The Express.
London, England, 1855-04-18 00:00:00

LAUNCH OF TWO FLOATING BATTERIES.

Yesterday afternoon two of the five floating bat-
teries which are building by the river were laumbed from
the yard of Kern. Mare and Co., at Blackwell. They are
istesdod for operating on the forts in the Beide, and were
designed by a Preach engineer. They an between 2,000
and 3,000 tom burden, flat bottomed, and mod
stun sad stars ; bombproof deck 12 inches thick, end en-
tirely sawed in plates of wrought iron of four inches thick-
ness, th, whole weight of w►ie.t exceeds 800 tons.
It i• 4:outland that they will be impregnable to
lay attack from the heaviest metal. Their length is 175
feat ; width, 4¢ feet i as& 17 fist depth of held. They are
fitted with a screw proNtlier, sad worked isy two .tocoaie.tva

horizostal engines of 75 horse power mi. The fighting
deck is protected or covered by the top or shot proof deck.
They were pierced to carry b 2 gust, but their arostinsot
will only consist of 16. They, however, will be of the nose

formidable character. The two batteries launched were
named the Meteor and the Thunder. lhe latter i.ed her
steam up before she was sent off the stocks. Both are to
proceed to Sheerness, and to be equipped fur "orrice with all
expedition. The battens' Mottos and Treaty, in Messrs.
Green's yard at Blackwell, ars to be launched today. The
Bine, bedding in Messrs. Scott Bussl's yard, asking the
fifth, is completed, sad will be Washed in the coarse of the
week.

PLYMOUTH, TrisoAT.

The Adelaide, mew steam transport, arrived here
this afternoon from lb. Black See, haring put into this port
s►ort of coals. She left Constantinople on the 24th of

March ; Malta, 90th ; Gibraltar, 9th April.

She ex.

periencwd contrary winds on the passage. She brings the
following invalids from the seat of war: Colonel Bell, let
Royale ; Captain and Mrs. Benson, 28th Regiment ;
Captain Brendcn, It A, in charge of invalids ; Lieutenant
Peace, 90th Regiment ; Lieutenant Kirkpatrick, 28th Re-
giment ; Assistant Surgeon Abbott, 41st Regiment ; St►ff
Surgeon Ewing, in charge of the invalids, and 175 rank
and file wounded invalids from the various regiments. Five
men died en the voyage. The Adelaide is coaling in the
Sound, and will sail probably during the night for the
eastward.

Forty-fin horses, one officer and one sergeant, one cor-
poral and 27 privates of the 13th Light Dragoons arrived
here to-day by train from Yeovil, and immediately pro.
seeded to the Victualling-yard, where they embarked on
beard the transport Wide-Awake for the Crimea.

PORTSMOUTH, Aram 17.
In consequence of the fewness of troops in this
garrison, • number of the dockyard sentries have been
withdrawn, and their plume have been filled to-day by
labourers belonging to the yard. Thirty poets guarded by
the military have already been transferred from the garrison
to the dockyard (or protection, and others will be so when
the necessary arrangements are made. This steaseire,
although having its origin in the tango already mentioned,
is expected to be • permanent arrangement. as it is intended
to hattalionise the labourers employed on the duty. The
advisability of extending the Weil protection of the yard in
lieu of the military has been urged for some time past.
The Oxford regiment of militia, about 600 strong, has
arrived from Oxford in this guru's this and yesterday
afternoon, for embarkation ler foreign Benito. Bead
quarters came down to-day. The regiment is expested to
be sent to Corfu.
-

The Lightning, 3, ream vessel, LietVenent commanding
J. C. Campbell, sailed to-day for the Baltic, where she was
of so such service lest year, in piloting the larger ships,
buoying the various (shanties, Re.
The Britannia, 120, fitting se a hospital ship, was disgusted
to-day, and is to be docked to-morrow.
The Jeeps?, screw gunboat, • as brought over from Menu.
White's building yard, at Cowes, yesterday, and was docked
te•day. She goes to the Baltic.
The .E flue, shell msgssins, for the Baltic, has been cots-
! missioned by Master W. Bryant.
Rear Admiral Baynes, C. 13., re hoisted his flog on board
the Retribution, 28, paddle frigate, yesterday evening, prior
to main for the Baltic.
The Indians, screw transport, sailed to-day ',for South-
-81.4=, tis be refitted.
p ship Nu. 47 arrived in harbour to-d►y front the
Themes.
Southampton, American picket, also arrived at Spithead
to-day, to take in pawners for New York.

