The Sun.
London, England, 1855-06-04 00:00:00

THE ROYAL IRISH FUSILIERS

Drawing the recruits for it directly from the Irish Con-
stabulary, a proceeding which might readily be accom-
plished within four or five weeks from the date of its
commencement. Once raised, the new regiment of
Guards—the Royal Irish Fusiliers--might be in readi-
ness, almost immediately, to start for the Crimea, there
to join their older compeers the Scots Fusiliers, the
Grenadiers, and the Coldstreams. The officers for it
might be judiciously and gracefully selected from other
regiments peculiarly Hibernian in character and already
at the seat of war, regiments such, for example, as
the 18th Royal Irish, the 27th, the 87th, and the
88th—some of them distinguished both of late in the
Crimean, and of old in the Iberian, peninsula. Promo-
tions being accorded by right of merit, and the whole
project completed under the shelter of recent im-
provements and in the light of recent experience.
These, sir, are my suggestions. They apply compre-
hensively to the organisation of an ample and solid
Reserve to be assembled at the Aldershott encampment.
They apply directly and immediately to the substantial
increase of our forces before Sebastopol. I cannot but
think that twofold advantages might in this manner be
derived at once from the efficient body already existing
under the title of the Irish Constabulary. As to the
raising of au entirely new regiment of Guards out of that
body— a regiment to be numbered among the body-
guards of the Sovereign—that I cannot but conceive
would constitute an attestation of the intimate union,
and blending together of our diverse races into one grand
and absorbing nationality, such as would have been
grateful to the heart of Grattan, and regarded as a boon
even by the fastidious patriotism of the Pberator.
Remember—the old Irish harp, and the red lion of
the Scotch are already quartered on the Royal banner of
England. Let the three great races henceforth be in-
corporated tbrough their representatiVes in the heroic
Guards of Great Britain—so that more conspicuously
even than hitherto, side by side, Englishma`n, Irishman;
Scotchman—
" Man to man the world o'er
Shall brothers be and a' that !"
I have the honour to subscribe myself, sir,
CIVIS BRITANNICUS.
Batitittune, 1855.
1141(
NAVAL 4

