The Sun.
London, England, 1844-02-19 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

(From the Devonport Independent.)
Her Majesty's steam-frigate Penelope, '22, Captain Wm.
Jones, having undergone some repairs, both in her hull and
engines, went into the Sound on Thursday.
Her Majesty's ship San Josef, 110. Captain Burgoyne.—A
seaman named Greet, belonging to this ship, fell from the
mizen-channel on Saturday last, and sank before assistance
could be rendered him.

wier-iiaTe;tY's ship Vanguard, 90, fitted as an advance-
ship, was inspected by Rear-Admiral Sir Samuel Pyin on
Tuesday, previous to being reported ready for commission.
Her Majesty's ship America, 50, was taken into dock on
Thursday, to have her copper cleaned and repaired.
Her Majesty's ship Forth, 44, was warped alongside the
Jetty, from her moorings, on Wednesday.
The Devon lighter arrived on Wednesday from Scilly, and
came into harbour to repair the damages sustained in the
late gale.
COVE OF CORK, FEB. 9.—Her Majesty's ship Iris, 26,
Captain R. Munday, sailed this morning for China. The
Volage, 26, Captain Sir W. Dickson, Bart., arrived here yes-
terday morning,. after a very boisterous passage from Devon-
port, and was towed to her anchorage by the Meteor steamer.
Her Majesty's ship Madagascar, 44, Captain John Foote,
was lying at Ascension on the 21st December. The Rapid,
10, Lieut. C. Earle, was cruising on the Line. The Hydra,
steamer, Com. Young, had
Heroine, 6, Lieut. R. Foote, and the Spy, 3, Lieut. S. 0.
Woolridge, were off Whydah. The Rapid and Spy had taken
two prizes. The Ferret, 10 gone to the southward. The
, Coin. Oake, and the Alert, 10,
Com. Bosanquet, were off Cape Palinas. The Albert steamer,
Lieut. D. Woodruffe, was off the river Gambia on the 4th
January, all very heal and the weather beautiful.
PROMOTION 'AND APPOINTMENTS.
PROMOTION.—Mate—F. A. L. Selwyn (of the Devastation,
steamer) to the rank of Lieutenant.
APPOlNTMENTS.—Lieutenants—Henry Ainslie, to the Ex-
cellent, vice Newcomen ; T. C. 0. D. 'Whipple, and Robert
Hall, to the Camperdown ; H. R.
,Crofton, and Richard
Hoops, to the Tortoise ; T. Gresham, tQ the Formidable.
Master—J. R. Martyn, to the Tortoise.
Chaplain—The Rev. G. R. Lewin, IX. the Camperdown,
vice Cooper.
Mates—George W. Preedy (from the Excellent) to the
Camperdown ; Alleyne Bland (late of the Druid) to the
Excellent ; E. B. Rice (late of the Blonde) to the St. Vin-
cent ; P. W. Coventry (from the Queen) to be acting Lieu-
tenant to the Vernon.
Surgeon—J. J. Paul (late acting of the Lily) to Green-
wich Hospital.
Second Master—F. F. F. Taylor (from 'the Madagascar)
to be acting Master of the Alert, vice George Gibbon,
invalided.
Assistant-Surgeons—E. J. Brown, Daniel Booth, Andrew
Coates, and Andrew Lillie (all additional) to the Penelope,
steamer ; W. Davis (acting additional) to the Camperdown,
for service in Melville Hospital, at Chatham.
Clerks—J. Winstanley, to be Secretary's Clerk to Rear-
Admiral Bowles, at Cork ; W. H. Mellish, to the St. Vin-
cent, vice Hayward ; W. W. Green, to the Victory, vice
Strain, deceased.
Midshipman—J. E. Riley, to the St. Vincent.
(from the Excellent) to the Stromboli, steamer..
Richards,
W
Naval Cadets—S. Dallison, to the Tortoise ;A. hite,
Boatswain—Joseph Hyde, to the Penelope, c,e
the San Josef), to be boatswain of third class on the cheque,
at San Josef.
appointment cancelled ; William Byng (boatswvlai
Carpenter—William Williams (supernumerary, of the
San
(boatswain mate, of
Josef), to do duty in the Astrica, at l~ almouth.
COAST-GUARD.
APPOINTMENTS.—Lieutenants--John Kiddie, to command
the Harpy ; William Fuller, R.N., to command the Dolphin,
vice Goldsmith, to the Shamrock ; C. Baker, to command
the Vulcan, steamer ; Charles D. O'Brien, R.N., to the New-
town Station, vice Gray, appointed to the Penelope, steam-
frigate ; Henry Crocker, to the Prince Albert ; Charles Blyth,
R.N., to Ballyhalbert station, vice Fuller.

