The Sun.
London, England, 1867-07-29 00:00:00

A Parallel Case.

" The entertainment to be given by Miss Burdett Coutts
to the Belgian Volunteers to-morrow (Friday) will be on
a very elaborate scale. . . All joints as well as poultry
are to be carved before being placed ou the tables.!',_
_liormi)w-col, July 1.8t1i,',1867i.: '< - _ ,i. ~
• •
Once there lived iirOrl.l...tsphi:a lady, whose great'
Nv_e. Av'454;0.91,- eqnolol y p:_ benev olenet . . Tier
r`ttifiCitie,l6tiotro--- oh all -"obree Co -
'-4V11440.#04,rti0:9:15:01.69(1. , The religions '
41 chliAtge;:4o44o4.4 her country•profited
to as_grea,e,"*Eot:by 'OS generosity of heart.: ',,. all
'Paroriegi 4tl- 40 .K
411ett---ootz built chnrcycS -arid
eiclOwed theinl'6Utscribed.to good works; ,and in
I
her own life set :an edifying example. Not content
with home institutions, She devoted 'whole fortttnes
to founding foreign bishoprics. In a word, the'
Bareness was held up, deservedly, as the model
of a lady of large, independent fortune.
' Now it chanced that the Quakers of London, to
the number of some two thousand, went over to
Brussels to-enjoy themselves for a week or so." They
were well received, and experienced much hospi-
tality. Public entertainment's were arranged for
them, at which speeches were made, all to the glo-
rification of the Society of Friends. Drab and
, grey, their distinctive colours, floated everywhere
beside the Belgian flag. The very shadow of a
broad brim elicited cheergin the streets of Brussels.
It may not be generally known that among the
peculiarities of this society is one regarding the
articles of food permitted to its members. On
certain days the Quakers are'strictly prohibited the
use of vegetables. Meat and bread they may take
on those days at discretion ; but it would be a
serious violation of the precepts they are bound
to obey to touch anything, then, that grows in
the kitchen-garden. , • . •
The Mayor of Brussels, in an entertainment to
which he invited his Quaker guests in the Hotel de
Ville, showed himself unobservant of this fact
~_ ..._
though sufficiently notorious, • For, whereas the
day on which he fixed for his invitation chanced
to be a day'on which vegetables are unlawful to the
Quakers, to their astonishment and perplexity they
found little meat and more vegetables served up
to them side by side. So that they whom the
Mayor intended to honour were placed in a hard
dilemma. They must either content themselves
with an insufficient meal of meat, or, by partaking
of the vegetables, show themselves remarkibly wet
Quakers, with a certainty of hearing more about it
on their return to meeting.

•
This inadiiertence on the Mayor's part was the
more extraordinary, because the precepts of the
Society were known far and wide in Belgium, and
were continual topics of animated discussion.
Books of controversy were written, speeches Iriade,
polemical challenges issued on everything that
Quakers did and that Quakers abstained irom
doing. Whether in praise or blame, or as a piece
of mere historical information, every well-informed
Belgian ought to have been 'able to define a Quaker
as a man who, with other observances, abstains
from all vegetables on certain days. In fact, Bel-
gium itself ,had once:been Quaker ; and the whole
country had therefore so abstained. Even when
they broke off from the society, and set up. a code
of their own, they, retained this old Quaker law
in the Statue-book which the King of Belgium 944
his Minister of Public Worship then framed for
them, though it had indeed, fallen into disuse among
the Belgians at large, yet there it stood, in, black
and white. A few Belgians of Quakerish propen7
sities even practised it still.

