The Sun.
London, England, 1853-11-18 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

'bEA.TH OF THE CHIEF CLERK OF THE

ADMIRALTY.

VV'e regret to announce the almost sudden death of
Mr. John H. Hay, the chief clerk of the Admiralty,
Whitehall. It appears that he left the Admiralty on
Tuesday morning unwell ; on Wednesday he became
-worse, and he expired yesterdayafternoon at four o'clock.
Sir John Liddell, of Greenwich Hospital, was in attend-
ance on him, and the primary cause of his death is sup-
posed to be apoplexy. Mr. Hay was advanced in years,
for we believe he had been at the Admiralty for nearly
half a century, and, like his predecessor, the late Mr.
Amedroz, was by force of his position brought into con-
tact with many of the most illustrious of our naval
heroes, and consequently his acquaintance with official
matters relating to Admiralty affairs was more ex-
tensive and interesting, perhaps, than that of any other
living person.

Mr. Hay's was an office of great power and impor-
tance, and we have heard of several instances in which
he has used his interest in the most laudable and disin-
terested manner. He had frequently very delicate, and
difficulto, and most confidential duties to perform, and
very often his strict attention to the interests of the
public entailed upon him disagreeable reflections. In
the main, however, he managed to create as few enemies
as most persons have made under similar circumstances,
although as we have heard, from mistaken views on the
part of officers whose claims on the Admiralty have been
decided by his experienced advice, he has been more than
once subjected to a " call out." If, however, he made
a few enemies, he possessed a large circle of friends, who
will regret his loss and deplore his sudden departure
from official and social life.

Two sons survive the respected chief clerk ; one, the
Hon. J. H. Hay, is a clerk of the second class at the
Admiralty, Whitehall ; and Mr. E. H. Hay is a clerk
of the third class, at the invoice and claim branch, Somer-
set-house.

Mr. John J. Dyer is the senior clerk at the Admiralty,
and will doubtless succeed the late Mr. Hay as chief
clerk, the salary of which office is 1,0001. per annum.
This appointment will promote Mr. J. H. N. Houghton,
the precis writer of the board, to be one of the senior
clerks ; and Mr. 0. B. Piers from the third to the second
class, making a vacancy for the appointment of a third-
class clerk on the Whitehall establishment.

PORTS MOUTH, Nov. 17.
The Medea, 6, paddle, Commander John Crawshay
Bailey.—Orders came down from the Admiralty this
morning to supersede Commander John Crawshay Bailey,
and with him First Lieutenant Robson, Second Lieu-
tenant Bradshaw, Mr. Murray, the chief engineer, and
the surgeon —so that the innocent have suffered with the
guilty. Commander Bailey finished his career by an
address to the ship's company (read from paper), in
which he made a most unservicelike attack at his brother
officers, the verbatim copy of which we should like to
print. We trust, however, that the Admiralty will
order the ship to be paid off and re-commissioned ; it
would be essential to the interests and well-being of the
Royal naval service to do so. We understand Com-
mander Phillimore is appointed to the Medea, and that
the present master (Mr. Wise) takes command pro tent. )
The second lieutenant (Mr. Bradshaw) has been ap•
pointed to the Juno, now fitting out, and we hope soon
to hear of the rest of the officers receiving appointments
in ships in which they may forget the overbearing con-
duct of Commander John Crawshay
The Neptune, 120, guardship (flag), Captain E. H.
Scott, has struck topgallant masts, and substituted
winter poles.

St. Jean d'Acre, 100, screw, Captain the Hon. Henry
Keppel. The energy displayed in the shipwright de-
partment of this dockyard reflects the highest credit on
officers and men. This splendid screw line-of-battle ship
hauled into dock on Tuesday ; since which time she has
been lifted off her keel (her absolute weight being no-
thing less than 3,000 tons), has had her false keel taken
off, has replaced and made good half of the additional
this day ; and by to-morrow afternoon this beautiful
ship will be floated and ready to leave the dock. We
have on many occasions noticed the excellent system
pursued in this chief of dockyards ; but on no occasion
has that energy been so well exemplified as on the pre-
sent.

Princess Royal, 91, screw, Captain Lord Clarence
Paget, has shipped her foremast, and hauled over to the
east side of fitting basin, where she will quickly set up
her rigging, and be available for immediate service.

PLYMOUTH, Nov. 17.
Yesterday (Wednesday) morning, at five o'clock, a
Russian frigate was observed going down the Channel.
When off Falmouth harbour she communicated with a
fishing boat, on board which it is probable she left a
Channel pilot. Having a fine breeze from the north-
east she bore away under a press of canvass for the
Atlantic.

At 10 p.m. on Wednesday a strange frigate was ob-
served going up Channel. She came in close to the back
of the breakwater, and, getting the wind from the land,
tacked off immediately under her three royals. A Ply-
mouth pilot endeavoured to communicate, but this was
declined by the stranger.
At 4 a.m. this (Thursday) morning two British pad-
dle wheel men-of-war with pennants flying, were ob-
served going down Channel under steam only. The
headmost had painted ports ; the other had a very high
quarter.

WOOLWICH, Nov. 17.
APPOINTMENTS.
Lieutenants.—Harcourt T. Gommell (1852), to the
Ajax, SS, screw steam-ship, at Queenstown ; Richard
Bradshaw (1552), from the Medea, to the Juno, 2d, at
Chatham ; Frederick H. Smith (1549), to the Medea
paddle-wheel steam-sloop, vice Bradshaw.
Midshipman Capron Bridger, to the Princess Royal,
90, screw steam-ship, at Portsmouth.
Masters'-Assistants. —James Patch, to the Prince
Regent, 90 ; Francis C. Corbet, to the Apollo troop-
ship, at Chatham ; Edward H. Parsons, to the Royal
George, 120, screw steam-ship, at Sheerness ; Thomas
M‘G. Bridges, to the Diamond, 28, at Sheerness.
Thomas Bailey to be foreman of the smiths at Chatham
Dockyard.

LAUNCH OF THE GOLDEN FLEECE.
This fine vessel, another of the line built for the Ge-
neral Screw Steam Shipping Company, by Mr. Mare, of
Blackwall, was successfully released from the stocks at
20 minutes past two o'clock yesterday, in the presence
of a crowd of interested and delighted spectators. Her
tonnage is 2,700 tons ; her length between perpendicu-
lars, 280 feet ; breadth for tonnage, 43 feet ; and her
appointments of the highest order. As we have already
stated, she is to have Maudslny and Field's engines of
300-horse power. As she floated up the river and pre-
sented her long broadside to the view of the assembled
crowds at Blackwall, she was universally pronounced to
be the handsomest ship that ever floated on the Thames.