The Sun.
London, England, 1859-05-13 00:00:00

NEWCASTLE.

On Monday, at noon, a public meeting of the in-
habitants of Newcastle-on-Tyne was held, in the
Guildhall, the Mayor (Mr. Laycock) in the chair,
to take into consideration the impending war in
Europe, and to express the feeling of the in'habitants
thereupon.
_ _

The MAYOR, in opening the proceedings, heartily
sympathised with the objects of the meeting—
namely, a neutrality in the affairs of Europe at the
present conjuncture.
The SHERIFF (Dr. Robinson) proposed the first
resolution. He fully concurred in the objects sought
by the memorialists who had requested the Mayor
to call the meeting, and he thought it was perfectly
consistent and proper that towns should express
an opinion in criss such as the present. He regretted
that we did not interfere with firmness in the affairs
of Italy in 1848, and send a note, in the spirit of
Cromwell, protesting against the interference of the
great powers with the affairs of that comatry. The
present movement was for dynastic purposes. In
Chest Auria and 14 rtrice the Emperors were everything,
people nothinF. The Emperors had commenced
those wars for their own ambitious designs, and the
people of this county y could. have no -sympathy
with them, though in the course of events good re-
sults might arise to Italy, France,
and
Germany,
through Providence. The resolution he proposed
That this meeting, though deeply synapa-
ILitle with, Italy in her oppressions and sorrows,
mud 'Withconiidence or with hope the

armed agencies which have been put in operation
professedly for its deliverance."
Sir J. FIFE seconded the motion.

The resolution was carried unanimous]. c-.
Dr. GREENHOW proposed the next re lution :
" That, in the opinion of this meeting a policy of
non-intervention in the struggle beween Austria
and France is most consistent with he dignity of
Great Britain, the interests of civili tion, the pro-
gress of constitutional liberty, and most conducive
to the safety and welfare of our country."
Mr. LOCKEY HARLE seconded the motion ; and,
in doing so, said he thought we should not leave
the destinies of the country in the hands of a Tory
Government at this moment without expressing an
opinion on the crisis in the affairs of Europe. He
said this country should be ready to fight, but
should not fight until the provocation was given.
Let us have the Horse Guards thoroughly cleansed,
and the executive formed upon a broad and popular
basis. Let vigour be given to the executive.
Mr. HEADLA3I, M.P.. supported the motion. He
advocated non-intervention. He said the mainte-
nance of peace or the declaration of war depended
on the expressions of opinion of the people of this
country, hence the importance of such meetings as
the one he was addressing. Whatever party might
be in power, the maintenance of peace or the com-
mencement of war would depend upon the general
opinion of the country. (Hear, bear.) There was
no class of statesmen powerful enough, even if they
were desirous, to commence a war against the feel-
ings of this country; and no class could maintain
peace if the people thought that the honour of the
country had been violated, or that her material in-
terests were likely to suffer. He should endeavour,
in the House of Commons, to give expression to
those thoughts and sentiments which he believed
were prevalent throughout the community.
Mr. BAIN moved, and Mr. CROWTHER seconded,
the following amendment :—" That in the opinion
of this meeting the Queen of England is justified
in making every preparation for war, in consequence
of the declaration of Louis Napoleon, wherein he
states his intention of carrying out the policy of
his uncle, Napoleon 1., which means the subjugation
of Europe, and a descent upon England. Neverthe-
less, her Majesty should not under present circum-
stances take part in the struggle now pending on
the continent until it is made manifest to her, by
the policy and conduct of the respective combatants,
that Italy is likely to be sacrificed. Then it will
be the duty of her Majesty to interfere and prevent
that great country from falling a victim to royal
and imperial rapacity ; and we, the inhabitants of
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, will, under these circum-
stances, give to her Majesty our most cordial and
patriotic support."
When the amendment was put to the meeting
only three hands were held up in its favour, and
the resolution was carried by an immense majority.
The meeting then separated.

