The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-28 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

Captain W. Congreve having completed his five
years' service on the Staff of Major-Gen. Sir Robert
Walpole, K.C.8., at Chatham, as Brigade-Major
at that garrison, will be succeeded by Brevet-Major
W. W. Lynch, 2d Battalion 2d Queen's Royals,
who has been appointed by the Duke of Cambridge,
and will commence his duties on the Ist of January.
Major Lynch has acquired considerable experience
as a regimental officer, and has seen more service
than usually falls to the lot of officers of his stand-
ing. He was in Persia with the cavalry division in
1847, and for his services there was decorated with
the medal and clasp. According to Hart, he sub-
sequently joined Gen. Havelock's force on its first
taking the field,being present in every action fought
by that column. Hesubsequently served as second
in command of the Volunteer Cavalry with the
Oude 'field force, and was present in all the actions
fought by it until the relief of Lucknow.
Capt. J. L. Seton, 102 d Royal Madras Fusileers,
has been ordered to embark for Madras, to join the
service companies of that regiment, Major P. A.
Brown taking the command of the depot companies
at Chatham garrison.
Lieut. E. G. St. John, 2d Battalion 2d Queen's
Royals, has left the depot of that corps at Chatham,

•
and embarked on board the Camden steamer, to
join the headquarters of his regiment.
In order to facilitate the construction of the new
ironclad turret and other ships which will shortly be
commenced at Chatham Dockyard, the Lords of
the Admiralty have given directions for some of the
most powerful machinery yet constructed to be
erected in the factory at the dockyard, to be used in
the preparation of the 9-inch and other armour-
plates with which it is intended that the new vessels
shall be protected. Among the new machines or-
dered are two large shaping and planing machines,
two punching and shearing machines, a plate-shear-
ing engine, and four of the most powerful kinds of
drilling machines. It is also intended to fit up an
additional 25-ton steam hammer, together with
steam travellers and cranes for lifting plates of 12
Mona -weight. The order further directs several new
machines to be erected in the ropery be used in the
preparation of the hemp for ropemaking. The total
cost of the additional machinery ordered to be
erected at Chatham Dockyard up to the present
time is between £9,000 and £lO,OOO, in addition to
which there will be the charges connected with sink-
ing the foundations and otherwise preparing the
buildings.

The routine duties of the garrison at Woolwich,
as well as the departments of the Royal Arsenal
and Dockyard, having been suspended for the
Christmas holidays, were yesterday resumed as
usual. In consequence of the admirable arrange-

month of the commissariat and the successful result
of the new canteen system, the committee have been
enabled to deal out a gratuitous andbountiful supply
of good Christmas cheer to every man in the gar-
rison.

The Dart, 5, screw gun vessel, 80-horse power,
Commander J. W. Richards, arrived at Spithead
yesterday afternoon, last from Plymouth Sound.
The Malacca, 17, screw corvette, Capt. R. Old-
field, steamed out of Portsmouth harbour yester-
day morning on the completion of her outfit for
foreign service, and anchored at Spithead to take
in her powder and shell. To-morrow the ship will
make her trial of speed over the measured mile
course iu Stokes Bay, and, if everything proves
satisfactory, will then be reported as ready to pro-
ceed to her destination—the Pacific.

