The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-04 00:00:00

Major-Gen. Lord W. Paulet, C.B , Lieutenant- Governor
of Portsmouth, and General officer commanding the south-
west district, and Vice-Admiral Sir Michael Seymour,
G.C,8., Naval Commander-in Chief at Portsmouth, em-
barked on board her Majesty's paddle steam yacht Fire
Queen, Master Commander Paul, on Saturday, and pro-
ceeded to Osborne on a visit to her Majesty. They re-
turned to Portsmouth an the evening.
A War-office circular, dated the 9th of December, 1363,
accompanied with lithographed plans, has been forwarded
to the different military stations from head-quarters. The
circular calls for returns from each station of the libraries,
reading or recreation rooms at present in existence and
attached to the soldiers' quarters. The plans show what is
to be provided for the sol: iers' amusement and recreation
during the hours he is off duty. To all large barracks will
be added an independent one-storied building in the rear.
containing library, reading and recreation rooms, with
coffee bar, librarian's sitting room, cut offices, &c., the
whole of which will ba fitted up in a most liberal manner.
Small barracks will have the same description of building,
but with the reading and recreation room in one, and not
separately, as will be the case with the larger barracks.
The recreation rooms will be furnished with bagatelle.
chess, draughts, solitaire, dominoes, and backgammon.
Lieut.-Col. R. Talbot, commanding the Ist division of the
Depot Brigade, Royal Artillery, in the Chatham district,
has been placed under orders of removal to Dover for the
purpose of proceeding with the 2d Brigade to the Cape of
Good Hope. Lieut.-Co]. Talbot will be succeeded in his
command of the Ist division by Lieut.-Col. Fooks.
On Saturday Mr. Stansfeld, M.P., assisted by Mr.
Walker, was engaged, as on previous days, in his official
investigations at Chatham dockyard, his inquiries during
the whole of the time ho has been occupied at Chatham
having extended to all the departments connected with that
establishment. It was expected that Mr. Stensfeld's in.
vestigations at Chatham would have included the Steam
Reserve branch of the navy, but it would seem that the in-
quiries connected with that department of the service will
be left entirely to the Steam Reserve Committee recently
appointed by the Admiralty, who have already commenced
their investigations. With the single exception, perhaps,
of the Royal dockyards, there is no branch .of the navy
which demands a more searching inquiry than that
relating to the management, equipment, and general
condition of the vessels which compose what is termed
the Steam Reserve at each of the principal naval ports.
In the case of the Steam Reserve at Chatham and in the
Medway the squadron consists of some 50 steam vessels of
all classes and descriptions. Of this number only some half
dozen, or even less, are in any respect fully equipped, and
these are not fit for immediate service at sea. Of the large
number which compose the remaindot, few, if any, could be
prepared for sea in a less time than several months, while
of the actual number which go to swell the total several are
entirely unsuited for the present requirements of the navy,
and are therefore only fit to be disposed of out of the service.
It is, however, in the large staff of officers, seamen, and
other hands which are compelled to be kept up for attend-
ing to the steamers that some sweeping alterations are
needed, the outlay necessary under the present arrange-
ments being something enormous. Each vessel requires a
certain amount of repairs annually, generally involving the
outlay of a large sum, while there are also a number of men
constantly employed on board each in cleaning and repair-
ing engines and in other necessary occupations. The de-
scription of the Steam Reserve at Chatham will apply with
equal force to the squadrons at the other naval ports, and
the investigations and recommendations of the recently-
appointed Steam Reserve Commission are therefore looked
forward to with very considerable interest. On Friday
evening Mr. Stansfeld was entertained at dinner by the
officers of the Chatham division of Royal Marines Light
Infantry, in their mess-room, on which occasion Colonel T.
Lemon, C. 8., the Col. Commandant of the division, pre-
sided. Mr. Stansfeld returned to the Admiralty on Satur •
day, but it is probable that the investigations at Chatham
may occupy some few days of the present week.
Mr. E. J. Reed, the Chief Constructor of the Navy, has
been on a visit to Chatham dockyard for the purpose of
making the necessary arrangements for forging the angle
iron and the heavy portions of the ribs for the Bellerophon,
all of which are to be executed at the smithy in Chatham
yard.
The new quarters for married soldiers at the Canterbury
Barracks, which have been erected at a cost of nearly
£lO,OOO, including extras, are now completed, and they
only await the formal inspection of the authorities to render
them ready for occupation. The new quarters occupy a site,
several acres in extent, on the south. east side of the Cavalry
Barracks, and chase adjoining the new riding school. They
consist of four blocks of buildings, each two stories high,
and about 50 yards in length. Each block contains 20
rooms, 10 on the basement and 10 on the upper story. The
entrances to the upper rooms are from a verandah, supported
on castiron pillars, forming a colonnade along the front of
the basement story. Ihe whole has a very pleasing appear-
ance. The lour blocks of building contain altogether 80
rooms, each from 16 to 18 feet square, and fitted up with
small oven and boiler, cupboard and shelves, gas, Sic. The
buildings are constructed on a new principle, the walls be-
- ing hollow and built with bonding bricks. Taylor's patent
ventilating course is also introduced. The rooms are
thoroughly N entilated, and there is a contrivance by which,
in winter, the oar is made to pass through the shafts of
the chimneys to warm it, In the rear of tho houses is a
large block of building containing some six or eight rooms,
including lavatory and bath rooms for both men and
women, washhouse, drying room, and laundry. The wash-
house, which is sufficiently large to enable from 16 to 20
women to work at the same time. is fitted up with four
large boilers for heating water, of which there appears to
be an abundant supply. The laundry is on an equally
large scale, while between the two there is a drying room,
fitted up with patent apparatus. The buildings, which
have occupied about 12 months in erection, have been built
by Messrs. Cozens Brothers, of Canterbury.
The hired transport Camperdown will embark at Ports-
mouth on the 14th inst. the remainder of the 76th Regi-
ment for Madras, The Camperdown left London for
Portsmouth originally on the 2d of December, 1863. She
encountered the strong gales then prevailing,and was fallen
in with when in the greatest distress on Dec. 6, a few miles
off Ostend, by the Belgian cutter Pearl. She was taken
into Zierikzee anchorage with six feet of water in her hold.
and without her anchor and chain and main topgallant mast.
Since then the Camperdown has been to London and refitted

for her voyage.
The commissioning of the Duncan, screw line-of-battle
ship, at Portsmouth, by Capt. Gibson, as tho flagship of
Admiral Sir James Hope, has been postponed front Friday
last, the day appointed, until the middle of the present
week.

The following appointments have been made at the Ad-
miralty :—Capt. E. Codd to the Colossus, vice Sotheby,
superseded; Capt. E. Heathcote to the Hawke, vice Codd ;
Capt. T. P. Coode, to the Sutlej, wee Connolly, to be super-
seded at his own request; Commander F. W. Gough pro-
moted to be Captain ; Lieuts. Henry Boyle and George
Stratton to the Cumberland ; Lieut, H S. Hamilton to the
Indus ; Dr. A. C. Anderson to be Deputy Inspector-Gene-
ral of Malta Hospital, vice Armstrong, to be superseded at
his own request; Henry J. Ray, paymaster, to the Lyra;
Charles H. J. Collings, assist.-paymaster, additional to the
Wellesley ; Charles F. Roberts, acting clerk, to the Formi-
dable; Francis T. Lobb, assist.-clerk, to the Jackal; Jas.
Clark, engineer, to the Indus for hospital treatment; and
George R. Bissaker, engineer, to the Royal Oak.