The Sun.
London, England, 1860-02-07 00:00:00

LITE.RATUI?E.

Vic Autobiography of a &antan. By Thomas
Earl of Dundonald, G.C.B.

•
Tradition has assigned to the Cochranes a deriva-
tion from the Scandinavian Sea-rovers, and the
same spirit " daring danger for the daring sake"
has exemplified their race down to the present time,
and the last earl is not a bad sample of his fore-
fathers. His autobiography is written in the frank
free style of an easy-going sailor who speaks his
mind and cares not what people say afterwards ;
just in the spirit of abuse me if you like, but con-
tradict me if you dare. He speaks to the point on
the old favouritism in the navy, and his narrative of
his trouble to get a worthy officer promotion in re-
ward of his services are both interesting and ag-
gravating. We subjoin the following extract as a
sample of the style of the work:—

From boyish impressions to midshipman's grievances is
but a step. At the first moment of my setting foot on board
the Hind it had been ray determination never to commit an
act worthy of punishment; but it was equally the determi-
nation of Jack Larmour to punish me for my resolution the
first time he caught me tripping. This was certain, for
Jack was open and above board, and declared that "he
never heard of such a thing as a faultless midshipman I"
For a long time he watched in vain, but nothing occurred
more than to warrant his swearing twice as much at me as
at any other of my messmates, Jack never troubling him-
self to swear at a waister. To use his own words, it " was
expending wind for nothing."
One day, when his back was turned, I had stolen of deck
for a few minutes, but only to hear on my return the omin-
ous words, "Mast-head, youngster !" There was no alter-
native but to obey. Certainly not cheerfully—for the day
was bitterly cold, with the thermometer below zero. Once
caught, I knew my punishment would be severe, as indeed
it was, for my sojourn at the mast head was protracted
almost to the limit of human endurance, my tormentor
being evidently engaged in calculating this to a nicety. He
never mast-headed me again.

ARREST OF THE TIMES' ITALIAN

CO.RRESPONDE.VT.

We have to record an act of a foreign Govern-
ment which stands in unfavourable contrast to the
usual conduct of the Continental police. It is the
Papal Court which has thought fit to depart from
the ordinary usage in these matters. What the
great military despots have never ventured upon
has been perpetrated by the folly and bigotry of
the Vatican. The correspondent of this journal in
Rome is an Italian gentleman, a naturalised British
subject. On the 12th of 'January he left Florence
with a passport rise at the Pontifical Legation, and
travelled to Rome. On arriving there he applied for
a carta di sogyiorno, or permission to reside in Rome
for three months, and obtained it in due form. Hav-
ing spent the winter of last year at Rome without
giving or receiving any molestation, he was confi-
dent of equal security on the present occasion.
But, knowing the unsettled state of affaird the
excitement of the Papal Court, he woulailce no
steps to settle in Rome without having made sure
of his carta di soggiorno. He then sent for his
family, took a residence, and paid his rent in ad-
vance, on the 23d, the day week after receiving the
carta. Hardly, however, had he made this ar-
rangement when he received a summons from the
police, and on going to the bureau was told that he
must quit Rome and return to Florence within
three days by the same route as that by which he
came. Being a British subject, he at once applied
to Mr. Odo Russell, the attache to our Tuscan
Legation, who resides in Rome, and also to Mr.
Newton, the British consul, who remonstrated
strongly with the Roman authorities, but in vain.

TRIAL TRIP OF THE NEW DOVER
MAIL PACKET JOILV

This vessel, built by the Thames Iron Works and
Ship-building Company, and fitted with machinery
by the firm of John Penn and Son, was tried yes-
terday at the measured mile, at the Lower Hope.
It has already been stated that she is 175 feet long
and 20 feet broad, is of 340 tons measurement,
and has oscillating machinery of 150-horse power.
Captain Robertson, R.N., the surveyor-general, and
Messrs. Galloway and Gladstone, of the Board of
Trade, were officially present ; and Messrs. Luke
and Hughes, of the Admiralty, as also Mr. Chambro,
of the Post-office. Mr. Penn attended personally
to the working of the engines. Mr. Ash, the de-
signer of the vessel, was also on board, together
with Messrs. Rolt, J. G. Appold,F.R.S., Mr. Wright,
secretary of the committee of steam-boat perform-
ances of the British Association ; Mr. Churchward,
Captain L. Smithett, &c. It was predicted that
this vessel would prove the fastest and most effi-
cient of any that had ever been placed on the Dover
station, and the result of yesterday justified all that
had been anticipated ; for under the most adverse
circumstances of half a gale of wind blowing at the
time, in the four runs with and against the tide she
realised about 15,1 knots, or nearly 18 miles, an
hour. It was the opinion of everybody that she is
the aaost perfect thing of her class ever turned out
of the Thames. Both shipbuilder and engineer had
a carte blanche, and no expense has been spared.
She is fitted with every new improvement. She
has Sir W. S. Harris's compasses, by Lilloy and
Son ; Mr. Nunn's newly invented paddle-box and
masthead lights, and Messrs. Newbon and Smith's
patent anchor lifts. Her boilers are made of mani-
pulated steel plates, by Messrs. Atkinson and Co.,
of Sheffield, and the shafts are also of steel. The
trial trip of yesterday having proved so highly
satisfactory, the John Penn will immediately pro-
ceed to Dover, and enter upon her service under
Mr. Churchward's new contract, making.the ninth
vessel now employed in carrying the mails between
Dover, Calais, and Ostend.