The Minotaur screw iron frigate is ordered to
make a second trial of her speed under steam, over
the measured mile in Stokes Bay, on her return to
Portsmouth from het forthcoming cruise off Port-
land with the competitive gun carriages. The screw
of the Minotaur to be set at a finer pitch than on
the last occasion, and to effect this the ship must be
placed in dock.
The Simoom iron screw troopship, 400 horse
power (fitted with new engines by the steam factory
department of Portsmouth dockyard), Capt. T. B.
Lethbridge, fitting for service in the steam basin
of Portsmouth yard, has tested preliminarily the
working of her new machinery under steam. Sbe
now only awaits a little further advancement in
the shipwrights' work to be taken out of the har-
bour, and put through her light-draught trial of
speed over the measured mile. IVe have referred on
a previous occasion to the excellency of the general
arrangements on board this vessel for the accom-
modation and comfort of the troops during the pe-
riod of her forthcoming commission under the com-
mand of Capt. Lethbridge; the nearer these arrange-
ments approach completion the more perfect they
appear. On the upper deck of the ship are the usual
poop and forecastle, both, however, somewhat larger
than usual, and connected by decks, about seven
feet in width each, on the starboard and port sides.
The poop cabin contains the common mess table, 40
feet long, for the captain and officers of the ship and
for the officers accompanying the troops. On each
side are the ship's officers' cabins. Going now to
the other end of the ship we reach the forecastle,
and here are messed and sleep the petty officers and
seamen forming the ship's crew. There are also six
cabins for the warrant officers, with cooking galleys
for the troops and seamen, air shafts, &c. Under-
neath the two gangway decks which connect the
poop and forecastlefore and aft the ship, and which
form a capital parade space for the troops, are built
up hammock houses—no hammocks being stowed in
the ship's nettings—lamp rooms, butchers' shops,
ice store rooms for meats, &c., and all other conve-
niences required in a troop-carrying steamship, to-
gether with padded stalls for six horses. The pre-
vailing idea in the arrangement of these stores and
other rooms under these two gangway decks has
been to place those on the starboard side solely at
the service of those messed and berthed only on the
same side of the ship, and the same with the port
side. On the main deck, originally constructed as
the gun deck of the ship, when she was intended for
an iron frigate, and still retaining the gunports in
their full size, are, abaft all and under the poop
mess-cabin, cabins for military officers and their fa-
milies, including an admirable ladies' bath-room, ad-
joining a roomy " nursery." Amidships on the same
deck are mess and sleeping berths for 500 soldiers,
with quarters for staff-sergeants and non-commis-
sioned officers, -while, forward of all, and entirely
separated from all others, are the quarters for women
and children, excellently fitted with baths, lavatories,
and other conveniences, and having in one portion a
room fitted for the accouchement of the soldiers'
wives. In the seven available compartments of the
ship, below the main deck, the arrangements are
1, Military_storerooms ; 2, berths for 100 soldiers ;
3, ditto ; 4, baggage-room ; 5, coal bunkers ; 6,
engine-room ; 7, engineers' and warrant officers'
sleeping berths, baths, washhouses, &c., wine store-
room, slop-room, provisions, &c. Everything, in-
deed, is rendered as perfect on board, both above
and below, as can well be imagined or desired.
General Sir Edward Charles Whinyates, K.C.8.,
and K.H., Colonel Commandant of B brigade Royal
Horse Artillery, died at his residence, Dorset Villa,
Cheltenham, on Monday, the 25th of December,
1865, in his 84th year. He was the third son of
Major Thomas Whinyates, of Abbotsleigh, Devon
(formerly of the 2d Dragoon Guards), by Catherine,
sixth daughter of Admiral Sir Thomas Frankland,
fifth baronet, of Thirkleby-park, Yorkshire. He
was born 6n May 6, 1782 ; married in 1827 Eliza-
beth, the only daughter of Mr. Samuel Crompton,
of Woodend, Yorkshire; entered the army on
March 1, 1798, as second-lieut. in the Royal Artil-
lery ; was present at the lauding at the fielder,
under Sir Ralph Abercrombie, in 1799, and in the
campaign in North Holland, under the Duke of York,
in the same year; served in the West Indies from
1800 to 1805, including the expedition to Madeira,
under Sir William Clinton, in 1801; at the siege and
capture of Copenhagen, under Lord Cathcart, in
1807 ; in the Peninsula, from February, 1810, to
July, 1813, including the battles of Busaco and
Albuera ; the brilliant affair at Usagre, May, 1811,
and defeat of Latour Maubourg's division ; and at
Aldea de Ponte, September, 1811, and San Munoz,
at the ford of Geltes, 1812 ; attack and defeat of
General Lallemanil's cavalry at Ribera (mentioned
in the public despatches), and many other affairs,
being always on the advance and rear guards. He
received the Peninsular medal with two clasps. He

