The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-18 00:00:00

, FRIDAY EVENING, DECEkBER 18, 1863.

Naval and Military Intelligence.

THE NAVY.

The screw steamship Conqueror, 78, appointed to convey
the expeditionary battalion of Royal Marines to Japan, was
compelled by contrary winds, when going down Channel, to
put into Portland, and had not arrived at Plymouth up to
noon yesterday (Thursday), but the wind had veered more
to the northward, and she was hourly expected. The bag-
gage was ready for embarkation, and steamtugs were in
attendance. On Wednesday the battalion, which consists
of upwards of 500 men, under the command of Lieut.-Col.
Suther, Col. Penrose, and Col. Adair, was inspected on
Plymouth Hoe by Major-Gen. Stransham, the Inspector.
Gen-, who took the opportunity of reminding the men of
the importance of the duty they had to perform, and of the
great necessity there would be for them to conduct them-
selves in an orderly and sober manner. Gen. Stransham
afterwards visited the teen's quarters and the various de-
partments in the barracks at Stonehonse.
Mr. J. Stansfeld, M.P., one of the Lords of the Admi-
ralty, will arrive at Chatham early in the approaching
week, for the purpose of commencing an investigation into
the general system of management, the official supervision,
and other important matters connected with the dockyard
and naval establishments. The inquiry will extend over a
lengthened period, and will be very comprehensive.
By direction of the Lords of the Admiralty, the squadron
of gunboats attached to the first division of the Chatham
steam reserve ate to be surveyed, and a report made by the
dockyard officials whether one of the number could not be
altered and fitted as a steam tenser, to be used in convey-
ing the work people and mechanics to and from the dock-
yard to tfiti Achilles, on that vessel being undocked and
paced at moorings at the entrance to the harbour, then to
be completed for sea. Should it be found practicable to
use one of the gunboats for the service she will be employed
instead of one of the Medway Company's steamers, which
the Lords of the Admiralty had originally intended hiring
for that duty.

About 60 tons of iron plates, intended for the new iron
frigate Bellerophon, have arrived at Chatham Dockyard,
having been recovered from the Thames, in which they were
sunk during the late gale. The plates are from the estab-
lishment of Messrs. Moser and Co., who have entered into a
contract to supply most of the plate iron for the Bellerophon.
The transport on which the plates were on board at the
time had sunk, but was raised by means of lighters de-
spatched from the dockyard, and 'the vessel itself, with all
the plates on board, was brought into Chatham harbour.
Notice was yesterday given in Chatham dockyard that a
number of the hired mechanics, shipwrights, and labourers
employed for upwards of two years past on the iron frigate
Achilles, will be discharged from that establishment at the
close of next week, as soon as the vessel has been undocked.
The large bower anchors for the Achilles, each weighing
upwards of five tons, and manufactured at the factory of
Messrs. Brown and Lennox, the makers of all the large an-
chors for theAdmirally, have been fitted on board, in readi•
ness for the undocking of that vessel. Each anchor, before
being finally approved, was submitted to a powerful hydrau-
lic test, at the testing house in Chatham dockyard, and sub-
sequently to the heat test at the smithy, on both of which
occasions the standard of excellence laid down by the Ad-
miralty was reached. The port and starboard sides of the
Achilles have been covered with several coatings of the
Hay's composition for preventing the fouling of the bot-
toms of iron vessels, and the hull is now being painted down.
The work of cutting away the projecting granite sides at
the entrance to the dock, to allow of her being undocked,
will be commenced the day before she is floated out, and
will be accomplished by a large body of workmen, who will
be employed without cessation until the operation is com-
pleted.

The screw steam frigate Aurora, 35, Captain Sir F. L.
111‘Clintock, having received fresh orders, left Plymouth
yesterday for Spitbead.
The paddlewheel steam-sloop Geyser, 6, Commander M.
Pechell, from Portsmouth, arrived yesterday at Plymouth.
The Medusa, paddlewheel vessel, 889 tons, 321-horse-
power, Master-Commanding John H. Allard, sailed yester-
day from Sheerness for Yarmouth, in pilot charge of Mr.
Rueben Harvey, master of the Locust, steam-tug, accord-
ing to instructions received from the Admiralty. It is re-
ported that she will be ordered to proceed to the North
Sea, and the mouth of the Elbe, in search of a number of
missing fishing smacks supposed to have been driven out to
sea during the late gales.
On Wednesday atternoon a stoker serving on board her
Majesty's ship Salamander, 6, paddlewheel sloop, preparing
for sea at Sheerness, unfortunately lost his life while ascend-
ing the Jacob's ladder to get into a boat at the stern of the
vessel. By some means he missed his hold, and, falling
into the water, was drowned before assistance could be
rendered.

Sir Frederick Nicolson, C.B.,Commodore Superintendent
of Woolwich dockyard, yesterday went on board the flag-
ship Fisgard, and mustered the seamen and marines, and
afterwards inspected the ship throughout, preparatory to
his retiring from the station. By the death of Vice-Admi-
ral Sir Henry Bruce, K.C.8., Sir F. Nicolson obtains his
flag, and will be succeeded at Woolwich on the Ist proximo
by Capt. Hugh Dunlop, C. 8., Commodore of the first class,
and senior officer in. the West Indies.

