The Express.
London, England, 1861-03-11 00:00:00

The Weber WOOLWICH, MARCH 10.
, paddle steam vessel, Wan yesterday
commissioned at this yard by Commander Johns,
ordered to have a crew of CZ men, to be employed for the
surveying service oe the Danube. The Weser was formerly
a Prussian vessel, but was exchanged by the Prussian go-
vernment some years since for a ves4ll of the British navy.
She left Woolwich recently with a full crew for foreign
service, but before leaving the Channel she was found to
leak to such an extent, that she was condemned as dan..
OlLreturned to Woolwich, and her crew transferred.
since undergone repairs, but is *till one of the most
unpopular vessels amongst Mitish seamen in the royatuavy.
PORTSMOUTH, MARCH 10(1
Her Majesty's screw lice-of-battle ship Marl-
borough 131 guns, Captain W. H. Stewart, C. 8., arrived at
Spithead this morning from the Mediterranean, and ex-
changed the customary salutes with the ViMory, flagehip
of the Commander-in-Chief at this port. She left Corf on
the 15th of February, Malta on the 21st, and Gibraltar on
the 3rd of March. She made the purge house under
steam, calms having prevailed the whole of the way until
reaching the Bay of where she experienced a con-
siderable swell. The Ma borough his brought home a few
invalids, who were transhipped to the Sprightly, and con-
veyed on board the Victory, the serious cases *tog removed
to Hasler Hospital. She is under ordert to aline into har-
bour to pay off, and will afterward. be recommissiosed by
Captain Stewart, for further service in the Mediterranean,
as the flag-ship of Vice-Admiral W. F. Martin, whose Bag
is at premot Hying on board the Omar, 91. Both the ship
and the machinery are reported to be in good order, and
but few defects will have to be made good at this port.
Many of the present crew have already volunberad for
further service in the Marlborough.

Major the Hon. Wm. Charles Yelrerton' R.A.,
Lad an interview with Colonel Chu. Bingham, Deputy-
Adjutant-Ceneral of the Royal Artillery, on Saturday, at
the Hone-Guards, _ _

Tae CHINA WAR Mande.—The annexed gene-
ral order has been promulgated :—"The Queen having been
graciously pleased to command that a medal similar to that
grunted by her Majesty in 1842 dell be conferred upon all
the officers and soldiers of her Majesty's army and Indian
foram employed in the operations in Chins, which restalted
I. the capture of the city of Pekin, and that clasps inscribed
' Canton, 1867," Taku Forts, 1860,' and ' Pekin, 1860,' be
granted to such of her Majesty's forces as may have been
engaged in those services ; and further, that au
additional clasp, inscribed ' China, 1842,' shall be
granted to such of her Majesty's forces as may
have received the medal granted in commemo-
ration of the former operations, and who have also
been engaged in the war recently terminated; his Royal
Highness the General Cononsading-iu-Chief desires that
this mark of her Majesty's gracious approbation of the ser-
vices of that portion of her forces employed under Major-
General Sir Charles T. Van Straubensee, H.C.B. and
Lieutenant-General Mr James Hope Grant, 0.C.8., in
1&57 and 1860 respectively, shall be published in the general
radon of the army. The general officer commanding the
forces in China has been instructed to furnish nominal lista
of the officers, non-commissioned officers, and men entitled
to receive the honourable distinction which it is her Majesty's
•~eaewos intention to bestow upon them.—By commend of
his Royal Highness the General Commanding-in-Chief,
JAMBS Yoecz Ficmuzrr, Adjutant-General.
DILATE or GIRRBAL SIR ARCHIBALD MACLAINE,
Y.V.B.—The eolotieley of the 62nd (Oxfordshire) sRegiment
of Foot has become vacant by the death of General Sir
Archibald Mackie% EC. 8., who expired on Saturday last,
at his head in Gwoberlandwtreet.

