The Sun.
London, England, 1867-12-26 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, ' DECEMBER 26, 1867.

Now ready, at all the Libraries, in 3 vols.,
E R S \V 0 R K.
By ➢iRS. DUFFUS HARDY.
A powerful, interesting, and well-wrought novel."—Athe-

namm.
*" A. Hero's Work' deserves the highest praise. It is fairly
entitled to rank among the most earnest and successful novels
of the season."—London Review,
Hurst and Blackett, 1.3, Great Marlborough-street.

Now ready, price 365., with Map,
OST-OFFICE LONDON DIRECTORY for
1868 (69th Year).
Kelly and Co., 12. Carey-street, Lincoln's-inn, W.C.; Simpkin,
Marshall, and Co., and all Booksellers.

Just Publishcd, price ls. GI, by post, is. 84., the Second Edition,
with Adden la, containing additional Facts and Cases, in illus-
tration of the nefarious proceedings of the Advertising Quacks.
REVELATIONS OF QUACKS AND
QUACKERY. By DETECTOR. Reprinted from the
"Medical Circular."
London: H. Balliere, 219, Regent-street.
The numerous reviews of this startling work by the Saturday
Review, Punch, Weekly Despatch, Public Opinion, and other
journals, recommending its universal perusal are reprinted with
this edition

INDIA OFFICE, 23d December, 1567.
THE SECRETARY of STATE for INDIA.
in COUNCIL hereby GIVES NOTICE that the
Rate of Interest of FOUR PER CENT. on East India
Bonds, will cease and determine on the Ist January, 1869,
and that from and after that date, such B:mds will carry
Interest at the rate of Three Pounds per Cent. per TON

OHN GOSNELL and CO.'S CHERRY
ow TOOTH PASTE is greatly superior to any tooth powder;
gives the teeth a pearl whiteness, protects the enamel from de-
cay, and imparts a pleasant fragrance to the breath. Price la.
6d.—lled Bull Wharf, 93, Upper Thames-street, London.

DUNVILLE'S V.R. OLD IRISH. WHISKY,
BELFAST,
Is regularly supplied to the House of Lords.
" V.R." IRISH WHISKY.

COMPAGNIE GENERALE TRANS-
' ATLANTWE, 8, Plae,e Vendome, Paris.
NEW YQRK, via HAVRE and BREST. _
The undermentioned Steamers will sail every 11 days, as fol
lows:—
From HAVRE-19th December, 1887.
From BREST-21st December, 1867.
NAPOLEON 111,. Paddle
VILLE DE PARIS Screw
PEREIRE Screw
ST. LAURENT. i Screw
EUROPE bi. Paddle

DUNVILLE and CO.'S " V.R." OLD IRISH
WHISKY, BELFAST.
London Offices and Stores,
4, BEAUFORT-BUILDINGS, STRAND, W.C.
Established 1808. Quotations on application.

_IANTIELD'S PATENT PICKLES are per-
fectly pure and uncoloured. To be had of all dealers,
and wholesale of JOHN BURGESS and SON. 107, Strand (corner
of Savoy-steps), London.

RAPES OF PASSAGE.
Havre or Brest to New York, Ist class, £33 0 0
It 2d class, 17 0 0
If 3d class, 14 0 0
Age nts--STRINGER, PEMBROKE, and CO.,
8, Austinfriars, E.C.

CITOOPING HABITS, ROUND SHOULDERS,
PIGEON CHESTS, and other Deformities, are prevented
and cured by wearing OIIANDLEICS NM-LOVED HYGIENIC CREST-
EXPANDING BracE, for both sexes of all ages. It strengthens
the voice and lungs, relieves indigestion, pains in the chest and
back, and is especially recommended to children for assist-
ing the growth, promoting health and symmetry of figure, super-
seding the use of braces and stays. Price from 10s. 6d. each.
--6 G, Berners-street, Oxford-street, W. Illustrated circulars for-
warded.

DINNEFORD'S' FLUID MAGN E SIA.—
The medical profession for Thirty Years have approved
of this ptue sohltlon of Magnesia as the best remedy for Acidity
of the Stomach. Heartburn, Headache, oont, and Indigestion;
and Ls the best mild aperient for delicate constitutions, espe-
cially adapted tor Ladies, Children, and Infants.
DINNEYORD and 00., Chemists,
172, New Bond-street, London; and of all other chemists
Aronahont the world
THE BEST DIEMEDYFOIL INDIGESTION.

