The Sun.
London, England, 1865-08-31 00:00:00

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tide. From this tidal basin there will be two locks
and one dock accessible also at any state of the tide.
The two locks will enter into a repairing basin of
about 32 acres area, with a depth of water of 30ft.
below high-water mark, spring tides, and in com-
munication with this basin will be four first-class
docks of a similar extent and character to the mag-
nificent dock recently opened by the Minotaur, No.
11. Parallel with the repairing basin will be the
riggers' basin of about 20 acres, and in continuation
of the general plan a fitting out basin of about 14
acres. In immediate communication with the repair-
, ing basin and locks will be erected factory buildings
for the construction and repairs of machinery and
boilers on a gigantic scale, altogether eclipsing any
buildings of a similar nature in any existingdockyard
here or elsewhere. At the mouth of the basins de-
scribed there will be au open channel 500 ft. in breadth,
which will afford wharfage space for ships of war and
access for merchant vessels to their wharves on the
foreshore of Portsea Island, and inside the line of the
extension of the Government yard on the harbour
mud lands. To the northward of the basins, docks,
locks, and factory buildings will be the Grand Basin,
of 60 acres, for holding ships of war of all classes
and in various stages of advance for commission.
There will also be connected with this extensive basin
slips for laying up iron ships of moderate tonnage
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racteristics of one of the largest and most compre-
hensive designs for the creation or improvement of
a dockyard that has yet ever been designed by any
European Power. If carried out in its entirety, the
naval establishment at Portsmouth will surpass in
magnitude and usefulness of design every
other at
present in existence or in course of construction. We
may then add to our boast of being the greatest, or
rather one of the greatest, maritime Powers' in
Europe that we also possess the readiest means of
refitting and repairing our fleets, so as to enable
them to keep the sea in any pressing emergency. In
this latter respect we are at present undoubtedly
behind some other Powers.

PRICE 4d.
STAMPED sd.

thousands of lights and the waters sparkling under
their influence, presented.
The guests included, besides M. de Chasseloup
Laubat, the French Minister of Marine, M. Dupuy
de Lolme, chief constructor of the French navy, and
the principal French officer in command of the fleet
at Spithead. Among the English guests were Sir M.
Seymour, Admiral Sir S. Dacres, Sir G. Buller,
commander in chief of the south-western district,
Capt. Seccombe, Capt. Hornby, Capt. Herbert,
and several other English naval officers in command
of our fleet at this port. At 10 o'clock M. de Chas-
seloup Laubat took his departure and proceeded on
board the Reine Hortense. His leaving was the sig-
nal for lighting up the ship, every one of whose
port-holes was immediately illuminated ; blue lights
being at the same time exhibited all round her gun-
wale and at her yard arms.
Thus passed off the first of the entertainments
which has been given to our allies in return for
their recent magnificent hospitality, and if all the
others which remain to be given are equally suc-
cessful, we shall have no reason to be ashamed of
the mode in which our part in these international
festivities has been displayed. The Lords of the
Admiralty appear to be perfectly satisfied with the
proceedings so far, and the expression of their
satisfaction on any occasion is, some naval officers
will tell you, not a thing to be easily secured.
While the chief officers of the French fleet were
being entertained in the Duke of Wellington those
who remained behind at Spithead were the guests of
the officers of the Black Prince, on board which
magnificent vessel a splendid hospitality was grace-
fully dispensed.
This morning—it is pleasant to have to tell it—
there was not at 9 o'clock a single cloud to be seen
on the whole broad surface of the sky. Blue above,
blue below ; for everybody has taken to living here
now on the water. Things, therefore, may be safely
said to be getting on swimmingly at Portsmouth,
and, indeed, there need not be the slightest appre-
hension that it will be otherwise till the French fleet
leaves our shores on Saturday next, if the sun will
only continue to shine out as brightly as he does
now.

