The Sun.
London, England, 1853-01-15 00:00:00

th• Reform Bill. They are enough to make one's
blood boil. We would commend, meantime, to
the notice of our readers an admirably condensed,
yet elaborate and telling paper on this very point,
in the " Reformers' Almanack" for the present
year.* It will more than justify any suspicions
which we have expressed as to the safety of
leaving the question of Reform quietly in
the hands of the present Ministry, and as
to their reasons for wanting time. That any
of the leaders in constructing the Bill of 1832
should have a hand in constructing that of 1853,
will appear to be ample reason for calling upon
the country to tell the Government what it
wants, and what it means to have ; and why it
thinks that honesty could satisfy its demands
forthwith, without asking for time. Of course
the abundance of work to be done—lrish Law
Reforms, Customs Reforms, Ecclesiastical Courts,
Church-rates, the Colonies, Finance will all
be paraded as justifying procrastination. We
cannot accept the plea. The present Ministry
claims to be, par excellence, a working Ministry.
Let us see them work then ; let them win laurels
from TllomAs CARLYLE for once. Let them espe-
cially attend to the evidence collected by able and
impartial Committees, and no longer affect to act
as if Governments were endowed with a special
wisdom, in virtue of which they could grant a
Committee to quiet a troublesome orator, and
then bring in Bills as if no such Committee had
taken evidence or reported on the matter.

* The article is a presentation of some of the most
striking results of a Parliamentary paper, No, 441 of
the Session of 1852, obtained by the veteran Hume. It
gives a return of the ,population and number of houses
according to the census of 1851, in every county and
division of a county, and in all cities and boroughs re-
turning members to Parliament respectively, with the
members returned. Also in towns containing upwards
of 2,000 inhabitants not returning members to Parlia-
ment ; the counties, boroughs, and towns in question
being arranged in separate tables according to the
population and number of houses in each.

TARDY JUSTICE TO A GALLANT AND
INVALUABLE PRACTICAL OFFICER.

