The Sun.
London, England, 1847-12-27 00:00:00

ROYAL MARINES.

The removal of this division of Royal Marines to
Gosport is fixed to take place within six months, the
Admiralty having extended the time for quitting
their present quarters to meet the convenience of
numerous married officers and others connected with
the staff who rent houses in this garrison. A plan of
the alterations and addition at Forton barracks, so
as to afford ample accommodation for 3,000 officers
and men, has been submitted to the Admiralty and
approved of.

We are desired to state that a contemporary an-
nounced the death of Colonel Mercer, Commandant of
the Plymouth division, 48 hours before it took place.
The decease of the above gallant officer really took
place at four o'clock on Friday morning last, by
which event Colonel M'Callum, Second Commandant
of the Portsmouth division, succeeds to the command
at Plymouth.
Lieutenant. Colonel Powell, of the Woolwich divi-
sion, comes to Portsmouth as Second Colonel-Com-
mandant, vice M'Callum; and
Major George Batt Bury, of the Plymouth division,
succeeds to the Lieutenant-Colonelcy, vice Powell,
promoted.
Second Lieutenants A. C. Steel and E. FL Starr,
who have been studying at the Royal Naval College,
are ordered to join the Artillery Companies.
Messrs. Parke, Holland, Macnamara, and Loch,
Royal Marine cadets on board the Excellent, passed
their examinations last week for commissions in the
corps.

'f he following are the promotions and appointments
of the past week :

PROMOTIONS.

Commanders—W. Clark (1840), and Thomas Lewis
Gooch (1842) to the rank of Captain.
Lieutenants—John Barnes (1813), John Bour-
master Dickson (1839), Henry Downing Rogers
(1837), W. Rowlatt (1838), and Henry Caldwell
(1841), to the rank of Commander.

Mate—J. It. Veitch (1846), to the rank of, Lieu
tenant.

Second Masters—George A. Water, W. S. Luke,
George H. Loveridge, Andrew R. Elliott, Henry
Hill, W. H. Betts, John Richards, Richard A. Bur-
stell, Hugh D. Beach, and Thomas Osmer, to the rank
of Master.

Assistant-Surgeons—James Harvey and Rober
Pottinger to the rank of Surgeon.

APPOINTMENTS.

Captain—Lewis T. Jones, to the Penelope, vice
Henry W. Giffard.
Surgeons—Andrew Murray, to the Sealark ; Alex-
ander C. Maclery, to the Inconstant.
Lieutenant—J.R. Baker, to the Coast Guard.
Masters—W. H. Balliston, to command the Kite ;
John Thomas, to the Poictiers.
Chaplain—F. _Hannan, to the Meander.
Naval Instructors—E. B. Barnes, to the Prince
Regent; John Jeans, to the Meander.
Assistant-Surgeon—J. Peters, to the Hercules.
Second Master—J. S. O'Farrell, to the Avenger.
Midshipmen--W. H. Hooper, to the Plover; T.
N. Underwood, to the Inconstant; W. Page, to the
Sealark; T. Sautnarez, to the Excellent; W. B.
Mason and F. Nares, to the Victory ; W. S. Brown,
to the Asia ; J. B. Balfour, to the Prince Regent ;
R. P. Cator, to the Brilliant; T. M. F. Bond, to the
Victory.
Naval Cadets—J. Thorold, to the Inconstant; L.
Wildman, to the Hydra ; G. B. B. Callaghan, to the
Vengeance ; Nicholas, to the Trafalgar ; W. W.
Harvey, and T. B. Hollingworth, to the Raleigh.
Clerks—Andrew S. Little, to the Inconstant; T.
T. Jennings, to the Prince Regent.
Master's Assistant—H. C. A. Wilkinson, to the
Hercules.

THE DUSSERAH AT LAHORE.