After concluding their inspection ashore, and sub-
sequently partaking of luncheon afloat, the French
Minister of Marine, Admirals, and Staff, with the
Duke of Somerset and several of the Lords of the
British Board of Admiralty, embarking on board the
English yacht Enchantress, proceeded to Southamp-
ton Water to inspect the Royal Victoria Military Hos-
pital at Netley, the Enchantress flying the French
Minister of Marine's flag and the English Admiralty
standard side by side at the main, and the fleets
manning yards as the yacht steamed through them.
westward.
The banquet to be given by the Admiralty at the
Royal Naval College to-night is the grand feature
in the programme for this evening. It will be
given, as has been already stated, in a large tent-
like structure which has been erected in one of the
quandrangles of the college, and which is 165 ft,
long by 55ft. wide and 30ft. high. At this moment
it is all disorder, but there is not the slightest doubt
that everything about it will be completed just in
the nick of time. As the Lords of the Admiralty
and their guests step into the room, the last carpenter
and decorator will, it is safe to conjecture, have just
quitted it by another door. Such marvels are done
in this way, where all but a few hours before seemed.
a heap of confusion, that one's confidence in the
result is never for a moment shaken, if the circum-
stances look ever so unfavourable. The plate which
will be used at the banquet to-night is that which
Mr. Hancock so generously furnished for the dinner
given on board the Duke of Wellington, and with
such accessories as he can supply a great step in the
work of decoration can without much difficulty be
made. When that moment in the proceedings of
the evening arrives for the proposal of toasts, and
that of the health of the Emperor of the French
and her Majesty the Queen have been duly given and
drunk, a royal salute will be fired from the ships;
lying in Portsmouth harbour and at Spithead, the
signal for which will be given by means of a rocket
sent up from the Victory. Almost instantaneously
a grand illumination of the two fleets will take place.
The town of Portsmouth will also illuminate exten-
sively in honour of the occasion. Full as the town
was yesterday, it appears to be almost twice as
crowded to-day, sojourners from the pleasant land
of France contributing largely to swell the numbers.
The preparations for the civic festivities to-morrow are getting on most satisfactorily, and give fair pro-
mise of being as attractive as anything in the wholg
programme of the entertainment.

