The Sun.
London, England, 1863-02-20 00:00:00

tth sUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING. FEBRUARY 20, 1863

== \
Naval and Military Intelligence.

THE NAVY.
The Duke of Somerset, as First Lord of the Ad-
miralty, held his second levee yesterday at the Ad-
miralty, Whitehall, at which the undermentioned
officers attended :—Admiral Sir L. Curtis, C. 8.,
Gen. C. Menzies, K.H., Vice-Admiral Duntze,
Rear-Admiral Sir E. Belcher, C. 8., Rear -Admiral
G. R,msay, C. 8., Capt. W. Gore James, Capt. R.
J. Sullivan, Capt. F. Patten, Capt. F. Martin, Capt,
A. De Horsey, Capt. B. Drury, Capt. T. Mason,
Capt. G. S. Hand, Capt. H. Boys, Capt. R. W.
Courtenay, Capt, H. M. Denham, Capt. W. A. R.
Pearse, Capt. R. Lambert, Commander H. M, Bing-
ham, Commander L. Reynolds, Commander R.
Jenner, Commander J. Douglas, Commander J.
Geary, Commander G. F. Cottam, Commander C.
Forbes, Commander H. Campion, Dr. R. M'Cormack,
and Mr. J. W. Johnstone.

In addition to the Formidable, 84, the Cumber-
land, 70, and the Leander, 51, ordered to proceed to
the Nore, on the sth of March to form the squadron
under the orders of Vice-Admiral Johnstone, K.C.8.,
that will salute the Princess Alexandra on her ar-
rival at the entrance to the Thames in the Danish
frigate Slesvig, it was stated at Chatham yesterday
that the Channel squadron, under the command of
Rear-Admiral Smart, K.H., will be sent home
from Lisbon and stationed at the Nore, in order to
make the reception of the Princess as imposing as
possible. The Channel squadron consists of the
Revenge, 73, 800 horse power, Capt. C. Fellowes,
fligahip of Rear-Admiral of the Red R. Smart,
K.H. ; the Warrior, 40, 1,250 horse power, Capt.
the Hon. A. A. Cochrane; the Black Prince, 40,
1,250 horst, power, Capt. J. F. B. Wainwright; the
Defence, 16, 600 horse power, Capt. A. Ptkillimore ;
and the Resistance, 16, 600 horse power, Capt. W.
C. Chamherly.in. Although no positive orders to
that effect have been received at Chatham, it is pro-
bable that the Wellesley, 72. the training ship for
supplying seamen to the various vessels of war at
the eastern ports, will also proceed from Chatham
to the Wore to form one of the squadron of honour
on the occasion.

Admiralty orders have been received at Chatham
for another of the fleet of mortarvessels laid up in
Yantlet Creek to be handed over to the Controller
of the Coastguard for use in that service, the Admi-
ralty having wisely determined on bringing the
whole squadron of mortarboats into use as opportu-
nities occur, insieAd of allowing them to remain
rotting in inactivity at their present berths. Be-
side the numerous mortarvessels at Yantlett Creek,
there is likewise a large squadron of iron mortar
boats, built during the Russian war, laid up at Chat-
ham Dockyard, costing the country a considerable
sum to keep them in repair, and to prevent rust eat-
ing into their iron plates. Each vessel is housed
over with a covering of wood to protect it from the
weather, but, although every precaution is adopted
in this respect, nothing can prevent their under-
going a certain amount of injury. The number of
these iron mortarvessels cannot be much less, if it
does not exceed, 100.