afterwards served in the Netherlands and France
from April, 1814 to 18thof January, 1816, andwith
the army of occupation from August, 1816, toNov.,
1818 ; commanded the Rocket Troop, Royal Horse
Artillery, at Waterloo, and was severely wounded
in the left arm (Brevet majority and medal for the
battle). He was appointed to command the Royal
Artillery in the northern district in 1840, and com-
manded the troops in the four northern counties
during the disturbances among the manufacturing
and mining classes; was appointed Director-Gene-
ral of Artillery, March 10, 1852 ; Commandant of
the garrison of Woolwich, August 19, 1852 ; Major-
General, June 20, 1854 ; Colonel-Commandant of
a battalion, April 1, 1855 ; Lieut.-General, Junel,
1856 ; Colonel-Commandant of B Brigade, Royal
Horse Artillery, July 22, 1864, and General on
Dec. 10, 1864 ; was appointed a Knight of the
Royal Guelphic Order for distinguished military
services in 1823 ; a Knight Commander of the
Bath, Sept. 26, 1831; and a Commander of the
Bath, May 18, 1860.

The Corporation of London and the Jamaica
Commission.

Yesterday, at 1 o'clock, a special meeting of the
magistrates of the City of London, convened by the
Lord Mayor, was held at Guildhall to hear and take
into consideration a communication which had been
addressed to his lordship by Sir George Grey, the
Home Secretary. There was a large attendance of
the aldermen on the occasion, some of them having
come from the country to be present, it being under-
stood, though not so stated on the paper of business,
that the cause of their being summoned at a time
so unusual was the appointment of Mr. Russell
Gurney, M.P., Recorder of London, as a member
of the commission about to proceed to Jamaica, at
the instance of the Government, to investigate the
circumstances attending the recent revolt of the
negro population.
The Lord Mayor having- assumed the chair, the
Town Clerk (Mr. Woodthorpe), at his request,
read the subjoined communication, which his Lord-
ship had received on Saturday from Her Majesty's
Secretary of State for the Home Department :

" Whitehall, Dec. 22.

"My Lord,—l have the honour to transmit to
your Lordship the inclosed copy of a letter from the
Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, inform-
ing me, by desire of Mr. Secretary Cardwell, that
Her Majesty's Government desire to appoint Mr.
Russell Gurney, Recorder of London, to act as a
Commissioner for inquiring into the recent lament-
able occurrences in Jamaica.
" I trust that your Lordship and the Corporation
of the city of London will feel at liberty to sanc-
tion the arrangement there proposed as to the Re-
corder. In that case, I request that your Lordship
will be so good as to inform me whether any steps
are considered to be necessary to provide for the
performance of the judicial or other duties of the
officer, in his absence, for which the assistance of
Her Majesty's Government is required.
" I have the honour to be, my Lord, your Lord-
ship's obedient servant,
" G. GREY.
" The Right Hon. the Lord Mayor."

The following is a copy of the inclosure from Mr.
Elliot to Mr. Waddington in the foregoing letter,
which the Town Clerk also read :

" D owning -street, Dec. 21.
" Sir, —I am directed by Mr. Secretary Cardwell
to inform you that Her Majesty's Government de-
sire to secure the very valuable services of Mr.
Russell Gurney, Recorder of London, to act as a
Commissioner for inquiring into the recent lament-
able occurrences at Jamaica.

