The Sun.
London, England, 1866-09-22 00:00:00

in mitigation of his default, "and would, no doubt,
be taken into consideration by the Board of Trade
on an application for a renewal of his certificate,
which, under the very serious circumstances of this
case, the court felt it necessary, in the execution of
its very responsible duty, to cancel. The court
having no reason to attribute any portion of the
blame of the collision to the officer in charge of the
Ila.swell, his certificate was returned to him.

JAMES TRAIL.
Hy. HARRIS,/ Nautical Assessors.
R. B. BAKER,

E rl Grey at Newcastle-upon-T3ne.

-o-

On Wednesday Earl Grey delivered an address at the
opening of a Fine Arts Exhibition in connection with the
Newcastle-on-Tyne Mechanics' Institution. The object of
the noble earrsaddress was to prove that mechanics' ins:i-
tutes had iu no sense of the wordproved failures, and that
they were yet capable of doing a vast amount of good. He
thought there could be nodeubt that the facilities for study
afforded by those institutions had given most valuable as-
sistance to many men of talent and of slender means, and
had enabled them to qualify themselves for higher eniploy-
ment,, and for greater utility to their fellow-countrymen
than they could otherwise have reached. In the next place.
it seemed to him that that and similar institutions might
be highly useful in bringing together and improving the IC-
lations with each other of the two great classes of the em-
ployers and employed. They knew that those institutions
were formed principally for the benefit of the working
classes ; but it was not by their unaided exertions that they
had been generally established. Almost invariably—and
certainly it had been the-case with regard to that institu-
tion—they had received generous assistance and support
from the employers of labour, as well as from those who
worked with their hands. Surely, then, the fact that both
employers and employed joined in establishing those insti-
tutions, and that temployeis were liberal contributors in
money towards their expense, ought to create a feeling of
mutual good will in both. (Hear, hear.) Referring to the
`strike in the iron trade, he said he should express no opi-
nion as to which party might be in the right in these un-
fortunate disputes. But he hoped that, without giving
offence to anyone, he might say that it was deeply to be
lamented, for the interests of all parties concerned, that the
differences which had arieen between the masters and men
had led to that unfortunate strike, and that such a mode of
attempting to arrive at a settlement had been adopted. r It
was gi'eatly to be wished, for the take of ali4parties,' that
Some amicable settlement of those unhappy differences
could be arrived at. He would ask them to consider how
very great and important were the interests which were
affected by that unhappy state of things. He was told that
the amount of money annually paid in wages to those per-
sons who were directly or indirectly dependent for em-
ployment upon the iron trade—he included those who
worked iron, and those who raised coal for employment in
furnaces, and all the trades immediately connected with the
produce of iron, and the rolling mills—was not less than
two millions sterling. What an enormous .amount that
was with reference to the general welfare of the country it
was not necessary for him to remind them. He was fur-
ther informed that during the strike, which was happily
over with regard to the blast furnaces, but which had
lasted for somewhere • about four weeks, or rather more/
no less than £50,000 in wages had been lost; and that
amongst those connected with the rolling mills, who were
still unhappily on strike, £lOO,OOO in wages had already
been lost. That made £150,000 in wages, lost in a com-
paratively short time. When one considered how much
privation, how much suffering to many families, such. a
loss of income to the labouring man must create, it was,
he thought, impossible to look upon it without the most
painful feelings. Not only amongst the men themselves,
but amongst their families, how much distress and misery
had to be endured ? Must there not have been women in
weak health to whom the loss of their accustomed weekly
income would make the difference between life and death,
or at all events between permanent and confirmed sick-
ness and restoration to health ? Must there not have been
children, whom at their critical period of life, the loss of
their income by their parents must deprive of the ad-
vantages of schooling and of that nourishment which was
so essential to their good in order that they might grow up
to be strong and healthy men and women ? Were there
not the causes of future and greater suffering, perhaps for
many years to come, to numberless individuals in that un-
happy state of things ? They must remember that it was
not the workmen alone who suffered. The loss to the mas-
ters was also very large from having their capital standing
idle, and from being compelled to keep their works and
machinery in repair whilst they were doing no profitable
work. And not only that, but all those connected with
them—the whole retail trade of the town and of the vil-
lages around it, the railways and the public companies—in
,till these there was a loss of income which was felt directly
and indirectly by a very large number of persons indeed,
and was calculated if it went on to produce very great suf-
fering. Surely, when they considered all that, they must
very greatly lament that such a state of things• should
exist; and theysnust be led to hope that by some means
or other better understanding might be arrived at.. He
earnestly, hoped that mechanic institutes might, in 'some
degree, continue to produce a more friendly feeling be•
-
tween employers 'and. employed, and . ho thought that
the considerations he had ventured to lay before them
were sufficient to prove that, independently of their duty,
it was for the common interest of both parties to arrive
at an amicable settlement of those disputes. But their
duty in that matter must not be overlooked, and he. was
sure he need not tell them that if a really Christian
spirit prevailed both amongst the masters and amongst the
workmen, such a thing as a lock-out or a strike would
cease to be heard of. (Applause.) There had been, and he
trusted there was still going on, a great improvement in
the manners and habits of all classes in the nation. If they
looked back, not for a year or ten years, but for a century
or a century and a half, no one could doubt what a great
change for the bettor had in many respects taken place in
their habits as a people. Formerly habitual drunkenness
was considered no disgrace by a gentleman; now .for a
gentleman to be seen drunk was considered one of the
greatest disgraces that could be conceived. But that
change had not been suddenly brought about. -It had
been by a gradual improvement of manners, and very much
owing to the fact that by degrees the higher classes of so-
ciety had learned to seek a part, at all events, of that
amusement and relaxation which all men required from
their serious occupations, not merely in field sports and in
mere animal indulgences, but in intellectual amusements
and pursuits. Might they not hope that the same process
would by degrees take place in a lower rank of society,
and that the amusing books circulated by mechanics' in-
stitutes, the lectures, the opportunities for conversation and
social intercourse without the temptations of a publichouse,
which those institutions supplied, would by degrees pro-
duce a considerable improvement amongst the working
classes? In fact, precisely by the same means by which
that great reform had been accomplished in the upperranks
of society, they might hope and trust that it might also be
accomplished in the lower. Perhaps even the youngest man
there present might not live to see anything like a complete
change, but that was no reason they should despair of ulti-
mately effecting great reform. And ho hoped that there
were already symptoms of it. He was told, and he believed,
that already there wore many working men who showed by
their conduct that they understood the value of mental cul-
tivation, and the formation of provident and temperate
habits. They might be a minority, and he was afraid they
were. and at present a small minority; that the indulgence
in intoxicating liquors was still the besetting sin of Eng-
lishmen as it was the sin of the descendants of English-
men in Australia and America. But still the moment that
even a minority began to see the folly and error of those
ways, they might hope that their good example would
gradually spread until the time should como when, in the
opinion of his own class, it would be as disgraceful to a
working man to be seen drunk as it now was to a gentle-
man. That he thought was one manner in which"those in-
stitutions were calculated to be useful, and though they
had not hitherto accomplished so much as had been ex-
pected of them, lie did not see any reason,for despairing as
to the gradual increase of their utility.

