The Sun.
London, England, 1852-10-30 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

PORTSMOUTH, OCT. 29.
The St. Vincent, 100, in the basin, rigged ready for
commission, is ordered to be stripped and her rigging
returned into store. The riggers commenced their work
yesterday morning. The ship was undocked on the
24th of December, 1851 ; after undergoing a thorough
repair and extensive alterations she was placed in the
fitting basin, and shortly afterwards was commenced
upon to be fitted, rigged, and made ready for sea. Since
that time she has been lying idle in the basin, and her
rigging, for want of use, decaying with the weather.
Now she is to be stripped and laid up, as no use can be
found for her. Much as we have seen to admire and
applaud in many of the acts of the Board of Admiralty
for the good of the service, we cannot but look upon
such indecision as the above case exhibits as mere folly.
A three-docker is not fitted and rigged for nothing, as
the eedmetes will tell. This act, however, is a fitting
parallel for another. About six weeks ago the Board
ordered a committee, formed of Captain Warden, R.N.,
inspector of the steam navy afloat, President ; Captain
Gordon, R.N,, of her Majesty's ship Encounter ; Mr.
Watts, assistant-surveyor of the navy ; Mr. Hughes,
assistant to the chief engineer of the navy ; Mr. 0.
Lang, assistant master shipwright of Chatham Dock-
yard ; and Mr. Thomas Baker, inspector of machinery
of her Majesty's yachts, to visit all the principal
shipbuilding and engineering establishments in the
United Kingdom, to collect such facts as they might
deem useful for the conducting of the national es-
tablishments, and also for the advantage of the
commercial marine of the country. From such a
committee and with such an object the country natu-
rally might expect the most beneficial results to ensue.
The committee got as far as Glasgow, we believe, with
their researches, when the mind of the Admiralty
changed, and the committee was recalled and die-
banded, and the several officers ordered to return to
their respective employments. Now, such facts as these
do not speak well for the stability of purpose of those
officers whom the country is depending upon for resolu-
tiongand defence in the hour of need; and such pusilla-
nimity is very expensive to boot. In the case of the St.
Vincent, it may be she is to be stripped for more ready ,
conversion to a screw ship.
The Victory, 104, Captain G. B. Martin, C. 8., flag of
Admiral Sir Thomas Briggs, G.C.M.G; the Neptune,
120, Captain E. IL Scott, flag of Rear-Admiral Fan-
shawe; and the Blenheim, 60, Captain W. H. Hender-
son, C. 8., have struck their lower yards and topmasts
and sent up their harbour-poles for the winter.
The Express, Southampton packet, embarked 127
convicts from this port to-day for removal to Dartmoor.
The Fearless surveying vessel, Captain Bullock, sailed
last evening, to resume her duties in the Channel.

Her Majesty's ship Prince RPLYMOUTH egent, flag of Admiral
Corry, now in the Sound, has received orders to com-
plete provisions for 6ve months. She will be ready for
sea to-morrow (Saturday), and will probably leave then
for the Lisbon station, if the Sanspareil is prepared to
join her. This steam-ship has orders to make an ex-
perimental trip round the .Eddystone to-day to try her
engines.

The steam-frigate Termagant, 24, Captain G. Giffard,
which left Portsmouth on Sunday, did not reach Ply-
mouth until Tuesday, at 11 p.m. During the passage
she experienced very heavy weather and bore up for
Torbay, on approaching which the weather lightened
and she resumed her course. The Termagant rt quires
caulk, and was yesterday officially inspected by Mr.
Edye, the master shipwright, and the other authorities
of the dockyard.
The hired convict ship Oriental Queen, belonging to
Messrs. Blyth and Greene, of London, and commanded
by Mr. Thomas, is now ready for sea, and will probably
proceed to-day for Van Diemen's Land. Having a
turbulent orew her master has had considerable difficulty,
which he has met with energy. She embarked 56 con-
victs at Woolwich, and left on the 26th of September
with a complement, including th• master, of 32 hands.
Having encountered a severe gale she returned to the
Downs on the Bth of October. During the gale seven
of the crow feigned sickness; and, although pro-
nounced by the surgeon superintendent, Dr. Geddes,
R.N., capable of doing duty, they remained below
until the ship was anchored in still water, when they
became suddenly convalescent. On the lilth of Oc-
tober the Oriental Queen arrived at Portsmouth,
where she shipped 94 convicts and sailed therefrom
on the 13th. She took on board 60 more at Port-
land and reached Plymouth on the 17th of October,
where she embarked 70 convicts, making in all 280.
Under pretence that the chief officer wabiaarsh the crew,
after being in the Sound throe days, became mutinous,
when four of them were brought before the magistrates
and sent to prison for four weeks. The four engaged
in their place signed articles to join on Thursday, but
did not go on board until Saturday. On Monday they re-
fused to do duty, were brought ashore, and sentenced
to three months' confinement, they having just previously
completed au imprisonment of one month for a similar
offence in another ship, the Wandsworth. Discontent
continuing, seven more of the crew were brought ashore
on Monday, and sentenced to six weeks' confinement;
thus 15 of the hands are now in prison. Many of these
had been advanced money on their notes here, and, al-
though some of them bad four or five new shirts, and an
over-abundant wardrobe, the magistrate possessed no
power of compelling restitution to those who had made
the advance. Among the convicts by the Oriental
Queen are three of the men concerned in the Frimley
murder, and 21 boys from Parkhurst Prison. All the
others are likely to obtain tickets of leave in Van Dit-
men's Land.

