The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-29 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

On Tuesday her Majesty's ship Urgent embarked
at Pembridge 40 men of the 61st and 40 men of the
84th Regiments for Kingstown en route for Dublin
and the Carragh, to join the service companies of
the regiments there. They were under the command
of Major Burnside, Gist, and Ensign Peckett, 84th
Regiments respectively, Capt. Browne, of the 15th
Foot, now at Pembroke Dock, has received instruc-
tions to embark for Gibraltar to join the regiment.
The War Department vessel Thames, Mr Edward
Hornsey, master, in command, yesterday arrived at
Woolwich and landed her eargo from Shoeburyness,
consisting of a number of Selcct Committee guns
tnd stores. Among the number were Commander
Scott's 7-inch gun,woighing 7 tons; Lynall Thomas's
9.inch gun, weighing 36 tons, and made to the order
of Government; and Col. Shaw's gun on the muzzle-
pivotting princip!e, together with its carriage on the
peculiar system adapted to the gun without trun-
nions. These guns have been subjected to a lengths
ened trial at Shoeburyness.

Her Majesty's iron ship Valiant, 32, 4,063 tons,
built at Mill wall, has been occupied in the Victoria
Docks by the shipwright department at Woolwich,
and is ordered to be despatched to Sheerness on
Tuesday next.

An official order has been issued from the Cone

troller's.office of the Admiralty, directing that all
such of her Majesty's ships in the several dockyards
that are not fitted to carry armour-plating shall be
at once fitted with eyebolts on the outside of the
ship's hull, 3 feet apart, in the wake of the ship's
boilers and engines, so that in the event of the ship
going into action with au enemy her Majesty's
ships may sling their chain cables over their sides

in imitation of the Federal American frigate Kcal..
sage in her recent action with the Confederate
American corvette Alabama. If the British Board
of 'Admiralty had no experience to guide them in
such matters, this order might pass without further
❑otice, but with the facts before them that chain
armour for ships has failed beyond all other armour
tested by her Majesty's ship Excellent at Portsmouth
and on other testing grounds this order to copy from
the American tavy is totally inexplicable. The order
received at Portsmouth directs that the three-
decked screw steamship Victoria is to be fitted with
these eyebolts for chain armour cables previous to
commission.

The Vulcan screw troopship, Capt. A. Strode, was
dismasted at Portsmouth yesterday in process of
dismantlement preparatory to paying out of com.
mission on the 31 of November.

The Royal Alfred wooden built razeed frigate was
yesterday floated into No. 3 dock at Portsmouth to
have her armour-plating (4i-inch, from the chief
Admiralty armour-plating contractors' works—
Messrs John Brown and Co., of Sheffield) affixed to•
her sides as a converted iron-cased frigate.
The Royal Sovereign, 5, turret ship, screw, Capt.
Sherard Osborn, C. 8., is lying alongside Portsmouth
dockyard carrying out very necessary alterations
and repairs before she again can enter upon another
and, it is hoped, a more extended and satisfactory
cruise than the last and the first which she made..
What the public simply want to know is which..
system, the broadside or the central, and in this.
they entirely discard any thought of Mr Reed or
Capt. Coles, can carry and work the most effective
guns at sea, and, of course, in all we there. The
personal question introduced by the " cupola" in
Capt. Coles's name, and the " broadside" in the
name of Mr Reed, if persevered in, may do an im-
mense injury in actually retarding our knowledge
of and progress in naval architecture.

The appointment of Deputy AEsist.-Superintends
ent of Stores at Chatham, vacant by the removal of
Mr J. F. Edwards to Devonport, has been conferred.
on Mr A. Keen, of the Ordnance establishment,
Woolwich.

Lieut. Donat M'Mahon's newly-invented army
packsaddle, the principle of which has been eetaileca
in The Sun, was practically tested on Thursday at;
Aldershott for the inspection and report to the
Horse Guards by Col. Robertson, C. 8., commanding
the Military Train at that station, and a committee►
of officers nominated for that duty. The saddle was
placed on a large-sized draught horse belonging to
the Military Train, and was laden with a heavy
weight—namely, 2241 b., the average load for pack
animals during the campaign in China being only
751 b. The horse was then led some miles into the
country, travelling over the ordinary roadways, up
and down hill, and through the heath. At the re-
quest of Lieut. M'Mahon, who was present at the
trial, the horse's pece was increased to a sharp trot.
On return to camp the saddle was minutely exa-
mined by Col. Robertson, who expressed himself
well pleased with the invention, and pronounced the
System to be the most effective he had yet seen.

