The Sun.
London, England, 1850-02-28 00:00:00

EXPERIMENTS 'IN WOOL WICH
MARSHES.
Lord Clarence E. Paget, secretary to the Master-
General of the Ordnance; Major-General J. B. Parker,
C. 8., Lieutenant-Governor of the Royal Military AMP. ' •
decoy ; Colonel Dundas, C. 8., and Lieutenant-Colonel
Chalmers, members of the Select Committee ; Lieute-
nant-Colonel Wilson, and a number of officers of the
Royal Artillery, assembled in the matshes at one o'clock
P.m. on Tuesday last, to witness experiments with an
improved construction of guns, patented by Mr. Sears.
The invention is on the principle of a needle-gun
(Zunrinadelgewehie), and is applicable to military mus-
kets, carbines, rifles, pistols, and fowling-pieces, on the
using of a cartridge of peculiar arrangement and com-
position. By Mr. Sears's plan, the difficulty of furnish-
ing troops with ammunition, so prominent an objection
to the Prussian military musket used by the Fusilvers in
the Prussian army, is entirely obviated, and the soldiers
are enabled to carry a gi eater quantity of cartridges, and
are also able to make them for themselves with th•
greatest ease and safety, and effect a saving of upward,
of 25 per cent. compared with the cost when percussion-
guns are used. Mr. Lovell, inspector of small arms at
the Tower, was present during the experiments, to ascer-
tain the result. A musket stand was placed at a distance
of 400 yards from the butt where the target was put up,
and a rifle, fitted on Mr. Sears's plan, was taken, and
the mode in which it is loaded minutely explained
to the offic Is who were present. The loading is
a very important feature in the invention, as it can be
effected without the least difficulty in any position of the
body, whether lying flat on the ground, on foot, on
horseback, or in the i igging of a ship, as it does not re-
quire that the gun should be turned, as is the case when
a ramrod is used to drive home the cartridges with the
common muskets of the service and with fowling-
, pieces. The cartridges used with Messrs. Sears's im-
proved construction of gun are very small, the great
number of charges obtained, 60 out of each quarter of a
ipound weight of powder, being compared with the Tian-
! City used in the common ball-cartridges of English
Limuskets. The ball is formed in the shape of a loaf of
sugar, only more tapering at the point than the balls
•
/ used by Mr. Lancaster and others. Mr. Sears's ball-
; cartridge is put into the breach of .the barrel through a
cavity in the under part of the stock of the gun, and re-
quires no other exertion than the use of the thumb and
forefinger of the right hand. A sliding but strongly
made groove, similar to the head of a bayonet, is then
pushed forward, and renders the breech of the barrel
air-tight, and not liable to be injured by any concus-
sion. In the centre of the extreme end of the sliding
groove is a needle, which is pushed forward sharply on
the trigger being drawn, and is very effective in its
operation, as was evidenced to-day, only oae cars
tridge having failed to ignite on drawing the trigger,
out of 54 cartridges fired with Mr. Sears's guns. It
was evident that the charge of powder for Mr. Sears's
cartridges was too small for a range of 400 yards, or the
person who fired was not acquainted with the elevation
of the musket requisite to carry that distance, the first
four rounds having fallen about 100 yards short is every
instance. The fifth and sixth rounds, on the musket
having more elevation, entered the target. After try-
ing several other rounds the stand was removed to a
range of 300 yards from the target, and ultimately to 200
yards range. At these distances a number of bails were
put into the target, both from Mr. Sears's muskets and
by Mr. Lovell from the common and improved muskets
of the British service. At the conclusion of the expe-
riments the target was examined, and foutui JoLlitive
been perforated by ',fifteen balls, some of them quite
in the centre. A number of the flattened balls were
also picked cut of the bulkhead, close to the target.
It was ultimately resolved that another trial should
take place with an increased charge of_powder. Mr.
Sears's construction of gun appears very simple, and
easily used, and four rounds can be fired from it in a
minute, which might be extended to five or six, by
those acquainted with its operation, after a short
practice. It differs materially from the Prussian mili-
tary musket and all others loading at the breech; iu the
latter the smoke of the powder escapes, but in no instance
was there the least appearance of smoke at the breech of
Mr. Sears's guns. The explosive power of the gunpowder
is so effectually employed as to leave the barrel as clean
after firing 54 rounds as it was alt•fr the first discharge;
and the gun consequently is Lot apt to get clogged, as is
the case with common muskets. The experiments to-day
were made for the purpose of allowing the plan, and the
small quantity of powder requisite as a propulsive power,
when no escape is allowed of any portion of it at the
breech; but the Commander-in-Chief will not consider
any invention useful to the British service that would re-
quire to alter the present bore cf all the muskets. The
balls at present in use in the army and navy are 16 to
the poundweight, and the balls used by Mr. Sears about
19 to the pound, and the bore of his muskets is smaller,
to suit the conical shape of the balls. Mr. Sears intends,
. however, at the request of the authorities, to have a
number of common musket barrels fitted on his con-
struction, and will then test them with the muskets now
in use.

•-!

UNIVERSITY OF LONDON.

