The Sun.
London, England, 1844-05-03 00:00:00

DUBLIN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE.

There is a moderate and well-reasoned essay in
the present Number of this periodical, on the subject
of "Fixity of Tenure," a subject which has of late
begun to attract the attention of political economists
in no ordinary degree. "Barrow's Life of Sir Fran-
cis Drake," is a well digested notice, accompanied
by copious extracts, of one of the ablest and most
authentic pieces of biography we have had for same
years past. "Literae Orientales" contains some in-
genious specimens of Ottoman poetry. Of the few
remaining articles, the best is that which is quaintly
entitled " Nuts and Nut-crackers."

THE DECORATIONS •of th© NEW
ROYAL EXCHANGE.

The following are the heitils of the last report made to I
the Gresham Committee upon the subject of the addi-
tional decorations propoied to ho made 0 Lk:Li-great na-
tional edifice. abcnt to be opened ; - -
"TO THE JOINT COMMITXRP.
FOR GRESHAM AFFAIRS."
"In obedience.t9. order from this Committee on the
report o!.111r, ;4e, in relation to that additional sculp-
ture rtach he thetight desirable for the decoration of the
_New Royail Exchange, whereby it was resolved, that an
amount not exceeding 5001. he appropriated for that pur-
pose, and it be referred back to Mr. Tite further to con-
sider the subject, and to report to and advise with the
Sub-Committee thereon, we, whose names are hereunto
subscribed, yourSub-Conimittee do certify, that we have
been attended by Mr. Tite, who was heard with respect
to various additional decorations for the New Royal Ex-
change, both of a
.sculptured and other characters, and
who submitted for our consideration the propriety
of erecting statues of her Must Gracious Majesty,,
Queen Victoria, of Queen Elizabeth, and of :sir
'Thomas Gresham, and of making such other siatues
might be deemed most appropriate for the vacant niches,
and also for the north and south front 4 a the edifice ;
and that the Royal arms, with supprniers should also be
placed in a conspieaous sit,....ation, and was heard at
length in explanation."Of his views ; and we having
taUan the subject; its well as the situations where several
of the nrtiposed statues should be placed, into conlidera-
airecd with Mr. Tire's suggestion, and Were of
opinion they should be forthwith procured, and placed
as under
The statue of her Majesty Queen Victoria in the
Elizabeth at the south-east, and
which stood in the centre
cen,,tTrehoefstthaetumeeorfc(zhaunettl'
Le north-EV Corner
of King Charles the Second,
of the area of the late Exchange, at h
of the merchants' area. rner
_
" The statue qf Sir Thotri C-
founder and patron of the esham, the eminent
nsiabe over the etkst
-,rance ; and
. Exchange, in the great
"The It,-
..oyal arms above the doorway at the west
entrnee.
" By which arrangement the statues of the three Save-
, reigns, in whose reigns this national edifice had been
erected, would appropriately decorate the exterior.
" We thereupon directed Mr. Tite to apply to several
artists for sketches and estimates; and, in consequfnce,
of Mr. Tite's applications, we received proposals.—
(Here follow the details.) Your Sub-Committee having
considered the said proposals, approve of the principal,
subject to such alteration as may, on farther considera-
tion,, be deemed expedient, and recommend that direc-
tions be given for the works, when finally approved, to
be proceeded on with as little delay as possible. -
"Amongst other considerations combined with the
decoratiog of the new Exchange, Mr. Tite submitted to
our noticethe propriety of having a tesselated or Mosaic'
pavement for the merchants' areq„.4:stea4 of the pave
ment -ctinteMplafed•by the contract. Ile also submitted
a design, showing the nature of such pavement; and we,
your Sub-Committee, having duly considered the same,
recommend that tessalated or Mosaic pavement be pro-
vided for the said area, the pattern for the same to be
submitted to and approved by your Committee.

