The Sun.
London, England, 1859-04-16 00:00:00

THE REWARD OF A MILITARY
INVENTOR.

(From the Mechanics' Magazine.)
We sit down to write this article with peculiar

feelings, having just returned from one of those
philanthropic meetings at which the bright par-
ticular stars of our aristocracy are now wont to

display their splendours. The voices of the
Earl of Carlise, the Earl of Shaftesbury, the
Earl of Albemarle, Lord Radstock, and, above
all (for the moment, at least), of Lord John
Russell, still linger in our ears, and with them
the " clink of compliment"—compliment to the
working classes, of course ! The aim of their
persuasive eloquence was a very honourable one
most assuredly, for it was that of establishing
free drinking fountains for the masses throughout
the metropolis, to the extent of 400 or more. Suc-
cess to so sensible and serviceable a work ! But it

certainly seems a remarkable fact that while our

governing classes have hearts so accessible to charit-

able emotions, and find so much time for " labours

of love," they should be so sadly insensible to that
which, in our plain way, we prefer to charity, viz.,
justice and right ! We say—with as much con-
fidence as sorrow—that there is no civilised coun-

try under the sun in which the public admini-
strators are more callous, more dead to common

honour, not to say common honesty, than they
are in England. Especially is this true in
respect to their conduct towards that class of
men to whom this country owes far more of its

material greatness and security than to any other
—the inventors and improvers of our mechanical

arts. We verily believe it -would be no exaggera-
tion to say that we kill more men of this stamp
than we reward.

This is, however, too large a subject to be treated.
here in any general way; we must, therefore, con-
-fine ourselves to the one case of improvements in

military weapons, and to the one improver of them
whom we had in our minds when we sat down to

pen these lines, viz., the gallant and veteran Capt.
Norton. In the history of this officer's career,
up to the present point, we have a succession.of
facts which rise up into a towering monument of
dishonour=-dishonour not only to the successive
civil and professional chiefs of the military class,
but also, we fear, indirectly to the profession itself.
We could substantiate this statement by abundant
evidence, gathered from sources which are not to
be doubted ; but in order to confine our remarks to
the narrowest limits possible, let us name only a
few of the more, important of the gallant officer's
inventions. To him we owe the so-called Minie

baLet in its best form—the concussion fuse—the
liquid-fire shell—and lead-coated projectiles—four
things which have no parallels, in so far
as their value to military science is concerned.
We do not say we have openly received all
these from Captain Norton. On the contrary,
one great ground of our complaint is, that we
have obstinately rejected his offers of them, only to
receive them (or most of them) later from the
hands of others. A letter written by Lieut. Col.
Beamish, in 1852, and published in the United
Service Magazine for August of that year, sets
forth the facts of the case, so far as they had then
proceeded, in a very clear manner ; and to this we
must refer our readers. Besides this, the former
' and present volumes of our own Magazine bear
ample evidence of the magnitude and success of the
gallant officer's improvements. The Journal of
the United Service Institution for November last
likewise contains a resume and description of many
of them.

Here, then, we have a man of great and admitted
merit as an inventor of military weapons, and one
who still, in the advanced stages of his life, is
affording renewed evidences of his zeal and skill
daily, as the military columns of the Times have
lately shown wth much prominence—a man , there-
fore, who. is lifted out of the category of those who
by happy chances. do us service, and ranks with
those who benefit us by the life-long devotion of
extraordinary faculties. And, more than this ; for
Captain 'Norton earned honours as a military
officer in the six Peninsular campaigns, and shared
the perils even of the " bloody Albuera," before he
began his work as an inventor. And if even more
be needed—to satisfy the predilections of the
upper ten thousand—more may yet be said,
for, upon the authority of Colonel Beamish,
we may state that Captain Norton is the
lineal descendant of Parrice de Rynville, second.
brother of Thibault (Theobald) de Rynville, Con-
stable of Normandy, in the time of 'William the
Conqueror. Parrice married the sole heiress .of
the Baron of King's-Norton, in Worcestershire,
and took the name of Norton, according to the cus-
tom of the time. Captain Norton is, therefore, the
representative of the Barons of King's-Norton, in
the female line. (See " Burke's Heraldry.") In
the family records, nearly 300 years old, are the
following Latin lines, which may have had their
influence upon the professional choice and labours
of the gallant inventor :
" Est aliquid clarus magnorum splendor avorum,
Illud posteritas emula calcar habet."
Here the Government may surely discover suffi-
cient claims to recompense and distinction. How
is it, then, that such a man as this still moves about
neglected amid the most generous people on earth ?
How is it that of all the millions granted annually
by this nation for military services, not a fraction
is spared for the reward of such services as his ?
Is it because we are ruled by a class out of most of
whom all true honour has departed, and who can
do nothing but clutch at place, and power, and
perquisites for themselves—who have not even
th:
blush left in them for deeds which would
it makeh
cheeks of poor men flame ?
ifcontempq of
is high time that a hearty hatred
that class were engendered, and its place supplied
by men of nobler spirit. Because,
and