The following description of the Dusserah, or great
indoo festival, by an officer present, is taken from
he Gentleman's Gazette Overland, a Bombay paper :
"Lahore, Oct. 20, 1847.
" Yesterday was the Dusserah, the gala day of La-
hore. With his usual kindness the Resident invited
all officers who wished to come, and I thought the
scene well worth the visit.
" I was present a short time before Sir John
Littler and Colonel Lawrence arrived, and, dismount-
ing from my horse, I leaned against the high gates,
which, now flung open, showed the Palace square,
gay with bands of chiefs and their retainers, and
lined on either side with guards of horse and foot; the
led hor,es caracolling in their rich trappings, the
thin lances upshooting from those yellow clumps into
the clear air, and the huge elephants standing in their
quiet magnificence.
"In my front was a rampart wall, crumbling and
dinted with many shots. Every gateway, every
house, had its story of murder, its legend of civil
strife, and now, in the heart of a great capital which
two years ago had
,so. throbbed with stormy anger
and hatred of the enughee, I saw mingled together
the tall Seikh with his yellow dress and dark beard,
the swart Affghan with his large turban and broad
shield, the unarmed English soldier, and the self-
possessed Sepoy.
" And :hopefully and proudly I thought of the
power and generous forbearance of a wise Govern-
ment.
"Ai carriage drives rapidly up. The Resident and
the General with their staff. The Seikh band plays
God save the Queen,' the soldiers present arms, and
the lion guns roar out their welcome.
" A forward rush, the rearing and neighing of
startled steeds, and the wild clamour of trumpets, and
we came to the foot of the raised terrace in front of
the Dewans-i-Am, shaded by rich canopies of red
shawls, on poles of silver. Raja Tej Singh :Led the
Sirdard of the Durbar were theie to receive the visit.
Halfway came the little handsome Maharaja, dressed
in yellow satin, and glittering with royal jewels. We
seated ourselves, Colonel Lawrence and General Lit-
tler on the right and left of the Maharaja. Bags of
rupees were presented by the officers of the Resi-
dency, and then came thronging his chiefs with their
offerings, the wheat-blade in their graceful turbans
speaking the hope of a successful year. So the
little King sat calmly on his throne, now pleased

with a picture, and now bending down his long
dark eyelashes and his bright pleased face to c Gress
the large paroquet on his wrist; while they tol I out
the gold at his feet ; and behind and all about 84 ,angst
the waving fans was a crowd bright as a tulip -bed.
" When the nuzzurs were all made, the.ri came
forth a spangled train of dancing girls; vithout
waiting for their performance, but regaining lay
horse, I hastened to where I could observe. :the ele-
phants, issuing forth in all the barbaric pomp 413 f gold
and silver turrets and painted heads. The young
Maharaja in front sat in his golden howdah, 'smiling
and talking merrily with the Resident (his- egent)
by his side; Sirdars and British officers, friends,
sharing the same s 9 at, joking and cornplitr .enting-
And before all, the rollicking and lusty troop, of
mummers. On, like a sea, rolls the great pr acession
to the battle-field of Ram and the giant Ray din.
" The giant is slain, the jolly mimes are again fro-
licking with their clubs--again thunders on the
cannon. Hurrah for the boy king!
" See that compaet little party of Holmes's Cavalry
with their casques and dark green . vests, how the
horses involuntarily twitch their heads at the sound
" And now the plain and that great crowd is ob-
scured with dust and smoke. We move back through
the tall rustling sugar cane, over the green meadow,
under the high arch, by the new tomb of Runjeet
Singh, by the tall miners, dark against the yellow
sky, and through the narrow bazaar; the blind:beggar,
his mat spread on the wall, cries as the brave show
goes by, ' How costly a thing is sight !' On the
house-tops sit the young and the old ; the palsied
crone, and the little child pranked out in his holiday
suit, all with joined hands and moving lips.
",The Bunneeah peers forth from among his piled-
up goods, and the naked Fakeer screams forth his
blessing; see how the little king smiles as the Saheb
talks with him.