The forenoon was passed by the French officers
and our Admiralty in visiting the public esta-
blishments on shore, M. Chasseloup Laubat, with
the Admiral commanding and the chief officers of
the French fleet, landing at the dockyard shortly
before noon, accompanied by the Duke of Somerset
and other members of the British Admiralty. The
chief points of interest visited in the dockyard
were the iron-cased ship Prince Alfred in No. 3
dock, the Scorpion and Wyveru turret-ships, the
iron frigate Minotaur, the armour plate workshop,
smithery, foundries, &c. In the Royal Alfred our
visitors had an opportunity of criticising our method
of converting a 90-gun wooden line-of-battle ship
to a ship clothed with eight inches of iron amid-
ships, and carrying 300-pounders. They may not
have agreed with all our notions in making this
change, but otherwise could not but admit that if
the ship could be sent to sea working effi-
ciently 12-ton guns on her broadside, she must
prove to be a formidable war vessel. On board
the Scorpion and Wyvern, Mr. Laird's famous
would-be rovers, was exemplified the turret sys-
tem, by which these two ships each carry—
or, rather, are enabled to carry, for the Wyvern has
not yet got her guns—each four 12-ton guns, with
six months' stores and provisions, and eight days'
coal at full steaming power, with a draught of water
of only 16 feet 6 inches. The turret principle has
been so often described in the columns of The Sun
in the reports on the trials of the Royal Sovereign,
and has become really so familiar to the general
public from the large public discussion which the
system has gone through, that there remains no
reason for describing it at any greater length here.
In the armour-plate shed one of the last armour-
plates for the Royal Alfred was taken from the
heating furnace and bent to the required shape for
fixing on the ship's side, the hydraulic press, radial
machines, and
dplaning machines being also in full
work for the inspection of the Lords of the Admi-
ralty and 'then- guests. In the smithery the monster
steam hammers and excellent internal arrangement
of the whole building were duly admired. The iron
frigate Minotaur was also visited, and while on
board this magnificent frigate much interest was
manifested in the investigation of Commander
Scott's iron gun-carriage, designed by that officer
to meet the difficulty now experienced in working
12-ton guns on a ship's broadside. A visit to the
large iron and brass foundries, a cursory look at the
factory and the miniature steam basin, with a pass-
ing inspection of the plan for the extension of the
dockyard, concluded the visit. Among other public
establishments visited—in this instance non-officially
—by the officers of the French ship, were the ar-
moury and gunwharf. The Armoury of Portsmouth
arsenal, though not comparable in its proportions
with the noble Salle d'Armes of Cherbourg, nor yet
peihaps quite equal to it in the interest attached to
its contents, is nevertheless a place well worth a
visit even from such keen-eyed critics as our French
friends. Like many other public buildings in
and around Portsmouth, a vast deal of material has
been crowded into a very small space within the
walls of the Armoury. At Cherbourg a very
effective display is made throughout the length of
the Salle d'Arnzes by only some 9,000 muskets in
their arm-racks ; yet here, in this small Armoury of
Portsmouth—a room not much exceeding one-
eighth the length of the one at Cherbourg—are
standing in open racks no less than 20,000 Enfield
rifles, from none of which a shot has ever been fired.
As may be readily imagined but little space is left
by these 20,000 arms for fairly exhibiting other de-
scriptions of arms and the curiosities usually found
in such places. There are, however, in spaces be-
tween the arm-racks through the room, some very
valuable suits of ancient armour, plain, fluted, em-
bossed, and chain, and also tilting spears of the
different periods, with a goodly collection of weapons
of fearful size and weight, with which men of old
cracked each other's iron shells when clothing them-
selves in lieu of, as
now-a-days, their castles and
ships in iron. Round the base of the walls of the
room are ranged in chronological order every de-
scription of shot and shell made for rifled cannon up
to the present time The walls and roof have been
newly and very tastefully decorated, and on the
former may be seen the Chinese breach-loading
six-pounders, the State flag of the celebrated Com-
missioner Yeh, the official dress of the mandarin who
held command of the Peiho forts at the time of their
capture, and in recesses in the salle and entrance-
hall are some interesting specimens of bronze cast-
ings as vases and incense-burners, the Chinese cha-
racters on which indicate the date of their produc-
tion at 1800 years prior to the Christian era. In
the other parts of the arsenal are piles of guns,
breech and muzzle loading, of Armstrong build, and
the cannon casting ordnance, of none of which we
have reason to be ashamed.
Only with regard to the extent and general ar-
rangement of the dockyard there was nothing at
all of interest to exhibit to our friends. On the
contrary, accustomed as they arc to the magnificent
naval establishments at Toulon, Brest, and Cher-
bourg, Portsmouth Dockyard must have appeared
simply contemptible, its stores and buildings being,
with one or two exceptions, confused masses of
bricks and mortar, jumbled together without any
design. In the plans, however, for the great exten-
sion of the yard, the works for which have at length
really commenced, and concerning which many per-
tinent questions were asked, there was plenty of
material of which, in comprehensivenessand
allies.unity
of design, we could dilate with just pride and gratifi-
cation, even in the presence of our keen-eyed
The chief features of this first extension of Ports-
mouth Dockyard consist of a tidal basin of about 14
acres, accessible for ships of the largest class at any
time of tide. From this basin there will by two locks
and one docks also accessible at ally rerioci of the

