The Sun.
London, England, 1864-11-03 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

Her Majesty's steam ship Valian►, 4,063 tons, and SAO-
horse power, which left the Victoria-docks on Tuesday for
Sheerness, was not built by the firm referred to in The Ssn
of yesterday, but by the Thames Ironworks Shipbuilding,
Engineering, and Dry Dock Company (Limited), Orchard-
yard, Blackwall.
The Chesapeake, 39, 400-horse power, screw frigate,which
has been taken into dock at Chatham, is so defective that
there is no intention to repair her for commission. She will
remain in dock a short time to allow of her bottom being
payed over, after which she will go into the steam reserve
until the Admiralty ultimately decide what will be done
with her. _ . .

An Admiralty order received at Chatham announces that
shipwright apprentices and engineering students appointed
to the Royal School of Naval Architecture and Marine En-
gineering at Kensington will be allowed the rate of pay re-
ceived by apprentices during the last year of their time, in
addition to which they will be granted the sum of 10a 6d per
week. The order also states that the students' time for pro-
motion and superannuation will count from the date of the
completion of their apprenticeship or studentship, the period
which they may be in the school after their term of appren •
ticeship has expired being at the same time included.
Her Majesty's paddlewheel sloop Spiteful, 6 guns, indock
at Woolwich, having been seriously damaged at the cora-
mancetne.nt of the present year by the breaking down of
the sheers while in the act of lifting out her boilers, has
been officially surveyed, and ordered to Deptford dockyard
to be repaired. Her outer skin having been stripped off,
her timbers, which were carefully examined below the
water line, were found in good condition and available for
further service. She will be undocked this morning.
The Hector, iron frigate, Capt. Preedy, C. 8., arrived at
Spithead yesterday from the westward.
Vice-Admiral Sir M. Seymour, G.C.8., Naval Com-
mander-in-Chief at Portsmouth, yesterday went out of
Portsmouth harbour to Spithead in tbo Sprightly, steam-
tender, Commander G. Allen, and made an o ffic.al inspec-
tion of her Majesty's iron frigate Warrior, Capt. the Hon.
A. Cochrane, C. 8., with the results of which the gallant
Admiral was highly pleased. The Warrior is expected to go
into Portsmouth harbour to-day from Spithead to dismantle
and pay out of commission, at the conclusion of her first
and most successful cruise of any ship belonging to our iron
fleet.

The Edgar, screw liner, Capt. G. P. Hornby, flagship of
Rear-Admiral S. C. Dacres, C.B , went into Portsmouth
harbour yesterday from Spithead.
The Racoon screw corvette, Capt. Count Gleichen, made
a satisfactory trial of her machinery at Portsmouth yes•
terday.
Admiralty instructions were yesterday received at Wool-
wich to hold in readiness the following detail of officers,
non-commissioned officers, and rank and file cf the Royal
Marine Light Infantry, for embarkation on board her Ma.
jesty's ship Victoria, 107 guns, 4,127 tuns and 1,000 horse
power, commissioned by Captain Goodenough—viz., two
subalterns, first and second lieutenants, three sergeants,
three corporals, one bugler, and 117 privates, with 10 addi•
tional private: to 11/1 any vacencieti which may occur prior
to the sailing of the ship.

A general regimental order, signed by Col. Gloucester
Gambier, C. 8., Deputy Adjutant General Royal Artillery,
has been received at Chatham garrison, laying down a code
of instructions for the guidance of officers enopleyed in mak-
ing the annual surveys of the equipments of batteries of field
artillery, and for preparing the requisitions for stores for
the service of the several batteries. The entire equipment
of each battery is to be inspected by the three senior officers
present with it, by whom a list of such articles as are found
unserviceable or repairable is to be drawn up, and the pe-
riod during which each of these has been in use, its present
condition, and the cause to which its unserviceable condi-
tion is attributable are to be fully shown. The survey
boards are to guard against the condeinnation of articles
which are not in a really unserviceable condition, and such
as have become so through other than fair wear and tear of
the service should be so noted. All stores returned by the
troops being subjected to examination before final disposal,
under the orders of the Secretary of State for War, it is
absolutely necessary that military boards of survey held pre-
vious to their being returned should carefully guard against
the possibility of the accuracy of their reports, either as to
the actual condition of the stores examined, or the causes
to which their unserviceableness is attributed, being ques-
tioned at such subsequoct examinations. Instances hav-
ing occurred of stores surve3 od and condemned being after •
werds reported as expended, and consequently not forth-
coming for delivery to the military store officers ordered
to take them over, it is intimated that all articles which
ate in future surveyed and condemned will be required for
eventual delivery to store, and officers commanding batte
ries will be thee: accountable for them if lost or expended.
otores belonging to the equipment of the guns and cart-
ridges which it may be necessary to have supplied im-
mediately, to maintain the efficiency of the batteries are to
be demanded in quarterly requisitions.
A notification has been received at Chatham garrison
that the next examination of candidates for direct commis-
sions, under the regulations! dated Horse Guards, Jan. 1.
1864, will commence at Chelsea Hospital, on Monday next,
the 7th inst., before Major-Gen. F. W. Hamilton, C. 8.,
Vice-President, and the members of the Council of Educa-
tion. The next examination of candidates for admission to
the Royal Military College at Sandhurst will commence at
Chelsea Hospital on the Ist of December next, and that for
the admission of candidates for the Royal Artillery and the
Royal Engineers to the Royal Academy, Woolwich, on the
2d of January next.
Major- 'i en. Stransham yesterday resumed his autumnal
visitation of the Royal Marine departments at Woolwich,
in command of Col.-Commandant Hopkins, C. 8., by visit-
ing the divisional schools and hospital, commencing as on
the previous day, at half-past 10 a.m. At half-past 12 the
Inspector-General inspected the whole of the subaltern
officers and non-commissioned officers of the battalion
assembled on parade, and went through a course of sword
exercises. At two o'clock ; two companies were drawn up,
and performed a series of manual, platoon, and bayonet exer-
cises, which were commanded by Capt. Webb and Lieuts.
Hopkins and Alnutt. The Inspector-General and Staff then
proceeded to the detachment gun-drill battery, representing
the lower deck of a man-of-war, where the heavy guns were
run out, laid, trained and prepared for action. The battery
drills were in command of C apt. Carrington, gunnery in-
spector. The inspection terminated at half-past 3. The
whole of the proceedings manifested :a high state of disci-
pline and chill.
The alterations in progress at Chatham for enlarging the
Royal Marine establishments have necessitated the taking
in of a portion of the dockyard in order to provide the
necessary site for the new block of buildings intended to be
erected:to serve as officers' quarters. A portion of the Ad-
miralty property hitherto used by the public as a road
leading to the dockyard has also been appropriated, by

which a considerable area has been obtained for the new
buildings, intended to form a continuation of the present
Royal Marine barracks. The house hitherto occupied by
the master-ropemaker within tho dockyard walls has also
been taken down to make way for the improvements, and a
new residence erected for that official at a short distance
from the dockyard gates by Messrs. Foord and Sons, the
Admiralty contractors, who have completed and roofed in
the building in the short space of six weeks from its com-
mencement.
The Royal School of Naval Architecture and Marine E-
ngineering, some particulars of which were given in The Sun
of Tuesday, was formally opened on that day with an ad-
dress by Mr C. W. Merrifield, F.R.S., the Principal. He
explained that the task which the Lords of the Admiralty
and the Committee of Council had in view was somewhat
different from that whioh presented itself in the Schools of