The Sun.
London, England, 1864-12-29 00:00:00

i2t

hesitate to exercise to the fullest extent the- anihotity
possesses under the rules of law recognised 13.Y*1
states in regard to persons organising hostile apeclitfOna
within neutral territory, and fleeing to it for an asylum
after committing acts of depredation within our own, such
an exercise of authority having become indispensable to
protect our cities and towns from incendiarism and our
people from robbery and murder.
It is earnestly hoped that the inhabitants of our frontier
districts will abstain from all acts of retaliation on account
of the outrages committed by rebel marauders, and that the
proper measures of redress will be loft to the action of the
public authorities.—By command of

111d,r-General Lxx.
Tho Canadian Cabinet had a long council a
Quebec on the 25th, and it is understood that the
members unanimously denounced the act of Judge
Coursal in discharging the St. Alban's raiders. The
pretence was that the Canadian Extradition Act of
1861 was nat in corce because it had not been
assented to by the Queen in Council. According to
the New York journals, if the judge had inquired of
the Government he would have found that her
Majesty had specially assented to that cc'.
The Attorney General, it is understood, advised
the issue of new warrants on the same night by the
judge of the Superior Court cf 'Montreal for the
re-arrest of the raiders, some of whom have gone
east to Halifax, and some west. Officers ere on
their track, and it is believed they cannot escape if
they remain in Canada.
The Canadian Government has no legal right to
act directly, as the courts have independent juris.
diction. If the judges refuse to do their duty or
act corruptly they may be suspended or dismissed.

Another Cabinet• Council was held at Quebec on
the 16th, at which the subject of rebel raids across
the border was again under consideration. Parlia-
ment has been summoned to meet on the 19th
January, when laws will be passed to met the
urgency of the great change of public feeling
towards the Confederates, since they have shown
an intention of embroiling the two countries in
war. Stipendiary magistrates have been appointed
on the frontier especially to take cognisance of
breaches of the international laws, and they are to
be aided by a strong police force.
The Herald says :

"The preparations for prompt and firm military pro•
ceedings in the future being now made by the authorities in
the Northern border States, and the indignation at the
liberation of the St. Alban's land pirates manifested_by our
people, have caused a great reaction in Canada; it is said
against the rebel raiders generally. The railroad men there
are alarmed, and fear that non-intercourse on the part of
the Americans will be the result. A private despatch, re.
ceived in this city yesterday from Montreal, states that the
amount of money stolen from the St. Alban's banks is to
be restored to them immediately."
Naval and Military Intelligence.

The Achilles, 20 gun iron frigate, 1,250 horse
power, Capt. E, Vansittart, yesterday attempted a
second trial of her speed with full boiler power over
the measured mile in Stokes Bay, near Portsmouth,
but broke down in the midst of her last run from
an accident to her propeller. Every care had been
taken to steam the ship over the trial ground on
terms equally favourable with those under which
Warrior made her trial, 40 tons of hand-picked
Nixon's Aberdare coals having been sent off to the
ship from the dockyard, and stokers from the
steam factory to take special charge of her fires,
the trim of the ship being also altered some four
inched less by the stern than on the previous trial.
Under these favourable circumstances the speed of
the ship in the first six runs nearly approached that
attained by the Warrior on her trial, the mean of
the six runs yesterday having given the Achilles
14.240 knots. This result is a very considerable
gain over the 13 419 knots of her former trial ; it
also exceeds the trial speed of the Black Prince, but
still it did not quite reach the 14.354 knots of the
Warrior. To give the ship a chance of doing this,
however, the usual six runs over the mile were yes-
terday extended to eight, and it was while the ship
was doing her eighth run that an txtraordinary
noise under her stern, with a rush of water in the
screw alley, an accelerated speed of the engines,
and a decreased speed of the ship, gave the cus-
tomary warnings that something was seriously the
matter with the propeller. The engines were im-
mediately eased, and the ship was taken slowly
back to Spithead, where she was anchored and a
diver sent off to examine her propeller and ascer-
tain the exact nature of the damage. It is believtd
that one, if not two, out of the four blades of her
propeller are broken off, and that very possibly her
stern tubing is damaged. The meat serious part of
the matter is that Portsmouth, owing to the altera-
tions now king made in the steam basin and docks
of the yard, has no dock in which the Achilles can
be placed to remove her screw or repair any damage
that may have been caused by the accident.
The Admiralty have decided upon the disposition
of the Royal Alfred's armour and armament, and,
as usual, this decision is a compromise between their
original plans for the ship with the weak 41in. plat-
ing and the formidable turret tower, and belt plan
laid before their Lordships by Rear Admiral Elliot,
the Superintendent of Portsmouth dockyard.
The Royal Alfred is now to carry a square
armoured tower or box amidships, which is
to be coated with 6in. armour plates, The
original 4iin. plates are now being taken off
the ship amidships to make room for the 6in.
plates of this tower; bat the 41inch plating for ward
and aft of this central tower will be retained on the
ship and round the bows and stern, below and to
some distance above the water-line. A portion of
the original upper line of the 4i-inch plating will
be kept off the ship to ease her weights at the ex-
treme ends, but the weight of these plates will be
absorbed in the extra thickness of the plating given
to the square to wen As regards the ship's arma•
ment, that is to consist of ten of those wonderful
300-pounder guns of which the public have heard so
much and seen so little, to be worked as broadside
guns in the tower.