"In tho mural ,ot CUP prtirotki, Mit; Ti til Uri4frlmi
under consideration the propriety of a4apting an ern•
hellishMent in the ceiling of theanibubitory, by a series
• of encaustic painting or paintings in wax in the forty-six
! ceulpartments -thereof, Lid before us a) design
by Preederiek Long, for -eieetiting- the *same, which
•we• inspected and.heard him in-explanation of, and we
%%eie also informed by him where works of a:similar
nature had been executed in this country.
- "We referred also to the. second report of the Com-
missioners on Fine Arts, in which allusions are made to
-this style of painting, and,-deemind, ,the subject wqrtby
the attention of the Committee, lave directed Mr. Tile
to make a special report thereon, to which we beg to
draw their serious consideration."
The Joint Geshatu Committee having taken the report
of the Sub-Committee into consideration, and Mr. 'cite
baviegsent in a report, approyipg all the suggestions
and proposals contained in it, adopted it unanimously, and
votel the additional sums, which were stated to be ne-
teisal to carry outthe great object of affording appro-
priate and highly-finished works of sculpture 'for the
einhelliAment of the building.

INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGI-
NEERS. • .
(TAB PRESIDENT IN THE CHAIR.) •
Arnie 30.—" A description of the method employed
le- repairing a chimney 120 feet high 'At Messrs. Cew-
per's cotton. mills, Glasgow," by J. Cofthurst, was read.
The means adopted were thus described:—The work-
man was provided with a broad lether belt, to which was
attached a strong spring hook ; staple-shaped ladder
irons, with flat jagged ends, were driven into the joints,
one above each other, at intervals of fifteen inches apart,
by the man standing on them in succession, as he
ascended, until he reached the top, ; his safety was se-
cured by fixing the spring hto'k=e i teiriV. ladder iron
immediately opposite his waist, which enabled him to
use both his hands when working; a rope was also
passed round his waist, and down inside the ladder irons,
to support him in case one of the ladder- irons broke, or
came out; he thus succeeded in removing some orna-
meatal plates of iron, which had been loosened by a
storm. In descending, the workman took the ladder
irons out, one after the other, the whole operation being
performed in two days and a half—the total cost, includ-
ing a bonus of 5/. to the workman, was only 131.
The first part of a paper, by Mr. William Fairbaire„
on the reduction of the magnetic ores of `Samakoff
(Turkey), was read. It commenced with. reviewing the
few attempts which had been made towards improving
the methods of treating the richer iron ores both of Eng-
land and of foreign countries; the great English iron
makers having restricted themselves to using the lean
carbonates of iron, cn account of the facilities they
offered for working; the great advantages which might
have resulted, both in the quentity.and quality, of the
metal produced from richer ore have been thus neglected.
It is stirted that Mr. Ohanes Dadian, an active and
enterprising Armenian, in the service of the Sublime
Porte, brought to this country specimens of magnetic
iron ore and of bituminous coal found in the district of
Samakhoff, in Turkey ; he had them analysed at Pettis
and iu England, and foUnd that the ore was nearly a pure
oxide of iron containing about 63 per cent. of metal, that
it was free from sulphur, arsenic, and other deleterious
matter, and that there was mixed with it about 12 per
cent. of silicious earth.
Tho ore was described as being found in the form of a
fine sand, covering extensive plains, where it had been
deposited to the depth of several feet, probably by the
action of water on the mountains around, where a simi-
lar ore existed in considerable masses. In consequence
of the favourable report of the essayists, and acting on
the advice of Mr. Fairbairn, Mr. Ohanes Dadian deter-
mined to persevere in his projects, and his attention
being directed tq the process invented by Mr. Clay for
producing malleable iron direct from the ore, as described
in a paper read at the Institution of Civil Engineers,
Feb. 14, 1843, he secured that gentleman's services to
conduct some experiments, and subsequently engaged
him to proceed to Turkey, to prosecute the working of
the iron ore on an extensive scale.
Mr. Clay's report, and that of Mr. Hague, were fully
given ; they contained details of the various ingenious
modes employed to work the ere, which, being in the
state of fine sand, either fell unmelted through the fuel
into the bottom of the furnace, or was blown out of the
top by the force of the blast. At length Mr. Clay,
thinking that if the ore could be deoxidized by a previ-
ous operation, it would be in a fitter state for fusion in
the blast furnace, submitted it to a practical proCess, as
far as causing it to form into lumps ; in that form it was
easily fused, and produced cast iron of a peculiarly duc-
tile, fluid, and yet strong, character, of which specimens
were exhibited. The success of this plan was consi-
dered so complete, that the preparations were imme-
diately commenced for erecting works in Turkey on a
large scale.

