The Sun.
London, England, 1865-04-27 00:00:00

Naval an

;Iligenee.

MALTA, April, 22.
There is little to report of either naval or mili-
tary news since the departure of the last mail on
the 17th inst. Her Majesty's ship Himalaya went
round from the Great into the Marsamuscetto har-
bour yesterday, and leaves to day with the 7th
Royal Fusileers for Quebec. The Victoria, 102,
flagship of the Commander-in-Chief, and the En-
terprise, 4, ironclad, have been out for a cruise, and
have returned into port. The Surprise, 4, leaves
to-day for Tunis. The Royal Oak, 35, ironclad,
was inspected the day before yesterday by the Com-
mander-in-Chief. The result, I believe, was very
satisfactory. The Swedish corvette Gefle, Captain
Pattersen, left on the 11th inst. for Tunis and
Cadiz. Mr. F. R. Drummond Hay, Consul at
Crete, will, it is said, succeed Col. Herman as Consul
General at Tripoli, and Mr. Charles Dickson, at
present Consul at Souchum-Kaleh and Redout-Ka.leh
will take the place of Mr. Drummond Hay at Crete.
Mr. Andrews, engineer and general superintendent
of the Mediterranean Extension Telegraph Com-
pany, left Malta on the 17th inst. to repair the
Corfu and Otranto cable.
The Adjutant-General, Sir James Yorke Scar-
lett, has promulgated a circular memorandum, ad-
dressed to general and other officers commanding
on stations at home and abroad, dated Horse
Guards, sth of April, 1865, containing the follow-
ing extract of a letter from the War-office, dated
the 29th of March, 1865 The Secretary of
State for Foreign Affairs has notified to Earl de
Grey that the GOvernments of Austria and Prussia
have determined to grant a provisional national
flag to the Duchies of Schleswig-Holstein and
Lauenburg until the definite settlement of the con-
stitution of these territories, and have requested her
Majesty's Government to recognisethe flag in ques-
tion, and to grant ships bearing it the same rights
which were accorded to the ships of the Duchies
previously to their separation from Denmark. Her
Majesty's Government have now agreed to recognise
the flag provisionally, saving the rights of the States
of Holstein and Schleswig and of the German Con-
federation, and only till the definite constitution of
the Duchies concerned. This flag will have the
colours blue, white, and red, in horizontal stripes,
and will be distinguished from the Mecklenburg flag,
which has the same colours, by a yellow field placed
on the blue field next the flagstaff."
An order was promulgated yesterday to the troops
at Portsmouth by Major-Gen. Lord William Paulet,
K.C.8., Lieutenant-Governor of Portsmouth and
Military Commander-in-Chief of the South-west
District, from the Horse Guards, dated April 24, in
which the Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief ex-
presses his satisfaction at the very creditable state in
which he found the troops under Lord W. Paulet's
command at the late inspection, and requests that he
will make this known to the commanding officers of
regiments serving in his district.
The hired transport Shannon, Captain Daniels,
1,292 tons burden, having embarked the A and B
batteries of the C brigade, now amalgamated with
the Royal Horse Artillery, from her Majesty's In-
dian service, sailed from Calcutta on the 14th of
January, and arrived yesterday at 'Woolwich. The
Shannon (one of Green's first-class ships) made the
Royal Arsenal pier at 12 o'clock, at high tide, and
immediately commenced landing the troops and
baggage, under the superintendence of Captain
Nangle, Deputy-Assistant-Quartermaster-General,
which was effected with the utmost order and ex-
pedition. In less than an hour the whole of the
troops and baggage were on shore, and at 1 o'clock
the Shannon was under way to the East India
Docks to clear out her cargo, which consists of indigo,
raw silk, saltpetre, &c. The health of the troops
was remarkably good. One death only occurred
during the voyage, the result of a severe attack of
dysentery.,' Before leaving the ship the officers ex-
pressed their thanks to Capt. Daniels for the uni-
form kindness and attention which they had all re-