THE NAVY.

The reports of our Malta correspondent reach
down to the 6th of May, on which day the only
ships in port were the Marlborough screw liner,
bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral Fanshawe, the
Commander-in-Chief; the Hibernia receiving ship,
bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Codrington, super-
intendent of Malta dockyard ; the Princess Royal
screw liner, the Medina surveying steamer, the
Boxer, the Lapwing, and the Vigilant steam gun-
boats, and the Hearty steam-tug. The Terrible
steam-frigate arrived at Malta, from Corfu, on the
3d of May, and left on the following day for Civita
Vecchia, to receive on board his Royal Highness
the Prince of Wales. The Princess Royal will
probably repair to Alexandria, and is to bring
troops expected from India, via Suez, to reinforce
the garrison at Malta, where the attention of the
authorities has for some time past been engaged,
with the state of the island defences. A commis-
sion, composed of a Colonel of Artillery and a
Colonel of Engineers, lately arrived from England,
is at present employed inspecting the works, for
the purpose of adding considerably to their strength
by increasing the number of guns and substituting
for old guns ordnance of more modern construction.
Since affairs have assumed so threatening an aspect
on the Continent the 2d battalions of the 14th, 22d,
and 18th Regiments, and a strong force of Artillery
and Engineers, are under orders, it is said, for
Malta. The Malta Fencibles are about being sent
to Gozo. The submarine telegraph between Corfu
and Malta was kept working from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
on Sunday, the Ist of May, in receiving and trans-
mitting messages between Sir Henry Stork, the
Lord High Commissioner of the lonian Islands, and
Vice-Admiral Fansha.we, the Naval Commander-in-
Chief in the Mediterranean. The Austrian Lloyd's
Company is about sending a number of its fine
steamers to Malta, for shelter and protection under
the guns of that fortress, since it is feared that at
Trieste they may • be exposed to the danger of a
bombardment by the French. The Imperatore has
already reached Malta harbour.
The Etna, screw transport (with troops on board
for Malta, as enumerated in The Sun of yesterday)
was detained yesterday at Spithead, owing to re-
presentations made by the surgeon in charge of the
troops on board, the result of which was that the
detachment of the 4th-battalion Rifle Brigade were
disembarked from the vessel at Spithead, and con-
veyed into harbour by government steam-tug. The
Etna finally sailed for Malta at 5 p.m.. A soldier
belonging to the 22d Regiment unfortunately fell
overboard while the vessel was lying alongside the
dockyard, and was drowned.
The screw corvette Cadmus, 21, has been com-
missioned at Chatham by Capt. H. S. Hillyar, C.B.
It is expected she will be attached to the Channel
squadron.
Commander Campbell, appointed to the command
of her Majesty's despatch vessel Banshee, at Wool-
wich, yesterday took charge of that vessel for ser-
vice in the Mediterranean fleet.
The paddlewheel steamer Firefly was yesterday
undocked at Woolwich, and was hauled into basin
to receive her engines and machinery, and was re-
placed in dock by the Messenger for repairs.
The steam storeship Rhadamanthus, Master-
Commander Sturdee, yesterday left Woolwich for
Sheerness to take in boilers and machinery for the
70 screw steamship Sanspareil, at De ronport.
The 91 gun steamship Anson, begun three months
since under the shed from which the Edgar was
launched at Woolwich, is advancing with rapidity.
The first piece of her keel was laid on. the blocks to
commence her construction no longer back than
the 15th of February of the present year, and dur-
ing that short period two-thirds of the ship have
been thoroughly completed, the remaining portion
being the interior fittings alone. A similar proof of
the expedition obtained in building a line-of-battle
ship of those dimensions in cases of emergency is
probably not on record.
The lee steamvessel, Master-Commander Pullen,
arrived yesterday at Portsmouth from Woolwich
with machinery, &c.
The Avon, paddlewheel steamer, sailed from
Portsmouth yesterday morning for the westward.
The Agamemnon, 91, screw steamship, being
fitted out in the steam basin at Portsmouth, hts
upwards of 150 hands employed on board for stow-
ing her tanks, cables, &c., orders having been re-
ceived from the Admiralty to complete her outfit as
a first-class advanced ship with all possible speed.
The Neptune, 91, screw steamship, being fitted
out in the steam basin in Portsmouth yard, got up
steam yesterday to try her machinery, &c. Every
part worked beautifully and gave perfect satisfac-
tion as far as the trial went. Her engines are of
500-horse power (nominal), by Messrs. Ravenhill,
Salkeld, and Co.
The Hero, 91, screw steamship, Capt. George H.
Seymour, C. 8., arrived at Spithead from the
eastward at 7 p.m. on -Wednesday.
The paddlewheel steam frigate Virago, Com-
mander Dunn was appointed to leave Plymouth yes •
terday, with the Royal George's men, for Sheerness.
The gunboat Biter, tender to the Blenheim was
towed from Plymouth Sound on Wednesday,, into
Hamoaze, to have defects repaired.
The screw steamship Royal George, 102, steamed
on Wednesday from Plymouth Sound into Hamoaze,
for the purpose of being docked, and advanced to
the first class steam reserve.
The screw steamship Aboukir, 90, was placed in
dock in Devonport, on Wednesday, to be examined.
The screw steam frigate Mersey, 40, Capt. Henry
Caldwell, C. 8., arrived in Portsmouth Roads on
Wednesday evening last. The other ships in har-
bour are the Algiers, Liffey, James Watt, Terma-
gant, and Blenheim.
The paddlewheel steam vessel Volcano, 3, Capt.
J. M. Hockley, which arrived in Plymouth Sound
yesterday (Thursday) morning, left Hongkong
January 3 ; Cape of Good Hope, March 9 ; St.
Helena, March 22 ; Ascension, March 31 ; Sierra
Leone, April 13 ; and Madeira, May 2. She has
brought home Chief Engineers J. IV. German, J.
Coade, and George Kent, on promotion. The Vol-
cano was commissioned at Portsmouth onthelith
of March 18,57, and has been constantly employed
on active service in the Canton river. Signalled
May 9, in the entrance to the Channel, an English
screw steamer, showing third distinguishing pen-
dant 2,789, standing to the southward.
The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty :
Captains—Henry Chads to the London, commissioned ;
Thomas Hope to the Agamemnon, commissioned; Arthur
Cumming to the Emerald, commissioned.
Masters—W. G. Aldrich to the Vesuvius ; John Jarvis
(additional) ; A. M. P. Mackey (additional) ; T. J.Whillier
(additional) ; It. T. Saunders (additional) ; George Wright
(additional), to the Bawd,

