The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-28 00:00:00

THE MEDITERRANEAN FLEET.

all
100
all
100

'Bedford mull

Bletehley....
Birm. & Oxfd.
guarantee....
Do. withoutgr
Birm. Wolv. &

Dudley guar.
Do. wtht guar.
Buckghamsh.
Clydesdale Jc.
E. Lincoln gr.
6 per cent.
Glstr.& Dn. Fr
Hrtlpl. Dk.
Railway
Hull & Selby
Do. Shares.
Do. Shares.
Lon.&Greenw
Do. Preference
Lowestoft gr.
4 per cent.
Do. 6 per ct.
Manch. Bxtn.
and Matlock
Middlesbre'

London &
N. West.

Gt.Westn
Do

Do
Do
L.&N.W
Caledon

Gt.Nrthn.
Gt. Westn
Yk. Now.
& Berw.
Y.&Nlid
Do
D 0...

;S. Eastern
D 0...

Norfolk
Do

L.& N. W.
& Midld.
Stckton &
Darlingt:
Midland..

30 - 31
29 -30 k

30 - 31
29 - 30
104 -106
52i -53 k

151 - 153
32A -33 A

111 -- 113
-56 i
27A -- 281
13 -- 14
25 -- 262
19 -19 i
25 -- 27

n - 31xd

3 xd

Redcar
Midld.Bradf&
Northern and

Easternsp.c.
Do. 6 per ct.
Do. Fixeds pc
Prost. & Wyre

11a
100
100
18i

E. Couni
Do
Do

L. &N.W
&Ln&Yk
Do

1105 —lo6xd

64 - 66

..• -

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Do. i6hares.
Roystn.& Hit.
Do.Shepth.St
She".Roth.and
Gooleg.s p.c.
S. E•affo-"dsh.
Wear Valleygr
6 per cent
Do

x d
x d
I d
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1 Wilts&Somrs

Gt Northn
Do

Lancash&
Yorksh.
M.MClean
Stockt. &

Darlingt,
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iGtWestn,

146 —lslxcl
148 —lsoxd

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32- 33
1021 103,i

MINES.
1 all Agna Fria
lOs all Anglo Californian 1 1 P
10 2 Australasian ld—ll p
20 5 Australian - 6 51 i i
1 all Australian Cordillera 4 a 1
p 11
1. all Australian Freehold. par— p 1
1 all Ave Maria - I p
1 all Baden(Gd. Duchy of) - par p
1 all British Austria. Gold -1 pl/
20 13.5 British Iron T 9
35 241 Brazilian Imp.(issued
at .£5 pm.) 4i - 5
30 all Do. Cocaes & Cuiaba 4 -- 4
20 15 Do. St. John Del Rey 30 —3l 301 30
1 i Carson's Creek. par 4 p I
40 all Cobra Copper 47 —49 48
5 .1 Colonial Gold 2l —2l p 31
... 14 Copiapo 54 —64
Bt. all CopperMinersof Eng BO 90
25 all Do. Preference 8 9 p
5 all English and Austin
Copper Smeltg. Co ll 1 d 3I 4
20 all General l7 —l9
2 all Great Nugget Vein 2l —2l p 41 4 1
3 all Great Polgooth l4 —li p
1 all Lake Bathurst 1 dis— par
1 all Liberty 1 h P
1 all Lond.&Californ.Gold
Quartz Crush. Co 1 4 d
1 all Mariguita 4d par
10 9 Mexican &S. Americ 8 81 8i
1 all New. Granada — 4 p 211
1 all Nouveau Monde 1 1 p 1 #
5 1 Port Philip 4 p 1i
1 all Quartz Rock par p 1
50 all Rbymney Iron 23 —25
15 Do. New 7 8
30 101 Santiago de Cuba
1 all Sou;th Australian p
10 7 Tin Croft ll —l3
281 all United Mexican 6l 61
1 all Waller Par 413 14
1 all West Granada P
1 all West Mariposa Plis —1 p
1 all Yuba par p
.
JOINT-STOCK BANKS.
40 all Australasia 92 -- 93 924
50 all British N. American ... ..,
20 2 Chrtd. Bnk. of India,
Australia, & China lif —24 p
100 25 Colonial. .• •••
100 20 Commercial af Lon-
ion • -- •••
••• 4 English Scottish and
Australian 2l 2/p 121 1
20 74 Lond. Chart. Bk. o
Australia 4l 8 p 174 i
50 20 London and County ... ...
50 10 London Joint Stock ... ... 211
100 20 Lond. &Westminstsr ... ...
20 2 London Bank of Aus-
tralia and India
50 224 National of Ireland ... „ ,
25 all Oriental Bank c
Corporation 584 29 594 981 9/
25 5 Do. New — ...
100 25 Provincial of Ireland ... ...
10 all Do. New — ...
6 1 Royal Australn.Bkg.
& Gold Imp. Co.. 4 die— 4p
25 25 South Australia 5O 2
25 all Union of Australia 77 78 77 4
21 Do. New Bl 9
50 10 Union of London ... ...
40 all Union of Madrid ...
MISCELLANEOUS.
1 100 ' 35 Australian Agricult 1 100 103 103
20 6 Austrlasn.Pcific.Ma4l ... ...
10 5 Australn. Royal Mail • .. ...
884 i Brit. Americn. Land' •.• ... Cll 5
100 3241 Canada — ...
5 6 Crystal Palace
4 2 Crystal Pal. of France ... ...
20 1 Eastern Steam — ...
1 1 Electric. Teleg. of Ir ... ...
15 14 Gen. Steam Navigat ... ...
100 50 i General Screw Steam .., ...
20 24 Irish Beetroot Sugar, ... ...
1 all Nat. Pat. Steam Fuel „, ~.
10 2 Netherlands Land ..„ „,
20 24 NAIL of Europe Steam ... ~.
50 all Peninsular &Oriental' ... ... 84.1
50 25 Do. Do.
100 60 Royal Mail Steam , ..• ... T 8
25 25 South Austral. Lan 52 54 53
1 1 Submar. Telegraph ! ... -7- ... 1
6 2 Universal Emigration
10 and Colonisation I ~. ...
100 281 Tan Diemen's Land ! 23 24 231 4

