The Sun.
London, England, 1845-06-06 00:00:00

ROMAN CATHOLICS.

6,427,712 adherents, men, women, and children-8,105
places of worship—three colleges, and some thousands
of priests. Hitherto this community has been sustained
on the voluntary system, except the annual Parliamen-
tary grant to the College of Maynooth, and the benefit
they have had, in common with others, in the grants for
general education. In future the endowment to May-
nooth is to be permanent, and augmented ; other col-
leges are to be formed and supported by the State ;
which institutions will be wholly, or nearly so, under
the influence of the Roman Catholics ; and it seems to
be intended that in future their places of worship shall
be built and maintained at the public expense, and that
their priests shall receive regular stipends from the State.

STATE 01' TRADE.—The demand for yarn con-
tinues exceedingly good, and prices are maintained with great
firmness. For goods, the market is not quite so active as
last week, but there is little or no change in prices. Some sen-
sation was caused on Saturday morning, by the announcement of
the failure of an extensive calico, printing house in Salford.
We are glad to learn, however, that this event will not cause
any loss, or indeed any serious inconvenience, as satisfactory ar-
rangements have been made to pay 20s. in thepound, with interest.
----.ROCHDALE FLANNEL MARKET,MONDAY, JUNE 2.—We have
had a very good market to-day, and though the amount of busi-
ness transacted was not equal to that of last Monday, yet bettor
prices have been obtained for flannels. Wool remains firm, and
higher rates have been asked, but not generally given.—Manchester
Guardian of Tuesday.

SIR JOHN RENNIE'S SECOND
CON VERS AZ lONE.
The second of the series of conversazione given by Sir
John Rennie, President of the Institetion of Civil En-
gineers, took place on Saturday evening, and was even
more numerously and brilliantly attended than or. the pre-
vious Saturday. It only required the presence of Lady
Rennie and her lady friends, as on the previous occasion, to
have rendered this one of the most brilliant reunions of the
season. In deference, however, to the established etiquette,
his Royal Highness Prince Albert being expected, we were de-
prived of the presence of the amiable hostess.
Several additions and changes in the arrangement of the
models and works of art had been made. We observed particu-
larly the Ascot Cup ; a cony of the Warwick Vase, in silver ;
and a splendid ewer and salver, by Cellini, from the collection
of Messrs. Mortimer and Hunt ; a spirited figure of a grey-
hound, by Mr. Thomas, whose group of St. George and
the Dragon, we noticed last week. and which being
placed in a better lighted position, we were enabled to
nspect and admire ; portfolios of Scharf's interesting
ik etches in Lycia ; Scanlan's characteristic sketches
of Cornish miners, &c. ; some very good sketches,
made by Sir John Rennie, in Greece, in 182') ; a miniature,
'iv W. R. Ward, R.A., of the Duchess of Richmond ; a
collection of effective lithotints of Cattermole's drawings ;
a superb specimen of Walker's Electrotype. From among
the models we must particularise the Ferraby Sluice,
which forms the outlet of the Aneholme drainage, and a
plan of the proposed works at Carrickfergus, where, by
means of detached breakwaters, the run of the sea would
be prevented, while, by a projecting mole upon arches. ac-
eommodation would be afforded for the loading and unload-
ing of vessels. Both these were by Sir Jon Rennie—a
model showing the successful method of scupper nailing,
adopted at Leith Pier, in 1836, at the suggestion of Captain
lloswall, R.N.; Rowan's antifriction axles ; a beautiful
model of Stephenson's improved locomotive engine ; a series of
specimens exhibiting the various stages of the manufacture of
Selby's patent-welded iron tube ; a very extraordinary example
of the power of machinery was displayed by Mr. John Hick
( Belton), in some masses of wrought iron, varying from two
inches to three inches in thickness, from the centre of each of
which circular pieces of eight inches diameter had been punched
cold, by means of the combined force of four hydraulic
presses, exerting a pressure varying from 1,250 to 2,001 tons.
Our limits will not permit the notice of the other models;
but we cannot close our notice without honourable mention
of the manner in which the supper arrangements were carried
out by Stinson. The entertainment was elegantly designed,
and the execution did ample justice to Sir John's well-known
hospitality.
The rooms were exceedingly crowded, but among the dis-
tinguished visitors present we particularly recognised the
Duke of Richmond, the Marquis of Breadalbane, the
Faris of Lonsdale, Rosse, Lincoln, and Dalhousie • Lords
Lowther, Berreidale, Campbell, James Stuart, M P., Lyt-
ielton, and Colchester; the Bishop of Norwich, Lord Chief
Justice Tindal, General Sir James Cockburn, Bart., M.P.,
Mohun Lal, the Speaker of the House of Commons, Count
Rosen, Hon. E. Byng, Major-General Pasley, Captain Sir
W. Symonds, R.N. ; Captain Sir George Back, R.N. ;
Sirs James llamilton, Bart., John Burgoyne, Bart., John
Kirkland, R. Westmacott, John Guest, Bart., M.P., Charles
Forbes, Bart., Hon. Sir F. Cust, D. J. Norreys, Bart.. M.P.,
James Copley, Bart., W. B. Riddell, Bart., Charles Fellows,
Henry Ellis, H. T. Do la Beetle, John Barrow, John
Macneill, George Duckett, R. Schomburgh, Frederick Mad.
den, Alexander Johnstone, Mr. Hodgson, M.P., Mr. C. W.
Martin, M.P., Mr. Ellice, M.P., Dr. Bowring, M.P., Mr.
Hutt, M.P., Mr. Gore, M.P., Mr. Botfield, M.P., Mr. Mac-
lean, M.P., Mr. Barneby, M.P., Mr. Johnstone, M.P., Mr.
Estcourt, M.P., Mr. Pendarves, M.P., Mr. Loch, M.P.,
Mr. Maekinnon, M.P., Mr. Ewart, M.P., Mr. Stuart,
M.P. ; Colonels Dundas, Shaw, Colquhoun, Sykes, and Jack-
son ; Professors Buckland, Von Buch. Lyon, Playfair, Ansted,
Christie ; Majors Askew, Clarke. and Amsinck ; Doctors
Lawrence, Roupel, Mantel', Roget, Paris, Mayo, and Gran-
ville; Captains Gambier, Washington, R.N., Handcock,
Tindal, Grover, W. O'Brien, R.N.. Buller, Hosken,
Reverend Mr. Stopford, Messrs. J. Simpson, Locke, T.
K Brunel, J. Miller, B. Cubitt, Giles, Lowe, Barry,
Murchison, Konig, Landseer, Bellin, F. Stone, Scanlan,
Boxall, Errington, Burger, Grainger, Smee, T. Grissell, Sop-
with, Loaden, Goody, Planche, C. Stanfield, Bidder, Lough,
Biddulph, Farquhar, Tycho Wing, Solly, Plowden, Basevi,
Cotton, Wicksteed, G. Godwin, G. A'Beckett. Leech, J.
Braithwaite, Murdo Young, Fairbairn, Bateman, Farey, Etty,
Willement, Tooke, F. Walker, &c. &c.