GREAT FIRE IN HULL.—A fire broke out yester4
day morning in Oxtoby's Grain Warehouse, Hull, which
burnt fiercely for six hours, and resulted in the deitructica
of the entire building, with its contents, 100,000 quarters of
wheat and locust's. The Call6o of the ogtbresk is unknown,

ONEY MARKET

AND

COMAILMCIAL INTELLIGENCE,

CITY, TWELVE O'CLOCK.

Affairs in the general discount market to-day
do not present any material alteration. There is a
slight increase, h.)wover, in the demand; but there
is P till a very goad supply, and the rate for the best
bills is 8,1 per cent, with a few exceptional transito-
lions at 81.

There were no bullion oporations of importance
at the Bank yesterday.

A slight decline took place yesterday in the rates
of exchange on Amsterdam and Paris.

Since Monday last the imports of specie have
amounted to £627,500, and the exports to £92,600.
The failure has taken place of Messrs J. C. Cole
and Co., an old and respectable firm engaged in
the Spanish trade, with liabilities of .£lOO,OOO.
The annual report of the Queen Insurance Com-
pany was presented to the shareholders yesterday,
and receivediwith satisfaction. It shows the rate
of progress during the past year in the fire depart-
ment to have been £43 per cent. over that of the
previous year, the comparative receipts being
£70,300 in the former year, and last year £101,085
—the difference covering new insurances to the
amount of over three millions sterling. From the
success of the company it has been found necessary
to increase the capital to two millions. The paid-up
capital stands now at £187,672, while the reserve
fund gives additional guarantee in the sum of
£114,312—a1l claims being included, among them
the exceptional heavy losses of the year, £65,267,
and the payment of a divident of £lO per cent. free
of income tax. In the life department 633 proposals
have been submitted; of these 118 have been re-
jected. Under the 352 completed £6,371 premiums
have been received, and £205,088 assured, showing
an increase of £6l per cent. on the previous year's
total. The London office, which the report men-
tions pointedly as having contributed largely to this
success is rabidly developing a town connection.
The funds now in hand amount to £343,413,

---I

Two O'CLOCK.

At the Paris Bourse this day, according to
Reuters telegram, the 3 per Cent. Rentes were
quoted 64f. 52c. Rather better.
Owing to numerous sales on speculative account
the English Stock Market has been active, and
much depression has ensued. An uncom-
fortable feeling has been expressed with re-
gard to commercial affairs, and further impor.
taut failures are apprehended. Consols for
transfer are 89k 1 ; and for the account
891 89-7,-, leaving a decline of 4 per cent.
file New threes are 871 1; the Reduced, 87/ ;
Exchequer Bills (March), 9s to 4s die.; ditto June,
15s to 103 die. ; and India 4 per Cents,, 96; ditto
5 per Cent. Enfaced, 100 ; and the Bonds, 133 die.
In the Foreign Market a general do wn ward move-
ment has occurred in values, and there is not mach
animation. Turkish 6 per Cents., 1862, are 714 I;
do. Consolides, 50:1 ; Mexican, 271 27/ ; do. New,
25i# ; Greek, 221 ; Spanish Passive, 311 ; do.
Certificates, 13/ 14k; Portuguese, 461 I; Italian,
641 4 ; and the Confederate Loan, 61 63.
In the Railway Share Market there has been
very little animation, and prices have not varied
to any important extent. Great Northern have
declined £l, and Metropolitan 53, while Great
Eastern and North Western have each improved
55.
The Foreign and Colonial lines remain exceed.
ingly inactive at about former quotations.
Bank and Miscellaneous Shares have been in
moderate request. Alliance have receded to 331
341; Chartered of India, Australia, and China to
32; London and County have improved to 711;
Union of London to 511 1 ; Hudson's Bay Company
to 151 16; National Discount Company to 134 ;
and Ocean Marine Insurance to 23k.

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