The Sun.
London, England, 1851-12-27 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

MALTA, DEC. 19.—Tbe French steamer Osiris,
due here on the 13th inst., having damaged her rudder
very seriously by getting on chore in the bay of
Aboukir, has been detained at Alexandria for
repair, and the Nil has been ordered to carry on her
mails. She arrived here this morning.
We have no movements among the shipping. Ban,
and parties are the order of the day, and the winter
season promises to be unusually gay.
The accident which befell Mr. Magrath, as men-
tioned in our last, has proved lighter than was at first
reported, and the young man has escaped with a
severe concussion of the brain. The greatest hopes
are now entertained that the sufferer will be pre-
served.
On the opening of the Council yesterday, Sir W.
Reid gave the following address :
___

" We are met this day in consequence of adjourn-

ment from the 2Gth of August, 1851.
" On meeting the Council of Government for the
first time I wish here publicly, but briefly, to express
the earnest wish I feel that the recent change in this
Council, by which elective members have been intro-
duced into it, may prove a beneficial measure for Rll
interests concerned.
"In order to work out the principle of elective as-
semblies successfully, forbearance in pressing new
measures and calmness in discussion are amongst the
first re quisites. Free discussion, regulated by estab-
lished rules, is an essential element to representative
bodies.
which were formerly ill understood, is rendering pro-
But the gradual solution of poliical problems,
tracttd discussion less necessary, and tending to re-
move party spirit from legislative assemblies. We
require to meet here in order to give legality to our
proceedings, but much advantage would be derived
from habitually consulting 'with each other upon pro-
tthroedeulceeedtivien
principle,Council has
ehe
pro-
posed measures, and endeavouring to mature them,
and to agree upon them, before they are formally in-
legislating by order of the Queen Council. It will
be for us here so to conduct our inp
dings as to
give as few occasionswaeswisely
e. sel vrvhei reserved the admitting
right
this reserved right.
between elective Members and Members
no difference
the Crown. It shall be my constantm rnsdenamed by
protect all the rights of elected meemberaavoauarthto
_ best guarantee for united action in this Council.°
exercise._ ofe
Never losing sight of Imperial interests, we should
all of us endeavour to cement still closer the union of
possibleahou l
d for_ r proceedings
Malta with England, by striving to
advance the in-
terests of the Maltese people.
"I find it is intended to erect a light-house on the
western extremity of Gov), and I have been instructed
to propose a short ordinance for commuting the ton-
nage dues to be paid by steam-vessels. If you ps
this ordinance, it will become my duty to urge thase
completion of the light-house as speedily as possible.
I can scarcely conceive an object of deeper interest to
humanity than that of erecting beacons to guide the
mariner in danger, and happily the erection of such
lights coincides with commercial interests.
"I have observed with great satisfaction your de..
sire to improve your charitable institutions. A pro-
posal will be submitted to you for carrying out still
further these intentions by the erection of new build-
ings, for a lunatic asylum and a poor-house. If you
agree to their construction, I recommend you to come
to an early decision regarding the sites you may
yourselves prefer for these buildings, in order that
they may be begun without delay.
° These two subjects will be brought before you to-
day. The subjects of the different codes, in which
you have a great interest, o I hope will be
with at our next meeting."
PORTSMOUTH, DEC. 26.—The ,Net
Pune, 120, Cap-
tain Yates, will be taken into the basin
to-morrow,
ready for docking, to have her bottom overhauled.
The Birkenhead iron steam-frigate, Master-Cotn-
mender Salmond, will embark at this port draughts
from the 12th, 45th, and 60th Regiments and Assis-
tant-Surgeon Bowen, 48th Foot, on promotion to
Second-class Staff urgeon, for the Cape of Good
Hope. She calls at Queenstown for other draughts.
The Hon. Pownall Fleetwood Pellew, First Lieu-
tenant of her Majesty's yacht Victoria and Albert,
died at Tatterdell's Hotel, Portsea, last night, after a
short illness.