THE INSTITUTION OF CIVIL
ENGINEERS. JUNE 3.
Sir JOHN RENNIE, President, in the chair.
The first paper read was " On the Corrosion of Metals," by
Mr. R. Adie, Liverpool. The object of the communication
was to give an experimental proof of the fact, of water,
when saturated with common salt, preserving, to a great
extent, the surfaces of oxidizable metals from corrosion,
by the joint action of air and water; and also to show that
water, or water containing a saline solution, does not act as
a corroding agent without the aid of the oxygen of the
atmosphere. These positions were demonstrated by the
details of several series of very interesting experiments,
which were purely of a chemical tendency, leaving to the
engineers the application to practice of the results obtained.
The details were also given of some experiments made to
ascertain the quantity of oxygen dissolved by water under
different circumstances; whence it was shown that brine,
and some other saline solutions, contain much less dissolved
oxygen than sea or ordinary water. The discovery of this
fact suggested the experiments on the application of brine '
as a preserver of iron. The object of the last set of experi-
ments was, to determine, by trial, the rates of corrosion of
metals in fresh water, sea water, and saturated brine. The
results demonstrated that sea water corrodes the quickest,
fresh water less rapidly, arid brine very much slower than either.
The circumstance was incidentally mentioned of the use of
common salt for preserving ships' timbers, for which purposes
the spaces between the ribs of some of the North American
ships are frequently packed with rock-salt, and the effect has
proved very advantageous to the duration of the timber, without
affecting the metal fastenings, as would have been supposed.
A paper by Mr. W. Gale (Glasgow) pointed nut the ad-
vantage of the moveable jib crane for the purposes of build-
ing. It was stated to have been originally invented by
James Watt, for the Bell Rock Light-home ; but in a com-
munication from Mr. R Stevenson (Edinburgh), which was
also read, with extracts from the history of that light-
house. the invention was claimed by Mr. Stevenson. It
appeared that the crane was used very extensively, but that
some defects existed in its construction, for which the author
suggested remedies, which he had applied successfully, and for
which he gave the necessary details of calculation and drawings,
without which they would be with difficulty comprehended.
The monthly ballot took place, when Messrs. Frank Forster,
T. L. Gooch, and W. Lewin, were elected as members ; anti
Messrs. W. P. Marshall, W. Lawford, G. Lawford, and W. B.
Buddicom, as associates.
The next meeting was announced to take place on Tuesday,
June 10.