The Sun.
London, England, 1852-03-17 00:00:00

THE PACKETS.

o ffipecleefaactt 2051
The cause of this eixstrueonrs:
Ripon'stt6folnliir actiluidgatiotnne' at alitt". qua-'4l"rter‘;'3dtooe i pie;eimg;hedt,
at ' ‘i
tTe hl9, a z Ir e
past eleven. They usually require an hour .
and were only delivered at the Post-
..o an hour
vdoinidatrlybiyderleanyd,
and a quarter to fumigate.
are indebted
au-
thorities of the. Lazaretto having sent their Only Y beat to
the dockyard, and were obliged to await its return be-
e'bryedwihuoicphosstihbele,ulsiuesalinsutph
fere the letters and papers for the public minutes
euteswere sent to
for much courtesy in enabling the forwarding of the
the Post-office. To those authorities we
mails in time. ~
" Sultan, which arrived last night, having g had very
heavy gales, reports having seen a frigate and a line-
of-battle ship (supposed Albioe), standing towards Gib-
raltar."
PORTSMOUTH, TIIEBDAY.—The Winchester, 52, has
been this day ordered to be immediately commissioned

t
theain the
basin
for a flag officer.
The Dasher steam-vessel, Commander Le re
sailed to-day for the Channel Islands.
SHEERNESS, MARCH 15.--Her Majesty's screw steam-
frigate Amphion, 34, is to be fall rigged, have her guns
and six months' stores placed on board, and to be nom_
pieta in a fortnight. She will form one of the first-class
steam squadron of reserve at this port.
Hon
rs.MTa.jecsatyrn'segstioe,amwi-iflringoatteneHreoardaytiot,o2l4e,aveea
for another week to come.
Her Majesty's steatn-sloop Barracouta, fitting at
Chatham, w ill be stationed here when complete.
Her Majesty's ship Ganges, 84, it is reported will be
ready by the end. of May
Majesty's ship Waterloo, 120, Captain G. R.
Mundy, Port-Admirara flag-ship,
onlycom
a few hands
complete, the fit_
ting 4 for her guns excepted. She
short of her complement, 200, and is to enter any eligible
seamen who may offer' themselves, to be borne as super-
numeraries.
Her Majesty's ship North Star, Commander Pullen,
isss
fitting at Chatham, was taken out of dock on the Bth
inst. An apparatus for warming the cabins and decks
is being fitted in her, under the superintendence of Mr.
Chester, of the dockyard. She will leave for the Thames
in about ten days.
Her Majesty's surveying vessel Herald, Captain Dur-
ham, is progressing in her equipment at Chatham, and
will
be ready
toproceed down the river by the end of
April.
A number of apprentices in Chatham Dockyard hav-
ing served their time, have recently been entered upon
the establishment.
The labours of the committee which has been sitting
at the Admiralty on the subject of the lighting of vessels
afloat have been brought to a close, so far as the recep-
tion of evidence is concerned, and their deliberations
aro now earnestly directed to the nature of the report to
be made, suggesting a general system of night lignting.
Many well-qualified gentlemen have given the committee
the advantage of their knowledge and experience in such
matters. _ __

Among those examined was the Duke of Northumber-
land's agent, Mr. Taylor, who is well versed in the col-
lier trade, and Mr. Knight,' 'a large owner
_in
_the fruit
experience,. and who is frequently. honoured with the
line. One of the Trinity-house pilotOrper4tonAr great
escort of the royal yacht when making sea excursions, has
also given testimony of some valuable experiments made
by him between the mouth of the Thames and the
Downs. The system of showing coloured lights when on
different tacks seems to be favoured by the whole of the
evidence adduced, but they are not to, be fixed lights,
like those of sea-going stealuers, for the reason that
such would be almost useless as a preventive against col-
lision, from the circumstance of many of the colliers and
coasters being sniall, and in the water the rolling of the
vessel, and the low position of
the lights on the side of
it, would cause them to be more often, than otherwise,
concealed from view. Small lights,. somewhat similar to
the lanterns used by policemen or guards on the rail-
ways, it is stated, were deemed best adapted for small
vessels, to be in readiness to show the red or green disc,
according to the tack they may happen to be on. No
difference of opinion existed as to vessels at anchor hay-
ing a white light at their mastheads. The particular
system of lighting that will be adopted cannot be stated
until the committee have made their report,
which they
will do shortly.