There will be a grand review of the whole of the
troops at Aldershot before her Majesty on Monday
next. His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge,
the General Commanding-in-Chief, and a large
number of officers on the Staff are expected to be
present.
On account of the serious extent to which the
crime of desertion in her Majesty's service has now
arrived a new warrant, dated the 25th of April, has
been issued by the General Commanding-in-Chief,
and is ordered to be laid before general and garri-
son courts-martial, authorising the punishment of
the lash in such cases. By the articles of the new
warrant the extreme sentence of corporal punish--
ment is to be carried into effect on conviction of
offences of that description, according to the discre-
tion of the court and the approval of his Royal
Highness. In pursuance of the new code, therefore,
six delinquents, convicted at the garrison court-
martial at Woolwich last week of robbery and de-
sertion, were sentenced to the punishment of 50
lashes each, together with various terms of impri-
sonment. Five of the prisoners (four of wham
were drivers in the Royal Artillery batteries)
underwent their corporal punishment on Monday,
in the presence of the whole available force in gar-
rison. One, a driver in the Military Train, was
punished in the presence of his own corps at the
encampment on Woolwich common. The sixth, an
inveterate offender, who has been 23 years in the
Royal Artillery, and has been disrated •from the
grade of a non-commissioned officer, was convicted
of stealing a watch, and had basely laid the accu-
sation on a couple of his comrades. He was pro-
nounced to be in an infirm state of health, and was
consequently ordered to the hospital, the punish-
ment to be deferred.