The Duke of Devonshire, in testimony of his
satisfaction of the exertions of the numerous dependents on
his Chatsworth estate, on the recent occasion of the Queen
and Prince Albert's visit to that princely seat, gave a boun-
tiful entertainment to the whole of the work people there
on Tuesday last, when nearly 300 were at the dinner.
DEATH OF VICE-ADMIRAL. EDWARD STIRLING
DICKSON. We have to record the decease of another veteran
flag-officer of the Royal navy, Vice-Admiral of the White,
Edward Stirling Dickson, which event took place on the
first to Ursula Mary, daughter
28th of January.
DEATH7OF VISCOUNT SIDMOUTH.
, by whom
—On the 15th
instant, died, at the White Lodge, Richmond Park, in the
87th year of his age, Henry Addington, Viscount Sidmouth.
present
he
ed
hcaos-hleeifrt
He was twice married;
of
fne
Viscount, married to Mary, daughter of the Reverend
John Young, by whom he has eleven children ; and
four daughters, Diary Anne Ursula ; Frances, wife of the
Leonard
seh,Hammond,William
Leonard,
Hon. and Rev. George Pellew, Dean of Norwich ; Charlotte,
wife of the Rev. Horace Gore Currie ; and Harriet, wife of
Thomas Barber Wall, Esq. His Lordship married, secondly,
Marianne, daughter, and at length heir, of William Scott,
Lord Stowell, and widow of Thomas Townsend, Esq.,
by whom his Lordship left no isssue. More than
twelve years before his death, Lord Sidmouth resigned
a pension of three thousand pounds per annum, which
was secured to him by law, and which he might have re-
tained to his last hours ; but which, feeling that from
altered circumstances be no longer required, he
thought it right to relinquish. He had gradually with-
drawn from all public employments, and almost even
rom honorary office. From the High Stewardship
of Westminster he retired three or four years ago, and
latterly retained only the situations of one of the Elder
Brethren of the Trinity House, one of the Governors of the
Charter House, one of the Benchers of Lincoln's Inn, and
Deputy Ranger of Richmond Park. He was Speaker of the
House of Commons from May, 1789, to March, 1801; First
Lord of the Treasury, and Chancellor of the Exchequer,
from March, 1801, to May, 1804 ; Lord President of the
Council, 1805 ; Lord Privy Seal, 1806 ; and Secretary of
State for the Home Department, from 1812 to 1822.
A shrewd observer once said, that in walking the
streets on a slippery morning, one might see where the good-
natured people lived by the ashes thrown on the ice before
. the doer.. -

On Friday a public meeting of the freeholders
and others, inhabitants of the county of Somerset,
took place in front of the Town-hall, Bridgewater, in
pursuance of a requisition to the High Sheriff of the
county (Hon. P. Bouverie), requesting him to call a
meeting to oppose the proceedings of the Anti-Corn-law
League. From an early hour the town of Bridgewater
was a scene of excitement, from the influx of the neigh-
bouring yeomanry and freeholders, and other persons
from different parts of this large and important county.
Colours were displayed from many of the houses, and a
couple of bands of music paraded the streets, adding not
a little to the bustle which prevailed. At twelve o'clock
about 5,000 persons were assembled around a platform,
erected in front of the Town-hall, on which was the
High Sheriff, together with a number of gentlemen con-
nected with the county. The Under-Sheriff (E. Coles,
Esq.), having read the requisition calling the meeting—
The HIGH SHERIFFF said, in consequence of having
received the requisition referred to, he had felt it
to be his imperative duty to convene the meeting at
which they were then assembled, and and trusted that
the gentleman present, in the discussion which was
about to take place on a subject intetesting to them all,
would kindly attend to what was laid before them with-
out interruption, and with patience and good humour.
Mr. JOHN HANCOCK, of Halse, said he rose, being a
farmer of the county of Somerset, a small landowner,
and a considerable occupier of land, which station Ile
had held for fifty years, and had occupied his mind
with: the study of agriculture generally. In the
first place, he would beg to make a few observations re-
pecting the protection which agriculture deserved.
First, they had the Church to maintain.—(Cries of "Oh,"
and "That's the evil.") Then they had the poor
and the way-rates to pay ; and he therefore
contended that they ought to have that protection
which would enable them to pay those rates and taxes
which they were called on to bear more than
the foreign grower. He did not want high
prices, and he believed his brother farmers did not, but
he wanted protection. They knew that corn could not
be grown in this part of the country for less than 71. per
acre, and that without rent.—(Cries of " Oh.") There-
fore, if all protection were taken away, corn from Dant-
zic and other northern countries would be let in, which
would bring corn down to 355. or 365. per quarter, and
there would be nothing to pay rent, and nothing to pay
for labour. It would be nothing more nor less than
putting 5Z into one pocket of the labourer, and taking
81. out of another. He was not for having cheap bread
and low wages, but for having good wages and tolerable
priers.—(Hear, hear, and " Oh.") He did not know that
anything more to say, and he would therefore move—
" That this meeting desires to express its decided con-
viction that a repeal of' the existing corn-laws would be
highly prejudicial to British agriculture and to the nation
at large
; and, viewing with indignation and regret the
proceedings and avowed objects of the Association call-
ingitself 4 the Anti-Corn-law League," is determined,
by all legal and constitutional means, to oppose and
counteract the same."

