The Sun.
London, England, 1850-07-15 00:00:00

UNIVERSITY OF LONDON.

EXAMINATION FOR TIIE DEGREE OF MASTERS OF ARTS►
1850.
BRANCH I.

Colleges.
Rushton, William
BRANCH 11.

Todhunter, William Bower (gold

medal) \ `vUniversity.
Fowler, Robert Nicholas
BRANCH 111.
Tayler, John Hutton (gold medal) Univ. & Man.(New).
Hall, Rev. Geo;ge James ...
Stevenson, Rev. Wm. Rt.wson
0°
5 Fletcher, James Bealey
Randall, Uriah Brodribb
til i Sherring, Matthew Atmore Univenity (Coward)
.9 . Wills, Rev. Charles Homerion.
EXAMINATION FOR THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF

LAWS, 1850.
First Division.
Fowler, William
Kirktv, William

Second Division.
Smith, Daniel Spring-hill College.
EXAMINATION FOR HONOURS.
JURISPRUDENCE.
Fowler, W. (Scholarship) University College.
Kirkus, William

CONVEYANCING.
Fowler, William ...,..... University College.

TIMES.—We are somewhat tired of proving that
the marauders defeated by Capt. Farquhar in June of
last year on the Barnean coast were really pirates.
As appears by the debate of Thursday Mr. Hume, Col.
Thompson, Mr. Cobden, and 26 other gentlemen are
still hard of belief upon this point. Their first idea
was to represent the Bnrnean coast as a kind of ma-
rine Arcadil, where a series of peaceful regattas was
in course of perpetual celebration for the delight of
all seafaring men who might happen to be passing
that way, has been abandoned. What is now asked
for is distinct evidence that the fleet attacked in June
last was a piratical fleet, The appropriate evidence
is forthcoming i❑ the certificate of Sir Christopher
R. iwlinson and in the depositions of the witnesses ex-
arnihed before the Commission of September last—we
pass over, of course, the deposition of Sir James Brooke
himielf. But Colonel Thompson, Messrs. Hume, Cob-
den, Sce., deal with this little difficulty in the simplest
form. They vote this evidence—this direct legal evidence
of the piratical character of the fleet—to be non-ex-
isting; and then speak and act as though it existed
not. Be it so. It is satisfactory, however, to find
that in a House of 140 Members they could only find
twenty-six sceptics to go out into the lobby with them
upon this system of dealing with facts. We invite
attention to Mr. Drummond's speech, not only be-
cause it is a clever speech and an amusing speech, but
on account of the uncommon decision with which the
Hon. Gentleman persists in coupling the name of
Mr. Wise, Sir J. Brooke's late agent in this country,
with the whole of this agitation. His address to the
:louse is a mere comment upon the quotation with
which he concludes it—

