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No 494. Sept. 10, 1859-] THE LEADER. 102...
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NAVAL AND MILITARY. One of Sir William A...
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THE VOLUNTEERS. A clever letter in the T...
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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The Strikes. The Master Builders Have Re...
an assent to the " document . " Since our last issue , a great many meetings have been held in the Drovinces in support of . the men on strike and locked-out , and considerable sums contributed on their behalf . About 190 men who struck at the establishment of the Messrs . Trollope were ^ Mondav last paid by the Conference , the skilled men I ' s each , and the labourers 8 s . each , while 3 s . was given to each of the locked-out . We are informed that at the weekly meeting of the lrades Delegates on Tuesday next , in all probability the 1 000 / . which the engineers have held out the hope of" bestowing will be handed over by them .
THE PADIHAM STlilKE . The result of an interview between some of the Padiham manufacturers and their operatives , at Whalley , is likely to lead to . a partial , if not sin entire resumption of labour in the mills of Padiham , which have now been standing for upwards of twenty-four weeks . The deputations met the manufacturers by special appointment . The interview was sought as a means to bring about negotiations , and in tliis the operatives were successful . THE BIKMIKGHAM GUN TRADE .
The strike of the " screwers" employed by the Birmingham contractors for small arms , for the Government has I > een settled by arbitration . This took place on Monday afternoon , and occupied several hours ; . the result of the award was that the men are to receive the amount they demanded ( 4 s . 6 d . ) for the particular class of work of the constabulary gun . . THE STRIKE IK DUBLIN . The Freeman ' s Journal intimates that the differences between the master-builders and the carpenters have been adjusted , the former having of their own accord adopted the terras proposed by the tradesmen . It is added ¦ . that all hands are now employed , and that the most amicable relationship is established between the two parties ; .
No 494. Sept. 10, 1859-] The Leader. 102...
No 494 . Sept . 10 , 1859- ] THE LEADER . 1025
Naval And Military. One Of Sir William A...
NAVAL AND MILITARY . One of Sir William Armstrong ^ gun s , an eightypounder , forged at the Elswick factory , was tested in the long range at Shoeburyne « s on Thursday last , in the presence of the Ordnance Select Committee of Woolwich Arsenal , and gave the most wonderful results as regards accuracy , & c . The flight obtained was 9 , 000 yards , or upwards of live miles . This tremendous' weapon is outdone , however ( according to report ) by . another of which we have the following account : —A most wonderful long-range cannon , invented by Mr . Jeffries , patentee of the well-known marine glue , is in course of being mounted in the Royal Arsenal , Woolwich , for experiments at Shoeburyness . Its range or flight of shot is spoken of as certain to eclipse every other weapon hitherto known : The gun , with its present bore —nanioly , a three-inch diameter—weighs 7 tons ,
and presents ah appearance ( with the exception of the present calibre ) similar to one of our G 8-pounders . The charge will consist of 16 Ib . of powder , and a conically-shaped shot , weighted with lead to 9 lb ., and hollowed , similarly to the Minie bullet , which it is presumed will be . propelled fifteen or twenty miles . Mr . Jeffries , it is stated , has asserted his conviction that it would carry from J ) over to Calais . It is the intention of the authorities to carry out a varied and complicated course of experiments under the inspection of the Select Committee of Woolwioh Arsenal . After being satisfied of its power in its present form , the bore will be progressively increased to a 08-pouniler . To enable the gunners to point the gun , tho trunnions will be fitfed with a couple of telescopes , to assist tho eye over the enormous range predicted .
The non-commissioned officers and men of the various cavalry and infantry regiments who last week arrived at the invalid establishment from CnU cutta , were marcjied up to Fort Pitt Hospital for tho purpose of being medically inspected , in order to enable tho authorities to ascertain how many are fit for ' further service . The result of tho inspection showed that with only a few exceptions tho whole of tho men will have to bo discharged . Orders have boon issued by the Admiralty for the following eorow steamers , building at Portsmouth Dockyard , to bo brought forward for launching in October—viz , the Victoria , 131 guns s the Prince of Wales , 131 guns , mid tho Duncan , 101 guns . Tlit Irresistible sorow steamer , 400-horso powor and 80 guns , is to bo launched at Chatham on the 20 th of October . Tho screw steam frigate Galatea , sister ship to tho Ariadne , la nearly , ready for launching at Woolwich .
