The Sun.
London, England, 1851-03-14 00:00:00

THE SUN,

from the Pen of a nameless and unknown
writer, it would still be entitled to a
favourable— rec.,ption on its own merits. It
contains internal evidence of being the production
of one thoroughly acquainted with, and who had re-
.th eted profoundly on, the subject matter on which
he wag engaged; we commend it to the public atten-
tion on these grounds, and these grounds only. Let
it be taken for what it is worth, and we feel assured
that the statements and arguments therein contained
will carry with them conviction to every unprejudiced
mind, and show the errors into which some of the

popular representatives have fallen.
It will be seen that Sir CHARLES NAPIER enter-
tains the same opinions on the naval estimates to

which we gave expression on Tuesday last. "It is
not," he says, " the vote for men that governs the
amount of the navy estimates, it is the vote for artifi-
cers employed in the dockyards that ought to rule the

expense." This is indeed the truth, and its accuracy.
is established by the simple rules of arithmetic. Our
entire effective force of seamen, marines, and.boys---:
what may be termed the personnel of the service, only
costs 1,936,355/. out of the gross total of 5,727,2591.
required, or, in other words, little more than one-
third of the entire amount, that sum including

every expense for wages, victualling, clothing, &c. ;
while 2,011,3071. is required for the dockyard expen-
diture. Every shilling of the former outlay is, or
rather, under a wiser system than is now pursued,
would be, applied to a good purpose. Sailors, when
fully trained and disciplined, become exceedingly
valuable. It takes several years to make a thorough
practical seaman. A few months may en-
able a soldier to go through his drill,
load and fire his musket, and point his
bayonet against any aggressor, but it is not so
easy to teach sailors to ascend the masts, spread
themselves out upon the yards, furl or unfurl the
sails, or perform the various operations that may fall
to their lot in the ordinary routine of duty. There
is not, therefore, so imperative a necessity for keeping
a reserve of the former as of the latter. Besides, if
necessity should arise, we could more easily col-
lect the disbanded men. Their pursuits keep
them on terra firma, and they could be found when
wanting. But still we reverse the proper policy.
We watch jealously over our soldiers, maintain depots,
and skeleton regiments, and objections are made to
enlistment for limited periods. In fact, when once a
man joins as a recruit, he becomes so very dear to
his country that be will not be willingly parted with,
save on the payment of a good round sum of money.
And why ? Because, say the authorities, " a sandier
is an expensive machine." We believe each man is
estimated to have cost some 35/. before he became
really valuable, and it would take an equal sum to pro-
vide an efficient substitute. It would, therefore, bee an
unwise economy to discharge such a man beenuse
there was no immediate necessity for his services, and
this judicious view is fully carried out in prat tice.
But how do we act with regard to our sailors? A
vessel is commissioned and sent on foreign service ;
the crew are collected together with great difficulty,
and considerable delay, months being often consamed
before the entire complement can be obtained,
or the gallant ship fully manned. At first. the
men are unable to work efficiently together. They,
do not understand their different posts, or the sub-
division of labour, so as to do the largest amount of
work with the least possible expenditure of trouble;
by degrees this valuable knowledge is acqu.ired,
everything goes smoothly. The captain, offi,cers,
and seamen become accustomed to each other ; ,com-
pliments "are freely bestowed on the high state of effi-
ciency, into which they hare been broieght,
when the usual three years' term expires, , and
these valuable men, each of whom costs for pay,
clothing and rations, as much "as three soldiers,
and requires thrice the time in acquiring tho full
practical knowledge of his business—so that. the
" naval" actually costa about eight or ten times the p rice
of the " military machine"—are paid off discharged,
dispersed throughout the globe, where they cat snot
be procured, under any circumstsnces or at. any
price, when there is again occasion for their serv.ices.
Nay, we actually fling them into the arms of' our
maritime rivals, to be used in case of emerge ncy
against their ungrateful country. What madne es is
this, and on what do our sapient rulers i rely
for replacing these unappreciated , but inestin a able
men? Is it on the iniquitous and now happily obs cilete
practice of impressment?, Do they suppose that they
can get together at a moment's notice the hardy b and
tbey have recklessly flung away? No, the infamous 'sys-
tem of impressment has. departed, never to return, and
with Sir CHARLES NAPIER we say, " they might ju st as
well attempt to return to Protection." If we slant
to obtain good men, we must pay for them juetly and
honourably, and we must hold out advantages to in-
duce efficient volunteers. Why not :give
the men, after a return from a five years' voya ge—
and the ship's findings and fittings es c uld
fully last that period, thus saving 60 or 60 per seent.
on the repairs—a reasonable leave of absence, to see
their friends and enjoy themselves after their labelers,
their pay continuing, but their rations and
allowances of course being withheld? tr.ney
would willingly return at the appoi sited
time, and an invaluable reserve would al ways
be available at a cost but little exceeding the duty on
grass seeds, for the remission of which Sir CIIA ALES
WOOD claims so much credit from the agriculturists.
" But," say our " penny-wise-and-pound-foc
statesmen, " they would, after fire years' sets "ices,
become entitled to extra pay." It might, then Core,
cost the country a few thousands additional. 4kb,
gentlemen, how full are you of the propriety' and
necessity of " keeping faith with the men of y our
own order ; of keeping an utterly useless set: of
admirals, because it would be " a breach of fai th"
to deprive the post-captains, who have ' not
been afloat for the last twenty years, of the
prospects of their flags ; but where is the faith -with
the tailor, without whom the captain and ad n oral
could do little, if we turn him adrift, Care-
less of his future fate, because, if 1 anger
retained in the service, he would become entit led to
extra pay and additional advantages ? Was he ixt any
degree tempted to, enter the service on acct unt. of
these prospective advantages; and is not the terrning
him off, when he has almost become entitled to them,
but little better than an act of "swindling r Exa mine
it in its details, and see whether it is not cor duct
unbecoming a mighty nation, a people who boast of
their integrity, and who hold as a proverb that
" honesty is the best policy ?"
But it is in the dockyards that ecc.nomy is. ptacti-.
cable.' There we maintain a body cri men,' far more
than can be required, and we are bound to provide
employment for them, lest the nation should be dis,
gusted if they were seen eating the bread of idleness.
Like a man who evoked an eve. spirit, the Admiralty
is compelled to find work for its servants, and
that work is often of the most us 31eSS and unneces-
sary character. It is for that purpose that
vessels are unrigged,_ dismantled, or altered, when
there is no real necessity for such . sets, but when, on
the contrary, they are worse t'aan useless. If
the 2,011,3071. 'were applied, to the beat
purposes, we might assent La the outlay ;
but as it is, we protest agefiast the profuse
expenditure: We fearlessly assert that 1,000,0001.
sterling, or one-half that expenditure , might be saved,
and that the business would really be better done,
and the fleet maintained in a more efficient condition.

