The Sun.
London, England, 1845-02-17 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR.,-It has been known all along that ships and
vessels are found to resist the pressure of sails, and
still we go on building on the same plan, and all are
astonished they do not sail faster, which is impossible,
until we make use of more power than the sails to
increase speed on a wind.
Such has been suggested to the Admiralty years
ago, and pointed out that ships go faster astern when
taken aback, or miss stays, than they ever went
ahead ; and if they wanted them to go faster, they
must introduce into the hulls of all ships and vessels a
power that would continually act on a wind, inde-
pendent of masts, yards, and sails, which will in-
crease with the wind to any amount, concentrating
the force to one point or many, according to the sea
then going. But this, like many other suggestions,
are treated with contempt, because it does not ema-
nate from a ship-builder, whose opinion is consulted
in preference to those that have to sail them. I hope
you will expose the folly of such conduct, and so give
a trial to convince those that are sceptical.—Your
constant reader, A PRAC FICAL OFFICER.
London, Feb 7, 1845.

The reception in the City of the financial statement
of Sir Robert Peel has been of a mixed character. He ob-
tains great credit for his sweeping abolition of the duties on
exports, and for the general tendency of his proposed reduc-
tion of the duties on imported articles, to give new life and
activity to the commercial enterprise of the country at a time
when it is entering on a race of competition with the rest of
the civilised world. Looking to China, however, as the
greatest new market upon which that competition is to act,
and to the desired solution of the commercial problem of what
returns are to be made for the exports to that country, there
is some regret that the article of tea has been so entirely
passed over without notice--that it is neither mentioned
now, nor any hope held out for it in future. His interfer-
ence with the excise is for the most part highly approved, par-
ticularly as regards the remission of the duty on glass. The
continuance of the income-tax, as distinguished from the
property-tax, is the most unpopular part of the financial ex-
position, especially as it is now intimated that it will be
imposed for one year longer than the term of five years,
which was fixed for its utmost duration when it was first
laid on. Many persons had previously been sanguine in the
expectation that some modification of the income-tax would
have been proposed on this occasion ; that some distinction
would in the first instance be made between income and pro-
perty, by assessing property at a higher rate, preparatory,
perhaps, to the exemption of income, of the mere produce
of labour, wholly from its operation. Whether or not this
feeling will produce any direct manifestation on the subject,
remains to be seen.— Times.

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE ELECTION.—The High-Sheriff
has appointed Friday next, the 21st inst , for the election for
the county to take place, at Aylesbury, to choose a represen-
tative in the room of Mr. Charles Scott Murray, who vacated
his seat by accepting the Stewardship of the Chiltern Hun-
dreds. There is not the remotest chance of any opposition
being offered to the return of Mr. Christopher Tower, of
Huntsmoor-park, near Iver, who is the only candidate for the
suffrages of the freeholders in the field. Upwards of a cen-
tury ago a gentleman of the same name, and one of Mr.
Tower's ancestors, represented the borough of Aylesbury in
Parliament.
GRAVESEND AND ROCHESTER RAILWAY, FEB. 15.
—This morning another accident occurred by an up train
dashing through the terminus at the station at Gravesend.
This is the second occurrence that has happened within a
week—the train left Strood-end at nine o'clock in the morn-
ing,iem et.rapi aenepidpneesda
off,r sby tt
hha
and
ntdl tstlethleNe,eecns without
ir.ni
aehg,_ oe
sn,
and in consequence of the accident the down-train was
delayed
velocity
considerableitsel
f offrot
he steam,t th
fcdrocontnatiretehilli.en Fortunately the passengers and carriages were
saved from going into the basin of the canal, which is but a
short distance frcrin the station.