The Sun.
London, England, 1861-01-07 00:00:00

SUGGESTIONS RELATIVE TO SAFETY VALVES.

By the present arrangement of the Government Safety
Valves, as fitted to mercantile steam vessels, the engineer
has no control over them, except when in port; and then
he must obtain the key of the said valves from the captain,
and enter into some not inconsiderable amount of work to
satisfy himself the valves have not set fast in their seats
(which is not an unusual case), arising, in my opinion,
from the following cause, namely :—Supposing, to start
with, the valves are in good working order when the ves-
sel is about to make a passage ; the engineer, to be in readi-
ness, will doubtless have the full pressure of steam to
which the valves are loaled ; and consequently the steam,
in blowing off, will keep all the valves in action ; but when
erdered to put the engines in motion, he will close the
working safety valves by means of the levers fitted for
their regulation, but not so the Governinent valves ; for they,
in proportion to the speed with which the engines are started,
will drop heavily in their seats, being relieved by the work-
ing of the engines, and there remain till the end of the
voyage, unless raised by an excess of pressure (mere or
less), which will not be likely ; as on an indication of excess
of pressure, the engineer would relieve the boiler by the
working valves ; therefore there would be insufficient to
keep the Government valves in action, and consequently
they may remain stationary until they are set fast in their
seats. Then, should anything occur to the working valves
to check their proper action (with old boilers), a serious
accident would be the result. Now this may be guarded
against by the simple application of levers acting on the
bottom spindle of the Government valves. The levers may
be easily arranged in such a manner as to transmit their
action from the exterior to the interior of the boiler. These
means are applied to ordilary working valves, and if intro-
dused for the Government valves, would enable the engi-
neer to keep them in working order, without offering him
greater facility to increase their load more than at present
allowed him. Surely such an adoption would be more
satisfactory to the engineer than the present arrangement.
"The Extension of Portsmouth Dockyard" con-
tains a history of the rise of that all-important
yard, from an insignificant harbour to its present
vast extert. The number is completed by a
" Few Remarks on Recruiting, and the Limited
Service Acts of 1847," and a paper by Sir E.
Cast, "Annals of the War."