Sir ALEXANDER HOOD, Bart., rose, and was received
with mingled expressions of approbation and disappro-
bation. He said, he was most proud to have to second,
on that occasion, the proposition of an honest and well-
known yeoman of the county, who, as they saw, had
grown grey in its service—in doing that which was ex-
pected of a yeoman—good to his fellow-men, whether
tradesmen or labourers.—(Cheers, and cries of " No
corn-tax.") Why was he (Sir Alexander Hood) there
on the present occasion ? Because he had read in a
letter by one of the principal individuals of the Corn-
law League that which he should now read, and from
which they would see whether or not he was justified in
seconding the motion. The passage he alluded to said
" The corn-law may be repealed by clamour and by
force."—(Applause, groans, and cries of " No, no.")
There it was—and more, it went on to say, " Nay, they
must be so repealed, unless they fall before the calmly
expressed will of millions:' Now, that passage struck
him as partaking very much of threat and robbery.—
(Cries of "No," cheers, and disapprobation.) There was
another reason why he was present, and that also was
given by the very words of the papers of the Anti-Corn-
law League : he saw in one which he held in his hand
these words, " Swing versus the corn-laws."—(Hear,
and a cry " That won't answer.") In the county in
which they were they had, it is true, seen nothing of the
system which had been kindled by such documents as
that he held in his hand—(Cries of " No, no")—but in
many of the counties of England they had seen the
farmers' stores reduced to ashes.—(Hear.) And should
he not be a gross coward if he did not stand before them
—even if it were at the risk of being torn to atoms—
(" Oh, oh")—if he did not'stand by the farmers, who had
been in all times of difficulty and of danger the protec-
tors of their native shores ?—(Hear, hear, and cheers.)
It was a matter of congratulation to society at large to
find men of different shades of opinion all there to-
gether to express their disapprobation of the ma-
chinations of the Anti-Corn-law League.—(Cheers
and groans.) It was matter of congratulation
to them to find themselves supported by the yeo-
manry, the tenantry, the gentry, and, he would say, the
labourers too,—(" No, no," and great uproar)—in de-
nouncing what could be called by no other name than
the revolutionary proceedings of the League.—(Cheers
and groans.) He rejoiced ; it was one of the happiest
days of his life to see the yeomanry of the county of
Somerset coming forward, and, like men, prepared to
take their stand, if needs be, foot to foot and breast to
breast, against the enemies of their property, their
peace, and their prosperity.—(Cheers and disapproba-
tion.) In every age, and under every government,
certain characters were met with whose delight it was
to set friends and neighbours together by the ears, and
who would turn any country into confusion but England.
—(Hear, and applause.) One man wanted repeal,
another fixity of tenure—and he hoped to Heaven he
would get it to his will and to his wish—another would
like to blot out the national debt as with a sponge.—(Cries
of " No," and " We won't rub out your pension.") Then
the large millocrat desired to amalgamate his mountains
of wealth with as much speed as his steam-engine,
and trod on the shoulders of the yeoman of England
(Cheers and uproar)—taking that from him which God
and nature had bestowed on him—the right to get his
bread by the sweat of his brow.—(Cries of "You won't
let him get it.") John Bull had borne with a great
many insults from the League, but he took little notice
—save the notice of disdain of its proceedings—till he
sawindividuals of rank banding' themselves with it.—
(Applause and uproar.) He then naturally referred to
history, and in turning to it he alighted on the fearful
bloody
dy with
Rtohbee
slpeiaegr lead
ee. of
and bloody history of 1798. Some of the generous and
What have we to do
hand to overturn the in-
stitution
languagegti htl
hae
trdh
eao League—be
eotnoaf
eeu—rndob murderous
warning—notoet ihsi se
oy f cw rEhe
snwoog.
thatnas(vwtpthhtplio.:letbotasti
nhupr:tyltisiietnsdeo:shlonafi
vtafyhjetoFc. ..toiseEhfi
cheering,
)ehn
rtec
ihean
gTanl
tehb:ae
league
tundahteeldeiedoynaont
ft.
t_hcahretey(mhmHes
see,
elal
hear.) God was
ryes became the early
stood there and said that those men of rank who banded
theymanuiidcl; much
andispoketgo tt—hh ee
would be punished by the deprecations of the people of
England.—(Applause and disapprobation.) Profiting
by the example set them, the nobles and gentry of the
land had now determined, as far as in them lay, to de-
fend themselves against the most unconstitutional, most
dangerous, and most revolutionary measures with which
they were threatened.—(Hear, and tumult.) The Anti-
Corn-law League asked of what use had the corn-laws
been to the tenant-farmers ? Looking back through the
last 20 years—putting rents on one side—the farmers
had been benefited by from 13s. to 455. per quarter.
Where would the British farmer have been but for pro-
tection ?—(Hear, and a cry, " Better off.") He would
have been on a level with the serfs of Germany, living in
fixed poverty.—(Cheers and disapprobation.) Lord Spen-
ser told them that by free trade the prices of the British
corn-grower would not be lowered, but the foreign
corn-growers' prices would be raised—he forgetting that
every quarter of foreign corn brought into this country
deducted such an amount from British labour.--(Hear.)
He should be glad to know what advantage this pro-
position of Lord Spencer's would be to the British pub-
lic, if foreign wheat were not to be lower than that of
British, so as to get the loaf cheaper.—(A voice, "We
should have more work ;" and cheers.) They were met
there without any feelings of jealousy among them,
and (continued Sir Alexander, addressing Sir 'Thomas
Lethbridge and Mr. Sandford) proud am I to shake you
by the hands.—(Sir Alexander Hood and the gentlemen
before-named then shook hands, amid the cheers and
jeers of the meeting.) He would never shrink from his
principles, but they were met there as one man to con-
sider how the revolutionary League--for he would
not mince his words—was to be met.—(Groans
and cheers.) Instead of " Swing versus the
Corn-laws," they would have truth opposed to false-
hood. The Anti-Corn-law League had bearded, at
their own doors, the gentry, the yeomanry, the
tenantry, and the labourers of England. They said, " We
have got our 100,0001., and we will fight our battle in
every borough ; we will disseminate our sedition—our
daring sedition, among the people.—(Cheers and groans.)
This was their cry ; and he said, boldly, before the
assembled county of Somerset, that there was little hope
for. England, if the gentry of England did not loose
their sails and go a-head of the Anti-Corn-law League.
—(Cheers and derisive cheers.) If they did not loose
their sails and shoot a-head of the 100,0001 by at least
50,0001.; and if every county did not subscribe, every
one giving according to his means, they deserved not
to have an acre to stand upon.—(Hear, hear, and loud
cheers.) The blight of Heaven might destroy their
handiwork—the storm and the whirlwind might rudely
sweep the fair face of nature, and devastate their crops
—and there was not a man present who would not bend
with reverence to the Divine will—but that a blind, self-
-1 interested band of men should debar the yeomen and
tradesmen of England from the just reward of their
labour, and from doing the best they could with their

