The Sun.
London, England, 1856-12-08 00:00:00

THE BESSEMER PROCESS.

(Prom the Birming?eam Journal:)
When, on the first publication of Mr. Bessemer's inven-
tion, we subjected the process to such an examination as
the data then furnished to the public permitted, we ex-
pressed the belief that many particulars were wanting
which appeared to us essential to a correct estimate of its
value. The high pretensions with which Mr. Bessemer's
process was ushered into the world and the importance of
the manufacture to which it refers alike required that no
particulars should be withheld essential to the justification
of those pretensions, and to the solution of a question which
agitated the most important manufacture of the empire.
The misgivings we had at that time were expressed in
these words :—" Especially important, too, is it that accu-
rate chemical analysis should be resorted toto showthe com-
position of this iron, and to prove that the new process will
truly purge it of sulphur and phosphorus, as we understand
Mr. Bessemer to say it will—elements the presence of 1
per cent, of which is fatal to the quality of the iron."
So far as we are aware, this important information has
not been (communicated to the public, and so long a time
has now elapsed that we despair of receiving it from the
quarter it was most naturally expected from. In the hope
of contributing to the settlement of a question which has
already too long disturbed the public mind, we have im-
posed upon ourselves a task which we think should have
been spared us, and present to our readers such an analysis
of Mr. Bessemer's iron as we have been daily hoping to see
published by that gentleman himself. The specimen we
have experimented upon possesses those physical properties
which, from repeated descriptions, the public are suffi-
ciently familiar with. The iron consists of an agglutinated
mass of large brilliant crystalline grains, possessed of a
very imperfct malleability, flattening under the blow of
a hammer, but almost invariably cracking at the edges.
It is wholly destitute of a fibrous structure, and only after
having been repeatedly heated and drawn out in a smith's
forge exhibits the properties of an inferior wrought iron.
On analysis it was found to have the following composi-
tion

Iron
Phosphorus
Sulphur
Carbon
Silicon

98.9
1.08
0.16
0.05
trace

100.19
This composition is so accordant with the physical pro-
perties of the iron that, the composition being given, the
chemist would have had no difficulty in predicating its
more marked characteristics. Its crystalline structure and
fusibility are very satisfactorily accounted for. In order
more exactly to illustrate the nature of the changeeffected
by Mr. Bessemer's treatment, we append an analysis of
refined iron produced at a large establishment in the neigh.
bourhood of Birmingham. We are indebted to the cour.
test' of Percy for this analysis. It was made in his labo-
ratory by one of his assistants, Mr. Dick ; the iron was
obtained only 7, few months ago, and may be regarded as
representing the average composition of refined iron as
made at the present moment in this neighbourhood.
Iron
Carbon (combined)
Phosphorus ... 0.734
Silicon
Sulphur 0.157
Manganese
Residue, insoluble in hydrocloric acid

The residue, insoluble in hydrochloric acid, yielded—

Silica 0.3
Alumina, with a little peroxide of iron 0.14

0.44
In contrasting the change effected by Mr. Bessemer's
treatment with that of the refinery, the following particu-
lars force themselves strongly upon our notice. Mr. Bee-
semer's method removes most effectually the carbon and
the silicon, while in the refinery these aro but little dimi-
nished. The carbon is eliminated with a perfection which
we should scarcely have thought possible, but we are with-
out information as to the sacrifice at which this has been
effected ; the amount of iron oxidised by the vivid combus-
tion which Mr. Bessemer induces we are unable to ascer-
tain. The point which most prominently strikes the che-
mist in Mr. Bessemer's iron is the large amount of phos-
phorus which it contains—an amount utterly fatal, we
fear, to the value of Mr. Bessemer's method. His treat-
ment, we suspect, does not sensibly diminish the amount
of this element; but this, too, is a point on which we must
be dependent on Mr. Bessemer. We have had no opportu-
nity of examining the slag produced in the treatment, but
we learn from an eminent chemical authority that at least
one sample of it contains no sensible amount of phosphoric
acid. We have previously explained that it is by the
puddling process that the phosphorus and sulphur
are mainly removed, the chemical examination of the
tap-cinder of the puddling furnace disclosing an abun-
dance of phosphoric acid. As yet, so far as we can
learn, Mr. Bessemer has done nothing towards the
removal of this pernicious element phosphorus, and in this
important respect his process must be regarded as a failure.
From the number of patents Mr. Bessemer bas commenced
(one so late as the 18th ult.) he appears virtually to con-
fess the transition state of hie improvements.
In taking leave of this subject we think we may safely
predicate that the iron manufacture will remain unaffected
in any essential respect by anything which Mr. Bessemer
has done. No one will more sincerely rejoice at any real
improvement in the iron manufacture than we shall, al-
though we admit a preference for such improvements as
are not heralded by announcements of "revolution," but
are modestly propounded, and left to demonstrate their
importance by that quiet and cautions introduction into
practioe which generally characterises meritorious inven-
rteioanwsa.keWned We
,fear, however, that Mr. Bessemer has lost his
opportunity ; the interest he has wasted cannot be readily
and less readily by him than by another. Like
the shepherd in the fable, who cried "Wolf, wolf !" when
there was no wolf, and whose cries for help were unheeded
when the marauder indeed came, Mr. Bessemer will find
that any rerl improvement ho may hereafter make will
suffer a n:eglect for which his own hastiness and want of
9411tic'r-, will be alone to blame.

