The Sun.
London, England, 1850-10-10 00:00:00

PROJECTILE EXPLOSIVE SHELLS
VERSUS SUBMARINE EXPLOSIVE SHELIA-

TO TEE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
Sra,—lr, appears by a letter from Cherbourg that
our jealous neighbours are not lass busy than our-
selves in the manufacturing of destructive bullets.
M. Lagrange has turned out of his laboratory some
of so terrific a character as to entitle him to a place
in the Peace Society. lie is, if there is no exagge-
ration in the matter, a peace maker of the right sort ;
for as turbulently disposed men are induced to deport
themselves civilly by the fear of coming off second
best in a scuffia, so with nations, they, for a like
reason, deem it prudent to control their pugnacity.
But, after all the ingenuity that has been bestowed
upon projectile destructives, are they likely, if into
hostile use they should come, to prove, in maritime
warfare, a match for submarine explo,ives ? Most
tv:suredly act; for these embrace in their application
greater ease, certainty, and safety than can obtain
in projectiles en ship-board, which require, to be
tftectiyely used, very precise practice, involving an
exactness in tl.e trAning and elevating of heavy
Frdnan2e, not easy of accomplishment when attempted
in rough weather, against an object changing with
rapidity its position.
Submarine explosives, on the contrary, require no
such nicety in their ernp!oymtnt; launched overboard
and suspended by buoys at a suitable depth below the
surface of the water, diverging to port and starboard,
they can with ease and certainty be towed into con-
tact with the object of attack; and so soon as the con-
tact takes place, they explode, sending the object of
attack to the bottom. The bow only of the attacking
vessel would be exposed, and that could be rendered
sufficiently shot-proof for the work in hand ; the
crew, small in number, would be, with the machinery
of the vessel, snugly ensconced under hatchet, so there
would be barely a chance of mischief to them ; taking
into account, also, that by choice the attack would be
made under cover of the darkness of night, let the
state of the weather be what it might.
This, be assured, Mr. Editor, would be an affair,
not of twenty minutes, but one much nearer twenty
seconds.

Yours sincerely and obliged,
Oct. 9, 1850.

NAUTICUS.

BANK OF MANCHESTER.

The annual meeting of the proprietors in the
Bank of Manchester was held on Tuesday morning
in the Clarence Hotel, Manchester; Mr. G. R. Chap-
pell presiding.
The report, read by Mr. FARRAR, stated that the
account submitted at the previous meeting brought
down the affairs of the bank to the 30th June, 1849.
The estimated uet assets at that time were 69,1101.
Os. 10d. ; the estimated liabilities, 21,6181. 13s. Bd. ;
and the probable surplus, 47,491/. 7s. 2d. The ac-
counts of the bank were now made up to the 30th
June, 1850, and stood as follows :—Estimated net
as-
sets, 69,1351. 2s. 2d.; liabilities, 19,4921. 10s. 11d. ;
probable surplus, 49,6421. 1 ls. 3d. The increase
arises from gain on the estimate previously made,
after deducting the current and contingent expenses
of the bank. The directors recommend that a further
return of 15s. per share be made to the shareholders
in the course of the ensuing month. The directors
who retire are Messrs. J. C. Dyer, W. S. Stell,
and John Potter; and the directors proposed their
re-election, together with the election of Mr. William
Peacock, in the place of Mr. Edward Hacking, de-
ceased.

The CHAIRMAN moved the adoption of the report,
which was seconded by Mr. STELL, who said he was
sure the shareholders would now be very glad to re-
ceive a return of 153. per share in addition to the Bs.
which had been previously given.
Mr. J. WALKER proposed that the sum of 15s. per
share be paid to such proprietors of the bank as should
have executed the deed of indemnity of the Bth of
January, 1849.
Mr. G. PARR seconded the motion.
Mr. CURTIS inquired where the money was to come
from ?

The CHAIRMAN said it might appear that the sum to
be divided would exceed somewhat the amount in
hand ; but they anticipated money from the sales of
some property which had been made sufficient to make
up the amount. Should it not be received in time, he
would furnish the money, as would one of his col-
leagues, sufficient to secure the payment of 15s. per
share to every proprietor.—(Cheers.)
The resolution then passed, and subsequently th•
retiring directors were re-appointed agreeably to the
recommendation of the report.
Mr. J. C. DYER then suggested, not, he said, as
director, but as an individual shareholder, that as the
majority of the shareholders wished to be relieved as
soon as possible from all connexion with the affair,
some steps might be taken for the concentration of
the property into fewer hands. Suppose a number
of shareholders, amounting to at least one-third of the
whole stock, should agree upon a certain give-and-
take value to be affixed to the shares, then they
might be bought up into the hands of fewer indivi-
i duals ; and as there was a considerable property ex-
isting in the bank itself, they might, if they chose,
I re-establish the concern.

The CHAIRMAN said he should be glad to relinquish
his shares at once, under any such arrangement, but
if it was the wish of the shareholders that the di-
rectors should go on winding up the affairs of tho
bank, they would, as before, zealously devote them-
selves to the work.

