The Sun.
London, England, 1852-12-31 00:00:00

NA VAL INTELLIGENCE,

(From the Morning Post.)
The new Board of Admiralty is now completely formed,
and consists of the following members :—The Right Hon.
Sir James Graham, First Lord of the Admiralty ; Vice-
Admiral Hyde Parker, C. 8., First Naval Lord ; Rear-
Admiral Maurice Frederick Fitzhardinge Berkeley, C. 8.,
Second Naval Lord ; Captain the Hon. Richard Saun-
ders Dundas, C. 8., at present Captain-Superintendent
of Deptford Victualling and Dockyard, which he re-
signs, Third Naval Lord ; and the. Hon. William Cow-
per, Lay Lord, with Mr. Bernal Osborne, First Secre-
tary to the Board.
The new board, it is admitted by all parties, is well
constituted in all the junior branches ; but some appre-
hensions are entertained, from the recollection of many
persons connected with the service, of what took
place during the period Sir James Graham was First
Lord of the Admiralty, in 1832, that much benefit
cannot be obtained for the interest of the service. It
is in some degree satisfactory, however, to state that
others have a different opinion of the First Lord, and
believe that. the obnoxious measures—such as the with-
drawal of the small pensions to the widows of warrant offi-
cers, which ceased at that time, was not the individual
act of the right hon. baronet, as many imagine, but a
resolution of the majority, if not the entire board, at
that period. It is now certain that the majority, if not
the entire board, are most favourably disposed to do all
in their power to promote the welfare of the warrant
officers and seamen ; and Sir James Graham will have
able and willing coadjutors in the present board if dis-
posed to restore, in any modified form, the pensions to
the widows of warrant officers, which is a measure requi-
site to be adopted, even had it never existed, to induce
steady and able seamen to enter and remain in the royal
navy; as the humblest in the service are now so calculat-
ing that they look forward to a future period when they
might hope, by good conduct, to be promoted and leave a
trifle to their widows in the event of their surviving.
them. The First Lord will also have most efficient assist-
ance from the practical knowledge and experience of
some of the members of the new board, and the co-
operation of all in rendering the dockyards the• most
efficient and best conducted establishments in this or
any other kingdom, and capable of producing the best
and most substantial war steamers of any navy, and
fully able, in every respect, for the defence of the
country. Sir James Graham has assumed the duty of
the First Lord of the Admiralty at a very important
period, as a small spark may set all Europe in a flame ;
and as this country has hitherto placed the greatest-re-
liance on the strength of her wooden walls, may the
hope of its inhabitants be fully realised, that, should a
day again arrive when their protection is required, they
may be found amply sufficient for the emergency, and
the Board of Admiralty have the satisfaction of knowing
that they had fully performed their duty.

(From the Morning Herald. )

We have now, we believe, the whole of the Board °I
Admiralty nominated, including the Right Hon. Sir
James Graham, Vice-Admiral Hyde Parker, Rear-Ad-
miral the Hon. M. F. F. Berkeley, C. 8., Rear-Admiral
Sir James Stirling, Captain Milne, and the Hon. W.
Cowper, with Mr. Bernal Osborne for the Secretary.
Captain O'Brien, who was with Sir James Graham
when Secretary of State for the Home Department, is
to be private secretary to Sir James, as First Lord.
The First Lord, it is said, will keep up the navy in the
most effective condition, but the civil service will undergo
the closest revision. We shall be found a willing advo-
cate of wholesome reforms, and it is patent to the
whole world that there is room for amendment in
every department under the Admiralty, and more
especially in the distribution of the extensive
patronage of the First Lord's office. We trust
that Sir James Graham will not imitate
his predecessor in the blind and indiscriminate commis-
sioning of useless and inefficient ships, the general distri-
bution of his appointments, or the wholesale promotions
of favourites, partisans, and followers.
It is with great regret that we feel bound to confess
that the character of the Duke of Northumberland's
Board of Admiralty has materially suffered by theirtre-
cent acts. The old and deserving officers of the service
have been neglected, the claims of the meritorious and
long-serving have been treated indifferently, and the best
igen in the navy have been passed over in favour of men
of mere family influence, and in some cases in favour of
100 who could not-even produce an official report ore-
ditatle,to the man-of-war efficiency of the last ships they
commanded. The term of office of the duke's board has
not been a long one ; but short as it has been we have
seen enough, notwithstanding all the indulgence, toady-
ism, and culpable silence of those who so loudly cried out
for it puroly 41,avq,1 board, to make the unprejudiced
question the policy er tha ...avantage Of Caring a boa.--4
composed exclusively of naval men.
Vice-Admiral Hyde Parker retains his seat with Rear-
Admiral the Hon. M. F. F. Berkeley, C. 8., as his
second, as we have already anticipated. The gallant
Vice-Admiral will be energetically assisted by his more
active but junior colleague.
Rear-Admiral Berkeley has gone down to his consti-
tuents for re-election, and we perceive that he is to be
opposed by his former colleague, Mr. Hope. We trust,
however, that the gallant Admiral will not be out of the
House of Commons, for he has ever proved himself a
straightforward and independent advocate of the service
to which he belongs.
Rear-Admiral Sir James Stirling was a member of Sir
F. Baring's board of only a few days' standing. He was
the unsuccessful candidate for Chatham on the Liberal
interest, against Sir F. Smith, who was a Peelite.
Captain Milne, it is well known, has served as a Lord
of the Admiralty under the last two Governments.
Mr. Cowper is the step-son of Lord Palmerston. He
was one of the Lords of the Treasury under the Mel-
bourne administration, and was the civil Lord of the
Admiralty under Lord John Russell's Government.
Mr. Bernal Osborne, the secretary, like Mr. Stafford,
has never been in office before, but it is somewhat ano-
malous to give the appointment of Secretary to the Ad-
miralty to a soldier.
We hear a great deal of what the new board is to do,
but we shall soon discover, by their actual services,
what the country is to expect from them.

