The Sun.
London, England, 1865-01-25 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY E'V'ENING, JANUARY 25, 1865.1

offend, or against whose crotchets they militate.
Many may take warning by the emphatic expres-
sions here used as to the necessity of doing some-
thing in time, and not waiting until all patience be-
comes exhausted, and the unrepresented ranks of the
people create an excitement that may be more dan-
gerous than the agitation which was produced by
the last Reform Bill. There is great truth in this,
and it seems strange that more heed should not be
paid to this view of the question, and more pains
taken to avert the consequences of a fatal delay, but
some persons are so infatuated that warning and
admonition are alike thrown away upon them, and
there is nothing left for it but to leave them to their
fate, or to dread the day of their awakening
to the consciousness of the evil of wasted
time, lost chances, and thrown away opportunities.
Mr. DUNLOP, like many others, went too far in his
wishes for the reduction of our naval and military
expenditure, and, in so doing, overlooked the fact
that the Ministers must be prepared for all emer-
gencies, and this is surely not the time to choose to
be lax or remiss in defence or preparation. Of
course, in many instances, there is great waste, but
to talk of making it compulsory upon the Govern-
ment to cease from anything approaching to war
estimates is most unwise at this juncture, when the
posture of affairs in certain quarters is so much the
reverse of stable or satisfactory. Mr. DUNLOP'S
speech contained allusions to some topics of home
interest, and, on the whole, was characterised by
good sense and discernment. Certainly, those mem-
bers who thus analyse events with their constituents
are more likely to go into the conflict of opinion
with their wits sharpened and their spirit undaunted.
We are on the eve of momentous changes, and it
becomes all those who hold a prominent position in
public affairs to bestir themselves to the utmost,
and not to allow themselves to be outwitted, for the
best interests of the country are at stake, and things
vital to her welfare at home and honour abroad must
ere long_be decided. Experience has shown: the
fatal error of expediency, and the harm of putting
men before measures. Is it, then, too much to hope
that the brightest hours of this Parliament may be
its last ones, and that it may, in some degree, re-
deem its promise by putting the considerations of
honour and justice before all the dazzling allure-
ments of place and power, which only end in en-
tailing vanity and vexation of spirit upon all who
place implicit trust in them.

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAM.)

FRANCE,

BOURSE, Jan. 24.—The market has been very
heavy to-day, and quotations in general have de-
clined. Threes, for the Account, opened at 66f. 85c.,
receded for a moment to 66f. 80c., and have now
recovered the opening price. Mobilier have been
done as low as 942 f. 50c., but have since rallied to
to 947 f. 50c. Railway Shares remain tolerably firm.
The market closed as foil
44 per Cents 95 15
Do. end month —
3 per Cents. 66 75
Do. end month 66 80
Credit Mobilier
Do. end month
Bank Shares 3505
Credit Fonder 1265
Roman 73 75

Lows :
Italian Loan 65 50
Do. and month 64 75
Ditto Threes —
New Mexican
Russian 9O
Austrian
Spanish Threes
Home Debt
Deferred

RAELWAYS.

Cash. Acct.
Orleans
Northern 997 50 ... 997 50
Lyons and Mediterranean 928 75 ... 930
Southern 573 75 ... 575
Western 533 75 ... 535
Eastern
Sardinian 3OO ... 301 25
Austrian
Lombard 535 ... 538 75
North of Spain 331 25 ... 331 25
Saragossa 4OO ... 398 75
Ditto to Barcelona lBO ...

