The Sun.
London, England, 1865-05-02 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

The Tamar, screw corvette, Capt. John M. Hayes,
arrived at Spithead yesterday evening from China,
after having been nearly five years in commission.
On passing the Royal residence at Osborne she
saluted her Majesty, and on anchoring at Spithead
she exchanged salutes with the Victory, flagship of
the Commander-in-Chief, Admiral Sir M. Sey-
mour, K.C.B. The Sprightly, steam tender, pro-
ceeded to Spithead to disembark the naval invalids
and the crew of the Racehorse, recently lost in the
China Seas ; and it is expected the Tartar will pro-
ceed to Sheerness to be paid off.
The Salamis, paddle, Commander F. G. suttie,
having conveyed Col. Clarke, Director of Works,
to Alderney, returned to Portsmouth }.,arbour yes-
terday.

The Geyser, paddle, Commander Thrupp, re-
turned to Portsmouth harbour from the eastward
yesterday morning.
A notification has been received at Chatham gar-
rison from the Horse Guardsthat the next examina-
tion of candidates for direct commissions, under the
regulations dated the Ist of January, 1864, will
commence on Monday next, at the Royal Military
Hospital, Chelsea, before Major-Gen. F. W. Hamil-
ton, C. 8., Vice-President, and the Council of Mili-
tary Education. The examination of candidates
for admission to the Royal Military College, Sand-
hurst, will commence on the 19th of June.
The deaths of the following officers have been offi-
cially recorded at the War Office since April Ist :
Generals Sir J. W. Guise, G.C.8., Colonel of the
85th Light Infantry Regiment ; and Sir E. Nicolls,
K.C.8., Royal Marine Light Infantry. Colonels
J. A. Vigors, 52d Light Infantry Regiment ; and
the Hon. F. Cathcart, 92d Highlanders. Majors
G. E. Rose, Rifle Brigade ; and C. Wilkinson,
Royal Artillery. Capts. H. P. T. M'Carthy, Royal
Artillery ; C. J. T. Duesbury, 66th Regiment. ; W.
Smith, J. Lilley, Quartermaster, Grenadier Guards;
and J. Baxter, Quartermaster, Royal Canadian
Rifles. Lieuts. G. H. Bowyer, Ist Dragoon Guards;
J. H. Urquhart, and A. J. W. Cumming, Royal
Engineers ; W. Clegg, 2d Battalion, 11th Regt. ;
T. 0. Johnston, 40th Regt. ; R. Evans, 62d Regt. ;
and H. Nason, Bth West India Regt. Cornet T.
J. Newnham, 6th Dragoons. Paymasters Major G.
Moore, 32d Regt., and C. Barlow, 22d Regt. Ad-
jutant F. Osborne, 62d Regt. ; Quartermaster J.
E. Tripp, 2d battalion, 12th Regt. ; Deputy-assist.-
Commissary-Gen. G. F. Anderson ; Assist.-Surg.
H. 0. Harvey, 21st Fusiliers ; Chaplain the Ven.
Archdeacon J. Timbrell, D.D. ; Deputy-Assistant-
Superintendent of Stores J. Gartlan.
Chief Inspector Brine, iu charge of the Royal
Arsenal police force at Woolwich, who died on
Wednesday last, was yesterday interred in St.
Thomas's Cemetery, New Charlton, with official
honours. The procession was composed of about
200 members of the police, from New-cross, Lewis-
ham, Blackheath, Deptford, Lee, and other adjacent
stations.

The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty :—Commander G. R. Miall to the
Cygnet, vice Mackenzie, invalided ; Commander
W. Chimmo to be Inspecting Commander in the
Coastguard ; Commander H. W. Mist's appoint-
ment, as Inspecting Commander in the Coastguard,
has been cancelled ; the Rev. J. Lugg to be chap-
lain and naval instructor to the Caledonia, commis-
sioned ; the Rev. T. E. Meredith, chaplain, to the
Donegal ; and the Rev. Stephen H. Jacob, chap-
lain, to the Seringapatam, as additional for service
at the naval establishment at the Cape of Good
Hope.

The Late Volunteer Review at Brighton.

HORSE GUARDS, April 28, 1865.

Sir,—l have the honour, by direction of the Field-
Marshal Commanding-in-Chief, to transmit, for the
information of the Secretary of State for "War, the
accompanying copy of a report which has been re-
ceived from Major-General Sir R. Walpole on the
review of volunteers held under his command at
Brighton on the 17th inst., and to request that you
will state to Lord De Grey that the same is very
satisfactory to his Royal Highness.--1 have, &c.,
(Signed) J. YORKE SCAIZLETT, A.G.
The Under-Secretary of State for War.

