The Sun.
London, England, 1845-09-05 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, PRADAY IVI

THE SCREW AS AN AUXILIARY.

BOOKSELLER;' PROVIDENT

(From the Liverpool Albion.) l llEtiltAT.
The screw, both as 4 principal and as an auxiliary I A very numerously and fashionably. attended dejeuner ala
propeihng power, is now being rapidly adopted ; and, fourchette took place on Wedries.lato at Abbot's Langley, on the
whi e the some:, whioh has attended its ad /vital into occasion of laying the nrst stone of a building intended to be
the stoitoos-lp Great Britain, as demonstrated to the d by her purpose of forming a Comfortable asylum for
recent voyage to New York, will undi nhtettly remove all 1 flu'lit:--fits of the Booksellers' Provident Institution. This
l exist against it, and lead tve
has been such
way, as we believe it will, to its almost universe use ..atitution was estahlised,in 1637, and recently its prosperity
prejudice which may Still
use in as to induce the Committee 'Co forte the design
place of the paddle-wheel, the, infeernation ~e- are now of establishing a residence in the neighbourhood of London,
about to lay before our leaders suft.eietitiy
attests ~.. Where the annuitants of the t'ociety might enjoy those comforts
"3 and that quiet retieereent so desirable to secure for those de-
progress as an auxiliary. serving members of the bookselling trade and their widows
We have previously noted its adoption in this latter who may tit 'rendered incapable, at an advanced age, of pro-
capacity into the new line of communication about to be eirlinet for themselves.
opened between this port and Constantinople ; and we This intention they have been at length enabled to carry
are now enabled to state, that. not only is it ceseitera- into execution, owing to the munificent kindness of Mr.
plated to adopt it, between Liverpool and the Dickenson, who gave ' the intitution, for that purpose, a
east, but that within a shore period it will be in beautifully-situated piece of land, opposite the King's Lang-
extens've use in packet likes le( tweed this port and ley station of the Birmingham Railway. A more delightful
site could not be selected for the projected building, lying as it
various parts of the cieruinent of America. Ne less
three iron vetsdoes in a highly cultivated and picturesque district, and pos-
ers,
than to till of which it will be fitted,
'sessing the advantage of being so near London, almost within a
are now being bui'
it by Messrs. James Hodgson and Co , few yards of one of the termini of the great northern artery of
iron shipbuild,,rs, of this town ; one an iron ship, of communication, the frequent passing of the trains on which, in
twelve hund:eed tons burthen, with engines of one hun- such a rural district, will rather serve to remind the inmates of
dred and eighty horse-power, the first of a new line of the asylum of the busy and anxious bustle from which they
stealr:ers to ply between Liverpool and New York ; the shall have escaped, than to unpleasantly interfere with the calm
se'Zlond, one of six hundred tons burthen, with engines of and quiet retirement of this asylum.
one hundred horse-power, the first of a new line of seven The building will be a very handsome specimen of the Tudor
steamers destined to run between Rio de Janeiro and the architecture, from a design by Mr. H. Cooper, and the cost of
its erection will be defrayed by a fund especially contributed
Mersey ; and the third one for Buenos Ayres. All these
for that purpose by the members of the trade and by many
are to be fitted with the screw propeller and Grantham's favourable •andthe fund '
other persons to the object ; as in-
patent direct action engines. Nor must we omit to point 'creases, additions will be made from time to time of other
especial attention to the fact that all these vessels are buildings, in such order as they may be required.
constructed of iron. The inmatei of the Retreat will be selected from the Bnok-
In addition to these, a steam packet ship has lately sellers' 'Provident Institution, and every member of the Also-
been constructed at Boston, in the United States, and; ciation will be entitled to vote at their election, the manage-
being advertised to leave New York on the 6th instant, meet of their affairs being entirely placed under a Committee
she may be expected to arrive in the Mersey towards annually chosen from amongst the members.
