The Sun.
London, England, 1854-03-06 00:00:00

LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, MARCH 6, 1854.

racy, has DO greater range than the old musket. We
are about to range them side by side with the
French troops, all of whom are armed with the Minis,
rifle, where the inequality will be more glaring,
and we are about to oppose them to troops,
who, it has just been ascestained, are armed with the
deadly needle-gun, and who can, if well drilled in its
use, pick off our officers and men with the greatest
safety to themselves, at twice the distance to which
their own weapons will carry. We fear we can dis-
cover the source of this egregious and most culpable
blunder in a passage in Capt. Jervis's little! treatise.
He says when the merits of the rifle in use among the
Chasseurs de -Vincennes and of the Prussian needle-gun
had been iiscertained, the public cried out loudly that our
troops should be equally well-armed, indifferent as to which
of these two weapons should be selected ; but this was
what no man entrusted with the charge of a public de-
partment could listen to. When the percussion cap had
been substituted for the flint, it was merely an alteration
of the lock, at a trifling expense. Here, however, was a
change which involved an outlay of nearly half a million
sterling, without reckoning the dead loss arising from the
consequent uselessness of either the muskets in use or the
enormous quantity in store. The Government, it appears,
did not like to cast aside the old muskets, and, if
our information be true, those in store, amounting to a
great many thousands, are now being converted into
rifles, and the weight of the piece thereby lessened,
while the heavy ounce ball, and the large charge
of powder, is still retained, and the range, with
of course more accuracy, retained at 300 yards !
We believe this is a case in which, from mo-
tives of false economy, or from respect to the
old Duke's predilection for the large bore and
heavy ball of the old " Brown Bess," or perhaps from
some little stickling for old habits and conventiona-
lities, or still more unworthy motives of jobbery, a
great mistake hati -been committed. The great bulk of
the German, French, Belgian, and, as it now appears,
the Russian and Turkish, troops are armed with the
modern improved weapons, and we are sending out
troops to cope with them armed with an inefficient
adaptation of the old musket, and, after voting millions of
money to raise, recruit, and equip the finest soldiers in the
world, we are able to say that we have economised our
old fire arms and saved a few hundred thcusand pounds,
while with a refinement of cruelty we place them under
disadvantages which no courage or determination can
successfully compete with. We hope the committee
upon small arms, which has just been appointed by the
House of Commons, will inquire fully into this matter.
Let the officials of the Enfield factory and the officers of
the Board of Ordnance be called upon to explain what
are the real advantages we have gained by this Enfield.
Prtichett nfle, of which the public have now heard for
the first time.--Observer.

