The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-21 00:00:00

[PRICE SD.

The Spiteful steam-sloop is to be juryrigged and sen
to Woolwich, where she will receive new boilers.

The crow of the steam-frigate Valorous, 16, Captain
C. M. Buckle, were inspected on Wednesday by the
Commander-in-Chief, and were paid wages to-day. The
ship is ready for sea. .

Strong Winds from the eastward have prevailed
for some days past. On Thursday morning, at 11
o'clock, the brig Madonna, of Liverpool, Captain
Boase, with sugar, from Bahia for Gothenburg, was
caught in a squall off Portland, and dismasted.
Twenty miles south-south-east of the Start she was
fallen in with by two French fishing boats, which
brought her safely into the Sound. On Friday, at 3
a.m., the barque Jessie, Captain• Bird, of North Shields,
from the Mediterranean with linseed, for Hull, was run
into off the Start by a trawl sloop, which carried away
five of her stancheons, bulwarks, rail, &c. The Jessie
came to this port. The sloop was seen after the colli-
sion.

Tha emigrant ship, Albemarle, 704 tons, Captain I. F.
Trivett, belonging to Scarborough, with 21 cabin and
178 intermediate passengers from London, and 544 in-
termediate from Plymouth, sailed yesterday with a fair
wind for Port Philip and Sydney. She took with her
111 bags of newspapers, originally placed on board the
steam-ship Australian.
- - -

The mails landed on Wednesday from the Itoyal Aus-
tralian Mail Company's steam-ship Sydney consisted of
146 packages and boxes, and weighed 4 tons 15 cwt. 51b.
The dimensions of her Majesty s screw steam-ship St.
Jean d'Acre, of 101 guns, and 600-horse power, to be
launched on Wednesday next, are—

Ft. in.

Length from, fore part of figure to after part of
taffrail ... 273 0
Depth from upper part of figure to lower part of
Ditto tathmil
Length for tonnage ...
Breadth, extreme ...
Ditto, for tonnage ...
Ditto, for moulded ...
Depth in hold

Burden in tone
Ditto ...

52 0
56 6
. 202 5
. 55 4
. 51 6
... 53 8
... 24 5
Tons.
(old ,neasimment) 3200
(new measurement) 2084

Mr. Charles Besley, chief clerk in the storekeeper's
office in this yard, has been this day superannuated on a
pension of 3301. per annum, that being his present rate
of salary. Mr. Besley has been above 50 years as clerk
in the dockyard.
The Spiteful, steam-sloop, is ordered to Woolwich for
repair of her boilers.

NEW ELECTRIC FLOATING LIGHT.—In our journal of
the 3d inst. we noticed the principle of this new and
valuable patent, of so much importance to mariners.
On that occasion the gutta-percha tubing was not suffi-
ciently strong to bear the pressure of the gas ; since that
period some larger and stronger tubing has been made,
and the scientific inventor, Captain Sherringham, as-
sisted by the talented Lieutenant Julius Roberts, of the
Royal Marine Artillery, have brought it most success-
fully to bear. The light has been shown off Hollings-
worth Rooms, South Beach, the last two nights, and
proved beyond all doubt that, whether for 2 or 20 miles,
it is equally effective, and can be lighted and extinguished
at pleasure.

WOOLWICH, MARCEL 19.
APPOINTMENTS.

Master Joseph Chegwyn (1838) to the Queen, 116,
at Devonport.

Clerks.—Edward J. Giles (1850) to the Edinburgh,
58, screw steam-ship, at Deronport ; F. F. Miller to the
Victory flag-ship, at Portsmouth.
The Tyne storeship, Master-Commander Peter Wel-
lington, left Woolwich at an early hour this morning for
the islands of Ascension and Rio.

A casting took place to-day at 2 p.m., at the foundry
at Woolwich dockyard, of a brass screw propeller for the
Agamemnon, 91, screw steam-ship, at Portsmouth.
The quantity of metal required for the casting was about
11 tons, and the time occupied in milling it first into
an iron pot made for the purpose, and subsequently into
the screw propeller mould, was about 20 minutes. The
iron pot was expressly made for being used when large
castings take place, and is so constructed that there is
very little chance of serious accidents occuring, as has
been the case in some foundries, through some of the
boiling metal falling on the men. Lieutenant-Colonel
M'Adam, Lieutenant-Colonel Bury, and several of the
officers of Royal Marines, Dr. Burns, Mr. Atherton,
chief engineer, Mr. Macdonal, master attendant, Mr.
Trickett, assistant to the chief engineer, and several of
the officers of the yard, were present to witness the cast-
ing, and were much gratified by the excellent manner in
which the men were, enabled, by the working gear, to
gradually turn up the iron pot, containing 11 tons of
fluid metal, and pour it into the mould, while the pot
was suspended by a powerful crane, without the slightest
apprehension of danger should any of the men with-
draw from the gear, as it would remain safely in the
position in which it was left until they again proceeded
with the operation. The screw was cast 18 feet in dia-
meter, but it will be reduced when finished to about 16
feet, and etc weight to about eight tons.

MALTA, MARCH 14, 7 A.M.
At the early hour of three o'clock this morning the
Wasp steam-frigate arrived very unexpectedly from Con-
stantinople, bearing dispatches of primary importance.
They are said to have reference to the visit of Prince
Mentschikoff, late from the Russian Court, and his non-
reception by the Sultan to an audience.