By the death of Lieutenant William Rivers, R.N., a
vacancy occurs among the lieutenants of the Itoyal
Hospital at Greenwich. The gallant officer died on Fri-
day morning at his residence in that Asylum, to which
he was appointed in April, 1826. Lieutenant Rivers
had seen considerable service prior to the peace in 1815.
lie entered the navy as first-class volunteer on board
the Victory in 1795, and was in consequence present,
under the flitgof Rear-Admiral Robert Minn; vAid

ceived two splinter wounds in the right arm in Hotham's
second partial action, July 13, 1795 ; and under Sir J.
Jervis in the battle off Cape St. Vincent, Feb. 14, 1797.
In April, 1803, he again joined the Victory, then the
flagship of Lord Nelson, under whom, after pursuing the
combined squadrons of France and Spain to the West
Indies and back, he shared as one of Nelson's aides de-
camp the glories of Trafalgar. On that occasion he re-
ceived a revere contusion by a splinter, whick knocked
out three of his teeth, and had the misfortune to have his
left leg carried away by a shot. He was in consideration
of his valour and sufferings made Lieutenant of the
Princess of Orange, 74, Captain T. Rogers, received a
gratuity from the Patriotic Fund, and was allotted a
pension. Subsequently he removed to the Cossack, 24,
Captain George Digby, part of the force employed in
Admiral Gambier's expedition to Copenhagen, and
on leaving that ship he was appointed First Lieutenant
to the Cretan. While in the Cossack he was frequently
employed in intercepting such vessels as might be
passing with troops through the Little Belt. He was
four months engaged in her as First Lieutenant in watch-
ing the enemy's movements at Brest, and he co-operated
with the British army on the coast of Spain, whence the
Cossack brought home the late Field-Marshal the Mar-
quis of Anglesey and the despatches announcing the re-
treat and death of General Sir John Moore at Corunna.
Lieut. Rivers afterwards was Flag Lieutenant to Admi-
ral Sir Thomas Williams in the Namur, and removed
afterwards to the Bulwark, in which he remained until
paid off in 1818. In 1824 he was appointed Warden of
Woolwich dockyard, where he continued until his ap-
pointment at Greenwich Hospital. He was father of
Commander W. T. Rivers (1849), who distinguished him-
self during the naval operations in the war in China.
His Prussian Majesty's sailing frigate Thetis, 40 (once
British), Capt. Sundewald, arrived at Spithead on Satur-
day with a number of young officers far instruction.
She saluted the naval and military authorities, and the
ceremony was returned by the flag-ship and the garrison
battery. The Frauenlob war schooner, Capt. Kinder-
ling, arrived in company with the Thetis from Rio, and
will probably remain at Spithead for some time, as they
cannot proceed up the Baltic at present owing to the ice.
The Thetis, it is understood, will come into harbour for
repairs forthwith.
'The freight ship Centurion, laden with ordnance and
other Government stores, for Sierra Leone, went down
to Woolwich on Saturday from the London Docks, to
fill in her magazines with powder and ammunition, and
will be ready for departure to-day.
Two gun-boats of the heavy squadron, the Parthian
and Wolf, having► been masted, were on Saturday hauled
out of Woolwich basin and moored in ordinary.
The mortar floats, Nos. 118, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128,
131, 132, and 134, were on Saturday removed from
Woolwich basin, and towed down the river to Chatham
by the steam tenders Monkey and Widgeon, to be placed
in reserve.