Elec- Popula- Elo c- Popula-
tors. tion. tors. tion.
Chippenham. 300 6,283 Kiddermnstr 495 18,462
Malmesbury. . 309 6,998 Poole
Abingdon .... 312 5,954 Shaftesbury 509 9,404
Christchurch 313 7,475 Peter boro' 5lB 8,672
Westbury.... 314 7,029 Bridport 524 7,566
Holston
Lymington 338 5,282 Malton ... ..... 539 7,661
Liskeard 343 6,204 Leominster... 551 5,214
Wycombe
Woodstock... 347 7,983 ' Stamford
Buckingham. 349 8,069 St. Ives
Tavistock .... 349 8,086 Guildford
Horsham 350 5,947 Weymouth .. 679 9,458
Ripou
Petersfield.... 353 5,550 Warrington 7Ol 23,363
Marlow 354 6,523 Newport, Isle
Cockermouth 355 7,275 of Wight.. 707 8,047
Eye 356 7,531 Gateshead ... 711 25,568
Thirsk 357 5,319 Windsor 712 9,596
Launceston .. 361 6,005 Lewes 713 9,533
Bodmin
Droitwich
Tewkesbury 370 5,878 Lichfield...... 836 6,573
Devizes 373 6,554 Mahlon
Kendal 382 11,829 Wakefield .... 850 22,057
Taroworth 362 8,655 Hythe 856 13,164
Frome... 383 10,148 Gt. Grimsby 861 12,263
Huntington.. 390 6,291 Tynemouth
Bewdley 390 7,318 Dudley 912 37,962
Aforpeth 415 10,012 S. Shields .... 925 28,974
Wareham
Wallingford. 428 8,064 Bury
Dorchester... 432 6,391 Walsall
Cirencester... 434 6,096 Rochdale
Clitheroe 448 11,479 Huddersfield 1,364 30,880
Ludlow
Whitby
Tiverton 461 11,141 district .... 1,676 26,512
Banbury 491 8,715 Cheltenham.. 2,400 35,051
TWO MEMBERS EACH.
Elec- Popula- Elec- Popula,-
tors. tion. tors. tion.
- --- -- -
Truro
Salisbury .... 680 11,657 Aylesbury
Pontefract ... 684 11,515 Gloucester
Bridgewater. 688 10,317 Cricklade
Wigan 7lB 31,941 Shrewsbury.. 1,666 19,681
Warwick
Bury St. Ed- Maidstone
round's . ... 749 31,900 Stoke-on-
Barnstaple... 771 11,371 Trent
Grantham.... 774 10,873 Ipswich .... , 1,838 32,914
Berwick 7Bl. 15,094 Shoreham ... 1,865 30,553
Winchester
790 14,176 id
ster 7BB 13,704
Oldham
Canterbury
a 1:88740
7128:35398
Taunton 7
Newark
Scarborough 895 12,915 Cambridge... 1,984 27,815
Wenlock
Penryn and Northamp-
Falmouth.. 907 13,292 ton
Bedford
Sandwich
Boston 987 17,518 Southampton 2,419 35,305
Hereford
Macclesfield.. 1,058 39,048 Plymouth
Hastings...... 1,090 17,011 Exeter 2,501 40,688
Newcastle- Chester.
under-Lyne 1,090 10,569 E. Retford 2,710 46,054
Carlisle ...... 1,134 26,310 Oxford (City) 2,818 27,913
Durham 1,157 13,188 Preston ...... 2,854 69,542
Lynn
Halifax
Stafford
Yarmouth
Blackburn
Colchester ... 1,258 19,443 York
Rochester .... 1,269 14,938 Coventry ..
Stroud
Stockport .... 1,341 53,835 Nottingham
Lincoln
Lancaster
Reading 1,399 21,456 Norwich 5,390 68,195

PREPARATIONS FOR WAR.

The transport of some 2,000 horses to the Mediter-
ranean is the greatest difficulty that is likely to arise in
connexion with the undertaking of sending our army to
co-operate in the defence of Turkey. Our military autho-
rities have comparatively little experience to guide them
in a matter of the kind, and we would suggest that
persons conversant with the horsy trade between Aus-
tralia and India, might do good service by coming for-
ward and showing how the ships engaged in this service
should be fitted up.
A good deal of misapprehension exists with reference
to the regiments that are to form the second division of
the expeditionary force. These have not yet been posi-
tively named, hut it is quite certain that they will be
taken regularly as they stand upon the roster. The
order to be in readiness for foreign service has been
addressed to more regiments than will be included in
the second division, and that order must not be con-
sidered as involving any certainty that the corps re-
ceiving it will form part of the British contingent.

PORTSMOUTH, MARCH 5.
The victualling of the ships at Spithead for six
months' foreign service was completed yesterday.
There are now at this rendezvous to-day the following
ships, the complements of which we give, as nearly as
we can arrive at them without consulting the ships'
books :

Horse-
Guns. Tons. Crew. Power.
Princess Royal, Captain Lord
Clarence Paget, flag of Vice.
Admiral Sir C harles Napier,
K.C. 8., Sze 1)1 3,129 880 400
Prince Regent, Captain Hut
ton, flag of Rear-Admiral."
Corry - 440 2,613 821
Edinburgh, Captain Hewlett,
flag of Rear-Admiral Chads,
C.B 5B 1,772 660 450
Royal George, Captain Cod-
rington, C. 13 l2l 2,616 1,100 400
St. Jean D'Acre, Captain the
Hon. Henry Keppel lOl 3,600 900 650
Boscawen, Captain Glanville 70 2,212 G2O
Hogue, Captain W. Ramsay 60 1,750 660 450
linperieuse, Captain Watson,
C B 5l 2,547 530 360
Arrogant, Captain Yelverton 47 1,872 450 360
Amphion, Captain A. C. Key 31 1,474 320 300
Tribune, Captain the Hon. S.
T. Carnegie 3O 1,570 300 300
Dauntless, Captain Ryder 33 1,490 300 580
Leopard, Captain Giffard
Valorous, Captain C. H. M
Buckle l6 1,255 220 400
Dragon, Captain Willcox
Bulldog, Captain W. C. Hall 6 1,123 160 500
Frolic, Commander Nolloth. 16 511 120
They have each been ordered (this day) to draw charts
For the Baltic.