Her Majesty's paddlewheel steam sloop Hydra,
6, in the inner basin at Woolwich, paid off by Capt.
Douglas on the 23d of March, 1862, is ordered to be
brought forward for commission for North America
and the West Indies. Her boilers have been re-
moved preparatory to a thorough overhaul.
The Archer, 13, screw corvette, 973 tons and
202-horse power, in progress at Woolwich, will be
teady for commission on the 10th of Marsh. Her
statio❑ is to be the west coast of Africa, where she
will be employed in the prevention of the slave
traffic, reported to be on the increase. The Archer
will relieve the 16-gun corvette Brisk, Capt. Luce,
ordered home.
The iron screw turret-vessel Alfred, building for
the Government at Messrs. Samuda's, in their yard
at Blackwell, is now making rapid progress. Her
armament, consisting of five deck guns only, will
be protected by four cylindrical armour-plated
turrets, three of which will contain
single gun each, and the fourth two guns,
making the total amount of her armament. The
construction is exactly that of the Confederate
invention, and is intended for similar purposes.
The turrets will be built up after the principle of
the Warrior's sides, with 41-in. plates, backed by
solid teak timbers. The revolving platforms and
general woodwork of the turrets havo been cut out
and the work commenced by the shipwright depart-
ment at Woolwich. The plating of the Caledonia is
advancing rapidly in dock at Woolwich. Some of
the upper strakes have been bolted on during the
past week. A new system practised in armour-plat-
ing the ships of the French navy has been intro-
duced, which it is expected wilt have the effect of
warding off the dry rot, and preventing decay. It
is effected by carbonising with a fl ime of gas the

surface of the timber before receiving the plates.
In order to obtain a satisfactory test of the effect of
this system, an equal number of the plates has been
laid on without the carbonising, and the system will
be applied to the remainder of the st.rakes to obtain
the necessary result.
The Emerald, 34, screw frigate, 2 913 tons, and
600-horse power, Capt. A. Cumming. commenced
her series of expel imental speed trials with various
forms of screw propellers at Portsmouth yesterday.
As the whole series may possibly extend over a con-
siderable period, we purpose giving the results of
each trial as shortly as possible as they take place,
and to furnisn a more detailed account in a summary
of the whole series at their conclusion. The trials
will be conducted by Capt. H. Broadhead, com-
manding H.M.S. Asia and the reserve at the port,
and his staff will consist of Mr. Ward, assist.-engi-
neer of the dockyard, and Mr. Murdoch, inspector
of machinery of the steam reserve. The following
were the results of yesterday's trial:—No. 1 trial—
Screw, common, Admiralty pattern, with a diameter
of 18ft., a pitch of 28ft., and a length of 3ft. 6in.;
the leading corners of the screw cut. The ship
drew 21ft. of water forward and 22ft. aft. Coals
on board, 300 tons; state of weather, a calm. Runs:
—lst run, time, 5 min. ; speed in knots, 12.000;
steam, 201 b.; vacuum, 24; revolutions, 53.5; 2d
run, time, 5 min. 29 sec.; speed, 10.942 ; steam,
181 ; vacuum, 24 ; revolutions, 53.5 ; 3d run, time,
4 min 46 sec.; speed, 12.587 • steam, 18 ; va-
cuum, 24; revolutions, 53.5; 4th run, time, 6 min.
speed, 13.284;
45;4siemat:.189rausn;evi.at;ciumsupeme,e,d42,
3 sec. ; speed, 9.917 ; steam, 19 ; vacuum, 24 ;
54 ; 6th run, I min.9;.7retv3o3;llusttiseoeanems.
191; vacuum, 24 ; revolutions, 54.5. The mean
speed of the ship is 11.529 knots. The circles were
made :—Port—half circle, 4 min. 22 sec. ; full
circle, 8 min. 40 sec. ; starboard—half circle, 4 min. ;
full circle, 8 min. 29 sec. ; port—helm put up in 19
sec. ; starboard, 18 sec.; port—angle of under 15
deg., starboard, 16 deg. ; port—turns of wheel, 11;
starboard, 14; port—revolutions of engines, 51.5;
starboard, 52. There were six men at the wheel.
The trials will be resumed on Saturday, if possible,
with the ship's spare screw. It is intended to
carry a uniform " pitch" of the screw throughout.
Rear-Admiral George Elliot has been appointed
Admiral Superintendent of Portsmouth Dockyard,
vice Rear-Admiral the Hon. George Grey, whose
period of service has expired.
Some dissatisfaction has been created among the
seamen on board ships stationed in the home ports
by an order issued from the Admiralty directing
that no person of any of her Majesty's ships shall
in future be allowed to convey on shore any portion
of the provisions issued to him on board ship. This
is the revival of an old order issued by the Board of
Admiralty, but afterwards amended by a subse•
quent order rescinding the former one except so far
as related to excisable articles. Those men who
wished to do so have taken their allowance of meat
and biscuit on shore, and brought, off in return any
description of provision for their dinners they chose
ro li.
sat! i pp
select. (a) stpossible
Portsmouth,we w ii
from which vessel some 600 men go
i on shore every
clearly
night and return to their duties n the morningld.
'illt, h tera Excellent
xcThe greater number of these men have wives
at
tehlilsen a
ts gunnery
families on shore, and the dinner they take off
ship is prepared by tbe wife. The board man, therefore,
does not cook his ~ilowance of meat on , but,
the
taking his turn vvith those of his messmates situates
like himself, takes up his allowance of beef in a 61b.
or 8 b. piece, which he conveys home to his
He does the same with his biscuit. Now, neither
beet nor biscuit can by any possibility he termed ex
cisable articles, and there
beef and biscuit
to
ohedreo
so.is something incompre-
hensibleabou antorder which prevents
on or
ichpreve nsthsae to seamen
from taking his his
family if he chooses

