The Sun.
London, England, 1852-12-31 00:00:00

(Front the Morning Herald. )

MONEY ORDERS. GENERAL POST-OFFICE, DEC.,
1852.—A minor' money-order office will be opened at
Crossmaglen, county Armagh, served from Castleblaney,
on the 4th January. In consequence of alterations in
the circulation of letters, Knighton is now served (as
respects money-order advices) from Shrewsbury, instead
of from Presteign. The post-office at Queenborough
having been reduced to a sub-office, is now served (as
respects money-order advices) from Sittingbourne.
ROBBERY OF A BANKERS CIARK.—A few days since a
clerk in an eminent banking-house in the City was sent
to several other private banking-houses for the purpose
of taking up such bills of exchange as had been drawn
upon the firm during the day, and paying the amount so
drawn upon them. As a matter of precaution, the book
containing the bank notes for the discharge of these bills
was secured by a small chain, which was passed round
the waist of the clerk. Having in the course of the day
visited two or three houses for the purposes above stated,
he entered a banking-house in Lombard-street, and,
taking the bill case from his pocket, placed it upon the
counter, with his left arm resting upon it, whilst with
his right hand he attached his signature to several docu-
ments required in the course of these transactions.
Whilst so engaged he stood between two persons at the
same desk, one of whom was apparently deeply engaged
in writing, and who, having completed what he was
about, he with some force threw back the pen into the
inkstand that vfas standing between him and the clerk
referred to. The consequence was to cause the ink in
the stand to fly over the shirt front of the clerk,
who, feeling considerable annoyance at it for the mo-
ment, rose up from the desk, and remonstrated with
the person for the injury he had wantonly committed.
This act, which at first appeared to be but one of great
carelessness, however turned out to have been premedi-
tated, and with a deeply-planned object. Having
transacted his business, he replaced the bill-case in his
pocket, an returned to the banking-house at which he
was emplo ed, without having any suspicion as to what
had taken lace. On taking out his book and counting
.[the notes, eat was his amazement at finding a defi-
ciency to the amount of 1,100/,
.A new light instantly
broke in tpon his mind, which fully accounted for the
transactin at the banking-house. The two persons who
there stood beside him were no doubt acting in concert
to effect; the robbery, and there was every probability
that thi ink-spilling was but a ruse to draw off his
attention while the person on the other side of him took
advantage of the absence of the arm of the clerk from
the book to abstract the notes, with which they suc-
ceeded in getting clear off. No trace of them has been
obtaiied, although the detective officers of the city police
have been unremitting in their exertions to discover the
thieiee-
THE BISHOP OF LONDON AND THE ELECTION OF
CIORCHWARDENS BILL.—i-Yesteriay a meeting of the
parishioners of the parish of Hornsey took place in the ves-
try at Hornsey church, for the purpose of taking steps to
oppose a bill introduced into the liouse of Lords by the
Bishop of Salisbury (for the Bishop of London) to de-
prive the ratepayers of parishes of the election of church-
wardens as at present. Mr. Churchwarden Palmer
having taken the chair, Mr. J. T. Smith presented the
report of the committee on the Churchwardens Bill. He
showed that a bill had been introduced last session by
the Bishop of Salisbury, at the instigation of the Bishop
of London, and that it was a measure which was one of
the most shameful attempts at innovation upon the
rights and privileges of Englishmen that was ever at-
tempted. All power was to be taken out of the hands
of ratepayers in public vestry nf electing their church-
wardens, and a secret system of voting was adopted,
and all power placed in the hands of the rector
or clergyman of the parish. He had the power
of issuing notices, of taking the chair, of having the
voting papers sent to him, and the power of disallowing
all such as he considered invalid without scrutiny. He
read a letter he had received from the Bishop of London,
in which he stated that he had not determined whether
he should re-introduce this bill of last session, but added
that he was collecting opinions on the subject. Mr.
Smith denounced the measure as having for its purpose
to suppress the practice used through untold centuries
of the election of churchwardens in open vestry, and to
substitute a secret system of voting and an individual
and irresponsible system of scrutiny and return ; and
expressed a hope that other parishes would watch and
oppose such bills if again brought forward. The report
being received, he moved a resolution to the effect that
the bill relating to the election of churchwardens intro-
duced into the House of Lords in the spring session of
1852, proposes very serious innovations on the common
law of the land, and on the.rights and customs of parish-
ioners and vestries as sanctioned by immemorial usage
and convenience ; that this opinion be conveyed to the
Bishop of London ; and a committee be appointed to
oppose such measure. Mr. Ashurst also donounced the
bill as the greatest attempt to set up a priesthood over
the people and destroy their liberties as Englishmen that
had taken place in modern times. The resolution was
carried unanimously, and the meeting separated.