PLYMOUTH, DEC. 24. —Mr. Henry B. Jackson,
late acting mate, and Mr. James Edmonston, late
acting assistant-surgeon, both of her Majesty's sloop
Fly, just returned from the New Zealand station,
were on Saturday last tried by court-martial at
Hamoaze, on board the Impregnable, 104, Captain A.
Lowe, for desertion. The former was sentenced to
three months' imprisonment at Exeter, and to be die.
missed the service of her Majesty. The latter was
dismissed the service.

The same Court passed a sentence of six months'
imprisonment on William Golding, ordinary seaman,
for desertion from the Ilavannab, Captain Erskine,
on the 6th of October, 1848.

The steam block ship Sanspareil is to be fitted with
Grant's cooking apparntus.
The hired troop-ship Chatham, 16 days from Ber-
muda, with one company of Artillery and one com-
pany of Sappers and Minners, arrived in the Sound
this morning, bound to Chatham.
The Resistance troop-ship, from Gibraltar for
Portsmouth, was off the port this morning.

APPOINTMENT.
WOOLWICH, DEC. 26.—Lieutenant George W.
Watson, (1849), recently serving in the Phoenix
steam-vessel, is appointed to the Centaur steam-
frigate, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral William Wilmot
Henderson, C. 8., on the south-east coast of America
station.

The Chatham transport-ship is daily expected at
Woolwich with the Ist company of the 24 battalion
of Royal Artillery, under the command of Captain J.
R. Domville, and the Ist company of Royal Sappers
and Miners, under Captain J. W. Gordon, Royal
Engineers, on board, on their return from foreign
service at Bermuda. Letters from the companies
were put on shore and posted at Plymouth on Wed-
nesday, the 24th inst. It is stated that the vessel
made the passage from Bermuda to Plymouth in 16
days, and it is noticed as a remarkable fact that
although the company of Royal Artillery went to
Bermuda on the 28th of September, 1646, and con-
sequently has been upwards of five years on that sta-
tion, not one death has occurred—a circumstance
hitherto unexampled in so long a period on a foreign
station. The strength of the company is about 100,
non-commissioned officers and men.
The Right Hon. Sir P. Baring, Bart., is spending
the Christmas holidays at Stratton Park, Hants ;
Rear-Admiral Dundas, C. 8., is at Larsden, Chipping
Norton ; Rear-Admiral Hon. M. P. P. Berkeley,
C. 8., is at Berkeley Cottage, Fishbourne, Chichester ;
Captain Mike is at Brighton ; Hon. W. Cowper,
M.P., is on a visit to Lord Palmerston, at Broadlands ;
and Mr. Secretary Parker, M.P. is the guest of Earl
Pitzwilliam, at Malton, Petersfield.
Lieut. J. Morseby,o
of the
of theGorg steam-sloop,Thetis,
nbetis7 38,
Pacific, and Lieut. Packwood,
ex-
changed ships previously to the Gorgon quitting the
station for England.
DEPARTURE Or THII RIFLER.—The Rifles will em-
bark for the Cape in the lklegesra, screw-frigate,
Master-Commander Barlow, at Dover, Jan. 2. The
ship is ordered round from Sheerness. The Birken-
head, steam-transport, Master-Commander Salmond,
proceeds to Cork, and fills up all her detachments for
the Cape.
Captain Rodney Mundy, flag captain at Sheerness,
has proceeded on leave of alosence to the 17th of
January.
Britannia, 120, Captain Goldsmith, will be out of
the hands of the dockyard at Portsmouth about the
7th instant. She has vacancies for about 200
only
blue jackets.
Simoon screw-frigate, at Portsmouth, is reported
ready for trial.
Trheesttebi
eee,t
ib3e
aBgd, Captainth e
been
20. She
intereststbe] iree ef po
ore
fri:
thewasm o n
British
iCftioosrhq
tuhiemb purposeO e t.
during the disturbances about the presidentship. The
e
affair was nearly over
and
and she woexpected to receive
par
her orders for Val
well; only tour The ship's company were
men were on the sick list.

