The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-31 00:00:00

G, MAY 31, 1862,

the Commander-in-Chief. The Government might excuse
themselves as they pleased, but as a Cabinet they were
certainly pledged to carry out the recommendation of the
commissioners. They had formally given a pledge to do so
in that house ; and although that pledge might go the way
of some other reforms, the present was not an age that was
likely to be tolerant of abuse ; and he ventured to say that
in a quarter of a century not a vg of the system of pur-
chase would be remaining.
Lord PALMERSTON opposed the motion, addressing
himself particularly to the arguments of Lord StAnley, and
justified the Government for having changed their purpose.
On a division the motion was negatived by 217 to 62.

Colonel DICKSON directed attention to the recent agra-
rian murders perpetrated in Ireland, and the organisation,
cquipnKnt, and employment of the Iri,h constibulary. lle
rointed out that the cost of maintaining the police force had
increased by £120,000 in the 16 years ending 1858; and in
the four subsequent• years it had been augmented to the
enormous sum of £779,868; in addition to which there was
the expense of providing the men with barracks. Ho com-
plained of the largo amount that was expended in the in-
struction of the force in the use of the Enfield rifle, which
he argued was not a fit weapon to place in their hands;
condemned the system of police centralisation in Dublin ;
and contended that the force ought to be more of a civil,
and less of a military character, and be brought more in con-
tact with the people. He should not move for a committee
of inquiry, but leave the matter in the hands of the Chief
Secretary, in the hope that the right hon. gentleman would
give it the consideration to which it was entitled.
Mr. SCULLY then rose, and-was in the act of address-
ing the house when an hon. member moved that it be
counted.

The house was accordingly counted out at 20 minutes to
eight o'clock.

TII.E Ixll VY.:

, .. • •

The launch of
.the .new, iron-plated frigate the
Prince Consort) which is the late Triumph length-
ened and .iucreasecl in slirengthovilkt-ake place at
Penal:o;94e dpelqard;during the monthpf Sum, She
is a remarkably fine vessel. Her burden is, 4,000

tons, and her horse-power will be. 1,000:nominal. ,
Capt; Oliver tones, it is stated, will succeed Capt.
Wain*ight in the command
,the Shannon screw
frigate, at Portsmouth, onihe latter officer commis-
sioning the Black Prince iron frigate at Portsmouth.
The Shannon ra bained-for the Mat Coast of Africa,

Capt.. Jones hoisting- his broad' pendant a Commo,
dore,ituakrelieving.ComnaodoreW, Edmonstone
in
the Arrogant. The rounaption of theexperimental
screw trials by .the Shannon at Portsmouth yeater-,
day vvas,postponed,.owing to the anfayourable state
of the weather. The frigate was,:taken, out of:the
steam basin and. berthed,in
,the harbour, and will
resume her trials to day with four of the :Margin,
blades :on a Griffiths' boss, should the won they
moderate., • . • '•
•
The Megiera troOPship, gorOM.andefHenderson;
arrivedat Portsmouth last evening, wi'threliefs of
troops..on board, from.
,next proceeds
to Alderney with the. remainder of fhe 2d battalion,'
18th, and.two companies of artillery:
A Plan has heen submitted to' the Admiralty by
ComnianderNaddall; Master-Attendant ef the Royal
Clarencevietiviiling-yard at Weevil; near Goaport,
utilising ihe'space'avallable in Portsmouth, harbour,
in the immediate vicinity of:the dockyard, ft* berth-,
ing her-Majdaty's ;ships afloat. y Under the,present
system each4ipjawingd at her mooriaigs„ with thp
tide„ ~ The 7censeqneneeis. theta large amount of,
mooring groun&-can: afford ticemninedation for -,but'
few waitl until wind and 'tide' allow
•
the' sWinginecraft ioAte .fetirlyiP doairri 'the har-c
bow: I •propeses' to .supersede
the lire ttswin& g atOdringd with aline of poll-
toonaaeaioW 3004)in ien moored bead and stern
at a,olalee 0 -wft:frara the Agekyard,each pon
to4beinF, connebete,d,•by bridges on a simple plan
siniar 'to iliik`cayried out between thergunnery in-
strut feif sal ip4 t#elfent6,:a iiivs4icus; which lie
moßcatifhad2ndstern Chain'S')off the north side
of thi dLeiltal 7.Taking -SitlontoOns.tO form the
line it wolild-giv'e3- talowinv for the-intcr'Vals of space
between each, a total length of floating double moor-
ing jetties of 2,000 ft. The connection between this
double line of float ing jetties and the dockyard would
be formed in the centre of the line by a pontoon
bridge opening in the middle. This pontoon bridge,
which could be formed of the now useless iron mor-
tar boats lying at Haslar, would give the means of
communication between ships moored at the floating
jetties and in the dockyard. The 500 ft space between
the floating jetties and the dockyard would allow
ample space for docking and undocking the Warrior,
and other ships of her class. This space it is pro-
posed to consider as part of the dockyard, and to
preserve for purposes only connected with the dock-
yard. The breadth of the harbour, measuring at
spring tides, low water, is from the mudbank at Bo-
rough Island to the ship basin, 1,395 ft ; from the
King's-stairs to the mudbank south of Weevil-creek,
1,440 ft ; and from the south corner of the dockyard
wall to the opposite mudland, 2,700 ft. Within this
line of soundings it is proposed the line of pontoons
shall be moored. Commander Noddall, we believe,
has suggested that if pontoons should be thought too
expensive, there ere plenty of useless ships lying in
Portsmouth-harbour, or its creeks above the dock-
yard, which could be converted into a pontoon,
jetty, or mooring ship. Their conversion to so use-
ful a purpose would effect the saving of a consider-
able sum yearly which they now cost in repairs and
wages, and for provisions for a regular staff to take
charge of them. To keep in repair the machinery
of eight paddlewheel steamers now lying in the
upper part of Portsmouth harbour, consisting of the
Furious, the Fury, the Inflexible, the Penelope, the
Retribution, the Sampson, and the Vulture, a few
years longer on hand, will involve an expense alone
greater in amount than the price their machinery
and their hulls broken up would bring if sold. An
application of Commander Noddall's plan to the
deep-water berthing space of the upper part of the
harbour of Portsmouth, in addition to floating
jetties, would add immensely to the berthing ac-
commodation of the harbour, and, in fact, convert
the whole harbour into one vast steam basin. The
jetty accommodation of Portsmouth Dockyard gives
room for only three ships of ordinary size, or for
two such as the Warrior or Black Prince. These
jetties would still remain available in the event of
the floating jetties being formed, while the latter
would give additional accommodation for 12 ships
of the largest class.
The following appointments and promotions were
made yesterday at the Admiralty :—Lieut. Arthur
G. C. Tait to the Racehorse ; the Marquis of Queens-
berry, midshipman, to the Nile ; W. IL Lowman
additional in the Fisgard, for the Rapid, promoted
to engineer ; John Spinks, in the Scylla, promoted
to acting engineer ; and Charles Brent, master's-
assistant, to the Royal Adelaide.