The Sun.
London, England, 1859-11-17 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 17, 1859.

711 E NAVY.

The gunboat Weazel, Lieutenant W. Howorth,
having had her bilge piece repaired, was taken out
of No. 3 dock at Keyham, Plymouth, on Tuesday,
and placed alongside the depot to complete with
fuel.

The screw steamship Donegal, 101, Capt. Broad-
head, left Hamoaze on Tuesday for Plymouth
Sound. Two seamen belonging to her were se-
verely injured by the fall of a cask which slipped
from the slings while being hoisted on board ; one
has both legs broken.
Her Majesty's screw steamship Wrangler, Lieut.-
Commander it. G. Douglas, Flag Lieut. to Vice-
Admiral Harvey, in temporary command, yesterday
shipped for Woolwich Arsenal her two Armstrong
guns and materials for experimental firing at sea,
and will sail this morning, calling at Sheerness on
her way down.
The paddlewheel steam vessel Firefly, master
Commander Taylor, is ordered to be got ready at
Woolwich, for service in the Mediterranean, to re-
lieve the Tartarus, Commander A. L. Mansell,
about to be docked at Malta.

The iron paddlewheel steam vessel Weser, 6, Com-
mander H. J. Raby (V.C.), was yesterday inspected
at Woolwich by the Commodore Superintendent of
the yard, the Hon. Sir J. R. Drummond, C. 8., and
proceeded to Greenhithe to adjust compasses for sea,
her destination being the River Plate. On account
of her depth, she has been relieved of her guns,
which will be conveyed in some other ship.
The steamship Thunder, of 1,000 tons burden, at
presens at Deptford, has been taken up by the War
Department and numbered as a transport for the
conveyance of guns and ammunition from Woolwich,
and barrack stores, bedding, &c., from the Tower.
The following ships are also chartered :—The Men-
tor, the Celerity, the Sir G. Seymour, and the Ida.
A number of naval officers assembled yesterday
on board the Princess Royal, 91, screw, Captain T.
Baillie, in Portsmouth harbour, to open an inquiry
in connexion with the late serious disturbance by a
portion of her crew.
The Simoom troopship, Commander J. Cook, will
be inspected by the military authorities at Ports-
mouth this morning, and is expected to embark her
troops, &c., for China on Saturday next.
The Vulcan screw troopship, Commander Strode,
at Portsmouth, is ordered to prepare for foreign
service, supposed to be China. Her officers and crew
were yesterday exercised at the working of Cun-
ningham's patent topsails, with which she has
just been fitted. The exercise comprised setting
topsails close-reefed, shaking out reefs, and setting
whole topsails; taking in reefs, close reefing, lowering
on the cap, and loosing sails to dry; clewing up
and furling, the latter, of course, performed in the
ordinary method. Great interest was manifested in
the exercise by a number of naval officers 'who wit-
nessed it from the dockyard. The yards were han-
dled with remarkable facility from the commence-
ment to the close, when from a close-reefed topsail,
with the yards on the cap, the sail was unrolled and
loosed to dry without raising the yard.
The Thetis, Prussian frigate, was towed into
Portsmouth harbour yesterday to have her defects
repaired.
The crew of the Algiers, 91, screw, Capt. George
D. O'Callaghan, was paid wages up to six months
yesterday at Spithead, under the superintendence
of Capt. George T. Gordon, of her Majesty's ship
Asia, and the port watch granted leave ashore.
The Mwander store-frigate, Commander Sir M.
M'Gregor, sailed from Spithead yesterday for
Ascension. _ _

The Bacchante, 51, screw, has been undocked at
Portsmouth and placed in the steam basis to receive
her machinery, &c.
The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty :—James L. Cavenaugh, second
master to the Cumberland, for the Alacrity; Selwyn
S. Sugden, second master to the Rhadamanthus ;
William Eames, chief engineer to the Asia, for ser-
vice in the Victoria; James APlntyre, assistant
engineer of the Imperieuse, Jeremiah P. Lloyd,
assistant engineer of the Nile, and Thomas Burnett,
of the Asia, promoted to the second class; Edward
Judge, third class assistant engineer, confirmed to
the Surprise ; William C. liilder, third class assis-
tant engineer, confirmed to the Janus ; Thomas
Jeans, third class assistant engineer, confirmed to
the Fury, and William Inglis, (b), third class assis-
tant engineer, confirmed to the Mersey.

TEE SOCIETY OF ARTS AND THE

EXIIIIIITION OF 1862.

