The Sun.
London, England, 1850-09-23 00:00:00

T E SUN.

THE UNITED STATES

IRON VESSELS FOR WAR

PURPOSES.

AND CANADA.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SIP,—In the recent experiments at Portsmouth, to
ascertain whether iron vessels are suited to the pur-
poses of war, it has been shown that vessels con-
structed of iron are not, at any rate, adapted to an
armament of cannon. But the experimental results
afford no proof of iron vessels being unfit to carry
out a mode of destruction that eventually will come
into operation, in which cannon and projectiles must,
to a great extent, be superseded by the employment
of vastly more effective engines—submarine explo-
sive shells.

LIVERPOOL, 'Sem 22.—The arrival at our port
this afternoon of the fine steam-ship America, after
a rapid passage across the ocean of eleven, days,
places us in possession of several days' later intelli-
gence from North America and the British American
possessions than that to band on Friday last per the
steam-ship Atlantic.
The America sailed from New York on the 1 ith
instant, and made the ordinary call (to land and re-
ceive mails and passengers) at Halifax on the 13(b.
By the advices we have just received we learn that
the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States will be adjourned on the 30th. The
proceedings in the former assembly since the Atlan-
tic's departure have not been important.
le the House of Representatives, after the rejection
of a motion to incorporate the southern portion of
California into a distinct state, the consideration of
the admission of the territory in its entirety was gone
into, and a Bill admitting it into the Union as
the thirty-first state was passed, and the legislators
deputed from the district at the late election were
admitted.
- The excitement at New York attendant on the
first appearance of Jenny Lind had not in any degree
abated, on the contrary, it was hourly increasing.
The first concert was to have taken place on the
evening of the day on which the America sailed. We
have therefore no details of the proceedings, but some
idea of what they have been may be formed from the
fact that up to the period of the steamer's
departure it was ascertained that 5,000 seats had been
secured by the public, at a cost altogether of 30,000
dollars.
The New York State elections, which at another
time would have been causing much political excite-
ment,'create at present little interest, although from
the number of representatives and state officers to be
elected, and the near approach of the election (the sth
of November), the attention of the press was now
much directed to them. A vigorous effort will be
made on this occasion to reject the free school system
of education, which has latterly been adopted by the
State.
The Agricultural State Fair had passed off with
great éclat at Albany. An immense number of vi-
sitors had been attracted to the show, which was more
extensive than usual.
The provincial journals received in New York give
disastrous accounts of the effects of the late storms
and inundation.
The number of emigrants arriving out from Eu-
rope are reported as considerably on the decrease.
A State Convention was called for the 11th inst.
(the day of the steamer's departure) at Syracuse, New
York.
The accounts received from Rio Janeiro, and
which extend to the 29th of July, describe the state
of affairs at that port as most critical for our coun-
trymen. The previous accounts represented a narrow
escape from murder of some British sailors. We
now learn that the feeling on the part of the populace
was now being extended to all British citizens, and
that some " foreigners," who had been mistaken for
Englishmen, were severely beaten in the streets. The
greatest excitement prevailed, which was considerably
added to by apprehensions of an attack from General
Rosas, who was concentrating his troops around
Rio. In the meantime the British cruisers were con-
tinuing their capture of Brazliaa vessels (rimed in
the slave trade. For this purpose they had entered
the harbours, and seized some vessels under the guns
of the forts.
Canadian advices contain some official changes,
consequent on the resignation of Mr. Justice Row-
land. The Attorney-General, Mr. Lafontaine, had
succeeded to the Justiceship, and Mr. Drummond,
Solicitor-General, was appointed es successor to Mr.
Lafontaine.
COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.
The commercial accounts from all parts of the
Union, and especially from the leading cities, repre-
sent business as being in a most healthy condition,
with every prospect of its continuing so.
The market for breadstuffs was still inactive, and
prices were unaltered, as the following quotations will