THE OFFICIAL RETURNS,
EY THE
SEVERAL SEWING MACHINE COMPANIES,
For the Year ending June 10th, 1867, show
FORTY-THREE THOUSAND AND FIFTY-
THREE Sold by
THE " SINGER" MA2VUFACTURII
COMPANY.
Being 4,998 more than Sold by any other Manufacturer.

NORTON 'S CAMOMILE PILLS are confi-
dently recommended as a simple but certain Remedy for
Indigestion, which is the cause of nearly all the diseases to
which we are subject, being a medicine so uniformly grateful
and beneficial that it is with justice called the " Natural
Strengthener of the Ruffian Stomach." "Norton's Pills" act as a
powerial tonic and geltle aperient; are mild in their operation,
safe under any circumstances, and thousands of persons can now
bear testimony to the benefits to be derived from their use, as
they have been a never-failing Family Friend for upwards of 20
years.
--
Sold in bottles at 2s. 91, and lls. each, in every town
in the kingdom.
CAUTION.
Be sure to ask for 'NORTON'S PILLS," and do not be per-
suaded to purchase any of the various imitations which have
sprung up in consequence of the success of " Norton's Camomile

Prospectuses and Samples of Work sent Post Free.
Agents in every Town.
Chief Office in the United Kingdom:
47, CHEAPSIDE, LONDON, E.C.
District Agencies :
NEWINGTON BUTTS, S.E.
KING'S-ROAD, CHELSEA, S.W.,
H. COCKS, Agent.
BISHOP'S-ROAD, PADDINGTON, W.,
GADSEN and Co., Agents.
93, UPPER-STREET, ISLINGTON, N.,
J. MILLARD, Agent.

P.P.INLESS DENTISTRY.
iiiESSIIB. GABRIEL,,
°DENTISTS (Established
f
London 68, Harley-street, Cavendish-squam
64, Ludgate-Hill, E. 0.,
Liverpool 34, Eake-street, and
Brighton
have just published a NEW PAMPHLET explaining their Pain-
less System of Dentistry, and self-adhesive Teeth without
springs, at AIODIMATZ CHAUCIZS, which may be had free by post
for four stamps.

DETENCES AND DEFENDERS.

pOWELL'S BALSAM OF ANISEED,
for COUGHS, COLDS, ASTHMA, BRONCHITIS, Sore
Throat, Difficulty of Breathing, and all similar affections of the
Respiratory Organs.
sold by Chemists and Medicine Venders throughout the World.
In Bottles only, price is. l d., 2s. 3d., and lls. each. Established
nearly hail a Century.

(From the Times.)
A great and important question has lately been
proposed for solution in England, involving no less
an issue than the intention and use of permanent
fortifications. One party, consisting chiefly of
civilians, urges that forts should be so constructed
as to be perfectly impenetrable to shot at even the
closest ranges. The other party, numbering
among its adherents the military advisers of Go-
vernment, declares, on the contrary, that only
such "power of resistance is• required as will meet
the probable hazards of war. We may assert from
personal knowledge that Continental nations gene-
rally favour the latter view, and smile at Eng-
land's intense anxiety to provide against the
slightest chance of loss bf life in future wars. It
is an axiom in military science that no fortress
can be made totally impregnable. A siege con-
ducted by a superior force according to rules
must result in the capture of the works assailed.
The fall is only a question of time. Sebastopol re-
sisted longer than would have been possible under
ordinary circumstances, because it was never fully
invested, and was in daily communication with a
large Russian army and ships, from which it drew
supplies of men, guns, and ammunition. The cir-
cumstances were highly exceptional. It was not so
much a siege as an attempt to wrest an important
position from the hands of an equal force, ever pre-
sent, ever vigilant.
The object for which ordinary fortresses are built
is not to hide away a body of men so carefully that
they cannot be touched, but to offer such obstacles
to any plan likely to be set on foot by an enemy
that either his losses would not be compensated by
his gain, or else that he will be delayed so long at
a certain point in his career as to give time for the
field army to concentrate and strike a blow for the
country. But is there anything unusual in the con.
ditions under which our dockyards are likely to be
attacked—so unusual as to render the ordinary
rules of war inapplicable? We believe not. Ports-
mouth and Plymouth would be liable to attack in
one of three ways. First, like all fortresses, if
unprepared they might be attacked and crippled,
or, at least, bombarded, during a temporary
assault. This supposes that our fleet has been
evaded. Secondly, they might be subjected to
steady and prolonged attacks from the sea only in
case our fleet were beaten and destroyed. But in
that case they would be open to the assistance of

