The Sun.
London, England, 1856-09-06 00:00:00

and other matters in its interior. The silicon becomes
(*averted into silice, which d:ssoiv( I m )re oxide, and the
c rbon into c-irbunie oxide, which bubbles, and burn- as
described. During the puddling and ammering, or
shingling, and piling of the iron, the slag is first the.
roughly incorporated with, and, having effected its work,
squeezed from the mass of the iron.

Can these impurities be removed without this labour,
time, and fuel ? The production of wrought-iron direct
from the ore can unquestionably be effected, and where
woo 1 charcoal can be employed in place of mineral fuel,
perhaps economically. It is commonly done in the
bloomery forges of America, and the Catalan forges of
the Pyrenees ; and these processes are but ameliorations
of the earliest and rudest methods of making inn. Mr.
Bessemer proposes to effect the same of j ,ct by the use
of air alone. 13e forcts air into the fused cast-iron in
large quantity ; the temperature rises very high, and the
iron is said to be converted into wrought iron. The
heat produced is thought to arise from the combustion
of the carbon, the whole of which, together with the
other impurities, is removed: It is surprising that the
carbon, the maximum quantity of which is five per cent.,
should burn so rapidly as to produce the great heat
described ; and we wait anxiously for such accurate
experiments as shall prove that the iron itself is not
largely oxidised. It will also be most interesting both
to the manufacturer and the chemist to learn that the
slag can be perfectly removed from the mass of the iron
without resorting to the mechanical treatment we have
described. We can readily imagine that Mr. Bessemer
may reduce the percentage of carbon so low by his pro•
cess as to make the iron approximate in composition to
steel. This has been done three-quarters of a century
ago ; and the patent lists show that from 1771 to the
present day scores, probably, of patents have been taken
out for making steel direct trot? the ore. To effect this,
however, is to do but little ; what is wanted is not steel
of an indifferent quality, but iron, from which the car.
bon has been so far removed as to leave the metal malle-
able. We can readily believe that Mr. Bessemer's pro-
cess will expedite the manufacture of wrought iron ; but
extended experiments are required to show that he can
dispense with the mechanical methods at present in use.
E-pecially important, too, is it that accurate chemical
analysis should be resorted to, to show the composition
of this iron, and to prove that the new process will
truly purge it of sulphur and phosphorus, as we under-
stand Mr. Bessemer to Fay it will—elements, the pre-
sence of 1 per cent, of which is fatal to the quality of the
iron. It would be scarcely possible by written desorip•
tion merely to make the mechanical contrivances intela
ligible which Mr. Bessemer describes in the specification
of his patent. It will suffice to say that they consist of
contrivances for effecting a rapid and complete aetion of
air on the iron—to do, in short, more effectually that
which is already done in the refinery furnace.

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, FRIDAY MORNING.

THE MAYNOOTH DIFFICULTY.

A Dublin Derbyite journal (the Express) has hit
upon a plan for settling the Maynooth difficulty,
and, as a consequence, healing the sores which
have sprung up in the body politic of the once
heal thy Conservative party. It is so simple that
the writer only wonders that it has never occurred
to any one before. Here is the solution of the
riddle which has so long perplexed the brains of
Mr. Disraeli, Mr. Spooner, and their followers and
admirers :

" We would apply to Maynooth the principle con-
tended for by the Church Education Society—the prin-
ciple, namely, that the State should supply the means of
a sound secular education, leaving each church or deno-
mination perfectly free to impart religious instruction in
its own way, both to its clergy and its laity, the secu-
lar education being subject to strict Government in-
spection, to see that the Parliamentry grant is honestly
applied to its proper object, and no other. It is un-
questionably for the benefit of the country that the
Irish priests should receive a liberal education. This
they cannot obtain without a State endowment. Then
lat Maynooth have a staff of professors like those of
the Queen's Colleges to give the scientific and Merely
part of the education, and let there be also a staff of
theological professors, paid by the Roman Catholics
themselves out of their own funds, or out of the fees of
the stu lents. In this way the Protestants of the United
Kingdom would get rid of the painful responsibility
under which they now labour in regard to the religious
teaching of Maynooth. If the same principle were car-
ried out in the National schools, and in all intermediate
endowment schools?, and if, on this just principle of per-
fect freedom and equality, the Church E lucetion So-
ciety's Schools got their fair share of the public grant,
then we believe the vexed question of education in this
country would be satisfactorily and finally settled.
We therefore earnestly submit this solution of the
difficulty to the candid consideration of our contempo-
raries, and of the statesmen on both sides who have
taken part in the discussion of the Maynooth question in
Par:lament."
THE FINALE OF THE NENAGH MUTINY.