We have now, we believe, the whole of the Board of
Admiralty nominated, including the Right Hon. Sir
James Graham, Vice-Admiral Hyde Parker, Rear-Ad-
miral the Hon. M. F. F. Berkeley, C. 8., Rear-Admiral
Sir James Stirling, Captain Milne, and the Hon. W.
Cowper, with Mr. Bernal Osborne for the Secretary.

Captain O'Brien, who was with Sir James Graham
when Secretary of State for the Home Department, is
to be private secretary to Sir James, as First Lord.
The First Lord, it is said, will keep up the navy in the
most effective condition;but the civil service will undergo
the closest revision. We shall be found a willing advo-
cate of wholesome reforms, and it is patent to the
whole world that there is room for amendment in
every department under the Admiralty, and more
especially in the distribution of the extensive
patronage of the First Lord's office. We trust
that Sir James Graham will not imitate
his predecessor in the blind and indiscriminate commis-
sioning of useless and inefficient ships, the general distri-
bution of his appointments, or the wholesale promotions
of favourites, partisans, and followers.
It is with great regret that we feel bound to confess
that the character of the Duke of Northumberland's
Board of Admiralty has materially suffered by their re-
cent acts. The old and deserving officers of the service
have been neglected, the claims of the meritorious and
long-serving have been treated indifferently, and the best
men in the navy have been passed over in favour of men
of mere family influence, and in some cases in favour of
those who could not even produce an official report cre-
ditable to the man-of-war efficiency of the last ships they
commanded. The term of office of the duke's board has
not been a long one ; but short as it has been we have
seen enough, notwithstanding all the indulgence, toady-
,ism, and culpable silence of those who so loudly cried out
for
' for a purely naval board, to make the unprejudiced
on Olt pollnynittre—atintntnge of having Rl2oaki
composed exclusively of naval men.
Vice-Admiral Hyde Parker retains his seat with Rear-
Admiral the Hon. M. F. F. Berkeley, .C. 8., as his
second, as we have already anticipated. The gallant
Vice-Admiral will be energetically assisted by his more
active but junior colleague.
Rear-Admiral Berkeley has gone down to his consti-
tuents for re-election, and we perceive that he is to be
opposed by his former colleague, Mr. Hope. We trust,
however, that the gallant Admiral will not be out of the
House of Commons, for he has ever proved himself a
straightforward and indepeident advocate of the service
to which he belongs.
Rear-Admiral Sir James Stirling was a member of Sir
F. Baring's board of only a few days' standing. He was
the unsuccessful candidate for Chatham on the Liberal
interest, against Sir F. Smith, who was a Peelite.
Captain Milne, it is well known, has served as a Lord
of the Admiralty under the last two Governments.
Mr. Cowper is the step-son of Lord Palmerston. He
was one of the Lords of the Treasury under the Mel-
bourne administration, and was the civil Lord of the
Admiralty under Lord John Russell's Government.
Mr. Bernal Osborne, the secretary, like Mr. Stafford,
has never been in office before, but it is somewhat ano-
malous to give the appointment of Secretary to the Ad-
miralty to a soldier.
We hear a great deal of what the new board is to do,
but we shall soon discover, by their actual services,
what the country is to expect from them.