The steam troopship Dee having embarked boilers and
steam machinery for the screw steamship Diadem, in
construction at Pembroke, is to sail to-day, and will
convoy the gunboats Fenella, Garnet, Hunter, and
Handy to Portsmouth.
The cluster of buildings, 24 in number, a contract for
the erection of which was entered into two months ago
by Mr. Smith, builder, of Pimlico, is now completed,
upon the marshes immediately below the Royal Arsenal,
at Woolwich. They are intended to constitute the new
rocket factory, and, by way of precaution, are isolated
from each other.

The following appointments were made on Saturday
at the Admiralty :—Commander Wm. Hoseason to the
rank of Captain on the Reserved List; Lieut. A. F. Hart,
to the Pembroke • Lieut. C. G. M`Gregor, to the Mean-
der • Lieut. A. Kingston, to the Indus ; Lieut. J. C.
Clark, to the Coast Guard • Lieut. T. H. M. Martin, to
the Cornwallis; Dr. A. Anderson, surgeon, to the Pem.
broke; C. E. H. Farrant, Second Master, to the Pluto ;
R. Mumford, second master, to the James Watt ; Sam.
Cleft (b), assistant-surgeon, to the Pembroke ; R. J.
Squire, ditto, to the Pluto ; and F. A. Wetherall, mid-
shipman, to the Indus.

THE ENGLISH ALLIANCE.

(From, the Journal des Debuts.)

The English alliance has been adopted in France during
the last thirty years by three governments of different
character and origin the Restoration, the monarchy of
July, and the Empire. An alliance that has been adopted
by three governments of opposite views and principles is
evidently a necessary alliance. It may not always respond
to the taste or to the preferences of the country ; it may
at certain periods be difficult and disagreeable ; this has
occurred and will occur again. But the interests and
social condition of the country renders the rlliance a
necessary and fundamental fact which dominates all pre-
judices and all fits of bad humour. Were not this the
case, why should these three governments have
adopted it? Its necessity explains its duration. We are
indebted to the Restoration for the English alliance. The
service thus rendered to the country has nut always been
well underhtood, and perhaps the fault lies with those who
have explained it. Louis XVIII, said one day that, after
Providence, it was to the Prince Regent that he owed his
crown. This may have been true, but it was unfortunate.
A king should never owe personal gratitude ; his interests
should be co-mingled with those of his subjects ; and
France could not then forget the obstinate and sanguinary
struggle she had sustained against England, and in which
she had been defeated. The resemblance in political insti-
tutions may have rendered the English alliance agreeable
to the constitutional party; the recollections of the emi-
gration may have recommended it to the elder branch,
and this explains the saying of Louis XVIII. This alli-
ance, nevertheless, was not popular in France during the
Restoration, for we were too fresh from the long wars of
the Empire. Butlet us render homage to the Restoration ;
it favoured the English alliance, but was not disposed to
sacrifice to it the interests and honour of the country. It
displayed this fooling in the Spanish war. The aversion
with which England regarded the French intervention in
Spain is known. It is an old maxim in English policy that
the interests of the latter demand that the influence of
France be combated in Spain. This is a souvenir of the war
of succession in that peninsula. In order to oppose the pro.
jetted intervention England employed her greatest efforts;
but the energy of Wellington and t.l.e eloquence of Can•
niug did not disconcert the Restoration, atldthe intervention
in Spain was accomplished with success. Yes—say the
English journals—the intervention in Spain was effected
against the remonstrances of England,and also the; Restora-
tion fell. This is true, but it fell, we bog to add, 1 years
afterwards! This circumstance must be understood. The
intervention in Spain was not the only independent ae,t
of the Restoration. The war in Algeria was the second.
When the latter was decided on, explanations were de-
manded by England of the French Government. The reply
was—The expedition is undertaken in order to avenge the
honour of the French flag, and then to act accordlog to cir-
cumstances. Is it for this that the Restoration fell'? No.
Tho ordonnances of July slightly influence that eveilt,
and assuredly it was not the English Government that in-
spired those ordonnauces. What is the lesson to be drawn
from the manner in which the Restoration carried out the
English alliance? That this alliance must be accepted with
loyalty, but not with meekness with; faith, but not with
superstition. In household matters a petty quarrel often
breaks out, and must be borne with patience. This rule
applies to the English alliance, principally on account of
the English journals, and sometimes in conse-
quence of the English tribuno. But, sooner or later,
this patience is rewarded by the re-establishment
of good intelligence. It was under the monarchy of July
that we actively advocated the English alliance, and this
was strict j ustice. That revolution is the sole French re-
volution which had the honour of proving contagious in
England, and of producing a political result. England did
not confine herself to a display of her sympathies, but she
associated herself with good grace in the policy of the new
gOvernment ; she renounced her opposition to the conquest
of Algiers ; she supported with us the revolution of Bel-
gium ; finally, thanks to the alliance of France and Eng-
land, the old anti-French league of the Holy Alliance was
destroyed or became impotent. Two events disturbed and
damped the English alliance under the monarchy of July,
without however breaking it up; the first was the treaty of
July 15, 1840; the second the Spanish marriages. On both
these occasions France opposed England. Was she in the
right or in the wrong ? We will not discuss this question.
It is sufficient to remark that ou both these questions
the French Government thought proper to vindicate the
independence of our policy. This cost it dear, say the
English journals; but this is another subject of grave dis-
cussion which we will not enter into. The question,
moreover, is not to know whether the July governn a it did
or did not owe its fall to its resistance to England—the
importat t point is to know whether the government acted
wisely in its resistance. That it fell for having defended
the honour and interests of the country against England
may be a misfortune, but it is not a fault,

