The Sun.
London, England, 1851-08-19 00:00:00

ROYAL ARTILLERY.

WOOLWICH, AuG. 18.—Captain St. George's company,
10th battalion, received orders on Saturday afternoon
to be in readiness to embark in the Essex freight ship
for a passage to Ceylon, to relieve Captain Wodehouso's
company, Bth battalion, and the latter will proceed to
China to relieve Captain Price's company from the
Hong-Kong station. Hitherto the reliefs of the com-
panies of Royal Artillery at Ceylon and China have
only taken place at the intervals of eight years, but by
the new arrangement the reliefs at both places will take
place every six years, and will be effected in the follow-
ing manner:—Captain Wodehouse's company proceeded
to Ceylon in July, 1847, and have now been four years
at that station, which is to be the future period of ser-
vice in Ceylon, and the remaining period of the six years
to be served at Hong-Kong. The authorities think that
the companies after a period of four years service in Cey-
lon will be better able to bear the climate of China for the
short period of two years, and that the men will enjoy
better health and spirits, owing to the limited period they
will have to servo in the celestial empire previous
to their return to head-quarters at Woolwich. Cap-
tain Bathurst, three sergeants, two bombardiers, two
acting bombardiers, and 24 gunners, arrived at head-
quarters last week from Jamaica. They were left in
detachments at Honduras Bay, Nassau, and New Provi-
dence at the time their company of the Ist battalion was
relieved from the island of Jamaica during the preva-
lence of the cholera, and when it was considered advis-
able not to wait for the detachments serving at the dif-
ferent out stations. They lost one man on the passage
home, and were obliged to leave one very ill at Ports-
mouth. Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Downman,
C. 8., K.C.H., completed his annual inspection of the
battalions of the Royal Artillery to-day, end during the
two days' inspection of the band and the companies of
the 12 battalions at present at head-quarters was accom-
panied by Colonel Cruttenden, Brigade-Major Bingham,
and Captain Tylden, Deputy-Assistant Quartermaster-
General of Artillery. After the inspection to-day the
gallant Lieutenant-General inspected Captain Taylor's
company on its return from service in Jersey. Lieute-
nant-Colonel Robe has taken the command of the Ist
battalion at Woolwich, and Lieutenant-Colonel Thorn-
dike the command of the 11th battalion.

BATTERSEA NEW BRIDGE FOUNDA
TIONS.

A correspondent of a morning paper gives the following
particulars of this new bridge:—
The piers of Battersea new bridge are founded on rows
of bearing piles, driven from 20 to 30 feet into the bed
of the river. These bearing piles are surrcunchel on
every side by cast-iron guides and sheet piles, driven 16
to 20 feet into the bed of the river. The foundations of
the piers are, therefore, bearing piles, protected by a
cast-iron casing, sunk about is feet below the bed of the

river.
The guide piles and sheet piling are carried up to the
level of low water, and from that to several feet above
Trinity high-water mark, by a peculiar arrangement of
the framing of the cast-iron plates or sheet piles. Into
this casing of cast-iron a concrete of gravel and cement
is poured; so that the piers consist of a solid mass of
artificial stone cased with iron to protect the stone from
craft, but founded on piles so protected as to render any
undorwashing arising from the bed of the river wearing
deeper impossible.
In France and Germany the use of cofferdams in cir-
cumstances similar to the Avon-bridge piers, and even
in harbour works, has long
is been discontinued; but
neither is the cost of a `‘ cast-iron casing" for the con-
crete incurred. Concrete poured, by proper machinery,
on to the prepared river-bed abd carried up to low-water
mark, and then the masonry is built on the artificial
rock base--the river-bed being supposed to have suffi-
cient resistance without any artificial foundation, as in
the Avon.

It is difficult to say who originated the use of cast-
iron casings for buildings in water. Captain Moorsom,
in the paper on the Avon-bridge, read to the Institution
of Civil Engineers, attributes its first adoption to Mr.
Ward, of Falmouth. The late Mr. Evart took outs pa-
tent for making cofferdams of cast-iron plates in 1822,
but the plan had been previously applied by Mr. Mat-
thews, of Bridlington. Mr. Walker, Mr. Cubitt, Mr.
Sibley, Mr. Hartley, and others, have from time to time
since 1822 used cast-iron piling for saving the expense of
cofferdamming.
In 1836 Mr. William Bush proposed the use of cast-
iron coffers or chests for reeking foundations for a light-
house on Goodwin Sands, and soon after tried it. It hes
been recently adopted in important cases by Mr. Cubitt
and Mr. Brunel.

NENV ACT TO IMPROVE THE ADMINISTRATION
OF CRIMINAL JusricE.—The new Act which will come in
force in a few days for further improving the administration
of criminal justice (14th and 15th Victoria, cap. 100) has
just been printed. The object of the new law, which was
brought forward by Lord Campbell, is to get rid of the legal
technicalities which often defeat justice, it being declared that
" such technical strictness maj., safely be relaxed in many inn;
stances so as to ensure the punishment of the guilty weitnc°.”
depriving the accused of any just means of defenn e
Another object of the Act is to correct variances between theand
statements in indictments and the proof of names!_dater,
circumstances which have frequently caused a
tice. By this Act criminal courts are empowerediutr: amend°
certain variances not material to the merit oatne case, and
his defence,
by which a defendant cannot be prejudiced
and may either proceed with or postpone the trial, to be had
y indictment for
before the same or another jury. In any
of this Act into
murder or manslaughter, after the
operation, it will not be necessaryastocosenit forth the manner or
inflicted, nor it be
the means by which the injury WC
to prove that willtnte-
necessary, in eases of forgery,
particular. person ; " but it shall be suf-
ficienttion was to defraud a
to prove that the dfendant did the act charged with
an intent to defraud. On the trial of an indictment for rob-
bery the jury may convict or an assault with intent to rob.
A person tried for misdemeanour need not be acquitted if the
offence turns out tobe aasfelon3 money. After%Coin and
sbpaenckifyninogtesomthae3;
be described simply
matters in which parties may be convicted on indictments,
there are several provisions respecting indictments for per-
jury, one of which is to the effect that judges of the superior
courts,z'
justices of the peace, commissioners of bankruptcy
and insolvency and county courts, may direct indictments
for perjury. The Act will come into operation on the Ist of
September.

THE TEA. TRADE, AUG. 18,—The deliveries of
tea in London last week were 609.8301b.,being a full average
quantity.