Steam-vessels will, in the general application of
these destructive engines, be required. Vessels for
such service should poisess the greatest attainable
speed ; and though they would by choice attack under
the cover of the darkness of the night, they should,
nevertheless, be so constructed as to be rendered suf-
ficiently shot-proof to insure protection to their
crews end machinery, in the event of being com-
pelled to attack, at close quarters, a heavily-armed
ship of the line in the light of day; they should for
a like reason be upon the screw-propelling principle.
These requisites can, perhaps, be better attained in
vessels constructed of iron than those built of wood ;
for iron vessels are well adapted to the screw, and
they can be easily fitted with water-tight bulkheads,
extending from stern to stern end from deck to bot-
tom, making the vessels, R 3 it were, double-sided ;
the breadth between the sides and bulkheads should
be such as, when the encicsed space is stuffed cgtri-
pactly with cotton or wool, to offer so much reslst-
ance to prtjectilcs as to prevent them from reaching
the machinery and men snugly ensconced below deck.
The space between the bulkheads and sides should
be divided into a convenient number of compart-
ments, also wafer-tight; in the deck, over each com-
partment, should be a scuttle, down which to pass
empty water-tight wooden cases,
as a ground tier,
and over these to be stowed compactly
and closely
to the deck the resisting material; the stowage so
completed, the scuttles should be secured and bat-
tened down. In the event of a shot entering so as to
rip open the vessel helow the water-line, no great
quantity of water could flow into the vessel, by reason
of the compartments being already occupied ; the
buoyancy of the vessel would not, therefore, be sen-
sibly diminished nor her trim affected.

Such an arrangement, it may be observed, would
much interfere with the stowage of equipments; but
it must be borne in mind that speed is desirable, and
as the steamer would require but very few hands,
just sufficient only to navigate her, they would need
no great space for accommodation and provisions ;
the available stowage would, therefore, be mostly for
fuel and magazine room to store about a hundred
shells, sufficient to destroy as many vessels. So
loaded, the steamer would not be brought down in the
water to a depth detrimental to her speed.
Though the unfitness of iron vessels for the pur-
pose for which they were intended has been deter-
mined, it would nevertheless be well to ascertain by
experiment the capabilities of iron vessels to a change
in maritime warfare that will inevitably come into
operation upon the first rupture between mari-
time states ; a change in which, after all, the " iron
pots, with submarine internals towing astern," may
prove very much more than a match for the wooden
walls bristling with cannon.
I am, Sir, &c.,
NA UTICUS.

Sept. 19.

CHRIST'S HOSPITAL:

Saturday being St. Matthew's-days the Great Hall
of Christ's Hospital, better known, perhaps, as the
Bluecoat School, was thrown open to the parents and
friends of the pupils, as well as to those, comprising
a large proportion of the citizens, who take a deep in-
terest in this munificent charity, the noble monument
of the piety of Edward VI. The doors were opened
at half-past twelve; and from that hour the • visitors
continued to assemble till past two, when upwards of
2,000 persons, chiefly ladies, were present, completely
filling every vacant place in the superb old hall.
Soon after two o'clock the Lord Mayor, accompanied
by Mr. Alderman and Sheriff Lawrence and Mr.
Sheriff Nicoll, in their robes, and preceded by the
civic officers, entered the hall from the chapel, where
a sermon had been preached to the boys by the Rev.
Mr. Harris, one of the teachers of the City of Lon-
don School. They took their seats at the upper end
of the hall, immediately fronting the pupils, who, in
their time-honoured costume, were assembled to the
number of about 700 in the organ-gallery. The
business of the day then commenced, which was
simply, in accordance with ancient custom, to hear
the recitations of some of the senior boys who were
about to leave school. The following was the order
of the orations :

show.
Western Canal Flour, 4 dolls. 50a. to 4 dolls. 62ic.
per brl.; Gennessee prime Wheat 1 doll. Bc. to 1 doll.
10c. per 601 b.; Indian Corn, round .yellow, 62c. to
64c. per bushel ; ditto flat yellow, 620. per bushel ;
Indian Meal, 3 dolls. to 3 dolls. 12ic. per brl.
In cotton we have to report an average amount of
sales at. New York, New Orleans, &c. The crop ac-
counts continue gloomy. Rates for New Orleans
and Mobile, middling fair to fair, at steamer's depar-
ture, were 14ic. to 144 c. per lb.
Shipowners were asking higher prices for freights,
viz., flour to Liverpool, 1.. 9d. to 2s. per brl.; cotton
to Liverpool, 3 16d. to /A. per lb.; grain to Liver-
pool, 4FI. to sd. per bushel.
In Exchanges on London tl-e sales were moderate
at 110} to 110 f ; on Hamburgb, 351 to 36; on
Bremen, 80 to 80i.
TWO DAYS LATER, VIA HALIFAX.
We have received by electric telegraph to Halifax
via New Brunswick, in time to meet the steamer at
that port, two days later news from New York. At
the period of the dispatch leaving New York the
Cotton market was reported to be more active, and
prices higher, in consequence of a scarcity in stock
on hand.
We have political news from Washington of a
later date than that given above. The Fugitive Slave
Bill had passed the House of Representatives by a
majority of 34.
The Secretaryship of the Interior, vacated by
Mr. M'Kennan, has been filled up by Mr. Stewart,
of Virginia (Protectionist).