PORTSMOUTH, DEC. 30.
Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Cochrane, K.C.8., the
Commander-in-Chief, went out to Spithead to-day, with
his flag flying in the Fire Queen steam-yacht, to inspect
the Leander, 50, Captain King, and visit the fleet.
The London, 90, Captain G. R. Mundy, was un-
docked this afternoon, after having her copper cleaned
and repaired. An order has been received for her to
remain in this harbour, moored off Gosport, for the
convenience of entering men. Lieut. Chesshyre has
been dispatched to Plymouth to open a rendezvous there
with the view of completing the crew of the London,
further refitting operations on which have been sud-
denly, this day; suspended by Amiralty order.
This afternoon, at two o'clock, a handsome schooner
yacht, built by Mr. Camper, of Gosport, was launched
from his building-yard. She was named the Golietka,
and has been constructed for Prince Lebanoff, Commo-
dore of the Imperial Russian Yacht Squadron. She
measures 131 tons, and is likely to prove a clipper. She
was named by Mrs. Wilkinson, the wife of the Russian
Vice-Consul at this port.
ARRIVAL OF THE SCREW-SLOOP PLIIMPER.—The Plum-
per, 11, screw-sloop, Commander Nolloth, arrived at
Spithead this morning from the Brazils, and saluted the
Commander-in-Chief. She left Rio on the 14th of No-
vember, and has made the passage under sail, with the
exception of a few hours, in which she used about four
tons of coal, thus proving herself an admirable sailer
and a most economical steamer. tut this well working
is doubtless, in the main, owing to the good manage-
ment of her commander, and the vessel having proved
herself one of the most efficient of an improved
class. She was built in this dockyard by Mr. John
Fincham, from his own design. She bring home in-
valids from the squadron under Rear-Admiral Hender-
son ; also as passengers Mr. Styles, -late clerk in charge
of her Majesty's ship Trident, promoted to the rank of
paymaster ; and Mr. Hale, jun., son of the inventor of
the rifle rocket, who has been xhibiting this powerful
missile to the Brazilian naval and military authorities.
The Plumper has on board a freight of about 30,0001.
sterling in Australian gold-dust, which she transhipped
from the British merchant vessel Emperor, at Monte
Video, into which place the latter had put to repair,
being leaky. This bullion has been conveyed to the
Bank of England by Messrs. E. and E. Emanuel, freight
agents and bullion merchants, of this port. The follow-
ing ships were spoken by the Plumper, and desired to
be reported :—The Gertrude' Dutch transport, on the
22d of November, in lat. 23.17 S., long. 28.27 W. ;
the Teal, British merchantman, on the sth of December,
in lat. 7.22 N., long. 23.51 W. ; the Guesoline (French),
on the 27th of December, in lat. 46.3 N., long. 4.21
W. ; also a British merchant vessel, showing "2d dis-
tinguishing pendant," No. 8,394, on the 27th of Decem-
ber, in lat. 46.3 N., long. 4.21 W. The Plumper has
been four years and two months in commission, and
will now be paid off ,and refitted. She has taken one
prize while cruising for -slavers on the coast of Brazil,
and shares in two other captures.
The Termagant, 24, screw steam-frigate, built by
White, of Cowes, is alongside the dockyard jetty, land-
ing her stores, which are to be cleaned and replaced.
The Blenheim, 60, screw-ship, Captain W. H. Hender-
son, C. 8., will be again docked, now the London
has been removed, and will complete the repair of her
defects.
The Sprightly steam-vessel, Mr. George Allen, acting
master, RN., commanding, which has been for some
time employed in the protection of the Channel Islands
fisheries, returned to this station to-day, having been
relieved.
Simoon, 18, screw-steam troop frigate, is taking in
coals alongside the steam-basin landing, where she is dis-
charging the machinery for the Duke of Wellington.
Captain Kingcome returned from leave of absence and
joined his ship this day.
Duke of Wellington,l3l, screw-three-decker, is having
her shaft fitted, and moulding for her new figure-head,
which is being carried out some three feet further than