The Sun.
London, England, 1850-05-13 00:00:00

MONDAY EVENING, MAY 13, 1850.

LITERATURE.

when Polycarp sat yet in Smyrna,—a legend which
we feel satisfied will prove as new to the majority
as it did to ourselves. The rest of the papers in the
current number of the Edinburgh are of various
merit and miscellaneous character. The one on "Hun-
garian Literature" will be read just now with inte-
rest ; the " Agricultural Complaints " have elicited an
article from the quarterly organ of the Whigs, which
we most earnestly commend to our most excellent
and obtuse friends the Protectionists; the contribution
regarding Germany is well-timed and able ; but the
most remarkable paper among those not enumerated
is unquestionably the one relating to the extinction of
the Polynesians.

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.
PORTSMOUTH, SUNDAT.—Several of the Lords of
the Admiralty, with Sir B. W. "Walker, the surveyor
of the navy, are expected at Portsmouth to-morrow
to inspect the Ajax, and probably the Dauntless.
Commander Moorsom's percussion shells are also to
be on board the Excellent to-morrow, and:probably the
Admiralty may go on board her and see them thrown.
These shells have been undergoing a series of trials,
and they have been proved to be far more correct in
their bursting than any shell hitherto invented. Other
shells burst at uncertain periods—some directly they
leave the gun—but Commander Moorsom's shells
have scarcely ever burst till they struck the object.
The Rolls, tender to the Victory, has remained at
Spithead this day, instead of, as customary, coming
into harbour for the Sunday. She is kept out to be
in readiness to embark the Admiralty to-morrow,
should they think proper to go on board her.
he Dauntless will be ready to proceed again on
her trial along the meakured mile in Stokes Bay to-
morrow, at half-past nine o'clock.
Major-General Lord Frederick Fitzclarence, Lieu-
tenant Governor of Portsmouth, has proceeded on

three weeks' leave of absence.
Her Majesty's birth-day will be kept at Ports-
mouth on Wednesday, when there will be the usual
dockyard and Government office holidays.
The last stone of a new graving-dock at the north
corner of this yard, abutting on the entrance to the
steam basin, built by Mr. Benjamin Bramble, form-
ing the chief of those fabrics of which we now have
several magnificent specimens at this station, was laid
yesterday afternoon by Captain James, R.E., F.R.S.,
&c. This dock is 305 feet long, and 88 feet broad.
The entrance, which is closed with a caisson, is 65

feet.
Captain James has resigned the appointment of
Director of Works in counexion with the Admiralty
estAblishments at this port, and was to have been re-
lieved by Captain Mould, R E., from Chatham, but,
in consepuence of some important questions having
been raised, he was requested to continue to hold his
office a short time longer, which term lapsed yes-

terday.
Lieutenant-Colonel Jebb, C. 8., and Lieutenant-
Colonel Greene, the director of Admiralty works to
the board, inspected the old laboratory on Wednes-
day, in company with Captain James, to decide on
the plan of the ground to be given for a
convict barrack, for which 15,0001. has been voted
this year. The experience of the Portland convict
establishment has shown how much more efficiently
the discipline of convicts can be carried out on shore
than in hulks.
The 11.1egmra steam-frigate, at Sheerness, is ordered
to be fitted immediately for commission as the Com-
modore's ship for the East India station, to relieve the
Cambrian, 40-gun sailing frigate.
The schooner yacht Fernandez sailed from this
harbour for Cherbourg last evening.
The schooner yacht Dolphin came out of the Cor-
porate Camber yesterday to be commissioned.
Commodore Martin's squlron was at Lisbon on the
Ist inst., on which day the Superb, 80, Captain Pur-
cell, arrived from England.
The following acting mates passed the College in
navigation last week :—Messrs. E. Chambers, J. A.
Close, and F. Hurson. Second Masters I. W. Ward
(late in command of the Harpy steam-vessel on the
Brazil station), and Mr. Thomas Kerr, also passed at
the same time for the rank of the master, which they
have since been promoted to.
APPOINTMENTS.