Every day will add to this force, which will eventually
include the three-deckers,. Duke of Wellington, 131 ; St.
George, 121 ; Waterloo, 120 ; Neptune, 120 ; Cmsar,
91 ; Nile, 91 ; James Watt, 91 ; Algiers, 91 ; Monarch,
84 ; Ganges, 84 ; Cressy, 81 ; Majestic, 81 ; Blenheim,
60 ; Ajax, 60 ; Euryalus, 51 ; Fox, 42 ; Pique, 40 ; and
numerous others. Sir Charles Napier will, we believe,
command personally 20 sail of the line, and 10 sail of
French. There will be about 50 sail of smaller ships,
which will be apportioned to the English and French
Rear-Admirals and Commodore Martin, and it is re-
ported a squadron of sailing-sloops or brigs is to be com-
missioned to cruise off the Scotch coast to prevent pri-
vateering. Rear-Admiral Corry will shift his flag to-
morrow from the Prince Regent, 90, to the Neptune,
120, au order having been received yesterday, appoint-
ing Captain Hutton to the Neptune, and Captain Smith,
C. 8., from the Neptune, to the Prince Regent. Capt.
Hutton takes with him Commander Bunce, Lieutenant
Brandreth, and 50 of the Prince Regent's crew. When
the change of officers and ships was made known on
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by the Admiralty, their countenances betokened the sin-
cerest dejection. Subsequently all the petty officers went
aft on the quarter-deck and respectfully requested that the
Admiralty might be memorialised for their removal with
their admiral and captain. The Neptune will be some
time getting ready. She has lower yards and topmasts
up and topgallant masts pointed, but has only 150 men
on her books besides her draught of Royal Marines.
We expect, therefore, that Rear-Admiral Chads will be
the first despatched with a "flying squadron " of frigates
towards the Baltic, that Sir Charles Napier will follow,
and that Rear-Admiral Corry will bring up the rear.
Captain Hay, of the Victory, has declined the flag-
captaincy to Sir Charles Napier. The Prince Regent,
the St. Jean d'Acre, the Amphion, and the Odin were
paid wages down to the 31st-of January yesterday. The
lmperieuse, Tribune, and Valorous will be paid to-
morrow, leaving only the Arrogant (whose pay-books
have not yet been landed) of Admiral Corry's division to
be paid. The Blenheim, 60, Captain the Hon. F. J.
Pelham, has re-adjusted her compasses and will be ready
to join the fleet to-morrow. The Csar, 91, Captain
Robb, is rattling down her rigging. The Odin, 16,
Captain F. Scott, is repairing boilers in the steam-
basin. The fleet are daily exercised in gunnery, reefing,
furling, &c. Mr. Parratt, of the Treasury brought down
last night from London a small tubular collapsing boat,
upon the principle of his admiral life-raft, which he has
this day taken off to the St. Jean d'Acre for the Hon.
H. Keppell. The 23d, 42d, and 79th Regiments are pre-
paring for active service. The two latter corps will be
augmented by volunteers from the 72d and 79th depots,
31 volunteers from the 11th Foot, 32 from the 65th, and 62
from the 35th embarked from this dockyard at 6 o'clo.ck
this morning, in the Foyle, British and Irish Steam-
packet Company's vesse4 to join the Ist battalion of the
Royals at Plymouth. The Foyle embarks the 93d
depot at Plymouth to-morrow, for the Isle of Wight.
The depOt of the 2d battalion of the Rifle Brigade will
be conveyed to the Isle of Wight to-morrow in her
Majesty's steam-tender Sprightly.
The Cruiser, 14, Commander G. H. Douglas, will
join the Baltic fleet.