native industry—(Cheers)—that the patriot yeomen of
England—the life, the strength, the very soul of their
country—that these should be bent to the earth, and
made the yoke-fellows of foreign serfs, never could be
by the will of Heaven ; and, if they only held together
in one indissoluble phalanx, never should be by the
dictation of man.—(Uproar.)
W. BEADON, Esq. rose, and was received with cheers
and some disapprobation. He said, he came forward to
propose an amendment on the resolution, which he be-
lieved would receive the approbation of the great majo-
rity of that large and intelligent meeting.—(Cheers).
And if there were present one individual from whom
he expected more than from another to receive earnest,
warm, and energetic support, it was the lion. Baronet,
Sir T. Lethbridge, the great promoter, if not the origi-
nator of that meeting.—(Cheers and laughter). He
should call on him to support the amendment, for he
had a great respect for the worthy Baronet, whom he
believed to be an honest man—he should call on him to
support it, because it embodied sentiments with which he
knew Sir Thomas would fully accord. Before he read
the resolution, he would trouble them with a few brief
remarks—he should appeal to their common sense, and
refrain from fatiguing them with dry and uninteresting
statistics ; and he implored them to believe that, if he
failed to carry home conviction to their minds, the
fault was not in the matter, but in the man.—
(Hear.) He would not insult their proceedings
by offering to refute the shallow and futile
arguments —if they might be dignified by
that name—the fallacies and high-flown but empty
rhetoric they had heard employed in support of the reso-
lution. What were they invited to do that day ; the
tenant-farmers of the county of Somerset were invited
to oppose that ugly unconstitutional body, as it was
called, the Anti-Corn-law League. They were asked,
in fact, to support things as they were—(" No, no," and
"Yes.") He wished to disabuse their minds of all false
impressions, and to tell them what it was they were
wanted to do. They were invited there to support the
sliding-scale. The landlords might talk to them of a
fixed duty, but they had seen the fixed-duty men take
sliding-scale advocates by the hand—(Hear)—and let
them not be deceived—they would, if they voted for the
resolution. be voting for the sliding-scale.—(Cries of
We won't do it.") They were called uon to support
the "No surrender" party.—(" No, no." and uproar.)
Was there any one in that vast assembly so credu-
lous as to believe that, with a population increas-
ing at the rate of a thousand a day, the
sliding7scale would last ? —(" No, no;" and cheers.)
Did the Hon. Baronet, Sir Thomas Lethbridge believe
it ?—(A. voice, " No, old Weathercock, don't believe it.")
The landowner professed to be satisfied with the conduct
of the Government. Why ? Sir Robert Peel had told
them that he did not contemplate any alteration in the
existing corn-laws ; but Sir Robert Peel had also said
he could not tell them what might possibly occur.—
(Hear.) The landlords-professed to be satisfied because
they had extorted a kind of pledge from the Premier ;
but were they, the tenant-farmers, satisfied with such a
declaration ?—(Cries of " No" and " Yes.") Well, per-
haps some of the landlords were really satisfied ; but it
was rather curious, if they were so, that they had called
that meeting together.

