military officers,
who took it manfully and
.in good part, and that the
puniOment was necessary to keep up the dignity of
the establishment. Does Mr. Tyrwhitt think that
such. twaddling sophistry will really be receive& as
anything but nonsense, or treated with anything
but scorn ? The punishment in those cases was
either deserved or not. If deserved, it only evi-
dences the badness of an educational system that
did not better train the boys, and preserve them
from such deserts. If undeserved, it shows that
the boys must have been made cowards who did
not resist the injustice, and must have possessed
little sense of real dignity or manliness to think that the
dignity of an establishment could be upholden by
oppression.
Bat this sapient judge goes on to recommend that
" all schoolmasters should have painted in the school-
room rules for modes and extent of punishment for
offences, to which all parents should consent."
Really, Sir, are not such ideas of offences and punish-
ments too monstrously
ignorant and absurd for com-
ment ?• No difference to be made for the age of a
child, its previous training, and knowledge of right
and wrong, good and evil; no difference for acci-
dent or design; no careful investigation whether the
deed result from good or bad motive, or from no 331°-
tive at all; but for each offence a certain cruel pu-
nishment. The inkstand fell—it matters not whether
from the feeble hand of an infant or dashed from the
fist of an angy. youth. The slate was broken, but i
matters not whether it was broken by the little phi- t
losopher trying the resisting power of the blue stone,
or by the pugilist pummelling therewith his "neigh-
bour s head. A buy "snapped his fingers (Oh,
horrible crime !), but it matters not whether it was
the little token of triumph and glee from the young-
ster who had just cerequered a difficulty, or of the boy
who had broken his piay mates nose.
An inkstand was breken, a slate did crack, and a
finger was really snapped,
and there are the painted
"rules;" by them musttthe offender be butchered.
This is a mere half of the infamy and evil that
attaches to Mr. Tyrwhitt's system of education. In
indignation at such systems and with commiseration
for their victims, I remain yours truly,
ff. 1 41

D ALETH.

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