The citizens of the metropolis have taken the lead in
an agitation which we trust will spread throughout every
corner of the kingdom, having for its object to compel
the government to be honest—that is, to ke-p faith with
the people in respect to the reduction and final extinction
of the property and income tax. A meeting, under the
auspices of an asse.iation recently formed for that
purpose, was held in London last week, under the
presidency of one of the metropolitan Parliamentary
representatives, Sir James Duke. The meetinT, which
was very large, included men of the highest influence
in the great commercial world of Loudon ; and the
lan;:uage held by the speakers indicated a tho-
rough sense of the importance of the object in view,
and of the necessity of powerful and united effort
throughout the country to achieve it. In truth, the
agitation comes not a bit too soon. The obnoxious tax
in question, originally imposed by the government of tht
day for a temporary object, has nevertheless, had an ex
istence of 14 years ; and now, grown to formidable pre-
portions, it threatens to become a chronic disease in the
vitals of the community. The 7d. in the pound, originally
proposed with hesitation by Sir R. Peel, has swelled to
161. ; and the only hope that the official promises of its
speedy reduction and ultimate abolition will be kept
towards the public lies in a determined and unanimon.,
manifestation of the popular will on the subject.—Berk
shire Warder.
We are gratified to learn that a requisition to the
mayor is now in course of signature, asking him to call
a general meeting of the inhabitantsof Wolverhampton
to petition against the income tax. We understand that
upwards of 200 signatures, including some of the must
influential firms and manufacturers in the town and
neighbourhood, have been already appended to the docu-
ment.— Wolverhampton News.
Toe Mayor of Reading having had a requisition pre-
sented to him signed-by nearly 200 of the most respect-
able inhabitants, praying him to call a public meeting to
consider the desirability of petitioning Parliament for
the reduction or abolition of the property and income
tax, has complied with the request, and issued bills con-
vening the same for Tuesday next, at noon.—Berkshire
Chronicle.
We understand a great many surcharges have been
served upon the inhabitants of this town, which have
caused much dissatisfaction ; and we advise all wh o
intend to appeal to give notice without delay, as many
persons who intended to appeal last year were prevented
from so doing by not giving the necessary notice in time.
We ghope a public meeting will be called to petition
against the continuance of this most oppressive tax.—
Cambridge Chronicle.
A correspondent suggests that Dundee should send up
half a dozen petitions to the House of Commons. He
thinks that the Chamber of Commerce, the various in.
corporated trades, and the members of the several pro•
fessions would all do well to place petitions in the hands
of Mr. Duncan before the meeting of Parliament.—
Montrose Standard.

