The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-21 00:00:00

PROMOTION.

Mate—James Wilcox (1851), serving as First Mate of
the Rattler, 11, screw steam-sloop on the East India
and China station, to the rank of Lieutenant.

Rear-Admiral Sir James Stirling. appointed yesterday
to be Commander-in-Chief of the East India and China
stations, arrived at Woolwich at half-past 11 o'clock to-
day to take up his commission, and he has his flag
hoisted on the Fisgard flag-ship at this port, as is usual
on the appointment of a flag officer to a foreign station,
when his flag-ship is not ready at any of the naval ports
in this country.
Commodore John Shepherd inspected the Volcano
steam-vessel, Commander Robert Coote, on her arrival
at this port from service on the west coast of Africa to
be paid off, and she was taken into the basin to-day,
preparatory to• delivering over her rigging and other
stores, before being paid off.
The Centaur, 6, paddle-wheel steam-frigate, of 540
horse-power, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral William Hender-
son, C. 8., on the South-East Coast of America
station, was at Rio de Janeiro on Dec. 13, all well. She
had previously been on a cruise to Bahia and Pernambuco
and back, and only had her steam up for five days during
her cruise to these places and return to Rio.

ANOTHER SCREW SHIP OF THE LINE COM
MISSIONED.

The Admiralty have commissioned another screw ship
of the line, the James Watt, of 91 guns and 600 horse-
power. Another Elliot has been selected from the half-
pay list to active service, in command of this ship, viz.,
Captain George Elliot, who paid off the Phaeton, 50, a
few months since, and who, as a captain, commanded
the Eurydice, 26, and one or two other ships. Captain
Elliot is the son of Admiral the Hon. George Elliot,
C. 8., and nephew of the Earl of Minto. He entered the
navy so late as 1827, and is a captain of 131 'years'
standing. Captain Elliot has never before commanded
a steam-vessel, but he is considered a clever officer and
seaman, although promoted in time of peace with as
much rapidity as the immortal Nelsen. We have now
in commission the following screw-ships of the line :
Duke of Wellington ... 131 guns.
Royal George... ... ... 121. „
St. Jean d'Acre ... 101 „
Agamemnon ... 91 „
Princess Royal ... ••• ... 91 ~
James Watt ... ... 91 „
Cressy ... ... 81
Sanspareil' ... 71 „
with the screw guard-ships
Blenheim ... ... 60 guns.
Hogue ... 60 „
Ajax ... ... ... 58 „
Edinburgh ... ... 56 „
But in the course of a few months the force of screw
ships of the line will be increased to 18 sail by the addi-
tion of
Royal Albert ... 131 guns.
Caesar ... 91 „
Hannibal ... 91 „

Exmouth 91 „
Algiers .:. 91 „
which, with the two heavy screw-frigates,
Imperieuse ... 51 guns.
Euryalus ... 51 „
will restore the navy of England to its proper position
—the most powerful, at least in number and efficiency
of ships, in the world.
In the meantime let it not be forgotten that the
French are most industriously working up their screw
fleet. In July, 1852, when the Tinzes insisted that they
had nothing equal to our Agamemnon, then just
launched, without a spar or gun on board of her, and
the Arrogant, a 47-gun frigate, our friendly rivals had
no less than three screw line-of-battle ships in actual
service, two or three fitting, and half-a-dozen building.
Since then, however, the British Admiralty, as we so
repeatedly urged them to do, have run ahead of the
French, and although France has more than 12 or 14
screw-ships of the line afloat, and are to have 20 in
commission very shortly, we have outstripped them,
and having resumed the lead, we shall not, we trust,
be deluded by any ignorant misrepresentations or insane
cry of economy, and get behindhand again.—Morning
Herald.

MANNING THE NAVY.—The following are the new
regulations relative to the height of applicants desirous
of entering for service in the Royal Navy :—" Wanted,
or. board Her Majesty's ship Fisgard at Woolwich, for
the Royal Navy, and for 10 years' continuous service,
with leave to visit their friends from time to time, men
between the age of 19 and 22, not less than 5 feet 61
inches high, stout, lialthy, and intelligent ; also lads,
between the age of 17 and 19, not less than 5 feet 5
inches at 17, and not less than 5 feet 6 inches at 18.
Lads under 18 must come with the consent of their
friends and bring the register of their birth. When sent
to sea men will receive 1/. 18s. 9d. per month."

THE ARMY.

ROYAL ARTILLERY.

Woouncil, Jan. 20.—Captain H. Austin Turner's
company Ist battalion, recently returned from Barba-
does ; Captain George R. Baker's company 6th battalion,
recently returned from Jamaica, and Captain H. W.
Montressor's company, recently returned from Bermuda,
with the whole of the detachments of Royal Artillery in
the garrison under orders to embark in the Cyclops
steam-frigate, to proceed in her to fill up the companies
at Gibraltar, Malta, and Corfu, assembled in heavy
marching order at half-past 10 o'clock to-day, on the
guard mounting parade, and were inspected by Colonel
Willis, inspector of drills, accompanied by all the
commanding officers of the twelve battalions and
Brigade-Major Bingham, there being a portion of
every battalion in the corps under inspection. Colo-
nel Willis, after making a very minute inspection
of the men and their appointments, expressed his
approbation of their clean and soldier-like appearance.
A number of parties have been selected from the batta-
lions for the recruiting service, and they will proceed
immediately into the country to raise recruits for the
Royal Regiment of Artillery, for the purpose of filling
up the battalions to their full strength, and it is said to
form the nucleus of two additional battalions, which are
expected to be added to their corps in April, on the com-
mencement of the financial year. Eleven fine grey
horses left the garrison this morning, in charge of a
non-commissioned officer and four gunners, for Bristol,
to complete Capt. Dennis Pack's grey battery at that
station.

It is stated to-day that orders have been received at
the Royal carriage department to mount 1,100 pieces
of ordnance of various calibre with the great despatch,
and that the workmen are to work overtime to meet the
requirements of the service, and to be fully prepared for
any emergency that may arise owing to the present
aspect of affairs.

POST OFFICE LETTER CARRIERS.—The Lords of Her
Majesty's Treasury have signed a warrant of a grant
for 3,0001. for the additional pay of the letter carriers
at present in the London district, and for an increase in
their numbers.
___ _

LORD PANMURE.—We have pleasure to announce
that the health of this esteemed nobleman continues to
improve. his recent attack of gout has been the most
serious he ever had. Lord Panmure was enjoying the
hospitalities of the Marquis of Breadalbane at Taymouth
Castle ; and his Lordship would have remained there
but for the fact that there is no resident physician at
the castle. The noble Lord, apprehensive of the serious
nature of his illness at once proceeded to Pitfour Castle,
vvhere, under the care of his Lordship's private physi-
cian ,Dr, Ellis, of Carnoustie, he has gradually ap-
proached afitate of convalescence. —Pert4 Constitutional,