The Sun.
London, England, 1860-05-19 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SIIN.

Sir,----Messrs. Green, of Blackwall, in a letter
dated the 14th of May, have made charges against
the Admiralty Board of which I was the senior
naval member at the time the gunb9ats were
built by their firm, and now found to be very de-
fective, as well as fastened with bolts of an insuffi-
cient length. I shall endeavour to obtain the fol-
lowing returns, in order to show that the charges
and complaints in the letter of Messrs. Green are
totally unfounded :-
1. The contract entered into with Messrs. Green
for building these vessels.

2. For any document in office or correspondence
on the subject of unseasoned timber, and of the ina-
bility of Messrs. Green to procure seasoned timber.
3. The report from Malta of the state of the Co-
quette, built by Messrs. Green, stating whether
that vessel had ever been hauled up at Haslar or
elsewhere.

4. The report from Portsmouth-yard on the state
of the Caroline, built by Messrs. Green.
S. The number of inspectors appointed by the
Board of Admiralty attached to the building-yard
of Messrs, Green during the building of the gun-
boats.

6. The means adopted for the preservation of the
vessels hauled up at liaslar, as directed in January,
1857.

With respect to the statement made by Messrs.
Green, that they were not allowed longer time to
build the gunboats, I \can only observe that they
were called on to tender and they named their own
time.

With respect to being threatened with legal pro-
ceedings, which compelled them to hire a large
number of strange shipwrights, legal proceedings
were threatened, because the A imiralty discovered
that Messrs. Green were neglecting their contract
and employing their shipwrights on two vessels for
the Brazilian Government in preference to the
gunboats. •

I will unclude by asking Messrs. Green whether
Lloyd's require that the bolts in the bottoms of
ships should be properly clinched.—Yours most

obediently, M. F. F. BERKELEY.
32, Lowndes-square, May 13.

THE EARLY CLOSING NO VENE T.

Mr. Alfred le Measurer, of Ludgate-hill, has
addressed the following very sensible letter to the
Editor of the Times :

Lords Grosvenor and Elcho are pressing on us
London shopkeepers the propriety of closing our
shops at two p.m. on Saturdays, in order that our
young men may have more time to devote to drill.
A shopkeeper's time is his money. Thtse noble
lords are, therefore, pressing us London shop-
keepers to contribute more largely than we have
hitherto done to the Volunteer movement.. They
are going to convoke a public meeting early in
June for the furtherance of their object.
Now, sir, I entirely deprecate pressure of this
kind being thus unfairly imposed on any particular
class of her 'Majesty's subjects.
What would Lords Eleho and Grosvenor think
or say if I, a first-class haberdasher, were to give
notice of a public meeting for the purpose of invit-
ing the nobility and gentry of London to abandon
all Saturday drives, dinner parties, and routs, in
order that their cooks and footmen might be massed
into and manceuvrcd as rifle corps, while their
grooms and coachmen, mounted on their saddle
and carriage horses, protected their flanks with a
volunteer cavalry such as no other capital city in
the world could turn out ?

how aptly would Lord Elcho's eloquent and
touching words, " that it would be of the utmost
iibportance to the moral and physical wellbeing of
the young men engaged in these menial occupa-
tions that they should be enabled to avail them-
selves of opportunities of healthy exercise alike in-
vigorating to mind and body," apply to these over-
fed men and horses ! What an astonishing giantry
Belgravia and St. James's alone could contribute,
and that at a far less sacrifice to individuals than
what is now claimed from us! Let the noble lords
who arc asking so much of the shopkecping class
tell us why a little more should not be required
from themselves, and I have no doubt, if their an-
swer be satisfactory, that their projected public
meeting will have a great success.
I trust to your impartiality to afford to these
brief observations of mine the same advantages of
type and position which you have conceded to the
letters of Lords Eleho and Grosvenor.

TILE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.