The right wingToi ARMY.
arrived p-sterday the . 61st Regiment of Foot
railway, train on the South-
Western line of ra'procLat Portsmouth from Alder-
shott. The train
Majesty's screw troopship line of rail from the Landedo "6r
dock-
yard, where the troops
immediately embarked
to the
embarked on
board her
,Pa.nd F.
IVlega3ra, Com-
mander S. H. Henderson, for conveyance
A. Bayley,
Tae following is a return of the names to jersey'
c:is of officers
and numbers embarked :—Lieut.-
Red.
mood ; Cdpts. T. M. Moore; W.
D. Saunderson ; Lieuts. F. J. Griffiths,

L. Knipe, and E. E. Borton ; Ensigns W. Frazer,'
G. H. Stockinstrom, and C. W. Murray ; Pay-
master H. Leigh, Adjt. G. 11. Boileau, Snrg. U.
W. Evans, and Quartermaster John Dawler, two
officer? wives, two children, and two servants, 26
sergeants, 12 drummers, 23 corporals, 357 privates,
55 women, and 35 children. The embarcation was
affected under the superintendence of Major-Gene-
ral Lord W. Paulet, C. 8., coramanding the South-
West military district ; and Cal. E. Somerset, C. 8.,
Assist.-Quaitermaster-Gen. On disembarking the
right wing at Jersey the Megrera will receive a por-
tion of the 2d battalion, 18th Regiment, on board,
which she will disembark at Cowes, Isle of Wight,
the regiment being ordered into quarters at Park-
hurst until its embarkation takes place for New
Zealand. The Magmra sailed last evening, and is
expected to arrive trona Jersey at Cowes early on
Sunday morning.
In order to render the officers and men of the Ist
division of the depot brigade, Royal Artillery
thoroughly proficient in the we of the Armstrong
ordnance, in readiness for their embarcation for
India and the colonies during the ensuing spring,
practice is carried on daily from the forts and
batteries commanding the entrance to the Medway
with the 100-pounder Armstrong and the 68 and
32-pounder smooth-bore guns, together with the
13in. and Bin. land service mortars, under the
direction of Lieut.-Col, Talbot. The Ist division
of the depot brigade Will give nearly 1,000
officers and men, the whole cf whom have under-
gone a complete course of gun drill, for embarkation
during the present year.

longed happiness of the Prince and Princess of
Wales. Never in the history of England did so
tranquil a prospect dawn upon a Royal marriage.
Never did the nation so completely sympathise
with the rejoicing of the Royal household. Tne
marriage of affection—the entrance of the eldest
son of our Queen upon his new responsibilities—
the step across the threshold of life, which com-
pletes his manhood, and brings him face to face
with the duties as well as the privileges of his
exalted position—the memory of bygone days,
when our Sovereign Lady Queen Vict3ria, herself
a girl, took upon herself those solemn vows, the
earnest and religious fulfilment of which has made
the Royal House of England a shrine of purity to
which the rulers of the earth have bowed—but one
prayer for the happiness of the young Prince and
Princess will rise to the nation's lips on such an oc-
casion. The people of England will cheerfully
endorse the resolution of their representatives in
Parliament.

