The Sun.
London, England, 1869-03-01 00:00:00

THE MANUFACTURE OF CAST-STEEL.

The Siemens-Martin process for the manufacture of
cast-steel, tried experimentally at Birmingham, has
recently been put in operation on a manufacturing
scale at the North Yorkshire Steel and Iron
Works, near Stockton-on-Tees, by Mr. Samuelson,
M.P. The object of the invention is to produce
cast-steel of a superior quality on the open hearth
of a reverhatory furnace more certainly and more econo-
mically than by the Bessemer process. By the latter the
conversion of cast-iron into steel is effected by the injec-
tion of air ; but the violence and rapidity of the process
sometimes produces hard and brittle steel instead
of the soft and ductile quality aimed at. By the
Siemens-Martin process the temperature and composition
of the flame in the furnace are entirely under the control
of the operator. In the modification of Heath's process
by Emile Martin, which consists in dissolving in a bath of
liquid cast-iron successive doses of wrought-iron until
the bath is saturated, and a fluid metal similar to
liquid wrought-iron has been formed, when cast-iron ix
again added till steel of the required hardness is obtained.
Some difficulty was found in working the iron of the
Cleveland district, but this has been overcome. The steel-
melting works of Mr. Samuelson's company were
put in operation on the 18th ultimo, and the first
rail was rolled for the North-Eastern Railway with
perfect success on the following day. The rail was
subjected to the impact of a ball weighing 22 cwt., and
falling from a height of 30 feet, without chewing the
slightest flaw, and each subsequent day's product has
borne the same extraordinary test. Mr. Siemens himself
is erecting similar works in North Wales, and the manu-
facture will no doubt be rapidly developed.

GENERAL GRAAT'S LONGEST SPEECH.

On the 13th February General Grant was officially
informed of his election as President of the United States.
In reply he said: " I can promise the committee that it
will be my endeavour to call around me as assistants
such men only As I think will carry out the
principles which you have said the country desires
to see successful—economy, retrenchment, faithful col-
lection of the revenue, and payment of the public debt.
If I should fail in my first choice, I shall not
at any time hesitate to make a second, or even a third
trial, with the concurrence of the Senate, who have the
confirming power, and should jest as soon remove one of
my own appointees as the appointee of my predecessor.
It would make no difference. There is one matter that
I might properly speak of here, and that is the selection
of a Cabinet. I have always felt that it would be rather
indelicate to announce or even to consult with the gentle-
men whom I thought of inviting to positions in my
Cabinet before the official declaration of the result of the
election was made, although I presumed that there was
no doubt about what that declaration would be. But,
after consideration, I have come to the conclusion
that there is not a man in the country who could be
invited to a place in the Cabinet without friends of some
other gentleman making an effort to secure the position ;
not that there would be any objection to the part]
named, but that there would be others whom they had
set their hearts upon having in the place. I can tell that
from the great number of requests which come to me, in
writing and otherwise, for this particular person or that
one, from different sets and delegations. If announced
in advance efforts would be made to change my determina-
tion, and, therefore, I have come to the conclusion not
to announce who I am going to invite to seats in the
Cabinet until I send in their names to the Senate for con-
firmation. If I say anything to them about it, it will
certainly not be more than two or three days previous to
sending in their names. I think it well to make a public
declaration of this to the Committee, so that my inten-
tions may be known."

A " bill to facilitate business in Parliament" has
been introduced by the Marquis of Salisbury. It provides
that where a bill has passed one House of Parliament, and
has been stopped in the house from want of time for its
duo consideration in the session, the proceedings on such
bill may be resumed and carried in the next session, not-
withstanding the prorogation of Parliament, on thefollowing
steps being taken in that session : Ist. On the consent of
the Crown to the resumption of proceedings being duly sig-
nified; 2d. On the House in wh;ch proceedings on the bill
were suspended passing a resolution to the effect that it is
expedient that proceedings on the bill should be resumed.
The bill does not apply to the resumption of proceedings on
a bill DI tQk tli 9i4 on of Pariament. - - -