The out-ward Indian mails from Southampton, per
Indus, arrived at three p m. yesterday, and those by the
Euxine, from Marseilles, at one o'clock a.m. this morn-
ing. They will be forwarded to Alexandria at 10 to-day,
and mails to Corfu also at 10, by the Triton.
_ _

The Caradoc is ordered to Marseilles with dispatches
from Constantinople for the Foreign Minister. She will
sail as soon as her steam is up.

COMMUTATION OF THE SENTENCE ON STAPLETON.-It
will be rememberd that a court-martial was held on
board H.M.S. Impregnable, guard-ship at this port, on
the 3d inst. for the trial of Francis Stapleton, boatswain's
mate of H.M. steam-ship Vulture, on a charge of con-
temptuous conduct towards Lieut. Mansell of that ship,
and for having also knocked down John Ashpole, a
sentry on board the same ship. The defendant, who it
seemed was in a state of intoxication at the time he com-
mitted these very serious offences, admitted his guilt and
threw himself on the mercy of the court, who sentenced
him to be disrated, to receive thirty-six lashes with a
cat-o'-nine tails, to be imprisoned in the county gaol at
Exeter for twelve calendar months, and then to be
discharged in disgrace from her Majesty's service.
The press has been almost unanimous in condemning the
sentence as being much too severe for the offences taking
the circumstances under which they were committed into
consideration, in which opinion the Lords of the Admi-
ralty appear fully to concur, for on perusing the evidence
given at the trial they ordered that the sentence should
be mitigated by a reduction in the period of imprison-
ment to three months, at the-end of which time Staple-
ton is to be discharged but not with disgrace. Had the
sentence been carried out, he would have been prevented
ever again entering the service, and have lost all his ser-
vitude. On the expiration of his imprisonment he will,
however, now be received into her Majesty's employ-
ment on board ship should he desire it, and his servitude
will count as before.—Devonport Independent.

ARTISTS' BENEVOLENT FUND.

The anniversary festival of the Artists' Benevolent
Fund was held on Saturday at the Freemasons' Tavern,
Great Queen-street. It was announced that the chair
would be taken by the Earl of Yarborough, but his
lordship was obliged to leave town on business of im-
portance, and at the last moment Mr. Rowland G. Al-
ston, late M.P. for Hertfordshire, undertook the duties of
chairman. The Artists' Benevolent Fund was established
in 1810, and obtained a royal charter of incorporation
in 1827. It consists of two separate and distinct
branches—the Artists' Annuity Fund and the Artists'
Benevolent Fund, the latter of which extends relief to
the widows and orphans of artists. During the past
year a sum of 7231. 15s. has been paid to forty-nine
widows of artists, and a further sum of 1471. 10s. to
thirty-one orphans. The total receipts for the past year,
arising from subscriptions, donations, and the dividend
upon 21,0001. stock, amounted to 1,4381. 17s. 3d., and
after all, disbursements a balance of about 2501. remained
in the hands of the bankers. The company present
comprised Sir W. C. Ross, R.A. ; Messrs. David Ro-
berts, R.A. • Richard H. Solly, F.R.S. • George Dodd,
; M.P.
J. F. Willmore, A.R.A. ; Captain S. H. Lee ' • Messrs.
W. F. Beadon, J. Henderson, J. H. Mann, John Dick-
enson, John Auldjo, H. Twining ; Dr. Thompson, Dr.
Rowland, &c., and about 80 other gentlemen. The enter.
tainment and wines appeared to give general satisfaction.
A musical party, under the direction of Mr. J. L. Hat-
ton, gave zest and variety to the festive assemblage, and
the duties of toastmaster were, as usual, efficiently dis-
charged by Mr. Hark.emrapliipmearte rnot
nlthang pet
hrooefptpohsr
Prince
ping
et
arts
ch
ineo
Consort,
rusualtc, o
fuionnrttrhr
country,
s,
ductory toasts, the Chairman paid a well-merited and.
jhuadp ipc ii loy; ts i
ame edd l
icho
and was induced to augur well from this
.of the for the future prosperity and encouragementlre circumstance
talent. The Chairman then gave the toast
even-
ing, "Prosperity to the Artists' Benevolent Fund." He
believed there was no institution of the metropolis more
peculiarly deserving of the patron and support of all
advocating. Independently
lovers of art than that which he had ae
their support, it was well known by studied the history of the world for three thousand of theolnowtthe honour of
people all
thohofosuse artistsan
du
yearspo n
who had.
back, that the more the
elevated, and the more th arts were promoted and fostered
the more the were civilized, and humanized, and
list of contributions e interests of society in general
were promoted. The
guineas,
amoumngtehdertothe
the •
• the evening,
which, including Secretary, Mr. Thistletou, read
_ ions
Majesty'sreceived during .
toasts were afterwards given from the chair, and-the
company
separated about eleven o'clock.
annual donation of 100
sum of 3501. Some other

TILE CERTIFICATE DUTY.—On Saturday the bill " No.
2 " to repeal the certificate duty of attorneys, &c., was
Printed. It is proposed to have a registry of attorneys,
and for giving a false address or acting without a certi-
ficate to fine an offender 501.