The Sun.
London, England, 1841-04-14 00:00:00

WOOLWICH-APRIL 12.

ROYAL, ARTILLERY.—The Horatio, transport ship, ar-
rived at Gravesend on Saturday evening, with Captain
\Verde's and Captain Hope's companies of the Royal Ar-
tillery, from Jamaica, on board, and yesterday came up
the river, and anchored opposite the Royal Arsenal,
Woolvvich. Although the day was Sunday, the men could
not resist the impulse of the moment, but gave three hearty
cheers on reaching the same spot where they bad embarked
about six years ago for a foreign clime. At six o'clock iu
the evciiiaa they disembarked, and marched to their
quarters in the garrison, surrounded by a grata crowd
of persons, who had assembled to welcome them home. A
finer cr licaltbier-looking body of men never returned t
the shores of old England, as, instead of being wan and
emaciated, as might have been expected, they were the
picture of health, and their clothing in excellent condition,
and they were more to be compared with " gen lercen who
live at home at ease" than soldiers who had had duty to
perform abroad. Second-Captain Bingham, the senior
officer with tile companies, had the command ; ansi the other
officers who returned were Second-Captain Geary, and
Lieuts. Graham, Shakespeare, and Wilson.
ACADEMY FOR MARINE CADETS._Arrangements have
now been completed for securing the instruction and pre-
per care of the girls, of whom there were generally 200,
attached to the lower school of the Royal Hospital, Green-
wich, This has been effec2d by placing them with their
relations or friends, and paying a sum of 121. annually with
the girls until they reach the age of 14 years, when they
are put to tradea or household service.
The building recently occupied by the girls will, it is
reported, be immediately converted into an academy for
marine cadets, for the instruction of young gentlemen pre-
vious to their obtaining commissions in that branch of her
Majesty's service, and from the excellent manner in which
the education of gentlemen cadets has been conducted et
the Royal Military Academy, at Woolaich, the Marine
Cadets' Academy at Greenwich will be constituted on si-
milar principles. It is understood the appointment of
marine cadets for instruction in this academy will he made
from those boys belong;ng to the upper school of the Royal
Hospital at Greenwich, who, by their good conduct and
scholastic acquirement, render themselves worthy of this
distinction.

THE LATE GENERAL FERGUSON.

- Our obituary this day records the death of General Sir
Ronald Ferguson, a name equally deer to the army and to
the friends of civil and religious liberty. General Ferguson
entered the army as au ensign on the 3d of April, 1790,
and attained the rank of Major-General in 1808. Oo
several occasions he distinguished himself as a gallant sol-
dier and most able leader, but in the midst of his brilliant
career in the Peninsula he was compelled by a severe it-
disposition, in which his life was in imminent danger, to
withdraw for a time from active service. He served in
Flanders, as Captain, in 1793, and received a wound in
the knee. He was at the first and second capture of the
Cape of Good Hope, and received a medal for Roleia
and Virniera, when he commanded a brigade as Major-
General. By his death the Colonelcy of the 79th Regi-
ment of Foot, or Cameron Highlanders, becomes vacant.
General Ferguson has survived his brother, the late
Robert Ferguson, Esq., only .a few months. Both were
devoted supporters of the cause of civil and religious li-
berty during the worst of times. To both the people of
Scotland were devotedly attached, and will long cherish
their memories.

From the first appearance of Gencral Ferguson in the
House cf Commons to the present time, he has on all oc-
casions stoutly advocated liberal principles. On all those
occasions which try men's constancy and firmness, General
Ferguson was at his post. Thus, for instance, though a
soldier, who had much at stake, his name appears in the
minority for Sir Thomas Turton's amendment, and in the
minority against the motion of the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer, in the famous case of the Duke of York. He
voted against all the unconstitutional measures of 1819 and
1820, which tried the principles of not a few of the Whigs.
But, in short, why should we particularize, when on all oc-
casions he proved himself the staunch and unbending cham-
pion of the rights and liberties of the people. During his
long Parliamentary career he uniformly displayed the most
uncompromising political consistency.
Sir Ronald Ferguson represented the borough of Not-
tingham before the passing of the Reform Act, and has
continued to sit for it ever since. The constituency of
Nottingham distinguished itself in the worst of times by
its uniform choice of representatives devoted to reform.
We trust that the character which it has so justly obtained
will he kept in mind when they make choice of a succes-
sor to General Ferguson. May that successor he imbued
with the principles for which, during a long and honour-
able life, Sir. Ronald Ferguson never ceased to contend I

LAUNCH OF THE PRINCESS ROYAL
STEADIER.—Monday a new steam-ship, named in honour
of the Princess Royal, was launched from the yard of
Messrr. Wigrarn and Green, at Blackwell. The new
vessel, a very handsome one of her class, is destined for
the service of the General Steam Navigation Company.
The yard was crowded with spectators. The Princess
Royal is a stout built vessel, formed of English oak, of
800 tons burden, with a lofty poop deck. The extreme
length is 181 feet 8 inches, width between the paddles 28
feet, depth of hold 17 feet 6 inches, and extreme breadth
oatside her paddles 48 feet. She is built sharp forward,
with a flat bottom and good beam. Her construction is
somewhat peculiar, but she will make a capital sea boat.
She is to be fitted with engines and machinery of 260 horse
power, at the General Steam Navigation Company's fac-
tory, at Deptford. At the top of high water Mr. Brock-
elbank, the managing director of the company, Wolverley
Attwood, Esq., M. P., the chairman, and other directors
of the Company, made their appearance en a temporary
platform erected at the head of the vessel, and prepara-
tions for the launch were immediately commenced, under
the direction of Mr. Gaster, the foreman shipwright, and
precisely at five o'clock Miss Wilkie, the daughter of an
influential director, performed the ceremony of christening
the Princess Royal, by dashing a bottle of wine at her bows.
The fair sponsor bad no sooner completed this task and
made a short address than the dog-shores were removed,
and the Princess Royal, with the colours of all nations
flying above her decks, the Union Jack at her stern, and
the Royal Standard in midships, went steadily off the slip
on which she was built, and mado her first appearance in
the water amidst the cheers of the assembled multitude
and the firing of cannon. The tide drifted her far over
towards the opposite shore, before she was brought up,
when the City of London Ramsgate steamer took her is
tow, and brought her back alongside the yard, where sin:
was safely moored. A finer launch was never witnessed.
UNIFORM CHEAP POSTAGE IN BELGIUM.—
At the close of last yezr an agent of the Belgium Pest-
office visited this country for the purpose of investigating
the working of the penny postage plan. A report of this
examination has recently been submitted to the Belgium
Government, accompanied with recommendations for the
improvement of the Belgium post-office. The principal
featur.es of the changes recommended are the adoption of
a uniform rate of 21. (20 centimes) on all inland let-
ters except those which already cost but Id., optional
pre-payment by means of stamps, an increased allowance
of weight, and proportionate reduced charges in the
transmission of packets by the post. This subject is also
exciting a lively interest in France. If a uniform system
be adopted in Belgium and France, there can be little
doubt it will become general throughout Europe.
FALLING HOUSES.—A correspondent calls
our attention to the dangerous state of some houses to-
wards the east end of Carey-street, and complains not
without reason of the negligence of district surveyors, and
local authorities, in not taking more active measures to pre-
vent such accidents as those which occurred lately in
Fleet-street and St. Giles's.