The Sun.
London, England, 1853-04-11 00:00:00

APPOINTMENTS.

Assistant-Surgeons—Richard P. Chapman (1843), re-
cently serving in the Medina, Mediterranean mail steam-
packet, to the Victory, flag-ship, at Portsmouth ;
Andrew Clark (1846), to the Victory.
Clerk Henry G. Barlow (1851), to the Duke of Wel-
lington, 131, screw steam-ship, at Portsmouth.
Clerk's-Assistant Frederick Parker to the Edinburgh,
58, screw steam-ship, at Plymouth.
NEW REGULATIONS AS TO CAPTAINS' SEA-TIME-
By her Majesty's order in Council, dated March 11,
1853, it is enjoined that the only exceptions to the pro-
visions contained in Art. 2, chap. 2,. page 8, of the Queen's
regulations shall in future consist as follows, viz. :-
1. That a captain shall be allowed to reckon as time
served at sea the period during which he may have been
employed afloat on surveying or other duties ; provided
that during such period he shall actually have had charge
in command of some surveying-ship or other sea-going
vessel ; and provided also that he shall have been borne
for 'Such service as additional captain on the books of
one of her Majesty's rated ships.
2. That a captain superintendent of one of her Ma- ,
jesty's dockyards shall be allowed to reckon as time
served at sea the period which he may have been so
employed ; but time served by an officer as superintend-
ent of one of her Majesty's victualling-yards or hospitals
will, for the future, be no longer allowed to reckon as
equivalent to time served at sea.

DEVONPORT, MARCH 10.
The Sanspareil, 71 (screw), Captain Dacres, bent sails
yesterday, and will go out of harbour to-morrow or the
next day. She has been new masted and supplied with
lighter spars, which, with forty tons of more ballast aft,
it is hoped will improve her stability. She is at present
very deep by the stern, which destroys much of her
graceful appearance. In consequence of some defects in
her cooking and distilling apparatus, the Sanspareil will
be compelled to go to Portsmouth before she will be
ready for sea.
The Vengeance, 84, Captain Lord Edward Russell,
firod a gun yesterday and hoisted blue peter. It was
said she was to go to sea - others, that the signal was
only to bring her men, numbers of whom were ashore,
onboard.

The Rhadamanthus, steamer, Belam, master, and
Camel, lighter, Bond acting master, sailed on Friday
morning with stores for Pembroke.
- The Hanmaze, lighter, Wood, master, sailed on Friday
morning with stores for Queenstown.
DOCKYARD PROMOTIONS.—Mr. Jemmett, to be first-
class clerk, vice Bosley, superannuated ; Mr. Stokes,
third class, to be second vice Jemmett, promoted ;
Mr. Walker, third class, to be second, vice Scott, su-
perannuated. •

Seventeen shipwright apprentices, whose term expires
on Thursday next, are to be entered on the establishment
according to Admiralty orders.
The Afelampus has been taken alongside Penn's fac-
tory, at Deptford, and is shipping the boilersand engines
for the St. Jean d'Acre, 90, screw-ship, at this port.

TRANSPORTATION QUESTION.—The monster grievance
of the Australian Colonies is still unredressed. The
curse of Australia, and the scandal of Britain—the de-
by the
p hr oelmbinegs
testable.convict system—is still maintained, despite the
earliest and reiterated appeals of ,the •colonists, the:
powerful tlheeglatui ; the..
generally, and the innate wickedness and Englishm onsirreousss:
folly of the system. It is imposTshibele to speak of this
excelledtrosi
s teviner
yu
subject in
pse temperatewhorlearumg
permit the continuance
of infatuationth
eo fe tvly,
baseness and and falsehood of
ttisoh n : Englishe only
Nd hel foeopel
warning, and. reckless of the true Sir
welfare
Johnffare Poa kf i
tnhge-
c e petition, and
colonies, still continues to send out ship loads of con-
victed felons to Van Diemen's Land. These felons easily
find means to escape to Victoria ; and mingling with the
scattered thousands at the gold fields they carry on their
customary atrocities almost with impunity. Hence the
crime that abounds is almost wholly referable to this
source. The vast majority of our convicted criminals
are escaped convicts. Had it not been for this intolerable
evil of proximity to a convict colony, there would have
been very little crime in Victoria ; and the resources of
the colony would not need to be lavished upon police,
gaols, and military.--Melbourne Argus.
PARIS FASHIONS. —Whatever may be said of the so-
cial and political nature of the French Court, the en-
couragement afforded to decorative art is liberal, and
the revival of significance in costume well directed. It
is true we do not recognise the brilliancy of the Court
of Louis XIV., nor the peculiarities of the older Empire,
but there exists those characteristics which serve to dis-
tinguish birth and fortune. We were somewhat dazzled
the other day by the sudden revival of gold and silver
ornaments on dress, and coming as it did so immediately
after the quaintness which has so long prevailed, we
were doubtful of its surcess. We have but now seen
some specimens of this fashion at Messrs. Jay's, in Re-
gent-street, and are almost disposed to become admirers
of the change. This firm is not, however, sanguine of
its being the vogue with their patrons, but they have
uisite of these conceits to silver and grey materials—
('
nevertheless adopted and modified a few of the most ex-
-1 Observer.