The Sun.
London, England, 1857-12-05 00:00:00

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LAUNCHING THE LEVIATHAN.

Soon aft, r daylight yesterday morning, Mr.
Brunel, with Captain Harri,on, and his indefatig-
able chief assistant, Mr. Prowse, wore again busy
at Mill wall, superintending the efforts by which the
Leviathan is worked down slowly to the water,

inch by inch and foot by foot. The ship has now
completely quitted every part of the old I oundation
on which she was built, and the entire of her vast
bulk and stupendous weight rest on the new launch-
ing ways alone. The m )st sinister rumours have
at times been in circula.ion au to the disas'rous
resul,s which might be anticipated when this event
should happen, but as far as can he
'judge I from
the effect upon the ways at present the firmness
with which they bear the vessel up exceds the
most sanguine expectations, and quite ju,tifies the
remarks which have been made by eng niers that,
n'xt to the ship i-self, the lauticiiing was
are the best piece of work in the yard. Their
con-truction was contracttd for by the Messrs.
Tre3dwell, and, considering the nature of iheground
they had to work upon, and the severity of the test
which they have i-ince withstood, their sttength and
rigidity may be considered as really astinishing.
The Leviathan was fist pushed upon them on
Thur. day afternoon, and so rein lined throughout
the nigh', yet to little had the timber yielded
under the tetnendous pressure, that in the ver)
first attempt move the ship yesterday she in-
stantly slipped seven feet. She made this great
step-with the same easy gliding tnot'on as hereto.
fore, with au almost tot d absence of friction on
the meta's, and with only the usual holllw, so-
lemn' reverberating noise like very dis•ant
thunder. These slits, however, are scarcely
productive of any great gain in the day's work,
for, the stern being much heavitr than the
bows, the cradle under that portion descends much
more rapidly, and so turns both cradles on the ways
that an immense pressure is required again to start
her. Thus, yesterday morning, after one of these
slips, she displayed the most unyielding ob-
stinacy. The tackle from the river, the vrew jacks
and hydratficinachines, were taxed to titer utmost,
the latter especially, to such an extent that first a
14-inch cylinder, and next a 7-inch one, gave way,
and ripped the slid iron top to boteona under the
intense pressure which was exerted in them. These
mishaps, however, only occasioned a temporary de-
lay, and a renewal of the efforts, after a time, at last
got another start of the ship, and so she continued
throughout the day, dropping from 6 to 10 inches
each time, till dusk, when the men left off, and the
signal Loards showed a progress of nearly 31 feet
for the day's work.
The afternoon's tide yesterday placed about four
feat of water under her keel, and so lightened the
ways of about 1,500 tons of her dead weight ; :but
apparently this made not the least difference in her
rate of progress. There seems now not the least
reason to doubt but that by Tuesday or Wednes-
day next the launch will be entirely c nnpkt d.
It is reported that the fall of the scaffolding out-
side the yard on Thursday injured very many m re
people than were then conveyed to the hospital, and
that the number of persona in the neighbourhood
who are suffering front contusions, internal injuries,
and slight concussious of the brain, receiyeelon.tliat
'occasion, it. coftsideratile. It Seems surprisingt'aat
the police should not have interfered to prevent a
scaffolding not fit to bear 20 with safety front being
crowded with at least a hundred people.

RELIGIOUS WORSHIP ACT ADIENDMENT.—The
ing is a copy of the Bill entitled " An Act to amend
tke Act for securing the liberty of religious worship,"
introduced by Lord Shaftesbury last evening ; —" Win rs-
a4 it is expedient to extend the Act pa.sed in the session
of Parliament held in the 18th and 19Lti years of the
reign of her present Majesty, entitled An Act for
securing the liberty of religious worship ;' Be it enacted
by the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with
the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Tem-
poral, and Commons in this press. t Parliament assem-
bled, and by the authority of the same as f.'llows :-1.
From and after the passing of this Act, notwithstanding
any powers of inhibition claimed by the incumbent of
any parish or ecclesiastical district the population of
which shall exceed 2,000 by the last preceding census,
no inhibition of such incumbent shall avail so as to pre-
vent any ordained minister of the United Caurch of
England and Ireland from conducting or taking part
in any congregation or assembly occasionally meeting
for religious worship in any building or buildings not
usually appropriated to purposes of religious worship,
sinless such inhibition shall Le c mtained in some writing
under the hand of such incumbent, countersigned asad
sealed by the bishop of the diocese within which such
occasional services shall be held.
THE COUNTESS OF ELLESMERE'S JEWELS—CONFESSION
OF ONE OF Tilt THIEVES.—A very explicit confession has
just been made by a young man named Atwell, a pri-
soner in Chelmsford Gaol, as to the robbery of property
belonging to the Countess of Ellesmere on the 22d of
January, 185 G. It will be remembered that the pro•
perty, which was of great value, was contained in a box,
which was stolen from the roof of a cab on its way to
Waterloo-bridge station. Atwell states that he with
two other men, known as " Witty" and " Saint," were
out on the day just mentioned with the intention of com-
mitting robbery. They followed the cab, and Witty jumped
up behind the cab, and pulled the box down. The horse
reared up, but the driver did not observe them. They
took it to the shop of Jackson, an oilman, in Leonard-
street, Shoreditch, and opened it in the back parlour in
the presence of Jackson and his voile. Atwell says :" I
noticed the name of the Countess of Ellesmere painted
in white letters on the top of the box, DA I said,
' This lady is almost next to the Queen." By that,
said Jacks I hope you have got some hi ig g ol."
Witty began taking out the things. Mrs. Jackson
said, They are very nice things'—they consisted of
ladies' dresses. Then Witty discoverei a little box
containing a bracelect. I said, 4 Joe, this is gold.' Ile
took another out of the box ; went on further and
brought a boxshaped like a half.moon—that contained
a coronet for a lady's head. There was a thing in the
shape of a butterfly, covered with sparks (diamonds)
This was sold to Mrs. Jackson for half-a-crown, and a
large quantity of dresses and shawls for 50'. Jackson
purchased a handkerchief full of jewellery for 401. A
lot of loose diamonds and blue drops' were sold next
morning for ss. and the other contents disposed of in a
similar fashion." Jackson and his wife were yester-
day committed for trial, on the charge of feloniously
receiving the stolen property.