Incidental to the subject of the glassy scorie of the
iron frames, Mr. Clay mentioned that he had studied
Carefully the composition of crown glass ; he believed
that he was the first to point out the true atomic charac-
ter of the glass ; that its qUality depended on the ingre-
dients being compounded' in certain definite atomic pro-
portions ; and that crown', glass was a quinquisilicate of
lime and soda. He arrived at these conclusions in the
year 1835 ;.rand at the works of Messrs. Chance, at
birmingham, it was found that, on following the ;Idea
he laid down, the production of 'a Constant quality
bf glass was inevitable. He then treated of the pro-
duction of optical lenses, and of the make of bottle glass.
The paper then returned to the forms of the furnaces
proposed for working the Turkish iron ore ; the various
modes of treating it, and the nature of the•fluxes, &c. ;
concluding the first part of the piper with the details of
the experiments made upon it at Manchester and at tne
Backharrow works. The paper was so long, that the
second part was reserved for the next meeting, the 7th
of May, when the monthly ballot for members will take
place. The following papers were announced to be
read
No. 679 (Second Part)--" On the relative strength,
and other properties, of cast iron from the Turkish and
brematite ores ;" by W. Fairbairn, M. Inst. C. E.
No. 675—" Description of a pair of iron lock gates,
constructed; in 1843, for the entrance of the wet dock at
Montrose ;" by J. Leslie, M. Inst. C. E.
No. 678—" Description of a coffer-dam used for clos-
ing the end of the building-slip at her Majesty's Dock-
yard, Woolwich ;" by B. Snow, Assoc. Inet. C. E.
No. 670—" Account of the plan adopted by William
Preston White for raising the lnnisfail steamer, sank in
the river Lee, near Cork (Ireland) ;" by G. I White,
Assoc. Inst. C. B.

COURT OF EXCISE-THURSDAY.
John Toplis, of 63, Bermondsey-street,_ tobacconist, wag
charged, under five informations, with adulterating tobacco
with sand, earthy matter, kc., on each of which information%
hehad incurred a penalty of 3004 making a total of 1,5001.,
besides a forfeiture of the articles.
Mr. J. Jordan, a Custom-house officer, stated that on the
19th of January last he went, in company with Mr. Donald,
an officer of Excise, to the shop of defendant, and on seeing
him told hint they had come to pay him another visit, and.
wished to see his warehouse. He said they were welcome,
and supposed they were come after the hogshead of tobacco.
that had come in nn the previous night. When they got
into the manufactory they found a pail full of liquid, and on
witness examining, it found it contained earthy matter, which
defendant said was, for the purpose of cleaning tobacco
knives. The cutttrig engine was at work, which witness de-
sired might be-stopped, He examined the' tobacco in the
engine, as well as some that had been cut, and found it grossly
adulterated with earthy matter.
Mr. Graham, Professor -of Chemistry at University Col-
lege, deposed that before submitting the tobacco to chemical
operation, by merely shaking the leaves the adulteration fell
out, which consisted of fuller's earth. He then proceeded to
analyse the whole of the samples, and found them all adul-
terated with that earth to the extent of 12 per cult.
The CHAIRMAN said the Court were of opinion the li'Arge
penaltyhidb of 3
been fully made
kdtee whole
tioalne of thede convicted defendant
to b
defende fanctet