THIS DAY'S MARKETS.

COVENT GARDEN.

Compared with last wt:.*, very little change has taken
place in the value of any ki.nd of produce, the supplies of
which have been seasonably god. On the whole the trade
has ruled steady, as follows :

FRUIT.

s. d. a. d.
Pine apples, per lb 6 oto 10 0
Colonial do., each 0 oto 0 0
tirapes, per lb 25 oto 30 0
Foreign do 2 oto 4 0
Melons, each
Peaches, per doz 0 oto 0 0
Nectarines, per dz 0 oto 0 0
Apples, per bush. 5 oto 10 0
Pears, per doz 2 6to 8 0
Oranges, per 100 5 oto 10 0
Lemons, per 100 3 6to 7 0
Apricots, per doz 0 oto 0 0

VEGET.
Greens, dz bunch 2 oto 2 6
Cabbages, pr do. 0 9to 1 3
Savoy do., pr do. 1 oto 1 3
Cauliflowers, pdz 1 oto 3 0
Brocoli, per bh Bto 1 0
Old potatoes,p tonBo oto 100 0
New ditto, per punl oto 1 3
Peas, per sieve 0 oto 0 0
Turnips, dz bunch 3 6to 4 6
Carrots, pr do 4 6to 5 .6
Cucumbers 1 oto 3 0
Garlic, per lb
Sorrel, per sieve 0 oto
.0 0
Spinazh,hf.-sv 0 6to 1 0
Brus. sprouts, h.s. 1 3to 1 6
Old onions, dz bun 1 oto 1 6
New do., doz bun 0 9to 1 6
French beans, h.a. 0 oto 0 0
Leeks, per bunch 0 2to 0 3

NEWGATE AND LEADENHALL.

Turkeys, 5s Od to 8s Od; poults, Os Od to Os Od each;
geese, 4s Od to 6s Od ; goslings, 6s Od to 8s Od ; ducklings,
3s Od to 4s Od ; rabbits, is Od to 2s Od each ; do., Bcl
to is 2d ; pigeons, 8d to Os 10d each; largo Surrey fowls,
grouse, Os Od to
6s4s 001. ttool6Oss 0d; chickens, chickens, 5s Od to 8s Od; barn-door fowls,
Ocsapoodnettos, 6d
ph;
pheasants,
2OssOodd ttoo2sos 60cld
;;
ptarmigan 2s 6d to .3s 6d ; woodcocks,- 38 to4s 6d ; snipes, le
Od to is 3cl; teal, is Od to is 3d; wild ducks, 2s 6d to 3s Od;
widgeons, is Od to is 6d; plovers, Os 10d to Os Is 3d each;
.guinea fowls, 4s Od to 6s Od ; roasting pigs, 4s Od to 7s Od
each; Ostend fresh butter, lid to is 2d ; English, is 2d
to is scl per lb ; English eggs, 6s Od to 68 6d ; French do.,
5s 9d to Os Od per 120 ; leverets, 2s Od to 2s 6d each.
BILLING SGATE.
Salmon, is 6d to 2s 6d; trout, Os Cod to Od eels, Bcl to 1s;
prawns, 3s 0d to 4s; pike, skate, sturgeon, and halibut, 6d per
lb. Turbots, 28 6d to 20s ; cod, 2s Od to 5s Od ; brills, is Od
to 7s Od; doreys, Is Od to 10. s Od ; mullets, 6cl to 2s Od;
lobsters, 6d to 3s Od; crabs, 6d to 2s 6d ; plaice and gurnets,
4d to is Od each; soles, 4cl to 2s 6d per pair ; common
oysters, 16s to 20s ; natives, 42s to —s per bushel ; whitings,
3s Od to lOs Od ; haddocks, 4s to 20s Od ; smelts, 2s 6d ;
flounders, ls bloaters 6d per dozen ; mackerel, 45s stench,
herrings, 68_,. ,Bsto Os per WO ; carp and h,
ls to 3s per brace.