GRAIN IMPORT' BEFORE AND AFTER

FREE TRADE.

A few statistics are grouped together below in
illustration of the imports of grain and flour into
the United Kingdom before and after the adoption
of the free-trade policy in 1849. Of wheat the totals
stand thus :

BEFORE FREE TRADE.
Year. Qrs. Year. Qrs.
1843 .... 940,120 1846 .... 1,432,521
1844 .... 1,099,077 1847 .... 2,656,455
1845 .... 871,710 1848 .... 2,580,959
AFTER FREE TRADE.
Year. Qrs. Year. Qrs.
1850 .... 3,738,995 1855 .... 2,667,702
1851 .... 3,812,008 1856 .... 4,072,833
1852 .... 3,060,268 1857 .... 3,437,957
1853 .... 4,915,430 1858 .... 4,241,719
1854 .... 3,431,227 1859 .... 4,043,574
These figures exhibit an average in the former
period of 1,596,858 qrs., and in the second of
3,742,171 qrs., or an increase under free trade of
about 134 per cent. Extending the comparison to
other grains, the totals stand thus :
BEFORE FREE TRADE.
Year. Qrs. Year. Qrs.
1843 .... 365,396 1846 .... 2,358,360
1844 .... 1,648,874 1847 .... 6,780,222
1845 .... 1,286,017 1848 .... 4,364,533
AFTER FREE TRADE.
Year. Qrs. Year. Qrs.
1850 .... 4,181,869 1855 .... 3,081,539
1851 .... 4,281,398 1856 .... 4,124,420
1852 .... 3,581,461 1857 .... 6,107,225
1853 .... 3,932,178 1858 .... 5,946,546
1354 .... 3,419,273 1859 ....
5,358,908
The average between 1843 and 1848 was 2,800,567
qrs., and in the last 10 years 4,299,481 qrs., or an
increase under the present system of 53 per cent.
The imports of meal and flour of all kinds next
invite attention, and have been as under :

BEFORE FREE TRADE.
Year. Cwt. Y.ar. Cwt.
1843 .... 442,462 1846 .... 3,347,665
1844 .... 984,701 1847 .... 8,633,991
1845 .... 9t8,916 1848 .... 2,030,237
AFTER FREE TRADE.
Year. Cwt. Year. Cwt.
1850 1835 ..... 1,922,318
18.51 .... 5,33 , 9
.... 3,83831:168
1856 .... 3,991,369
1852 .... 3,866,719 1857 .... 2,184,176
1853 .... 4,638,010 1858 .... 3,865,996
1854 .... 3,705,160 1859 .... 3,354,789
The average between 1843 and 1848 was 2,731,212
qrs., and in the last 10 years 3,669,991 qrs.—show-
ing an increase of 34 percent. The increase in the
quantity of grain and flour imported has been vry
generally shared in by all the various countries from
which we draw our supplies.

BIRMINGRAM VOLUNTEER RIFLE
CORPS.

At a meeting of the committee of the above
corps, held on Friday night last in Birmingham,
Sir John Ratcliff, Knt., late mayor, presiding, Mr.
Charles Ratcliff, brother of Sir John, said he held
in his hand a list of persons who were anxious to
join the corps, and of whose qualifications he
bad no doubt. It was his intention to form
a company from amongst them, and he should
have great
pleasure in fully equipping a com-
pany of one hundred men who would advance £1
each towards the cost. Indeed, they had already
cheerfully consented to do so. This announcement
was received with much satisfaction, and with re-
ference to the proposal, it was moved by Mr. Mason,
seconded by Mr. Dixon and carried unanimously,
"'That the best thanks of the committee be pre-
sented to Mr. Charles Ratcliff for his kind and
liberal intentions, as specified in his communications
now made; and that the commanding officer of the
Birmingham Volunteers be informed that 100 men,
approved of by the committee of the Rifle Corps
Association, are now ready to be sworn in as an-
other company of the volunteer force." So liberal
an offer is worthy of imitation on the part of other
gentlemen of fortune and position, especially as it
is estimated that £l,OOO per year, exclusive of out-
fits, will be required to maintain in full efficiency a
force as large as the Birmingham corps.—Birminy-
loam. Mines.