231

LLOYD'S SHIPPINO-(THIS DA Y.)

LONDON, March 28.—Wind this day at Noon, N.E., light
breeze, and fine weather.
DEAL, March 27.—Wind, W. Arrived from the River
—Lady Bird, for Port Philip ; Commerce, Quebec. Ar-
rived from the River, and sailed—Larkins, for King
George's Sound.
LIVERPOOL, March 27.—Wind, W.N.W. Arrived—
Chrysolite, Paraiba ; Antilla, New York ; Caroline, Que-
bec and Halifax ; Jessie, Maranham ; Jenny, St. Do-
mingo ; Jas. Wright, New Orleans ; Mearns, do. ; T. J.
Rogers, do. ; Franklin Pearce, do. ; Samuel, St. John's,
N.B. ; Fleetwood, New Orleans ; Doreas Prince, do. ;
Cora, Baltimore ; Celeste, Belfast, with considerable
damage from contact with the Bloomer, for Sydney,
N.S.W. Sailed—Laura Campbell, Rio Janeiro ; Buce-
phalus, Trinidad ; Mitrades, New Orleans ; Ocean Queen,
Boston ; Verona, St. John's, N.B. ; Europa, New York ;
W. D. Sewall, do. ; Cheshire, Boston ; ITriel, do. Off
Port—Glenlyon, Konig, William 11., and Emma Fields.
Irene, for Valparaiso, which capsized in the River on the
27th ult., has been righted.

BRISTOL.—SaiIed-:Sir Henry Pottinger, New York.
FALMOUTH, March 27.—Wind, N., light. Arrived—
Ida, Newcastle to Naples ; and Janet and May, Newcastle
to Alicante—to stop a leak.
PENZANCE, March 27.- It blew a hurricane on the 24th
inst., and the Eliza, Kirwan, and Sarah Dickson got on
shore, and have received damage ; the latter must be
docked.
BELFAST, March 26.—Arrived—Albert, New York.
SLIGO, March 26.—Sailed—Dromahaer, New York.
SHlELDS.—Sailod—Ellegrel, New York ; Stentor, do. ;
Chance, do. ; Lord Mulgrave, do.
SUNDERLAND.—Arrived— Alexandrina, Maulmain.—
Sailed—Norman, Rio Janeiro ; Royal Oak, New York ;
Centurion, Grenada ; Wm. Herdman, King George's
Sound ; Mary Ann Hong Kong ; Europa, Havannah.
HARTLEPOOL. Antelope, Jamaica ; Petrus,
Hong Kong, Bombay, and Ceylon.
HULL, March 27.—Sailed.—Fergus, Quebec ; James
White, Bombay.
BALLINA, March 26.—The Schwan, from Ibrail, is on
shore, with seams open and butts started, and full of
water.
LYTHAM, March 26.—The Coromandel, of Preston, got
on shore, came off, and sunk ; crew saved, and cargo ex-
pected to be saved.
NEW YORK, March 12.- The Benjamin Adams, hence
for Liverpool, was in contact, March 8, with the New
Hampshire, arrived here from the Clyde, and had her
quarter sliglily stove ; the latter lost bowsprit, &c.