Latin oration, on the benefits of the Royal Hos-
pitab—Alfred Sweeting, sccond Grecian, Mathe-
matical Medallist, 1850, and Pitt Club scholar, who
is proceeding to Pembroke College, Cambridge.
English oration, on the same subject—Charles
Spread Townsend, first Grecian, and Classical Me-
dallist, 1850, who is proceeding to Jesus College,
Cambridge.
. _

=77--
SUICIDE THROUGH JBALOUSY.—On Saturday an
inquest was held by Mr. Carter, at the urope
Tavern,
Church-street, Battersea, upon the body E
of Catherine
fetcher, aged 42, who committed suicide by hanging herself
with a piece of whipcord. Mr. John Katcher, the husband
of the deceased, who seemed to be about 25 years of age, said
he was a working chemist; that on Thursday last a daughter
of the deceased by a former husband came to him from their
lodgings, and told him his wife had got some salts of lemon,
with which she intended to destroy herself. Witness told
her not to make herself uneasy'about it, as salts of lemon
would only make her sick. Shortly afterwards he was in-
formed that his wife had destroyed herself; he immediad
totely
ran home and found the deceased hanging by a thin cor
a brass hook in her room. She had often threatened to com-
mit suicide, but he had no idea that she was in earnest. She
was of an exceedingly jealous disposition, and he believed
this had driven her mad, although there was not the least
ground for her suspicions. The witness, while giving his
evidence, was greatly afflicted. The daughter of the de-
ceased having given similar testimony, the jury returned for
their veidict that the deceased committed suicide while in a
state of temporary mental derangement.
GUARD BILLED ON THE EDINBURGH AND GLASGOW
RAILWay.—A melancholy and fatal accident befel one of the
guards of the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway yesterday
forenoon. He was the guard of the express train which left
Glasgow at half-past ten forenoon, and which calls only at
two intermediate stations. One of these is Linlithgow, which
the train was nearing, with the steam shut off; when the
guard was observed by one of the passengers to fall off; on
the arrival of the train at Linlithgow assistance was imme-
diately sent back, when the unfortunate man was found in
life, but he only survived a few minutes. He had apparently
struck on the retaining wall which bounds the line, by which
his head was dreadfully damaged. The cause of the acci-
dent is unknown, but it is thought he was in the act of ap-
plying the brake to stop the train at the station when he lost
his balance and was pitched off. His name was William
Robertson. He was much esteemed for his caution, steadi-
ness. and courtesy. The unfortunate man has left a wife
and six children, residing in Edinburgh. It may be worth
stating, in connexion with this painful event, that Robertson
was one of the few guards on the Edinburgh and Glasgow
line whose life was not insured in the Railway Pessengers'
Insurance Company; and that no farther back than Wed-
nesday last he had been urged by one of the clerks to avail
himself of the advantages of that association.—Scotsman of
Saturday.
WHALE Fisnod.—A letter from the mate of the
Alexander of Dundee, of date 25th July, states that seven
vessels are expected to have got through the
warier of ice at
the top of Melville Bay, viz, :—The Horne, with ur fish
the Pacific, with one; the Joseph Green, clean; the Lord
Gambier, clean; the Regalia, clean; the Chieftain, one fish ;
and the American, clean. Seven vessels bad come south,
viz. :—The Alexander, clean ; the Princess Charlotte, one
fish; the Advice, clean; the Jane, one fish; and the St.
Andrew, clean. The other three, :of which no accounts are
sent, are the Truelove, Abram, and Ann, of Hull. It would
appear there had only been a partial opening in the barrier,
which had again shut, and prevented the last-mentioned
vessels from getting through. Those that have got through
will have a good chance. No mention is made of the vessels
sent out in search of Sir John Franklin, except the two
Americans, which were then west of the Devil's Thumb. It
may reasonably be concluded that Captain Penny's and Cap-
tain Austin's expeditions had got through Melville Bay
early, as otherwise they would probably have been seen by
the whalers.—Aberdeen Herald.
ACCELERATION of THE NORTH MAILS.--We have
been kindly favoured by the Secretary of the Post-office,
with the following copy of the acceleration that is to take
place on the first proximo, on the north mails from Perth,
inci the Scottish Midland Railway to Aberdeen. The dis-
patch from Perth will take place at 2.50 r Ar., as at present,
but the arrival in Aberdeen will be at 6.28 P.M., in place of
7.46 r.ax., which will allow of an evening delivery. The
return from Aberdeen will be at 5.55 A.m., in place of 4.39
• A.M. The dispatch from Aberdeen to Inverness will take
place at 7.13 raa, in place of 8.45 r hr. ; and the arrival at
Inverness will he at, 6.43 A-M., in place of 8.45 A.m. The
return from Inverness will be at 5.44 r
N, . in place of 3.43
P.M. ; and the arrival in Aberdeen will be
5.10 A at, instead
of 3.39 a:M.—Scotsman.
CARDIGANSHIRE.-- A BOLD WOMAN. —Police-
constable Harrison, of the constabulary rural police in this
county, stationed at the village of Llanrhystyd, having oc-
casion to come to Aberystwyth on business, left' his wife at
home. No sooner had the p liceman turned his back, than
a robbery was committed, by a tramp at a farm-
who having
ouse net
far distant from the village. The policeman's
received information, immediately started-off, and came up
with the tramp, with the stolen property on his pascal. S
secured the thief and detained him until her husband rehe
-
turned. —North Wales Chronicle.
SINGING Mousr.—One of these extraordinary
little animalsi s now in the possession of Mr. Makepeace, ne
of the lay clerks of Rochester Cathedral. Mr. Makepeace
was attracted by its noise, and succeeded in trapping it. It
chiefly sings in the evening, but it can be heard occasionally
through the day. The notes are not unlike those. 9( the
linnet•—,Zltaidione lorna4