Sir A. HOOD—To prevent the League going further,
and to show where it is wrong.

Mr. BEADON continued—No, it was not to prevent
the League going further ; it was because the landowners
did not feel secure in the Premier's declaration—the
real object was to coerce an unwilling and vacilating
Minister.—(Cheers and uproar.) The Minister had de-
clared that he was for a sliding-scale or nothing ; and
let him tell those who relied on this declaration, that
they were leaning on a rock of sand ; the Minister would
trip them up on the first opportunity.—(Cheers and dis-
approbation.) They were asked to subscribe money—
for what object ? (A voice, "Not to contest Devises.")
They were told it was for the purpose of petitioning the
Legislature—no such thing; petitions did not cost any-
thing ; he held in his band a petition which he hoped to
carry by and bye, and it wold not cost a farthing. No,
the money was required for some ulterior object
which did not appear—perhaps to send the pro-corn-law
lecturers into the towns.—(Loud cries of " No.") Well,
he thought they had better not attempt that. If the land-
lords liked to do so, let them subscribe ; but let the tenant-
farmers keep their money in their pockets. Let them not
stultify themselves and be opposing what they called an
unconstitutional body, by the establishment of another.
If they really believed the League to be an unconstitu-
tional body, let them petition the Queen to issue a pro-
clamation to put down the ugly monster—(Laughter)—
but let them keep their money in their pockets. He was
anxious that they should not be misled in what they
were doing, and he, therefore, warned them that that
was a political movement.—(" No, no," and cheers.) He
would ask them to consider what grounds they had for
lacing confidence in their leaders ? Those leaders
formed the very political party who, in the days of
Adam Smith, petitioned against turnpike-roads, al-
leging that they would injure the interests of agri-
culture.—(" Oh, oh.") Yes, the landowners around,
London actually petitioned the Legislature not to
allow the formation of turnpike-roads, because the'
produce of the country would then flow in, and the poor;
unfortunate landowners round London would be under-
sold. Were these fears well-grounded ? No; the price
of land near London had been rising ever since. The
same party, when Catholic Emancipation was proposed,'
predicted that Church and State would be swallowed up,i
and nothing but Popery would remain in England.—
(Hear, hear.) What was the fact ? The Church of.
England now boasted that they never were se strong.--1
(Cheers.) The same party opposed the Anti-Slavery
movement ; they said, if slavery were abolished there
would be no more sugar, for the negroes would not work,
but would rise on their masters. They contended that
they were not designed by the Almighty to stand on a
level with their white fellow-men, but were destined to
work in chains to the last. What had been the result of
negro emancipation? They had sugar cheap, and they
would have it cheaper yet, while all the ominous predic
tions had proved false. The same party, when Mr. Huskis-
son proposed to reduce the duty on wool from 6d. to Id. per'
lb., cried out that the flock-masters would be ruined.'
The Hon. Baronet, Sir Thomas Lethbridge, had said the
sheep-walks of Wiltshire and Dorset would become
valueless ; and they had been told that if the flock-
masters were ruined they would have no mutton, and a
sheep would be a curiosity. The Hon. Baronet actually
went up to London with a deputation f,.om the farmers of
Somerset, to endeavour to deter Lord Liverpool and Mr.
Huskisson from reducing the duty.—(Hear.) Had the
forebodings of the party been realised ? No such thing.
The same party, too, predicted that railroads would rutn•
agriculture—they said there would be no horses left tot
eat the oats, and the oat lands would be thrown out of
cultivation. 'What was the fact ? He believed that,
oats formed one of the best commodities the farmers
had to dispose of. The same party, in 1815,1
said, that unless wheat were kept at 80a. per quar-
ter, the land would be thrown out of cultivation
and yet in a few short years, in 1822, wheat sunk
20s. per quarter. To crown all, the same party in
1841 asked for the votes of the tenant-farmers of Eng-
land, pledging themselves to keep things as they were ;
and yet, the moment they got into the House they be-
trayed them to a man, and passed the tariff and the one-
sided Canada Corn-bill.—(Cheers and groans.) They
did this with the House of Lords at their back, and with
a great majority in the House of Commons; and why?
—because they knew that the principles on which they
had solicited their election were unsound. After some
further remarks Mr. Beadon continued—These were the
men who now asked them to have confidence in their
foresight, talent, and integrity.—(" Oh, oh.") Let them
contrast that with what the free-trade advocates had
foretold. They had said, the corn-law of 1815 would
derange the currency, and injure the farmers and all the
interests of the country; and the numerous appeals to
Parliament to remove and remedy distress, had proved
the truth of their predictions.—(Cheers and tumult.)
Mr. Beadon proceeded, at great length, and amid fre-
quent interruption, to support his resolution, but the
meeting terminated so closely on the tunic of our pub-
lication as to render it impossible to give anything like
a full report. lle showed the injurious effects of the
corn-laws on tenant-farmers, and their injustice towards
the labourer, and concluded by moving the following
amendment and petition:—
That all monopolies, whether for the benefit of land-
owners or manufacturers, are injurious and unjust to
the community at large, and especially to the working
classes who have been told by Parliament that there can
be no protection for wages; and, therefore, it is the opi-
nion of this meeting, that the principles of free trade
ought to be established, by abolishing every commercial
and agricultural monopoly."
_ _ _

