The Sun.
London, England, 1867-01-09 00:00:00

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LONDON STREET REFORM SOCIETY.
PRESIDMIT.
Sir WILLIAM FRASERy Bart., M.A., F.S.A.
On the 13th of June, 1865, it was admitted unanimously in
the House of Commons that the condition of London, as
regards Paving, Lighting, and Cleansing, was disgraceful.
• No improvement has taken place.
The Traffic of London becomes every day more un-
manageable. The Public Vehicles are inferior to those of
Provincial and Continental Cities.
This Society has been formed to stimulate public atten-
tion ; to collect, condense, and make known facts ; to
point out defects iu the law ; to enforce provisions at
present neglected; and to watch Bills introduced into Par-
liament on these subjects.
The London Street Reform Society is not pledged to
support any specific change in the Government of _the
Metropolis.
Those who may wish to join the Society are requested
to write to J. S. Italy, Esq., Hon. Sec. L.S.R.S., 88, St.
James's-street, S.W.

Just I).ll)H:shed, Icap. Svo., cloth wlt. price 2K 64
I.ONDON SELF-GOVERNED
ALAI By Sir WILLIAM FRASER, Bart, . F.S.A.
London : Fran is Ihrvey, 4, St. James'E—street.

CONTRACT FOR BEECH WEDGES.
Contract Department, Admiralty, Somerset
THouse, ,14th Dec. 1866.
HE COMMISSIONERS for, EXECUTING
the OFFICE of LORD HIGH ADMIRAL of the
UNITED KINGDOM of GREAT BRITAIN and IRE-
LAND, Do hereby give NOTICE, that on TUESDAY,
the Bth January next, at Two o'Clock, they will be ready
to treat with such Persons as may be willing to Contract
for supplying Her Majesty's Dockyard at Portsmouth with
Hewed Wedges of Beech, under a Contract for twelve
calendar months certain, and further until the expiration
of three calendar months' warning.
The average annual consumption, together with a Form
of the Tender and Conditions of Contract, may be seen in
the Lobby of the Storekeeper-General's Department,
Admiralty, Somerset House. No Tender will be received
after Two o'Clock on the day of Treaty, nor will any be
noticed unless the Party attends, or an Agent for him duly
authorised in writing.
Every Tender must be addressed to the Secretary of the
Admiralty, and bear in the left-hand corner the words
" Tender for Beech Wedges ;" and must also be delivered
at the Department of the Storekeeper-General, Admiralty,
Somerset House, accompanied by a Letter signed by two
responsible persons, engaging to become bound with the
Person tendering hi the sum of X2OO for the duo perfor-
mance of the Contract. •

By Order,
ANTONIO BRAY,
Registrar of Contracts and Public.
Securities.

CONTRACT FOR FRESH OX BEEF AND VEGE-
TLES AT FOYNS.
CONTRACABT DEPARTMENT,E ADMIRALTY.
Somerset House, 27th December, 1866.
THE COMMISSIONERS for EXECUTING
the OFFICE ef LORD HIGH ADMIRAL the
UNITED KINGDOM of GREAT BRITAIN andof IRE-
LAND do hereby Give Notice, that on Tuesday, the 15th
January next, at Twelve o'clock at Noon, they will be
ready to treat with such persons as may be willing to con-
tract for supplying all such quantities of
FRESH OX BEEF and VEGETABLES,
for the use of her Majesty's ships and vessels at Foynes as
may be domande] from the 15th January to the 30th June,
1867, both days included.
The Contractor is to supply good fat well-fed Ox Beef,
as nO Heifer meat will be admitted.
The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty reserve to
themselves an unlimited power of selection in accepting
the Tenders.
Tenders must be made at rates per 100 lb., and no atten-
tion will be paid to any offers not so made.
The Contractor in claiming payment for the supplies, is
to make out his invoices in pounds at per 100 lb.
The Contractor to reside on the spot, or to have an
agent resident there. If non-resident, the name and ad-
dress of the agent must be inserted in the Tender.
No Tender will be received after Noon on the day of
treaty, and it will not be required that the party tendering,
or an agent on his behalf, should attend at the Office on
the day of Contract, as the result of the offer received from
each person will be communicated to him and his proposed
sureties in writing.
Every Tender must be addressed to the Secretary of the
Admiralty, and must also be delivered at the department
of the Comptroller of Victualling, Admiralty, Somerset
House, signed by two respodible persons, engaging to
become bound with the person tendering in the sum of
.£eef 300 for the due parformae of the Contract forFresli Ox
b, and £lOO nc for the Contract for Vegetables.
The Contractor to pay half the amount of the stamps on
the Contracts and Bonds.
By order, ANTONIO BRADY,
Registrar of Contracts and Public Securities.

T GUNMA K E R S and Others.
The SECRETARY of STATE for WAR is desirous of
receiving PROPOSALS from Gunmakers and Others for
BREECH-LOADING RIFLES, either repeating or not
repeating, which may replace the present Service Rifles in
future manufacture.

The following are the conditions considered essential in
military non-repeating Rifles:—

Not to exceed 91b. Soz.WEGHT
without bayonet.
R. LENGTH.
To be 51 inches, with short stock, measured from the
hollow of the butt-plate to muzzle.
c. WEIGHT OF AMMUNITION MADE UP.
Must not exceed 61b. 4oz. for sixty rounds as packed for
service.