the 26th instant. This vessel is intended as a pioneer of The day was peculiarly favourable for the performance of the
ceremonial, and a very numerous party, graced by the presence
a regular line of steam packet-ships ; and her steam of many of the fair sex, evidently enjoyed the rich and varied
power is intended for use during calms or to make way scenery in the neighbourhood.
against head winds—in fact, whenever. advantageous At one o'clock a procession of the stewards was formed, who
The motive power may be described as follows :—A accompanied the Earl of Clarendon to the spot fixed on for the
condensing engine of 170 horse-power, consisting of two deposition of the foundation stone, which was surrounded by a
cylinders, of twenty-five inches diameter and three feet tasteful canopy for the accommodation of the ladies, where, as
stroke, working at right angles ; two boilers, with two eld Chaucer would say :
furnaces each, fourteen feet long by seven wide and nine "Neither Phesbus' beams could to them thronge,
high ; blowing-engine and blowers, so arranged as to be Nor Eolus' sharpe blasts could worke them anie wronge."
out of the way, and to be only used occasionally to raise At two o'clock the stone, which contained in a hollow space
the steam quickly ; one heater ; and a propeller of nine- specimens of the various coins of the present reign, was placed
and-a-half feet extreme diameter, constructed entirely of in its position, and mortar applied with a silver trowel, in a
wrought copper and composition metal, which revolves most workmanlike manner, amidst deafening cheers, by Lord
abaft the rudder, the main shaft coming out close by the Clarendon, after which a prayer was read by the vicar of the
stern-post, and supported by a stout brace attached to parish, and the party proceeded to a spacious marquee, where
the same. The propeller can be shipped or unshipped a sumptuous repast was provided for them.
The Earl of Ceaesenoir presiding. The Noble Chairman
by the aid of a shaft coming out of the ship above the proposed, in eloquent terms, the usual toasts which the loyalty
main shaft, and is entirely within the control of the en- and patriotism of Englishmen claim precedence for on ail public
gineer in the engine-room. The mechanism within first occasions ; after which he again called for a bumper, and said
unships or rigs in the lower shaft from the hub of the that he was about to propose to the assembly a toast which he
propeller, then, by turning the upper shaft, the pro • felt confident would receive the warmest approbation of every
peller is brought up to the flat of the stern, entirely out individual present, connected as it was so intimately with the
of the water, and in a few minutes the ship assumes the Purposes of the Booksellers' Provident Institution.—(Cheers.)
character of a packet-ship, without anything to drag That excellent institution was established in 1837, for the pur-
pose of affording pecuniary relief to members of the trade, or
after her. The engine-room is floored with cast-iron ;
their widows, who were overtaken by age or infirmity, without
every protection is given to the woodwork near the
the means of,
providing sufficient comfort under such circum-
boilers ; and the chimney comes up through the pump stances ; and that institution had been since conducted in a
and between decks, and is surrounded by a ventilating manner which was so perfectly in accordance with the intentions
trunk. There is also a powerful fire-engine, with which of the founders, that it had attained a very deserved and high
the ship may he wet tore and aft, below and slot t. The degree of prosperity.—( Cheers.) There had been no appeal in
space taken up iu the lower hold of the ship is about the newspapers in its favour, nor had its meetings been presided
forty-seven feet in a direct line forward of the stern post. over by persons of high rank, yet, notwithstanding, it had
The boilers together being but fourteen feet wide, leaves been successful to such an extent as to obtain four or five hun-
, (rood space in the wit o.s tor coal bunkers, which are ac- dred members, and a corresponding amount of subscriptions.—
tr
eessible both from the outside of the ship as well as in (Cheers.) The society felt the great advantage which they
the hetoosen dot 1t Besides the space indicated, the conualhdeconfer if, in aededoitioonoto pecuneitarr
ye
t rr ee laite in' tthheeyne7i gehreboaul'r.o
trunk for ventilation around the smoke pipe, there are ehoodlodf tizogordaonnt,thwheremfmemohf aerqsui
of the society who received-