The first ordinary meeting of the 106th session of
this society was held last evening within their hall,
John-street, Adelphi. The attendance was nume-
rous. The chair was taken at 8 o'clock by Sir T.
Phillips, F.G.S.
The CHAIRMAN, after numerous applications for
admission to the membership of the society and
other routine business had been proceeded with by
the secretary, rose, and after alluding to the time-
honoured custom of the society that the session
should be opened by an address from the chairman
of the council, acquainting members with the policy
which the council designed to follow during the
ensuing session, proceeded as follows :—Although
the period which has elapsed since the close of our
last session is brief we have to mourn the loss of men
who have shared the labours and extended the in-
fluences of the society, who were eminent for their
scientific knowledge and distinguished for the works
they had achieved and the reputation they had
gained. The first in order as well as the senior in
years, was Andrew Ross, distinguished by his con-
tributions to optical science and by improvements
which h e introduced in the construction of telescopes,
microscopes, and photographic lenses. Mr. Ross
contributed largely to flail transactions of the society,
and received on several occasions the thanks of the

society and various medals. Isambard Brunel had
inherited from his distinguished father a name illus-
trious for the successful application of scientific
principles to the advancement of mechanical arts, and
though the son's life was terminated at a compara-
tively early age be had won for himself a reputa-
tion among the foremost men of a generation re-
markable for the grandeur, the extent, and import-
ance of the works they had accomplished, and for
the genius and perseverance with which the re-
sources of science had been employed in the tri-
umph over natural obstacles. Scarcely had the grave
closed over Brunel than we were called on to mourn

the loss of Robert Stephenson, one of our vice-pre-
sidents, the only surviving son of George Stephen-
son, that self-taught genius whom we regard as the
creator of the present railway system, to the rapid
growth of which the son has so largely contributed.
Carefully trained in the principles and practice
of mechanical engineering, thoroughly ac-
quainted with the problem to be solved by the
scientific engineer, as well as with the agencies
placed at his disposal by modern art, Robert
Stephenson joined to an accurate perception of
the difficulties to be encountered in the practice
of his profession a patient discrimination in the
selection of the means by which these • difficulties
could be best overcome, lie was taken from life in

the vigour of his days, and his remains now rest by
the side of one of those lathers of modern engineer-
ing whose memory he loved to honour, within the
walls of that noble Abbey where are interred so
many of England's mighty dead. Other names are
recalled to our recollection on which I must not
long dwell, Jacob Bell, the founder of the Phar-
maceutical Society and the liberal patron of modern
artists ; Professor Henfre3r, the distinguished bo-
tanical teacher, and a valued member of your
Board ofExaminers ; Heterington Henry, a Fellow
of the Royal Society and a practical chemist of high

reputation, who, through his labours in connection
with the industrial arts, obtained for himself a
large share of public confidence. The death of
Stephenson having created a vacancy in the list
of vice presidents, the council has nominated
Vice-Chancellor Sir William Page Wood to
the vacant seat. The subject of international
exhibitions of works of industry and art having
been brought under the notice of the council in the

session of -1858, received their careful consideration,
and occupied much of their time ia that as well as

in the following session, and in the address of my
predecessor at the beginning of last session, and in

the report of the council presented at its close, a
narrative of the proceedings of the council in rela-
tion to the subject was presented to the members of
the society. The council having bestowed on' this
question that grave attention at repeated meetings
which the importance of the subject deserves, re-
solved, on the 14th of April, 1858, that the Institu-
tion of Decennial Exhibitions in London, for the
purpose of showing the progress made in industry
and art during each period of ten years, would
tend greatly to the encouragement of arts, manu-
factures, and commerce, and that the first of
theso exhibitions, which it was then intended
to

hold in 1861, should consist of works
selected for excellence, illustrating especially
the progress of industry and art, arranged according
to classes, and not countries, and should eomprise
music and painting. The investigations of the coun-
cil led them to conclude that an international exhi-
bition in 1861 would elicit even more valuable re-

salts than had been achieved in 1851, if managed

with the same spirit and intelligence as its great
predecessor. I cannot bring before the present
meeting some of the considerations which influenced
the decision of the council more forcibly than by
repeating the language already employed by them.
The learned gentleman, after adducing statistics to
show the extent to which commerce and manufac-