"And as the sun sinks down over the wide down, -We
are again at the palace.
" The peaceful festival is over; who will not join
with us our in rouse for Dhuleep Singh ?
"May his reign prosper,: and bring to the lately.
vexed Punjab a new era, the rich harvest of content.

WILL OF THE MARQUIS
D'A L IGRE.
The late Marquis d'Aligre, a Peer of France, has
left funded and personal property in England valued
for duty at 120,0001., and had made several wif 13 and
testamentary documents, those of later dates ref erring
to the preceding, which made it necessary to. prove
them all, being thirteen in number, as coo taining
together his will, and is one of the longest oaf record.
Every person having two or more legacies of different
value may choose the one most advantageous.,
He has directed that out of his English funded
property the sum of 85,0001. sterling (about 2,000,000
francs) shall be appropriated in founding an ,asylum
at Bourbon Lancy, originally intended, as by a will
dated in 1819, to be built in the town of Chartres,
from which his family originated, as a solace for age,
support of infancy, and a refuge for females who
have gone astray. He leaves also 900,000 _francs
among nine communes in Marans, wherewith to,found
in each an hospital, asylum, monastery, ,or.,hoane for
sisters. To the communes of Beville, Pontgouin, La
Fravril, St. Maurice, and Croissy, 100,000 francs to
each. To St. Maurice the furniture at the castle de
Vaux ; to Beville the furniture at the Castle of baron.
ville ; to Croissy, the furniture at the paviiion of
Croissy ; to the Hospital at Bourbon Lancy tl„iefurni.•
ture in his mansion at Paris and at the Caste of St.
Aubin, with the domains of Vezon Phly and, others.
His woods and trees to be cut for the h,eneft of the
hospitals. To the hospital of Chateau C'.iinon 300,00
francs ; communes of Vilaine and St. Aubin, each
40,000 francs; and as long as ate chateau of St'
Aubin exists, any of the old people, a man or wows!),
born at St. Aubin, and having resided there fifty
years, and of the age of seventy, shall have the right
of admission, an octogenarian having preference.
Also leaves annuities to certain of the occupants, and
those who may require the benefit of the seaside kr
a time, their expenses to be allowed. To Mr Bre..
ton, parish priest of St. Maurice, an annuity of Loco
francs ; and to thirty of the oldest poor of .St...blau.
rice an annuity of 250 francs each. To Mr. Cohen,
curate, 10.000 francs ; and to his niece, Theresin, ern
annuity of 1,000 francs. The legatees and annuitants
are numerous ; some English subjects. To each Per-
son in his employ on his several establishments and
estates he leaves a legacy or annuity, and in many
cases both. To his secretary 50,000 francs, and an an-
nuity of 8,000 francs; and to his wife 20,000 francs'
To M. J. L. A. Debois, notary, 200,000 francs, and
an annuity of 12,000 francs. To Madame Hazard the
books, prints, marble, bronze, pictures, and collections,
and 15,000 francs ; requests M. Bowthier to accept
from his collection of books to the value of 6,000
francs. To his grandson and godson, Etienne Pome-
ron, an annuity of 100,000 francs; and to his grand-
son, Alexis Pomeron, an annuity of 50,000 francs ;
and leaves the immense residue of his property.to his
great-grand-nephews and two great-grand-nieces on
the maternal side, namely, Amelia and Hector Gallard,
son and daughter of Hypolite Gallard ; and Marie and
Edward Collet, son and daughter of Madame de Padet
Collet, to be the universal legatees. He has left to
each of his executors, Messieurs Breton and Guyet
des Fontaines, notaries, a diamond, or bequest of the
value of 50,000 francs.