The brig Catherine, Captain Liddie, with wheat from
Odessa, arrived here on Tuesday night. On Wednesday
she was reported to London by the electric telegraph,
and on Thursday morning full instructions came for her
by post. A delay of 24 hours was thus saved by the use
of wires.

SHEERNESS, OCT. 29.
Her Majesty s screw steam-frigate, Tribune 30, will
be launched from the north slip early in the ensuing
month.

Her Majesty's paddle-wheel steam vessel Porcupine, 3,
Lieutenant-commanding George M. Jackson, is to un-
dergo a thorough refit.
Her Majesty's ship London, 90, Captain G. H. Mundy,
Horatio, 22, screw steam guardship, Captain S. T.
Carnegie, and the Barracouts, 6, advanced steam-sloop,
have struck their lower yards and topmasts, and made
all snug for the winter. Captain Mundy is absent on
Admiralty leave for the space of one month.
Her Majesty's brig Sappho, 12, Commander A. A.
Cochrane, is reported ready for paying off to-morrow
(Saturday). None of her bulkheads or internal fittings
are to be disturbed.

Her Majesty's ship Ocean, 64, formerly guardship at
this port, and removed some months since to Chatham,
for the purpose of being broken up, is ordered to tie fitted
as a depot of coal for the use of the reserve steam
squtu7ron.
Her Majesty's paddlewheel steamvessel Tartarus,
Lieutenant-commanding Richard 11. Risk, is expected
hero from Chatham early in the ensuing week, and is to
proceed to Scotland to protect the fisheries on that
coast.

Her Majesty's paddlowheel steam-sloop Driver, 6, on
completing the repairs of her machinery, is to be
statiot ed hero as ono of tho advanced steam squadron of
reserve.

The vacancy in the Chatham Royal Dockyard Brigade
occasioned by the removal of Captain Cotsell to Ports-
mouth, is to be filled by the promotion of First-Lieu-
tenant Stephen hart, the senior in that corps.

ROYAL POLYTECHNIC INSTITIITION.—" Acrid Naviga-
tion " is the subject of Mr. Crisp's discourses at this
place. The object of the lecturer is to show in what way
the balloon, as at present constituted, may be employed
for meteorological observations, the examination of tracts
of country inaccessible by other means, &c., and also the
utter impossibility of rendering such a machine navigable
in consequence of the resistance afforded by the atmos-
phere to its motion. So long as we depend upon the prin-
ciples of specific gravity for our support in the air, so
long must we be content to travel where the wind will
take us; but let us not despair—we may still hope, with
Bishop Wilkins, that the day may come when a man will
call for his wings with as little consideration as ho now
calls for his boots, for we require but one thing, says the
lecturer, to bring about this ultimatum, via., a motive
power, requiring but little weight 'of machinery, to ren-
der it available. This was demonstrated by a beautifully
contrived flying machine (the only one, we are informed,
which has ever raised itself fiom the ground) being com-
mitted to the air. Whilst the power lasted, it continued
to rise, showing that if that could be maintained it would
place the whole entirely under command. Among the
numerous inventions lately doposited here is a patent, just
obtained by Messrs. Nicoll, for hat-bands and arm-bands,
having the word "Wellington" embossed; the bat-bands
being manufactured of cloth, and the arm-bands for the
military of crape, both elegant designs, and are highly
appropriate for the funeral of the lamented Duke. Mr-
Crispe is also engaged in deliverieg a lecture on the
manufacture of of edles, and exhibits a machiin con-
structed by Messrs. Morrell, which greatly fuolitatea
the modus operandi, and prevents the great sacrifice of
lives by the old system. The workmen seldom existed
more than six or seven years.