Everybody in Toulon is inquiring tho destination of tho numerous Hoot of war steamers ai ) d steuiu transports which are . waiting in tho roads' for orders either to bo laid , up in ordinary or to proceed to the French ports on the Atlantic . It is expected that tho steam frigates Descartes , AlUtross . Cafiarclli ,
Orenoque , Magellan , Panama , Sanc > . and Darien , together with ' the transports Nievre and the Seine , will shortly sail from Toulon . The Meuse had Sailed from Marseilles' to receive the machinery for the frigate Astree , which is about to be launched at Lorient . The screw transport Yonne is about to sail from . Toulon with horses and mules for the French possessions in the Atlantic Ocean . Captain Norton has just concluded some experiments in order to demonstrate the method by which sporting guns can be utilised as military arms , and the ordinary muzzle - loading patent breech sporting guns rendered available for military
purposes , the result being of a highly satisfactory nature . Captain Norton proposes to use the gossamer cartridges with a close fitting spherical bullet , inclosed in a thin greased patch of elastic cotton net . Several of these gossamer cartridges , used as described , were fired from an ordinary sporting gun , all with the best effect . The same description of cartridge was then used in firing one of his shells from a grooved ritte , having a patent breech , the trials with which were deemed to be equally satisfactory to the Royal Engineer officers present , to whom Captain Norton explained the principles of his discovery .
A man named Davis , belonging to the garrison of Woolwich , was flogged last week with some others , for theft and desertion . A most revolting account of the execution of the sentence of the court-martial forthwith appeared in the leading journal , stating that the man ' s back previous to the flogging was " covered with a mass of large inflated boils , " that the infliction of the punishment under these circumstances was so terrible that twenty officers and men who were spectators fainted away , while the yells and cries of the sufferer were maddening . The whole story is proved to be a gross exaggeration ,
the man had only two small pustules on one shoulder ; he was one of the worst characters in the regiment ; instead of being a " raw recr . uit , " as described , he was a well known individual , one of those who run from one corps and join another for the sake of the bounty . Davis had practised this- dodge frequently . The . so-called veterans who fainted were recruits who had just joined ; all the other circumstances have been equally highly coloured . Several journals have taken it up very warmly , and produced ' indignation" leaders on the subject , and " plain John Bright'' was very great upon , the matter at Huddersfield .
While we are building , refitting , ami altering some of our men-of-war at huge expense , some of them do but little credit to the Royal Navy . The screw steamship , Amphion , now . at Sheerness , has been sent out ou a trial trip , during which , from the defective state of her sternpost and after body , the leaks were so bad that the after bread-room had to be cleared to prevent ¦ her Dread stores being damaged by salt water . Previously to her leaving the harbour her mainmast was being stayed up , when the purchase fall was belayed to one of the bulk-head timbers . A serious accident was nearly occurring by the bulk-head timber breaking offshort . It was then found that the timber and all the frame by which the fore rigging was secured were perdiscontent is
fectly deoayed by dry rot . Groat manifested by her crew , who say they are to be sent to sea in their coffin , and they only want a chance to get the " It . " put against their names . They like their captain and officers , but they will not go to sea in a leaky ship . Still worse accounts come from other quarters . The following is an extract of a letter from Her Majesty ' s ship Vixen , dated Callao , July 24 : — "We were much disappointed on our arrivul here at not finding our orders for England , utter the many representations that have been made about the rotten condition of tho ship . When at Puenta Arenas tho Ilavannah survcyod us , and it was found that if we did not get a . new sponson beam soon , it waa very likely that the first gale we met would , carry away the paddlebox and wheel ; carrying with it a portion of the ship ' s sido . The pivot gun was stowed below to prevent , if possible , tho stern falling out . Tho
ship ' s side being much worm-eaten , it wus recommended that she would bo coppered one sheet higher up , to prevent , if possible , the worms' further ravages . As these repairs could not bo inado good in Central America , wo have come down hero and have again boon surveyed by tho Amethyst . They found the ship in rather worse condition than the Havannuh ' s survey did . Captain Greufell , Commander Lambert , tho Master commanding tho Naiad , the Master of tho Amethyst , ' Lieutenant Davios , of the Amethyst , and two carpouters , have condemned tho ship , and have recommended that she should bo Immediately sent home , keeping tho coast on board aa far as possible , so as to bo able to run her ashore if it bo found necessary . J s not this u pretty state of things ? Wo arc all buying life-bolts , but you must not bo surprised if you never eeo ue , but , instead , some morning road some comments in the columns of tho Times on tho
missing Vixen and the supposed fate of her officers and crew . "' . The promised reforms in the empire of ' . Austria are faintly "foreshadowed by some improvements in the military departments : —" ' The . uniform of the Austrian infantry , " a letter from Vienna states , " is about to undergo a complete change ; . the white jackets are to be abolished , and the troops will have tunics and trousers of a blueish grey . The belts and accoutrements are to be in black leather . Although the uniform Avill lose m elegance , it will lead t a great saving both to the state and to private individuals . The new organisation which the regiments of the line are to ' undergo will considerably restrict the rights of the proprietors of regiments , as they will no longer have the nomination of the officers . This reform will be in the interest of the arrav , and will put an end to a mass of abuses . "
The Volunteers. A Clever Letter In The T...