D. CARTRIDGES.
Must carry thbir own
E. 'im
SIGHTS.
fixed accordin nition.
The foresight must be such as to admit of a bayonet
g to the present system.
Must be such as to carF.
STOCK.ry
allow a sling to be used. a light metal cleaning rod, and
a.
Must not exceed that of RECOIL.
the Enfield Rifle by more than
10 per cent.

x.
THE ARM AS A WHOLE.
Rust be as little liable to injurybylong-continued firing,
rough usage, and exposure, as the naval rifles converted to
breech-loaders on the Snider system. To be as capable,
also, of being used without accident by imperfectly trained
for
men, and of being manufactured in quantities and of uni-
m quality.
L THE AMMUNITION AS AugLE.
Must be as little liable to injury by rogh usage, damp,
and ex
r'sureerpos in all climates, as the Boxer cartridge for
Snide convted Enfield rifle—also as little liable to acci-
dental explosion as the same cartridge, and as capable of
being manufactured in large
quality, quantities, and of uniform
Optional. CALIBRE.
L. THE TWIST AND FORM OF GROOVE.
Optional.
Optional. M. THE LOCK.

N. RAPIDITY OF FE.
Capable of firing at least 12 rounds IRper minute, without
aiming, the cartridges being arranged on a table.
0. ACCURACY WHEN FIRED FROM A FIXED REST.
The arm must give a mean figure of merit of not more
than 36in. at 1,000 yards, 30in. and 6in. at 300. at 800 yard; 12in. at 500,
The mean to be taken upon at least five targets of twenty
shots each.
........

P. TRAJECTORY.
Not to require at 500 yards an elevation of more tllati 1
deg. 30 min.

ULING.
The shooting Q. FOnot to deteriorate mo
at 1,000 yards after firing 250 rounds. re than 20 per cent.
R. PENETRATION.
The mean penetration of five shots not to be less than
that of the present service muzzle-loading Enfield Rifle—
viz., 12 half-inch elm planks, which have been soaked 48
hours in water.
Distance 30 yards,
a. N.
Wax on bullets is indLUBRICAT IO
ispensable, but any other lubricant
may be supemdded or applied to the cartridge, if thought
necessary by the competitor.
No arms-will be received without the usual proof marks.
,Pecifications, and drawings of the methods proposed,
stating the probable cost per arm, and accompanied by a
finished specimen arm, with 20 rounds of suitable ammu-
nition, should be sent to the "Director of Ordnance, War
Oftlce,
on or before the 30th March, 1867.
, The specifications and specimen arms will be considered
by the Ordnance Select Committee and its associate mem-
bers, who will be selected by the Secretary of State for
SelecWar and who will, after firing the 20 preliminary rounds,
t and recommend for further trial such of the systems
tia may appear to them sufficiently Promising, rejecting all
such as may not be considered to offer sufficient merits to
'warrant their being included in the competition, the con-
ditions of which are stated in this advertisement.
Each accepted competitor will then be required to furnish
for experiment, at Woolwich, six arms in strict conformity
to the specimen arm submitted, with 1,000 rounds of am-
munition per arm, within four months after date of de-
mand. Each competitor will be required to disclose to the
committee the exact nature of the lubrication he may em-
ploy. A sum of £3OO will be paid to each of the accepted
competitor; to cover the expense of the six rifle; and of
the supply of ammunition required.
The Secretary of State offers a reward of £l,OOO for the
arm which, on combination of all qualities, is considered
by the committee to be the best submitted.
A second reward of £6OO for the arm which, while at-
taining a satisfactory degree of excellence in other particu-
lars, is selected for merit in respect to its breech mechanism.
A third reward of 4400 for the best cartridge. The qua-
awarding this prize will be economy of manufacture, power
of sustaining rough usage, freedom from deterioration in
various climates, and general serviceability.
The shooting qualities of the cartridge must be fair; but
as they may depend upon the rifling of the arm with which
the cartridge is associated, they will not be so much con-
sidered as those above-mentioned.
It is clearly to be understood that under no circumstances
will a competitor be entitled to more than one prize ; but
such prize will be irrespedtive of any reward which may be
given to tie inventor of the arm finally adopted into the
service.

Iv.
MAGAZINE AND REPEATING ARMS.
Magazine and Repeating Arms for Infantry will be re-
eived and examined in a manner similar to the Breech-
loading Rifles. They must not be less in length than 48
nches, including the stock.
The limit of weight for these arms is fixed at 911 b. ex-
cluv,ive of the charges in the magazine.
It is indispensable that the arms be made to take a
bayonet.
The Secretary of State offers a reward of 300 for the best
Magazine or Repeating Arm produced that fulfils the above
Conditions ; and in the absence of experience does not at
present define the standard of accuracy or other conditions
to be fulfilled before such an arm can
be adopted.
Those Magazine orßepeatingArms, which are accepted
for further trial, will be paid for at the rate of ..£6O each.
This sum is to include 1,000 rounds of ammunition per
arm.

The Secrets V.
/loyalt ry of State will take care that no ingenious
y produ in a.nswer to tis advertisement shall be
adopted into the ced
service withouth proper acknowledgment,
and that the name of the individual with whom it origi-
nates shall he recorded in connection with it.
if the rifle to which the first prize is awarded is adopted
into the service, it will bear the inventor's name.
ST. GEORGE, Major-Genera; Pfreetor
W" Qfileat Oct. 22 /866 °L
Ordnance