WOOLWICH, MARCH 15.—Captain Henry J.
APPOINT/LENTS.
(1849) to command the Highflyer steam-sloop, com-
missioned this day at Woolwich. Captain Matson for-
merly commanded the Waterwitch, 8, sloop, when
serving on the west coast of Africa. The Rightlyer is
fitted with a screw-propeller and engines of 400-horse
power, by Maudelay, Sons, and Field, and she will pro-
ceed down the river on Friday next for two or three
days' trial of her steaming capabilities in'the North Sea.
(
Paymaster and Purser William WileslB46) to the
Highflyer.Matson
(1852), to toCtuhregelnlivgehnflyer ; C. E. Phillips to the
(1850), and S. R. H.
ship at Portsmouth.-
The Duke of Northumberland will receive officers on
Tuesday at one o'clock, coalaa„cin_
g on Tuesday, the
Slm'CKloeoermkrrs"-teara troop-slip
to see the Duke of Northumberland will have
tthoe
eater
i r
their Admiralty, names in a book kept for
that purpose in the hall, stating their Christian name
and rank.
There is no foundation for the report that officers
attending the First Lord's levee are to appear in
uniform.
2t
the goodnessi nsL at

APPOINTMENTS.
MARCO 16.—Captain Granville Gower Loch, C.B.
(1841), to command the Winchester, 50, commissioned
this day at Portsmouth.
Lieutenants—W. Armytage
J. Hooper (1849) to the Highflyer.
commissioned by Captain Henry J. Matson,
(i
ton (1847), and Henry Hawke, (1852), to the Highflyer
845), Henry S. Hamil-
Highflyer.
Carpenter—William Babb to the High
Mate—Hugh H. Knocker (1849) to the Highflyer.
steam
ao-sostellerwo_ipc,h6eni
min.
Gunner—Henry Warner to the Highflyer.
flyer.
PROMOTION.
BOatswain—John Miller to the
Charles Swinton, acting gunner, confirmed.
The Vivid Dover mail steana-packet, Capt. Smithett,
arrived at Woolwich yesterday to have her defects made
good.
The Violet Dover mail steam-packet, Lieutenant-
Commander Henry P. Jones, was taken out of the basin
yesterday, and is now ready to return to Dover to re-
sume her duties at that station.

CAPTAIN PENNY.
furitnhetrhe
called on
cilot:it'Ddo-43r-"ea-m-ry's
was called
—7-
FrTidhfiey
attentioneven(iFn arotmoofttthhheee
HouseMs
uebrjneicnotgfoefAoadmpemperootitia
8:2
Arctic Expedition, to the alleged discoveryeuts
Victoria Channel by Captain Pnny, and the consequent
°f
Queen
to the
claims of that gentlemin to an appointment
ex-
pedition which is preparing to start for the
pur-
suitjewNorthum-
oef
observe Sir
Captain' Jo h
thatFtt
nrya
an, kdwliihsnot
distinguished
Lids
iehsrhivsei
services
itcompany,earsaaryp
has powerfully urged that the cause which°thill`
Admi-
ralty professes to have at heart is injured byenin.,onveceWressary to conduct the expedition to the
n:lfkßoven seas
for which it is about to start. The Duke ,
forwarduner
aoffferdti
berland is appealed to to take this
case. and is reminded that if his Grace of the
so deem it r' desirable there is yet time should
se-
cure the services of this officer. It is to
that though the ships which are to be argued
be in office, will
Sir Edward Belcher's orders are in a state
preparation, the intervening period will
enough to equip a large and powerful steamer, which
er
cgfarsemheovminalthe just grounds
might be placed under the charge of Captain Penny. It
is not our object.to urge the claims of this or any
gentleman in the naval st:vie;., io employment or pro-
motion, but simply to express our hope that the Duke
Northumberland,waaysielvton
of complaint Icontinually made by the navy against the
nepotism which has given such bad odour to the Whig
Ministry. The course which
effect
d ofo
something
•la had been followed by -
the
of
late reigning families has had the
~producing the
greatest dissatisfaction and disgust in the minds alike
of officers and men, and alienating the enthusiasm and
the confidence of great numbers of most deserving
ecer2
Who find themselves constantly disappointed,
or their just expectations of employment and promotion
delayed, in consequence of the gross jobbery to which
the ex-Ministers have been lending themselves. The
papers specially devoted to naval affairs, as well as
i those printed in sea-port towns, of all creeds and grin-
, espies, have of late been constantly occupied with com-
plaints of the nepotism carried on by the Edens and