The proceedings shortly afterwards closed by mote
of thanks to the directors.

RAILWAY TRAFFIC RETURNS.
SOUTH-EASTERN RAILWAY. - Gross traffic receipts for
the week ending Oct. S :
Passengers ...
Carrying account

... £12,173 9 0
... 3,188 16 2

Total ... £15,362 5 2
Corresponding week last year... 12,357 18 3
LONDON, BRIGIITON, AND SOUTH COAST RAILWAY.
Traffic for the week ending Oct. 7 :
Passengers £11,144 11 0
Goods ... ... 2,726 7 5

Total ... ... ... Z 13,870 18 b
Corresponding weak last year... 11,677 0 0
LONDON AND BLACKWALL RAILWAY.—Amount of revenue
for the week ending Oct. 6 :—.
Passengers
Goods

-. £915 7 8
... 37 10 0

Total ... £952 17 8
Corresponding week last year ... 677 8 1

LANCASHIRE AND YORKSHIRE RAILWAT.—(2S3I miles
open.)—Traffic for week ending Oct. 6 ....£14,487 7 7
Corresponding week in last year, (1961
miles open) .. ....£10,994 13 3
SHROPSHIRE UNION RAILWAY.—(Open ;.0 miles.)—Traffic
for the week ending Oct. 6 :
Passengers, parcels, &c. £314 17 10i
Goods and live stock .. ... 210 5 4

Total £525 3 2i
Corresponding week last year ... 443 5 7
SOUTII WALES RAILWAY. - Return of traffic for the week
ending Oct. 6:—
Passengers
Parcels ...
Goods ...

... £938 1 3
••• 46 10 2
.. 63 6 4

Total (exclusive of mails)... 1,047 17 9
GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY.—Return of traffic for the
week ending Sunday, Oct. 6 ... £17,720 2 7
CALEDONIAN RAILWAY.— (160 miles opened.) Return of
traffic for the week ending Sept. 29 :
Passengers, &c. £3,304 15 2i
Goods, &c. :3,782 0 6

Total .. ....£7,086 15 Si
Corresponding week last year ... 6,658 17 3

LIVERPOOL, THURSDAY MORNING.—The steam-
ship Pacific, from New York, was off Holyhead at half-past
six o'clock.

THE CITY' OF GLASGOW STEAM-SHlP.—This fine
steamer, on her way down the river, took the ground at
Bowling Bay, on Saturday afternoon. She might have
floated off with the next tide; but from the extreme dark-
ness of the night it was thought more prudent to wait till
Sunday, when the tide again flowed. She lay accordingly at
Bowling till Sunday at twelve o'clock, when she again started
on her voyage, and at two P.m. got fairly under weigh off
Gourock. It may be worth mentioning that while the vessel
was lying at Bowling on Sunday morning, Divine service
was performed on board, both in the first and second cabins,
by the Revs. Dr. Kennedy and lames Asher, both American
clergymen.—North British Mail.
DISEASE AMONGST THE YOUNG WOODS IN Rox-
BURGHSHIRE.—We have heard repeatedly of late of a dis-
ease, somewhat akin to that which has overtaken the pots-
tees, manifesting itself strongly amongst the young woods.
The larches are dying fast, and other descriptions likewise.
In the Duke of Buccleuch's plantations in Teviotdale, Esk-
dale, and Ewes, the havoc is very great, threatening to de-
stroy many woodlands altogether.—Daily
CHINESE FUNERAL.—A Chinese funeral took placs
yesterday. The Chinaman died at the Chinese Restaurant
of tNiacoa and Woosung. 'I he funeral was large, there being
over one hundred and fifty Chinamen in the procession, each
wearing a piece of white crape. A large number of persons
visited the burying ground to witness the ceremonies, which
are as follows :—They lowered the coffin as we do ; they then
threw the white bandage worn on their arms into the grave;
then matches, and the wax candles, and a bottle of wine.
Before covering the coffin, each person bowed his head to
the earth and uttered some few words not by us understood.
Then each threw a handful of dirt on the coffin, and passed
round liquor?, wine, and cigars, &c., of which they invited
eack American to partake, and the grave was then Ailed up.
—.New York Paper.
GUARDIANS AND CLERKS OF WORI(B.—A meeting
of the Devonport guardians was held last week to apponitba
clerk of the works for the new workhouse. One named
the architect was recommended by the workhouseucommittee
Some of the guardians said they thoughtini itdua l nominated by very
d i
to appoint as clerk of the works an d
Do thehus the relieve the
the same course) see, that by interfering t , y
Atoretphoertgufraormdianthse
last
thwiteeeckt
the architect
Devonport l and proposed
guardians a n(oatnhde r
othersper s o person,
hwoh who
have
se
followedelected.
of the new workhouse Bradford.—
remark, correlative of what we have just now said, that " the
architect from responsiabtilit.?
(asking money for the contractors) contained the curious
clerk of the works was well pleased with the character of the
work r—Builder.
A NEW FACT.—Ten thousand sheep have been
imported within a few weeks, or are being imported into
Wigtowashire.—Dumfries Courier.