The Sun.
London, England, 1858-10-21 00:00:00

MANNING THE NAVE

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.
Sir,—A letter from Mr. Henry Kingscote, pub-
lished in The Times of the 7th cf this month,
relative to the present state of the Deal boatmen,
appeared to me to contain statements which, if true,
`reflected discredit on the Board of Admiralty of
which I was tie Senior Naval Lord, and more par-
ticularly on that department of the naval administra-
tion peculiarly under my guidance—namely, the
manning Her Majesty's ships. -thought also that
it was calculated to give an erroneous impression
to the seafaring population, teaching them to believe
that volunteers from Deal had been hardly dealt
with. I therefore wrote to Mr. Kingscote, point-
ing out how completely he had misstated facts and
how little he comprehended the subject on which he
had publicly addressed you, as well as the tendency
of his letter to prevent entry
.into Her. Majesty's
naval Service. Mr. Kingscote, in reply, adheres to
his misstatements, thereby forcing me most un-
willingly to frond() you with this communication.
The observations in Mr. Kingscote's published
letter of the 7th allude to the period of the Crimean
campaign, and to that period I shall confine my
remarks. First, he states that the Deal boatmen
" volunteered to man and fight a man-of-war, but
their services were refused." No such offer was re-
fused, simply because no such offer was ever made.
Mr. Kingscote states that the Deal men on returning
from the Black Sea were discharged without fee or
reward, and not permitted to re-enter Her Majesty's
navy unleSs for continuous service lasting the
remainder of their working lives.
At the close of the Russian war not one man was
discharged from the naval service, being of good
character and physical ability, who desired to
remain in it.

Any man who enters for continuous service may
obtain
apensio
Kingscoten after
states
thatlO 3-
e no seaman
Mr. seaman was allowed
to enter 'without an outfit. to the value of £2, and of
a certain standard. No outfit was ever demanded,
no standard prescribed for seamen ; a standard was
fixed for landsmen ; an outfit demanded for boys.
Skill and nantical'kno wledge are required in the,
seaman ; physical abilityin the landsman.
Parish unions and ragged sch 00l authorities would
have swept the streets to furnish boys for the navy.
Respectable persons, willing to find an outfit for
their children, objected to their becoming the asso-
ciates of the former classes, and a sum of £2 was
established for that outfit. I refused the boys from
unions and ragged schools.
There never was the smallest difficulty in procur-
ing landsmen or boys for the naval service ; of the
latter there were always more candidates than were
required, notwithstanding the above restrictions set
up as a grievance by Mr. Kingsote to the boatmen
of Deal. It is a curieus fact that, the standard re-
. quired for landsmen by the navy, although higher
than that of the army, did not preYPt. OM) navy
front obtaining the number of landsmen required,

