The Sun.
London, England, 1859-05-18 00:00:00

ATLANTIC STEAM NAVIGATION.

With regard to steam navigation on the Atlantic
the following particulars, which are termed a
" melancholy maritime story," are given of the re-
lative proportion of British and American lines :
" The present season opens with three lines ad-
ditional to those which plied between Europe and
America it the opening of last spring. We allude
to the,Galway and the Bremen connections, and
that announced as hereafter to unite Quebec with
Glasgow. These additions constitute an aggregate
of nine steam ships. Vessels have also been added
to the line connecting Quebec and Portland with
Liverpool ; and the Cunard Company is obliged to
employ a subsidiary line to assist its mail steamers.
The entire fleet, thus reinforced, and now actually
enumerated as in service between the ports of Cana:
and the United States and those of Europe num-
bers 45 steam ships, a majority of which are of the
first-class, and all profitably employed. And of
these 45 only live belong to American owners. The
subjoined table will furnish the precise evidence of
this disproportion :

" STEAMERS NOW ANNOUNCED AS IN SERVICE, OWNED
BY SUBJECTS OF GREAT BRITAIN.
Africa, City of Manchester, Lebanon,
Alps, City of Washington, Niagara,
America, Edinburgh, North American,
Anglo •Saion, Etna, North Briton,
Arabia, Europa, Nova Scotian,
Asia, Glasgow, Pacific,
Bohemian, Hungarian, Persia,
Canada, Indian, Prince Albert,
Cambria, John Bell, United Kingdom,
Circassian, Jura, Vigo-32.
City of Baltimore, Kangaroo,
STEAMERS NOW ANNOUNCED AS IN SERVICE, OWNED
BY CITIZENS OF THE HANSE TOWNS.
Hammonia, Teutonia,
New York, Weser-8.
Saxonia,

Bavaria,
Borussia,

Bremen,

STEAMERS NOW ANNOUNCED AS IN SERVICE, OWNED
BY AMERICAN CITIZENS.
Fulton,
Ocean Queen,
" Of the vessels enumerated under the latter
schedule, but two, it will be noted, were plying
during the past minter, and but three are in actual
service.

Arago,
Ariel,

Vanderbilt-5,

" Nor does this presentation place the dispropor-
tion in its. most effective light. It is only by refer-
ence to the aggregate tonnage that we ascertain
how inconspicuous is the part played in this busi-
ness by American shipping :

Approximate Tonnage
British steamships
German steamships
American steamships
" Thus but one-sixth of the whole Transatlantic
steam service is conducted by American steam
shipping. Our lines connecting us with Germany
and with Liverpool are no longer existing.
The only business still enjoyed by American
enterprise is that of France, through the port
of Havre, the French Government declining to
create a steam mercantile- navy for itself. This
remnant, however, finds employment for but two
American bottoms all the year round; the Vander-
bilt ships sailing only upon summer seas, and this
season in all probability in sheer destitution of
better employment.
" Such is the actual condition of our merchant
steam service. But disheartening as this view of
the subject unquestionably is, the future is without
better promise. Our French relic of European trade
is to be subjected to a competition during the pre-
sent season which will in all probability seriously
diminish, if it fail utterly to destroy it. Hitherto
the two Liverpool and New York lines have com-
peted for the French business, through the ex-
tremelyru
running between
method of auxiliary steam-
ships Havre and Liverpool.
" The protracted, voyage thus entailed in reach-
ing the Merssy has enabled the American vessels to
hold their own against emulation conducted at such
disadvantage. But we have changed all that.
Already both of the Liverpol companies have fixed
their eyes upon Queenstown, Ireland, as the better
point of junction between their main and auxiliary
lines, an amendment which goes a great way to
destroy the advantage enjoyed by the American
company. The voyage by the connecting British
steamers must be shortened one or two days,
and the freight proportionally under the new
arrangement. The chances are that even this last
fragment of American Transatlantic service
must yield to such pressure. The Vander
bilt steamers, which always succumb to tthe
first frost, will of course withdraw in t. 11:
Fall; the Fulton and the Arago must, we, fearea ,driven to the same course; and thus by
sDuasyp
etnhseiroen iso
f everyinerrecoausrosne
Europe by vessels owned in this coun ry.
tobetawPPeer ne etzlll:,et:hrwiec
ae n
at inr
de

' DIVORCES, &c.---By A return issued yesterday
it appears that from January 11, 1808, to the Bth April,
1859 302 petitions were filed in the new Divorce Court,
praying for dissolution of niarllage-186 by the husband,
and 106 by the wife. Only 37 appear as yet to have been
decreed, and 6 refused. Within the same period 108 peti-
tions were presented for judicial separation-9 by the hus-
band and 99 by the wife ; 29 were decreed and 3 refused.
From
pra May,r n1:51.80,r tol. ullsiii March,
ohf,
marriage,
a g 0
e? petitions iol n 5 5f.07.7:s
t.itu
pre-
sented
tion of conjugal, rights. Of the petitions for restitution 5
were by the husband and 10 by the wife. From February,
1858, to April, 1859, 43 applications for orders of protection
of married women were
of the earnings and property
granted, and 12 refused.

LITERA2'U_RE.

The Romance of the Ranks. By T. W. Connolly,
Author of " The History of the Royal Sappers
and Miners." 2 vols. Longman.
It will be remembered that the author of this
work published some time ago a compendious his;-
-tory of the Royal Sappers and Miners. Himself
filling the post of Quartermaster of the Royal
Engineers, he is naturally ipterested in all matters
relating to the history of that corps; and the
readers of his previous volumes will recollect that
they contained mildh information on military mat-
ters, as well as many interesting details of personal
bravery and tieroic endurance. The work before
us is of e lighter character ; it leaves the stern
realities of Ivy for " the romance of the ranks,"
and, instead of details of military, organisations,
it gives us accounts of the hairbreadth 'scopes and
snares of the adventurous members of the commu-
nity. The achievements of the Sappers and Miners
in siege and trench are replaced by their feats in
love, their tricks on their comrades, and not unfre-
quently their mistakes and mischances. Some of
the sketches are mournful in their character, and
broken hearts and faithless lovers appear in truly
tragic style. But the greater part are of a lively
and jocular character, full of jests and anecdotes,
whose humour, indeed, is not always very refined.
The scenes of travel and adventure add to the
variety of the work, and being all fountled on fact,
possess the advantage of veracity as well as amuse-
ment. The author, while searching for the mate-
rials for his history, became accirtrAnted with a
number of anecdotes, chiefly relaevag to members
of the corps, and it occurred to him that these
sketches of military social life w ould make some
volumes of pleasant reading. 26 soon as he had
completed his more serious um'artaking, he turned
his attention to this lighter work, and arranged
his materials for publication In some of the in-
stances the publication of ene real names or exact
particulars would have l',oen undesirable or in-
vidious. In those case's the names have been
altered, and the anecdotes amplified ; but he has
avoided any further aliteration of facts than these
necessary additions, :rad in many instances has
preserved the real nernes of the parties concerned.
The volumes ,thoug'n not possessing any extraordi-
nary merit, will afford much gratification to mili-
tary readers, and will furnish entertainment for
lovers of fun and frolic.