The present position of the Presidential question
in the United Statis is thus estimated in the New
ork Herald:—

" The indications are now pretty strong that
there will be four candidates in the field for the
Presidential succession, representing the Northern,
or Squatter Sovereignty, Democracy; the Southern,
or Slavery Protection, Democracy ; the National
Union party; and the Black Republican organisa-
tion ; in which event the election may be carried to
the House of Representatives, under the Constitu-
tion, by neither of the candidates being able to ob-
tain a majority of all the votes which will be cast
by the Electoral College. The whole number of
electors, including Kansas, will be 306, and, to se-
cure an election, one of the candidates must receive
154 votes, without which the three highest must
go to the house, where the vote will be taken
by States, each State having but one vote. The
political complexion of the house, including Kansas,
which, if admitted at the present session, will have
her representative there in time to vote in Decem-
ber, will be as follows :

. 17
. 14

Republican
Democratic
Divided
The thr,se St ttes which are divided are Maryland,
Kentucky, and North Carolina, the delegations from
which are composed of an equal number of Demo-
ts and National Unionists. They would thus be
unable to cast their votes in the election of a Presi-
dent. This depreciation, however, would not add
to the chances of the election of a Republican, be-
cause the Constitution does not say that a Pre:iident
may be chosen in receiving a majority of the States
voting, but to securing an election the candidates
must obtain a majority of all the States represented,
and a majority, with the addition of Kansas, would
require 18. sit appears very plain that, under the
existing state of political divisions in the house,
that body will not be able to agree upon a candi-
date before the 4th of March, 1861, when the pre-
sent Congress ceases to exist. If the Electoral Col-
lege cannot elect a President, it will, of course, be
unable to choose a Vice-President, and the duty of
selecting that officer will devolve upon the Senate.
Differing a little in the number of the Presidential
candidates which go before the house, the Constitu-
, tion allows but two candidates for the vice-presi-
dency to go to the Senate, and these must be the
two who have received the highest number of votes
from the electors; and also differing in the manner
of electing, it is provided that each senator shall
vote for himself, and a majority of all the votes cast
shall decide the election. When the 4th day of
March arrives, and no chief magistrate having been
chosen either by the electors or the House of Re-
presentatives, ' then the Vice• President shall act
as President, as in the case of the death or other
constitutional disability of the President.' "

ia eAltniahatregye felterSne
Mr. Henry Burnand, of Lloyd's, has been ap-
pointed superintendent of the underwriting department to
the Thames and Mersey Marine Insurance Company, at a
salary of £5,000 a year.
was
sOpxafotrrodnoisnedT
thyurasbdoaiyit ago
ACCIDENT AT MR. R4REY'S CIRCUS, AT Ox-
r. o B.D.—MS. Rareypamidaargvutiet
Friday. His spacious
persons, including the Very Rev. the Dean of Christ Church
tsahenenaPioArriearSinsd.dennjutannOidfoCarloln37lllmirfii
tvoiJtboh Orfordh
neer Viceosf,
and Mrs. Liddell,
hers of the University, and some of the leading JDeru.
Sheriffni et
o,
,a ,thed enP , r
the
Stevens,s
sof the city and neighbourhood. The first animal in-
troduced was a two-year old thorough bred filly, about
14 hands, the property of Mr. Cowper, a breeder of horses,
at Farnborough-hill, near Banbury, and was described as
being of a rnost vicious and savage nature. On being brought
into the ring the animal seemed at first to be in a better
temper, and Mr Rarey commenced operations. Suddenly,
from some unexplainable cause, the animal dashed. away
amongst the spectators, dragging Mr. Rarey with him.
Three front rows cf seats in the half-crown places were
broken, and upwards of thirty occupants were unseated.
Most of them, we are glad to say, were more frightened than
hurt. One lady was obliged to be taken home in a fly, and
three young men were also rather injured. Mr. Rarey
showed the most determined resistance to the animal, and
by his courage and strength succeeded in restraining it
from doing further mischief, and with the aid of his two
assistants the colt was secured. This is the first time that
Mr. Rarey has ever had an accident while operating on
vicious horses, although he has had to contend against
horses of double weight and strength. He admitted that
he had seldom met with a colt which showed so much de-
termination. The attendance on Friday was considerable,
and included his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and
suite, Dr. and Mrs. Liddell, Earl Brownlow, &c. The
operations were confined to a cob, and the breaking in of a
colt, which occupied an hour and a quarter. A very
ous animal from Wheatley was in attendance, but Mr.
Rarey stated that under the circumstances of yesterday, he
would not operate until ha had a stronger barrier.

TILE PA

REPEAL.