ng with sharp scrapers would remove the incrusta-
tions, the result of- barely six months' accumula-
tion. Whether this rapid growth is due to the
Muntz Metal with which the ship's bottom is

sheathed, or the result of some general galvanic ac-
tion, is hard to conjecture ; but what another grand
field for the experimentalists ! The wooden sheath-
ing over the armour plating under water has been
removed in several places for the purposes of exa-
mination, and the iron has been found to be in a

perfect state of preservation."
The waters of the Mediterranean, from their com-
position, tend to foul the bottom of all ships more
rapidly, it is said, than the waters of the Atlantic,
which may possibly account, to some extent, for the
extraordinary deposit on the bottom of the Royal
Oak. Its formation has, without doubt, been quick-
ened by the length of time the Royal Oak has lain
in Malta harbour ; but our chymists would sup-
ply us with information of the highest importance if
they could tell us the effect produced on the growth
of these incrustations on the Muntz metal by the pre-
sence of the ship's armour plating, and then discover

an effectual remedy for it.
Her Majesty's 13-gun screw corvette Niger,
1,072 tons and 400 horse power, having been
thoroughly repaired and fitted for service at Wool-
wich, was on Monday inspected by Commodore
Superintendent Hugh Dunlop, and was pronounced
complete in every department, with the exception of
her provisions and armament. She is now ordered
to be handed over to the first-class steam reserve,
in readiness for service when required.
The Landrail, recently commissioned at Woolwich
by Commander Maitland for the African coast, on
Monday hauled alongside the Aigle, coal hulk, and

now awaits her orders for sea.
The paddle-yacht Enchantress, Staff Commander
John E. Petley, has commenced painting and caulk-
ing at Woolwich, in preparation for the service of
Prince Arthur on a visit to the shores of the Medi-
terranean in March next. . The Black Eagle, Staff
Commander Whinier, was at first selected by the

Admiralty for the service. The orders have since
been definitely given for the Enchantress, as better
adapted for a long sea voyage and already fitted
with a deck cabin and other conveniences requisite
for the Prince's accommodation.
Preparations were yesterday commenced at Wool-
wich on board the old flagship Fisgard for the re-

