The Sun.
London, England, 1863-09-24 00:00:00

THE ARMY.

Orders were yesterday received at Portsmouth
for the 55th (Westmoreland) Regiment, stationed
in Portsmouth garrison, under the command of
Lieut.-Col. Robert Hume, to increase its numbers to
the customary standard for foreign service by volun-
teers from other corps, and to be held in readiness
for immediate embarcation for India.

The "K" Battery of Armstrong field artillery,
under the command of Major Barstow, stationed at
Hilsea, near Portsmouth, yesterday received orders
to prepare for immediate marching from thence by
road to Woolwich, to embark for foreign service,
reported for New Zealand.
Major-Gen. Lord W. Paulet, C. 8., commanding
Portsmouth garrison and the South-Western Mili-
tary District, will to-day officially inspect on South-
sea common the 6th and 7th brigades of Garrison
Artillery, :he I and K batteries of field artillery of
the 4th brigade, and the Royal Marine Artillery.
A detachment of troops, from various regiments,
arrived at Portsmouth yesterday from Parkhurst,
Isle of Wight, and were forwarded on to Woolwich,
by the military authorities, to embark in, the ship
Chariot of Fame, for conveyance to New Z Wand.
An experimental 300-pounder Armstrong gun,
manufactured at the E Iswick factory, was
yesterday
lauded from the barge Henry en the wharf in Wuoil
wick Arsenal, from Shoeburyness. The weight of
the gun is 11 tons 14cwt. 3eirs., and from the name
bi Excellent" painted upon it, the inference is that it
gun was fired nit times only,
is intended for practice on beard the gunnery ship
at Portsmouth. Tile
and at the termination a very pereoptihle defect was
discc,very in the chase, about 10io. from the muzzle.
The officials were yesterday engaged in taking on
impression of the interior of the gun in gutta
percha, and the defect was clearly marked thereon.
It consists of a separation of the coils, forced
asunder by the concussion, and is accounted for
by an imperfect weidicg together. No other part
' of the gun bears any Fymptom of injury. It appears
i that acme of the 12-pol.pldera have aufferect in a

similar manner, consequently all guns of that species
are now undergoing a shortening of one foot at the
muzzle. Fifty have been thus reduced and re-issued
for service. Whether the 300-pounder will be simi-
larly shortened or re-welded will be decided by the
Select Committee. In its present condition the gun
is totally unfit for use.
A rifle match has just taken place between 33
sergeants belonging to the 4th depot battalion at
the camp at Colchester. The competitors were
divided into two sections of 17 and 16 rrspectively,
and the contest took place at 200, 400, and 600 yards,
four rounds each. So close was the competition that
the second section merely won by 0.01 marks, the
average for the first section being 16-37 marks, while
that of the second section was 16 41 marks.

remict'
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which separate quarters have not hitherto been pro-
vided—a proposal has been submitted to the Lords
of the Admiralty for the erection of a block of
buildings to be occupied by the married non-com-
missioned officers and men of the Chatham division
of Royal Marines, Under the existing regula-
tions the latter aro compelled either to live with
their wives and families away from the barracks,
or to be separated from them in the barracks. A
plan was laid before the Admiralty for erecting a
building in a convenient site, but contrary to ex-
pectation their Lordships decided not to authorise
its erection. It is therefore probable that some time
will elapse before the married men of the Chatham
division of Marines are placed on the same footing
as their comrades in other branches of the service.

Visit of the Channel Fleet to Dublin. )

Excited discussions have taken place in the Corporation
of Dublin with reference to the entertainment to be pro-
vided against the approaching visit of the Channel Fleet—
an extreme section of the "National party" taking the op-
portunity to intrude their own factiousness. On Monday
it was proposed by Alderman Hudson that an address should
be presented to the Admiral and officers, and he expressed
his regret that the Corporation had no public funds to pro-
vide a banquet, though he had no doubt there would be
liberal contributions from private funds. In opposition,
Mr. Sullivan, editor of the Natim, who leads the National
party, spoke to the following effect :—The committee had
shirked the question of a subscription in a manner that
would disgust the Admiral ; and, if he had anything of the
spirit that was attributed to him, he would not accept the
invitation. The address was rather a windy compliment
to an admiral, who gut breezes enough. Nothing could be
more nauseous or flatulent. There was no man in the coin-
' mittee of the whole house who stood up there to say,
"There is £lOO towards the entertainment of the officers of
the Channel fleet," He deneanced the report as one of the
meanest instances of evasion he Clad ever met. He denied
that the visit of the fleet was calculated to awaken recollec-
tions of the glories of the past. What glories ? When did
any British fleet come to Dublin Bay, except for invasion ?
When the address spoke of the British fleet aiding every
tyrant•trampled country and the oppressed of every clime,
he could understand it if it referred to Britain, the people
of which country were justly proud of the ti editions and
memories associated with the fleet. But Irishmen, as such,
could hold no such language to the British fleet. When,
in memorable hours of agony, Ireland lay panting and
prostrate in the gripe of famine, and this British Govern-
ment was asked for transports to bring food to these shores
to our starving countrymen, that Government, boasting
the finest fleet in the world, would not deign to lend this
famine-stricken nation two ships out of its great navy to
do this work of mercy. No ; let it be told that this
British fleet lay with its guns shotted for duty, it may be,
but had not a deck on which to lay food for the dying. But
there was a Government who heard the cries of Ireland and
came to help. That was the Government of free America,
who stripped its war ships of their armament and sent to
these shores the produce of American soil, lie could un-
derstand the Irish people welcoming to their shores such a
fleet, but the people of Dublin had no tight to use this lan-
guage to the Channel Fleet. Mr. Sullivan then alluded to
the Italian war, and said that the British fleet had been sent
out on a malignant mission of disturbance, "to encourage
disorder among ungrateful rebels, and set the south of
ELIT opo in a flame, in order that British interests and Bri-
tish bigotry might be preserved." This burst of loyalty to
the 'Pope was received with loud applause in the gallery.
Alderman Bonsall called the speaker to order for using sedi-
tious language. Mr. Martin replied, and said the address
was drawn up by loyal men—they did not want to meet the
views of disloyal men. Mr. Sullivan's speech, he said,
proved that this was the freest country in the world, for in
no other country would a man be permitted to utter such
sentiments. On a division the address was carried by au
overwhelming majority, only four members having voted
against it. This terminated the proceedings.
The Lord Mayor had called a private meeting of influen-
tial citizens at the Mansion-hcuse, at four o'clock p.m., to
consult about tho reception to be given to the Channel
Fleet.
It was not numerously attended, nor at all unanimous as
to the course to be adopted. A banquet was proposed, but
those who proposed it seemed to reckon without their host.
On the motion of Mr. Alexander Parker, seconded by Alder-
man Atkinson, the gentlemen present were elected a com-
mittee to carry out the object of the meeting, with liberty
to add to their number. Alderman Hudson, Sir Timothy
O'Brien, Mr. A. Parker, Mr. H. J. M'Farlane, Mr. John
Martin, and other gentlemen expressed their opinions that
the citizens of Dublin should do all in their power to render
the reception cf the fleet suitable to the occasion and befit-
ting the position which Dublin held as the second city in
the empire. After some discussion, it was agreed to give
up the idea of a banquet, and have a ball, to be given on
Monday, if the Admiral can remain long enough; if not,
on Friday next.