the whole country. Volunteers would flock in to

nANTERBURY HALL.—NEw MANAGEMENT. are considerably weaker than our dockyar con-
k.) —VT. HOLLAND, Sole Lessee, late Proprietor of Weston's
Music Hall, High Holborn, will RF,OPEN THIS EVENING, structions, it is equally certain that they h. tve in
December 26, this favourite old established Music Hall Great other cases spent far more than they should have
&Iterations and Improvements are being made, and an entire
obtain
new Company, comprising most of the.ponular artistes of the done to particular results. But what is it
day, will have the honour of appearing. W. Holiand's known that they are fortifying? The approaches to t heir
liberality as !caterer for the entertainment of the public is a
sufficient guarantee that the amusement:, will be both novel and I capital and chief arsenal. If it be possible amt
unequalled. W. Holland has great pleasure in stating he has
engaged the marvellous pantomimist, Mr. Fred. Evans, of the the dia of hunters for popularity and disappoint red
Royal Alhambra and Crystal Palace, who will produce, with his
company, including Miss Randall, Miss Biliington, Madame Ar- inventors, let us be reasonable. Shall certain poinrts
tent, Messrs. E. Towers, Vincent, Simpson, J. Jamand, and corps on our coasts be made unassailable by all the navies
de ballet, a new grand pantomimic Ballet, entitled BUMBLE,
in the world
TUMBLE, and STUMBLE, with new scenery and effects. Ori-
, while London and Liverpool are at the
ginal
music by Alfred Lee. First appearance of George Ellis,
the Australian Comic; Nat Ogden, the comical comique; Gem ge mercy of half a dozen ironclad gunboats.
Washington, negro delineator, from New York; Pat Sellers, 'We would not be understood as claiming perfec-
Erin's brightest gem; the irresistible serio-comic, Annie Adams;
Miss Marian Fitz Williams, the new serio-comic ; the Brothers Lion for Government plans, nor as desirous to cover
Girardes, in their wonderful double trapeze performance; the whatever faults in design or construction there
truly wonderful Leoni, the greatest sensation in the world; Miss
Fitzhenry, the charming English ballad singer, by the kind per- may be in our new embryo faults. Let them be
mission of C. Morton, Esq., of the Oxford Music Hall; Mr. Row-
land Lascelles, the popular tenor from Covent-garden. A snag- well tested and let opportunity be given to prac-
nicleent new band, selected from the late orchestra of Her Ma- tical—and theoretical !nen, too—to push their own
jesty's Theatre, numbering 23 performers, assisted by the drums
and'bugles of the 2d Battalion Scots Fusilier Guards, by kind ideas. If the 'War-office designs are radically bad,
permission of Lieut.-Colonel Commanding. Musical Director,
Mr. Alfred Lee, composer of "Champagne Charlie" and upwards or if their constructors have failed to avail them-
of 100 of the most popular comic songs of the day. Arthur Lloyd
selves of such practical improvements as have been
will shortly appear. In active preparation, a Superb Ballet Di-
iertissement, with gorgeous scenery anll effects. Bars will be suggested by experience since the drawings were
under entire new management, and every article will be of the
choicest quality. Every attention will be paid to the comfort of first made, bring the culprits by all means before
the visitors. The stalls superbly carpeted, and seats covered the bar of public opinion, but let it not be 7m. a
with Utrecht velvet. The splendid picture gallery, with several
additions by eminent artists, on view as usual. In the supper flawed indictment. The Conditions required to be
room will be found every delicacy of the season, at greatly re-
duced tariffs. Prices of Admlssion—Balcony and Area, 6d.; satisfied are—not to build absolutely impenetrable
Stalls, ls. Doors open this evening and next two days at half- structures at any price,—nothing could be easier
past 6, performance commence at 7 o'elock, in consequence of the .
amount of talent engaged. than that,—but to gain a reasonable amount of
• IlEmEmukst—BOXl NG NIGHT.
protection for men and guns at a reasonable price.
Special Notice.—The Great VANCE to-night with his new songs
of "The Rowing Boys " and "Walking in the Zoo."—No advance One word more before we proceed to describe the
in prices. Balcony and Area, 6d.; Stalls, superbly carpeted, ls.
_ experimental structures erected at Shoeburyness and
soon to be tested. There is such a thing possible
as to take too much care of your men. We don't
expect the ruddy glow of health nor buoyancy' of
spirits in the child whose mother wraps a shawl
round his shoulders every time he moves from the
nursery to the drawing-room. The means will surely
defeat the end in time ; and, in like manner, we
may come at last to coddle our soldiers and
sailors into effeminacy, and horrible thought—
even persuade them that their dear bodies are too
precious to be trusted outside the protection of iron
armour-plates. There is a medium in all things,
and we may be too careful by half of life—so care-
ful as to lose it and honour together. It was the
utterance of true genius, not false sentiment, when
Napier, who was far from undervaluing proper
caution, wrote this passage :
When the Roman Pompey was adjured by his friends
not to put to sea during a violent storm, he replied, 'lt is
necessary to sail ;it is not necessary to live.' It was also
necessary to save Tarragona. Was no risk to be incurred
for so great an object ? Was an uncertain danger to be
weighed' against such a loss to Spain ? Was the British
intrepidity to be set at nought? Were British soldiers
to be quiet spectators while Spaniards stood up in a fight
too dangerous for them to meddle with ? Is that false
but common doctrine, so degrading to soldiers, that brick
and mortar sentiment that the courage of the garrison
is not to be taken into account, to be implicitly followed ?
The Crimean soldiers, accustomed every day to
dodge shot in the trenches by taking shelter behind
traverses, tried the plan once too often in the Redas,
instead of rushing on. Let us have bricks and
mortar where bricks and mortar are :due, and iron
plates too, where needful. Let us have big guns,
stout forts, and cruel torpedoes ; but let us not put
our trust in them chiefly, but rather in the bigness
of the limbs and the stoutness of the hearts which
are the life and health of the country,
IRON-PLATED CASEMATE.
To test various forms of protecting guns and men
a casemate has been erected at Shoeburyness, and
protected along its front with armour and backing
of different kinds. The piers supporting that pars
of the arch immediately over the guns are 12f t
wide and Bft. deep, and are enveloped in iron-
plates i-inch thick, which are connected by angle
irons with the ironwork in front of the whole