The two spacious wings ordered tobe annexed to the plate
bending factory in Woolwich donkYard, are now completed,
and the reception of the machinery commenced yesterday.
The following appointments have been made at the Ad-
miralty:—Commanders W. L. Steinforth, James Robinson,
and E. H. Burleigh, to be Inspecting Commanders of the
Coastguard, vice Commanders Gore, Beresford, and Webb,
whose period of service has expired—Lieut. Coldstream C.
Robinson, to the Formidable—Sub-Lieut. Chas. R. Smith,
to the Meeanee—Sub-Lieut. Julian A. Dashwood, to the
Salamander Andrew IL Gordon, nominated to a naval
cadetship—Wm. Crawford, surg, superintendent, to the
Clara convict ship—John Thurston, paymaster, to the
Camelon—J. E. Knight, master, to the Aurora—J. L. J.
Wagstaff and W. 0. Ifignell, paymasters, additional, to the
Asia—J. S. Daniell, paymaster, additional, to the pamber
land—Belgrave Ninins, assist.-surg., additional, to the
Guragoa—and Alfred L. Eshelby, master's-assist., to the
Salamander.

4...........•....

THE ARMY.

By direction of the Duke of Cambridge, a circular-memo •
random, signed by Col. C. Bingham, Deputy-Adjutant-
General, has been promulgated from the Horse Guards,
laying down a code of rules and regulations for the quid•
ance of officers in preparing the requisitions for stores for
the service of the batteries in the year 1864-5. The order
directs the entire equipment of each battery to be inspected
by the three senior officers present with it, by whom a list of
such items as are found unserviceable or repairable is to
be drawn up. The mixed board of survey should have for
its president, when practicable, a regimental field officer,
and its members should also, when circumstances admit of
it, be captains of the mounted services (not, however, be-
longing to the battery,the stores of whioh are under survey)
and an officer of the military store department. The survey
boards are to guard against the condemnation of articles
which are not in a really unserviceable condition, and such
as have become through other than fair wear and tear of
Ale service should be so noted. All stores returned to the
Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, being subjected to examination
there before final disposal under the orders of the Secretary
of State for War, it is absolutely necessary that military
boards of survey held on such stores previously to their
being returned should carefully guard against the 'possibi-
lity 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 questioned at
such subsequent examinations. Instances having occurred
of stores surveyed and condemned being afterwards re-
ported as expended, and consequently not forthcoming for
delivery to the military store officer ordered to take over
the unserviceable stores, it is intimated that all articles
which are in future conveyed and condemned will be re-
quired for delivery to store, and that stores which it is
intended to account for as expended should not be sub-
jected to survey.

Yesterday a detachment of the 31st (Huntingdonshire)
Regiment, consisting of 170 men of all ranks, left
Chatham garrison, wader the command of Capt. T. R. Ry-
croft, and proceeded to Plymouth, for the purpose of join-
ing the service companies of that regiment, which have
been reduced considerably below their proper strength from
lengthened foreign service.
The examination of candidates for admission to the Royal
Military College, Sandhurst, commenced yesterday at the
Royal Hospital, Chelsea, before the Vice-President and
other members of the Council of Military Education. There
are nearly 150 candidates on this occasion. The examina-
tion will close on Wednesday next.

SECOND EDITION.

SUN OFFICE, HALF-PAST 4 o'CLocK.

AUSTRIA.

VIENNA, Deo. 17.—The General Correspondence
remarks on the absolute insignificance of the paper
attributed to Mieroslawski said to have been found
in the Zamoyski Palace, and about which the Rus-
sian journals have made such a noise. The
Wanderer, in announcing the condemnation to
death of the young. Count Zimoyski, shows the
complete illegality of the proceeding which is only a
work of po:iiical vengeance.

THIRD EDITION

SUN OFFECE, SEVEN O'CLOCK.

AMERICA.

[REUTER'S TELEGRAM.]
GREENCASTLE, DEc. 18.

The Canadian steamer America, from Portland,
arrived here at 1.30 p.m. to-day. She brings 10,200
dole. in specie.

LONDON GAZETTE—This Evening,

-~- -

FOREIGN OFFICE, DEC, 9.
The Queen has been graciously pleased to appointßicharsl
Reade, Esq.. now her Majesty's Vice-Consul at Bengazi,
to be her Majesty's Consul for the province of Scutari.
The Queen has also been graciously pleased to appoint
George Dennis, Esq., now British Vice-Consul at Syra-
cuse, to be her Majesty's Vice-Consul at Bengazi.

DECEMBER 15.

The Queen has been pleased to approve of Don Joaquin
Gonzalez y Huct as Consul at Malta for her Majesty the
Queen of Spain.

INDIA OFFICE, DEC. 14.
The Queen has been pleased to appoint Sir George Rus-
sell Clerk, K.C,B , K. 5.1., to be a Member of the Council
of India.