SOUTHAMPTON, MARCH 4.
The Government have chartered the following ships,
belonging to the General Screw Steam Shipping Com-
pany for the transport service :—The Golden Fleece,
2,500 tons, 400-horse power; the Jason, 2,500 tons,
400-horse power ; Prince, 2,750 tons, 400-horse power ;
the Harbinger, 916 tons, 180-horse power ; and the
Cape of Good Hope, 800 tons, 120-horse power. The
last steamer will leave the London Docks on Wednes-
day for Constantinople, taking out a large cargo and a
number of passengers, and will also convey 120 officers
and men to Malta. The Golden Fleece, under the com-
mand of Captain Stewart, sailed from Greenhithe this
(Saturday) morning, in excellent order, for Leith,
whence, having embarked the 4th Regiment, she will
proceed to Devonport for further orders. The Har-
binger, new on her voyage from Australia, is expected
to reach Southampton towards the close of this month
or the beginning of April. The Jason and Prince, two
of the finest screw-steamers in the world, are being
rapidly got ready for sea at Blackwell.

PLYMOUTH, MARCH 4.
Commodore Seymour hoisted his burgee, red at the
main, as Captain of the Fleet, on board the screw steam-
ship Duke of Wellington, 131, to-day. This magnificent
vesssel was placed in the Queen's-dock at Keyham this
morning, in the presence of thousands of spectators,
numbers of whom kept thronging into the yard and on
board throughout the day, highly gratified at having so
convenient an opportunity of surveying her huge bulk
and examining her entire economy. The artisans of the
yard commenced their duties immediately, and, in order
to expedite her fitment, they will continue working, both
outside and inside, all day on Sunday. Admiral Berkeley
and Captain Sir Baldwin Walker inspected her yester-
day. They ordered her to be in the Sound again on
Thursday, if possible. The Admiral and Sir Baldwin
left by express train this morning for London.
Commodore H. B. Martin hoisted his broad pendant
this morning on board the hulk Bellona, on his appoint-
ment to the command of the screw steamship Nile, 91.
The screw steam-ship Royal George, 121, Captain H.
F. Codrington, left the Sound at noon to-day, steaming,
with Royal yards across, against a strong easterly breeze,
for Spithead.
Major Montgomery arrived here, by South Devon
Railway, at 3 o'clock this afternoon, in command of the
first detachment of the Ist battalion of First Royals.
It comprised above 330 men, who left Newport, Mon-
mouthshire en Friday, slept at Bristol, and came on
by the Bristol and Exeter Railway. At the station
they were received by Captain Wetherall, Major of Bri-
gade, and, being preceded by their own band, marched
at once to the Citadel, where they occupy the quarters
just vacated by the 93d Highlanders. At 7 o'clock this
evening the second detachment arrived at the station ; it
numbers about 250, and came from Carmarthen, having
slept on Thursday and Friday at Newport. The remain-
der of the battalion, quartered at Pembroke, is expected
here early next week. The 20th of March is now
spoken of as the probable date for their embarkation from
Plymouth.
MARCH 5.
Two steam men-of-war passed up Ckannel near the
Bolt Head about 8 o'clock this morning. The first was
a paddle- wheelbarque-rigged ship showing a white ensign;
the second was a screw with painted ports. Her three
topgallant-masts were struck, and she answered a signal
from the barque. Both were under steam only, the
wind blowing strong from the eastward.

LIVERPOOL, MARCH 4.
The new screw steam-ship Kangaroo arrived from the
Clyde last night, and this morning went into the Wel-
lington-dock, where she will be fitted and made ready
for the speedy embarkation of the 77th Regiment, which
remains at Preston until her fittings are completed.

DEPTFORD, MARCH 4.

Captain A. Milne, oue of the Lords of the Admiralty,
paid an official visit to Deptford Dock and victualling
yards on Tuesday last, and was accompanied by Capt.-
Superintendent G. B. Martin, during his inspec-
tion of the sailing transport vessels moored in the stream,

where they are taking on board oats and hay for the
horses that have baen taken up to be conveyed to the
Mediterranean.

