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of the fruit and profit will redound to the advantage of the labourers whom they employ . " Sir John Pakihgton , who was present , replied to the toast oi " The House of Commons , " said : —" The character of the House of Commons is dear to every man in this country who values our institutions ; and I do trust that I say no more than men of all parties will assent to , when I express my hope that the day is not distant when men of all parties will combine to adopt some measures , whatever may be necessary , and however stringent they maybe , to put an end to that system of electoral bribery and corruption with which the columns of every newspaper are now teeming , and which , iff greatly mis-British will be reading for
take not , the public weeks and months to come . I am sure I am speakino- the sentiments of all parties when I say that this vile system is demoralising to the people , that it is discreditable to our whole representative system , and that it makes an appeal to the people not a test of enlightened opinion upon any question of public policy , but a mere question of who may have the longest purse , or the most unscrupulous partisans . I trust that you will forgive me for having been unable-to mention the House of Commons , or to speak on behalf of that body , without touching upon a subject which I think must have struck deep into the feelings of the people . " On the prospects of the great ship itself he observed : — "I do . deeply regret that poor Brunei has not lived to see
what I hope and trust is the certain success of that undertaking ; and , in a national point of view , is there not reason for us to hope and believe that the day may come—the day may not be distant—when we shall be thankful to have a Great Eastern in which to place our troops ? I have heard it said , in answer to this opinion , 'No prudent Government would ever place so many eggs in one basket . ' But , gentlemen , if I am not greatly mistaken , in the months of August and September , 1857 , when the mutiny was rag ing in India-r— when there was too much reason in England to be apprehensive of the result—I believe that the Government of that day would have been too thankful if they had had such a basket to put as many eggs in as they could have got together . "
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NAVAL AND MILITARY . We learn from Calcutta that the discharged troops were arriving at Calcutta , and shipped off as fast as supplies could baobuune-l . A battery of nine guts had been erected . to command the river entrance of Rangoon . ¦ From China we learn that Admiral Hope , after the two pieces of chain were extracted from his thigh , became very hearty , but the wound would not close . He then became very thin , and it was feared that a piece of the shirt was left in the wound . Captain Shad well will go on a trip to Japan ; and if his wound does not heal he will be invalided on his return . Captain Wodehouse , R . N ., returns to England by this mail .
A large firm at Nantes have nearly completed an order given them by the Imperial Government last spring for a great number of gun platforms , intended for the batteries , which have risen as if by magic all along the northern and north-western coasts . These platforms are on a new principle , and arc nearly similar to the turning-tables used on railways for shifting carnages from one line to another . By this means the guns .-in the new batteries can be shifted from side to side like pivot-guns on board ship- . . that the
The Steam Shipping Chronicle , announces contract for the construction of a second iron steam battery , or , as it is called by the Admiralty , steam frigate , has been taken by Mr . Napier ; of Glasgow , whose tender was found to be the lowest of the four submitted . These frigates are to be cased with iron of the same thickness < 4 £ inches ) as that used in the old floating batteries , but the vessels , when completed , will set more lightly on the water and will be far more elegant in appearance , and , in fact , will hardly be distinguishable from an ordinary , frigate . They will have great beam , nearly equal to that of
the Great Eastern . Their superior lightness over the old floating battery will be due to their being only partially covered with plates , -which will he confined to the aides of the vessel above and for a short dietnnce below the water line , and neither the head nor the stern of the vessel will be covered . The head will be fltted with a false bow or sheathing 1 to conceal her real purpose , that of running down hostile vessels , but after her first encounter with an enemy , this faleo bow will be broken and will Ml oil" . Each vessel will be fitted with engines of immense power in proportion to the tonnage .
It is the intention of the War Office to issue leather leggings for tho non-commissioned ofilcera and soldiers of the Foot Guards and regiments of infantry of tho lino . The leather leggings are to be worn over the trousers , which should bo pulled up
* o the top of the boot , and neatly folded round the leg . The leggings are to be worn in muddy weather only . They are to be worn at guard mounting when it is considered necessary . It is said that the Government has given orders for the collection of marine algae , to be used in the making of wads for the artillery , as it is not liable to burn , like tow . On Monday the punishment of the lash was inflicted at Chatham on a private of the 88 th Connaught Rangers , named Norton , for the serious offence of having struck a non-commissioned officer belonging to the 51 st Regiment whilst in the execution of his duty . The prisoner has been some years in the service , and served with his regiment in the Crimea and in India , where he was wounded , for which he wears the medal with three clasps .