Madame d'Aligre having died in the autumn of last
year, 1846, and wishing to offer a token of affection
to her family, and a mark of respect to her memory,
he bequeaths to M. Cyprian de Pontaine and wife
500,000 francs; and bequeaths to the Hospital of
Bourbon Lancy the statue of Madame d'Aligre and
bas relievo, both of silver; and directs that his wife's
remains, deposited at Chartres, shall be placed close
to his. Forbids his body being opened, but a
seasonable operation performed, to ascertain the fact,
of his death, Without undressing, and to be wrapped
in one of the sheets of his bed. Prayers to be said
over his corpse, near which two priests shall attend,
and be relieved by others, but to remove him 113
speedily as possible to his burial place without any
decorations or uniform. His
(laughter to cause 1,000
low masses to he said in Paris, and requested 0
that
t
no search should be made for his papers until eight
days after his death, and that seals should be Placer.
on his depositories. One of the testamental.), papers
was headed thus—" The happiness of doing go—
consoles a good man." Another commenced thus.—
" commend my soul to God, and, having lived as
an honest man, I hope in his mercy, having always
endeavoured to do good;" and in another—" I de-
clare, in this solemn hour, I have a pure conscience.'
By his death this country is saved the further• Par
ment of 50,000/. per annum, the Marquis having
purchased, with half a tnillion sterli,,g, annuities to
that amount on his own life in the National Debtand
Government Annuity Office, Old Jewry, London,
one quarter (12,5001.) being claimed by his exe-
cutors.

_
STARTLING FACTB.—The Lincoln Mercury says--
" The practice of taking opium, laudanum, ether, And
morphia, has increased, and is increasing, amongst the
population of the fens of Cambridgeshire and Lincoln-
shire to a frightful extent. It obtains amongst the aged,
the infirm, and the young, and it is confined to neither
sex—old men, old women, and young women are equally
its victims. It may be safely averred that every second
customer who visits the druggist's purchases opium,
laudanum, or some opiate or narcotic, whilst every
Feco ti d customer of the grocer is a purchaser of tobacco.
It is common to see the man or woman of 20, 30, or 40
years, with cadaverous countenance, tottering frame,
and palsied step, daily going for his or her sixpenny-
worth of poison; and we have heard of yearly bills of
201. in one family for opium and laudanum! In the
to Am of ‘1; iJbeach alone there are 400fgallons oflaudanum
lit Id and swallowed every year; eight gallons of
laudanum per week, one small shop actually vondinfi
two gallons of this quantity! The apothcary
practice is thus a lucrative one in the fens. 11ak,°,,
away the laudanum retail trade, and the druggist 7
occupation is gone—it is the staple of the trade. Added
to this frightful consumption of laudanum,
there are
1,128,780 gallons of beer, and 20,500 gallons of ardent
spirits, consumed annually in Wisbeach. To manufac-
ture the one and to vend the other, there are no fewer
than 2 insisters, 12 brewers; 9 wholesale dealers in
ardent spirits, 48 innkeepers, and 45 Tom and Jerries.
As if this were was not enough to vitiate the appetite,
or rather to satisfy the cravints of a vitiated appetite.
there is to be added to the catalogue the fact of there
being 170 persons retailing tobacco. To counteract all
this laudanum, beer, and spirit swallowing, and tobacco
inhaling, there are 70 dealers in coffee and tea, with
two coffee-houses, nicknamed temperance hotels."

BIRTEIs.
On the 24th inst., at the Royal Clarence Baths, Devonport,
the wife of Edward Prothero, Esq , A.D.C., of a son.
On the 19th inst., at Sronehouse, Plymouth, Mrs. C. Lang-
ton Massingberd, of a daughter.
On the 18th inst., at Dover Castle, the lady of Lieutenant
King, 59th Regiment, of a son. . _

MARRIED. •
On the 23d inst., at Chevening Church, Kent, Sir Charles
henry Ibbetson, Bart., of Denton Park, Yorkshire, to Eden,
widow of Percival Perkins, Esq., late of lisworth-placer
Durham.