The Sun.
London, England, 1852-09-30 00:00:00

heart of the country—destroying, burning, and levy-
ing contributions on the way. Admitting such fears
to be exaggerated, it is not the less true that they
derive strength from the incomplete state of our naval
and military preperations ; and the rank and influence
of a nation are invariably lowered and impaired by
the consciousness of its liability to insult. It
is notorious that the numerical inferiority of
our land armaments and the deserted condition
of our ports, in December and January last, had
a good deal to do with the unworthy tone in
which Lord John Russell and his colleagues defended
Louis Napoleon against the well-founded censures of
the preen. It is because Lord Hardinge possesses re-
markable qualifications for preventing the recurrence
of :such a state of things, so far as the Horse Guards
are concerned, that we rejoice at his appointment. No
mere soldier would be equal to the task, fur within
living memory the art of war has been revolutionised
by scientific invention. But the new Commander-in-
Chief is very far indeed from being a mere soldier.
lie has filled a variety of civil offices with high credit.
He has been successively Secretary for Ireland,
Secretary at War, Governor-General of India, and
Master- General of the Ordnance. Ha was also, as a
correspondent has reminded us, specially charged with
the defence of Ireland in the memorable spring of 1848
—so that, in one capacity or another, he has had the
benefit of a larger amount of instructive and available
experience than perhaps ever fell to the lot of any one
coiefncthye;
illustrious captain whom he immediately succeeds.
No man living is more
of his predecessors,
impressed with the paramount
e that no
timed diffideanocznoarllatnhyatin
in a condition
to uphold its well-earned reputation under all
imaginable circumstances, whether as regards arms,
importance of placing
ntihtuhemßtbhereritsis:i
un-
due wish to save the Premier from embarrassment or
to spare -the -Chancellor of the Exchequer's surplus,
eaqnudipwmeehnotp,
British
gr
l general armye n exceptioner a l efficiency
him lies to carry out his carefully matured schemes
will prevent Lord Harding's, from
of military improvement. It were a libel on the
nation to suppose that, because it very properly insists
on having money's worth for its money, it would
shrink from any amount of strictly needful expen-
diture, when its honour or its safety is at stake ; and
if mistaken notions of economy have left our national
defences disgracefully incomplete, this is mainly
owing to short-sighted or selfish politicians who have
been over-anxious to curry popular favour.

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.
Rear-Admiral Fanshawe, C. 8., has been officially
appointed Superintendent of her Majesty's Dockyard,
Portsmouth, vice Rear-Admiral Prescott, C.B. The
latter gallant admiral strikes his flag this evening at
sunset, and the former hoists his flag (blue at the
mizen) to-morrow morning.
As we have stated, Paymaster Ince, who served as
secretary to Rear-Admiral Fanshawe when Comman-
der-in-Chief on the coast of Africa, will occupy the
same office at Portsmouth Dockyard.
In announcing the promotion of Captain Tarleton,
of the Fox, 43, at Rangoon, yesterday, the services of
Commander Tattnall were appended, instead of those
of Captain Tarleton. The latter gallant officer pasaed
his examination in 1830; obtained his first com-
mission Sept. 22, 1835 ; and was subsequently ap-
pointed, Feb. 2, 1836, as supernumerary lieutenant,
to the Caledonian, 120, flagship of Sir Josias
Rowley, in the Mediterranean ; April 1, follow-
ing, to the Favourite, 18, Captain George Rodney
Mundy, on the same station ; April 19, 1837, to the
Ringdove, 16, Captains Horatio Stopford Nixon and
Hon. Keith Stewart, with whom he served in North
America and the West Indies until the close of 1841 ;
Feb. 5, 1842, as senior, to the Carysfort, 26, Captain
Lord George Paulet, fitting for the Pacific, whence
he returned to England, and was paid off in June,
1845 ; and Dec. 2, 1845, to the Endymion, 44, Capt.
George Robert Lambert, in which ship he again
sailed for the North America and West India sta-

tion. He attained his present rank Nov. 9, 1846;
and since Nov. 23, 1848, has been employed as second
captain in the Vengeance, 84; and in the Fox, 42.—
Herald.