We understand that Capt. Astley C. Key, C. 8.,
commanding the Excellent gunnery ship at Forts
mouth, and Governor of the Royal Naval College,
will, on entering upon his duties as the head
of the new Naval Ordnance Department, be suc-
ceeded in the command of the Excellent and in
the Naval College by Capt. Preedy, C. 8., now in
command of the iron frigate Hector. We trust
the appointment of Capt. Key to his newly created
and important office will lead to a more uniform and
efficient armament of her Majesty's navy.

Her Majesty's ship Salamis, Commander Francis
G. Suttie, was yesterday removed from the fitting
basin at Woolwich to the ordinary, having under•
gone a complete overhaul. She is again perfectly
ready for sea. Her destination is stated to be Con-
stantinople, to serve as a despatch vessel to the
British Ambassador to the Porte.

The Admiralty yacht Black Eagle, Staff. Co-
mmender Whillier, yesterday steamed down the river
from Woolwich on trial, after repairs and re-adjuste
ment of her paddlewheels. She returned to Wools
with at 3 o'clock, trial being reported as satisfactory.
The old 80 gun ship Superb, lent by the Lords of
the Admiralty to the Turkish authorities for the use
of the crews of the two frigates during their stay
at B:ackwall, was yesterday returned and towed
down to Sheerness, in command of Mr S. Libby,
master of the yacht Black Eagle.
The following appointments have been made at
the Admiralty :—Commander James B. Grove to
the St. George, for the Coastguard; Commander
H. Fawkes to be an Inspecting Commander in the
Coastguard ; Henry D. Barry, midshipman, to the
Duncan ; Arthur F. T. James, naval cadet, to the
Duncan ; W. C. C. Forsyth, naval cadet, Co the
Princess Royal ; and Frank J. Grassie, naval cadet,
to the Valorous.

THE IMPROVEMENTS IN SOUTHWARK.—The it/14
portant improvements in St. Thomas-street, East,
the expenses of which have been detr:lyed by the London
and Brighton Railway Company, in consideration of acquit.
ing an extensive site for the enlargement of the London-
bridge station and the construction of the South-London
line, is fast approaching completion. The railway arches
on the north side of the street have been converted info
handsome shopP, and the south front of the viaduct is faced
with white bricks, picked out with red and white stone
dressings; the buildings on the south side of the street are
being erected in a similar style of architecture. The en..
largcment of the Borough-market is also being proceeded
with rapidly, and will be completed in the spring. A hand-
some brick building has been erected in King-street, South-
wark, for the schools founded and endowed by the late Mrs
Newoomen.