Mr. PERROTT said he appeared there, as a landowner
and occupier to a great extent, to second the resolution
proposed by his friend Mr. Beadon, and he took the op-
portunity of declaring his belief that the corn-laws were
most injurious, not only to the manufacturers, artisans,
and agricultural labourers, but to the farmers themselves,
beyond all measure.
_ _

Sir T. LETHBRIDGE then addressed the meeting at
great length in opposition to the proceedings of the
League, and in support of the resolution; but our space
will not admit of our giving a report, and, as the Hon.
Baronet spoke amid frequent interruption, and his argu-
ments were necessarily much detached, it would be diffi-
cult to give any very condensed abstract of them.
W. GORE LANGTON, Esq., on rising, was received with
loud cheering. He said it had been his intention to
have remained a quiet spectator of the proceedings ; but
after the speeches which had been made on bath sides,
he felt called on to offer a few observations respecting
his father's conduct. He felt confident that, whatever
political opinions might be entertained by the meeting,
the generous feeling of the yeomanry of Somerset would
grant him a patient hearing, whilst he spoke in the
name of one who once held the proud situation of their
member for the whole county, and now represented the
eastern division of it.—(Cheers.) He would not'enter
into the discussion of the merits or demerits of a fixed
or a sliding scale. That question had been again and
again ably argued by the advocates on either aide.
He would ask the farmers if any one like his father,

whose income was derived from the products of
the land, could be hostile or indifferent to the
interests of agriculture ?—whether his interests were
not identified with theirs?-(Cheers.) MS—father had.
a long experience in political matters, and it had shown
him the danger and injustice of class legislation,. and
the importance of that vital and inseparable bond which
united agriculture and commerce together.—(Cheers.)
Gentlemen had called that meeting under the pretence)
of opposing the measures of the Anti-Corn-law League ;.
but, he would ask them, was it not rather with the
view of upholding a system under which agriculture
and commerce had alike languished, which set class
against class, and threatened to sow dissension in their
once happy and united land ?—(Great cheering.) Be
would now conclude by stating that his father cordially
and entirely differed from the resolution proposed by
Mr. Hancock, and seconded by Sir A. flood, and as..
cordially approved of, and concurred with that piOpesed
by his friend Mr. Beadon, and seconded by Mr. .Perrott.
( The Hon. Gentleman concluded amidst three rounds of
•
enthusiastic applause.)
The Rev. Mr. THRING then spoke in favour of the ori-
ginal motion, condemning the proceedings of the League.
The Ilion SHERIFF then put the amendment to the
meeting, when, according to our judgment, at least two-
thirds of the meeting held up their hands in favour of
it. A show having been taken against it, and on the
original motion, the free traders were loudly cheering in
the confidence of having gained a victory, when, to the
surprise of most persons, the High Sheriff, who could
not have commanded a view of the whole meeting, de-
cided that the original motion was adopted.
This decision led to much debate, Mr. Browne, Mr.
Beadon, Captain Strachey, and others, urging that a
division should be taken, or at least a fresh show of
hands be called for.

