The Sun.
London, England, 1861-08-02 00:00:00

lest partiality should be suspected. We know of
no reason, on the other hand, why the Government
should not in any original contract include the offer
of as many men from the Sappers as liked the terms
agreed on between a contractorand the Govern-
ment ; but that is quite another case. It would
be doubtless in favour of both the moral and
physical health of the soldiers to be employed
when possible in industrial occupations. Martinets
we know do not like it ; but if our soldiers in time
of peace had more useful employment their
muscles would probably be in far better order,
either for a long march or a charge. We commend,
therefore, the employment of the sappers, but, ac-
cording to our present information, cannot com-
mend the terms or even the occasion of their em-
ployment.

ROYAL NATIONAL LIFEBOAT INSTI-

TUTION.

A meeting of this institution was held yesterday,
at its house, John-street, Adelphi, Capt. Sir E. Per-
rott, Bart, vice-president of the institution, in the
chair. There were also present Montague Gore,
Esq., Capt. De St. Croix, Capt. Washington, R.N.,
F.R.S., hydrographer of the Admiralty, and other
gent►enen. . .

Mr. Lewis, the secretary, read the minutes of the
previous meeting.

- A reward of £9 10s. was voted to the crew of the
Lowestoft lifeboat, which is in connection with the
institution, for putting off and saving the crew of
eight men of the French brig St. Michel, of Md ran s,
from Christiana, which during a gale of wind was
wrecked on the Holm Sand, on the 25th ult. The
sea was breaking heavily over the wreck at the
time the poor men were taken off, but the lifeboat
being managed skilfully by her intrepid crew no life
was fortunately lost.
The Almouth lifeboat, on the Northumberland
coast, belonging to the institution, had also been
instrumental in saving, on Friday last, a man who,
whilst bathing, had been carried out to sea by a
heavy back .surf. The promptitude with which the
lifeboat was taken out of the boathouse and launched
on the occasion, elicited the admiration of all who
witnessed the operation.
. . .

The lifeboat Of the institution stationed at Cam-
ber, near Rye, was also reported to have rendered,
on the 28th ult., some service to the emigrant ship
Oithona, from London, which had gone on shore
near Jury's Gap.
A reward of £6 was also voted to the crew of
the Arklow lifeboat, which also belongs to the in-
stitution, for putting off, on the night of the 22d
ult., in reply to a signal of distress from a vessel
which was dragging her anchor, and in danger of
grounding on an outlying sandbank. The lifeboat
remained by the vessel until the next morning,
when, the weather having moderated, she got out
of danger, and proceeded on her voyage.
The silver medal of the institution was presented
to James Tooney, in testimony of his gallant exer-
tions in wading into the surf, at the peril of his life,
and afterwards assisting to save the mate of the
schooner Industry, of Whitehaven, which, during
a heavy galejof wind, was wrecked off Kingstown,
on the Irish coast, some time since. Lieut. Hutchin-
son, R.N., harbour master at Kingstown, was also
thanked for his valuable services on that occasion.

It was reported that the institution had sent,
during the past month, a new lifeboat -and tran-
sporting carriage to St. Ives, Cornwall. The ex-
pense of the boat (X 180) was the munificent gift to
the society of a lady who had previously given the
institution ne value of the lifeboats at New Quay,
in Cornwall, Buckie, in Scotland, and Tyrella, in
Ireland. The lady had herself witnessed some dis-
tresssing shipwrecks from which life had been lost
from the want of a lifeboat.

Lifeboats were also ready to be sent by the in-
stitution to Southport, Scarborough, and Aberyst-
with. Lifeboats were also building for several
other places. The expense of these numerous life-
boat establishments pressed heavily on the funds of
the institution. The average cost of a lifeboat sta-
tion, including boat and equipments, transporting
carriage, and boathouse, was said to be £450. The
society had eight or nine such establishments now
completing. Independently of these heavy de-
mands, the large and increasing charges on its
lifeboat stations situate on various parts of the
coasts of the United Kingdom, entailed great ex-
penses on the institution ; but the committee felt
persuaded that a work so philanthropic and na-
tional in its character would not be allowed by the
British public to languish for lack of funds ._ _

It was .aid that Earl Russell had been one of the
vice-presidents of the National Lifeboat Institution,
and a liberal annual subscriber to its funds since
its first establishment.

It was also stated that a legiey of LlOO from the
late T. F. Hemington,Esq., of Uplyme, and one of
£5O from the late E. Cuthbert, of Cheapside, had
been received by the institution during the past
month.