tions to the electricians there respecting the times
of sending and receiving signals, in order to correct
any mistake that might have arisen on the subject.
The day named for these new electrical regulations
to commence was the 12th inst., and consequently
on that and the three succeeding days more than
usual vigilance was exercised at the Valentia ter-
minus to ascertain the result of the change, but ac-
cording to the register of all experiments and ope-
rations, which is regularly kept by the company's
officers, nothing very remarkable appears to have
taken place. However, much importance is not
attached to this fact, as it has since been ascertained
that, the steamer being delayed on her voyage, Mr.
Lundy did not leave Halifax for St. John's until
the 7th inst.,- and as from St. John's to Trinity Bay
he would have to make a journey of more than 100
miles across a wild country, it is quite possible that
he did not arrive at the' telegraph_ station on the
appointed day. Since • the commencement of the
present month the condition of the cable, as far as
can be judged from the repeated and distinct indi:
cations -of signals from Newfoundland, seems to
be decidedly better than it was ; but, not to give
rise to delusive hopes, it may be as well to men-
tion severally the occasions on which the supposed
signals through the cable were observed. On the 3d
of October, between 12 and 1 in the afternoon, as
soon as a .battery cell was put in connexion with
the wire, some very distinct signals were observed,
which, of course, were not interrupted to make the
usual electrical observations on the state of the
fault. They appeared as if those in Newfoundland
were sending letters by pauses which could be
most distinctly observed, while the varying natural
earth currents are not strong, but the message,
whatever it was, was lost by the earth currents
increasing in force, and as it were over-balancing
the currents coming from the opposite shores of the
Atlantic. 'These appearances were observed until
three o'clock, when a message was sent to New-
foundland by Henley's magnetic machine to send
Vs for a quarter of an hour, if they understood. To
this no answer was received, nor indeed did the gal-
vanometer again show signs of activity until the Bth
of October, when good and distinct reversals were
received from 8 in the evening till 1 on the morn-
ing of the 9th.' Hoping to re-establish the com-
munication, messages were sent:—" Can you read
us as we get your signals ?" This intimation does
not appear to have reached, for the needles again
remained passive until 9 o' clock on the morning of
the 9th, when again some very decided, though not
intelligible, signals appeared, continuing until 2
o'clock. At tin 03 during this period the currents
were so good that if messages had been sent from
the American terminus of the line they could have
been read with the greatest ease. Signals were of
course, at once sent from Valentia to send words,
as their reversals were very plainly read: but
the signals soon ceased, and though again faintly
observed at 1 and at 11 on the morning of the 11th,
and at two o'clock on the morning of the 12th,
nothing very distinct was observed until between
three and four on the afternoon of the 14th. Again
it was evident that words were being sent from
Newfoundland, though what they were could
not, owing to the interference of earth currents,
be ascertained; but these indications again
ceased, with the exception of some slight oscil-
lations of the needle at midnight, until between
three and four on the following afternoon, the 15th,
when it was evident that words were coming
through the line. But as unfortunately was too
often the ease the earth currents at the time hap-
pened to be particularly strong, and completely
threw what was said into confusion. A silence of
seven hours again succeeded, after which parts of
letters and disjointed signals were observed, but no-
thing connected or intelligible could be made of
them. Again, after 12 hours' silence, namely, at
noon on the 16th, the same unintelligible signals
were observed, and again between five and six on
the same afternoon. On the 17th, between one
and two in the morning, signals and letters could
be read, but nothing connected could be construed
from them. These appearances lasted till four, and
then the galvanometer, after remaining stationary
till 11, again showed signs of vitality. From this
period, for many succeeding hours, the needle in
Professor Thomson's reflecting galvanometer con-
nected with the ling remained remarkably steady ;
even the earth currents, those never-failing sources
of difficulty and annoyance on long lines of tele-
graph, seemed for a time to rest from their con-
tinued agitation. Between three and four in the
morning of the 18th the wind rose suddenly, and
blew with considerable violence, and strangely,
almost simultaneously the magnetic needles jumped
and csciilated from end to end of the scale with
most unaccountable violence and rapidity. As the
wind continued to increase, which it did to a per-
fect gale before daylight, the oscillations and irres
gular motions of the needles became more rapid and
violent, and strangely, this disturbance continued
more or less while thC force of the wind lasted. The
extraordinary phenomena of magnetic needles be-
coming violently disturbed by the prevalence of
storms, either of thunder and lightning or of
wind, has been before remarked, and has been used
as an argument to prove that the cause of all great
atmospheric disturbances may be traced originally to
electricity. The observations recorded above abso-
lutely prove nothing definite with respect to the
condition of the cable, except, perhaps that it is not
parted. The alternate appearance and disappearance
of signals, which at times came so distinct that
messages might be read from them and again vanish,
leaving the wire as dead and inanimate as if it
were absolutely gone altogether, tend rather to
overthrow all theories respecting the nature of the
injury than to support one. It is unfortunate that
the preconcerted experiments at both, ends of the
line should have been postponed owing to the non-
arrival of Mr.. Lundy at the Newfoundland station,
for now many days must necessarily elapse before,
any definite period can be named on which they
are to take place. These experiments, when they
do take place, will no doubt throw sufficient light
on the true state of the wire to enable the electri-
cians of the company at once to determine whether
the line can ever be made available as a means of
communication between the old and the new world.
In the meantime, circumstances have occurred
lately which certainly cause matters to look a good
deal more promising than they did a few weeks
ago. When Mr. Henley, in whom great confi-
dence is placed as a practical man, first tried his
large magneto-electric machine upon the cable at
Valentia, the induction coils were advanced so as
to produce electricity of a very high intensity,
which is known to be the worst kind of electric
a fault in an insulated wire.
current for passing
After working for a few days the coils were
changed for those constructed to produce a great
quantity of electricity of comparatively low inten-
sity, which experience has proved to be the best
kind of current for signalling through a badly in-
sulated line. But after a few days the intensity
coils were again used, and were not replaced by the
quantity coils until a few days ago.
Now, according to intelligence received indirectly
filonr Mk. De-Stinty, the electrical superintendent of