" Death has no pangs like love to hatred turned,
Nor hell a fury like a traitor scorned."
It appears that a part of Mr. Wise's system has been
to stir up the religious feelings of the country against
the absent Raja, his late employer. Now he admi-
nistered a persuasive poke to the " Philanthropic So-
ciety," now a " thundering prospectus" emanated from
the " Peace and Aborigines Protectionists," in which
the same inspiration was clearly to be traced. But now
that the ridiculous agitation against Sir James Brooke
has received a coup de grace, we will content our-
selves with referring our readers to Mr. H. Drum-
mond's speech for further particulars on this inte-
resting point. The debate, however, is still more
worthy of notice from the utter and entire abandon
ment by Mr. Cobden of the charges against Sir
James Brooke. There are no more of the old
flourishes about " the private gentleman sailing in his
yacht " and the sanguinary doings of the ferocious
Raja. Let us do Mr. Cobden the honour of suppasing
that he is very heartily ashamed of the line of argu-
ment into which he had been seduced, and that so,
like a prudent man, he has dropped the subject of Sir
James Brooke for ever. It was of course necessary
for him to say something in the debate and
so he fell back upon the old resource of whitewashing
the pirates. Mr. Cobden was one of only 29. We
are anxious, however, before dismissing this subject
to deal with a point which has been a good deal
mentioned. It has been said that Sir James
Brooke was engaged in trading speculations,
and that the mission of the philanthropist was
merely a blind for the huckstering of the pedlar.
Thus his defamers could beat hope to inflict damage
upon his character and to shake his position with
the Government. The facts, however, lie
in a very small compass, and may be thus epitomised.
On taking the Government of Sarawak in 1841, Sir
James, then Mr. Brooke, relieved the people from all
taxation whatsoever, except that deriving from work-
ing the antimony ore mines. His private fortune,
although liberally applied, was insufficient to meet
the expenses of the Government. He retained the
mines, therefore, as the means of revenue. He ex-
ported the ore to England and received the proceeds
in money or bills. To relieve himself from the trou-
ble of shipment, and being personally averse to the
kind of detail it involved, he, through his agent,
leased the mines in 1846 to a London house at a fixed
rent or royalty. On the bankruptcy of that house in
1847 the lease was virtually surrendered into his
lands, and he exported the ore to England as
before. This process continued until quite re-
cently, when he again effected a lease
with another London house. Such are lite-
rally the facts upon which the accusation rests.
Sir James Brooke does not buy or sell • he knows
nothing of profit or loss. The very elements of
trading and speculation are wanting, yet his enemies
convert the mere receipt of revenue, existing at the
time he accepted the government of Sarawak, into a
trading speculation. They hint that as Governor of
Labuan he uses her Majesty's credentials for the pur-
poaes of self-aggrandisement and personal ambition.
Nothing can be more false. The whole history of his
expedition proves the contrary. The life he led —the
hopes that animated him, recorded as they are in his
diary day by day—the objects he had in view—were
far above the acquisition of money or the gratification
of a self-seeking ambition. It is a singular feature of
the crusade against Sir James Brooke that the two
features in his character which stand out in boldest re-
lief—his sincere humanity and his indifference to money
—are the, very points on which his defamers have
attacked him. It is only proper to add, in conclusion,
that when the British Government appointed Sir James
Brooke Governor of Labuan, it was with the distinct
understanding that his independence as Thja of
Sarawak was not to be affected or shaken in the
slightest degree. But now the pretext for embroiling
him with the Home authorities consists in his having
derived from Sarawak a certain amount of revenue
absolutely necessary for carrying on the government
of that district. There will not in all probability be
any renewal of these disgraceful attacks upon the
character and motives of a man who has rendered the
name of Englishmen illustrious upon the other side
of the globe. How easy a thing it is to traduce the
fair fame of the absent or the dead ! In ordinary
cases how hard the task of washing away injuries
which the meanest hand may inflict! Happily for
Sir James Brooke the accusations brought against
him have been susceptible of a simple and direct an-
swer. If be has been exposed to very virulent at-
tacks—if his actions have been distorted—his motives
maligned, he has simply shared the ordinary fate of all
public men in a free country. If a charge against a pub-
lic man be once originated by a private enemy, and it
suit the purpose of a political party to add vigour to the
cry, the calumny of yesterday becomes the dogma of
to-morrow. No matter how pure a man's life, how
lofty his motives, he is in such a case for a while the
popinjay of every gobemouche in the three kingdoms.
What is the remedy against all this ? We are well
aware that it is easy enough to bear the misfortunes
of other men with becoming resignation, and to re-
commend indifference and contempt as the appropriate
cure. We doubt the entire efficacy of this prescrip-
tion. Rather let a man who has once stepped for-
ward upon the public arena fix his eye steadily upon
the good he hopes to effect. If he perceives that the
projects he had formed for the relief of suffering hu-
manity are in course of realization, he may acquiesce
very contentedly in a certain amount of misrepresen-
tation, and even of calumny. Stars, and titles, and
wealth, and even rapturous applause at the London
Tavern, are well enough, but there is some-
thing much better—the consciousness of doing
good and of ameliorating the condition of
generations yet to be born. If a man might b 3 per-
mitted to work out his views for the relief of his fel-
low creatures without hindrance or contradiction, he
would be deprived of many incentives to noble action.
A spice of slander, bitter as it may taste in the mouth,
is no bad occasional ingredient in a man's cup. It
will not be the least amongst what Lord Bacon
would style the " felicities" of Sir James Brooke, if
he be destined from time to time to meet with a few
more such opponents as the members of the Eternal
Peace Society and their Parliamentary accomplices.
The insecure point of Sir James Brooke'e eastern ad-
venture is that its success seems as yet to rest on no
more secure basis than his single life. What will happen
in those distant seas when the controlling spirit is
withdrawn and the European trader and the half-
savage native are brought face to face ? Sir James
Brooke has succeeded in clearing the Etstern seas
of piracy—that is a positive good; and that achieve-
ment may no doubt be perpetuated by the most ordi-
nary hands. This done, civilization and barbarism
are brought into contact. Is the Eastern Archipe-
lago to furnish us with the first example of the gra-
dual diffusion of civilization amongst a barbarous
people—without subjection—without extermination ?
We will not indulge in gloomy forebodings, nor an-
ticipate the moment when the exertions of a noble
life may prove to have failed in attaining their full
object. May all turn out as Sir James Brooke him-
self would fain have it! Meanwhile, absent though
he be, his reputation and good name are a sacred de-
posit in the hands of his country. The continued
favour of his Sovereign, the distinct approval of both
Houses of Parliament, the hearty admiration of the
vast =ajority of his countrymen—above all, the con-
sciousness of the good he has effected, may
taken as sufficient compensation for a passing gust of
calumny, which has only brought out the disinterest
edness of his character in bolder reliefi

