The Sun.
London, England, 1849-01-12 00:00:00

PROMOTIONS.

Commander William Peel (seniority 27th of June,
1846) is promoted to the rank of captain, in accordance
with a minute, in acknowledgment of his talents and
merits, left by the late First Lord of the Admiralty.
Captain Peel earned, by study and practice, his first
step in the navy, having passed the best examination on
record for the rank of lieutenant. There is but one
promotion at the disposal of the Royal Naval College
for the officer who passes the best examination, and
Mr. Peel obtained that prize. Captain Peel served as
lieutenant in her Majesty's ship America, 50 guns.
under the Honourable Captain Gordon, on the South
Pacific station ; also in her Majesty's ship Thalia
42 guns, Captain Hope; and in the Cormorant, steam-
sloop, Commander Gordon, both on the Pacific station.
Captain Peel brought home (overland) some important
dispatches relative to the then existing state of feeling
upon the subject of Oregon, for which he received the
thanks of the Admiralty; he subsequently assisted in
fitting out her Majesty's steam-sloop Devastation for the
pendant of the Commander-in-Chief upon the west coast
of Africa station; and the Constance, 50-gun frigate,
C aptain Sir B. W. Walker, K.C.B. (the present surveyor
o f the navy), for service in the South Pacific; and was
romoted to the rank of commander on the 27th of June
1 846; and on the llth of February following was ap-
pointed to command her Majesty's 12-gun sloop Daring,
on the North American and West India station, which
vessel he brought home and paid off in the autumn of
a at year.
Commander Adolphus Slade (1841) is promoted to
the rank of Captain. This officer went to sea in 1817
with Captain (now Rear-Admiral) Falcon, and served
in his and other ships in South America, in the West
Indies, and Mediterranean till 1827, when he was made
Lieutenant in the Ariadne. Not obtaining another ap-
pointment, on that ship being paid off on the following
year, he went to Constantinople, and served as a volun-
teer in the Turkish fleet during the last war between
Turkey and Russia, interesting details of which he
published after his return to England. This service
gave him a practical acquaintance with the Euxine,
and he improved it afterwards when sent by the Com-
mander-in-Chief in the Mediterranean to visit Sebasto-
pol and the mouths of the Danube, and to report on the
Russian navy in that sea. While a lieutenant of the
Caledonia in the Mediterranean in 1834-5-6, he was em-
ployed by the late Admiral Sir Josias Rowley on politi-
cal missions of an important character at Constantinople
and elsewhere in the Ottoman dominions. The Admiral
repeatedly thanked him for such service, and in 1835
recommended him officially to the Admiralty for promo-
tion, repeating his recommendation more impressively
when he struck his flag in 1837. Four years later
Captain Slade was promoted to the rank of Commander,
in which grade he passed two years at the Royal Naval
College, and at Woolwich, studying steam and other
subjects of national interest and import. In
1846 he commanded the Recruit iron experi-
mental brig, and carried out in her a series of inte-
resting trials concerning the effect of induced magne-
tism on the compass, whereby the theory propounded
by Mr. Walker, the Queen's Harbour-master, at Ply-
mouth, of the existence of local deviation of the magnetic
needle in a vessel, due to the inclination of the vessel to
port or to starboard, Tarrying as the angle of inclination,
was fully confirmed. Having elicited this startling fact,
the Recruit was sent to join Sir William Parker's
squadron at Lisbon, and was actively employed on that
station during the intervention in 1847 in favour of
Donna Maria, and the judicious conduct of her com-
mander at the Azores, when stationed at those islands
for the protection of British interests, obtained the ap-
probation of the Foreign-office and of the Admiralty.
The Recruit was paid off as a failure in November, 1847,
under the impression of the unfitness of iron vessels for
the navy.
Acting-Commander Von Donop, of the President, 50,
flagship of Vice-Admiral Dacres, is confirmed to the
rank of commander.

Lieutenant T. H. Lysaght, in command of the Grap-
pler steamer on the coast of Africa, son of Rear-Admiral
Lysaght, is promoted to the rank of commander.
Navel Cadets—N. Osborn to the Fisgard pendant
ship at Woolwich ; E. A. Lnckraft and W. Whit-
combe to the Victory flag-ship at Portsmouth ; the
Honourable F. Boyle to the Vengeance, 84- gun-ship, at
Malta.
Her Majesty's ship Pembroke, 72 guns, has had a com-
plete refit in dock at Portsmouth, and was removed to
moorings in the ordinary, on Tuesday.
Ttaz ADMIRAL OF TIDE FLERT.—Sir James Hawkins
Whitshed is still in a most precarious state, sometimes
and sometimes sinking. The office of Admiral
of the Fleet will not be revived when yielded up with life
by the present holder, except hostilities afloat call for
such an officer in actual service.
The Penelope steam-
frigate, Commodore Sir Charles
Hothani, left St. Helena for Ascension homewards on
the 25th of November.
A brig,
locking remarkably like the Espiegle, 12,
was in sight from half-past twelve o'clock to-day for
upwards of an hour. She has most likely taken shelter
in Sandown-bay, Isle of Wight, the wind being too
strong for her to work into Spithead , cr even to St.
Helen's, the latter being, moreover, too much exposed.
N.W.nd N.N.W. has been
A tremendous gale from e . •
blowing all day and part of last night.
Wind, le,N.w. ; strong gales and cloudy.
ROYAL MARINES.
The recruiting parties at Hull, Stafford, and Bir-
mingham, under the command of Captains Heriot,
Banes, and Curry respectively, are called in to head-
quarters, notwithstanding that the corps have 800 men
short of complement. it is reported that the Royal
Marine force is about to be reduced 1,500 men, by taking
nine men away from each company. We sincerely hope
such an insane measure is not sincerely contemplated.
Those who do contemplate it will do well to consider the
value of the commodity they would throw away. A
Marine is not like a land soldier ; he cannot be trained
in a week or a month ; time alone will make a good and '
serviceable Marine, whose duties are very foreign to
those of shore-serving troops. The economists had bet-
ter reduce any amount of the shore-serving forces than
one company of Marines. This is only a common sense
view of the matter, and we trust, for the welfare of the
national defence, it will he seen in that light only,
PLYMOUTH, JAN. io.—Her Majesty's frigate Calliope,
26, Captain Edward Stanley, alter some detention, was
paid off yesterday.
The Crane packet, from Falmouth, is gone up harbour
to-day to refit.
Her Majesty's steam-vessel Driver arrived from Ports-
mouth on the 7th, and left for that port tae next day,
the Sth.
Moorings for eight steamers are ordered to be laid in
Hamoase. This order is said to be in anticipation of the
establishment of a steam reserve at this port.
Admiral Sir John West, K C. 8., late commander-in-
chief at this port, and Vice, Admiral Mainley, have
been reported as suffering from severe indisposition.
Vice-Admiral M‘Kinley, now in his 83d year, although
confined to his bed and suffering great pain from a se-
vere attack of gout, is recovering.
The Admiralty have given directions for the reduction
of the staff of the Royal lkckyard Battalions one-half,
on the Ist of April next.
Wind, westerly, stiff breeze, with rain.

The Christmas pantomime of Harlequin Aladdin
is being played, with great success, at the Theatre
Royal, Edinburgh.