We are rejoiced to observe the prxmptness evinced
by the Noble Lord the Earl of CARLI ILE in hastening
the passage of the Sale of Arsenic Regulation Bill
through the Upper House of Parliament. Last even-
ing it was read a second time, and before long we
shall undoubtedly have the satisfactio a of announcing
its completion as an enactment by t se Imperial Le-
gislature. Ghastly evidence of the n ecessitY existing
fur a measure of this character li:ss unfortunately
been afforded too frequently of late- —a terrible in-
stance of the crime resulting from. the absence of a
law of the kiwi having only within ti ne last few days
horrified the public imagination. Tl'm consequence of
the unrestricted vending of deleteric us drngi has, in
fact, been in certain agrichltural listricts nothing
less than the organization of a re gular system of
la t e
poisoning. Such are principaltheis ue in this
Jamities
flowing
from the remissness of the idea
parti-
cular, not of
to speak the dangers multiplied by it
in regard to those who are entire ly- innocent. A
c
frightful illustration of the latter efr t was yielded
very recently by an occurrence w hich created no
mall degree of excitement in the seclvdek i hamlet of

LONDON,

13 shop's Sutton, in Somersetshire. Upon this
occasion it appared that no less than sixteen
lives were placed in the most imminent jeopardy
by the want of all precaution evinced by
the dealers in arsenious acid and other
4structive commodities. The particulars, as briefly
given by the local newspapers, are simply to the ef-
fect that white arsenic, instead of carbonate of seda,

was by mistake Mixed with the batter used inithe cook-
ing of some pancakes on Ash• Wednesday, the poison
having been sold at the general dealer's in lieu of the
harmless powder asked for by the purchaser. This
circumstance--happily in no way fatal, seeing that
the proper antidotes were betimes administered—
comes to us as a powerful corroboration of the argu-