It was Commander John Nepean, on the reserved
half-pay list, who died last week. He entered the
navy March 3, 1798, as first-class volunteer on board
the Caton. He was promoted to the rank of lieu-
tenant September 25, 1806, and next in succession
appointed to the Raven sloop, Captain James Grant;
Bellerophon, 74; Humber; laiperieuse, 38 ; and in
1811, to the regulating service, which he left in 1814.
While belonging to the Raven he was wounded
in her boats in au attack upon a privateer, and
when in the Imperieuse, 1809, he assisted at the
destruction of a fort in the river Scheldt, took
part in the operations connected with the siege of
Flushing, and was a second time wounded in an affair
with five Dutch schuyts near South Beveland. His
last appointments were—April 26, 1823, to the
Water Guard, in which service he continued, we
believe, but a short period; Oct. 28, 1841, to the
post (which he retained until the close of 1843) of
Admiralty agent on board a contract mail steam-
vessel ; and Jan. 4 and May 22, 1845, to the San
Josef, 110, and Caledonia, 120, both commanded by
Captain Manley Hall Dixon, at Devonport.
Niger screw-steam sloop, Commander Heath, is
nearly completed and ready for sea. She went along-
side Portsmouth yard yesterday, got up steam to try
her engines.
Philomel, 8, has had her defects made good at
Devonport, and she is now ready for commission.
She was surveyed by Commodore Seymour on
Monday previous to her being reported to their
Lordships.
Rolla, 6, apprentices tender, Lieutenant Com-
mander Fenwick, weighed from Spithead, and pro-
ceeded outside the Nab for exercise yesterday.
The compasses of the Simoom screw troop ship,
Captain Kingoome, have been again adjusted at the
moorings off the King's-stairs, Portsmouth.
Sinbad lighter sailed from Portsmouth yesterday,
with stores for the eastern yards.
MALTA, SEPT. 22.—The English fleet, when last
heard of, was off Syra.
The Arethusa frigate from Lisbon, arrived in port
on the 16th inst. at half-past three A.M. At that
early hour she saluted the Admiral, an act which has
called forth much reprehension, and has caused her to
be sent off to join the fleet. At eight she saluted
again, but with fewer guns than Admiral Harvey was
heard lgrain.iia
entitled to.
of of rTat uhnne
accident, e
still
accident el i clings
took
ktnoopttlhatech
place
?afutur
full
al
wind
quarter
ntaedrnt Weet
light. haveropast
aist
tßjust
hte
belli, from Marianopoli to Cork or Falmouth,
would seem that, on the 10th, being in the vicinity 01
Sapienza, she ran into the Austrian ship Padre Mime
with
A.M. ; the weather was calm and the
vessels showed lights. The captain ofPadreot
Mimbelli says the Fury has received the
e.
much damage.
His own vessel is very much injured.
News of the loss of the Maltese brie' 7ciieun'
Azzopardi master, on the Rabbit Island near Tenedos,
e. Shea was on
has reached this; crew sav
bee _
_".
P
sage to the Danube, with • 1 salt from
Girgenti. a cargo of mineral
PORTSMOUTH, SEPT. 29.—The Terri e 'ble 21 , Capt.
James Hope, sailed
yesterday for Woolwich, to be
paid off.
The Sidon, 2°, advanced steam-frigate,
was taken
out of harbour yesterday, for a trial at Stokes Bay,
by Captain W. H. Henderson C.B.
of the Blenheim.
Her engines worked well, and she returned to ordi-
nary after the trial.
The Furious, 16, steam-frigate, has been put out of
Commission, and Lieut. Cunningham and his men
have returned to the Blenheim.
B
The Count and Countess
visited this
over which they were escorted by
dockyard to-day,
the
ant Pasle . They also visited Vic-
tory,Flag-Lieuten y.
Ch. f' barge being placed
the Commander-in- ie s
at their service to visit the flag-ship. The Count,who
is a
distinguished Prussian diplomatist, has been Am-
;
bassador from the Court of Prussia to that of Austria
[ and Bavaria. Having inspected the chief objects of
interest at the port they returned to town by the
Brighton Railway in the afternoon. While on board
the Victory the Prussian flag was hoisted at the fore
and saluted with 15 guns.
PLYMOUTH, Sere% 29.—Yesterday morning, at
half-past 2 o'clock, as two men were returning from
fishing, they discovered fire on board the Government
lighter Camel, then moored to a buoy off the Devon-
port Dockyard, in Hatuoaze. They immediately
hailed the watch on board the sheer hulk, who sig.
nalised the fact, when Commodore Superintendent
Seymour, Mr. Mills, master-attendant, and Lieu.
tenant Williams, the chief of police, were soon in at.
tendance, and the hose from the jetty were conveyed
to the lighter. Boats from the ships in commission
arrived shortly after, and towed the Camel to the
west mud, when the fire was entirely extinguished.
During the day she was warped ashore in the yard, to
have her stores discharged. There was no one on board
the:lighter when the fire was discovered. Her boe I was
found in Mutton Cove. An investigation before
Commander Seymour took place in the course of the
day, when it appeared that the mate went ashore a t
half-past 5 the previous evening, leaving two ship"
keepers in charge, and that subsequently one of these,
Carn, also went ashore, being unwell : he is in cus.
tody, the other cannot be found. It is very singular
that the fire on board the Camel was discovered th(
same day and month, the same hour, and almost al,