twt t sittoller trut k coming up through the poop over the assistance might also have an asylum in their old days, in which
oyl- to-ler heads. Th..• boto pen decks is otherwise clear they might enjoy those comforts and that quiet so essential to
too ood tot, tho crew heino arc ,totoodott-ii in a top-ga'- their condition, and that deign was most benevolently assisted
hint f .reetis te, wit: do • earth. passeitoero its a psi -p which and encouraged by Mr. Dickenson - (Cheers)—who gave for
runs to ant imood, , the-' illit Illili't.. Ti,-'t, are also va 1- ever the piece of land on which they weie then assembled, for
tots Improvoinents in Coe eoostritoto nto tOo how. i h the purpose of affording facilities for the erection of such an
:.hip sal hate oecominte otion f-r thirt) coin,' peeFee_ asylum, and it was now placed in the hands of trustees for that
*.OO, too; ~,,,p1,,, room oir mon, "fi . 1e.,,.,,g, pas.„„g, rs object The building would be proceeded with at once, and he
in hor well-ventilated between oecks. She ie xpected
was happy to be able to state that it was to be in a style of
e
to make five ceinvete roptges per aotinin, making her architecture._ which, having in view the purposes fur which it
was deigned, must be pronounced most appropriate_ and w 11
passag s in an average of thirteen to is days, the and reflected great credit on the good taste and
no- nittium bait thirteen and the maximum twenty-five. judged, architect,A
judoment of the lr. Cooper. It was to consist
As an illustration-of the advance of steam ettumuniva- of seven houses of four rooms each, with every suitable con-
tion, we refer our readers to a paragraph in another venience, so that each member would have a separate and in-
column, from which it will be seen that the novelty of a dependent dwelling; and there were also two larger rooms
native American steamer may be expected shindy in the in the plan, one to be devoted to the purpose of a committee-
Mersey. Since the above was writtenwe have noticed the er- room, and another a hall for the assembly of the inmates,
rival in the Mersey of another vessel he which the screw which hall was, he was happy to say, to be fitted up as a
is combined as an auxiliary—the Q. E. D., from Mon- library.—(Hear). It was unnecessary to detain them with
treal. The date of her departure from that city not being a description of the more minute arrangements, but they
given, we cannot state the length of her voyage. were all to be in strict accordance with proper economy and
a due regard to the comfort of the inmates. The objects
contemplated in this retreat were such as ought to com-
mand the sympathy, not only of those connected with the
bookselling business, but of every class in life ; for that trade
was almost sui generis, and possessed the strongest claims
on all, from the highest to the lowest in the land. When
persons enjoyed the advantages that were derived from the
extensive 'diffusion of enlightenment and civilisation, they
seldom thought of the great enterprise and risk which were
required in order to produce that diffusion of knowledge—they
seldom thought of the cost and anxiety which were required
to carry it into effect—they seldom considered what a lottery
was the business of publishing.—(Hear, hear.) They seldom
considered how difficult it was to discover beforehand the intel-
lectual taste of the public, or what might be called, perhaps,
the caprices of public opinion, against the decision of which
it was hopeless to appeal.—( Hear, hear.) He felt that the
interests of the booksellers were identical with those of the
public, and therefore he felt that in aiding to confer this benefit
on them the public were conferring a benefit on themselves.—
(Cheers.) They ought to recollect that the booksellers was
the medium through which the principles of religion' and
patriotism were spread abroad. They ought not to forget
that through their exertions knowledge was diffused amongst
all classes, and their morals improved, whilst their enlighten-
ment was increased.—( Cheers.) He should, therefore, with-
out further preface, give " Prosperity to the Booksellers' Pro-
vident Retreat."—(Loud applause.)
The health of she Noble Chairman was then drank, after
which the health of Mr. Dickenson was most warmly received,
and several other toasts having been proposed, the company
separated, very much delighted, not only with the benevolent
purpose which had called them together, but with the
agreeable manner in which the day was spent. A sum of
600/. towards the fund for erecting the building was subscribed
before the party separated.

