The Sun.
London, England, 1858-11-08 00:00:00

,1112111S'i

Charing-cross..
One fire happened in the premises belonging to
Mr. J. Reihie, situate at No. 57, Richmond-street,
Caledonian-road, Islington. The fire commenced
in the front room first floor, and speedily extended
to the drawers and furniture in the first floor. The
engines of the London brigade were soon in at-
tendance, but, owing to the exertions of the in-
-1 mates and police, the fire was subdued. The
damage, however, is considerable. The suffer

was insured in the Royal Fire-office.
Another fire took place in the premises belonging
to Mr. George Page, hairdresser, situate at No. 34,
Pail-mall. The discovery was made by smoke
issuing from the flooring on the first floor. Several
engines of the London Brigade and parish were
soon in attendance, but the flames were quickly
extinguished. The loss will fall upon the Royal
Exchange and Hand-in-Hand offices.
A third- fire broke out in the beer-shop belonging
to Mr. J. Heath, carrying on business at No. 20,
William-street, Green-street, Bethnal-green. The
cause of this fire could not be gleaned ; but when
the fire was first seen it was rushing up the parti-
tions on the ground floor, and in the course of a
few minutes it had extended up the landing to the
first floor. The engines of the London Brigade
were remarkably fast in their attendance, but owing
to the timely arrival of the police and strangers
the flames were got out during the interval. The
sufferer was uninsured.
A fire likewise took place in the private house of
Mr. R. Buckland, No. 10, Redmonds-row, Mile-
end. The _flames commenced in a cupboard from
sonic unexplained cause in the second floor, the
furniture becoming ignited, and the window glass
breaking, it was feared that the whole building
would have been consumed; but owing to the com-
bined exertions of all present the fire was subdued.
but the damage done was considerable. Unfortu-
nately the sufferer was not insured.
A fifth fire broke out in the premises occupied
by Mr. R. Rtimbill, a tailor, &c., No. 3, Pleasant-
place, Holloway-road. The disaster was occasioned
by the light of the gas burner in the shop. coming
in contact with the stock in trade therein. The
engines of the London Brigade and parish, toge-
ther with the Royal Society's escapes, were re-
markably early in arriving, but the greater portion
of the stock in trade was destroyed before the fire
could be extinguished. Unfortunately the occupier
of the premises was not insured.
A sixth fire broke out in the tesidence of Mr. W.
Lawson, No. 23, Doughty-street, near the Found-
ling Hospital. It was caused from a spark flying
from a lighted candle, which set in flames the con-
tents of the third floor front. The engines of the
parish and London Bridge, as well as the Royal
Society's escapes, were quickly in attendance, and
owing to the exertions of the police and inmates
the fire was got out, but the damage done was con-
siderable, and it is to be regretted that the sufferer
was uninsured.
In addition to the above fires, r another one took
place in the premises belonging to Mr. Lawrence,
the well-known clothier, carrying on business
facing the Royal Botanical Gardens, in the Jew's-
row, Chelsea, and within a few yards of the Royal
Asylum. The fire was discovered by a pensioner
as he was proceeding to the College, by noticing
smoke pouring from the lower part of the estab-
lishment. This convinced the man at a glance that
the premises were on fire, and forthwith he sounded
the necessary alarm, and sent off for proper assist-
ance. It was at one time feared that the whole of
the inmates were in their beds, and that they
would fall -victims to the fury of the flames, but it
subsequently transpired that the whole of the resi-
dents had left some time previously for the purpose
of attending Divine service at their regular place
of worship. The engines of the parish, Lon-
don brigade, and that belonging to the
Grosvenor estate having been sent for, they
promptly attended, and .a good supply of
the Chelsea Company's water having been pro-
cured, the firemen went to work under the direc-
tion of Mr. Staples, chief officer of the C district,
but the flames could not be conquered until the
whole of the stock in trade was nearly destroyed.
The' origin of the disaster is unknown. Owing to
the absence of all parties connected with the pre-
mises, it was impossible to tell Whether the loss
was covered by insurance or otherwise.
of assistance hPaNlil;l)lace*,
About the same time as the above fire happened,
another one took place on the premises of Mr. Cole,
extinguished, but the No. 13, Brid in the City-road. PI mty
the flames were quickly
able. damage done was consider-