Orders were yesterday received at the head-
quarters of the Royal Engineer establishment,
Chatham, for the 32d company of Royal Engineers,
under the command of Capt. W. J. Stuart, to pro-
ceed this morning to Alderney, where they arelo
be employed in repairing the defences of that
island. The 29th company. of Royal Engineers is
also under orders to embark on board the screw
steamship Melbourne, for Corfu ; and a detach-
ment of Royal Engineers to proceed in the same
steam-ship. to Gibraltar, for the purpose of filling
up vacancies.
Yesterday afternoon the officers and men belong-
ing to the cavalry depot at Maidstone assembled on
the parade ground in the barrack square, for the
purpose of witnessing the presentation o, silver
medal, with a gratuity of £l5, which had been
awarded by the Commander-in •Chief to Sergeant
A. Cairns, 6th Dragoon Guards (Carabineers), for
long service and meritorious conduct. Col. Balders
handed Sergeant Cairns the silver medal ; the gra-
tuity of Xl5 will be given him on his leaving the
army. Sergeant. Cairns has been 26 years in the
service, 19 of which he has been a non-commissioned
officer, during the whole of which period he has
borne a most exemplary character. He served seve-
ral years in India during the recent rebellion, and
is entitled to the Indian medal.

The Sir -William Peel, hired screw transport, re-
ported to leave Deptford for Portsmouth this day,
will, on arrival at the latter port, embark for Gib-
raltar 1 officer and 40 men of the Royal Artillery;
for Corfu, the 2d battalion 4th Foot, from Alder-
shot-27 officers, 604 men, 3 officers' wives, 6 chil-
dren, 4 servants, 30 soldiers' wives, 35 children,
and 3 horses; 2d battalion 2d Foot, from Walmer
—3 officers.

The Durham Artillery Militia, which are up
at Bishop's Auckland for permanent service, expect
to leave for Portsmouth or the Isle of Wight next
Tuesday.

WAR PREPARATIONS AT WOOLWICH

ARSENAL.