The following are to be the principal dimensions of the Glasgow , screw-frigate of 51 guns , now being laid down in the slip at Portsmouth whence the Bacchante was lately launched : —Length between perpendiculars , 250 ft . ; ditto of keel for tonnage , 214 ft . 7 in . ; breadth , extreme , 52 ft . ; ditto for tonnage , 51 ft . 6 in . ; ditto moulded , 50 ft . 8 in . ; burthen in tons , 3 , 027 40-94 . The length of the Bacchante and the Shannon is each 235 feet , or 15 feet less than the Glasgow . The Marlborough , 131 , three-decker , bearing the flag of Admiral Fanshawe , Commander-in-Chief in the Mediterranean , is 245 ft . 6 in . in length , or 4 ft . 6 in . less than the Glasgow . The vessels being built in the adjoining sheds to the Glasgow are the Prince of Wales ,
131 , three-deeker , and the Duncan , 101 , on . two decks . Both these vessels are of equal length , 252 ft ., only 2 ft . longer than the Glasgow ; while the furthest shed contains the Victoria , 131 , threedecker , which vessel exceeds the Glasgow in length by 8 ft . This latter vessel , the greatest in length of any building in-Portsmouth-yard , it is expected will be launched on Saturday , the 12 th of November next . The'following are the principal dimensions of this noble vessel :- —Length between perpendiculars , 260 ft . ; ditto , keel for tonnage , 220 ft . 10 £ in . -, breadth , extreme , 60 ft . ; for tonnage , 59 ft . 2 in . ; moulded , 58 ft . 4 in . ; burthen in tons , 4 , 112 7 i-94 ; depth in hold , 26 ft . 10 in . Horse power of engines , 1 , 000 , nominal . able and
A large number of ordinary seamen offered themselves on Monday at the naval rendezvous , Tower-hill , which was besieged with applicants , several of whom were accepted , and sent on board the receiving ship . There is still a very great dearth of stokers , who are much required for the steam gun-boat flotilla fitting for service in China . The Compagnie des Forges et Chantiers de la Mediterranee has just received a commission from the French Government to construct tw « nty new gunboats ; and a fresh order for five gunboats and two floating batteries has been given at Bordeaux . The Ocean of Brest announces that the squadron lying in that port has received orders to prepare to put to sea at the first signal . made at
A series of experiments have been Brompton-barracks with the newly-invented gossamer Beamless cartridges of Captain Norton , in order to ascertain their suitability for the new description of rifles now being served out by the Government to the various volunteer rifle corps . The chief superiority of these cartridges lies in the quickness with which they are ignited by the fire from the cap , and in the absence of the necessity for the bottom of the cartridge net to be bitten off . It was also found at the termination of tho experiments that the barrels of the guns used did not present the least sigu of fouling , and were much cleaner than after they had been used in firing other ammunition . Tho experiments were pronounced to be exceedingly satisfactory . _ _ '
. . . . . General Parlby , commanding the Cavalry Brigade of the Dublin Division , concluded a minute inspection of the Scots Groys on Thursday , at Newbridge . Five troops were assembled on a foot parade—in all about 380 strong ( the remaining troops being in out quarters ) . The General remarked that it became his pleasant duty to compliment them on their veryhigh state of discipline and efficiency .