arrangement of her accommodation. The enlarge•
ment of her iport hole was marked out, and the
necessary gear was rigged for hoisting out her dila-
pidated mizenmast, and replacing it with a new one.
On account of the intense frost it was found neces-
sary to delay raising the new iron sheer legs, intended
to be erected at the head of the inner basin, as it
was feared that the work would be attended with
danger. Instances have been known where the
chair gear and also the largest sized hempen cables
have been so affected by a similar frost as to snap
and break asunder without showing the slightest
appearance of weakness.
The screw steam corvette Cadmus, 21, Capt. A.
C. Gordon, left Plymouth Sound at 10 o'clock on
Sunday morning, under steam and canvas, for the
North America and West India station ; wind
E.N.E., light. At five o'clock in the evening,
when about 80 miles to the westward, she came
in contact with the bark Maynards, from New
York, with tea, butter, &c., for London. The
Cadmus was struck on the starboard side, abaft
the mainmast, and lost her cutter, davits, &c.,
and received other damage. The bark lost her
jibboom, bowsprit, best bower anchor, chain, &c.,
and her bows stove in. Being disabled she was
taken in tow by the Cadmus, which brought her
back on Monday to Plymouth Sound.
The appointment of Commander John D'Arcy to'
the Royal paddle yacht Osborne places that vessel
upon an independent commission, in lieu of her re-
maining, as she has hitherto done, since her super-
cession for her Majesty's personal use by the Vic-
toria and Albert, a tender to the Steam Reserve
guardship in Portsmouth harbour. The substitu-
tion of a Commander also to the command of the
yacht, in the place of a Staff Commander, as for-
merly, would appear to indicate that the yacht's
future duties will be confined to the Prince and
Princess of Wales, for which she is admirably
adapted.
The American target-ship, at Portsmouth, is
again having her sides strengthened with new tim-
bers and coated wiith green-heart planking for
further armour-plate trials. She is ordered to be
completed by the 30th inst., for the trial of armour-
plates from Messrs. Beale and other makers.
The necessary preparations for the launch of the
Helicon paddlewheel despatch vessel at Portsmouth
Dockyard on the 31st inst. are being rapidly com-
pleted. The Helicon has Mr. Reed's improved bow,
and her trial under steam is looked forward to with
great interest. Her engines, of 250-horse power,
nominal, are from the manufactory of Messrs. Penn.
A large number of hands are employed on the
Royal Alfred frigate in Portsmouth yard, convert-
ing her from a partly plated 35-gun to a 10-gun
frigate. The outer planking in a line with her
maindeck ports, from the level of her maindeck
planking upwards, is being removed and replaced
with new, to allow of the necessary alterations
being made in the size and position of the gunports.
These will now have to be fitted for the training
and working of 300-pounder guns, in lieu of the or-
dinary 110-pounders and 68-pounders previously in-
tended for the ship's armament. The alteration
will be an expensive one.
The Geyser, paddle, Commander Thrupp, left
Portsmouth yesterday morning for Gibraltar with a
number of naval officers and supernumerary sea-
men for the ships of the Mediterranean Fleet.
The Urgent troopship, Capt. Henderson, was
undocked yesterday morning, and proceeded out of
Portsmouth harbour for a further trial of her ma-
chinery, under the superintendence of the officials
of the Steam Reserve. The result was, however,
not deemed satisfactory, and she will now await the
determination of the Admiralty as to her disposal.
The Challenger, 22, screw steam corvette, 1,462
tons, 400 horse power, Captain John J. Kennedy,
C. 8., from the West Indies, which arrived at Sheer-
ness on Friday last, was inspected on Saturday by
Vice-Admiral Sir C. Talbot, K.C.8., Commander-
in-Chief at Sheerness, after which she commenced to
dismantle and return stores to the dockyard. She
will be paid out of commission on or about Feb. 4,
when she will be placed in the first division of the
Sheerness Steam Reserve, in readiness for early re-
commission.
It being the intention of the Admiralty to convert
the Ganges, 84, sailing vessel, now lying at Sheer-
ness, into a receiving hulk for service at Devonport,
the officials at Devonport are to report whether the
vessel is in a fit state to be taken to Devonport at
once, and if not fit the extent and cost of the re-
pairs necessary to render her so.
The following regulations as to reductions in the
Regiment of Royal Artillery were on Monday an-
nounced at Woolwich from the Horse Guards, to be
put in force on the Ist proximo :—Of the 4th divi-
sion Depot Brigade the 17th battery is to proceed to
Warley, and the 18th to Sheerness. The 19th and
20th batteries will be entirely reduced and their
numbers expunged from the brigade. D battery
and No. 9 battery of the 2d division Depot Brigade
are also to be broken up. Lieut.-Col. Gibbon, C. 8.,
4th division Depot Brigade, commanding, will pro-
ceed to Sheerness. All employed men of those bat-
teries reduced will be transferred to the Coast Bri-
gade. Paymaster Piers will join the 12th Brigade
at Gosport. Quartermaster Hodge will remain at
the head-quarters of the depot at Woolwich, Quar-
termaster Hendley will enter on the supernumerary
list as in excess of the establishment. Lieut.-Col.
Rotton will join the sth Brigade on its arrival at
Woolwich from Plymouth. Major Godby will join
the 13th Brigade at Dover, and Capt. Izod will be
attached to the Bth Brigade at Ballincollig.

MR. PAUL BEDFORD.—A number of gentlemen
of .high rank are now associated in a committee to make the
requisite preliminary arrangements for a complimentary
benefit to Mr. Paul Bedford, which is to take place at
Drury-lane on the morning of Thursday, Feb. 2. Messrs.
Falconer and Chatterton have kindly placed the theatre at
the disposal of the committee, and the most distinguished
among the dramatic celebrities of the day will zealously co-
operate to give all possible interest and importance to the
occasion. It may confidently be anticipated that the
public will give practical proof of their approval of this
well-intentioned project in favour of an actor who has so
long and AO effectively contributed to their enjoyment,