OMILITABY INTELLIGENCE
tir

The Sir; George, 120, Captain Eyres, C. 8., was its
spected at Spithead on Saturday by Vice-Admiral Sir
Thomas chrane, K.C.8., the Commander-in-Chief of,
PortsmoutN it is supposed she will speedily sail ou•
particular. The Royal Victoria and Albert, Captain
the Hon. Joseph bitnman, is so far advanced that steam
was got up alongside Portsmouth dockyard on Satur-
day and the engines !worked, but it is not intended to
testkr speed until the vessel is coppered ; for this pur
pos will be docked on Wednesday or Thursday in
the new dock just completed.
By the Madrid, which arrived at Southampton yester-
day with the Peninsular mails, we have the following
items of naval and military intelligence from Gibraltar :
—5B mules, for the service of the Land Transport in
the Eaat, were embarked at Gibraltar on the 19th
of May, on board the British hired brig George Ann,
in charge of a superintendent, who has an overseer
and eighteen grooms to take care of the animals. The
brig left in the course of the day for Scatari. The loss
of horses which was reported to have taken place on
board the Royal Mail Company's steam-ship Medway,
on transport service, by the arrival of the Australian, is
confirmed by the Madrid. It appears that the Medway
encountered in the Bay of Biscay a most tremendous
gale of wind, which lasted from 5 p.m. of the 13th ult.
until 8 p.m. of the 1 ith, making the vessel pitch fear-
fully, unfastening a number of the horse-boxes and up-
setting the horses, whereby the greatest confusion en-
sued, the animals kicking each other to death, and caus-
ing the loss of 65 out of 210 that were shipped on board,
besides seriously injuring 15 others, which were obliged
to be landed at Gibraltar. Previous to the Medway
leaving Gibraltar, 12 horses and 54 mules were em-
barked for the purpose of filling up the vacant room.
On the 21st ult. the Prince of Wales steamer, with 40
navvies, who are returning from Balaklava to England,
and the Crimean Railway Company's steamer left Gib-
raltar for London and Plymouth. The Spanish steamer
Independiente, which left Gibraltar on the 17th of
April, with horses for the East, returned on the
20th ult. Her Majesty's steamp-tug Redpole, five days
and ten hours from Plymouth, arrived at Gibraltar, en
route to Constantinople, on the 231 ult. The Europa,
with Government stores from London, arrived out at
Gibraltar on the same day. The British transport ship
Lancashire Witch, 25 days from London and 10 from
Plymouth, for Constantinople, arrived out on the 24th.
The Indipendiente (Spanish) steamer was preparing to
make another trip to Constantinople. Shi, is undergoing
an overhaul in her engine department, prior to taking
in a number of hor;es and mules from Gibraltar for the
use of the Land Transport Service in the East The
Cantacria, Spanish paddlewheel steamer, has been char-
tered by Government for the purpose of conveying shot,
shell, and ammunition from the garrison at Gibraltar to
Balaklava, for the use of the British army in the East.
We are requested to correct an error in the letter
published Monday from her Majesty's steam gun-
boat Weser, 00 accident to which in the Dardanelles
was so fully descrOsed therein. In the 36th line it is
stated, " the commanzler would not' land until," &e. ;
whereas, it should have appeared " could not land," &c.
Rear-Admiral Martin etruds his flag on board the St.
Vincent, at Portsmouth, on Saturday, and went on
leave of absence. He is expected io return to-day.
The Russian brig Phoenix, of Da o, from Revel for
Stockholm, laden with barley, was brovjht into Yar-
mouth harbour on Wednesday morning, ie charge of
the mate of the Viper, by which vessel she was ezxptured
off Libau. Only one sailor was on board the Phenix
at the time she was captured, the master, mate, and re-
mainder of the crew having escaped.
The Austrian ship Pelestrina, of 520 tons, Captain G.
Rana, from Venice, with hemp, commenced discharging
in Devonport dockyard on the 19th of May. On Fri•
day afternoon there remained about 30 tons. On Satur-
day morning, when one of the first bales was cut open
at the receiving store for the purpose of being weighed,
three lucifer-matches were foundand in it.
Gar This
the fact create
Masterd
considerable apprehension, Mr. d,
Ropemaker, communicated at once with the Master-
Attendant, Mr. Brown, who promptly stopped the dis-
charge, closed the hatches, and under instructions from
Admiral-Superintendent Plumridge, haulel the ship
from the dockyard basin into the stream in Hamoaze.
Several matches of similar kind were found in the cabin,
the cook-house, and in possession of the crew, by the
police, and one or two more were discovered by Mr.
Gard in the store. The remainder of the cargo will be
put into barges. The hemp is made up in the country,
in bales of 4 cwt. each, about 5 feet long by 2? girth,
enclosed in wrappers and corded. The wrappers are so
coarse that any hard substance of the size of a match
would be readily admitted between the threads. Mr.
Schofield, the contractor, supposes that when the steve-
lore and his men stowed the cargo at Venice they
dropped the matches, and very negligently omitted to
pick them up again. Every precaution is taken by the
authorities to prevent' accidents through ships discharg-
ing ignitable cargoes at the dockyard. All the cooking
is done at an assigned place, and no fire, not even for the
smoking of tobacco, is allowed on board, neither are the
crew permitted to have as thoroughfare through the
arsenal.
Sanspareil, 71, screw, Capt. Woodford Williams, is
having her boilers, &c., fitted in the basin at Keyham.
She will be taken into dock again as soon as these are
campleted, to further repair damages sustained in the
bombardment of the forts of Sebastopol.
Agincourt, 72, Capt. A. Lowe, commissioned at
Devonport, as a training-ship for newly-raised men,
having been found too defective for the service, the
Indus, 78, is to be fitted in her place.
Retribution, 28, paddle, Capt. Fisher, and carrying
the flag of Admiral R. L. Baines, is at the Big Nore,
with the following block ships:—
Russell, 64, Captain Francis Scott.
Hawke, Captain Erasmus Ommanney.
Hastings, Captain James C. Caffin.
Pembroke, Captain George H. Seymour.
Cornwallis, Captain George C. Wellesley.
The. Retribution sainted the admiral yesterday morn-
ing, which was returned.
The Horatio, 24, screw, Capt. Cochrane, is still lying
at the moorings abreast of Sheerness dockyard ; meeha-
'lWO are still working at her, She has had her compasses