ceived at his hands, and which had made the pas-
sage, they said, most agreeable. For some days
after her departure from Calcutta, and until nearing.
the Western Islands, the Shannon had most favour-
able weather, but she was afterwards constantly
becalmed, and experienced a succession of head
winds. On entering the Channel she was again
detained by the fog, and was obliged to anchor one
night off Dover, and also on Tuesday night at the
mouth of the Thames. After disembarking, the
troops were drawn up under the open shed facing
the landing-place in the Arsenal, and awaited
the preparations necessary for taking over the
barrack quarters. At three o'clock Major-General
E. Warde, C. 8., Commandant, rode- down to the
Arsenal, attended by his personal Staff, consisting
of Capt. Williams, A.D.C., Brigade-Major Hay,
and Capt. Nangle. He was accompanied by Col.
Gambier, C. 8., Deputy-Adjt.-General ; Col. Huy-
she, commanding the C Brigade ; Col. Anderson,
C. 8., commanding the 4th Brigade, Royal Artillery;
Lieut.-Col. Reilly, C. 8., B Brigade, Royal Horse
Artillery ; Major-Gen. Sandham, R.E., Royal Mili-
tary Academy ; and others. They were there joined
by the regimental and bugle bands of the Royal
Artillery, by whom they were escorted to the garri-
son. The bronzed appearance of the men bespoke a
long residence in India. On their arrival on the
Royal Artillery parade they were inspected by Gen.
Warde, and formed three sides of a square, when
the General informed them that he had taken the
opportunity of meeting them on their landing, and,
from the favourable report which had been forwarded
to him of their conduct in the field, as well as their
general behaviour in quarters, he was proud to wel-
come them as comrades and brothers to join the
Royal Artillery, of which regiment they now formed
a component part. His despatch, he said, informed him
that up to their embarkation at Calcutta they were
all men of high soldierly bearing, and as such he was
happy to receive them as members of the Royal
Artillery—the honour and glory of the army. He
had full confidence, he said, in their determination
to maintain intact the high reputation they had
brought with them from their distant homes, and he
should merely caution them to resist the tempta-
tions which were constantly thrown in the way of
soldiers. The men were then dismissed to quarters.
The ship Roxburgh Castle, 1,121 tons, Capt. C.
Dimsdale, whose arrival in the Channel from New
South Wales was announced in the Sun of Tues-
day, arrived at Spithead yesterday morning, and
anchored for the purpose of disembarking the
Royal Artillery. She has brought to England the
following officers and men belonging to the 3d Bat-
tery of the 12th Brigade :—Capts. Lovell and
Smith ; Lieuts. Greer, Larcom, and Hallett ; Assist.
Surgeon Milburn, 60 men, 14 women and 36 chil-
dren. The troops will disembark this morning and
will be placed in quarters in Blockhouse Fort—the
western battery at the mouth of Portsmouth
harbour—the artillery at present stationed there rei
moving to Sandon, Isle of Wight. As soon as the
disembarkation of the troops has been effected the
itxburgh Castle will resume her voyage to Lon-
to deliver her colonial cargo.
bee The shipt St. Lawrence, 1,200 tons, Capt. Town-
h, from Calcutta for London, also put into Spit-
ead yesterday morning to discharge her Govern-
ment
freightiof troops,
consisting of Major M' Neil,
Royal
Artillery
.L. Captain Clarke, 7th Dragoon
Guards ; Capt. 1-orphY- 52d Recrt • Capt. Gould,
Money ; Lieut. Seagrim, e' • "
23d ; Colonel Money, Mrs.
Money and children, Madras army ; Major and
Mrs. Garth and family, and
upwardsf of 300 time-
expired men and invalid:ithroam various regiments
serving in India, together
Thperospotionate
t. r num-
Lawrence was
towed into Portsmouth harbour yesterday by the
Thames steamtug Victor, and will disembark her
troops this morning alongside the dockyard, when
the invalids will be sent on by Government steamer
to the Royal Victoria Military Hospital at Netley,
and the time-expired men to the depots of the re-
ments to which they belong.