NEWPORT.
Beef, from 3s Od to 4s 4d ; mutton, Ss 2d to 468 d
lamb, 4s 8d to 5s 6d ; veal, 3s 10d to 4s Od ; and pork, 3s oa
to 4s Od per 81bs

WHITECHAPEL.
Beef, from 3s 4d to 4s 4d ; mutton, 3s 2d to 4g 8d;
lamb, 4s 8d to 5s 6d ; veal, 3s 10d to 5s Od; and pork:, 30
Ott to 4s Od per 81b., by the carcase.

BREAD
The prices of wheaten bread in the metropolis are from
6d to 7d ; of household do., 4id to 6d per 41b loaf.
HIDES AND SKINS.
Market hides, 561 b to 641 b, 31,1 to 4d ; 641 b to 721 b, 4d to
41d • 721 b to 8011, 41d to 5d ; 801 b to 881 b, 5d to 50 ;
8811; to 9611, 51d to 6d; 961 b to 1041 b, 6d to 61d. Horse
calf skins, hides, 8s Od to lOs Od ; light, 2s 6d to 4s ; ditto full,
6s 61 to 78 Od ; polled sheep, 8s 6d to lOs 6d ; half-breds,
8s Od to lOs Od; Downs, 6s Od to 8s Od; lambs,
2s 9d to
38 10d; shearlings, is 4d to Os Od.
HAY MARKETS.
SMITHFIELD.—Meadow hay, £2 108 to £4 lOs ; clover,
do., £1 Os to £5 ss; and straw, £1 4s to £1 8s per load•
Both hay and straw moved of steadily at late rates.
CUMBERLAND.—Meadow hay, .E 3 as
to £4 lOs ; clover
do., £4 Os to £5 5s ; and straw, £1 4s to £1 lOs per lea.
A fair demand.
WurrEcHArEL.—Meadow hay, £2 lOs to £4 lOs ; clover
do., £4 Os to £5 ; and straw, £1 3s to £1 8s per load,
Supplies moderate and trade steady.

s. d. s. d
Cherries, per lb.. 0 oto o 0
Filberts, per lb .. 0 6to 0 9
Cobnuts, per lb 010 to 1 0
Almonds, per bus 0 oto 0 0
Walnuts, per 100 0 oto 0 0
Figs, per d0z..... 0 oto 0 0
Strawberries pr oz 0 oto 1 0
Gooseberries, sv. 0 oto 0 0
Currants, per do. oto 0 0
Plums, per do. , . 0 0 oto 0 0
Greengages, pr 0 do. oto 0 0
Raspberries, pr ptlo W 0 0
LBLES.
Shallots, per lb .. 0 6to 0 8
Horseradish, pbn 1 oto ,se; 0
Parsley, per ditto 0 2to 0 4
Celery, per ditto 0 Bto 1 0 •
Beet, per doz. .. 1 6to 0
Parsnips, per do. 0 oto 0 0
Small salacl, Pn, 0 2to 0 3
Mushrooms,p potl 0 9to 1 3
Artichokes, pr dz 3 oto 6 0' •
Cabbage letts,psc 0 oto 0 0.
Endive, per score 1 oto 1 0.
Radishes, dz hnds 9 4to 0 6
Tomatoes, pr hsv 0 oto 0 0
Walnuts, per 100 0 oto 0 0
Chillies, per ditto 0 oto 0 0
Capsicums, per do 0 oto 0 0
Rhubarb, per bun 0 2to 0 6
Asparagus, pr do. 3 6to 7 0
Sea kail, per pun, 0 9 to 1 3