Yesterday morning, in accordance with a requi-
sition to the Mayor, a meeting of the citizens of
Manchester was held in the Town-hall to protest
against any attempt in the House of Lords to re-
ject the Bill for the Repeal of the Paper Duties.
The MAYoR (Mr. Mackie) said he was glad to
find such a large muster of the citizens to discuss
a question of so much importance. (Hear, hear.)
On the last occasion on which he presided over a
meeting in that hall they met to congratulate one
another on Mr. Gladstone's excellent Budget, and
certainly it appeared both unwarrantable and un-
usual on the part of the House of Lords to interfere
with any Money Bill emanating from the House of
Commons, as representing the people. (Cheers )
He had called this meeting on the requisition of
upwards of lie>o of the most influential of the people
of Manchester, and lie hoped such an expression of
opinion would proceed from it as would have some
weight in inducing their lordships not to accede to
the proposal which was to be laid before them on
Monday. (Cheers.)
Mr. T. B. POTTER MOVsA the first resolution :

"That in the opinic.n of this meeting the proposal of
Lords Monteagle and Derby to reject the bill for the repeal
of the excise upon paper, and thus to saddle the country
with taxation to the amount of £1,200,000 not required by
the Crown, and remitted by the Commons, will be, if suc-
cessful, an unwarrantable interference with the right of the
House of Commons to originate and determine the taxation
of the country, and ought to be strenuously resisted by the
great body of the people."

(Cheers.) He quoted the words of the late Duke
of Wellington in the House of Lords in May, 1816,
when the repeal of the Corn Laws was under
discussion, in order to show what was the opi-
nion given by an authority which would com-
mand their lordships' respect on an issue simi-
lar to the present. The duke told the peers that
the measure came to than as passed by a majo-
rity of the House of Commons and recommended
by the Crown ; that the Ilouse of Lords would
therefore stand alone if they rejected it ; and it was
a position in which he had frequently said they
ought not to stand, because they possessed, as it
was, great influence on public opinion, but without
the House of Commons and the Crown they could
do nothing, and " there was end to their func-
tions." (Hear, hear.) If this had been said at
Manchester it would have been called revolu-
tionary, but it might be said even more appro-
pi iately on the present question than on the one
decided in 1846, for in this case it was even more
purely an interference with taxation. (Cheers.)
Mr. H. RAwsoN seconded the resolution, and re-
marked that to any one who scrutinised the divi-
sion lists it would be apparent that the majority in
the House of Commons, had there been represen-
tation in proportion to property and population,
would not have been only 10, but probably up-
wards of 100. (Hear.) And if the bill were re-
jected in the House of Lords, the rejection would
probably be brought about by the use of proxies
on behalf of persons who were travelling about all
over Europe, some of whom, perhaps, had never
taken the smallest part in the discussions of that
branch of the Legislature.
Mr. Alderman HEYWOOD, in support of the re-
solution, contended that all competent authority
was against the propriety of the course about to be
taken by Lord Derby on this question, and that the
position of those who wished to drive the present
Government from office would only prove to have
been weakened if their motion succeeded. (Loud
cheers.)
Mr. It. COOPER said the working classes had dis-
played a degree of moderation and an observance of
peaceful policy for the last 20 years which were ap-
parently mistaken for boorish apathy, but their pa-
tience would certainly be soon exhausted by conti-
nual obstruction to reform of every kind. The
question was no longer whether the industrial classes
were intelligent enough for the franchise, but whe-
ther the aristocracy were intelligent enough to be
intrusted with political power. The ignorance now
to be dreaded was not that of the masses but that
of their rulers. (Cheers.)
Mr. HEELIS (ex-Mayor of Salford) said some of
the speakers objected to being taxed, as they said,
by the House of Lords. He objected, on the other
hand, to be taxed by the House of Commons. He
preferred to be taxed by the whole Parliament,
which included both houses and the Crown ; and he
opposed a resolution which improperly denied the
House of Lords its clear right to a voice in the de-
cision of such a question.
Mr. G. WILSON, who was received with loud
cheering, quoted the authority of Mr. May, in op-
position to the view of the last speaker, and had no
doubt it would be clearly shown in the ensuing de-
bates that the rejection of this bill by the Lords
would be quite at variance with constitutional prac-
tice. (Hear, hear.)
Dr. WATTS said it was evident that if this excise
duty were continued by the House of Lords in op-
position to the recommendation of two-thirds of the
Parliament—as it was defined by Mr. Heelis—it
amounted to a reimposition of taxes by the Upper
House which the advisers of the Crown declared
not to be wanting. He considered that the experi-
ence of the past 11 years as to the results of the re-
mission of such duties as this was so decisive as to
justify him in using the strongest expression he
could select, and denounce as " a lie" the assertion
that the amount of revenue to be parted with was
required by the financial necessities of the State.
He believed the true reason of the opposition to the
measure was the opposition of the House of Lords
to the system of direct taxation, so much favoured
by Mr. Gladstone's budget, and of which the aris-
tocracy feared the consequences as unfavourable to
their own interests. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. AMBROSE (barrister), in the course of an
argument against the resolution, which was listened
to with great impatience, cited Mr. Hallam as an
authority in support of the alleged " interference"
by the House of Lords. He proposed an amend-
ment, which was not seconded.