THE VOLUNTEERS . A clever letter in the Times , from " Snap-Shot , " points out the desirableness of the volunteers possessing the best weapon they can select ; and especially notices the excellent practice which can be made by rifled breach-loaders—ten shots in a minute for instance . Breach-loaders are fast becoming general for sporting purposes , their superiority being so evident , and it seems therefore that if left to the corps to choose for themselves this description of gun would be adopted by most of them . The Government , however , by its injudicious regulations binds every volunteer to act the " slow and not always sure , Enfield ; " whereas , it ought to use every means , which common sense can dictate , to render these irregular forces as effective as possible . excellent
Mr . Beresford Hope , in the course of an speech , to the Weald of Kent Rifle Club , showed the necessity of perseverance and-energy on the part of the members . He said , " The object of the rifle corps is to make men complete soldiers , in the way of being marksmen , so as to be able ¦ to ; pick off their men , how to march in drill , and go through the various evolutions which they are compelled to do . But these two accomplishments—learning to drill and to shoot—are , it is very clear , most important ; and the most difficult is to learn to shoot , . Therefore , if you learn to shoot you do the first great thing that is requisite . Now , we know that if these rifle corps are to be of any use in . case of need they must not be considered as a mere amusement , to be left off when you are tired , as at cricket or any other recreation ; they are established for really hard work , in order to enable you to defend your country , when unhappily the defence of the country should be needed at
home . The Council of the London Rifle Brigade meet weekly ; but we have not heard of their doing much except collecting money , nor has any account of the number of volunteers who have joined it been published yet . They have settled the uniform , and are promising to hold some public meetings . At . the last weekly council Lord Elclio announced that the arrangements for constituting a committee to promote national gatherings ( for prizes ) , were in procress , and that the Right Hon . Sidney Herbert , M . P ., had kindly consented to be president , and that Earl Spencer and the Lord Mayor had agreed to be vice-presidents .
. In Surrey we are gratified to rend that the Elmbridge Rifle Corps which was set on foot by gentlemen of that neighbourhood , is not confined to men of their own station ; but that out of their subscribed funds they furnish uniforms and accoutrements for thuir humbler comrades , who would otherwise be prohibited from joining . At Richmond a local committee has tried in vain up to tho present time to form a company of GO nieii ; their efforts have only resulted in It sub-division . with
In Devonshire things aro going on somo spirit . Tho riflo companies recently forhiea in Exeter now number 112 men . Thoy arc rogular in their attendance at drill , and have made most satisfactory-progress . Ki « es have boon supplied to tho members , and some of the young men * roalro « uly reported to be eood shots . Tho Wood bury Artillery Corps progresses satisfactorily . At froNvoy and Wadebrhlgo ( Cornwall ) , public meetings have boon hold , and resolutions for the establishment of riflo corps were passed . At tho former place fifty have already joined . The uiemburs of the Ipswich Riflo Corps have assumed their uniform . The short Enflold rifle is to bo used . Stops have been taken witji a view to tho frirm / itloii of companies at liuugay and Sloatord ..
At King ' s Lynn tho strength of tho corps formed lias increased during tho past week from fifty-two to seventy , of whom forty undertake to pay tho expense for their equipment , while the remainder are rlggod , out " by tho subscriptions of gentlemen willing to contribute money , but not able or inclined to bear arms themselves .
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Sept. 10, 1859, page 5, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_10091859/page/5/
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