orAL MAIL STEAMER ARABIA.
LAUNCH or Tog
last addition
.eaneollmai
st ea was madey th eto
utnliceh Cunard
of th e
lTnOenoflNß'eodyrialesdsY?
nngesthaarte
trnrilpbuilding-yard of Messrs. Steel and Co.,
Arabia, fivin haeesngines are to be furnished by Mr. Robert
Greenock.
GTas_ow.
The Arabia promises to be one of the Nape, of . 6
ficent steamers afloat, and it is confidently ex.-
most magi" •
yenthgii
has yet been
that shdeowniell
bfuylltyheequcauln,
aifrdnoltinseurrps.assilane
side levers, of the largest size, we believe, ever put on board
vessel, the cylinders being 103 inches in diameter, with a
naine feet stro-se. The collective power of the two engines
will be upwards of 1,000 horse-power, working at a low
pressure. There are to be two sets of tubular boilers placed
before and abaft the engine-room, each having, of course, a
pected
separate funnel. The wheels are 27 feet diameter, with fixed
wooden floats 11 feet long by about 31At feet broad. The
principal dimensions of the Arabia are—length of keel and
fore rake, '285 feet; length on deck, 310 feet; breadth of
beam, 40.8; depth of hold, 27.7 inches; tonnage, 2,402 tons.
The Persia, now on the stocks, and in an advanced state, is a
counterpart in every particular of the Arabia, and will be
ready for launching about April next. We may add that the
Arabia is to have two funnels, and only two masts, which
latter,penden
co
ef
willstandconrsbc:3,on
the veryiwin farens apart.immensity
of
h eirl
se rt
eaanilmpoosvit
poser. She
de-
pendence
expected to be ready for her trial trip early 10 April.
John Hay, R.N., and the Messrs. Burns, the
principal
owners, were present at the launch.Lord
rot!, DUBLIN.—
It lis3RvsT understoodslT ir
that O P
according to !
Trinity College, Dublin, by Queen ..°.:
that on a vacancy of the Prftynovr7;
should be elected by the 11
Charles I. the appointment
the statutes of the college
shall born holy ordeal,
tire these stattgwn.
pensation from
1688 the Provost
fellows,
Hutc with the exception
binsOP, Nviwg'i reign W Elizabeth, it was provided
iai the new Provost
charter granted to
but in the reign of
wfeas vested in the Crown. By
it is required that the Provost
tid at least a B.D. ; and no depar-
ais allowable except by special die-
Ever since the Revolution of
the Crown.
been chosen from among the senior
of the notorious Prime-Servant
u moat disutrou to till collsge._