INCREASE OF POST-OFFICE BUSINESS.—The labours of
the Post-office now and in 1829 are scarcely comparable.
In 1840 it was said, with an expression of wondering
surprise, that 40,000 letters left London daily—and the
entire number passing through the office amounted to
76,000,000 annually. The next year, at the reduced
rate, they were more than doubled ; and every year the
increase has risen higher and higher. During the last
six years the average increase amounts to no less than
260,000 letters and 14,000 newspapers daily. It is esti-
mated that the number of letters which will pass through
the General Post-office in the present year will be about
95,000,000—the newspapers nearly 2,ooo,ooo—over
and above the numbers which passed through it in 1846,
though the reduced postage law had then been in opera-
tion for some years. The Report of the Post-office of the
United States for twelve months ending the 30th June,
1852, shows that the number of letters that passed
through the American Post-offices during the year was
under 96,000,000, or less than a quarter of the number
transmitted in this kingdom ; but it is worthy of notice
that 88,710,490 newspapers and other packages of printed
matter were charged with postage during the year, and
that in addition, 27,073,548 passed free.—Athenaeum.
PRIZE FOR ENGLISH HORSES AT CHANTILLY.— The
Emperor has presented the sum of 10,000 francs
(4001.) to be run for by horses of all countries, at the
Chantilly Autumn Meeting, in October next. The prize
will be added to a sweepstakes of 201. each, h ft ; the
second to receive 801. out of the stakes ; three year olds
to carry 91b, four 1031 b, five 1091 b, and six and upwards
1101 b. English horses to carry 101 b extra; and winners,
in England of 6001., to carry 171 b. extra. Continental
bred horses that have never won a prize of the value of
7,000 francs (2801.) to be allowed, three year olds 7lb
four and upwards 101 b. Distance, 3,200 metres (nea 1;
two miles). Engagements to be made on or before list
of August,

The reinforcements to Vice Admiral Dundas's fleet in
the Mediterranean have at length taken their departure,
and considering how promptly the French fleet was dis-
patched from Toulon, and the strength of the force when
compared with the inferior but efficient English fleet—
looking also to the fact that the French fleet is to have
an addition of three sail of the line to the eight already
en route to the Archipelago, we cannot help notic•
ing the unaccountable delay that has taken place at
home in sending out to the Mediterranean such a num-
ber of ships as would have made the English force at
least equal to that of France. Happily there is a better
feeling prevailing between the two countries than existed
during the Syrian affairs of 1839, 1840, and 1841; else
the inferiority of the British force in the Mediterranean
would excite the utmost uneasiness. The following is
our Portsmouth correspondent's account of the departure
of the squadron :

PORTSMOUTH, SUNDAY.

The Sidon, 22 (paddle), Capt. George Goldsmith ; and
Leopard, 16 (paddle), Capt. George Giffard, hoisted the
blue peter at the fore directly after Church service.
3 P.M.—Both vessels have steam up and hove short.
4 P.M.—The Leopard under weigh. The Prince Re-
gent, 90, Capt. Frederick Hutton, let fall topsails—
hove short.

4.lo.—Canted round—filled under topsails, topgal-
Lantsails, royals, jib, and spanker, and away for the Nab
;cast end of the island). Wind, W.N.W.

The Sidon steamed away through the Needles, taking
;he West Channel.

The Leopard under weigh, in the wake of the Sidon.
4.4o.—The Prince Regent hauled her wind, took in
royals, and rounded the Nab.
Presuming that the Vengeance, 84, Captain Lord E.
Russell, also has been ordered from Plymouth to the
Mediterranean, the force of Admiral Dundas, when these
ships join him, will be seven sail of the line—still inferior
to the French force, as the following will show :

BRITISH.

Guns.
Britannia l2O
Trafalgar
Rodney 92 i
Albion
Prince Regent 9O
Vengeance B4
Bellerophon 7B

In steamers the followini

FRENCH.