ments lately put forward by our contemporary,
Household Words. According to a writer in that ex-
cellent periodical, no reasonable, or, at •any rate, no
adequate precautions are taken to prevent the acci-
dental distruction of human life by the careless em-
ployment of this very poison, arsenic. "A sporting
friend," says he, " writes to us, that having shot
away all his powder the other day, he had occasion
to go into a rural grocer's shop for more. While
he was being served, there came in a little girl, who
ended a long order for tea, sugar, soap, currants, red
herrings, and flour, with the remarkable demand—
' and two ounces of arsenic.' No' comment whatever
wee made by the, shopkeeper, who pulled a small
blue paper of poison out of its proper
compartment in a drawer, with the same
composure as he handed over the packages of tea,
sugar, currants, and flour. The little girl jumbled
them all into her apron and went away. Perhaps,'
remarked our friend, some of those ingredients are
for a pudding.' Loikely,' answered the huxter, with
a strong Derbyshire accent. And should the blue
paper burst, or a little mistake be made by the cook,
the whole family will be poisoned. They should
moind what they're at,'—this was the only life-pre-
server which occurred to the chandler's
they should moind what they're at.' " Now, in
the very case we have instanced the accuracy
of this home-description was exemplified. The
blue paper, it is true, didn't burst, and the poison
thus get mingled with flour used in making the pan-
cakes of the farmer down at Bishop's Sutton—bit
the shopkeeper made just a trifling blunder of selling
a packet' of arsenic when he was asked for a couple
of ounces of carbonate of soda. It was merely a mis-
take in the compartments. That was all. A trivial
one enough in itself, but one which threatened to
terminate not less than sixteen lives prematurely.
Our observations upon this point may call
to the recollection of some the witty and
humorous manner in which the danger referred
to was pointed out just sixteen years ago by CHARLES
DICKENS, in one of the most brilliant portions of his
immortal "Pickwick." The illustration occurs in
the course of the great trial of BARDELL V. PICK-
WICK, when the jurors are being severally sworn in.
We don't think our readers will regret a quotation of
the passage in these columns just now,.when the in-
terest of the subject it alludes to has aroused even
the attention of Parliament. Some difficulty is ex-
perienced in making up the requisite number of the
jury. Ten jurymen are sworn in—two more are want-
ing, and a green-grocer and a chemist are caught di-
rectly. The green-grocer is "all right," but the chemist
demurs when his name is' called. " THOMAS
Gnomic." Here,' said the chemist. ' Take the
book, gentlemen. You shall well and truly try—'
I beg this Court's pardon,' said the chemists who
was a tall, thin,, yellow-visaged man, ' but I hope
this Court will. excuse my attendance. On what
ground, sit ?' -said - Mr. Justice STARPLEIGH.
have no assistant; my..Lord,''said the chemist. 'I
can't help that, sir,' replied Mr. Justice STARELEIGH,
`you should hire one. I can't afford it, my Lord,'•
rejoined' the chemist. ' Then you ought to be able
to afford it, sir,' said the. Judge, reddening; for Mr.
Justice STARELEIGII'S temper bordered on the irrita-
ble, and brooked not contradiction. 'I know I
ought to do so, if I got on as well as I deserved,
—but I don't, my. Lord, . answered the chemist.
Swear the gentleman,' 'said the Judge peremptorily.
The officer had got no. further than the You
shall well. and " truly try; When he was again.
interrupted by the chemist. lamto be sworn, my,
Lord, am' I?' said the chemist.' Certainly, sir,'.
replied the testy little Judge. Very well, my Lord,'
replied the 'chemist in a resigned .manner. ' Then
there'll be murder before this trial's over ; that's all.
Swear me, if you please, `
sir;' and sworn the chemist
was before the judge could find words to utter. I
merely wanted to observe, ay Lord,' said the chemist,
taking his seat with great deliberation, that I've left
nobody but an errand boy
.in my shop. He is
a eery nice soy, my Lord, but he's not
acquainted with drugs ; and 1 know that
the prevailing impression on his mind is, that
Epsom salts means oxalic acid, and syrup of senna,
laudanum. " It is precisely to prevent the possi-
bility of such very harmless little false impressions as
these that the Bill to regulate the sale of poison has
been just introduced into the House of Lords by the
Earl of CARLISLE. The propriety of such an enact-
ment needs no argument in proof—itis visible on the
very front of its. consideration.. Every chemist in
the United Kingdom is neither so laudably scrupu-
lous or, to say truth, so agreeably intelligent as
honest THoMAs Gnorrisr. The majority of village
chandlers and general dealers in the agricultural dis-
tricts have about as much knowledge of drugs as Mr.
GROFFIN'S errand boy—and, in the instance already
given by ourselves, it will be observed that
.if the
huxter at Bishop's Sutton did not actually sell
oxalic acid for Epsom salts, or laudanum for syrup
of senna, he made a mistake quite as terrible of its
kind by selling a paper of arsenic instead of a packet
of carbonate of soda. No wonder, seeing the peril
incurred by this extraordinary want of caution on the
part of the Legislature, no wonder, we say, that the
Earl of ,Caarans has at last attempted to
force upon Parliament the necessity for some strong
legislative interference. The marvel is, the endeavour
has not been aiventured upon previously. While,
nevertheless, we are disposed to exult most cordially
in the rapid progress already -made in the carrying
this Sale of Arsenic Regulation Bill through the
Legislature, we are most solicitous that it should be,
rendered yet more stringent and comprehensive in
its character. We "are, therefore, looking forward
'anxiously, but hopefully; to. the introduction of ad-
ditional clauses, rendering it in every way more likely
to prove efficient in operation, a change easily ca-
pable of being,effected when it comes before the House
in Committee.