After stating what the Times and Herald said on this sub-
ject, the Portsmouth Times now adds :—We are now enabled
to confer the credit of Lieutenant Engledue's restoration upon
the right person. On Saturday last our metropolitan con-
temporary did not know to whom directly to award the praise
of so politic and generous an act as that of Mr. Engledue's
restoration to the Crown service, and with much handsome
consideration Ile consequently apportioned the merit to every
member of the Northumberland and Graham Boards of Ad-
miralty, in terms at' once gratifying, • gentlemanly, and ra-
tional. But to none of the gallant 'officers enumerated, does
the true merit of the tardy justice rendered Mr. Engledrie,
in reality, belong. It is to no less a personage than our be-
'loved Queen that Mr. Engledue is indebted 'for his honour-!
able re-instatement; and her Majesty's gracious favour was,
bestowed upon its worthy recipient, on his own memorial to.
the Throne, by order in Council of the 4th of January inst.
Of course to •be restored to a place of honour; lost from no
personal failings, after-so long a, period of time, as 19 years,
under any circumstances would haVe been felt as a tribute of
the most valuable character to admitted talent. But when
'that restoration iithe'resnit of confirmed merit alone, and is
the act of the Sovereign, •how doubly enhanced becomes the
value of that aet,-arid.the distinction it confers in the eyes of
the honoured recipient, and the estimation of the service and
the world. Of course the Queen's prerogative wasnot hastily ex-
ercised, nor without duly referring to the advisers constituting
her Council of State, and as the Duke of Northumberland was
an important member of that council when the memorial was
presented, it necessarily follows that iis Grace's opinion of
the gallant memorialist's claim was solicited by her Majesty,
and it cannot be doubted but that the noble and distingnished
Duke's sentiments were highly favourable towards Mr. Engle-
due—hence the Royal edict giving him his rank and status
again in the British navy. That Lieutenant Engledue should
ever have been struck off the list of officers of the. Royal
Navy reflects disgrace upon the authors Of the act, but his
case is unfortunately not 'a solitary one of valuable services
to the country being utterly disregarded;
Lieut. Engledue entered the Royal Navy on board H.M.S.
Queen Charlotte, served in Britannia, Genoa, Forte, with
Captain Coghlan, as Mate ; and Acting Lieutenant with Sir
Charles Napier, on board Galatea.; as Mate .on board Excel-
lent, with Sir Thomas Hastings ; was the first officer who
passed his.examination in naval gunnery ; received an ap-
pointment as Gunnery Officer of H.M.S. Forte, 44, Captain
(now Admiral) Sir W. 0. Pell ; received his promotion from
Sir 'tlamei Graham in 1834 for his proficiency in naval gunnery;
returned to'England, and was immediately appointed. Gun-
nery Lieutenant of the Excellent, and was the first naval
officer who undertook the duties of an artilleryman in
that establishment ; was appointed Gunnery Lieutenant
to H.M.S. Cornwallis, Captain Sir Richard Grant, bearing
the flag of the late Sir Charles Paget, in which ship
he remained until paid off at Plymouth in 1839, received
from Admiral Sir Graham Moore, the Commander-in-Chief at
that port, the highest possible compliment, in the presence of
the officers and ship's company, that the Cornwallis was the
most efficient man-of-war he had ever seen, her gunnery
arrangements being perfect. Lieutenant Engledue applied to
Lord Minto for his promotion, upon the strength of the strong
minute made to the Admiralty, but without suce ess. This
officer had then trained more officers and men in a given
space of time in the new exercises than any other officer in the
service. Failing to obtain promotion, Lieut. Engledue suggest-
ed the formation of a gunnery establishment at Plymouth, and
volunteered to conduct the same. In this he failed. He then
offered to instruct the officers attached to the Excellent in the
practical management of the steam engine ; not succeeding in
this, nor in obtaining employment or promotion, he turned his
attention to commercial steaming, and took service with that
princely company whose flotilla he has so ably managed for so
many years, to the admiration of mercantile mariners and
naval officers.
We think it would have been better for the navy, had
Lieutenant Engledue been encouraged, instead of slighted.
There has been an eVident falling off in the practical duties
taught on board the Excellent since he was drill-master-general
there. Many very .useful and needful exercises-have fallen
into desuetude,; amongst them, one of the most important
and 'useful to the gunnery officer, was the exercising of field
battalions, which used to take place on Southi3ea-common.
Sailors are frequently called upon to act on' shore with field
guns, arid unless proper instruction is given to 'officers to act
in brigade, great confusion must ensue when acting with regu-
lar troops. The value of Lieut. Engledue's services can only be
appreciated' by those acquainted with that particular branch of
our service which forms the gunnery department; and when we
see the number of Post Captains and Commanders, distin-
guished gunnery officers,, now on the Navy List, who were
the pupils of Lieutenant Engledue, when director of the drills
on' board the Excellent, we cannot but hope that yet further
reparation will be made him by an award of all the pay due
to him since he was so capriciously struck off the Navy List,
and by promotion to the rank of Commander.

PRESENTATION OF THE NUGGET OF GOLD TO HER
MAJESTY.—The large nugget of gold, weighing 281 b.,
found in the Australian goldfields, and sent to this
country in the Australian steamer, for the purpose of
being presented to her Majesty, was landed at Ply-
mouth on Wednesday, and brought to London by the
night mail-train, in charge of Commander Edward K.
Barnard, serving in a contract steam-vessel. The nug-
get was delivered at the Admiralty yesterday, it was to be
sent.to the Colonial-office to-day, and will be presented
to her Majesty by his Grace the Duke of 'Newcastle,
Secretary of State for the Colonies.
COIN FOR AUSTRALlA.—Shipments of coin to Australia
continue. The latest exports are 75,0001. by the Royal
Alice, and 30,0001. by the Callao, both for Sydney ;
20,04/. by the Sapphire, for Geelong and Port Philip ;
and 20,000/, by the Brunette, and 20,0001. by the
Potentate, both for Launceston. We have here a total
of 165,0001.

DUTY ON SUGAR AND MOLASSES.—Yesterday a Par-
liamentary paper was issued, from which it appears that
in the year ended' the sth July last, the duty received
on sugar and molasses amounted to 4,353,603/. There
weie 7,655,518 cwt. of sugar and molasses in the year
entered for home consumption ; and 2,879,885 gallons
of rum entered.