Guns.
Ville de Paris
' Valmy l2O
Montebello (screw) l2O
Henry IV lOO
Bayard 9O
Napoleon (screw) 9O
Charlemagne (screw) 9O
Jupiter B6
g will be the comparative

forces :

Guns. h.p.
Retribution 2B 400
Sidon 22 560
Furious l6 400
Leopard l6 560
Tiger l4 400
Wasp (screw) l4 400
Niger (screw)
Fury 6 515

Gans. h.p.
Mogadore 22 650
Magellan 2O 450
Lave 6 2O 450
Gomer 2O 450
Caton lO 260
Chaptal 8 220
Heron 6 200
Narval 6 160
Sentinelle 6 120

We believe that the French ships do not carry, on the
whole, so many guns as the above statement indicates,
and that the British steamers (omitting the packets and
tenders) are fully equal in efficiency and force to the
French. United, however, we find the French and Eng-
lish forces will be 15 sail of the line, 9 steam-frigates, and
8 steam-sloops, &c. ; making a total of 32 men-of-war—
a force, if combined, fully equal to any service it might
be called on to perform successfully in the protection of
Turkey.—Herald.

PORTSMOUTH, MARCH 27.
A new code of instructions, to regulate the entry and
promotion of dockyard employes, has just been issued to
the heads of the several departments in this dockyard.
We presume the late disclosures respecting dockyard pro-
motions have led to this. The gist of these instructions
is, we believe, that men should be promoted for merit
alone, and candidates for employment entered whose
claims are wholly irrespective of political recommenda-
tion. We believe these new rules apply to all dockyards
and victualling establishments under the control of the
Admiralty, and have been confirmed by her Majesty in
Council under order dated the 11th inst. They are based
on those originally promulgated with the Admiralty cir-
cular letter of the 27th of February, 1847, when Mr.
Ward, the then secretary to the board, published his
dockyard educational project. These new regulations,
while preserving the spirit of those formerly issued,
possess a more practical character, and may, consequently,
operate more beneficially. The rules commence with the
entry of apprentices, the vacancies for whom are to be
reported by the respective dockyard superintendents to
the Surveyor of the Navy, and by him to the board in
June and December of each year.
Candidates for entry will be placed on the superin-
tendents' lists, but not without the sanction of the Admi-
ralty ; preference in all cases being given where the re-
commendations of the superintendents and the dockyard
officers relate to the children of deserving officers and
artificers already employed or who have served.
After the examination by the schoolmaster, in the pre-
sence of the superintendent and one or more of his prin-
cipal officers, and the report is deemed satisfactory, one-
half of the admission will be awarded by the board to
those passed candidates whose names stand at the head
of the graduated list, and the other half will be awarded
with reference to the claims of parents.
Vacancies for shipwrights will be filled by apprentices
(as at present) on the completion of their time, subject
to the consideration of the character of the report made
upon their conduct and qualifications during the term of
service by the respective officers and the schoolmasters ;
but entry into the dockyards cannot be claimed when a
boy is out of his time as a matter of right, but such as
have served will have the preference if well reported
upon, as before mentioned.
No artificers are to be entered but such as are qualified
in every respect, which must be certified by the superin- '
tendents and their professional officers. If found fit,
and entered, they will undergo a month's probationary
trial, and after that, if their qualifications are deemed
satisfactory, they will then be entered " on the estab-
lishment."

The rules regulating promotion mostly relate to the
representations of the respective officers and to the ac-
quisition of knowledge by the candidate.
Every species of recommendation out of the autho-
rised channels, whether direct or indirect, is discoun-
tenanced ; and further (it is stated), will check the future
advancement of the parties on whose behalf it is exer-
cised.

The office of measurer is re-established, with improve-
ments on its constitution of 1809.

For the purpose of keeping accurate account, and
checking the issue of stores and materials, the Lords of
the Admiralty order the employment, in each of the
larger dockyards, of four measurers, who, with four ship-
wrights' writers, are to form, under the direction of the
master shipwright, an office for the measurement of work
done, the formation of estimates for repairs, and the
statement of actual expenditure.
This new code concludes by cancelling the circular
order of the 13th of April, 1850, permitting the superin-
tendents of the dockyards to select their secretaries from
different ranks of officers, and restricting the selection
in future, as formerly, to one of the principal clerks of
the dockyard.
The Admiral's good-service pension of 3001. per annum,
which reverted to the gift of the First Lord of the Ad-
miralty by the demise of Admiral of the Red the Hon.
Sir Bladen Capel, G.C.8., has been bestowed on Vice-
Admiral Sir George Seymour, C. 8., G.C.H., Comman-
der-in-Chief on the West Indian and North American
station.

