IT is now two years since, in conjunction with other plans, we reviewed this novel and ingenious mode of lowering boats, and we then emphatically declared our opinion as to its value, and expressed our hope that it might meet with that encouragement from ship-owners, steam companies, and the Government authorities, to which it appeared to us to be entitled. During the above-named period, we are happy to say that it has made rapid progress, and is now extensively in use; whilst the high encomiums passed on it in all quarters fully justify the favourable opinion we entertained of it when but yet in its infancy. We now again draw attention to it, hoping that our doing so may be instrumental to making its merits more universally known, and thus lead to its still more general adoption. We also feel it due to Mr. CLIFFORD, that we should thus publicly acknowledge the extraordinary zeal, energy, and public spirit which he has exhibited amidst difficulties and discouragements of no ordinary kind; and without the exertion of which, we believe that no step would yet have been taken to render the process of lowering boats at sea more safe and expeditious than of yore, and with- out which the public would have been thus deprived of a highly useful and most im- portant invention.

We are happy to say that the Emigration Commissioners now require all ships char- tered by them to have their boats fitted with Mr. CLIFFORD'S apparatus-that the Board of Admiralty, after receiving the highest testimonials of its value from the Captains of several men-of-war in which it had been experimentally fitted, have ordered its general adoption, both in the vessels of the Royal Navy and in the Transport Service- that the East India Company have directed that it shall be fitted to all their vessels of war-and that the example has been fol- lowed by several of our large steam com- panies. Even during the short time that it has been in use, and that to a very limited extent, it has been the means in several Cases of saving lives. From H.M.S. sljannon, twice on her passage to the Cape- from the emigrant ships, Cc-mnwdore Perry, Blwxdell, Washington Irving, Hqlikq, Black Iiizgle, and Ebba Brahe, .and from the Transatlantic, belonging to Messrs. THOMP- SON, of Aberdeen-have lives been saved by the ready and almost instantaneous means for lowering a boat ready manned, which Mr. CLIFFORD’S plan affords ; and in each of these cases have the officers in command given their written testimony to the value of the invention, in two instances admitting that such would have been the danger of lowering the boats by the ordinary tackles, in consequence of the heavy sea running, that they would not have felt justified in risking the lives of their crews in attempting the operation.

NOW, it must be remembered that all the above cases have occurred within the past twelve months, attended by the drawbacks naturally attendant on a new invention, which, although simple, is perfectly novel in its mechanical action and mode of applica- tion. What a vast number of lives may not then in prospective be saved through its instrumentality, when all ships that carry outside boats have them so fitted ! In illustration of the entire trustworthiness . __ and perfect safety of the plan, as also of Mr. CLIFFORD'S confidence in it, and of his own energetic character, we mey state that, during the last two years, he has himself not only personally superintended the fitting of the appardtns in nearly every instance of its first adaptation, but that he has been lowered literally hundreds of times in boats so fitted on their first experimental trials, fquently when proceeding in steamers rapidly through the water, in order to show its practical efficiency and to give confidence to those about to use it for the first time.

We are of opinion that Mr. CLIFFORD is entitled to the greatest credit for thus per- severingly carrying out his invaluable plan, constantly in the face of the prejudices and difficulties of no ordinary kind, such as so often beset the way of the inventor. “We think him the more entitled to credit in that be is not by profession a sailor, and that nearly his whole time and labour, for the space of three years, to the detriment of his worldly and pecuniary interests in his proper calling, have been consumed in this work.- Very great additional loss has been also en- tailed on him by experimental and travelling expenses in effecting his determination to bring, if possible, into general use, an inven- tion which experience has now shown he was justified in considering to be one of great, and even national importance.

From what we have ourselves seen of Mr. CLIFFORD, we .feel sure that his chief reward will be the knowledge that he has rendered an important service to suffering humanity; but nevertheless we trust that the Government, the commercial and ship- ping community, and indeed all those who are directly or indirectly benefited by the invention, will together aid, if not in a sub- stantial remuneration to Mr. CLIFFORD, in acknow-ledgment of his public service, at least to remove the stigma that he has been suffered to accomplish it only at great pe- cuniary loss.