tures had been developed during the past 10 yeas
proceeded :—lt was not intended by the Society of
Arts that the Exhibition of 1851 should be the last
as well as the first international exhibition of in
dustry, but on the contrary, as far back as 1849, in
a letter addressed on behalf of the society by his
Royal Highness the president to one of her Majesty's
principal Secretaries of State, it was expressly no-
tified that the society's object was to insure the
establishment of quinquennial exhibitions of in-
dustry. While the council was actually preparing
to originate the exhibition, hostile gatherings, of
which Italy was the centre and object, threatened
to involve the principal continental States in active
and protracted warfare. The probable influences
on an international exhibition of the unexpected
interruption to the peaceful relations of the States
of Western Europe led the council, in the month of
May last, to determine that the international exhi-
bition proposed to be held in 1861 should be post-
poned to a more favourable opportunity. That de-
cision was arrived at by the council with much
regret. A n exhibition which should present an ade-
quate picture of the progress of arts and industry,
when employed in extending the blessings of peace
and promoting the progress of civilisation, might
prove of special utility at a season of strife and war-
fare; and even if war were again to interrupt the
peaceful intercourse of Continental States, it is ob-
viously within the power of the United Kingdom,
including the colonies and dependencies of the empire
to produce an exhibition deserving of national pa-
tronage. The progress of art and industry is not
suspended, however much it may be interrupted,
by actual warfare, and the loom and the forge may
pursue their wonted activity even amid the din of
arms. The past history and present position of
our country alike impose on Englishmen duties
which cannot be evaded with dignity, and they
surely may decide themselves whether and when
they will hold exhibitions of art and industry, al-
though warlike preparations may seem to occupy
other nations. The war in Italy having terminated,
the council has anxiously resumed the consideration
of this important subject, and, notwithstanding the
present aspect of continental affairs, which they do
not regard as the most favourable to arts, manufac-
tures, or commerce, itis nevertheless the intention
of the council, interpreting aright, es they believe,
thefefeolirnegasrroyfitnhgelirnetoouenfftercyt an international
to originate mea-
sures exhi-
bition of works of art and industry to be held in
1862—(applause)—and they propose to invite the
manufacturers, merchants, public companies, and
other capitalists willing to promote such an exhi-
bition, to unite in raising a guarantee fund, not less
in amount than £250,000, to be vestol in trustees
whose position, character, and qualifications will
secure the confidence of those capitalists who are
prepared to share the responsibility of the under-
taking. It is the intention of the council that full
and absolute power to originate and conduct the
exhibition shall be vested in such trustees, and that
the permanent buildings which may be found ne-
cessary shall vest in the Society of Arts, in order
that such buildings may be devoted to future exhi-
bitions, and when not so occupied may be employed
for purposes tending to the promotion of arts, manu-
factures, and commerce. The trustees will doubt-
less seek the assistance of her Majesty's Govern-
ment in order the better to obtain the friendly
assistance of foreign Governments and secure the
co-operation of foreign exhibitors, and otherwise
promote the success of the exhibition of 1862,
and will also apply to the Royal Commissioners
for the Exhibition of 1851 to grant a con-
venient portion of the ground purchased at Ken-
sington out of the surplus funds of the Exhi-
bition of 1851 for the next and future exhibi-
tions. The progress of art throughout the country,
and the organisation of local boards, were next re-
ferred to in the address. It was also intimated
that the Turnicir and Vernon collection of paintings
at South Kensington would shortly be opened to
the public during the evening. The present state
of the law of copyright was next referred to, as
well as another important matter which had bun.
brought before the society under the presidency of
Dr. Whell, and which bad occupiel much of the

attention of the council—that it was desirable to
establish a uniform musical pitch. It remains with
the committee appointed to consider and report
what pitch shall be adopted in this country. A
large mass of correspondence has been collected
during the "vacation on the subject. The address
concluded with showing the vast increase in coni-
merce, arts, and manufactures that had taken place
during a recent period.
Mr. WEBsTER, who rose to move a cordial vote
of thanks to the chairman for the address just de-
livered, expressed his fullest confidence that the
announcement of the determination of the council
to organise an industrial exhibition in 1862 would
be sympathised with throughout the country. He
felt confident that through the progress of art and
science a quinquennial exhibition might now be
proceeded with, independent of the position of
foreign affairs. He urged the importance of co-ope-
ration, and in conclusion, drew attention to the
present state of the law of copyright and of trade
marks.'

Sir W. PAGE WOOD rose to second the motion
and return thanks for himself personally for the
honour conferred on him by his nomination to fill
the office so recently vacated by the lamented death
of Robert Stephenson.
Several members next joined in a discussion re-
lative to securing other premises, when, after the
presentation of medals to various persons for im-
provements in various articles, the meeting was
adjourned until next Wednesday, when Sir John
Bowring will read a paper on the arts and manu-
factures of China.