NIZW DEPTIE OVER THE MENAI ST.AAITS.—WO
understand that the landed proprietors in thevieinityif the
Menai-bridge oppose the passage of the railway, and. that..it.
II ' ' I -
have to be made at the Britannia Rock, and will i
I.ein% 0 N e at
is, therefore, probable the passage across the. Straits IN ilk
least two arches of SW feet. 'Span. This will . the most
THE RENDEZVOUS WINE AND SUPPER ROOMS.--
gigantic railway work ever undertaken.—Dublin Paper.
.11- estorday, at the Excise, Llewellyn Watkin Williams, of
keeper. ofthe above rooms, it
Bhmrydg andes. street,ee _notoriety,opo
Drury-lane Theatre, , was charged
ham
p4ite
with selling foreign wines without a l!cense: iw„ officers a
Excise proved being served with foreign wines at the above
premises, on the 6th and 14th of December last, which they
drank on the premises. The defendant pletuled his distressed_
condition, with a family of eleven chiklren, and the Court.
said, under the circumstances, they Would mitigate the penalty
to NV.
IGnriielatot:evjoiiiciinbgestssh'eills:knee poltacseploenndtidliefecsotin;iitnigeofaanged
BIRTHDAY Or TER MARQUIS or WoucEsTrat.
Marquis of Worcester, which will occur in February. Bd.
aormaathge---
uifioent entertainment will be given in Monmouthshire. An
aotntthhee cohcerasistieonni.nzsce)fr
Immense ox is to be roasted whole for the populace, in4vtl4ol%Nito,bo
Agin-
court- square, Monmouth ; and a barrel of ale, which waa
brewedbroached
Noble Marquis,
ruis
Journal.ii:l I be
Yesterday, William Murray, of Alarmaduke-aireet,
St. George's-in-the4:ast, was fined, by the Excise, 50/. for
having in hispcosession and working an illicit still.
The convict Henry Jones, who saves the lives of
the two naen at Devonport, was liberated on Thursday,
having received a free pardon from hex Majesty,
SUDDEN DEATH IN TUB, SIREE7e.--.An inquest
was yesterday held by Mk. liiirgs, at St. George's Hospital,
on the body of Jantea Hayes, aged 29. Deceased was a cad
to the cab TR 0: iii St. ,lanies's-areet, and on Monday night
ltsts while in -gcod spirits, and apparently in the enjoyment
of ex,col_limit health, he suddenly fell down on the pavement
tisensible. Ile was removed to the above-named hospital,
where every exertion was made to restore him, but he never
rallied, and died at about eleven o'clock the same night.
Verdict—" Natural death."
THE SEASON AND TIIII CROPS.—The present sea-
son has hitherto been one of the finest that we have had for
promoting the growth of those crops
several years for which
aro already sown, and enabling the farmers tv prepare the
•
land for those which remain to be sown. In all the -counties
of England, between Liverpool and Southampton, as well as
in Normandy and the other northern provinces of'France,
in Belgium, in Rhenish Prussia, and in Germany, as far as.
Frankfort, the wheat crops this year are most promising.
We do not remember to have seen above half-a-dozen bad
fields of wheat in a journey of a thousand or twelve hun-
dred miles. In general the plant is very thick, the colour
good, and the promise of the crop excellent. The same ob-
servation applies to the oat, the rye, the clover, and rape
crops on the Continent, and to
the gratis i;eolis in England!,
-In the limestone districts of Norm ady and in Flandees, tars
well as in the rich district Vetween Mayence and Frankfort,
the cloven are unAnAlv fine this year! Mid it is a remarkable proof' of what may be "effected ley rich cultivation, Vasa
:•thqColU., a rape plant,
w 4.5 at least a yard high, and in full
i
blooth, n Easter week, between Malioes and Antwerp,: at a
-titne*hen. it was even in bud in districts of France a couple
of degrees further south. Owing to the heavy ' rains of
March, and the general warmth of the first fortnight in&
April, this and most other clops were as forward as they
were ever known to be at this season all the way from Rime
to the Rhine. In this neighbourhood, and throat:l(7*En-
. • ,
laud generally, they look as well as mkt be w —,1%0r..
theta Star.