The HIGH SHERIFF refused to accede to either pN-
posal, and the greatest uproar prevailed, the requtsi-
tionists stoutly objecting to the question being again
opened, and the free traders maintaining that the show
was two to one in their favour.

The HIGH SHERIFF -still refusing to re-open the
question,

E. A. SANDFORD, Esq., moved the adoption of a peti-
tion to the following effect ; but the noise which pre-
vailed rendered the arguments by which he supported
it quite inaudible.
[The petition, which was addressed to both Houses
of Parliament, called upon them " to resist the insidious,
persevering, and unconstitutional proceedings of the
Anti-Corn-law League," and stating that the petitioners
had " long-suffered--too long," the proceedings of that
Association to pass without opposition, The petition
went on to state that the petitioners had many burdens
to bear, and that unless the present amount of protec-
tion should be maintained, the consequences would be
fatal to them, and subversive of the peace and order of
the country.]
Mr. BLANDFORD, a tenant-farmer of Orchard Portman,
seconded the resolution.

J. BROWNE, Esq., then proposed the petition, em-
bodied in the first amendment, as an amendment on the
present resolution, and in so doing addressed the meet-
ing in an able speech, in which he exposed the fallacies
used by the friends of the corn-laws, and showed the
unjust and cruel influence of those laws upon the labour-
ing classes. The question was simply one between
the landowners and those who had no land, and
the former taxed the bread of the latter to pay
the interest on their mortgages, to educate their
sous for the Church, and portion off the rich and
influential men of the county of Somerset their
daughters. Those were the grounds upon which
asked the meeting to vote in support of laws which were
ruining the industry of the country. Mr. Browne then
proceeded to show that all the protection on agriculture
was designed solely for the landlord's benefit, and con-
cluded by expressing his conviction that, as education
advanced, it would be perfectly impossible that such per-
secuting laws could be continued.
A. CROSSE, Esq., of Broomfield, came forward as a
landowner to second the adoption of the petition pro-
posed by Mr. Browne. Mr. C. stated that all his interest
was in land, and expressed his belief that the abolition
of the cora-laws could no longer be withstood.
Mr. SANDFORD then objected to the petition moved by
Mr. Browne being put, as it had been before rejected.
Mr. BRowNE maintained that he had a right to put it
in its present shape.
The lima SHERIFF having decided in favour of Mr.
Browne, then put the amendment, in favour of which full
three-fourthsaa those present held up their hands. The
Con traryvote having been taken, the High Sheriff declared
the free-trade petition carried, amid the deafening accla-
mations of the meeting.
Mr. TURNER, a tenant-farmer, renting 1,000/. a-year,
then came forward and proposed the following vote of
thanks to the Anti-Corn-law League :
" That in the opinion of this meeting, the gratitude
and thanks of the people of Great Britain and Ireland
are justly due to the Anti-Corn-law League for their
unwearied exertions in diffusing a knowledge of political
economy, and for their endeavours to abolish the corn-
laws and establish the principles of free trade."
Mr. JOHN SUMMERS, a tenant-farmer, having seconded
the motion, it was put to the meeting, and adopted by at
least ten votes to one.

T. D. ACLAND, Esq., M.P., then moved a vote of
thanks to the High Sheriff, which was seconded by Mr.
Browne, who expressed his belief that, however be
might have erred in his judgment on the first re-
solution, Mr. Bouverie was incapable of anything unjust
or dishonourable.

The vote having been carried by acclamation,
The HIGH SHERIFF returned thanks.

The meeting separated shortly before five o'clock.

INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGI-
NEERS—TUESDAY.
(GEORGE RENNIE, Esq., in the Chair.)
A paper was read byMr. J. Grantham, describing a series
of experiments on an iron vessel called the " Liverpool
screw." This boat was 65 feet long; 12 feet 6 inches
beam, and had 3 feet 9 inches draught of water ; she
was propelled by two high pressure oscillating engines,
with cylinders 13 inches in diameter, and 18 inches
stroke ; the pressure of the steam in the boiler varied
from 501bs. to 601bs. the square inch, and it was cut off
at one-fourth of the length of the stroke, working the
reirainder by expansion ; the nominal power was 20
horses, but it did not really exceed 18i horses. The
cylinders were placed diagonally, with :both the piston
rods working upon the same crank, the driving shaft
being beneath the cylinders, and running direct to the
propellers, without the intervention of either gearing or
bands.

