The Sun.
London, England, 1861-07-31 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JULY 31, 1861.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS—YESTERDAY.
The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at five o'clock.

EARL RUSSELL.
Earl RUSSELL, who was introduced by 'Earl Granville
and the Earl of Stafford, took the oaths and his seat as
Earl Russell of Kingston-Russell. He then proceeded to
the woolsack, and shook hands with the Lord Chancellor.
He was attended during the proceedings by Lord
Willoughby d'Eresby, the hereditary Lord High Chamber-
lain, and Sir Augustus Clifford, ,Usher of the Black Rod,
and Sir C. Young, Garter King-at-Arms.
After the ceremony the new peer left the house and re-
moved his robes. He then returned and received the con-
gratulations of the assembled peers.
STANDING ORERS.
The standing orders were dispensed with in the case of
the West Hartlepool Harbour and Railway (Traffic and
Capital) and Vane Tempest's Estate bill.
PRIVATE BUSINESS.

The Midland Counties and Shannon Junction Railway,
Mold and Denbigh Junction Railway, Lynn and Sutton
Bridge Railway, and West Hartlepool Harbour and Rail-
way bills were read a third time and passed.
PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS (SCOTLAND) BILL.
The Duke of BUCCLEUCH pre§ented several petitions
suggesting alterations and improvements in this bill.

was obsolete, and considered the motion as a practical joke.
Sir G. BOWYER supported the motion, and contended
that the retention of the act in question was opposed to
common sense.
Mr. HENNESSY, with reference to the remarks of the
right hon. gentleman
.(Sir G. C, Lewis) said that Dr.
M'Hale had been examined before a committee of the house,
and described himself as Archbishop of Tuam, and his evi-
dence was printed under that designation.
Sir G. C. LEWIS explained that the act had reference
to existing sees, and as there was no Protestant Archbishop
of Tuam, the act had not been infringed in the instance
alluded to.
Mr. NEWDEGATE thought that the hon. member
(Mr. Hennessy) should have introduced a bill on the sub-
ject, instead of endeavouring to get rid of the act in ques-
tion by a motion of this description.
The committee agreed to certain claims but on coming
to the clause relatingto the Ecclesiastical Titles Bill divided
on the amendment of Mr. HENNESSY—
For the amendment 4
Against it
Majority —6s
The amendment was accordingly lost, and the schedule
was agreed to.
The house then resumed.
Mr. AYRTON drew attention to what he contended
was an irregularity in regard to this bill. The measure
originated with the House of Lords, and as it proposed to
repeal certain acts relating to supply he considered it was
an infringement of the privileges of this house. He gave
notice that he would make a motion on the subject to-
morrow.
The SPEAKER explained that as the bills alluded to
were obsolete there could be no infringement of the privi-
leges of this house.
PAROCHIAL OFFICES BILL.
This bill, after some discussion, went through committee.
OFFICES OF RESERVE (ROYAL NAVY) BILL.
This bill went through committee,
GOVERN "N I • 21A.ITY _
ordered for
irtfreaditie.ri - ,

'IIHE BANKRUPTCY AND INSOLVENCY BILL.
The SPEAKER announced that the Lords had con-
sented to the amendments made by the House of Commons
in relation to the alteration made by their lordships relative
to the Chief Justice of the Bankruptcy Court, and agreed
to the other clauses.
GOVERNMENT OF THE NAVY BILL.
as amended, was considered and ordered for
third reading.
THE BANKRUPTCY AND INSOLVENCY BILL.
The SPEAKER announced that the Lords adhered to their
amendment relative to the Chief Judge of the Bankruptcy,
and Insolvency Court, but agreed to the other clauses with-
out amendments.
The house then adjourned at five minutes past 6 o'clock.