Vice-Admiral Sir Jas. Hope, K.C.8., had sent
from Hong Kong a very liberal donation of £5O to
the institution, and the Royal Yacht Squadron had
decided to increase their subscription to £lO a year.
Payments amounting to nearly £l,OOO having
been made on various lifeboat establishments, the
proceedings closed.

THE LATE DUCHESS OF KENT.—The remains of
her late Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent were yester-
day removed in the strictest privacy from St. George's
Chapel, Windsor, to the mausoleum erected in the grounds
at Frogmore, attended by Colonel the Lord James Murray,
the Dean of Windsor, the Hon. Spencer Ponsonby, and
Mr. Seabrook.

Mr. Juland Danvers, of the India-office, has been
appointed by the Secretary of State for India in Council to
succeed the late Sir ,Tames C. Melvill, K.C.8., as Govern-
ment Director of the Indian Railway Companies.
FETE IN THE PREMIER'S PARK.—Lord Palmer-
ston's splendid estate at Broadlands was the scene of
great festivity on Wednesday, his lordship having gene-
rously given permis,ion to the committee and members of
the Southampton Polytechnic Institution to hold a grand
fete in his grounds on that occasion. It was estimated that
there were 3,000 or 4,000 persons present from Southamp-
ton, Romsey, Winchester, Salisbury, and the adjacent vil-
lages, and the weather being very fine, all enjoyed themselves
to their heart's content in one of the most delightfully
situate of the many noble estates belonging to the aristo-
cracy of this country. Every portion of the park, flower
gardens, and pleasure grounds was thrown open to the
visitors. The fine bands of the 2d (Southampton) and the
11th (Ramsey) Rifle Volunteers were in attendance, and
dancing on the green sward, boat racing on the river Test,
which flows through the park, footracing, and divers other
amusements, even including the eccentricities of " Mr.
Punch" and his colleagues, were provided and sustained
with unflagging spirit. An electric telegraph was also
erected in the park, and the photographer's art found a
temporary home under canvass, both of these attractions
to the scientifically inclined being well employed during the
afterncon. At 3 o'clock a good party of the committee and
other gentlemen dined together in a handsome tent, the
president of the institution, Mr. J. R. Stebbing, F.A.S.,
occupying the chair.

THE CROPS IN IRELAND.—The Northern Whig,
referring to the reports of its correspondents on the subject
of the potato crop, some isolated cases of disease having
produced anxiety among the farmers in Ulster, proceeds—
" We still incline to the conviction that the Irish potato
crop of 1861 will be the finest we have seen for a quarter of
a century, and that the yield will be abundant in quantity
and of excellent quality. A return of fine weather for a
month would make the fortune of the Irish farmer. All
other crops are flourishing apace. Some flax is laid by the
heavy rains, and in white wheat a few cases of rust are re-
ported. The wet weather has caused a heavy return from
the meadows, and hay will be abundant. The yield of oats
and straw will be profuse, if we have sun to ripen it, and
fodder will, in that case, be very cheap next session. All
root crops are reported as in most luxuriant condition."
THE LIVERPOOL DOCKS AND THE MERSEY
Surrnrso.—With a view to relieve the great pressure for
accommodation in the Liverpool docks, the Mersey Dock
Board, at their meeting yesterday, adopted such a scale of
charges, as would induce vessels lying by idle, or for sale,
to be taken over to Birkenhead docks, and create an addi-
tional space at the disposal of Birkenhead from the Liver-
pool side. A rate of 2d. per ton upon ships lying by after
three months was adopted for the Liverpool docks, whereas
at Birkenhead the rate was reduced to id. per ton per week.
ERITII SUNDAY SCHOOL FESTIVAL. The
teachers and scholars of the Sunday-schools, belonging to
the Congregational Church, Erith, held their annual fes-
tival
on Wednesday last, in Belvidere Park, the seat of Sir
Culling E. Yardley, Bart., 'who kindly appropriated it for
the occasion. The Rev. Samuel March, who has just com-
pleted the second year of his ministry, at Erith, was most
indefatigable in his exertions to promote the comfort and
happiness of the children, of whom a very large number
with their friends, and the principal inhabitants of the
locality were present. Tea, cake, &c., with amusements of
all descriptions were provided, and the pleasures of the day
were greatly enhanced by the Jnvenile Drum and Fife
Band, of Dartford.

THE CROPS IN SOMERSETSTIME.—A Somerset-
shire correspondent says that the corn crops are forward,
but are not very good. The present unsettled weather is
much against them. Potatoes are remarkably good, and
are in many cases turning out quite equal to the old style
of production, of 120 to 130 sacks an acre. There has been
nothing like it since the disease first appeared. The dis-
ease has, however, made its appearance this season in a few
places.