" In order that Mr. Russell Gurney should pro-
ceed to Jamaica on this mission, the concurrence of
the Lord Mayor and Corporation of London will
be necessary. It will also be requisite that arrange-
ments should be made for supplying his place as
Recorder, and Her Majesty's Government would,
of course, bear such expense as would be imposed on
the Corporation of London by this necessity.
" I am to request that you would move Secretary
Sir George Grey to apply for the consent of the
Lord Mayor and Corporation of London to the
acceptance of this mission by the Recorder, and to
request that the Lord Mayor would have the good-
ness to communicate either with Sir George Grey
or Mr. Cardwell as to the consequent pecuniary
arrangements.—l am, &c.,
" T. FREDK. ELLIOT."
The LORD MAYOR, addressing the Court, said he
thought it his duty to tell them that the first letter
he received on the subject was from Mr. Cardwell,
dated the 20th of December, and although it was
marked " private," the substance of it was neither
more nor less than what they had already heard
read by the Town Clerk. The reply he sent to-the
Secretary of State for the Colonies was to the effect
that if he would request Sir George Grey to write
him (the Lord. Mayor) an official communication on
the subject; he should take the first opportunity of
placing it before his brethren of the Court of Alder-
men. On Saturday he received the letter from Sir
George Grey which had just been read to the Court,
and availing himself of the opportunity afforded by
a Committee of the Court of Aldermen sitting on
that day at Guildhall, he saw and discussed the sub-
ject with them, and, acting on their advice, he had
convened this Special Court—to the inconvenience,
he feared, of some of its members at this festive
season. He then wrote a letter to Sir G. Grey,
Istating that he had convened a Special Court on the
subject, and in that letter he took the liberty to
state that he felt great disappointment that he (the
Lord Mayor) was without any communication from
the learned Recorder himself on the matter. He
would take that opportunity of saying that he knew
no man in that great city or out of it for whom he
had so sincere a regard as for the Recorder and for
his distinguished qualities, and he was satisfied
that whatever public duty the learned gentleman
might deem it his duty to undertake the result
would be for the benefit of his fellow-citizens in
some way or other. (Hear.) He could not, how-
ever, refrain from expressing his disappointment—
and he did so with the most unfeigned regret—that
any negotiation by a public officer of the corpora-
tion should have been carried on with the Govern-
ment or with any other body, in reference to an ap-
pointment, without some communication being first
made to the City of London. He (the Lord Mayor)
had had a conversation on the matter that day with
the learned gentleman, who would have an oppor-
tunity of entering into any explanation he pleased
to make ; but, notwithstanding that conversation,
he was bound to say his sentiments on the subject
were unchanged. He hoped the Court would con-
cur with him (the Lord Mayor) in what he had
done, and having said that much he would leave
the learned Recorder to answer for himself.

The RECORDER said he was very sorry that any-
thing which had taken place in relation to this matter
should have given umbrage to the Lord Mayor;
but the course that he (the Recorder) had taken on
the occasion had been perfectly plain. Not many
days ago lie received a communication from the
Government, expressing a wish to appoint him a
member of the Commission, but he at once refused,
stating as a reason for declining that his duties in
connection with the Corporation of London were
so onerous that he could not devote the necessary
time to the proposed inquiry
•
. Havmg said so much
he thought the matter was at an end. The Govern-
ment, however, seemed to attach some importance
to the matter—he hardly liked to refer to himself
personally in connection with it—and they stated
that they would apply to the corporation to absolve
him for a time from the discharge of his ordinary
duties. His reply was that that was a course to
which he could not give any assent—(cheers)—but
if they could make any arrangement with the
corporation which should be satisfactory to all par-
ties, he would accept the appointment. Upon that
understanding he had accepted it, but most unwil-
lingly, seeing that it implied the discharge of a most
anxious and painful duty. (Hear, hear.) He had
done it, however, from no wish of his own, but
simply from its having been placed before him as
part of a public duty. (Hear, hear.) The Re-
corder added, in reply to Mr. Alderman Sidney
as to how long he might absent from the
country, that the voyage there and back would oc-
cupy about five weeks, and that his impression was
that the inquiry would last about six weeks more,
though that would depend upon the time they got
to work, for there were some preliminary steps to be
taken in the colony before they could begin. He
thought, perhaps, he might be absent until about
the middle of April, butthe Court was quite as com-
petent as he was to form an opinion on that point.
Mr, Alderman COPELAIsTD (the senior member of