---
No sooner were the preliminaries arranged for &lie recap, -,-,
tion of the French 4eaV at.Portsraentb;ttra
issued by the Admiralty to Messrs. Dcfrj,Js <Order
and Sons was,
of
.Floundsditch to prepare for an illumination of unprece-
dented brilliancy. A telegram Was despatched to their
establishment on Saturday last, with brief instructions fcr
that purpose, and immediately they mustered a staff of 500
men,
were orthwi all of wh
th at om, under their personal superintendence,
f work hastening the execution of their
contract. Last evening proved that short notice is no
hindrance to a successful issue where an experienced firm
is engaged. Upwards of 300,000 lamps in every device to
which crystal can be turned, and displaying as many illu-
minations in the national colours of France, the popular
rod, white, and blue, gave such an artificial glare to Ports-
mouth as no city or town in England has ever yet revealed:
The effect was, moreover, greatly heightened by the inter-
spersion of innumerable flags, both French and English, by
unmistakeable assurances of a cordiality in thousands of
banners bearing our true Saxon expression of " Welcome,'
Chinese lanterns, and all the auxiliaries which such occa-
sions call into service. The outlines of all the pablic build-
ings and mansions, together with most of the private
houses, were delineated by as many gas lights as would
serve to illuminate a large provincial town for the winter
season. The streets, walks, and promenades likewise
shared in the same liberality of a supply of gas, with count-
less jets and burners to display its glaring beauty, and
which, with the reflection caused by tricoloured fire;
floods of the marvellous lime light, all intensified in their
effect by corresponding illuminations on board every vessel
in the harbour, have left in Portsmouth such a memento
for congratulation as will make the visit of the French fleet
the most joyous event that the denizens of our maritime
own have ever experienced.

The Atlantic Telegraph CompFtny.

The respective Boards of the Atlantio Telegraph Corn-.
pany and the Telegraph Construction and Maintenance
Company, after the most careful investigation into and
deliberation upon all the circumstances attending upon
the recent expedition, and upon the accident which has
postponed the success of the undertaking for the pre-
sent season, have come to the unanimous resolution
to prosecute the undertaking with increased rigour in
tke summer of next year, if supported to a very
moderate extent by the existing shareholders and the
public. The Atlantic Telegraph Company has accord-
ingly entered into a contract with the Telegraph Con-
struction Company, whereby the latter company will
again send out the Great Eastern during the summer of
1866, having on board sufficient cable both for the comple-
tion of the existing cable, and for the establishment of a
second cable of the same perfect construction between Ire-
land and Newfoundland.
The first operation will be to lay this latter cable. Having
done which, the Great Eastern will return to the end of the
broken cable, and commence operations for recovery. As
to the success of these operations Capt. Anderson, Mr.
Canning, and all the leaders of the late expedition have the
most hopeful confidence, and all concerned now believe in
the establishment of two working cables during 1866.
To effect this desirable consummation, the shareholders
of the Atlantic Telegraph Company are required to subscribe
a sum of £250,000. The liberality and effective financial
_
arrangements of the Telegraph Construction Compannwanv:
are deeply interested in the success of the undertaking,
effect this
advantageous arrangement, although thetotal enabled the directors of the Atlantic Compan
cost y
to
rao,
Con-
struction
Company
new cable, of its submersion, and
r p,
the is
of
the repairs
profit upon the newcable, if successful, but not otherwise, to o f
the
existing cable will be £500,000.
The
Ttoelebeg
.Zpl.hoo ,00and if the existing cable be restored
will also receive the profit provided for
wise
of s
them under the old contract—namely, £137,140 in old
Tho Atunguaranteed lantichares the
Telegraph Company have summoned a
meeting of their shareholders for Thursday, the 14th of
September, for the purpose of creating the necessary capital, to which theypropose to attach a preferential dividend of 12
per cent. to enable them to carry out the foregoing arrange-
ments, and they entertain no doubt that the small sum
required to be subseribal for will be readily taken up by the
shareholders, seeing that for this additional outlay they will obtain the fulfilment of their most sanguine expecta-
tions, even though one cable only should be permanently
established.

RECOMMENDING A " SOUND THRASHING."—YeS.
terday, at the Hampstead Police-court, two boys
Were charged with stealing apples from a gentleman';
garden. The boys were given up to their parents on their
promising to give them a "sound thrashing." Mr. Gurney
Hoare, the Magistrate, recommended a "good thrashing,'•
and said if he had sent them to prison kg should hay%
ordered them to "well whipped:,