THE POLISH INSURRECTION.

(From the Berlin correspondent of the Times.)
BERLIN, FEB. 17.
The Polish insurection is decidedly the topic
of the hour, and much curiosity is felt as to
the terms of the convention believed to be concluded
between Russia and Prussia. Information on the
subject was sought to be extracted from this Go-
vernment by questions addressed in yesterday's
Chamber to the President of the Council with re-
spect to certain recent precautionary measures of
the authorities of Posen, but the attempt failed, al-
though adroitly tnough made by Deputy Kantak;
M. von Bismark read a guarded reply, which his
colleagues, it is said, fearful lest his impetuosity
should carry him too far were he left to his own
unrestrained eloquence, had drawn up for him.
Some of the German deputies, however, propose
questioning him further to-morrow. What we learn
on the subject from semi-official sources is little and
vague, and a fine field is thus afforded to rumour
and conjecture. One of last night's papers con-
nected with Government, points out that interven-
tion has already begun, since Russian troops are
allowed to cross the frontier, retaining their arms
and receiving facilities and assistance from the
Prussian authorities ' • but the same journal declares
that the intention of sending Prussian troops into
Russian territory exists only in the apprehensions
of the partisans of Poland, and adds that such a
step could hardly be taken on the basis of a mere
convention, but must be the result of a regular
treaty, of which nothing has yet been heard. On
the other hand M. Bismark, some think, in his great
desire for a foreign complication, would be quite
capable of risking an irregular and violent step, and
then falling back upon the fait accompls. It lies
not, however, in his power to do all that he wishes
or his imagination may suggest. Unsupported by
the Chamber, the people, or the press, he depends
entirely on the King, whose clerk he de facto is,
and without whose support he must instantly fall.
It is understood to be his Majesty's aide-de-camp,
Lieutenant-General Alvensleben, who has just re-
turned from St. Petersburg and Warsaw, who con-
cluded the convention, in consequence of which a
Prussian officer, Col. Treskow, has left for Warsaw,
while a Russian officer is to reside for the present
in Berlin. Meanwhile an order issued by the
Minister of Finance prohibits the export of arms
and ammunition, lead, saltpetre, and the like, from
Prussia into Russia and the kingdom of Poland.
According to a report which obtains some credit,
an article of the convention stipulates that Polish
insurgents who may be driven to take refuge on
Prussian soil shall, after they have been disarmed,
be delivered over to the Russian authorities. Only
the most positive evidence should induce us to be-
lieve that a Prussian Government (even the present
one) would thus constitute itself purveyor to the
executioner and to Siberia. To refuse an asylum,
or at least temporary security, tounhappy fugitives
driven across the frontier by the Muscovite
bayonets would indeed be inhuman and disgraceful,
and it is impossible to believe that such cruelty can
be contemplated.
The Nord Deutsche Zeitung contradicts a report
that England had made very energetic representa-
tions against Prussian intervention in Poland. Some
said a protest, others a casus bells*. There are
people here who will swallow anything in the way
of a canard. It appears to be also entirely un-
founded that the Berlin Cabinet has communicated
to foreign Powers the probability that two army
corps will shortly be marched into Poland. The
Kreuz Zeitung mentions the arrest in Silesia, hard
by the frontier, of Russo-Polish emissaries. Con-
siderable agitation is said to exist in West Prussia—
the province of that name—and from Elbing comes
news of a large seizure of arms. The telegraphic
communication with Warsaw has been cut off on
Russian territory. Two battalions of the 7th Pome-
ranian Regiment are being made up to 1,000 men
each, and will march with two batteries to watch
the frontier near Thorn and Kulm.
Of the progress of the insurrection itself no news
of very great importance has been received here
since my last, but trom various sources some inter-
es(ing details may be gleaned. The insurgents have
begun to pub ish printed sheets entitled News
from the Battlefield. The first number announces