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THE VOLUNTEER CORPS . Turn accounts which continuo to be received from various parts of tho kingdom as to tho progress made in the formation and training of the volunteer artillery and rifle companies , are quite refreshing from the spirit and enthusiasm to which they testify . From the north , tho report is particularly gratifying . Tho Edinburgh Regiment is tho first of tho now volunteer corps that has had tho honour to turn out fully armed and equipped to wait upon the Queen . On occasion of her Majesty ' s departure from Edinburgh on Saturday morning the regiment lined a portion of Holyrood Park , and presented arms as the royal procession passed . On leaving the park they were marched up to tho Castle Esplanade , where they were addressed by tho Lord
Provost Melville , their colonel , who had tha t morning received the honour of knighthood .. Sir John Melville said : — " Gentlemen , I have great pleasure in congratulating you this morning on the large numbers who have been enabled to attend her Majesty . I have it in command from the Queen to say that her Majesty observed the regiment , and was particularly pleased and struck with the soldierlike demeanour which they presented in the Queen ' s Park this morning . Major Davidson , the acting commanding officer , expressed his deep gratification at from the
receiving such a gracious message Queen . At Glasgow a similar compliment has been paid to the Lanarkshire Volunteers , who furnished the guard of honour at the opening of the Loch Katrine Waterworks . At Birkenhead four companies oi the Cheshire Volunteers elicited the marked a pprobation of the Queen and her husband . The Bristol regiment is perfectly efficient , and as fine a body oi men as any brigadier would wish to see under his command ; while from every town in the kingdom we hear of some new steps being taken to promote
efficiency in the local corps . Singular in the absurdity of its arrangements and its mismanagement appears the much be-puffed " London Rifle Brigade , " which there can be little doubt is a mere vehicle for more City jobbing and turtle-feeding . The " council" have collected a large sum of money from the generous merchants and traders of the metropolis , but they have not a single recruit , nor is it likely they will have . The public indignation and ridicule has been at length fairly awakened , and it is possible that these persons may be called to give an account of their stewardship . Their last absurdity was the appointment of a regimental " architect . "
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THE NATIONx \ L . DEFENCES . Two veteran officers , Sir Maurice Bebkelet and Sir Charles Napier , have-this week published their thoughts upon , this head , more particularly as regards our . ships and sailors . Admiral Bei-keley writes to Sir Francis T . Baring , and his letter discusses the best method of manning the navy , and of securing the defence of the Channel . The problem is , How to man the Royal Navy on a sudden emergency—how to obtain thousands of skilled artisans almost at an hour ' s warning . " Impressment is , of course , out of the question , and the Coast Volunteers are not available * because they are not obliged to go uore thj . li a hundred- kayuc-s from the slu-re , and even if they did the coast would be left undefended . Admiral Berkeley makes a very important suggestion with regard to the defence of the Channel , which would render the coast volunteers available ,
and largely increase their numbers . He urges on strong grounds that we ought to have a Channel force quite independent of the Channel or any other fleet . " This force , " he says , " should be ever at hand ; it should be marked and appropriated for Channel service , and Channel service only . No temptation should iuduce us to divert it from its intended purposenamely to give security to our shores , and to relieve the country from those fits of occasional panic and negligent security which have already entailed upon us such enormous expenses . " Kven if the Channel fleet were defeated at sea such ' a force would still be
sufficient to protect our shores from actual invasion , This Channel force should mainly consist of gunboats . They would be least exposed to attack , while their fire would be as destructive as that from the largest man-of-war . There would be no difficulty about manning them cither . With a fleet of these boats the mouth of the Channel would prove the jaws of death to an invading squadron . " In the present day ( says Admiral Berkeley ) one projectile from the pigmy striking mast , yard , or bowsprit , of the nursuintr sriant , down it must come ; indeed , it and the
might be lodged in a more vital part , consequences be more serious than even tho loss of a spar ; and it must be remembered hovv large the target to bo aimed at on the ono hand , and how small the target on tho other Let us have a swarm of theso Pigmies and Cockchafers ; they would be tho force of all others to provont invasion under all and every circumstance . Brand them for Channel service , and that alone . On another important subject , he writes : — " Cherbourg appears tobe the great buicbear of the day ; for England it is the best port in which tho French fleet could rendezvous . In whatever port Franco ( toing our enemy ) has a fleet , there wo must have one in attendance ; the further fwim our shores tho worst for us . Cherbourg can
easily—most easily—bo watched from Splthead , or better still from Portland . " Sir Charles Napier ' s letter to tho Duke of Somerset indicates mnny points of detail on which , at little or no expense to the country , improvements might be made-considerably to the satisfaqtipn of the sailor . A little more judgment In deuHng with tho men on their first joining j a little more attention to their comforts and wants > a little better management in tho matter of discipline ;
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No 500 . Oct . 22 ; 1859-1 THE LEADEB . 1169
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Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 22, 1859, page 1169, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2317/page/5/
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