STRIKE or GUN-LOCK FILERS.—At Darlaston 600
gun-lock filers have struck, and that just at the time when a
Government contract for 50,000 locks has been taken. It is
said that the contractors wish to reduce wages in order to
supply the locks to Government At a low price.

I IRON WAR STEAMERS.—Before the practice at the
iron and wood butt on Thursday last there was an order
down at Portsmouth for another butt to be made for
further shot-practice on a plan suggested by Mr. Pre-
tious, the only difference from it to the last butt being
(we understand) that a thick felt substance was to be
placed between the iron and wood ; it being supposed
the felt would so soften the jar on concussion as would
prevent the shot from breaking to pieces. After the
conclusive practice that took place on Thursday last
it seems a query whether this new butt will now be made.
The principal and, we may say, the most novel dis-
covery that has been developed by the recent shot-prac-
tice at the iron butts is the tendency that every shot has
to break to pieces. The shot, whether solid or hollow,
enters the iron plates, and makes a tolerably round
bole, is smashed to pieces, and on escaping from the side
the fragments fly and are scattered about on the inside
the butt in all directions. We saw in the last practice
the pieces of a solid 32-pound shot in fragments of from
an ounce to five ounces weight, which were scattered
about in all directions after passing through the butt.
We should be glad to see some further experiments
made with the iron butts, and which might be done
without much expense., as the old butts would again an-
swer the purpose. As the contact of the butt with the
iron seems to be the occasion of the shot smashing to
pieces, why not try an outside casing c f wood over the
iron side, case the old butt over with fir planking from
four to ten inch, or even a foot in thickness, and try
whether it would not prevent the butts breaking? The
Simoom is a most beautiful frigate; certainly the rsost
complete vessel of war that we h ever seen manufac-
tured from iron. Now if an outaido wood planking
should be found, on practice, to prevent the iron bulls
from breaking to pieces, there would be no difficulty in
placing a wood-planking, or sheathing, of the required
thickness over the iron sides of the Simoom, which
would only be required outside her fighting-decks—
namely, from her weather-deck gunwales to the main-
deck waterways. It might, however, be carried down to
her waterline and bevelled off to nothing below. This

sheathing would not detract from her sailing or steam-
ing qualities, though it might disfigure her somewhat;
but the protection of her crew from slaughter is
the principal object, and if this sheathing would pre-
vent the shot from breaking the object would be ob-
tained.

As we have before observed, the shot on entering the
iron plates of the side, make a tolerably round hole, the
size of a ball, without much injuring the plane of the
plate side. These holes, in an iron vessel, might be
easily stopped up in the same way that man-holes in
boilers are stopped ; the covering plate, being in two
pieces, might be thrust out through the shot hole, and
screwed back as man-holes are. The_ old iron butts
would do to practice at, and might be covered over
with plank of different thicknesses, to test what thick-
ness would prevent a ball on striking from being broken
to pieces.—Herold.

Flamer steamer has received extensive alterations
at Portsmouth to fit her for a cruising vessel, having
been a Mediterranean packet ; she has been masted,
and is completing in the old basin at Portsmouth. She
will be shortly commissioned for the coast of Africa.
Polyphemus steam-sloop sailed on Friday from
Portsmouth for Woolwich, under the charge of Mr.
M'Donald, master-attendatt ; her paddle-wheels are
unshipped. The same party that navigate the Poly-
phemus will bring back the Retribution to Portsmouth.
Sprightly steamer sailed with supernumeraries from
Portsmouth for Plymouth on Saturday evening.
PORTSMOUTH, SUNDAY.—Tne Niger steam-sloop,
Commander Heath, went out of harbour at nine o'clock
on Friday morning, under the charge of Captain Hen-
derson, C. 8., of the Blenheim, to try her speed. She
made six runs up and down the measured mile, and the
result was as fullows:—
Runs. Knots.
1 9'302 a. 463
2 ... 9'625 •' 9.738
3 ... 10.40410'014 9 812
9758 9 886 9'844
4 ... 9'113 1
9 868 9.877 9.890 9 867
9-978 5 ... 10.843 9'938
9'903
9'899
6 ... 8'955

Means.