their intention to make the public acquainted with
the deeds of arms of the Poles, often misrepresented
by the Dzsannik and other Russian newspapers.
Then follow accounts of the fights at Rawa and
Wengrow, representing the losses of the Russians
as considerable and those of the insurgents as tri-
fling, but otherwise containing little that is not
already known. A letter from Warsaw, unfavour-
able to the Poles, describes the fear of the Revolu-
tionary Committee as great and general, and adds
that subscriptions for the national army are being
everywhere collected, while the ladies prepare lint
and render other assistance to the Gray Sisters who
betake themselves to the insurgents. Lukewarm
patriots are incited to action, and the lower orders
of the clergy are particularly active, preaching rebel-
lion and giving absolution for all sins that have
been or may be committed for the good of the
national cause. The convents are open for the
reception and fabrication of arms, and the priests
assist in forwarding them when ready. The
letter represents the sufferings of the rural dis-
tricts and small towns as very great, both from
the insurgents and from the Russian troops, and
says that many large and small villages have
been destroyed by fire. It adds that the peasants,
who suffer most, are generally favourable to the
Government. Frankowski, it appears, was really
captured in the fight near Sandomir, but one ac-
count speaks of him as the youthful Polish hero,
while another mentions his having a married
daughter, which implies rather a contradiction. He
is said to belong to one of the oldest noble families
of Poland. The Dziennik of the 13th says that, on
the 10th inst., Casimir Wolski, who had come from
Italy, and Markiewicz, a former officer, who bad
led a band captured at Unieck, were shot at Nowo-
georgiewsk by sentence of court-martial. A letter
from Warsaw describes the Russian authorities
there as living in great apprehension, and the gar-
rison continually on the qui vine. There was a re-
port of an insurrection to take place last Sunday,
the 15th inst. "As soon as it is dark," says the
letter—
"All the superior officers residing in the city go with
their wives and families, to the citadel, there to pass the
night, returning to their homes in the morning. So far as
I know, their fears are unfounded; the outbreak does not
seem so near at hand. Last night 500 conscripts from the
citadel were put on board 10 small vessels, and sent off to
the fortress of Modlin. Others remain in the citadel. Cur-
rent reports of the fight at Siemiatyce describe it very
differently from the official account, and speak especially of
heavy losses sustained by the troops. During the whole of
the first day, Friday, the 6th inst., the insurgents kept up
a murderous fire of musketry, and evacuated the place only
early on Saturday. The Russians occupied it, butchered
the greater part of the inhabitants, and burnt the town.
Most of the cannon shots were directed against the man-
sion of General Fanshawe, an old servant of the Russian
Imperial family, and the building, in which a hospital for
the sick had been established, was totally demolished."
The first number of News from. tire Battle-field,
dated the 10th of February, says, with reference to
the action at Wengrow :
"The enemy (Russians) lost 450 killed. We lost 130. The
Russians occupied Wengrow, and plundered it, after de-
stroying the greater part of it with cannon shot. They mur-
dered unresisting inhabitants—women and old men. Their
own dead they buried—curs they throw into a heap, and
forbade their interment."
On the inst.Fiherle4tßhrigadewere a
the
men c iotfa dtehle
Warsaw .
The men are nearly all Poles, and sure to join in
any insurrection that might occur.
tk en and
into horses
t e
withafttheer
insurrection have
They state that on the Bth inst.
dated the 14th inst.
The latest accountsn InTence
throughv e
throughd.in Paris
. Cracow,
t hoeft the
town
o areisohf
comingunarmed inhabitants abn t a
churchf nts
bayonet as they
Divine service, and that a number of young men
were put to death and several women and children
Pa a uwasyi ali
attackedc°rl)s
wounded. The attack was the more unjustifiable as
weretCi aes
sing
there was not an insurgent in the town. Among
the victims was a gentlewoman named Gobhard
and her husband, a man above 60 years of age.
M. Oktinski, the governor of the Polytechnic