THE THREATEiiED STRIKE OF
OPERATIVE ENGINEERS.
A numereue and highly influential meeting cf the
masters engaged in practical engineering, machine..
making, &c., was held at 'the London Coffee-house,
on Wednesday afternoon. It embraced all the leading
engineering firms of the metropolitan districts, in-
cluding—W. B. Adams, Adams and Co. ; William
Anderson , C. E. Amos. Easton and Amos ; Lewis
Ash; John Blyth; J. and A. Blyth; H. W.
Blake, James Watt and Co.; George Bovill, Swaine
and Bovill : Alfred Burton, Burton and Son ; J. J.
Brunel, Seward and Capel; Alfred Blyth, J. and A.
Blyth; James Cope; Edward Crawley; Arthur
Collinge, Collinge and Co. ; Bryan Donkin, jun.,
Bryan Donkin and Co.; Thomas Donkin; George
Easton ; James Easton ; Joshua Field, Maudslay,
Sons and Field ; George Fletcher; M. D. Grissell,
H. and M. Grissell; Henry Grissell; P. It.
Hodge, Hodge and Batley ; Willi em Healy ;
W. Joyce, Joyce and Co.; William Jack-
son; Joel James ; Thomas Maudelay; J. E.
M'Connell; James M. Napier ; J. S. Russell, Ro-
binson and Russell ; John Penn, Penn and Son ; W.
H. Persson ; C. Pontifex, Yontifex, Son, and Wood ;
George Rennie, G. and Sir J. Rennie ; Richard 1-
venhill, Miller, Ravenhill, and Salkeld ; Charles
Rich; R. A. Robinson ; William Shears, Shear* and
Son ; John Seaward, Seaward and Cepel ; J. n•Tha-
A.
Sacauda ; William Simpson, Simpson and Co- ;
H„,yward T.yler,
niel Shears, jun. ; Joel Spitler;
Tyler and Co. ; Stephen T. Taylor ; J°BePfrhonsWltllikain-
son, and other firms; also a deputation
cheater.
Letters were read from Messrs. Beale, of East
Greenwich ; Henry Fletcher, son, and Fearnall,
j. and E. Hlll, Dartford ;
Union Dock, Limehouse •
George Scott, Commer-
William Fox, Clerkenwell;
expressive of their hearty
cial-road, and other firms,
concurrence in the objects of the meeting.
Mr. Joshua Yield (of Meudsley, Sons, and Field)
called to the chair.
was unanimously
The CHA.IRII,S.I4 "id that, as probably most of the
gentlemen present were aware, he could at any time
sooner make a steaw.ergine than a speech—(Laugh-
ter)—yet as those who were not gifted with eloquence
were sometimes moved to utterance out of the fulness
of the heart, be felt constrained to say how deeply he
regretted the overpowering necessity which ren-
dered this meeting indispensable to the protection
both of the employers and the employed—(Cheers)—
for the operative mechaaics as a class he entertained
the high,. at re2pect, and for man; of the individuals
composing it he had much reason to entertein the
most cordial and friendly feelings. He eves, therefore,
most anxious to say that he adopted the step of con-
curring in the measures which would be submitted to
the meeting with the utmost reluctance, purely as a
measure of self.defence and for the protection and
liberty of action, not less of the employers than the
employed. The requisitions of the union, whose
intolerable proceedings had compelled their profes-
sional brethren at Manchester and themselves to adopt
the step on which they had resolved, were destructive
of the independence of masters and of the just rights
of labour. He had greet reason to beheve that these
requisitions were not approved of by the steady and
industrious workmen.—(Hear, hear.) it was doubt-
ful whether they were even sanctioned hy a nrijority
of the members of the society from which they pro-
fessed to emanate.—(Hear, hear.) (the chair-
man) yet hoped that that society weuki see the
wisdom of retracting their threats—(L-Tear, hear)—
and withdrawing demands to which he, for one, was
determined never to Submit—(Cheers)—and to restore
harmony betwixt the employers and the employed.—
(Cheers.) The secretary would now read the docu-
ments which had given rise to, and would have to be
considered by, the meeting.
Mr. SIDNEY SMITH, tee secretary, read the requilsi-
Von calling the meeting, and a communication from
the leading engineers, &c., of Manchester and neigh-
hourbood, intimating that "a body of persons styling
themselves the Amalgamated Society of Engineers,
Millwrights, Mechanics, &c , have made the following
demands to the employers of this district, accompanied
by a threat to one of the principal firms, that unless
they are acceded to, their workpeople will strike on
_ the 31st instant :-1. The abolition of overtime, ex-
cepting in cases of break down. 2. When overtime
is absolutely necessary, it is to be paid for at double
rates. 3. The abolition of the system of piece-work.
4. The unconditional discharge of all labourers, or
such class of persons at present engaged in working
planing machines, or tools of similar character, and
the employment in their stead of mechanics, members
of the union." The Secretary also read another com-
munication, dated London, 25, Little Alie-street,
Whitechapel, signed William Allan, General Secre-
tary, and purporting to be an address from the
"executive council" of the same Amalgamated So-
ciety of Engineers, &c., notifying to their employers
in the metropolis that; they have come to a resolution
to abolish the practices of piece-work and overtime.
The CHAIILMVII announced that the meeting was I
honoured by the attendance of a deputation from
their professional brethren at Manchester, and he now
begged to introduce to their notice Messrs. Sharp,
