The Sun.
London, England, 1851-04-18 00:00:00

L•ONDO"N, FRIDAY EVENING,

MUSIC.

THE CORNOPE AN. Hints by an Officer of the
Bengal Army. Koehler's Improvements.
The experience of tha last twenty-five years is
sufficient for an appreciation of the vast advantages
which the orchestra, no less than the band, has de-
rived from the improvement of brass instruments.
The music written for them now-a-days would not
have been attempted a quarter of a century ago by
any brass band in the world ; whereas we are now
daily accustomed to hear from them, in the highest
perfection, at the Palace and in the parks, the most
elaborate harmonies and most rapid and intricate
movements of all the learned composers, who, in these
times of transition, seek for fame more in the mazes
of perplexing counterpoint, than in the fair field
of natural harmony. The orchestra has come to avail
itself of the brass instruments with an avidity
which needs no stimulation from Mr. Koehler's im-
provements, important though they are, and amateurs
turn naturally enough to them for their instrumental
recreation, without the hints of the Bengal officer ;
because those tunes in which the notes are distinctly
sounded are better adapted for the brass instruments
than those in which there is a succession of rapid pas-
sages, and it is therefore more easy to make an im-
pression in private company by a display upon the
cornopean, than upon the " brisk awakening viol," or
the almost vulgarised " table of harmony" itself. In the
Indies amateurs have taken to this and other brass in.
struments with the greater eagerness, because they are
not affected by the sudden transitions from heat to
cold; they do not swell, like other instruments, with the
moisture of the atmosphere, or warp by the tropical
heat. The accomplished officer of the Bengal army,
in his "Hints to Amateurs on the Cornopean," has laid
down, in amazingly small space, a comprehensive set
of practical instructions for good, effective, and easy
play upon this instrument, which may put to shame
the volumes of complicated and often impracticable
rules that have been published on this subject. To the
students of the Bengal officer's treatise, to the ama•
teur and the bandsman, the improvements in the cor-
nopean, trumpet, trombone, and French-horn,
patented by Mr. Koehler, and allotted a place of de-
served prominence at the Great Exhibition, must
prove a great and treasured boon. It is clearly ob-
vious to every player of valved instruments, that the
acute angles formed by the valves necessarily occa-
sion an obstruction to the free passage of wind, and
injuriously affect the tone, in a manner which it re-
quires great labour in early practice, and constant
attention afterwards, to modify with satisfaction to
the ear. Mr. Koehler has entirely done away with
that angularity, both in the complementary and in
the main passages, by the substitution of a valve,
formed of two plates, or discs, with perforations in
them of the same diameter as the windways of the
instrument. These two plates are made with true
faces, which move upon each other, by the action of
a lever, which, by moving the upper plate, open a
communication between the supplementary wind-
ways, giving thus, in perfect roundness, the whole
tone, the semitone, and the tone and half. In these
few words are substantially described the im-
provements of the cornopean and other valved
instruments of its class ; nor is the aid of
diagrams necessary to satisfy the practised
player, or even the ordinary men 'of science, of
their value. Those who had the good fortune to hear
the brass bands of the Life Guards at the Palace of
St. James's, during her Majesty's last drawing-room,
had an opportunity of fully appreciating the great re-
sults that may be produced by apparently simple
means. It is difficult to suppose that any band or
any amateur will henceforth make use of instruments
with valves upon the old construction.

TIIE NAVY.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.
Sir,—ln my letter ot the Ist of October, 1850, I told
you that the Admiralty, after ten years' consideration,
had adopted my suggestion of making efficient ships do
the duty of the ordinary at the different ports; and the
sooner they did the same with the flagships the better.
I now find they have brought forward the London (an
efficient ship) for the flag at Sheerness; but even that has
been done without due consideration. It was only the
other day the Powerful came home (a perfect ship), and
was paid off. Lied she been sent to Sheerness, to take
the place of the Ocean, instead of bringing forward the
London, some thousands would have been saved. It is,
however, a step in the right direction; and, when they do
the same at Portsmouth and Plymouth, we shall have
seven sail•of-the-line ready for sea, besides the three
half-manned ships, which had much better be replaced
by two full-manned. This would give us a home squa-
dron of three sail ot the line, including the Regent; and
the three screw line-of-battle ships, together with the
reserve steamers, put us out of danger from a coup de
main, provided we can man them; and I again implore
the Government to bring forward a good measure for
that purpose. In 1847 I introduced a Bill to improve
Sir J. Graham's, which they opposed; let them bring
forward one of their own. I think the seamen have
given a hint that they will not stand impressment, and
the sooner we take it the better.

I wish to impress on the country, that continuing the
system of building ships to rot is throwing away money.
They are only floating barracks, and, without men, quite
useless; and men now-a-days must have extraordinary
nerves and discipline to stand up under the fire of shot
and exploding shells, which, together with splinters, will
be showered about their ears the first broadside.