On Saturday morning the Royal Commissioners
for inquiring into the State of the Depots for Mili-
tary Clothing and Stores met again at the Arsenal,
Woolwich. Accompanied by Captain Clark and
Captain Farmer, the principal officers next to
Colonel Tulloch in the Royal carriage department ;
Colonel Wilmot, the superintendent of the gun
factory; Captain Boxer, at the head of the labora-
tory ; and Captain Orr, they made a tour of the
more remarkable parts of the Arsenal, in which
they were occupied more than two hours, and saw
much to excite their interest and admiration in the
various processes and appliances which came under
observation. Of the gigantic proportions to which
this great national establishment has grown, espe-
cially since the outbreak of the Russian war, and
of the extent to which machinery of marvellous in-
genuity has of late years been applied to all the
different operations connected .with the manufac-
ture of the impleMents and munitions of war, the
general public has but little conception ; and no-
thing like justice could be done to a subject so re-
plete with interest and importance in the space in
-which a report of the proceedings of the Commis-
sioners must of necessity be limited. The manner
in which the several departments are conducted, so
Tar as that has come within the cognisance of the
commission, is such as to impress the visitor with
the idea of efficiency, carried almost to perfection,
in the several branches, united with a careful re-
gard for the public interests in the use and adoption
of materials. Reference is now made to the inter-
nal economy of the establishment, irrespective of
the mode of supplying the raw materials from with-
out, under the auspices of the War-office, which is
a question on which considerable difference of opi-
nion prevails. Since the Crimean war the Arsenal
appears to have been conducted to a great extent
on a new principle. The object is not now so much
to accumulate enormous quantities of the materials
and instruments of war against a time of war, which
may become obsolete or suffer decay during a long
interval of peace, but rather to develope the capa-
city of the establishment for producing them as
they are wanted, with far more rapidity and effici-
ency than was ever known before, and with all the
improvements which ingenuity can from time to
time sun,est. By the introduction of machinery
equal, it is said, in the aggregate, to the united
labour of 12,000 men, the handicraft of skilled
artisans has, to a large extent, been dispensed
with, and by far the greater part of this
machinery, 'which performs alike the most deli-
cate and the most ponderous operations
with unerring accuracy and effect, can be
set in motion and tended at any time by young
men and boys brought from the streets or the
plough tail, and submitted to a slight amount of
preliminary training.
It will be seen that the commissioners during
their sitting on Saturday had for the first time with
anything like directness, and suddenly and in the
most incidental way, evidence adduced before them,
both in a positive and negative shape, of a practice
having the semblance of systematic corruption, and
it gave an unwonted interest to their proceedings,
which was enhanced by another incident, curious
enough in its way, and as unexpectedly elicited by
a question put by Mr. Commissioner Turner in the
course of the inquiry.
After the Commissioners had completed their
perambulation of the Arsenal they repaired, at 1
o'clock, to the head-quarters of the Royal Carriage
Department, and took additional evidence, Mr.
Selfe acting as chairman.
Captain Milward, of the Royal Artillery, com-
manding a field-battery at Woolwich, was recalled,
and explained that before the establishment of the
clothing and tailoring depot at Woolwich, which
was begun about 18 months age, under the direct
auspices of the War-office, for supplying the whole
of the Artillery and Engineers with clothing, each
captain of a troop could obtain his " necessaries"
for the use of the men under his command where
he liked, and those necessaries were generally ob-
tained from tradesmen on the recommendation of
the pay-sergeants. Those pay-sergeants used to
get a regular allowarice--often as much as 10 per
cent.—from the tradesmen they patronised on the
amount of the bills sent in to the captain for neces-
saries from time to time. He (Captain Milward)
knew this to be true from circumstances which came
within his own knowledge. After their return from
the Crimea a pay-sergeant in the battery which wit-
ness commanded, and who was now in India, got as
much as 10 per cent. from the tradesmen on the
necessaries supplied to the men during the war,
and which amounted to a considerable sum. The
officers in the Artillery never knew that such a
practice had been going on; and he himself happened
only to find it out by a paymaster, who was an
honest fellow, telling him about it. He (Captain
Milward) believed the practice was carried on to
an immense extent until the recent change in the
system of supplying clothing to the Artillery, for the
more the things that were ordered the more the
pay-sergeants got; but all that had now been put
a stop to by the new arrangement.
The Chairman asked Mr. Dolan, of St. Martin's-
lane, a partner in one of the oldest and largest
firms in London as contractors for army clothing,
and who was in the room while Captain Milward
was'examined, if he had given any douceur, or made
any allowance or present, such as had been men-
tioned by Captain -Milward ?
Mr. Dolan—l must decline to answer the ques-