She had coals, water, shot, guns, and stores, on board,
but no powder, shells, or provisions. Her engines
worked well. She was obliged to stop them when at
Spithead, on account of the bearings becoming heated;
this will be remedied before she gees to sea. The
draught of water on Friday was 14 feet 5 inches for-
ward and 15 feet 5 inches aft.

The Cuckoo steam-vessel, Commander Le Febrre,
baring been thoroughly repaired after her late ground-
ing, returned to the Channel Islands last night.
The Dragon steam frigate hauled cut of dock yester-
day afternoon, prior to commission by Captain H. W.
Giffard.

The Inflexible steam-sloop is ordered to be commis-
sioned immediately at Woolwich, by Commander Dyke,
besides whom the following other officers were yesterday
appointed to her:—Lieutenant F. Meynell ; Master
James Pyper; Purser, Mr. Eeles; Clerk, Mr. Thomp-
son; Master's-Assistant, Mr. C. Newman; gunner, Mr.
Lesby ; boatswain, Mr. Snook; carpenter, Mr. F. Corning.
The Howe, 120, Captain Sir James Stirling, was paid
off at Sheerness on Friday. A letter from her says—
" At 8 o'clock in the morning the ship's company having
been called on deck, Sir James Stirling addressed them
in a very appropriate speech on the celerity and dexter-
ous manner in which they had performed their duty.
The payment commenced at 10 o'clock, by Captain-
Superintendent Price, of the Wellington, and was entirely
finished by 5 P.M. No instance of inebriety was visible,
nor was any man detained on account of debt to the
Crorn or otherwise; and order was preserved until the
last moment,"

PLYMOUTH, SATURDAY, JULY 13.—Her Majesty's ship
St. George, 120, is to be commissioned insttad of the
Agincourt, 72. The St. George is to have the masts of
a first-rate fitted with a frigate's gear.
Her Majesty's ship Caledonia, 120, Captain T. W.
Carter, bft Malta, in consequence of the cholera, on the
3d of July, at six A.m., for Gibraltar.
The neighbourhood of this port was visited with a
dense fog yesterday, when one of the Irish steamers
caught the sands off White Sand Bay, but sheered off
without damage. A smack ran ashore at Yealm,
and a revenue cruiser is reported to have taken the
ground to the eastward. There was very little wind at
the time.

On Thursday evening, between nine and ten o'clock,
the yawl Alarm, of 193 tons, belonging to Mr. Joseph
Weld, of the Royal Yacht Squadron and Royal Western
Yacht Club, when attempting to make fast to one of the
Government transporting buoys in Barn Pool,
missed it, and there being a strong ebb tide, very little
wind, and no anchor ready, she drifted ashore under
Mount Eigcumbe, to the south of the landing-place, with
her bow pointing to the northward. She fell towards
the beach, and as the tido rose she filled. On Friday morn-
ing, Mr. Henderson, master-attendant of the dockyard;
Mr. Brown, master of her Majesty's ship Agincourt,
with a gang of seamen and marines, and the Fearless
steamer, Mr. Veitch proceeded to Barn Pool, and plac-
ing a lighter on each side the yacht, with hemp cables
underneath, they pumped her out, and with the help of
casks under her bilge, raised her with the tide, and at
5 P.M. towed her to Frank's Quarry, the private build-
ing yard of Mr. Banks, who had assisted in her recovery.
Port-Admiral Sir W. Hall Gage, in the Sylph yacht,
inspected the operation in the afternoon. The keel of
the Alarm was twisted at low water, and she leaks from
damage to her garboard streak and bilge. She is one
of the fine old racing yachts, and is last from Ports-
mouth. Mr. Weld, his son, and two brothers were on.
I board at the time of the accident.

THEATRE ROYAL, ADELPIII.
Under the dftectior. of Madame Celeste.
THIS fIV ENING,
Will be reproduced the celebrated Drama of TIIE WEPT OF THE
WISH-TON-WISII. Principal characters by Messrs. Ilugbes,
Cul-
lenford, Wright, 0. Smith ; Madame Celeste, and Miss Woolgar.
After which a new•Terpsicorian Burlesque Entitled ES3IERALDA.
Characters by Mesasrs. 0. Smith, Wright, P. Bedford ; Madame
Celeste.. Miss s.Voolgar, and Miss K. ifitzwilliam.
To conclude with a new and miginal Farce, in the
Vulgar ;:ongue, to be called JACK IN THE GREEN ; or, Hints on
Etiquette.