WOOLWICH, MAY L—Surgeon—James J. Pau,
M.D. (1845), from the Hydra, 6, steam-sloop, on the
south-east coast of America station, to the Pro-
metheus steam-sloop, commissioned on the 9th inst.
at Woolwich.
Assistant-Surgeon—Charles. D. Shephard (1845),
to the Prometheus.
Chief Engineer—George Russell, to the Prome-
theus.
Assistant-Engineers—George Crichton, William
Austin, and Samuel Griffiths, to the Prometheus.
The Crocodile, 8, formerly receiving-ship at Cork
and recently paid off at Sheerness, was towed up the
river to-day, by the Adder and African steamers, to
opposite the Tower of London, where she is to be
stationed as a receiving-ship, instead of the Perseus,
now so old as to be only fit to be broken up.
The Lizard, iron steam-vessel, is ordered to be
taken to Sheerness after all her stores are put on board ;
she is at. present in the basin at Woolwich.
The Banshee, Holyhead mail steam-packet, Master
Commander Smithett, having been ordered round to
Chatham to be paid off, the following detail of the
total dis time gone over by each of the vessels of her
Majesty 'a Holyhead mail steam-packets since launch-
ing, iucl uding trial trips, passage round, and passages
made on the Liverpool stations, may prove interest-
ing to the public:—
The Banshee, constructed by 0. W. Lang, and
fitted with engines of 350-horse power, by John Penn
and Son, was commissioned by Master-Commander
William Smithett on January 5, 1848, and including
her trial trips, passr.ge round, and passages made on
the Livei-pool station, ran over 42,000 miles at the
rate of 16 miles per hour of average passage.
The Llewellyn, constructed by Ravenhill and
Miller, and fitted with engines of 350-horse power
by Miller and Ravenhill, was commissioned by
Master-Commander John Grey en May 3, 1848, and
including her passage trips, passage round, and pas-
sages made on the Liverpool station, ran over 28,500
miles at the rate of 15.5 miles per hour of average
passage.
The Caxadoc, constructed by Sir William Symonds,
and fitted with engines of 300. horse power by Sea-
ward and Co., was commissioned by Lieutenant-
Commander Charles P. Ladd on April 4, 1848, and
including her trial trips, passage round, and passages
on the Liverpool station, ran over 27,300 miles at the
rate of 14.2 miles per hour of average passage.
The St. Columba, constructed by Laird, and fitted
with engines of 350-horse power by Forrester, was
commissioned by Second Master-Commander Richard
Michael on March 1, 1848, and, including her trial
trips, passage round, and passages on the Liverpool
station, ran over 36,600 miles at the rate of 14 miles
per hour of average passage.

TO THE SECRETARY OF THE
BRADFORD REFORM ASSOCIATION.
Sir,—On 'Wednesday the Bth, was a long debate
on the order for a second reading of the Irish
Fisheries Bill ; which appeared to be a contest
between Millers and Salmon-fishers. In which the
Millers carried the day, by a majority of 197 votes
against 37. An Extra-Mural Interments Bill was
thrown out by a majority of 123 against 4; the
reason of its unpopularity appearing to be that it
interfered with plans more promising of ultimate
success.
On Thursday the Elections (Ireland) Bill was
proceeded with in Committee, and a disputed ques-
tion in clause 22 carried by 157 against 44; which
looks as if there was steam sufficient for the general
purposes of the Bill. The Benefices in Plurality
Bill was read a third time, and passed.
On Friday was a debate of unwonted interest for
a Private Bill, on the Manchester Rectory Division
Bill. A round amount of revenues is to be divided
among the clergy there ; and a Committee upstairs
(which means a Committee of a dozen or fifteen Mem-
bers sitting in a room upstairs by themselves) have
recommended a mode of division, giving to each
of certain Canons 8501. a year in the whole. On
this came forward the Tory and Ecclesiastical party
in the House, and vigorously contended that (to use
their own words) the clergy at Manchester were
required to mix with millionnaires and rich
to peop e, an
therefore—what? That it was expedient cut down
the incomes of the fifty inferior clergy, o
t make up the
incomes of the Canons to 1,000/. a yT. This ought
to be understood at Manchester. It
is th e " rob to
make rich" principle of Protection introduced
into the Church. Possibly it may sharpen
the disposition of the fifty to sift and exa-
mine the principle in which they and their flock
are to be equally concerned. We shall possibly see
some of these clergymen at the next Anti-Protection
meeting in the Free-Trade Hall. It is very likely
that their theological studies were never broken in
upon by such a direct inducement to enter into a
question of Political Economy before.
It is a favourable measure of the disposition of the
House of Commons, that this new Protectionist out-
break was put down by 193 votes against 60.
On Friday the Parliamentary Voters &c. (Ireland)
Bill was debated on the third reading by the whole
force of the Protectionist party. Like the boy who
would not learn A because it would lead to his being
asked to learn B, they stood upon the certainty that
an extension of the suffrage in Ireland must be fol-
lowed by the same process in other places. With a
rare ingenuity, they mixed up the question with their
war-horse of the hour ; asserting in two following
breaths, that the whole of the community was with
them on the subject of Protection, yet to extend the
suffrage would be the death of them. The Prime
Minister answered with energy and point. His at-
tack on the " paternal government" of the opposite
side, consisting, he said, in "keeping the Irish, from
the suffrage, and taking care of their fisheries, ' :art
worthy of European celebrity; and
the
astlbisebnicon-
is, that a leader who sees so clearly into
nexions and consequences of thing-, should
campaign
found
ian mpato
ign
lying in his quarters without any P churn
except opposing the enemies when they
come to him.
The majority was not alvBe6r.y. fl.Tathteerinvgrootneec,tiobneiinstgs
only of 254 against
should have a ina..
loudly vaunted, that if the Minister could only be
jree Trade
.has been
made to dissolve Parliament,fthle,
jority of forty. The caiseo
no improbabi-
so badly fought ever since the Lea.gue
.divided its
funds on the drum-bead, that there
like it taking piece.
lity in sometbinA
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
AN OLD LEFoItALEIL
Lonclopt 18th May, 1860.