Greek oration on the sarae subject—Henry Charles
Pryce Jones, fourth Grecian, and Thompson Scholar,
who is proceeding to Worcester College, Oxford.
French oration on the same sUbject—Gilbert 'Wil-
son Brown, fifth Grecian. •

Latin A•leaics on " Westminster Abbey"—Henry
Bawden Parkin, eleventh Grecian.
Greek liunbics, tranllatiou, QC Prince Henry's
Apology, and the King's li6/4y-,:james Gill, third
Grecian, Who is proceediaiii tcp,P.einbroke College,
Cambrid g
Latin Sifphics, on Boadicea—John George Gaunt-
lett, twelfth Grecian. •

Latin FJ'giacs, on the Death cf H. R. 11. the
Duke of Cambridge—Richard Alfred Lloyd, tenth
Grecian.

Gre( k Sappbics, on Hannibal at the Altar—Henry
Dove Sweeting, eighth Grecian.
Latin Hexameters, translation of Thomson's Apos-
trophe to Philosophy—
George Charles Bell, seventh
Grecian.

The addresses were, upon the whole, well delivered
In-- a
tehvee rfaoluorfartshte:non
thewith
much n
benefits
Hos-
pitals, it was wonderful to observe the variety of
manner with which the youthful orators managed to
aofimaton and grace.
the i
Royal
treat this necessarily limited topic; from the eulogy
on King Edward, hi Mr. Sweeting's Latin oration, to
the graceful tribute paid to the memory of the Duke
of Cambridge, in the English oration of Mr. Towns-
end. In the Latin verses on Westminster Abbey Mr.
pitliyieinlettroodsuciredßaohtoeurtchrienegi,allusion to the
mean place amidst the great and good w
toPaermkoinryhaopf
haossetaakylegs
rneo..
pese beneath that sacred pile.
At the conclusion of the recitations the boys sang,
with great precision and excellent effect, the National
Anthem ; after which the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs
left the Hall, on which the little fellows set up a shout
that made the roof of the building ring again, and
continued their cheering till the last of the visitors
had taken their departure.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.
LATEST BETTING AT THE WEST END.
CESIREWITCH STAKES.
7to 1 agst Russborcugh I 10 to 1 agst Backbiter
10 to 1 agat Bolingbroke I 100 to 6 agst Laudgrave
CAMBRIDGESHIRE STAKES.
9to 1 egst The Italian I 400 to 100 agst The Italian
25 to 1 agat Hagley (t) I and Mulgrave

DERBY.
12 to 1 agst Prime Minister 40 to 1 agst Aaron Smith (t)
25 to 1 agst Teddington (t) 40 to 1 agst Brother to
30 to 1 agst Phlegethon Chanticleer (taken)

LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 23, 1850.