Mr. BROOME, an operative, said he would appeal
from Mr. Hallam to a still higher constitutional
authority on all questions, and that was the people
of England, who were clearly against the inter-
ference of the House of Lords in matters of taxa-
tion. (Great cheering.)
The resolution was carried, with three dissentients.
The meetinc, was afterwards addressed by Mr. W.
Clarke, Mr. Horsfall, Mr. Butterfield, and Mr. C.
S. Grundy, and the proceedings terminated with
the adoption of a petition to the House of Com-
mons and a memorial to Lord Palmerston.

THE METROPOLITAN UNDERGROUND
RAILWAY.

Yesterday Mr. Wakley, the coroner, and a jury
resumed an inquiry, adjourned from the previous
Thursday, at the Lord Nelson Tavern, Duke's-row,
Euston-road, on the body of Andrew Lawford Wall,
aged eight years, the son of a glazier, living at 51,
Burton-street, Burton crescent.

The investigation involved the conduct either of
the directors or of Mr. Jay, the contractor of the
works for constructing the Metropolitan Under-
ground Railway, passing under the Euston-road
to King's•cross. It appears that loud complaints
have been made by the inhabitants of the road and
pavements being blocked up by the immense mounds
of clay and soil thrown out of the excavations for
the new sewer connected with the works of the
Metropolitan Railway. On Tuesday, the Bth inst.,
the deceased, with some other children, was on one
of these mounds, and whilst stooping to pick up a
piece of clay, a portion of the mound slipped, and
the child was pitched head foremost under the
wheels of an omnibus passing at the moment, which
went over his head, neck, and chest. Strange to
relate, the child jumped up and ran several yards,
and then fell dead in the arms of a man who rushed
forward to rescue him. No blame whatever was
attributable to the omnibus driver; but the question
arose as to whether under the Act of Parliament for
constructing the railway the mounds were legally
placed where they existed—whether due care and
precaution had been taken on the part of the con-
tractor and engineer of the company regarding
them—and, therefore, whether criminality attached
to any party in the matter. In order to ascertain
these points the inquiry was adjourned, to enable
the coroner to see the Acts of Parliament, and lay
his opinion before the jury.
Mr. Jay, the contractor, was present, with Mr.
Valiance, his soFeitor.
The Coroner stated that he found that by the
162 d section of the Metropolitan Railway Act, these
mounds had been placed there contrary to the Act
of Parliament, and that they had in many instances
existed over three mouths, which, by another
clause,
empowered the parish surveyor to give no-
lice, if not removed, to put the road in repair, and
compel the company to pay for it. He could not
find that criminality attached to any one, however,
as the child had no business where it was when the
accident happened. The jury could, however, re-
cord their opinions.
The jury returned the following special verdict :
—" That Andrew Lawford Wall died from the
effects of injuries of his head and chest, caused by
their being crushed by a certain omnibus; and the
jurors farther say, that the said Andrew Lawford
Wall fell from a heap of clay and sub-soil, which
had been left in the Euston-road by the contractor
of the Metropolitan Railway Company. The jury
further consider it to be their duty to state, that the
works where the accident happened have been exe-
cuted in a careless, unguarded manner, and in a
way calculated to endanger human life. The jury
further consider that the surveyor of the vestry has
neglected to see that the provisions of the law have
been carried into effect."
The proceedings then terminated.