The Sun.
London, England, 1861-06-12 00:00:00

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IRON-CASED STIIPS AND ADMIRALTY

CONTRACTS.

The following letter appears in a contempo.

rary:—
Sir,—The subject of contracting for iron ships,
engines, and anchors was several times discussed
in the House of Commons last week, and in refer-

ence to this subject Lord C. Paget said :
"It was true they might advertise ; but would
the Government be justified in allowing strange
parties to tender for the manufacture of first-class
anchors any more than they would for that of first-
class engines P"

coof netnrga ci
nt se, ism auknedresr satroeo ds
ut
rovbe3e,
eads, followsr : _
, Tr
hh
ee ri:t: leer
noi fs -
et
sh, ea An
dd msfacilities
i efnro
sr r
executing
ope.
wnrh
ogoolrir,
enskdee,
of the parties applying to be pot upon the list
they are then called upon for tenders, and
placed into several classes in something like
the following order—
a
power, 200 to 400, 400 to 600, 600 to 800, 800 and
upwards.
All makers who have not supplied engines to the
Admiralty before are placed in the lowest grade,
up
only step by step, even though they
made engines of the largest class and
undeniable
maywno dr
ek
nihng bvele quality for other parties.
i
aAs the manufacture of engines for the Admiralty
has lately been confined to very few parties, it will,
of course, take many years before any number of
makers get into the higher grades, which limits
materially the competition for large-sized engines.
a
When the Admiralty decide to order a lot of
engines, makers whose names are on the Admiralty
list are invited to send in tenders for engines to
exert a stated amount of power, the designs requi-
site to carry out the various requirements being
left to the engine-maker, the Admiralty satisfying
themselves, from the plans and details submitted,
that they will accomplish the desired objects.
This is an important point, as it enables the
Admiralty to judge of the competency of the dif-
ferent firms to design as well as to execute work,
and has been the means of bringing into play, for
public benefit, the talent of such firms as Messrs,
Penn and Son, Messrs. Maudslay and Field, and
others who have made so many excellent engines
for the Government.

Anchors, it appears, will be placed on the same
footing with engines, the present makers retaining
the principal portion of the work until other parties
have had an opportunity of showing that they can.
execute work of good quality for the Admiralty.
With regard to ships, the course adopted is very
different. Instead of asking for designs from the
various builders selected, as they do from engine-
makers, the Admiralty make the designs them-
selves, and only ask for tenders to carry out their
own plans. No preference is given to builders who
have completed contracts satisfactorily for the
Admiralty before, as is the case in engine-making,,
but all parties tendering are placed on the same
footing.
Enormous penalties of £20,000, £40,000, and even
£50,000 are also imposed by the contracts for non-
completion within the time specified, and other
causes, a course not adopted in the case of
engines.

If these penalties are intended to be enforced,
the result may be a most serious matter even to
contractors of the largest means, and if not meant
to be enforced they had better be left out of the
contract altogether, or it is a manifest injustice
to those who may decline from prudential motives
to enter into such heavy responsibilities.
If it is necessary in engine making to classify
the parties tendering, and to ascertain by experi-
ence those who are competent to design as well as
to execute work of an important character, the same
principle should surely apply to iron-cased ships, a
novel description of work, and one requiring the
greatest care in designing and executing.
The public service certainly would not be damaged
by requiring the builders asked to tender to send in
designs, leaving the question as to the fitness of
those designs to accomplish the required objects to
the decision of the Controller of the Navy, as is the
case in regard to engines.—l am, Sir, your obedient
servant, JOHN LAIRD.
Birkenhead, June 10.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

HALIFAX AND QUEBEC.