Nine of the transport vessels have arrived at Deptford
for the conveyance of horses, the Allipore, the John
Masterman, the Earl of Shaftesbury, Her Majesty, the
Palmerston, the City of Carlisle, the Pyrenees, the Mer-
cier, and the Resolute, and workmen have been actively
employed in fitting mangers on board of each of them
while the oats and hay were being put on board. Eight
naval officers of the rank of lieutenant have been ap-
pointed as agents for transports—Henry P. Dick en
(1815), Thomas James (1321), Thomas Atkinson Butler
(1827), St. Ledger; Ald.worth (1831), Richard Hoops
(1840), James Yule (1826), Delbceuf B. Bedford (1830),
and John S. Keatley (1828).
Lieutenant Thomas A. Butler, Senior Lieutenant of
the first division of horse transport vessels, hoisted his
pendant to-day on board the Pyrenees, and the Monkey
steam-vessel, Second Master Syndercombe, was waiting
to tow her down to Woolwich, where the horses are to
:2 put on board in the basin, but she was not ready till
a late hour, and as the tide did not then suit, she will be
taken down and into the basin at Woolwich on Monday.
Four of the other vessels will be ready to be towed to
Woolwich in two or three days, and the horses will be
swung on board by the aid of the shears.
The Egmont storeship completed taking on board
stores, and left Deptford for Malta on Tuesday last with
supplies for the use of the troops on that station.
Quartermaster Oliphant and Serjeant-Major Weare,
cf the Royal Horse Artillery, have attended daily at
Deptford during the present week to inspect the pro-
vender put on board the transports for the horses,
Butchers have again commenced killing cattle for the
purpose of being salted at the west end of the victual-
ling yard, for the use of the navy, and about 100 head
of cattle have been killed and salted during the present
week.

SUNDAY, March 5.

Lord Raglan is expected to arrive at Woolwich at 11
o'clock a.m. to-morrow, for the purpose of inspecting the
Royal Artillery now ready for embarkation, and his
Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge is also expected
to be present with a number of distinguished officers.
Major C. Dickson, of the 10th battalion, proceeds to
the East on the staff of Lord Raglan, as interpreter,
Major Dickson having a most perfect knowledge of the
Turkish language, and having acted as interpreter to
Ibrahim Pasha when he visited this country.

DUBLIN, MARCH 4.

The 46th Regiment, at present stationed in Kilkenny,
has been placed under orders for service in the East. On
Wednesday last a communication was received by the
commanding-officer of the 46th applying for 15 volun-
teers from that corps for the 33d, then on the point of
embarking for the seat of war. Immediately upon its
transpiring that volunteers were required the orderly-
room was beset by crowds of applicants for the honour
of joining the Eastern expedition, and the most enthusi-
astic eagerness for the much-coveted position of forming
one of the 15 was manifested almost universally by the
privates of this gallant corps. Fifteen fine young fel-
lows were selected from the crowd of applicants, and a
few hours afterwards they were inspected by Colonel
Williams, K.H., and proceeded to Dublin by rail,
taking their departure amid the warm cheering of their
former comrades.

The head-quarters of the 27th Regiment will leave
Enniskillen for Dublin on the 6th, and may be expected
to arrive here on the 9th.

ROYAL ARTILLERY.

The troop of Royal Horse Artillery under the corn
mand of Captain Levinge received an entire new
battery, consisting of four six-pounder brass guns
and two twelve-pounder brass howitzers, made on
the most approved construction and mounted on
new gun-carriages. These field pieces of ordnance,
with their ammunition waggons, with every neces-
sary article for field service were brought up from the
grand depot on Thursday to the east orßoyal Horse Ar-
tillery square of the barracks, and are all ready packed
for immediate' embarkation. Three entire new field-
batteries, each consisting of four 9-pounder brass guns
and two 24-pounder brass howitzers, were brought up
from the grand depot on the same day to the barracks,
and they are at present in the gun-park at the west end
of the barracks, all packed and ready for immediate em-
barkation. The other two batteries under orders for
foreign service will only take out horses with them, as
the one is to be supplied with a Turkish field-battery on
arrival in the East, and the other will be converted into
a small-arm brigade and be supplied with Minie, rifles.
Captain Swiuton's company, 11th battalion, recently
returned from Dover to head-quarters ; Captain J.
Turner's company, 11th battalion, recently returned
from Eastbourne to Woolwich ; Captain Wodehouse's
company, 11th battalion, at Woolwich ;,-.. and Captain
Maude's troop of Royal Horse Artillery, at present sta-
tioned at Dublin, are to be brought forward for service
in the East on the departure of the troop and batteries
at present under orders for foreign service.