DIM' ON RUM.—Yesterday a return to Parliament
was printed, showing that in the year ended the sth of
July last, the amount of duty received in the United
Kingdom on rum was 1,101,2751., of which 1,101,2221.
was levied on the produce of British possessions, and
53/, on foreign. The rates of duty per gallon on rum
in England, of British West Indies, or of places in the
East Indies, into which the importation of, foreign sugar
is prohibited, is Bs. 2d. ; in Scotland, 4s. ; and in Ire-
land, 3s. per gallon.

SYDNEY.—It appears by the lad accounts that a mo-
tion,' which was likely to be adopted, had been made in
the Legislative council at Sydney for a grant of 6,0001.
per annum for three years to the first steam company
that shall establish a monthly line from Panama, and
bring the course of post between Sydney and England
within 130 days.

DETENTION'- OF THE AFRlCA.—Considerable excite-
ment was produced on the Liverpool 'Change yesterday-
morning by a dispatch received by the Postmaster, di-
recting him to detain the Cunard mail steam ship Africa,
advertised to sail as usual, on Saturday: The order for
detention came from the' Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs ; and no reason has been assigned for the step.
Of ' course' rumour assigns several reasons : amongst
others, that it was detained for the purpose of sending
dispatches announcing the settlement of the fisheries
dispute, or that it was the decision of the new Cabinet
on the Canadian Clergy Reserve Bill, while several be-
lieved it was instructions to the British Consul at Cuba
regarding the confinement of British subjects in slavery
in that island. In consequence of the official order, the
Africa will not sail until Sunday forenoon at eleven
o'clock.

THE COMMERCIAL DOCK COMPANY.—The half-yearly
general court -of proprietors was held yesterday at the
company's offices, No. 106, Fenchurch-street ; Mr. R.
Carter in the chair. The report stated that the business
of the docks during the past year had been on an ex-
tended scale, and fully justified the expectations which
the directors had formed of the progressive increase of
the revenue of the company. It was added that the con-
tract for the nets works authorised to be executed was
taken by Mr. John Kelt, on the 23d of July last, and
had up to that time been proceeded with to the satisfac-
tion of the company's engineers. The directors reconi-
mended a dividend at the rate of 2i per cent. for the half-
year, both on the capital and preference stock, payable on
and after Monday, the 24th 'inst., between the hours of
eleven and three o'clock, Fridays and Saturdays ex-
cepted., The report was adopted, and a dividend de-
clared at the rate recommended. Of the four retiring
directors, three were re-'elected with their own consent,
and the fourth vacancy was filled up by the substitution
`of Mr.-D. Morgan for Mr. D. T. Morgan, who, retired.
Mr. W. G. Prescott „was ..re-elected auditor, and Mr.
W. G. Watman chosen as his colleague. On the motion
of Mr. Richardson, a vote of thanks was given to the
chairman, after which the meeting separated.

MONEY AND COMMERCIAL NEWS.

CITY, Two o'CLocK.

There was a fair general demand for Cotton at
Liverpool yesterday. Sales 7,000 to 8,000 bales,
the market being decidedly firmer. Railway
Shares were•active at previous quotations.
One of the most interesting returns made foi•
some time past, is that of the Bank of England for
the week ending the Bth instant. The policy
adopted showed its fruits already thus early, the
loans and discounts having been curtailed, while
the decrease of bullion may be fairly ascribed to
the payments made at the close of the quarter, and
a portion of the dividends. The lapse of another
week or two will enable a better judgment to be
formed as to the extent to which the advance in
the discounts has operated, for the repayment of
loans made upon Stocic. and Exchequer Bills while
the transfer books were closed may have been par-
tially made, and has been concluded only this week.
Ere long we shall see too that money will be find-
ing its way back from the Continent, and the loan
projects of Austria and one or two other States
will lie effectually frustrated. It is the curse of
cheap money that the bankrupt European States
are ever ready to pounce upon the London market,
and drain it of its surplus, checking every whole-
some development of commerce and industry.
Fortunately, our colonies offer more temptation
just now, and retrenchment may be forced upon
Austria and its kindred neighbours. The reduction
of public deposits was large, but the dividend dis-
bursements will account therefor. For the same
reason, the other deposits increased. Compared
with the previous week, the changes are as follows :
Bullion
Decrease 762,041

Active circulation

Increase

307,175

Rest increase

62,695

Public Deposits
Decrease

5,771,914
3,494,428

Other deposits

14,310,648

Increase

1, 316; 696

90,895

.. 15,025,553
850,203