It appears that great efforts are now being made
to revive this project and to obtain the requisite
support from the Government. The promoters
state that in 1838, on'the establishment of Trans-
atlantic steam navigation, Lord Melbourne's Admit
nistration directed Lord Durham to report upon
the best mode of opening up a communication.
between Halifax and Quebec. In 1839 Lord Dur-
ham, in his report on British North America,
strongly urged the construction of a railway. In
1843 a survey for a military road was made at the
instance of the Home Government, but was after-
wards abandoned in favour of a railway. In 1846
the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, the present
Chancellor of the Exchequer, then Secretary of
State for the Colonies, organised a survey for a rail-
way by Royal Engineers. In 1848 that survey was
completed, and the report thereon by Major Robin-
son and Captain Henderson was presented to Par-
liament in February, 1849. Canada, New Bruns-
wick, and Nova Scotia contributed £30,000 to the
expenses of that survey. In 1851 Lord John Rus-
sell's Administration, through Lord Grey, the
Colonial Minister, in a despatch to the Governor-
General of British North America, dated the 14th
of March of that year, pledged the Imperial gua-
rantee, or to advance the money from the British
1 Treasury on an estimate that the line would cost
£5,000,000 sterling. In 1852 that pledge was re-
newed by Lord Derby's Administration, but fell
into abeyance on a question of route ; but the pledge
had never been withdrawn. Canada has since that
time made 2,000 miles of railway westward from
I Quebec, and also 114 miles of the line from Quebec
I towards Halifax; New Brunswick has also made
1 110 miles of the line extending from Shediac to St.
John's ; and Nova Scotia has made 60 miles of the
line extending from Halifax to Truro, and a branch
line to Windsor of 38 miles. The length of line
remaining to be constructed is 350 miles, and which
can be fully completed and equipped for £3,000,000
steeling. In the autumn of 1858, Canada, New
Brunsmick, and Nova Scotia made a joint applica-
tion to the Imperial Government, expressing their
inability to complete the undertaking without im-
perial aid. Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova
Scotia have granted to her Majesty £60,000 per
annum, and all the ungranted lands within 10 miles
on either side of the line, and a free right of way
through all private property, provided her Majes-
ty's Government will, by themselves or through the
instrumentality of a private company, complete the
railway. Her Majesty's Gevernment are asked to give
£60,000 per annum for the carriage of the mails, mili-
tarp stores, and troops between Halifax and Quebec,
and with that and the provincial grant guaranteed
for a series of years, by the Imperial Government,e
the necessary capital can be raised to complete th
railway. Against the foregoing sum of £60,000,,
the Governments of Canada, New Brunswick, aneriel
Treasury of £70,000 per annum, exclusive of
great Scotia estimate a saving to the m
great saving the railway would effectoointoaht
present
Imperial
phee.
rial military expenditure, which a
to about £420,000 a year.
Upwards of £20,000,000
of British capital investedCanadianamounts
railways is
in great jeopardy, owing to inthe want of access to
and from the Atlantic through
British territory.
The Grand Trunk Railway
the
was constructed on the
:e line would be continued
through New Brunsdistinct assurance thw
ai
c
k and
Nova Scotia to the
Imperial and Provincial Govern_
Atlantic by the
.tirin
g last session, and New
Brunswick and
meuts. Canada d
Nova Scotia during
the present
session of their several Parliaments, have unani-
mously joint
mously addresses to her Majesty from
both branches of their several Legislatures, asking
for such aid as will secure the immediate construc-
tion of this railway.

SHOCKING STABBING AFFRAY AT GALWAY.--
GALWAY, Monday
.--A. shocking affair, 'in which three
persons were dangerously stabbed, took
-place here last
night. From the depositions it appeared that four men
were drinking in the house of a man named Dempsey after
11 o'clock. One of them, Murphy, had. a dispute with a
person named M'Dermott, nephew of Mrs. Dempsey.
The party then left, but returned again, rnd on knocking
at the door, M'Dermott rushed out and si tabbed Murphy
in the groin. He fell bathed in blood, and was carried to
the doctor's. After Murphy fell, it appears the row became
g,enera,l and two of his friends, Mullins an d Beatty, went
into the house, where they were met by the proprietor,
Dempsey. One of them kicked him and kno, eked him down,
when Mullins stabbed him also in the gr. in. A person
named O'Grady attempted to interfere, but .Mullins said if
he did it would be worse for him. On heat 'lug the cries of
murder, Mrs. M'Dermott and her niece r in to the spot
when the former was knocked down and the latter was
stabbed in the side by one of the parties. E ;he was unable
to identify the party who stabbed her. B oth Murphy and
Dempsey are in a very dangerous state. 'NW ernaett,
line, and Beatty are in custody, and win Ire 100410
uP
this day week. •