Government House, Chatham, April 24, 18G5.

_ .
Sir,—Having commanded the volunteer review held at
Brighton on Easter Monday in accordance with the in-
structions of the Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief, I
have the honour to transmit the following report for the
information of his Royal Highness and the Secretary of
State for War.

The review commenced by the whole force marching past
on the Race-course. This was well performed; I was much
struck with the ease and freedom with which the volunteers
marched, and the dressing was well preserved ; the distances
were not, in some instances, so accurately kept as is desir-
able ; I mention this, as 1 consider it of very considerable
importance that, in all marching in open column, whether
by companies, subdivisions, or sections, the proper distance
should be preserved.

I then divided tho force, so as to represent an attacking
and defending army, being of opinion that it would be more
instructive than manoeuvring the whole intone body with a
supposed enemy, and that the general effect would bo bettor.
The latter I placed under Major-General Russell, C. 8., the
former under Major-General Rumley.

The ground selected was in many respects well adapted
to the purpose. It consisted of a range of hill facing south
east, the access to which was steep and difficult on its right
and front. On this hill I placed the defending force ; the
valley which divided it from the hill opposite, on which
the attacking force was formed, swept round the left of the
defending army, where it gradually rose until it became
level with their loft rear.

There was a farm in the valley, under the right of the
defenders, called Lower Bevendean, which they occupied ;
another—Upper Bevendean—on the hill on which the at-
tacking party was posted, on which its right rested.
Tho heavy guns were ranged on the commanding points
on the heights on either side.
The plan of attack, which was well carried out, was to
make a vigorous show of attacking the right and front of the
defenders, by an advance of skirmishers along the whole
front, and by driving them out of the farm in the valley.
While this demonstration was proceeding, to move the second
line (which consisted of two brigades formed in columns)
to its right under cover of Upper Bevendean, advance it in
an echellon of battalions, then form line to its left, and thus
place it on the left flank of the enemy.
This movement to be covered by skirmishers and by the
light field guns, while the cavalry and horse artillery swept
round and formed on the extreme right of the new line, to
threaten the left and roar of the defenders.

To meet this movement the defending force was obliged to
change its front, and to bring up its second line to protect
its left.

These movements were satisfactorily performed; tho lines,
though extending over a great space of very uneven ground,
were well formed, and the skirmishers showed considerable
knowledge of their work.

The guns took up their position with celerity, and the
fire of both arms was well sustained.

I was pleased with the general appearance of the
volunteers. They were well appointed, had a soldier-like
bearing, and haves acquired very considerable efficiency.
There wore upwards of 20,000 men present, and 46 guns ;
a satisfactory proof that this movement, of so much
national importance, is supported with as much, if not
more, spirit and zeal than when it was first established;
this fact is highly satisfactory, and—considering the time
and expense that a vast number of the volunteers, who have
other occupations to attend to, must give up to it—is most
creditable, and deserving of great praise.
The arrangements for the assembly of this large body of
men, some of whom came from great distances, and for
their departure, were excellent, and reflect great credit on
Colonel Erskine, the Inspector-General of Volunteers, by
whom they were made.—l have, &c.,
(Signed) R. WALPOLE,
Major-General.
Lieut.-General Hon. Sir. J. Y. Scarlott, K.C.8.,
&c., Adjutant-General.

War Office, Ist May, 1865.

Srft,—l am directed by the Earl Do Grey and Ripon to
acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 28th ultimo,
forwarding the copy of a report from Major-General Sir R.
Walpole upon the volunteer review held at Brighton on the
17th ult. ; and, in reply, I am to request that you will
express to his Royal Highness the Field Marshal Com-
manding-in-Chief the Secretory of State's gratification at
receiving so satisfactory an account of the volunteers
assembled on the occasion.—l have, &c.,
(Signed) EDWARD LUGARD.
The Adjutant-General.

EXHIBITION OF MODEL DWELLINGS.—In connec-
tion with the North-Eastern London Exhibition of Arts
and Manufactures will bo an exhibition of models, plans,
diagrams, &c.; of the improved dwellings erected for the
labouring classes. The co-operation of the principal socie-
ties engaged in the erection of model lodging-houses has
been promised, in addition to which Mr. T. Twining will
supplement the exhibition with a further selection from
his valuable collection in the Twickenham Economic
Museum.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

GREAT NORTH OF SCOTLAND.