Bentley's illiscelleny.
" The Constable of the Tower," the new romance
by William Harrison Ainsworth, takes the first
place in the present number. The story comaaences,
as the heading of the prologue intimates, at the
close of the reign of Henry the Eighth. One can
seldom form much idea of a romance from the first
few chapters. But the name of the author is so
well known to the public, that the fact of the publi-
cation of a new fiction of his in any periodical must
render the same more interesting to the
The following remarks upon the character of Henry
the Eighth, although the language may be con-
sidered rather strong, comes not up to the deserts
of, without exception. the most tyrannical monster
who ever ruled this country. It is to be born in
mind that we have statistic records that no less
than 70,000 individuals were put to death during
hie reign.
The marvel is, that the iron yoke he placed upon his sub-
jects was endured. But he had a firm hand, as well as a
strong will. Crafty as well as resolute, he framed laws
merely to deride them and break them. He threw off the
Pope's authority in order to make himself supreme head of
the Church. Some were executed by him for maintaining
the Papal supremacy, others put to death for denying cer-
tain Catholic tenets. To prove his even-handed justice,
Romanists and Lutherans were linked together, and con-
ducted in pairs to the stake. At one moment he upheld
the new doctrines ; on the next, he supported the old reli-
gion. Thus he used the contending parties for his own pur-
poses, and made each contribute to his strength. The dis-
cord in the Church pleased him, though he feigned to re-
prove it. His councillors trembled at his slightest frown,
and dared not for their heads give him honest advice. His
Parliaments were basely subservient, and confirmed his
lawless decrees without an effort at resistance. A merciless
system of religious persecution was commenced and carried
out according to his changeful opinions. The fires at
Smithfield were continually burning. The scaffold on
Tower-hill reeked with the blood of the noble and the
worthy. The state dungeons were crowded. lorture was
applied. Secret examinations were allowed. Defence was
denied the accused ; and a bill of attainder smote the unfor-
tunate person against whom it was procured as surely as
the axe.
The wisest, the noblest, the bravest, the best of Henry's
subjects were sacrificed to his resentment and caprice. Up-
rightness could not save More and Fisher, nor long services
and blind obedience Wolsey and Cromwell. Age offered
no protection to the octogenarian Lord Darcy, and piety
failed to preserve the abbots of Fountains, itivaux, and
Gervaux.
But not alone did men perish by the stern behests of this
ruthless tyrant, this worse than Oriental despot, but
women t—women of incomparable beauty, who had shared
his couch, and had every claim upon his tenderness and
compassion. But pity was not in his nature. When love
was gone, dislike and hate succeeded. Startling and almost
incredible is the history. of his six marriages. No parallel
can be found to it save in wild and grotesque fiction. It
roads like a Bluebeard story, yet, alas! it was fearful reality.
Katherine of Aragon, faultless and loving, was divorced to
make way for the lovely Anne. Boleyn, who, in her turn,
was decapitated to give place to the resistless Jane Sey-
mour. The latter lived not long enough to weary her ca-
pricious consort, but was succeeded by Catherine of
Cleves, whose want of personal attraction caused the annul-
ment of her marriage and Cromwell's destruction. Next
came the bewitching Catherine Howard, who was butchered
like Anne Boleyn; and lastly, Catherine Parr, saved only
from the block by her own spirit and prudence, as will be
presently related. Twice was the nuptial knot forcibly
untied—twice was it sundered by the axe. Pretexts for his
violence were never wanting to Henry. But the trials of
his luckless spouses were a mockery of justice, The
accused were prejudged ere heard. The king's pleasure
was alone consulted. From his vengeance there was no
escape.
When it was a question whether the beautiful Jane
Seymour's life should be preserved, or that of the infant she
was about to bring into the world, Henry unhesitatingly
sacrificed the queen, brutally observing, "that he could
rmadily get other wives, c
but might not have other children..s
But not only did young and lovely women suffer froinaVe
barbarity ; venerable dames fared no better.
was l`he manner in which the aged and dignifiedEteLltees'r
their num-
of Salic,bury was slaughtered. es :
A list of Henry's victims would swell -e and-thirty years
rpag
ber is almost incredible. For nearly
011
iling the Church,
had this royal Bluebeard the landi; g P
I on° the necks of his
and butchering
plundering his subjects,
.tranlveoreing
nobles, disregarding all rra,eading his ministers; yet all
his wives, disgracing anal of his egotism, entertaining the
the while, in the intaesnon
e of the wisest and most merciful
firm belief that be
owating
to himself the title of Heaven's
of kings, and Minister on earth.
Vicarend of this monstrous tyranny approached.
For ;no, ths the moody monarch had shut himself up within
his palsoe at 'Westminster like a sick lion oin his den, and it
appeared almost certain he woulder quit it alive.
Nothing could be gloomier than the present aspect of the
court, or offer a greater contrast to its former splendour and
gaiety. The pompous pageantries and shows erst-while
exhibited there were over ; the sumptuous banquetsand
Belshazzer-like festivals, of which the monarch and his
favourite attendants partook, had ceased ; boisterous mer •
riment was no longer beard—laughter, indeed, was alto-
gether hushed ; gorgeously-apparelled nobles and proudly-
beautiful dames no longer thronged the halls ; ambassadors
and others were no more admitted to the royal presence
knightly displays were no more made in the precincts of
ented
the palace ; the tennis-court was unfrequ, the
manege-ground unvisited, all the king's former amuse-
ments and occupations were neglected and abandoned.
Music was no longer heard either within or without, for
light inspiriting sounds irritated the king almost to mad-
ness. Henry passed much of his time in his devotions,
maintaining for the most part a sullen silence, during
which he towed en; the pot, and thou ht with bitter