the Court) thought the explanation which the learned
Recorder had given must have been satisfactory to
the whole Court. For himself, he must say the Go-
vernment had shown its wisdom in the selection
they had made in this case. He would say in pass-
ing, at the same time, that he should have preferred
the letter of Sir George Grey to have been addressed
to the Court of Aldermen, as such, whose officer
the Recorder was, rather than to the corporation at
large, though the learned gentleman acted for the
whole corporation. He said that because innova-
tions had been made on their privileges as magis-
trates of London, and-he liked to stand by the old
ways, and to see that nothing was done to detract
from the dignity of their position. It was important
for the Court to consider next how the judicial
functions devolving upon the Recorder could best
be discharged during his absence. The duties at-
taching to his office in connection with the Central
Criminal Court might be performedfor a time with-
out extraneous aid ; but in the Mayor's Court,
where great questions of compensation were con-
stantly arising, the Recorder had arduous duties to
discharge, and he suggested that the matter should
be referred to a committee for consideration, with a
view to some arrangement being made with Govern-
ment for the temporary discharge of those duties.
He concluded by moving a resolution embodying the
sanction of the Court to the acceptance by the Re-
corder of the office of a commissioner for inquiring
into thelamentable occurrences in Jamaica, granting
him leave of absence for that purpose for six months,
and referring it to their General Purpose Committee
to consider and report as to the necessary steps to be
taken for the performance of his judicial functions
in the meantime.

The motion was briefly seconded by Mr. Alder-
man WILSON, who availed himself of the opportunity
to congratulate his brethren on the evidence the ap-
pointment of the Recorder by the Government on
this important mission afforded of the wisdom the
Court showed in electing him, years ago, to the
office he now held. He also took occasion to con-
gratulate the citizens on having recently elected to
represent them in Parliament a man who had already
shown so much capacity to serve the State as Mr.
Goschen had done.

Sir JAMES D LIKE, from long experience, also spoke
in flattering terms of the Recorder's public services,
and of his high judicial qualities ; adding that he
trusted his connexion with the corporation would
long be maintained, honourable as it was alike to
them and to himself. (Hear.)
Mr. Alderman SIDNEY apprehended that they
would never see the Recorder again, not that he was
distrustful of the care of Providence over his learned
friend, but this was so marked a selection by the
Government from the legal talent of the whole
country that he could not but think he was destined
to fill a higher position. Adverting to the forth-
coming inquiry, he said it behoved the court, in that
the only way which was in their power—namely, by
sanctioning the appointment of the Recorder, to aid
the Government in this emergency, and he trusted,
as a matter of justice to all concerned, as well as of
sound policy, that the investigation would be im-
partial and complete beyond all doubt or cavil, so
as to satisfy the whole country.
Mr. Alderman LAWRENCE, M.P., congratulated
the Government on the selection they had made in
this case, than which, he said, no appointment could
have well been more satisfactory to the people of this
country or more likely to afford satisfaction to the
community of Jamaica. He felt that the high cha-
racter of the Recorder would be an-ample guarantee
that the inquiry would be full, free, and impartial,
and would disarm every kind of attack that could
possibly be made hereafter, from whatever quarter
it might proceed.
The resolution having been put to the meeting
by the Town Clerk, and carried with complete
unanimity, the Lord Mayor, turning to the Recorder
and shaling him cordially by the hand, expressed
his great gratification at the result.
The RECORDER said it was impossible for him not
to feel very deeply the kind expressions that had
been used towards him on this occasion. His whole
professional life had been more or less identified with
the corporation of London ; he had always taken the
deepest interest in its honour and welfare, and to be
thought well of by those with whom he had been so
closely connected was exceedingly gratifying to his
feelings.
With that the proceedings terminated, and the
Court immediately afterwards formed themselves
into a committee for giving practical effect to the
resolution.