The Sun.
London, England, 1857-07-24 00:00:00

NEW WORKS OF DEFENCE AT GOSPORT.

The Government have just completed the pur-
chase of a tract of land, encompassing the town of
Gosport, at a distance of about two miles from it,
fo7 the purpose of establishing upon it a new line
of fortifications. The land purchased is a broad
belt of about three hundred yards in width, and
extends from Frater's Point, at the upper part of
Portsmouth Harbour, to the sea in the neighbour-
hood of Stokes Bay. In its direct:on it bi,,ects the
Farefiain-road a short distance to the northward of
the hamlet of Brockhurst, then crosses the Itch-
field-road to the eastward of the picturesque chapel
of Rowner, from which point it bears away towards
Grange, part of which eiltat3 it includes, and ter-
minates,
as before stated, at the sea at the we,t
hop of St,pkes Bay, near which, and included in
the Government purchase, is the new fort already
built, named Gower, after the estate of Leveson
Gower, Esq., which has also been purchased.
Some of the circumstances conn-cted with the
purchase transa tion of the land in this neighbour-
hood are painfully ridiculous. About fifty years
ago, the necessity of strengthening the outlying for-
tifications at Gosp-rt became apparent to the mili-
tary engineers, and purchases of land were made
about Browndowu and in. the locality of Gower
Fort for this purpose, on which occasion about
1001. per acre we. o paid for the property. The land
however was not turned to account for fortificat ions.
the exception of a few small earthworks, no-
thirty was done; and in the office of the late Sir EL
Vivian, the great part of the Government land
was sold, and in many inF-tances did not realise more
than 101. per acre. Onthe occasion of the last pur-
chase of the same land, whichha'!. been thus bought
and sold on such übfaxcut ahle terms, Government
paid 2401. per acre for it, thus making the public a
loser by about 3001. per acre on their transactions !
It has n t yet transpired what will be the extent
and charac'er f the fortificat o::s which are to be
erec'ed on this land. At pros -nt the only move-
ment has been an older to clear away all the 11 des
and other obstructions, and tura it into grass land.

Rumour stat's that a canal is to be cut from the
upper part of the harbour to the sea at Stokes Bay,
for the purpose of allowing the passage of gun-
bo *ts through. But it can ac-ircely be supposed that
so mite', ex ense would he incurred, whoa by the
continuation of the Stoke Lake through the valley
at its head, which has evidently been recovered
from the I.ke, and which terminates at a very short
di,tance from the sea, a canal could be formed at a
very much smaller cost. The circumstance, too, of
the gun-boat dockyard being alreAdy on this lake
is more favourable fir such an arrangement, as, in
the event of a gun-blat being required for a
flank movement, they could execute the suite much
more quickly from this point than if they were to
make the circuit of the harbour.

1116 forts already finished and in progress on this
intended line of f rtifications c•in-ist of the strong
bastion redoubt before alluded to, called Gow r
Fort, and another in course of constructio❑ at
Frater.

There is no doubt but that all this is a move in
the right direction. The Gostport side of Ports-
mouth Harbour has long been a source of anxiety
to military engineers, as hitherto the simple line
of earthworks sui rounding Gosport has bean quite
inadequate to bear any serious pressure from an
enemy, who, having once possession of that side of
the harbour, would have the dockyard entirely at
command. The contemplated extended works will,
however, give great security to this point, and the
public may be congratulated on the undertaking.
We remember, some time since, a hen our rela-
tions with our French neighbours were not quite
so satisfactory as they are at the present time, and
when military officials were looking anxiously at
our cjast defences, proposing that two line-of bat-
tle ships shoul i be lightened, and one floated up
each of the creeks which run inland for some d s-
tance to the north avid south of Gosport, and that
heavy guns should be placed on their upper decks,
which would enfilade the entire face of the earth-
works of Gosport, making it impossible foran enemy
to advance without regular siege approaches. Thee
ships, from being isolated, would be difficult for an
enemy to deal with.
Before closing these remarks we must refer again
to the gun-loJat e,tablishment on Stokes Lake. The
arrangements which at pr, sent exist for disposing
of this new arm of our naval defences is to haul
them up on a slip, from which they are transferred
to a kind of huge railway carriage or truck, which
moving 'at-rally deposits the g•in-boats into sheds
coast: uctedf )1' the purpose. By the present arrange-
ment, the tide is allowed to flow and ebb into and
from the like, and the consequence is that the pro-
cess of h Luling up the gun-boats, and of course
launching them again, can only be performed at
high water, and at low neap tide there is not suffi-
cient water even for this. Now, the entrance to this
fine lake is narrow, and, at the point where Haslar
bridge crosses it, is admirably adap'ed for a dam,
which, by being thrown across, and furnished of
course with gates, would transform this now almost
useless creek into one of the finest wet clocks in the
kingdom, and which would not only enable the
gunb a s to he launched or hauled up at any time,
but also provide a safe and out of the way place for
any vessels of this description now blocking up our
principal harbours. Mechanics' Magazine.