On Tuesday evening a genet al :netting of graduates
of this university was held at the Freemasons' Tavern,
for the purpose of receiving a report from the committee
appointed some time previous to devise measures for ob-
taining for the graduates a charter of incatpiration. Dr.
Gibson presided, ard : t.s 9upport?il by Dr. B. B. Nevins,
Dr. Savae, ;.. Routh, Dr. Sankey, Dr. Gull, Mr,
IOSTE3II, 13. A., Mr. 8ar,h0.., Mr. Shaer, DI.A., Mr.
Oatler, LL.B., and other gentlemen.
The CiArrimeti, in opening the proceedings, stated
that the degrees conferred by the University of London
were of a very high order, requiring as th;y7 did great
intellectual labour and no inconsiderable mental culti-
vation. Still the university was comparatively unknown,
being situated on the stairczce over the School of Di -
rip!. Indeed, the council had not a room sufficient to
hold the candidates who presented themselves for ex-
amination. He trusted that ere long the graduates
would be enabled to boast of a building worthy a great
metropolitan university.
From a report which was presented by the com-
mittee it appeared that they had been labouring for the •
last nine years to obtain a charter of incorporation, but
had, up to the present time, failtd in their endeavours,
the senate having afforded them little or no encourage-
ment.

A lengthened discussion ensued, and a vote of thanks
was passed to the committee, thanking them for their
labours; and a hope was, at the same time, expressed
that they would continue to render the graduates their
valuable services.

A declaration affirming the principle for which the
meeting was convened was adopted and numerously
signed. The proceedings then terminated with the
usual vote of thanks to their chairman.

ECCLESIASTICAL COMMISSION BILL.

HOUSE OF LORDS, FEB. 25.
LORD FOWIS'S AMENDMENT.— CLAUSE 12.
CONTENT.
mAncins. Harrowby
Camden Romney
Lanesborough
VISCOUNTS.

Rochester
Salisbury
St. David's
Oxford "
St. Asaph
Chichester

EARLS,

Aberdeen '
Istaltnesbury
Enniskillen
Roden
Nelson
Yowls
Glengall
Verularn
Cardigan

Strangtiod
Ilawartlen
Gage
Canning
BISHOPS.

LORDS.

Stanley
Fevershant
Colchester
1)o Tabley
Walsingham

London
Exeter
Carlisle

Content - - - - -
Non content - - - -
Majority for Lord Powis's amendment

COURT CIRCULAR.

The Queen and Prince Albert, arTompanied by
his Royal Highness the Duke of Saxe Coburg Gotha,
honoured the performance of the French Plays with
their presence yesterday evening. The royal suite
consisted of the Countess of Mount Edgcumbe, Lord
Byron, Colonel Buckley, Lieut.-Colonel the Hon.
Alexander Gordon, and Baron d'Apel.
His Royal Highness Prince Albert rode out on
horseback yesterday morning, attended by Lieut.-
, Colonel the Hon. Alexander Gordon.
Their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales,
Prince Alfred, the Princess Royal, the Princess Alice,
the Princess Helena, and the Princess Louisa, took
walking and pony exercise yesterday.
Her Majesty's private band was in attendance ht
Buckingham Palace on Tuesday evening, and per-
formed the following pieces:—

Overture,
Selection, Zayre
March, Saxe Coburg.
Trio, Le Pre aux Clercs Herold.
The Building Committee of the Commission for
the Exhibition of 1651, consisting of Mr. Cubitt,
Mr. Brunel, Mr. Barry, Mr. Cockerell, and Mr.
Donaldson, met at the new Palace of Westminster
yesterday.
Mr. George Duncan, M.P., had an interview with
the Right Hon. H. Labouchere yesterday at the office
of the Board of Trade.

STREET ARCLIITECTURE.—There evidently exists
a much greater desire for ornamental art, and this intel-
lectual craving is manifesting itself amongst our first-
class shopkeepers. One of the latest specimens from
the designs of the builder, Mr. Thos. Burton, of the
City Basin—a shop-front on the east aide of Regent-
street—is extremely pleasing from its judicious mixture
of Elizabethian types, and a happy alliance of the elements
of uniformity and variety. It is, moreover, novel from
the use of Caen stone artistically carved into symme-
trical forms, embracing the beads of
of
humanity,paint—theof ani-
mals and groups of game, fruits, flowers, &e. This
use of stone obviates the necessity r
colour employed being cobalt and gold for the relief of
the letters " Clark and Melton," the names of
the
aprietortso,
thwehotitalrecofdeeoanlenrosisi:ieuorbsj ecmtsayo of b
e v ireisut.imlftetd pro-
prietors,
claim
the judgment displayed in this facade, it must rank far
above mediocrity.— Herald.

ADJOURNED, IN QUEST ON THE LAD KILLED AT THE
DORC U ESTER PROTECTION MEETING.— On Monday the
inquiry into the detth of the lad Allen, who was killed
in the affray after the protection meeting held at Dor-
cht ster on Wednesday last, was resumed at the Shire-
hall, before Mr. Wallis, the coroner. On Tuesday
morning, the jury having been locked up from fouulrd
F.M.not
till half-past eight A.M., announced that they
agree, and were bouud over to appear at the assizesc on
could
the 14th March.
" Tell me," says the Querist,
which should be
preferred, brandy and water in their, combined state, ( r
erily,„
replies the
"
}randy and ' water separate ?
.v
1 philosopher, " brandy and. water
in union represent
mingled delight, but the spirit and the pure element in
their divided condition constitute unmixed satisfaction,—
, Pl 4 ich.