EXPERIMENTS A 7 S H OBBITRYNESS.

experiments
During yesterday some interesting
were conducted at Shoeburyness, under the supe-
rintendence of the •Iron Plate Commission, upon
two new kinds of targets, built up to resemble a

portion of an iron-platettirigate's broadside. One
target was sent in to,* experimented upon by Mr.
Fairbairn. This was, abcpt ten feet long by six feet
high, and consisted of four plates five inches thick,
the upper and lower being: each about ten feet, the
two in the centre being only five feet each. The pe-
culiarity of this target was that there was no wooden
backing to the armour plating,for the attention of the
commission has lately been .much directed to endea-
vouring to ascertain how fa;it is possible by a slight
increase in the thickness of the plates to do away

gular. These joint ribs are fastened through with
1 inch bolts, while the V shaped armour plates are
secured by 9 inch bolts, 18 inches apart. Each ar-
mour plate rises from the side of the ship to an
angle of about one foot in height, the face of each
angle being also a foot in depth.. On this system
Mr. Roberts contends a ship may be built of the
same strength, costing only one fifth of the money
required for a ship constructed Nvholly of iron, and
being only one third of the latter's weight. The
target experimented on at Shoeburvness was built
entirely on the princii.le we have here mentioned,
and was on the whole an exceedingly fine piece of
workmanship. Mr. Roberts and Mr. Burn, C.E.
(who is associated with Mr. Roberts in his inven-
tion), had, however, committed the serious fault of
having their target made too small. It was only 6
feet by 4, and consequently, as all the shots were
aimed low, they struck almost on. the same spots,
which wanted the surrounding support a larger
target would have naturally afforded. So far the
test of strength was taken at a disadvantage to the
invention. The first shot fired at it with 'a 1-lb.
fiat-headed steel ball to test the iron struck upon
the angular face of one of the armour plates. Yet, in
spite of this, it apparently made as deep a dent as a
similar projectile had made in the fiat upright
plates of Mr. Fairbairn's target. Two 401 b, shells,
filled with sand, were then fired from an Armstrong
at 100 yards, butthen° perceptible damiger'A
fiat-headed 40-pounderwhich was next fired struck
one of the rib joint pieces we have spoken of be-
tween the angles, and broke it. It, however, still
remained firm in its place, and a 100-pounder Arm-
strong shell, at 200 yards, did no apparent damage.
Not so, however, with a solid shot at the same
range, which came full upon the edge of the angle
of the centre plate, inflicting a deep dent, and
slightly fracturing through the plate itself. The
next, a solid 68-pounder, hit full upon the same
joint rib which had been struck and broken before
with a tremendous blow. It "split the rib joint at
its outer rivet hole, breaking off the end of it en-
tirely. Still, however, the target was quite firm
apparently. The next 68-pounder fired struck full
upon the extreme lower edge of the mark with such
force as to shatter the wooden frame which sup-
ported it, and turn the target completely over on
its face. It was evident, therefore, that this missile
hit with undiminished force, and that apparently
striking on the angle of the plate did; not, in this
case at least, at all tend to make it glance off and
so diminish the concussion. The target will be re-
placed and the practice continued at it again to-
day with the 100-pounder Armstrong solid shot.
That this will break it up Mr. Roberts himself at
at once admits. It has, however, already stood won-
derfully well considering the small size of the tar-
get itself, and that its plates are only three inches
in thickness.

PRICE 4d
STAMPED sd

superintendent ; Mr. Lang, master shipbuilder ; Mr.
Cotsell, master smith ; and the other officers of the
establishment.

The Cormorant, 4, 200 horse-power, is to be re-
moved from Chatham to Sheerness, to be placed in
the steam reserve of the second division.

The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty :—A. INl‘lnnes, chief engineer, to
the Virago ; H. Rumble and J. W. Sievewright,
acting 2d class assist.•engineers, to the Fisgard, as
supernumeraries ; P. M.Cormack, Geo. Nicholls, J.
W. Compton, B. F. Lewarn, and G. Fabian, acting
2d-class assist.-engineers, to the Asia, as supernu-
meraries ; Wm. C. Amos and David Dixon, acting
2d-class assist.-engineers, to the Cumberland, as
supernumeraries ; John Dows and James Frazer,
acting 2d-class assist.-engineers, to the Virago ;H.
T. Somes, acting engineer, to the Virago ; and C.
B. Villocks, assist.-clerk, to the Sanspareil.