man the works, earthen batteries would rise on
every side, guns would be supplied in overwhelming
quantities, cliffs would bristle with artillery, and the
sea become peopled by submarine defences. Con-
sidering the abundance and concentration of Eng-
land's resources, the success of such an attempt is
inconceivable without such loss as would make the
victory less than barren. Thirdly, in the absence
or defeat of our fleet, an army might be landed on
our shores and operate against our dockyards
from the land, supported by a fleet at sea.
But when this happens, and when England's
resources in men and materiel have fallen so
low that she is unable to fight an invader
on .her own territory, he would not lose time
in attacking her harbours, provided only they are
reasonably fortified, but would march on London,
and there, with his grasp on the heart of his victim,
reached through her broken sides would control
without difficulty the action of the extremities.
The first two cases, then, are those most carefully
to be guarded against, and while we should be cul-
pable to leave our great naval arsenals at the mercy
of a bold coup de main, we should be equally cul-
pable were we to throw away money in the erection
of absurdities. It has been proved with much pai❑
that fortifications are necessary ; let us not rush into
the opposite extreme, and, like the Chinese of old,
girdle our whole frontier liable to attack with im-
passable bulwarks. It is the act of a wise man
to insure his life, but what should we think of
him who spent great part of his income and
heaped up debts, actuated by a vague fear of
poverty for his descendants? Our dockyard
defences are already verging on the extreme of
costliness, and if further demands are made the
question must soon arise whether equal protec-
tion could not be attained in other ways than by
permanent forts. With a truly English inconse-
quence we are spending millions on Portsmouth,
Plymouth, &c., and the cry is still for more, while,
on the other hand, we are declared to be too poor
to defend the Thames, except in the most superfi-
cial manner, and we are leaving our sole laud
arsenal entirely open. Russian defences are often
quoted as being all that is impregnable, but, while
it is certain that many of their iron forts are shields