The arrival of an Australian mail yesterlay was un-
expected, the agent at Sydney having dispatched the
Simla a fartnight bef .ire her time to make up for the mail
which, owing to the breakdown of the Oneida, had been
omitted a fortnight previously—a step which it is feared
will disarrange the future monthly service. The dates
en this occasion are to the 30th of May from Melbourne,
and consequently about five weeks later than those re
cently brought by the James Baines; bat, as owing to
the irregularity of the arrival, the company had no boat
waiting to receive the mails on the Mediterranean side,
it is thought there may be considerable delay in the re-
ceipt of the hitters. Although the Sinus touched at
Ceylon on the 23d of June she brought no later Indian
news. The dates from Calcutta by the last overland
mail are supposed. ta have been to the 13',11 of June by
u
telegraph m B imbay, and as there is a telegraph from
Calcutta to Madras, and the communication between
Madras and Ceylon can be effecttel in a week or less, it
aerld haze seemed to have been possible to have re-
ceived upon this occasion at least three or four days'
iaterintelligence. It is to be supposed, however, that
if any has been brought it is wholly unimportant, from
its not having been transmitted by telegraph this
morning.
The gold by the present Australian mail is only
40,500/. but she brings intelligence of more than a mil-
lion oa its way. 406,500/ is on board the Great Britain,
which sailed from Melbourne on the 21st of May, and is
now 63 days out. This ves.4sl made her last passage to
Melbourne in 62 days, and she may therefore be expected
at, any time. Tne remaining sum is 674,600/, which is
on boird the Indomitable,Swifisure, Lightning, Sum-
mer Cloud, and Sardinian.
TR& SILK CROP.—A letter from Milan of the 15th,
says that, althuuth the silk crop is gathered in the
greater part of Italy, the amount of the produce is still
uncertain. One taw, however, is uscertained—that the
crop is not so deficient as was apprehended. All the
foreign seed prospered. The seed raised in Lombardy,
on the contrary, generally faded. The spiuners and
hiders of a stock of silk say t
hat the crop is bad.
Speculators pretend that it is much
.i
better than last year.
Everybody speaks according to his nterests and VII
wishes ; but it is generally believed that prices will be
lower. than last year, and -that silk at present is a
hazardous speculation.

BARON ROTHSCHILDS .RIGHT TO TAKE
HIS SLAT UNDOUBTAD.—No. 2.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SIIN.

Sir.—lf I chose to adopt the insolently dogmatic
language of Lord Campbell, I should declare that
no rational person could doubt that Parliament
(King, Lords, and Commons) has already decided
that the words " on the true faith of a Christain"
are words of form,—that ts, words of oath—pre-
cisely the same as, "so help me God.
1. Even Lord Campbell must admit that this is
the opinion of Quakers themselves, and that their
only objection to use the words "on the true faith
9f a Christian," is, because it is an oath, forbidden
by the divine command in the precept-, "Swear
not at all."