If warlike preparations affect home trades there
ought certainly to be a decent average of cotton
mills and ironworks at a standstill to compensate
for the immensely increased activity which is being
displayed in our arsenals and dockyards. At Wool-
wich, the great manufacturing centre for destruc-
tive weapons and warlike material of all kinds,
works in every department have been suddenly
urged forward, and with the exception that the
men are not yet engaged day and night—a conti-
nuance of labour which would add very little to
the amount of production—the same activity is
observable as during the very height of the Crimean
war. These preparations, it is true, are regarded
at Woolwich—and perhaps rightly so—as being
more in the nature of increased efforts for the main-
tenance of peace than intended for carrying out a
war. But be the object what it may, the means to
the end are the same in both cases, and the public,
we are sure, will be glad to learn that such dili-
gence is now being used that every day materially
strengthens the defensive position of this country,
and that in the course of two or three months more
England will be in a condition to be perfectly in-
different, as far as preparations are concerned, to
either peace or war. Woolwich Arsenal is the
greatest depot and manufactory of warlike stores
not only in this country, but of its kind in the
world, and the activity that is visible here is a fair
sample of what is going forward at all the naval
and military- stations throughout the kingdom.
The new gnu factory at Woolwich is not at present
contributing its quota to the general din of pre-
paration. For the last two or three weeks work
has been suspended, in order that additional furnaces
might be erected. In the original design for this
foundry it was intended to erect five pairs of fur-
naces, but from a sudden fit of timidity or economy
it was at last resolved only to begin with two
pairs or four furnaces in all. only
this small num-
ber during the past year, 197 32 and 68-pounders
have been cast, at an average cost in round numbers
of about £5O per gun.
About a fortnight or three weeks ago, sudden
orders came down to construct two additional fur-
naces, which have accordingly been erected, and
working easily with these the foundry can now turn
out 10 68-pounders a-week ; but in case of emer-
gency, and working over time, this number can at
any moment be doubled.
During the last financial year the Government
ordered of private contractors, 1,335 pieces of ord-
nance, weighing in the aggregate 4,800 tons, and
nearly all of which were from the well known Low
Moor and Gospel Oak Ironworks. Of these guns,
312 were long 68-pounders, 460 10-inch guns for
hollow shot, 300 long 32-pounders, 19 10-inch
howitzers, 44 8-inch ditto, 200 guns 10. inch and
119 10-inch field howitzers. The contract prices of
these varied from £l9 to £2l per ton. This year
tenders have been sent out for about 1,000 iron guns
of the different calibres we have mentioned above,
but contractors for quite treble that number can
easily be found if wanted, and, with the aid of the
new gun factory in full work, between 4,000 and
5,000 of the best and largest ordnance used in the
service could be made with the greatest ease in each
year. But even without these enormous resources,
England is amply provided, even at the present
moment, with guns enough to carry on a European
war for years to come. There are now in store at
Woolwich nearly 12,000 pieces of iron ordnance,
and deducting from this number old guns and 24-
pounders, which are now no longer issued either to
ships or forts, there are still available for service at
any moment upwards of 7,000 cannon, all of the
best modern make and heaviest calibre. In this
number, of course, no account is taken of the store
guns at the great dockyards, at each of which there
are kept from 1,000 to 1,500 heavy cannon of the
very newest description. The resources of Woolwich
Arsenal are now equal to bringing forward, fitting
and issuing these reserve guns for active service at
the rate of 200 per week, and on an emergency
this number could be increased to nearly 500.
At present the orders are to get ready and send off
for service 100 of these heavy ordnance weekly,
and they are accordingly being mounted and
shipped off to Malta, Corfu, Gibraltar, and other
ports in the Mediterranean with the utmost rapi-
dity. Ordnance of the heaviest description is also
being shipped for the Canadian forts, and se:it
round in lighters to replace the light guns of the
martello towers and coast defences, especially on
the eastern shores of this island. The guns of all
the forts and lines at Chatham and Sheerness which
are of old construction and light calibre are also
being changed as quickly as possible for ordnance
of the newest and heaviest kinds. The same is
being done with the works at Tilbury Fort, where
several additional 68-pounders will also be mounted.
The latter armament may be regarded as an in-
stance of excessive precaution on the part of the
awuotihtobridteiefesn,
ending when
as there will be very little
ws o fa rd uk pn
ot
ol ike
Tr
r,hen an enemy's fleet can come
yandttohae
mudfleet
bankthat
in
could"
udtoesit.
We should be very glad indeed to see a little of
this jealous fear manifested on behalf of the works
at Portsmouth and Plymouth. In the former
especially, the greater part of the guns are of the
oldest kind, and many batteries are armed with
nothing better than short 18's and 24-pounders of
the year 1800. At Plymouth it is not so bad,
though, even there, heavier ordnance is wanted,
and, above all, more of it.

Linder the old contract system all the shot and
shell used in our wars were made by private firms
at an average price of about £l3 per ton. During
the Crimean war the enormous expenditure for
material of this kind alone at last directed atten-
tion to the subject, and a foundry was erected at
the Arsenal for the special manufacture of shot and
shell. The success which attended this plan led to
its gradual extension, till now, all the shot and
shell we are ever likely to use in wars of the greatest
magnitude could be supplied with ease by the
every day 'working of the Arsenal foundry, and