AN ACT FOR THE PROTIICTION
OF MERCHANT SEAMEN.
A most important measure, affecting the welfare of
that numerous and useful body of men, the sailors of the
merchant service, received the royal assent on the last
day of the fesion. It will ro doubt elevate the charac-
ter, improve the habits, and better the condition of sea-
men—all objects of the highest importance to the mari-
time prof,sston. The crimps, lodging house-keepers,
agents, the self-styled " shipping-masters and others,
will no longer be able to prey on seamen, and defraud
them of their hard-earned wages. The baneful traffic
in advance notes, which has brought so many to the cri-
minal courts and the hulks, will cease, and owners and
masters of ships will no longer be imposed upon by the
crimps, who frequently send incompetent persons on
board as able seamen, who are unable to hand, reef,
or steer, or do any part of a seaman's duty. This Act
will protect the homeward, as well as the outward-bound
sailor. The numerous " land-sharks" in London, Li-
verpool, Bristol, Portsmouth, and other great ports,
.will
have to look out for other prey. The preamble
states, " that the seamen of this kingdom have been
several years subjected to grievous impositions by cer-
tain persons who undertake to procure seamen to enter
on board merchant ships who have no interest in the
said ships." To abate this evil, it is enacted " that from
and after the 10th of September next, the Board of
Trade shall license such persons as they may deem to be
requisite and fit, and who may be desirous to take out
such licenses to hire, engage, supply, or provide seamen
to be entered on board merchant ships ; and every such
license shall be granted for such periods, upon such
terms, and upon such security being given, and shall be
revocable upon such conditions as the Board of Trade
may at any time or times appoint." No person not being
duly licensed, or not being the owner, part owner, mas-
ter, or person in charge of a merchant-ship, or the ship's
husband, shall hire, engage, or supply seamen for ships ;
and no person, whether licensed or not, other than the
owner, part owner, master, or person in charge of a
merchant-ship, or the ship's husband, to demand or ob-
tain the register ticket of any seaman for the purpose,
or under the pretence of engaging him on board any
merchant ship. No seaman is to be received on beard
ship who has been hired contrary to the provisions of the
Act. A penalty not exceeding 201. to be imposed on
evert person for every seaman hired, engaged, or
sapplied. and for every register ticket demanded
ne obtain d contrary to the Act:, and a similar
penalty will be incurred by every owner, master, or
ills litisti,nd, receiving any seaman on board net
less d A, .y ,n ,114, uul•crnstii
age-t to provide seditici t.r rneicioii,t-- tops, or aey
poison entrdiymg an) itolicenzed
p. resin, or (tie same p. rsou to tint. Is isey aunt not ex•
cer.iing 20!., Slid, in audition thereto, shall forfeit and
lose his license. It will be seen Unit the Act will afford
a very wholesome control over the crimps, for the loss
ad' their licenses will step their career a; once. The 7th
clause enacts, that no advance note tor wages shall be
given to any seaman until six hours atter the ship's ar-
ticles have been duly signed, and then only to the sea-
man himself, unless such wages, or advance of wages, be
paid in money, in which case the payment may be made
to the seaman ,himself at any period most convenient
after the signing of the ship's articles, and all payments
of wages contrary to the provisions of this Act shall
be null and void. For cashing an advance note of 21.,
the Jews charge ss. interest, and compel the sailor
to purchase clothes to the amount of 30s. more, or
at least clothes alleged to be worth that sum ; but
in reality the sailor gets for his advance note for
a month's pay clothes worth about 155., and ss.
in cash, and the Jew realises one hundred per cent.
by the transaction. If all owners and masters
of ships would advance .money instead of notes to sea-
men, those shameful impositions would be abolished.
