The Sun.
London, England, 1844-12-09 00:00:00

Lieut.-Colonel Dansey, C. 8., Lieut.-Colonel Wylde,
C. 8., Lieutenant Colonel Chalmer, Assistant-Director-
General of Artillery, Lieut.-Colonel Durnford, Major
Hardinge, ICH., Major Macbean, Captain Dupuis, Capt.
and Adjutant Mitchell, Captain and Adjutant Tireman,
of the Royal Artillery, and Captain Coffin, Royal Navy,
assembled in the Marshes on Thursday afternoon, to
witness experiments with concussion shells, fitted with
fuzees, on Wilton's principle, adopted by Lieut.-Colonel.
Dansey, to be fired at greater distances than point blank
range, and with an extra charge of powder, without ex-
ploding until the lapse of ten seconds, or burning the
full length of the fuzee after their discharge from the
guns, except when they hit a very hard object, such as
the side of a vessel, when it is expected they will at that
moment of time burst by the force of the concussion.
In consequence of the crowded state of the river with
vessels passing the practice range, it was found impossible
to fire more than three rounds—two from 32-pounder
guns, and one from a 63• pounder gun ; but they afforded
evidence that it is possible to make Wilton's fuzees to
carry a range of 600 yards, and project the shells to which
they are fitted with extra charges of powder without
the shells bursting before the time calculated upon, a
very important point, as when they burst at the mouth of
the gun, or before they reach the object against which
they are directed, they are as liable to destroy friends as
foes. The usual charge for firing shells from guns of
the same length and calibre as those used during the ex-
periments is 51bs. of powder for 32-pounders, but on
this occasion 81bs. were used ; and the usual charge of
a 68-pounder for shells is 61bs., but on this occasion
101ba were used, and the result proved that the fuzeos
were perfectly safe and capable of resisting not only the
extra force of the charge, but when the shells entered
the mound, which they all did without striking the bulk-
head, the yielding nature of the earth prevented their
explosion until the extreme length of the fuzee had
burned out, when they burst with tremendous effeCt. It
was intended, had the river been clear of vessels, to
have made further experiments with Mr. Marsh's fusses
with similar extra charges of powder, at the 600 yards
distance selected for the experiments, and with other
fuzees, the invention of Lieutenant Colonel Dansey, and
fuzees on a plan submitted by Mr. Tyers, of the proof
department in the Royal Arsenal, but they have been
postponed to a future period. Captain Hennis, with
Lieutenants Lennox, Henry and C. J. Strange, had the
charge of the party, consisting of three non-commis-
sioned officers, and thirty gunners and drivers for the
guns, and one non-commissioned officer and six gunners
and drivers, and three buglers for the range.