P127810N 10 CAPTAIN fk7;1178 WIDOW. —The fol-
lowing paragraph has been going the rounds of the press :
"We are informed that the Lords of the Admiralty have made
we of the ditcretionary power in their possession, and
awarded a pension of 1201. per annum to the widow of the
pliant and lamented Captain John McNeill Boyd. The
pension under ordinary carcamstances would have been only
901." The truth ia, Mn. Boyd, her lamented husband having
lost his life in "an immediate act of duty," is entitled to
a pension of 1501. ; and had the "discretionary power" of the
Admiralty been fully exerted, Mn. Boyd might have had a
pension of 2001. by memorialising the queen in council. No
one ever died in a better cause than Captain Boyd. Had he
been "killed in action," he oould not have met a more
glorious death ; and so far from the afflicted widow owing
anything to Admiralty sympathy or liberality, she is
awarded a sum 30/. a year lees than her putt due.—
Mind Barnet Ganne.

THE PROPOSID SHAY PTOWI /MAR BRIOWPON.-
Rumours are afloat that the proposed sham fight by the
volunteer forces of the metropolis is to be marred by oppo-
mitten on the part of certain commanding officers, and that
an antagonistic demonstration is to be got up, on Easter
Monday, in much closer proximity to the metropolis than
Brighton. It is stated that in consequence of influences
brought to bear upon Colonel Hicks, the City of London
Rifle Brigade havedeserted the Brighton sham fight standard,
and that the North Middlesex and several other large me-
tropolitan corps have, through their commanding officers,
been invited also to abandon that proposal, and join the
Queen's (Westminster), the Civil Service, the London
Scottish, the London Irish, the Inns of Court, and
other regiments, in a brigade and field day on Easter
Monday, or in a demonstration in or near the metropolis.
Among the arrangements being made with respect to the
proposed sham fight near Brighton, on Easter Monday, are
the following . the London and Brighton the charge is
not to exceed Is. 6d. to and from Brighton for privates, and
officers at ss. first class ; but in cases where the ordinary
third elm fare would not amount to the rum mentioned
for privates the Is. 6d. will not be charged. Trains are to
leave London-bridge and Victoria Stations at these fares on
Saturday, the 30th, at half-past five p.m., and nine a.m. on
Sunday, March 31st. The South Eastern Railway Company
will provide special trains to carry volunteers from Margate,
agate, Dover. Folkestone, Canterbury, and Ashford ;
frames ptreoa, Chatham, ItocheMer, Marinette, and Tun-
bridge Wells ; from Reading, Guildford, Dorking, and Rei-
gate. Volunteers in uniform, with arms, are to be charged
lees than the ordinary low excursion fares. Commanding
officers of corps intending to take part in the sham fight are
to be furnished with full particulars of the arrangements
for trains on Fader Monday, but they are to be such that
all volunteers will reach London between 8 and 11 p.m.
Officers' horses will be seat by the ordinary trains on Satur-
day and Sunday, at 11. return fare. A special train for
hones at 5 o'clock on Sunday morning. Railway tickets
will in a few days be forwarded to the commanding officers
of the corps to be engaged for distribution among their men,
from whom they will receive payment. No such tickets to
he issued after Saturday, the' .3rd inst.
ST. PATRICK'S Dar AND THE LONDON IRISH
Ring Voterrrizan.—Lieutenant-Colonel the Marquis of
Dooegall baa announced that his Royal Highness the Duke
of Osmkridgs is to preside at the annual festival of the
Benevolent Society of St. Patrick, on Saturday next, the
16th, at the Freenissons Tavern, and that the corps wilt
furnish a guard of honour, accompanied by the band, on the
«anion. Were requested to state that the Loudon Irish
Rifle Volunteers are unconnected Olivia/1y with any dinner
appointed for St. Patrick's Day, other than that which is
to take place at tits. Freemasons' 'ravens.
GRAND VOLUNTEER RIVIEW IN THE MIDLAND
Courrise.—Arrangements are now being entered into for
the bolding of a grand review at Warwick on the 22nd of
July of the Rifle Volunteers in the Midland Counties, viz.,
Warwickehire, Staffordshire, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire,
Herefordshire, Shrupshise, Northamptoushire, Leicester.
shire, Nottinghanuldre, and Derbyshire. The sanction of
the Horse Guards authorities has been obtained and the
Commander-in-Child will be invited to review the Volun-
teers in person.