The Mayor of Brussels might hive pleaded in
defence of his own vegetable meal that day,- that
he was no. 'Quaker, nor - his father . before
he was a sound and staunch Belgian, who-. used
his liberty, and could take his potato like a gentle-
man. But he could hardly have: pleaded that he
really did not know' his 'guests were bound to ab-
stain. Ile had probably never examined the
Statue-book- aforesaid, in the first page of which
was a table of abstinence days, drawn out for his
own countrymen, copied (though confusedly) from
old Quaker times. Still less could he have read a
volume of sermons put forth by royal authority,
when Belgium broke off from Quakerism and set
up for itself:::' for there he would have found the
sedulous eating of meat on those particular days
enforced on grounds ,of loyalty, as tending to im-
prove the meat markets belonging to the King..
But if this mistake in the bill of fare set before
his guests by the Mayor of Brussels was so notice—
able, what is to be said of an entertainment given a
few days after, in the beautiful park of the Baroness
Van Biirdhett-Kootz ? When modern Belgian
history shall be written, will posterity credit that
the same mistake was there repeated on a larger
scale ? Every kind of vegetable was there provided
in great abundance ; as if the day had no obliga-
tions for anybody ; as if neither Quaker observance
nor Belgian Statute-book had said a single word
about the matter.
Now, if the Sultan, who was in Brussels at the
moment with a numerous suite, or the Cham of
Tartary with his body guard, or alband of volunteer
riflemen from the Mormons had been entertained
by either Mayor or Baroness, it is reasonable to
suppose-that inquirywould have been made before-
hand whether the guests had any conscientious ob-
servances to be consulted in the programme of their
entertainment. Neither Mayor nor Baroness would
have invited two thousand Jews, to regale them
with pork ; nor two thousand Brahmins, to regale
them with beef ; nor two thousand anybodies (ex-
cept only • Quakers), to regale them with • what
their law forbade. Greased cartridges provoked a

mutiny among the Hindoo native army. The
Quakers in question might have been expected to
enter a more peaceful and dignified protest
against the culpable heedlessness of their enter-
tainers by leaving all these recherches and vegetables
untouched on their plates. Some of them, pro-
bably, were wet Quakers at the best : all of them
were physically hot and tired ;• the vegetables had a
tempting look, even like the apple that was so
pleasant to the eyes in Paradise ; the Quakers
who eyed- them were but children of Eve. So the
same thing was then done which has been done be-
fore, and will, unhappily, be done again : a delibe-
rate violation of the known law, with the conse-

quences incurred.
The next time that Mayor or Baroness (and
these are only the two most prominent offenders in
Brussels) invite any members of the Society of
Friends, would it not be well for them to sit down
first and consider whether a Quaker might possibly
have a conscience ? Admitting such a hypothesis,
would not a second question follow, whether it does
not belong to the tact and delicacy of true hospi-
tality to respect the consciences of others, so far as
they do not interfere with one's own ? If you
cannot think Quakers' observances are in themselves
reasonable, yet remember that he is bound by:them.
Don't ask him to dinner on a banyan day, or else
give him what he can eat with a safe conscience.
Do not act fox to the crane, nor Antiochus to the
Machabees. And this is about the least that is to
be said of it.

TRIAL OF THE AMERICAN 15-INCH GUN

AT SHOEBURYNESS.

On Wednesday the American 15-inch naval gun
was tried at Shoeburyness for penetration against
the famous No. 29 target, with 8-inch armour

plates and Warrior-backing of 18 inches of teak
timber, and a double number of supporting ribs.
The gun cast-iron smooth bore, 191 tons, was fired
with a charge of 60 lbs. of American mammoth
powder, at a range of 70 yards direct, at the 8-inch
target. The first projectile used was an American
spherical cast-iron shot, 453 lbs. weight, diameter
14.895 inches ; elevation, five minutes ; velocity,
1,174 feet per second. The shot struck the target

near the horizontal junction of the armour plates,

nipping about two inches only of the lower one,
and smashing a deep indent of four inches into the
plate, rebounded nearly entire—the striking face
being flattened and a few largish fragments splin-

tered off—twelve feet back from the front of the
target. The armour plates were separated from
each other vertically at the left edge about two
inches, the space tapering along the whole plate to
the right. The buckling from the indent extended
over 41 inches of area, and at the striking spot
(3 feet from left edge of target) was inwards
to the extent of 5 inches ; the edge of the
armour plate shearing the teak backing like a
long chisel cut. The armour plate was also slightly
buckled over its whole extent, and permanently set
away from the backing at the top to the extent to
one inch. At the rear of the target six ribs were
bent laWardS some inches and slightly cracked in
several plaCes. A largo bolt head immediately be-
hincl'the,:ll44ent was loosened ; and six butt-joints
_of thes:kin;ilates were- opened about the 1-16th of
t'afineh-a along their entire lengths. The timbers of
toe supports were indented by the spring of the
target ionic <two or three inches. The wood back-
..
lug at the side of the target was considerably split.

The second round was with a spherical shot of
Pontypool iron cast in sand (a process comparable
with the Palliier system of chilling, but not so
Cifedlive). Weight of shot, 452.51 b ; actual
`diameter, 14.89 inches ; elevation of gun, 10
minutes.; velocity of shot, 1,172 feet per second.
The shot struck about 2 feet 6 inches from the right
end of the armour-plate on the median line. Half
the' shot stuck in the indent (7 inches), the other
half Splintering off to a ragged nearly flat face.
Buckle on the vertical line, 3 inches at the middle
of the width of the plate, and on the horizontal
line 1.6
_inches, extending over a surface of five
feet. Permanent set away from backing at right
edge, 11 inch. No damage at the rear of target.