The screw propeller was enlarged three times, and at
last was left at 5 feet 4 inches diameter, by 20 inches in
length ; it was set out with a pitch expanding from 10
to 11 feet, on Woodcroft's plan; it was made of wrought
iron, with four short arms with broad shovel ends, whose
united area was 16 square feet, 13 feet only of it being
immersed, as some portion of the arms was constantly
above the water ; the angle of the centre of the float
was 45 deg. The speed of the propeller was generally
95 revolutions per minute.
With these dimensions the speed attained was de-
scribed as 10k statute miles per hour. The amount of
" slip " of the screw in the water, as ascertained by
Massey's log, was stated not to exceed five per cent.
Several experiments were detailed, which showed that
there was not more tendency to " list," or to turn round
by the action of the screw than with the paddle-wheel?,
and the vessel was stated to have excelled all the other
steamers of the port of Liverpool in towing out vessels
in a rough sea.
Designs were submitted on this principle for a steam
frigate, and for large steamers working with oscillating
cylinders direct upon the main shaft.
In the discussion which ensued, the various forms and
modifications of screw propellers and their relative
merits, were very ably treated by a number of speakers.
Mr. Rennie gave a sketch of the introduction of a.
kind of screw used by Mr. S. Brown with his•gas engine.
which was tried on the Thames • the more successful
attempt of Mr. Smith, and the building of the Archi-
medes and other vessels. He mentioned also the claims
of Mr. Sauvage, of Boulogne, to the invention, and his
being recently rewarded by the King of the French. Mr.
Rennie entered largely into the theory of the forms of the
propellers, and in this he was followed by Mr. Farey, Mr.
Galloway, Mr. Samuda, and others ; and M. Normand,
of Havre, who is celebrated for giving :such superior
forms to the vessels built by him, gave a slight sketch of
the Napoleon French frigate, in which he eulogised the
engines constructed by Mr. Barnes, and the general re-
sult obtained with the vessel; but it appeared that the
speed was not superior to what had been obtained with
paddle-wheels.
A model was exhibited, by permission of Sir 11. T.
de la Beche, from the Museum of Economic Geology,
showing all the kinds of valves used in pumps for drain-
ing the Cornish mines, and the merits and defects of the
various kinds were very ably explained and commented
upon by Mr. Jordan, under whose directions the model
was constructed. Mr. J. Taylor gave an historical
sketch of the introduction of the various improvements,
the causes which had led to them, and the effects they
produced. The length of the discussion upon the screw
propeller left so little time for the subject of the velvet,
that it was announced to be renewed at the next meet-
ing, Tuesday, Feb. 20.

A jolly young fellow, named Soubille, made his
appearance at the bar of the Correctional Tribunal, with such
a stereotyped smile on his lips, expressive of self-contentment
and good-nature, that every one present was astonished when
it was found that he was charged with beating his wife. The
following colloquy ensued between the President and the pri-
soner :—" You are accused of beating and kicking
„your
wife." " Aye, aye ; it's a habit I've got." " You would do
I well to get rid of it." "Of my wife ? should like no-
thing better !" " No, no, not that, you know per-
fectly well what I mean. Have you any reason to
complain of your wife ?" " I don't know that I have. But
you must see when I am in a rage it must fall upon some-
thing, and as my wife is always at home, why she catches
it." "You show a most deplorable want of feeling." "If it
did not fall upon her I should be breaking the furniture, but
there is no such risk, you know, in striking my wife." Here
the President exclaimed, " Hold your tongue, man I you only
aggravate your offence!" The Tribunal sentenced him to
two months' imprisonment, on hearing which, his everlasting
smile left him, as he remarked, " Well, I certainly did not
expect that. Two months for slapping one's wife! What is
the use of marrying !"—Galignant.
MRS. CAROLINE FRY.—We regret to announce the
dangerous illness of this excellent lady. Until the last few
days hopes were entertained of her recovery; but it is now
the decided opinion of her friends that she will survive but a
short time. Mrs. Fry, we understand, is in her 64th year.
DECIPHERING POWER OF PRINTERS.—YOU tax
me with my illegible writing; but I fear I cannot amend
3 letters, and I have,
it, for I must not stay
I believe, got a bad hatboits from ape
a ntl:e facility with which
the printers here make it out. I verily believe that
if I shut my eyes, or fling the pen at the paper, so as
to make an y kind of mark, the London printers would
know what I intended to say. They always send me back
irly manuscript with my printed proofs for correction ; and I
actually have repeatedly been unable to make out what I had,
written until I had referred to the same articles in print,
Gerald Griffin.