tion.
The Chairman Mice,
; I hate had great expe-
rience in coutts of justice, and I must say I never
knew a refusal to answer a question such as I have
just put which did not do a great deal more harm
to the interests of the party declining to answer
than any amount of frankness on his part.
Mr. Turner—l would advise you to be candid,
Mr. Dolan. Arc we to understand that you abso-
lutely decline to answer that question ?
Mr. Dolan—Yes.
Mr. Turner—Very well.
The Chairman—I can hardly conceive any-thing
more damaging, 'in the opinion of the Commis-
sioners, to the interests you have at heart, Mr.
Dolan.
your refusal to answer the
Mr. Turner—By
Com-
bemyf
question put to you by Mr. Selfe we now come to
understand why it is that some of the
brother main objects
c
mnoeinvs tscireominipaelrNa,set eabdned myself
iennt
ablehis itnoqhgua
ei:tey
been
any y
sort of tangible enrustrated. We
in-
formation with regard to douceurs from any one.
Neither the recipient nor the giver of the doueeur
itnoqduoiry so. That being
on which you
can
will give us any information ; and when we arrive
at any
essentialrow
ligpart
u
t of
refusethe inquiry
so, the Commissioners in this case are left to draw
their own inferences.
Mr. Dolan—l have never given an allowance in
any ease in which the public has had to pay.
The Chairman asked what_ was Irma by that.

Mr. Dolan—l mean to say I have never given any ;
allowance to any one for winch the public has had
to pay.
The Chairman—That is an evasion of the ques-
tion, Mr. Dolan. The question is, whether you paid
it ; if you did, it.was worth your while to do so for
other considerations.
There was a pause here, in which the Commis-
sioners waited for an answer.
Mr. Turner—You adhere to your refusal ?
Mr. Dolan—l do.
At a subsequent part of the sitting Mr. Dolan
gave a reason why he had refused to answer the
question, but it was not deemed satisfactory by the
Commissioners, and they ordered it to be struck off
their minutes.
Quartermaster and Commissary Grant, who has
charge of the Government clothing establishment
at Woolwich for the artillery, under Colonel Bing-
ham, was called by Colonel French, and expressed
a wish to withdraw an observation made inciden-
tally in his previous examination, and construed
as unduly reflecting on others, in connexion with
the former system of supplying clothing to the
artillery.
The Chairman told-Quartermaster Grant that he
bad taken a manly, straightforward, and soldierly
course ; and :he wished civilians would show the
same readiness to withdraw charges they were not
in a condition to proVe.
Quartermaster Taylor next tendered himself as
a witness. He said he was an Inspector of Artillery
cloth, and sUperintendent of the military tailors
in the Government establishment at Woolwich ;
and the evidence "lie gave Went to show that the
clothing- 'now supplied to the artillery batta-
lions was very much better, both in quality and
workmanship, than it was under the old sys-
tem, when they were supplied by contractors;
but that furnished to the Horse Artillery was
no better. Under the old system there was a
rigid inspection by a board of field officers of the
clothing supplied Ter the artillery service by the
contractors; who Were Messrs. Stephens and Clarke.
Now the cloth was first inspected at Weedon before
being made up, and the clothing, when made up,
was subject to an inspection by a board of field
officers, as formerly. The old inspection always
secured clothing as good as the sealed pattern. The
improVement which had since taken place was in
the pattern, and in bringing the clothing up to that
pattern. The cavalry now made up their own
clothing ; and he thought the cavalry were not so
well clothed now, either in point of quality or work-
manship, as under the old system, arising, as he
thought, from the patterns not being so good. The
cloth for some of the cavalry came from the estab-
lishment at Weedon, which was not the case before.
The tunics in the line were now much superior to