The Bth clause is one of the best. It enacts " that if
any person shall demand or receive from any seaman,
or from any person other than the owner, part owner,
master, or pi rsun in charge of a merchant ship, or the
ship's husband, requiring seamen, any remuneration
whatever, either directly or indirectly, for and on
account of the hiring, supplying, or providing any such
seamen, he shall forfeit for every such offence a sum not
exceeding 5/." The sections already referred to apply
to the protection of the outward bound sailors. The
9th and 10th sections more particularly refer to the
homeward bound, who are indeed subjected to "grievous
impositions," and " great injustice" from the whole
tribe of land-sharks, who soon make a clean sweep of
Jack's hold. No sooner does a vessel arrive within
sight of a British port than it is boarded by the veriest
scoundrels in existence, who first obtain possession of
the sailor's hammock, chests, and clothing, and then
promise him a snug berth and good treatment ashore,
and afterwards plunder him of his hard.earned wages.
The 9th clause states that it shall not be lawful for
any person (other than any officer or person in her
Majesty's service or employment) to go on board
any merchant vessel arriving or about to arrive at the
place of her destination, before or previous to her actual
arrival in dock or at the quay or place of her discharge,
without the permission and consent of the master or
person in charge of the vessel, under a penalty of 20/.
The 10th clause enacts that no person shall, on board
any merchant ship, within twenty-four hours after her
arrival, solicit seamen to become lodgers at the houses
of unlicensed persons, or take from any ship the chests,
bedding, or other effects of seamen, except under their
personal direction, or without the permission of the
master or person in charge. The penalty for a viola-
tion of this clause, which will put an end to the touting
system and the disgracofui brawls on board ships, is si.
The 11th clause iefli•ds a penalty of 10/. on lodging-
liou.se-kee•ers rec,iving remuneration for they boarding
of sailors for a longer p,Tiod than is actually due, or tor
neglectinA to ri turn moneys or t fleets belonging to sea-
men. The 12th clau-e iiiieets the recovery and applica-
tion ‘:f penalties, and states th;it "In alt cases of com-
plain; m.id, or on bi.litX of any sea;nan under this
Art, the evidence of such simian shall be r-c•-ived and
taken, notwithstanding be may be interested in the
in.,tter " For non payment, it pt-nalties cffenders may
be c •mtnitte.l, r won or without hard labour, for
any time not exceeding six calendar months. The Act
comes into operation this day.

RESCINDING OF THE RULES AND
ORDERS FOR THE DISTRICT ASYLUMS.
It appears by the following document sent by the Poor-law
Commissioners to the Churchwardens, Overseers, and other
parochial authorities of the parishes of the " Western Metropo-
litan Asylum District," that the hostile demonstrations against
the recent orders for forming the district asylums for the house-
less poor, have induced the Commissioners to rescind them.
" THE SOUTH-WESTERN METROPOLITAN ASYLUM DISTRICT.
" To the Board of Management of the South-western Me-
tropolitan District Asylum : To the churehivardens and
overseers of the poor of the several parishes respectively,
comprised in the said district: to the clerk or clerks to the jus-
tice or justices of the petty sessions held for the division or
divisions in which the said district and parishes respectively are
situate ; and to all others whom it may concern.
" Whereas by an order bearing date the 30th day of July last,
the Poor-law Commissioners did order and declare that the
following unions, that is to say, the St. Saviour's and Wands-
worth and Clapham Unions, and the several parishes of St.