The third round was with a spherical Firth's steel
shot hardened in oil; weight 4981 b.; actual diameter
14.915 inches ; elevation of gun ten minutes ; the
iclozity of shot 1,134 feet per second. This shot
-Was of the finest quality; it struck about 5 feet from
the left 'end and a foot from the top edge of the
`lower armour plate, and stood out from its front
perfectly entire (except six or eight radiating nar-
row fissures) for about 8 inches, the remainder being
buried in the indent it had made in the plate. One
separate crack was made in the armour plate at an
old scoop; buckle 1.6 inches over an area of 40 inches.
In 'the rear one slight crack ; no other damage.
There can be no doubt that such hardened steel
shot would be most effective missiles fired from
these large smooth-bore guns, and would make good
penetiation upon very stout armour plates (up to 6
or 7 inches) with the like 601 b. charge of American

powder.
".I.)n these results the Standard comments as fol-
loWs :--" The effects of these shot are alike im-
portant to every country in Europe, for there is
not an ironclad ship afloat that would be likely to
come off scatheless from their 'penetration. The
Warrior and La Gloire classes would certainly be
cleanly penetrated ; the Bellerophon and Lord
Warden are the only ones that would stand any
chance of resisting ; but it is questionable whether
they, too, would not succumb. The Hercules ought
to keep these missiles out, but she is not yet afloat.
We do not for one moment intend to indicate any
superiority for the American 15-inch gun over our

o'wn -ineh, or even in most cases our smaller

7-inch guns, whilst Major Palliser has recently de-
monstrated the way for converting our large stock

of GB-pounders and other cast iron cannon into really
efficient rifled artillery. Nor would we attempt to

contend that the heavier missiles of the American
guns would have the same penetrative power at long
ranges as our lighter elongated rifle Palliser pro-
jectiles thrown at higher velocities. But it is some-
thing most essential to know that American 450-
pounder smooth bore guns could certainly hull our
iron-cased vessels at 100 yards, and that hence-
forth no English man-of-war could be laid broadside
against "an American ship carrying guns of this
calibre. In future the ships must be kept at an
angle to each other ; and hence one would naturally
deduce the conclusion that an additional reason is
-thus given in favour of the fighting utility of
turret-ships capable of properly training the heaviest
guns all but directly fore and aft. Nor must we omit
to consider possible contingencies in the application
by an enemy of such powerful smooth-bore gnus,
the shot from which are remarkably accurate in their
flight. The 15-inch gun now at Shoeburyness is
warranted proved, it is true, for only a limited
number of battering charges of 601 b. But there is
no doubt that the gun would fire many rounds of
701 b. of powder with very little risk. What the
effect of 101 b. more powder yesterday might have
been is probably that the 601 b. charge, having
proved sufficient to crush in the thick armour plates,
the extra 101 b. of powder would have carried the
projectile completely through the wood backing.
Now the American gun might certainly be fired at
a risk with 100 lb. of powder, and there can be very
little doubt that if the commander of a ship
armed with such guns felt a reasonable convic-
tion, as he might do, that he could knock a
15-inch hole in the side of a 9-inch or 10-inch
armour-clad enemy that he would run the risk of
bursting a gun for the chance of sinking his antago-
nist. In the case of a bombardment, too, these
450-pounders would do great damage in throwing
incendiary shells of very large capacity filled with
liquid iron, or carcass shells filled with burning com-
position. It is further to be borne in mind that the
Americans have far larger guns of the like construc-
tion, up to 1000-pounders. We are by no means
alarmists, nor do we desire to underrate in any way
the value and decided superiority 0- f
our own
wrought-iron rifled cannon. But it is most desir-
able, however, honestly to face the knowledge we
have gained ; and credit is properly due to the Go-
vernment and the Ordnance Select Committee for
these very proper practical trials of the American
naval guns. We now know exactly what we have
to'expect, and that in future fighting we must take
every proper care of our costly ships. It should
also be remembered that the American guns, if an

accident happened, would undoubtedly burst explo-
sively, and the terrible effects produced would tend
in the highest degree to demoralise the gunners ;
whilst our own coiled guns give due and safe notice
of weakening long before the weapon becomes
absolutely dangerous, and its actual bursting is con-
fined to a tearing open of the material."