MR. COBDEN AND THE INTERNATIONAL
CUSTOMS REFORM. ASSOCIATION.

The late congress is beginning to bear its expected
fruit in this country. An organisation is being rapidly
matured for sustaining M. Corr Vandermaeren and his
free-trade associates iu their struggle with the Belgian
restrictionists, who, from their energy, activity, and
comparative intelligence, are properly considered as

. . _
the flower of the whole continental protectionist army.
Mr. T. Wiukworth, whose paper on the silk trade at.
tracted so much interest at the Brussels Congress, has

lately been on a visit to Mr. Cobden at Glyn Gartb,
Bangor, and it was arranged that an account, Cobden
and Winkworth, should be opened as the Commercial
Bank, London, for subscriptions. Of these a consider-
able number,- it will be seen, have already been re-
ceived, though only a few circulars have yet been issued
from the London offices, New Palace-yard. The fact
of comparatively so many contributions being for-
warded from Newcsstle-on-Tyne is chiefly due to Mr.
Christian Allhusen, who, with three other gentlemen, has
been appointed a special committee of the Chamber of
Commerce of that town for the promotion of the present
object. This body (represented very ably at the Brussels
Congress by Mr. Allhusen, who furnished one of the most
valuable papers read during the sittings) is exerting
itself greatly in aid of the Belgian movement. If other
similar associations would do the same, as some indeed
are doing, the pecuniary result would speedily be
very large ; and, what is of more importance, the
British commercial public would soon begin to
understand how much their interest is involved in this
matter. Mr. Cobden, who is one of the six members
appointed to represent the same number of countries,
has taken up the question with his customary earnest-
ness, and his example and influence cannot fail to be
effecti►'e. That he means the agitation now commenced
to be something more than evanescent is indicated by
his becoming an annual subscriber of 10s. (the sum spe-
cified at the Congress), as well as a donor of five guineas.
Those to whose names in the annexed list the a is affixed
are also annual subscribers.

A Ilhusen, C., Chamber of Commerce, Newcastle-
on-Tyne (a) £5 5 0
Abbot, J., and Co., Gateshead 2 2 0
Barrett, T., and Son, Newcastle
Bird, W., London (a) 5 5 0
Boldemann, Borrin, and Co., Newcastle (a) 3 3 0
Carruthers, De Castro, and Co., Manchester 2 2 0
Cobden, R., M.P., West Riding, Yorkshire...(a) 5 5 0
Courtauld, S., and Co., London
Durham, the Riglit Hon. the Earl of, Lambton
Castle
Ewart, W., M.P., Dumfries
Forster, J., Newcastle (a)
Haansbergen, Brothers, Newcastle
Harrison, Carr, and Co., Portland West Hartley
Colliery .... (a) 2 2 0
Heald, J., and Co., Newcastle (a) 1 1 0
Hunter and Ericksen, Newcastle (a)
Hutchinson, W. J., Newcastle (a) 1 1 0
Jackson, C. V., and Co., Newcastle
Jeffery, J. R., Liverpool
Joicey, J., Newcastle (a) 2 2 0
Losh, Wilson, and Bell, Newcastle (a) 5 5 0
Manakester Commercial Association
Mechi, Mr. Sheriff, London
Morrison, J., Newcastle .. (a) 3 3 0
Morton, H., Lambton 2 2 0
Mounsey and Clapham, Newcastle (a) 3 3 0
Ormston, Dobson, and Co., Newcastle (a) 2 2 0
Pattinson, W. L., and Co., Newcastle
Pollard, J., and Co., Newcastle (a) 2 2 0
Richardson,
E., Newcastle (a)
Roney, Sir C. P., London (a) 3 3 0
Salomons, the Right Hox (late) Lord Mayor 5 5 0
Savill and Co., Newcastle (a) 2 2 0

Scholefield, W., M.P., Birmingham ' 2 2 0
Stevenson, Kirmham, and Scott, Newcastle (a) 3 3 0
Svcndson and Johnson, Newcastle (a) 1 1 0
Thiedmann, R., and Co., Newcastle
Wickham, 11. W., M.P., Chamber of Com-
merce, Bradford
Wire, Mr. Alderman, London (a)
Wood, E., Liverpool
Yates, J., F.R.S., Hampstead (a) 1 1 0

5 5 0