The iron frigate Warrior, 40, was yesterday ad-
mitted into the steam basin of Portsmouth dockyard
from her harbour moorings, and it may, therefore,
be reasonably hoped that no time will now be lost
by the authorities, either at the Admiralty or at
Portsmouth, in bringing forward this fine frigate
for recommission as rapidly as possible.
The Urgent, screw troopshi
dp, Capt. S. H. Hen'
ers°n, sailed 4rom Portmouth last eyenin for

Leith with a few military passengers and some
officers' baggage and horses, and will return to
Portsmouth with a regiment of infantry for the
camp at Aldershott.

The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty :--Commander H3nry W. Mist to
be inspecting commander in the Coastguard, vice
Brown ; Lieuts. C. Robinson, E. C. Drummond,
N. S. F. Digby, and F. C. de Lousada to the Cale-
donia ; J. Whittall, paymaster, to the Winchester ;
and Henry S. Lauder, assist.-surg., to the Gleaner.

Banquet at the Fishmongers' Hall.

The Worshipful Company of Fishmongers gave a
grand banquet in their stately hall on London-bridge
last evening. The entertainment was in the style of
splendid hospitality which invariably characterises
the dinner of this, one of the wealthiest of the City
companies. The chair was taken by the Prime
Warden, Mr. James Spicer.
Among the company were the Earl of Shaftes-
bury, B.G. ; the Hon. G. E. Cartier and the Hon.
A. T. Galt, members of the Canadian deputation ;
Mr. H. Bernard, Secretary to the Canadian Depu-
tation ; the Hon. G. Waldegrave Leslie, M.P., Sir
C. Wentworth Dilke, Lieut.-Colonel Addison, Mr.
Thomas Hankey, M.P., Mr. John Abel Smith, M.P.,
Sir S. M. Peto, M.P., Rev. Dr. Davison, Rev. Mr.
Raleigh, Rev. J. Percival, Rev. C. Prince, Rev. J.
Aldis, Dr. Reeces, the Deputy Governor of the Bank
of England, Mr. Robert Pott (the Master of the
Grocers' Company), Mr. W. Gadesden (Prime War-
den of the Goldsmiths' Company), Mr. Henry Fow-
ler, Mr. J. D. Cook, Mr. James M. Grant, Mr.
Robin Allen, Mr. Alexander Haldane, Mr. Win. Leaf,
jun., Mr. Jervoise Smith, Mr. John Dasant, Mr. J.
C. Templer, Mr. C. J. Boydges, Mr. John Fairfax,
Mr. H. Bodkin Poland, and Mr. Merry.
After the dinner there was an admirable selection
of vocal music, under the direction of Mr. Henry
Buckland, assisted by Miss Rose Hersee, Miss
Whytock, Master Brown, Mr. W. H. Cummings,
Mr. T. Dyson, and Mr. Weiss. Mr. John Cheshire
performed on the harp.
The usual loyal toasts having been given and re-
ceived with all the honours,
The PRIME WARDEN proposed " The Army and
Navy and the Volunteers."
Lieut.-Colonel ADDISON returned thanks for the
army, and Mr. J. C. TEMPLER for the Volunteers.
The PRIME WARDEN then gave " The British
ColBnies," and coupled with the toast the names of
the Hon. G. F. Cartier and the Hon. A. T. Galt.
The toast having been drunk with cheers,
Mr. G. E. CARTIER rose and said,—Mr. Prime
Warden, my Lord, and Gentlemen,—The honour
which you have conferred upon my country and the
Canadian deputation by the kind invitation which
you have given Mr. Galt and myself to attend
this grand banquet commands a feeling of grati-
tude on my part. You have been kind enough, and
distinguished members of both Houses of Parliament
have also been kind enough, on this occasion to
allow the toast of the British Colonies to be drunk
before that of the Lords and Commons of England.
You have connected our visit to this country with
the scheme now before the important American co-
lonies, as well as before the people of this country—
namely, that of a confederation of the North Ame-
rican provinces. Now we have felt in Canada that,
notwithstanding the great benefit which the two
Canadas have derived from the constitution granted
to them in 1840, that constitution has been overgrown
by the property and growing wants of the two C an adas.
Consequently, we are seeking for a system which
will permit us to develope ourselves on a larger and
grander scale. We have approached what we call the
Lower or Maritime Provinces of North America—
Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward's Is-
land. We have told them frankly, in Canada we pos-
sess two elements necessary for the constitution of a
nation—the personal element and the territoral ele-
ment ; but that there is one element which Canada
does not possess, that element which makes the
greatness of England—the maritime element.
(Loud cheers.) We have told our friends that they
wanted territory, and that we wanted seaports, and
that with the two united we should become great