The adjourned half-yearly meeting of thie company was
held on Wednesday at Aberdeen to receive the report of the
committee of investigation on the affairs of the company ;
Kr. J. Duncan in the chair.

The committee of investigation stated in their report
that the capital account was correctly given in the statement
of accounts. With regard to the revenue account, they
considered that items making £5lO might with propriety
have been debited to the interest suspense account instead
of to revenue, and have been added to the surplus for divi-
dend on Jan. 31 last. They stated that it belonged to the
4} per cent B. shareholders, in addition to which they were
of opinion that those shareholders had also a lieu upon the
sum of £6,700 owing to the company by the branch lines,
and that it should be paid half-yearly as received until the
arrears on the B shares were satisfied. The committee
found that X 86,982 of the company's funds had been invested
in several shares of the Deeside and Deeside Extension
Railway. The company had expended £7,450 in the shares
of the Montrose and Bervie Railway, and had yet a further
liability for calls of £5,000. In addition to this outlay the
company had paid £9,423 as the Parliamentary charges in-
curred in promoting the Bervie Railway. The committee
stated that very largo sums had been invested in branch
lines, amounting together to £590,092, with Parliamentary
authority, and £94,432 without authority, making the total
£684,524. They considered that the practice which the
directors had initiated and the shareholders had sanctioned,
of crediting to revenue for three years after the opening of
some of those branch lines any portion of interest which
they were unable to pay out of their own earnings,was most
fallacious. The committee could not see any justification
for a large portion of that expenditure, and regretted that
the shareholders should have given the directors authority
for its expenditure, as in the opinion of the committee the
country through which several of those lines passed did not
warrant the outlay upon them. They, however, found some
justification for the purchase of shares in the Deeside Rail-
way as a measure of protective policy, but for the amount
expended on and yet to be paid for the Montrose and Ber-
vie Railway they could not find the slightest excuse. The
committee were fully satisfied that the financial difficulties
and loss of dividends were to be entirely attributed to the
very large outlay upon branch lines, particularly those
constructed north of Keith, from which the actual returns
were so very unprofitable. The sum of £78,500 as a lia-
bility for the construction of an extension of the Strathisla
Railway from Porstsoy to Buckle, under an agreement
with that company, the committee thought should be re-
considered and postponed for the advantage of both com-
panies, as its construction would only add to the list of un-
productive branches. Upon the main line and branches
there had been a considerable increase in the traffic since
the close of the last half-year, which the committee be-
lieved would continue steadily to improve. From the
small amount of the ordinary share capital, a moderate in-
crease per mile per week would, in their opinion, before long
enable the directors to place the dividends of the company
in a much more satisfactory position than they were at
present. The committee concluded by adverting to the
accurate manner in which the books of the company were
kept, the eeonomical management of the workshops and
the working of the main line and branches, and to the
ready facilities afforded them by the directors and officials
of the company in obtaining the requisite information.
The CHAIRMAN replied at considerable length to the ob-
servations of the committee, and defended the course
adopted by the directors under the circumstances in which
the company was placed. The shareholders had sanctioned
from time to time the whole of the proceedings of the direc-
tors, and it would be recollected that many things had
been done with a view to protect the interests of the com-
pany, which were submitted at the time and approved by
the shareholders. As to the small surplus 0f;.£510 referred
to by the committee, the directors would have added it to
the surplus and paid it to the B shareholders if they had
had it, and also the £6,000 due from the branch lines in
the past half-year. The board intended to pay those sums
when they got them, but not until they actually received
the money. He thought the branch lines would in the
course of time become of great value to the undertaking.
He concluded by moving resolutions adopting the directors'
report and statement of accounts ; thanking the committee
of inquiry for their able report, expressing an opinion
that it was nob desirable to disturb the transactions
referred to therein, but to leave the directors to ad-
minister the affairs of the company as might be best
calculated to render productive the branch lines, and to
develope the resources of the company as early as pos-
sible ; approving the Abernethy Junction Bill and the
measures proposed by the directors for securing running
powers and through rates in the amalgamation bill of the
Inverness and Perth and Inverness and Aberdeen Junction

Companies.
A long discussion ensued, in the course of which an
amendment by Professor Fuller was rejected, and the reso-
lutions were adopted.
The proceedings concluded with a vote of thanks to the
chairman.