The Captain's good-service pension of 1501. per annum,
which fell in on the promotion of Captain Boxer to the
rank of Rear-Admiral, has been bestowed on Commodore
Michael Seymour, superintendent of Devonport dock-
yard.
-A report is published that Captain the Right Hon. the
Earl of Hardwicke will supersede Captain Hutton in the
command of the Prince Regent, 90, the latter having
completed his sea-time for his flag-rank, whereas the
gallant ex-Postmaster-General has not.
The Duke of Wellington, 131, screw three-decker,
Captain H. B. Martin, C. 8., is ordered to be undocked
to-morrow, and placed in the steam-basin to complete
her fittings ; she has her topgallant masts on end, top-
sailyards across, &c. ; she is ordered to take in twelve
months stores for foreign service.
The Megmra 6, steam-troop-ship, Commander John-
ston, embarked at Spithead, yesterday afternoon, draughts
of the 36th, 67th, and 69th Regiments, for conveyance
to Barbadoes to join their respective service companies.
Mr. Thomas William Millar is appointed assistant to
the superintendent engineer in this dockyard, vice Mr.
Lambert, resigned for a better appointment with the
Screw Steam Shipping Company.
The Highflyer, 21, Captain Heathcote, will come into
harbour from Spithead to-morrow, to undergo a slight
refit. Her crew will, in the meantime, be paid down,
and be granted leave.
The Dasher, 2, paddle steam-vessel, Commander Le
Febvre, arrived in harbour this morning from the Chan-
nel Islands, to have her crew paid wages, and to undergo
a slight refit.
The Rhadamanthus, port transport, Master-Com-
mander Belam, sailed yesterday afternoon with stores
for Plymouth and Pembroke.
The Sprightly, steam-vessel, Mr. George Allen, acting-
master commanding, returned from Devonport this morn-
ing with about 40 supernumeraries.
The Tyne store-ship, Master-Commander Wellington,
went out of harbour this morning, and sailed this after-
noon with stores for the squadrons on the coast of Africa
and the Brazil stations.

The Southampton, American line-of-packet ship, ar-
rived this morning from the Thames, and sailed this
afternoon for New York.

The Prince Regent, 90, Captain Hutton ; the Sidon,
paddle-frigate, 22, Captain Goldsmith ; and the Leo-
pard, paddle-frigate, 12, Captain George Giffard, are all
ordered to sea, supposed for the Mediterranean. The
Prince Regent went out through Spithead and St.
Helen's-roads at a quarter past four, and the steamers at
the same time, taking the westward course and through
the Needles pessak,,e ; the Sidon considerably ahead.
nightnd W., freshening, with threatening indications as
advances.

The Sprightly, steam-tender m
Portsmouth with the baggage of Rear-Admiral Corry,
which she placed on board the Queen, 116, Captain
OarUn.T veHd,
ylkelsitenrcdnay 2f6r.0
Michell, in the Sound. To-day she returned to Ports-
mouth.
The steamer Spiteful received her masts to-day, pre-
paratory to sailing for Woolwich to be repaired.
The St. Jean d'Acre was placed in dock.
A. large line-of-battle ship was observed at half-past 6
on Friday morning off the Start, going a fair course
down Channel, under double reefedtopsails and top-
gallantsails, head canvas stowed. Wind easterly, blow-
L in strong.

SHOCKING MURDER ON BOARD SHIP.

LIVERPOOL, SATURDAY.
Intelligence has just reached this port of a murder
committed on board an outward-bound vessel a few hours
after her sailing from this port. On Tuesday morning
the brig William Thrift, of North Shields, L. Buchanan,
master, left the Mersey, bound to Alexandria, and pro-
ceeded down channel. Nothing occurred worthy of
notice until about four o'clock on Wednesday morning,
when the captain was roused from his berth by the mate,
who, in a state of great horror, informed him that a
murder had been committed on board. Captain
Buchanan immediately gave orders that the murderer
should be seized and ironed ; but on the mate returning
on deck it was found that after the culprit had completed
his crime, by spliting the skull of another of the crew with
an axe belonging to the cook, he had cut adrift a boat which
was stowed bottom up in the long boat, 'and attempted
to roll it over the side, with a view no doubt to escape
by it in the darkness. In this he failed, owing to the
boat being jammed against some spars ; and seizing a
scudding sail boom he jumped overboard with it and was
seen no more. The crew of the William Thrift was
shipped from the Sailors' Home, and were remarked to
be perfectly sober and efficient when the vessel left the
port. It is believed that the murderer and his victim
had come from the same boarding-house in Liverpool,
but the circumstances which led to the crime will pro-
bably never be revealed. No quarrelling between them
was observed by the mate, who was the only person on
deck at the time. The spectacle presented on the cap-
tain hurrying up from his cabin is described as very
horrible, the head of the murdered man being completely
smashed by the blows he had received. The brig, with
the corpse on board, has put into Waterford, where it
will remain until an inquest is held.