and prosperous, and take with the mother country
a sort of co-national existence. (Cheers.) Our
Government determined to send a deputation to
England in order to impress OR the Imperial Go-
vernment the absolute necessity of carrying out that
scheme of confederation. (Cheers.) We wish to
bring about the adoption of that scheme, not only
that we may be stronger and more prosperous our-
selves, but also that we may be in a better position
to take our share in the defence of the British Em-
pire. (Renewed cheering.) We understandvery well
that, in the event of an invasion, we cannot meet the
joe without the application of the whole force of
England ; but we have secured such a union of all
the provinces of North America as will enable us to
take our share in the defence of the country.
(Cheers.) Singly we, in Canada, cannot defend
ourselves ; but if we be united with the Maritime
Provinces a perfect system of defence can be devised
in connexion with the mother country. (Cheers.)
When we speak of a confederation of the North
American colonies, we do not mean a system the
object of which is to weaken the ties between the
North. American colonies to the mother country, but,
on the contrary, a system which will tend to develope
tho mercantile element in British North America,
and to increase the power of the whole British
empire. (Cheers.) Under our scheme of confede-
ration there will be no fear of a struggle such as
that which we have seen in the United States. There
can be no danger of a contention between
State rights and Federal privileges. We intend in
our representation to the British Cabinet to say
that we are ready, even Canada alone, to take our
full share in the defence of the country; but we will
put before the Imperial Government that if the
Confederate scheme is carried out we shall be in a
better position to aid Great Britain in an event which
I hope will never arise—namely, a war between this
country and the United States. (Cheers.) I, how-
ever, avail myself of this opportunity of remarking
that if we in Canada take our share in the defence
of the country, that will necessarily involve a great
expenditure ; but I may add that you need not fear
what you have been told will happen—an increase in
the duty on the goods imported from England into
Canada. Assertions to that effect are not warranted;
and as they are causing a deal of mischief, I am glad
of the opportunity of making the statement that there
is no foundation for them. (Hear, hear.) It has been
stated in speeches in both Houses of Parliament, as
well as in certain newspapers in this country, that
since Canada is so vulnerable it would be better for
the security of England that Canada would be
left either to assume a position of independence or
to be annexed to the United States. (No, no.) We
understand in Canada that a cause of war can
scarcely arise from ourselves. War in Canada must
arise from an imperial cause. We understand that
we are vulnerable ; but we are willing that our
country should be the battlefield in order that the
honour of England may be vindicated. (Loud cheers.)
We have no desire to be independent of this coun-
try, and still less have we any desire to be annexed
to the United States ; nor have we any desire to
become aportion of the American republic. (Cheers.)
Such an idea we view with horror (renewed cheers)
but from her Majesty's Speech on the opening of
the present session of Parliament we know that our
scheme of confederation is approved by her Majes-
ty's Government and by the sense of the English
people. (Hear, hear.) Subsequent proceedings
have shown that it has the approval of both Houses
of Parliament, and we feel that, under such a sys-
tem, we can aid England in any struggle she may
have with the United States. (Cheers.) If the
fallacious argument prevailed that, because the de-
fence of a particular colony was likely to become
expensive to the mother country at a particular
juncture, that colony should be left to itself, then
all the colonial possessions of England must go.
(Hear, hear.) If that argument were carried out to
Empireits e s
ail extent, the result must be that the British
to be reduced to England, Ireland, and
Scotland ; and I presume that no one present is
in favour of that proposition. (Cheers.)
Mr. GALT—The toast of the British colonies,
which has been so warmly received by this company,
is one in which not merely those colonies but all England must feel deeply interested. By the course
of the struggle which has been going on for the last