On looking over the last .Navy List, we have of liee•of-
battle ships—

guns. guns.
17 three-deckers, from 102 to 120
6 two•deckers, „ 90 „ 92
20 fl, 80 „ 84
)9
7 21 78
If
11 ~ 72
,
9
2 ), „ 70

Total.,. 63
4 screw liners „ 58
besides 14 or 15 of different sizes, some fit for repair,
others not. We have on the stocks—

guns. guns.
7 three-deckers, from 116 to 120
5 two-deckers of 90
6 „ 80
2 screw-steamers „ 80
1 „ 100
If
Now, Sir, I am of opinion that the ships on the stocks
should remain as they are to season, and the steamers
alone should be finished. We cannot tell what new in-
ventions may be brought forward to supersede our pre-
sent system. We have 67 sail of the line in the water.
They ought to be ready to receive men the day they are
commissioned, and the expense of hulks should be done
away with, except for full manned ships which conee :n
for repairs. The repairing, caulking, and paintineihe
number of hulks we keep is money thrown away. 'The
other ships in the water, if good for anything, should be
repaired or broken up; they are a constant expense.
Should war break out it would be quite impossible to
man the 67 sail now in the water with a proportion of fri-
gates, steamers, and small craft in two years, and long
before we could launch, if necessary,
have on the stocks by calling in all the every ship we
shipwrights in
the empire. The wages and materials would, no doubt,
rise in price, but they would bear no comparison to the
waste and the interest of the money according to the
present system. Everybody must see at once, this
plan was adopted, we should require fewer matt and
expend fewer materials. I should therefore reco4seud
the House of Commons to refuse the house-tax, end tell
the Chancellor of the Exchequer to raise his supply out
of the savings in the dockyards Government would
no doubt make an outcry, es they did when the addition
to the income-tax was refused, but they did without it.
Let them withdraw the men employed on building
ships, except steamers; let them burn fewer coals in
steamers, which I know, from experience, is practicable;
let them send down to the ports all the used-up logs,
journals, and accounts that lumber our offices—they will
make capital feel.
Cut off at least 200,0004 from the 10th vote; that will
stop further building, and make fewer men necessary.
Discharge useless men, and discontinue entries; they
will soon reduce themselves, without doing injustice to
those employed, and it will give them a hint that more
work and less waste is expected. Appoint an active as-
sistant to each superintendent, who will he constantly on
the alert. His salary will be saved half-a-dozen times
over. In addition to this, take a slice off the 11th vote.
It is high time a check should be put to the constant
alterations and improvements that
areinconsiderately
going on in all our establishments.7l remain your obe-
dient servant,
CHARLES NAPIER.
Albemarle-street, April 14, 1851.

A LITTLE TOO FAST.—Dr. Hendren, the new
"Bishop of Clifton," who has for seine time past figured so
prominently before the public, in connexion with the case of
Miss Talbot, has got himself; if we be not misinformed, into
a very unpleasant predicament. We are assured that his
newly-made reverence, never for a moment_ doubting that
the young lady would become a nun, and transfer the whole
of her 85,0001. to him, for the purpose of building a magni-
ficent cathedral in his "diocese," actually bought, for 1,5001.,
the ground on which the sacred edifice was to be erected.
This fact will go far to account for the excessive interest he
took in the youcg lady's case, and the profound anxiety he
manifested to see her retained in the Taunton Convent. The
newly improvi,ed Popish Prelate of Clifton, will find to his
cost that he has been a little too fast in his motions. It
would not be easy to imagine a more awkward affair than
that of purchasing the site for the contemplated cathedral,
when the money with which he was to build the edifice has
eluded his grasp. And to render it all the more mortifying,
the whole of the circumstances connected with the case are,
we are told, about to be laid before the public. Dr. Hen-
dren's experience will prove a lesson to other " Bishops" of
his class. Before they expend 1,5001., or any similar sum,
in the purchase of a site for a cathedral, they will take care
to have in hand the funds for the erection of the edifice..—
.Horning Advertiser.
IMPERIAL BANK OF ENGLAND.—On Wednesday a
meeting took place before Master Ferrer, on the case of Mr.
Samuel Buckley, of Manchester, whom it was sought to fix
as a contributory for at least ten shares. Mr. Prior appeared
for the cfficial manager, Mr. Soullsy, and Mr. Hare for the
alleged contributory. After an investigation of more than an
hour's duration the matter was adjourned.

PUBLIC SALAtlES.—During the year 1850 there
has been an increase in the salaries of public offices of
17,1241. Bs. 7d. ; in emoluments of 4771. 14s. 4d. ; in retired
allowances of 18,048/. 6s. 4d.; and in expenses of 12,8811.;
making a total of 48,5311. 9s. 3d. At the same time dimi-
nutions to the following amounts have been effected:—
salaries, 51,097/. ; emoluments, 16,2851. 135.; retired allow-
ances, 13,0371. 3s. 3d. ; expenses, 25,366/. 7s. 6d.; total,
105,7861. 4s. sd. The number of persons added to public
establighments was 499 ; and a those reumed 361.