ADMIRALTY, APRIL 17.--APPOINTMENTM.—Com-
"sanders : B A. Glynn (1348) and B F. N. K. Wale, (1850),
to he Inspecting Commanders of the Cnaat Guard.
Liecenant W. E. Stone (1843), to the Childers, 12, at
Chatham.

Twenty-one artillerymen left Southampton yes.
',lt'd*? for Gibraltar, as eseml-clan paseengers, on board
the Peninsular mail packet Madrid. More artillerymen
will be sent out in the Peninsular mail packet, on the 27th
inst., for the same place.
The war transports Medway and Indiana arrived at
Southampton yesterday, to be overhauled, previous to their
departure again for the Crimea.
The last batch of Guards sent out to the Crimea
were armed with Brown Bete instead of the Mind rifle.
Much surprise has been expressed in naval circles
that the Bret-lieutenant of the Marine Artillery on board
the Tiger was not called at the late court-martial on the
lose of that ship, although he was I. Portsmouth for that
purpose. He fought the forecastle gun on board the Tiger
, when she was ashore, and, in fact, the only gun that was
fought on hoard of her, and he could no doubt have given
valuable evidente as to the effectiveness of the gun, and
whether the ship mild have held out until the other men of
war who were is the neighbourhood could have rendered
tke Tiger assistance.
THE RIMS, a fine merchant vessel, of 800 tons,
taken as a Russian prize and brought to Woolwich, left
yesterday for Cherbourg with the Russian prisoners on
board, the British government having ordered that she
should be delivered over to the Freask goverment.
The militia-men who are releassd'from further ser-
vice for the year are to be emeifiered la a disembodied state,
and are eligible for enlismest tateemee ape& proper
discharge certificates being Waimod tram= often com-
manding their regiments.

BANQUET TO THE PRBFST OF THE SEINE
AND THE MEMBERS OF THE MUNICIPAL
BODY OF PARIS.

Yesterday evening the Sheriffs of London and
Middlesex, Heavy Muggeridge, Esq., Alderman, sad
Charles Denham Crosley, Esq., gave a magnificent enter-

taininent, at the Albion Tavern, Aldersgai;street, to the
Profit of the Seine, M. Delangle, Senator Pelona*, Senator
Thayer, Senator Gerstein Thibault, M. Ferrier de Tour-
reties, and K. Mille. There were alma present, the Lord
Mayor, Mr. Under-Sheriff Ferrer and Mr. Under. Sheriff
Crosby; the Bev. Mr. Gregory aad the Bay. Mr. Bridge,
c►aplains to the respective Sheriffs ; the RI.. Mr. Moon, Sir
B. W. Carden, Sir J. Duke, M.P., Alderman Cntdtt, M.P.,
I'. Blakey, Beg., M.P., Sir J. Key, Bart., Alderman
Salmons, Alderman Wire, Alderman Carter, Alderman

Wilson, Deputy Holt, Deputy Harrison, Deputy Dakin,
Display Radtke*, Deputy gebbell, Mr. Andsrtes, Mr.

Lloyd, Mr. Phillip,, Mr. Mew, the Reseesabreseer, Mr.
Nichol, Mr. T. Tyrrell, Mr. Leerier*, Mr. Maguey, Mr.
Ambrose Moore, Mr. T. uasui, Mr. C. Vitali.

Mr. 13herindroonstwon, who presided, having proposed
the usual loyal toss, which were duly responded to,
Mr. Sheriff CAUL= proposed " The health of the
Emperor and Sevres of French," which was drank
with the greatest enthusiasm.
The Prefect of the Munn, in returning thanks, u-
praised his strong conviction that the interests of both cone-
trier, and especially the interests of humanity, pointed out
the &Maas of England and Frans as the surest means of
presarvieg the peas of the world. The Prefect was loudly
cheered throughout his speech, and at the essehwien alit the
isempany, upstanding, gave three hearty chum and one
cheer sore for the Ensurer and Empress of the French.
The other toasts were—" The Prefect of the Seise,"
and " The Meshes of the Legislative and Municipal
," " The Sheriffs and Corporation of Landis," 45.,
and the contuay did not separate till near midnight.
The dinner, which was served in t gallant style, was net
ordered till a few hours Wore the gusts assembled to par-
, take of It, and the number wee suddenly Mortised from 60
ID am* 100.