The Childers, 12 gun-sloop, arrived at Sheerness from
Chatham on Saturday afternoon, and moored at Black-
stakes to take in ammunition, shell, &e., and to have
her compasses adjusted preparatory to her departure.
The Powerful, 84, Captain Thomas L. Massey, came
in from the Nore on Saturday last, and was moored off
the dockyard, Sheerness.
The Calcutta, 84, Captain G. Stopford, on Saturday
last was towed down from Blackstakes and was also
moored off Sheerness dockyard.
The Geyser, 6, paddle-wheel, steam-sloop, Commander
Roderick Dew, was taken into the fitting basin, Sheer-
ness, on Saturday, preparatory to her being put into dry
dock. To repair her defects will require from seven to
eight days.
On Saturday a trial was made of the steam-power of
the screw steam-ship Russell, Captain F. Scott. Steam
was got up in a very short time ; she made from 104 to
108 revolutions per minute with a pressure of 541 b. on
the square inch, and made 7i knots by the patent log.
During the whole trial there was no priming of the boil-
ers, nor anything wrong. The trial has proved that this
ship, with proper fuel, is fully capable of doing all that
was originally anticipated of her.
The FalOon, 17 guns, screw steam-sloop, Commander
W. J. S.-Pullen, arrived at Sheerness at 8 a.m. yester-
day. She Saluted the Admiral's flag,- which was returned
by the Waterloo. •
The following ship-masters (as Baltic pilots) arrived at
Sheerness on Saturday for service in Rear-Admiral
Baynes' squadron :—Mr. M. Morris, Mr. R. Walker,
Mr. T. Gruby, and Mr. J. Hobbs. They were immedi-
ately sent down by a steam-vessel to the Retribution,
bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Baynes, riding at the
Nore. The gallant admiral visited the dockyard on Sa-
turday last, accompanied by Captain-Superintendent
John J. Tucker.

A notice is posted at the dockyAr.ln' gate, Sheerness,
that prepaid letters for the Ba,lttdwill be taken on board
the Jupiter there on Wednesday. * •
The steam-transport Dee, Master-Commander T. C.
Bullen, has taken in jurymamts and gear and a party of
seamen from the Royal William, at Devonport, with
which she proceeds to Pembroke, for the new screw
steam-ship Brunswick, 80. The Rhadamauthus, from
Woolwich, with machinery and stores for the Conqueror,
arrived in Plymouth on Saturday.
The XLQW screw steam-transport Perseverance is all
,taunt ; her lower and topmast rigging is being ratlined
Itiown ; she is taking in her coals in the fitting-basin,
Sheerness.

The Australian steam-transport landed all her sick and
wounded at Portsmouth dockyard on Saturday, and
gaileildn the afternoon for Southampton.
Nov 48 transport , left Portsmouth on Saturday and
saiieff westward.

The embarkation of the A troop of Royal Horse Ar-
tillery, under the commsbnd of Capt. Philpotts, took place
(as stated in The sun,2f Saturday) at Southampton on
that day onboard the Peninsular andO dental Company's
screw steam-ship Simla, transport No. 118, Capt. Rus-
sell. The numbers previously stated include a detach-
ment of Captain Travers' company of Royal Artillery,
consisting of 50 men and horses. The embarkation,
which was under the sole superintendence of Captain
Engledue, superintendent of the Peninsular and Ori-
ental Company at Southampton, was most admirably
arranged, and was in every respect as perfect as could
possibly be. The whole- of the horses, men, and ap•
pointments were on board, and the gangways removed
from the side of the ship by 3 p.m., although it was not
until the morning of Saturday that the animals and
troops arrived at that port. Captain Dacre,, R.N.,
Admiralty Superintendent at Southampton, was pre-
sent, and rendered essential service. The Simla was
moored in the inner dock, the waters of which always
retain a regular height, which is highly advantageous in
the embarkation of horses, enabling the animals to be
easily walked on board. The men appeared in excellent
spirits, and the horses are all of a first-class character.
The Simla has been victualled for 400 men for 6 months,
by Messrs. Cooksey, merchants, of Southampton. She
leftf or the Crimea yesterday at noon. The Australian
Steam Navigation Company's steam-ship Australian,
screw transport, arrived at Southampton from Spithead
on Saturday afternoon. There are now four of this
company's vessels lying at Southampton—viz., the, Vic-
toria, Adelaide, Sydney, and Australia, all of which have
rendered useful aid in the transport service. The General
Screw Company's steam-ship Golden Fleece, fitting for
the conveyance of horses at Southampton, is being ra-
pidly proceeded with.