THE CARDEN ABDUCTION CASE.
Towards the close of the proceedings yesterday,
and afterseounsel for Miss Arbuthnot had called on
the magistrate to hold Mr. Carden in bail to the
amount of £lO,OOO to keep the peace towards the
lady, the following proceedings occurred :--
"Mr. Cardon intimated that he intended making
a statement if his worship decided the case against
him ; if not, he would not make it. If his worship
was satisfied with his simple assurance that he never
had the slightest intention of breaking the peace,
or if injuring or annoying Miss Arbuthnot, he would
give up his intention of making that statement.
" Mr. Walsh, objected to Mr. Carden, when re-
presented by counsel, making any statement.
" Mr. Porter—l object altogether to any state-
ment being made, if the intention to make it is
founded on a certain event in connection with my
decision.

" Mr. Curran observed that he had a right to
make a general statement. It was usual to ask if
the prisoner had anything to say in his defence.
" Mr. Porter—l have not called on him to make
any statement.
" Mr. Carden—Then I must assume, unfortu-
nately, that it is your intention to bind me to the
peace. I regret exceedingly it has been within
your jurisdiction to do so, because I should have
been saved the pain of making a statement which
it is due alike to Miss Arbuthnot, to myself, and
also to the public, to make on this occasion. Sir,
I may say for myself my character is at stake, and
to me the recognisances are a matter of no import-
ance. I shall not break the peace, therefore they
shall not injure me ; but it has been said most truly
that the recognisances are a slur on my character
as a gentleman. There is no doubt but that, what-
ever may have been my errors, I have always
adhered most strictly to truthfulness—that is well
known to my friends ; and I have always, on every
occasion, whether in conversation, by word, or by
letter, declared my firm intention never to repeat
the offence with which I was charged, or to molest,
intimidate, or in any manner to annoy Miss Arbuth-
not. I cannot but think—and I must say that on
this occasion the parties who bring such a charge
against me must be under some extraordinary mis-
apprehension—it does not appear to me that this
conspiracy has been got up in such an extraordinary
way, that it would almost appear as if sonic persons
had conspired to make the parties who bring this
charge against me believe what is not the fact,
because it appears to me it is a complete delusion
on their minds. I will proceed to explain to you
what possibly could have suggested it. About six
months ago I had a conversation with Mr. Adair,
Lord Gough's solicitor—
" Mr. Porter—l am sure I need not remind a
gentleman of your information that to any state-
ment you now make of a conversation with Mr.
Adair I cannot attach the slightest weight. It is
very unpleasant for a magistrate to hear statements
which go to the public and,the illiterate and unin-
formed portion of the community. They say,—
' He said so and so, and the magistrate did not be-
lieve one word of it,'—the fact being that with the
truth or falsehood of it the magistrate had nothing
to do. He is forbidden by law from taking any
notice of it. I think, therefore, that persons ought
to refrain from making a statement which the ma-
gistrate cannot take into legal account. Mr. Rol-
leston perfectly understands me, and you would do
well to be advised by him whether you would make
a statement to which I cannot attach any legal
weight, as to a conversation between you and Mr.
Adair.
" Mr. Carden—The warning you have given me
shows your sense of justice. My statement is for
the purpose of being laid before the public.
" Mr. Porter—l conceive thzt is not a purpose
to which I can lend myself.
" Mr. Carden—lt will be a very short statement
and it will lead directly to the rest of the observa-
tions I have to make.
" Mr. Walsh observed that he did not want to
keep Mr. Carden from any of his legal rights, but
he should object to his pursuing the course he was
then commencing.
" Mr. Adair—Perhaps this is not an arena where
the statements between two gentlemen should be
discussed at all.
" Mr. Carden—lt would be well to hear what the
statement is.
interminable.eon duct
pursuedwere i:rt
oetrhreemcaasrekNevdoutlhdatbe if
this line of "
Mr. Carden said if hism-orshipthdoeusierrhed
hem Mr
to speak of that conversation,
Carden) thought it most essential, he would not
allude to it.
" Mr. Walsh objected to this statement, which
opened by introducing the names of persons in the
family with whom they had nothing to do in the
present case.
" Mr. Porter—With regard to the reason that
induces a person to adopt a particular line of con-
&let, I doiffsee what I have to do with it at aIL
I have, nothing to do'with anything except: what