structure.
The basis for the armour consists of a course o
2-inch plates laid completely over the surface of the
casemate, including the piers, and excepting only
tills port. In all such casemates there is not only a
pier to be protected, but also a yawning space under
the arch, requisite for traversing the gun with its
carriage and platform. All this space except a
small port must be covered, and in the experimental
casemate at Shoeburyness a vertical row of caissons
formed of 1-inch iron, and each containing a pillar of
concrete 15 inches thick, stands behind the 2-inch
plate where it is unsupported by the piers. The
caissons are riveted to angle irons and cross pieces
iu. thick. The port is 3 ft. wide and 3 ft. high
r
on the outside. A lateral range of 70 deg. is pos-
sible for the gun within the plate which forms the
exterior of the port ; the width of the latter is con-
tractt.d to 21 ft. ; and, because this is the weak point
j of the structure, there is fixed vertically on each
I side of the port a solid forging of iron 9in. wide
and 13in. deep, immediately in rear of the armour
plate. These huge forged beams are strengthened
and kept at their proper intervals by horizontal
iron bars, Gin. wide and 7in. deep, halved into them
lat the levels of the port sills. me forgings are 9ft.
long. Their tops are bolted to a horizontal bar of
iron, budded in the concrete backing, and more than
Gin. square in section. At the bottom they are se-
cured to a horizontal plate Ift. wide and 3in. thick.
But, when the whole front is protected, all necessary
care has not been taken unless the interior is de-
fended against the bricks and blocks that will drop
from their beds on the defenders when the piers begin
to yield and the arches to tremble under successive
shocks, or against the bolt-heads flung backwards
as the strong plates quiver under the fierce strokes
of mighty shot. Again, therefore, iron is called in
to assist masonry. The arches over the men's heads
are lined with t -inch plates, and screens of the
same strength are disposed so as to guard the gun-
ners from splinters, whether of iron or masonry.
The iron-cased piers and arch are built of concrete
and brick in cement. The rest of the masonry is
of brick in cement. The brickwork of the arch is
18in. thick, and that portion of it which covers the
interval between the iron cased and the brick piers
is carried by wrought-iron girders. A course of
concrete lies above the brickwork, and is lsin. deep
at the crown of the arch. When we add that in
all cases permanent hollow bolt tubes pass through
backings and piers, so that the real armour bolts
can be taken out and the plates removed or ex-
changed without disturbing the rest of the struc-
ture, we shall have described the casemate which
has been built to carry the experimental armour,
and to test one or two novel plans. It will be re-
marked that the system of tubes for bolts affords
great facilities for building works preparatory to
plating them. This crowning addition can then be
made at any time, and of any strength that newly-
invented war engines may demand.
Upon the 2-inch plates covering the whole front
of the casement six different forms of armour are
bolted. Four of them, the first four that we shall
describe, contain a quantity of iron equal in all
cases to an 8-inch plate; the fifth has an amount
equal to Bfin., and the sixth only 41in., concrete
being filled in between it and the 2-inch plate.
Commencing from the left as one faces the case-
mate, the first target consists of a vertical strip of
plating 4ft. 3in. wide and Bii . thick, bolted to the
2-inch plate and pier by bolts right through all.
Next to this is a strip of armour 4ft. 3in. wide and
41in. thick, with hollow vertical iron stringers be-
tween it and the 2-inch plate. These stringers are
7in. deep, and of such section as to contain an
amount of iron equal to a 3iin. plate.
Next to this, and extending across, above, and
below the port, as far as its right edge, there is a
course of 6-inch plates with another kind of vertical
stringers (Mr. Hughes's) between it and the 2-inch
plate, still representing a thickness of Bin. of iron.
This armour is supported partly by the left pier and
partly by the caissons containing concrete.
On the right of the port the armour-plate, for a
width of 3ft. 4in., is 4in. thick, with vertica
stringers behind it of similar section to those in
No. 2 target, but rather heavier, to make up for the
diminution of half an inch in the thickness of the
front plate.
Thence to the right of the octsenlat6 a ti inch