George the Martyr, Southwark, in the borough of South-
wark ; St. Mary, LaMbeth, and St: Mary, Newington,
in the county of Surrey which said several divisions
and parishes are situated within the district of the
metropoli.an police, should be combined into a district, to
be termed The South-Western Metropolitan District,' for
the purpose of providing and managing one or more asylum or
asylums for the temporary relief and setting to work therein of
the destitute houseless poor persons who are not charged with
any offence, and who may apply for relief or become chargeable
to a poor-rates within any of the unions or parishes above-
mentioned ;
" And the said Commissioners did thereby order and declare
that a Board of Management should be constituted for the said
district, which should consist of the ex-officio members entitled
to act according to the provisions of the last-recited Act, and of
twelve members to be elected as therein prescribed ;
" And whereas, by an order bearing date the 11th day of
August instant, the Poor-law Commissioners did prescribe
certain rules and regulations for the observance of the Board of
Management of the said district, and did direct that proper
officers should be appointed to carry into effect the orders and
directions of the said Board, and to assist in the administration
of the relief of the poor in the said district ;
" And whereas it is expedient to rescind the said last recited
ordex
" Now, therefore, we, the Poor-law Commissioners, in
pursuance of the authorities 'vested in us by an Act of
Parliament passed in the filh year of the reign of his late Ma-
jesty King William the Fourth, intituled ' An Act for the
amendment and better administration of the laws relating
to the Poor in England and Wales,' do hereby rescind the
said last recited order, and every matter and thing therein
contained.
" Given under our hands and seal of office, this 30th day of
August, in the year 1845.
(Signed) " GEO. NICHOLLS.
" EDMUND W. HEAD."

GRAVESEND AND ROCHESTER RAlLWAY.—Traffic
returns for the week ending Aug. 30:—Passengers, 17,325;
amount received, 4191. 6s.
EFFECTS OF THE STORMS IN FRANCE.—At Ma-
rolette, a little village near Alamers, in the department of the
Maine•et-Loire, several houses were unroofed, a /a Asmodeus,
by the violence of the hurricane of the 19th ult. ; and the
electric fluid, after having consumed the greatest portion of the
furniture and melted all the metal in one of them, struck two
persons, who remained for several hours in a cataleptic condi-
tion. At the farm of Butte, near the source of the river,
several lofty trees were torn up by the roots, and almost en,
tirely stripped of their bark and branches. A sow in the farm-
yard was dreadfully burnt, and lay the next moment a heap of
cinders. On the Ballon road a person employed in the fields
during the time when the tempest was raging most furiously
saw several trees torn up and hurled to a great distance, and
his companion was lifted from the ground, and thrown into the
midst of a thorny hedge. The poor wretch was fearfully
bruised and pricked by the thorns, and could only be extricated
from the hedge with the assistance of some peasants, who were
compelled to make use of their billhooks to cut out a passage for
his body. _ _

NEW LINES OF STEAM-VESSELS.—New lines of
steamers from this country to distant parts of the world are
constantly forming. On Wednesday last the Novelty sailed
from Liverpool for Constantinople, as the first of a monthly
line of steamers' between this port and the Turkish capital. We
see be the Times that steamers have just begun to run between
London and Leghorn, and in a short time the line from Liver-
pool to Rio and the River Plate will commence operations.
British enterprise has now established steam communication
with the following countries :—To Russia, Sweden, and Den-
mark, by the Hull line ' • to St. Petersburg ; to North Ger-
many, by the Hull and London lines to llamburg ; to Holland,
Belgium, and France, by the General Steam Company's ves-
sels; to the north and south of Spain and to Portugal, by the
Peninsular Company's vessels ; to Italy, by the new line from
London to Leghorn ' • to Malta, the Levant, and Constanti-
nople, by the new line from Liverpool ; to Egypt, Arabia.
Ceylon, India, Sincapore, and China, by the Oriental Steam
Company's vessels ; to British America and the United States,
by the Cunard and Great Western lines from Liverpool; to the
West Indies, Mexico, and the north coast of South America,
by the West India line ; to Peru and Chili by the West Coast
line. To Brazil and the River Plate by the line now building
in Liverpool. The only British colonies of any importance
which have not now the advantage of steam communication
with the mother country are the Cape, the Mauritius, and
Australian colonies.—LicerPool Times.

BODMIN.—The potato crop in this neighbourhood,
almost without exception, are all spoiled; there are many con-
jtetares as to the cause of this great calamity, but it baffles
all. The effect on the poor, who generally depend on this
!fir wiata'ippporti wiU, it (nod, be very serlom