THE PASTORAL LETTER OF THE
BISHOP OF EXETER.
Good intentions, doubtless, partake, in some mea-
sure, of the quality of virtues ; but they are like
virtues meditated rather than virtues performed ; and
mere intentions are, after all, not only as unsub-
stantial as shadows ; but, like them, they often throw
a chill upon objects which were previously enjoying
the light of the sun, and flourishing in its warmth.
Of the good intentions of the Lord Bishop of
Exeter, no man, we think, will be so hardy or so
prejudiced as to doubt. At all events, we do not.
Yet must we, nevertheless, confess the disappoint-
ment we have felt on laying down his Lordship's
pastoral letter on the observance of the rubrics—to
find in it so much of promise, and so little of per-
formance—itself so great in intent, and so small in
accomplishment.
We are sure that this letter will perplex many a
young clergyman, who has been anxiously awaiting
its appearance, in order to be guided out of the con-
fusion into which he had fallen, amid the labyrinth
of contradictory passages-in the well-meant, but un-
decisive, Helston decision. Like him, though look-
ing with great respect on that judgment, and
viewing it more as the summing up of conflicting
testimonies by a judge than the decisive verdict
of a jury, we hoped to discover in the promised
pastoral letter such fixed directions for the guidance
and knowledge of the Church at large, that
sueh cases as that of Helston might never have
a chance to rise again to disturb a Church's
peace, or to perplex a bishop's judgment, by calling
on him to make a decision where he cuuld decide
nothing. For this we have sought throughout the
various paragraphs of this letter, and sought in vain.
To us it appears that the clergymen of the diocese of
Exeter must be more at a loss, not as to the know-
ledge of what they may do, but as to that of what
they may expect by so doing, than they were be-
fore. The non-decisive decisions of the Holston case
are left precisely where they were ; and the expectant
public, who allowed the difficulties of the case, and
the general fairness with which they were treated,
though not settled, are precisely in the same predica-
ment. They are exactly, with regard to enlighten-
ment, where they were. They know that that which
is legal is according to law; beyond that, all is still
dark, confused, and perplexing.
Yet no blame can be charged personally on the
bishop. He has a matter to treat which, by a single
individual, is not treatable. " A bishop on his throne
(it has been said) is entitled to profound reverence, as
also is a parish priest in his pulpit; but in any ques-
tion of usage, doctrine, and law, unless they are de-
livering the judgment of a lawfully constituted court,
they are only private clergymen—the one a private
priest, the other a private bishop." In all honesty
and fairness of purpose, the Bishop of Exeter takes
upon himself what can only be fitly undertaken by
the united wisdom of the heads of the Church, and
he consequently fails. Nothing else, in such a case,
could possibly be expected.
Since writing the above, we have learned that the
bishop has issued a circular to the rural deans of his
diocese, directing them to convene the clergy of their
respective deaneries on an early day to hear his
Lordship's pastoral letter read, and to fix a day for
holding another meeting to consider its contents!
Alas! what can ensue from such partial proceed-
ings but a species of religious protocolling, from
which neither the Church nor the laity will derive
any benefit? Such directions remind us of the words
used by an Elizabethan poet, who says—
" Strong fevers are not eased
With council, but with best receipts and means—
Means speedy means, and certain ; that's the cure:'
-Church and State Gazette.

THE RETRIBUTION STEAM FRIGATE.—This noble
steam-ship of war is now lying in the basin of the East
India Docks at Blackwell, where she has attracted a
good deal of attention from nautical and scientific scientific men,
and has been visited by many person. apable of Aesti-
mating her merits. She is a remark' ... - fine vessel, and
a perfect model for ships of her class and build. She is
of 1,641 tons burden; her length, between perpendiculars,
is 220 feet, her extreme breadth 71 feet, the depth of the
hold being 26 feet 4 inches. She has not yet got her
masts stepped, nor her armament on board, but her pad-
dles and engine are fixed. The engine has been manu-
factured at the establishment of Messrs. Mendslay, Son,
and Field, Lambeth. It is constructed after the patent
of those gentlemen, called the patent double cylinder.
marine steam-engine, and is of the collective power. of
800 horses. The diameter of the cylinder is 12 teet ; the
length of the stroke 8 feet, and the number of strokk s 15.
The diameter of the wheel is 33 feet, the breadth 13
feet, draught of water 7 feet, the length of the engino-
room 75 feet. The great saving of space by the intro-
duction of this engine is one of the principal advantegea
obtained by its use. It is certainly superior in this
I,,iid
in other respects to the beam-engines.. The Admix? ity
have adopted them in several steam-ships of war besides
the Retribution, and there is one on board the Rattler
Archimedean steam-ship. Yesterday they were in
operation, and the vessel was visited by many engineers
and others, who expreesed their gratification at their
power and efficiency.
RAILWAY SPEED.--On
.Saturday last, a specie
train, consisting of one carriage only, attached to the
engine Achilles, left the Paddington station at ten
minutes before five o'clock, a.m. After several delays
upon the line, and one of nearly half an hour's dura-
tion at Bristol, the carriage arrived at the station at
Exeter at twenty-five minutes past nine o'clock ; thus
performing 1934 miles in 4 hours 35 minutes. The engi-
neer said he would have raade the journey from London in
3} hours, had he not been mistaken for the luggage train
at some of the small stations, where the signals for
stopping were exhibited. The object of this extraor-
dinary haste was, to enable the plans, sections, and books
of reference, of the various projected lines of railway,with which the Great Western Company is connected,
to be deposited at the offices of the clerks of the peace
for Devon and Cornwall, on that day—the last allowed
by law for that purpose. After doing what was neces•
sary here, the parties set off, post-haste, for St. Austell,
i , in `chaise and four.— Western Luminary.