ALARMING ZEPLOSION OF 'GAS IN LIVERPOOL.
About one o'clock to-day (Thursday) 'fhe inhabitants and
neighbOurhood of Renshaw-street, in this town, were thrown
into a state of great consternation and alarm by a loud report
resemhing the discharge of -a heavy- piece of artillery. The
cause was speedily ascertained to have arisen .from an sea-
dental explosion of gas, at the shop of Messrs. Herring and
Co., wholesale confectioners, at the.corner of Roscoe-arcade,
in the above street, by. which near:y. the whole of the plate-.
glass front was demolished, the woodwork being riven as
though struck. by 'lightning, and • considerable damage. sus-
tained to the stock in trade, a large portion of the latter being
Contained in expensive shove-glasses. 'The precise origin of
the disastells not known, but froni minute inquiries made
upon the spot, as well as at the gas-office, it is suppoted
that ari escape had been for some time previously going on
-beneath the double sashes of the shop, and that -upon a light
being te,en near them for some
.purpose connected with the
business an ignition took place, which might have proved
still.more destructive in its consequences than is the case at
present* We are happy to add, that beyond the injury to the
.shop front and the st, ck no material' damage has been sus-
tained, altliengh, from the nature of ' the explosion, it. Was
likely to have beat attended with some loss of life.
DEATH OP THE VISCOUNTESS NEWARK.—We re-
gret exceedingly to announce the demise of this lady, who
expired on Monday.last, at her residence, near Torquay,
having survived her lamented husband only, a few weeks.
was
The deceased lady second daughter. of Lord -Hathertou,
and sister to the Countess of Cavan. "

LIMERICK Assizes.—ln the, Criminal Court, on
ttloac:-ay, before Judge Jackson, a ca e charac eristic for
cruelty. was teed , scat*, Ellen W illiamr, of Eath-
lreale, was ind ctfrd, f r attempticg to burn a tittle boy, nine
years old, in a bed f straw It appeared that the prisoner's
husbant is a sweep, and the juvenile pr: secator had bi.n
s Id by hi; unuat,ral p‘r eats to Williams for 54. Tt a child
was subjected groat Severity by' Ellen Williams; whose
conduCt was ferocious, but hiving. beeh only found guilty. of
a common assau't qhe Nola sentenced to twelve months im-
prisonment. TatriCk LoobY, c.,thricted before Judge Jackson
of the mu der of And, ew iteeliher, was sentenced to execu-
tion ch the 20t1

THE DODDINGHURST MUEDEE.—IsOPFEssION.
information reached London this day from the Essex con-
stabulary, that a most important and satisfactory messag
had been forwarded to the proper quarter relative to the con-
e
fession of the prisoner Drory.
The Rev. Robert Eden, D.D., Oxon, whose elec-
tion to the see of Moray and. Ross, vacant by the resignation'
of the Right Rev. Dr. Low, recently announced, was con-
secrated to his office by the Bishop of Aberdeen and.Primus,
assisted by the Bishops of Edinburgh, Argyll, and Glasgow,
in St. Paul's Church, Edinburgh, on Sunday last.