2. The title of the 2ni Geo. 1., c. 6, is among
other things, "for appointing the form of an
affirmation to be taken by the people called
Qaakers, instead of the Oath of Abjuration ;" in
other words, an affirmation of abjuration, instead
of the OAth of Abjuration.
3. Surely not merely law but common sense
must decide that the only possible way to ascertain
the words which King, Lords, and Commons,
considered to be the Oath of Abjuration, is to
di,cover what words are in that oath which they
omitted in the affirmation of abjuration.
4. And there can be no doubt that the only
words in the oath of abjuration, which they omitted
in the affirmation of abjuration, are " on the true
faith of a Christian, so help me God ;" so that,
notwithstanding Lord Campbell's rollicking asser-
tion, the very act which permitted Mr. Pease to
make an affirmation of abjuration, has also decided
that the words " on the true faith of a Christian,
so help me G.)d," are words of oath, and not the
substance of that which is sworn to.

Although it suited Lord Campbell to treat with
such scoffing contempt the opinion. of his brother
judge, Baron Martin, and this to his lordship's
eternal disgrace, on a question which he knew was
coming before him judicially, God forbid that I
should adopt the same one in speaking of the
judges who decided in the case of Miller v. Salo-
mums, that the words "on the true faith of a
Christian" were not a portion of the oath, similar
to " so help me God."

But surely these learned judges must admit that
the party who drew the Act of Parliament 2d Geo.
1., c. 6, must be a better judge of the intention of
the framers of the oath of abjuration than any one
can be at the present day, for the oath of abjuration
was first prescribed by the 13th Will. 111., c. 106
_l7ol—and the 2d Geo. 1., c. 6, putting this con
struction on the words " On the true faith of a
Christian" was in 1714, so that it is by no means
improbable that both the acts were drawn up by
the same person, very likely a lawyer.—l am, sir
your obedient servant,
July 22, 1857.

40th REGIMENT.

EX M.P.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

see daily in your paper orders for troops
from England and Ireland for India. Ido not conceive
it well to drain the United Kingdom of her troops.
Swely there is a strong and effective regiment in
Australia, the 40th, over 1,000 strong, and why not
order this regiment to the service of the mutiny ; two
large steamers despatched from Calcutta could easily
have this regiment in India in a fortnight. And in the
present peaceable state of Australia, there are enough
of the military and other corps to keep the peace there.
This order should be given at once, and then the 40th
would long be in India before the troops now under
orders to embark from the United Kingdom for India.—
I am, &c MILES.

ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

SALISBURY, THURSDAY.

To-day there has been a very lar4e influx of
agriculturists, busniess-p:3ople and sight-seers, and
prop•tious weather atter the showers of yesterday
now shines upon one of the best shows the Society
has ever had.
The number of cattle is one-fourth more than
last year, of horses rather less, of sheep more t ian
double, of pigs nearly double, of pou'try leis ; the
eutties of live s'.ock being about I,2UU this year,
against 900 hat.
The Herefords far surpass in number any pre-
vious show, and in character have never, perhaps,
appeared :in more comely proportions and more
beautiful quality.
The Devons are much more numerous thin they
have been for many yearn, and are extraordinarily
good in almost all the classes.
The sheep show is undoubtedly the best the
Society has yet gathered together, and is more than
double in number of entries that it was at Chelms-
ford.

The Leicester 3 are not so well represented in
quality as in number of aaimals. Mr. Pawlett
and Mr. Sanday occupy their usual place of pre-
eminence, and Mr. Spencer, Mr. Radmore, Mr.
Tumor, and Mr. Cresswell compete wigh very use-
ful rams and also pens of handsome ewes from their
well-known flocks.

The Soutbdowns are a very large class, anel
equal to their best appearance ou any former
occasion.

The exhibition of pigs surpasses any ever pro-
duced in the kingdom.
Below are the principal prizes awarded
SHORT-HORNED CATTLE.
Class calved on or before the Ist of July,
1855, and not exceeding four years old.—First prize of
30/. to William Stirling, ALP., of Keir Dumbl me, Perth.
Class 2.—Buds calved since the Ist of July, 1855,
and more than one sear old.—First prize of 251. to
F H. Fawkes, of Farnley-hall, Otley, Yorkshire.
Claus 3.—8u1l calves, xb Are 6 and under 12 months
old.—F.rst prize of 101. to Stewart Madlrioanke, o"
Busby-grove, Watford.
Gass 4.—Cows in milk or in calf.—First prize o
201. to Lieutenant Cdlonel Towneley, of Towneley.
Fmk, Burnley.