MR. WALPOLE ON TIIE REMOVAL OF MR. BEALES.
Out of. a resolution passed by the reformers of. Maryle-
bone and Paddington, at a public meeting held by them on
the 7th inst., a correspondence has arisen, of which the
following forms part : —" To Mr. D. Gruyther, Tarlington-
hall. Sir—l beg to acknowledge the receipt of your letter
of the 10th inst., accompanied by the copy of a memorial
respecting the removal of Mr. Beales from the office of re-
vising barrister, and asking me to receive a deputation
"appointed to wait on me to present a memorial to obtain
my answer in form." As these papers were sent to my
private residence I did not receive them until the other
day, when they were forwarded to me at Balmoral, and, in
acknowledging them now, I have only to say that since I
neither had nor have anything whatever to do, either di-
rectly or indirectly, with the appointment or removal of
Mr. Beales from his office, it would be absolutely useless to
allow the deputation to wait upon me.—l am, &C., S. H.
WALPOLE, The Oairnies, Perth, Sept. 18."
TUE SIIIP FAVORITE.—The following is a re-
turn to an order made on the motion of Mr. Seely, giving
date when her Majesty's ship Favorite last sailed from
England to North America, stating whether she had any
steel or chilled-iron shot or shell on board; and if su, how
many ? And whether any steel or chilled-iron shot or shell
have been since sent to her ; and, if so, how many and
when ? And, if none have been sent, whether it is in-
tended to send any, and when :—" I. When last sailed from
England V. North America ?-24th of April, 1866. 2. Had
she any steel or chilled-iron shot or shell on board ?
None. 3. Have any steel or chilled-iron shot or shell boon
since sent to her; and, if so, how many, and when ?
None have been sent, but 1,639 chilled shot for 7-inch guns
have been issued to Halifax for the land service, and they
could on an emergency be made available for the Favorite.
4. If none have been sent, is it' intended to send any, and
when?—Steel shot and shell for the Favorite will probably
be ready in about the second week in September, and they
will thou be shipped to Halifax."