PORTSMOUTH, DEC. 30.
Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Cochrane, K.C.8., the
Commander-in-Chief, went out to Spithead to-day, with
his flag flying in the Fire Queen steam-yacht, to inspect
the Leander, 50, Captain King, and visit the fleet.
The London, 90, Captain G. R. Mundy, was un-
docked this afternoon, after having her copper cleaned
and repaired. An order has been received for her to
remain in this harbour, moored off Gosport, for the
convenience of entering men. Lieut. Chesshyre has
been dispatched to Plymouth to open a rendezvous there
with the view of completing the crew of the London,
further refitting operations on which have been sud-
denly, this day, suspended by Amiralty order.
This afternoon, at two o'clock, a handsome schooner
yacht, built by Mr. Camper, of Gosport, was launched
from his building-yard. She was named the Golietka,
and has been constructed for Prince Lebanoff, Commo-
dore of the Imperial Russian Yacht Squadron. She
measures 131 tons, and is likely to prove a clipper. She
was named by Mrs. Wilkinson, the wife of the Russian
Vice-Consul at this port.
ARRIVAL OF THE SCREW-SLOOP PLIIMPER.—The Plum-
per, 11, screw-sloop, Commander Nolloth, arrived at
Spithead this morning from the Brazils, and saluted the
Commander-in-Chief. She left Rio on the 14th of No-
vember, and has made the passage under sail, with the
exception of a few hours, in which she used about four
tons of coal, thus proving herself an admirable sailer
and a most economical steamer. But this well working
is doubtless, in the main, owing to the good manage-
ment of her commander, and the vessel having proved
herself one of the most efficient of an improved
class. She was built in this dockyard by Mr. John
Fincham, from his own design. She bring home in-
valids from the squadron under Rear-Admiral Hender-
son ; also as passengers Mr. Styles, late clerk in charge
of her Majesty's ship Trident, promoted to the rank of
paymaster ; and Mr. Hale, jun., son of the inventor of
the rifle rocket, who has been xhibiting this powerful
missile to the Brazilian naval and military authorities.
The Plumper has on board a freight of about 30,0001.
sterling in Australian gold-dust, which she transhipped
from the British merchant vessel Emperor, at Monte
Video, into which place the latter had put to repair,
being leaky. This bullion has been conveyed to the
Bank of England by Messrs. E. and E. Emanuel, freight
agents and bullion merchants, of this port. The follow-
ing ships were spoken by the Plumper, and desired to
be reported :—The Gertrude, Dutch transport, on the
22d of November, in lat. 23.17 S., long. 28.27 W. ;
the Teal, British merchantman, on the sth of December,
in lat. 7.22 N., long. 23.51 W. ; the Guesoline (French),
on the 27th of December, in lat. 46.3 N., long. 4.21
W. ; also a British merchant vessel, showing "2d dis-
tinguishing pendant," No. 8,394, on the 27th of Decem-
ber, in lat. 46.3 N., long. 4.21 W. The Plumper has
been four years and two months in commission, and
will now be paid off and refitted. She has taken one
prize while cruising for slavers on the coast of Brazil,
and shares in two other captures.
The Termagant, 24, screw steam-frigate, built by
White, of Cowes, is alongside the dockyard jetty, land-
ing her stores, which are to be cleaned and replaced.
The Blenheim, 60, screw-ship, Captain W. H. Hender-
son, C. 8., will be again docked, now the London
has been removed, and will complete the repair of her
defects.
The Sprightly steam-vessel, Mr. George Allen, acting
master, R.N., commanding, which• has been for some
time employed in the protection of the Channel Islands
fisheries, returned to this station to-day, having been
relieved.
Simoon, 18, screw-steam troop frigate, is taking in
coals alongside the steam-basin landing, where she is dis-
charging the machinery for the Duke of Wellington.
Captain Kingcome returned from leave of absence and
joined his ship this day.
Duke of Welhngton, 131, screw-three-decker, is having
her shaft fitted, and moulding for her new figure-head,
Which is being carried out some three feet further than