The charge preferred agaiust the officers of the
Tipperary Militia, embodied in the general order of
Lord Seaton read at the disembodiment of the re-
giment on Monday, has, of course, excited an angry
feeling among the parties implicated. The official
rebuke has already drawn forth the following letter
from the Adjutant of the corps, addressed to the
local journal (the Nenagh Guardian) :

" No efficient measures, however, appear to have
been adopted to restore the discipline of the regiment,
n-,r do the influence and control that officers should
have bad in their respective companies seem to have been
zealously exercised in endeavouring to remove the
alleged causes of complaint, nor sufficient exertion made
to explain the militia regulations in respect to the cloth-
ing and bounty.'
" Sir,—'foe above is an extract of a letter from the
Deputy-Adjutant-General in Ireland, real to our regi-
ment on disembodiment yesterday, and as that corps
have, I regret to say, gained an unfortunate notoriety,
I feel sure the above paragraph will give a handle (if un-
contradicted) to the many who wish to cast a slur on
the officers, and thereby save Government from the con-
sequences of their own folly in attempting to save a few
paltry pounds.
"Now, to review my text in detail. It is first stated
—it is to be presumed, on the repot;-, of Colonel Irwin's
Court, no efficient measures' were adopted to restore
`discipline.' The outbreak took place, and 'discipline'
was at an end in a few minutes, and every endeavour
that men could make was made by the officers and the
well disposed non-commissioned officers of the regi-
ment. I admit that the step by which Colonel Irwin
thought it might be suppressed was not taken. It
is an old saying, the best hurler is on the ditch,'
and it is easy to talk, but I should much like to
have seen Colonel Irwin endeavour to arrest the
ringleaders on that morning. Had he done so, I bf •
lieve he never would have lived to he President of the
J'urt of Inquiry. It is a very fine thieg to state
that we (the officer) did not sufficiently exert our in-
fluence' to explain the militia r, gulations regarding
bounty' and 'clothing.' It is hard to explain things that
are nor. No intimation reached the corps as to what
the men were to get on disembodiment until after the
mutiny tied taken place ; aye, and been heard of at the
Horse Guards, too ; and up to this moment there is a
circular which has never reached this regiment even yet,
which was heard by us, for the first time, when read by
the counsellor the defence in the recent trials before the
civil power. As to exertions, I can only say that for
36 hours the officers were with the men, accompanying
them all niitlit at gi eat personal risk, and succeeded, I
be,ieve, in saving a great portion of t'ie property which
the rabble of the town were wishing to destroy under
cloak of the mutiny of our men.
"I think, Sir, that you, and all other editors, ought
to insist on the whole proceedings of that court of in-
quiry being publrehed, and let the world, who have heard
imputations cast on the officers of our regiment, also see
and judge for themselves on the evidence adduced before
that Court as to whether we are guilty of the charge of
deserting our men,' until actuaby called, as I was, to
lead them against her Mejesty's troops. Hoping that,
in common faireess, other journals will copy this letter,
"I remain y,,ur obedient servant,
"J. G. Ilona, Captain,
"Tipperary Light Infantiy.

"Nenagb, Sept. 2."

The concluding ceremonies and arrangements
previous to the dispersion of the corps on Monday
are thus degcribcd by the Nenagh paper :
The usual forttaliies—sach as the cal iii over the
names of the regiments, nominating the permanent staff,
&c —were then gone through ; after which the men were
marched in companies into their respective rooms to
have their accounts settled and to receire their allow-
ances. Before separating they gave three hearty and
stentorian cheers for 'Gallen. Tipperary.' Each man
got 255. ld. This included 103. balance of bounty for
1856, 14s. gratuity for 14 days from disembodiment of
regiment, and is. Id. pay and liquor money for last Se^.
tember. In addition the men received marching-money
at the rate of 41 each for every clear 10 miles they had
to travel to reach their homes, if in the country; if out
of it, they got to the nearest point to their homes on
the borders of the county. For every woman 'legally'
married, marching money at the rate of Ijd. per mile
Was given, and, if she had children, id. per mile was
granted for each child. As the seen were paid off they
left the barrack in the most peaceable and orderly man-
ner, and all seemed we'l satisfied. Having doffed the
old regimentals, such of them as still wore the last rem-
nants of the soldier's garb—many of them havast had to
purchase clothes beforehand for want of something to
shelter them from the weather—and substituted rted in their
stead the more cumfortalle apparel of tho civilian,, they
took their departure for their several homes."

The mortality in the rnitentiary establishments of
Sixony is described by the Tviancipctlion of Blu3sels as
terrible.
Llvuhroor, DOCKS.—The anraual &ate Tient of the
accounts has jn.t teen isiued by the Liverpool Dock
Committee. Under the beading "tonnage and light
des it appears that there have been received during
the year endtl3g June 23, 148,977/. on foreign sailing-
ships ; 15,9701. on foreign steamers; 9,9321. on coast
sailing-ships ; 17,856/. on coast-steamers • on vessels to
and from Runcorn, 8231. ; making in all 193,5591. re-
ceived under that head. The amount of dock-dues on
goods entered inward. was 119,8791., and on goods en-
tered outwards 32,5891. The other amounts received
and entered in the revenue account—on account of
graving-docks, 152,462/. ; graving-blocks, 2,5461. ; extra
dock rent, 2,3241. ; Albert Dock warehouses, 19,0001.;
Stanley Deck warehouses, 5,0001. ; rents of property,
19,923/. ; miscellmeous (canal rates, cranes, weights,
and scales, damages, weighing machines, dock stage,
&c.), 11,0751.; interest allowed in bank account, 4,7411.;
less commission, 1,2851.-3,456/. ; making a grand total
of receipts on revenue account of 0100/. for the year.