Hibbert, Platt, and Fdirbiirn.
Mr. SHARP explained the causes which had driven
the employers of Lancashire to the determination of
closing their establishments. Since this mischievous
agitation had been commenced by a small but noisy
class, for the purpose of interference and dictation
with masters, and of poisoning the minds of their
hands, it was a too general complaint that a fair day's
work was not given for a fair day's wage—(Hear,
hear)—and no way of crushing this ruinous system
appeared open except that of a total cessation of busi-
ness, in order to prevent masters from being sacrificed
in detail.—(Hear, hear )
Mr. FAIRBAIRN could assure the meeting 'that it
was not without many misgivings, and the most
anxious deliberation, that the Lancashire employers
had felt constrained to apply the only remedy which
seemed adequate to meet the disease. It appeared a
great hardship nay, it was a hardship even
temporarily to
_deprive the peaceable and indus-
trious workman of his employment, merely because
those who found it easier to live upon the contribu-
tions of their class than honestly to work for their
living, chose to prefer demands which were incompa-
tible with the proper freedom of action of capitalists
and employers. It was felt, however, that such was
the complicated nature of engineering employment,
and the minute subdivision of labour incident to it,
that the withdrawal of workmen in one department
necessarily stopped the operations of those in another;
so that if the hands, for example, of the Messrs. Platt,
of Oldham, thought fit to turn out, that must of ne-
cessity close many minor establishments which sup•
plied that firm with particular parts of their machi-
nery. As it was found by experience, also, that to
continue the partial employment of those who pro-
fessed they did not belong to the combination against
the masters had only the effect of supplying wages to
feed the turn-out, it was universally agreed that the
most human') course to the meritorious workman to
prevent the further levying of contributions wrung
from him by the threats of the discontented, was
entirely to cease work until the conspiracy was
crushed.—(Cheers,)
Mr. Iliniaisirr stated that the Amalgamated So-
ciety, which a few months ago did not muster 5,000
members, now reached upwards of 15,000. He read
some passages from the Operative, the organ of the
union advocating socialist doctrines with regard to
labour and the most violent principles in reference to
industrial employment, and observed that from these
" ,was apparent that the present requisitions were
only the beginning of much more intolerable exac-
tion`.
—(geer, hear.) The operations of the combi-
nation were rapidly spreading over the kingdom, and
the next meeting was to be at Glasgow, in order to
bring the Scotcht :o the movement. Such organi-
zation could only, met by union on the part of the
masters--,(Cheers)--,md he came there that day to
ask for their co-operatim
Mr. Jour; BLYYII mooed the following resolution :
" That whilea this nation, 1,
—its representatives in
Parliament, has abolished guild privileges, exclusive
charters of corporate handicrafts,
restrictions on th
or the free
and all
monoegress
from the export of machinery
realm of skilled workmen,polies, the
foregoing requisitions of the Amalgamated Society
are an attempt to ignore the right of every
British
eubjeot to dispose of his labour or capital ace,„rdin
to his individual views of his own interest--ee ae
prive the skilled workman of the natural advantageief
his superiority—forcibly to compel the industrious
and careful mechanic to share the profits of his assi-
duity and dexterity with the slothful and inexpert—
and deliberately to deprive the unskilled labourer of
the means of employment." The propositions it con-
tained, although they were worthy of abler advocacy
than his, really required no ability to support them,
as they recommended themselves. The time had gone
by when machinery could not be exported, and when
the artisan was prohibited by law from carrying his
skill wherever be thought it would be
best remune-
rated.—(Hear, hear.) The address of the
executive
council covered the most tyrannous
the cloak of a plea for the social improvement of the
working classes—(Hear)—and it • was time that they
should be informed that employers
incen-
tives to promote that object .—(Hear.) Masters were
required no
most desirous to improve the moral .)
and social order
~
of their hands; ,d
readily—he had almost said
eagerly—lent themselves to every proposition by
which their comfort could be promoted and their ele-
vation advanced.—(Cheers.) He felt persuaded that
the artisans as a body were quite conscious of this,
and that any appearances to the contrary were the re-
sult of the tyranny exercised over the quiet and
peaceable by the restless and discontented —(Leud
cheers.) In fact, he was not without the expectation
that they would yet receive from their workmen a
manifesto declaring that they repudiated the proceed-
ings of the union, and this cenviction led him the
IVEMrSpiT more to. regret the hard necessity of involving the
f. inaocc. in the consequences of the acts of the guilty,
te es,
trti

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