The Sun.
London, England, 1841-03-20 00:00:00

WOOLWICH-FRIDAY.

In consequence of the promotions which appeared in the
Gazette of Tuesday last, the following changes have taken place :
" The Master-General has been pleased to appoint Lieut.
Ross to the Royal Horse Artillery, vice Grant promoted.
" Lieut. M'Cartney is therefore posted to Major Fogo's
company, Ist battalion.
( Signed) "H. D. ROSS, Colonel, Dep. Adj. Gen."
The Master-General has been pleased to approve of First
Lieutenant Tylie being posted to the Ist battalion, and First
Lieutenant Price to the sth battalion.

The'officers of the steam vessels about to sail on the Niger
expedition dined last evening with the officers of the Royal
Artillery, in their mess-room The band attended during the
whole evening, and played some of the finest airs. The officers
o 7 the Niger expedition were in full naval costume.

.
The Marlborough ordnance sloop arrived from Chatham on
Tuesday, with 16 12-pounder guns and a part of the mizenmast
of the Royal Georg,. This interesting relic of that unfor,u-
nate vessel has been removed from Woolwich in a lighter, to
be deposited as an object of curiosity in the Tower at London
The Marlborough received on board 2,000 32-pundcr shot,
and sailed on the following day for Chatham.

SOUND DUES.—BERLIN, MARCH 8.--The
negotiations respecting the abolition of the Sound duties will,
probably lead to nothing for some time, as Prussia is seconded
only by Sweden, while Denmark obstinately resists. But the
abolition of the tax is such a vital question for Prussia, that the
Estste; of Pomerania and Prussia will make it the subject of a
si:ecial proposition, showing how unjust and arbitrary the duty
is, and earnestly entreating his Majesty to obtain a remedy.
ELEVEN LIVES LosT.---We grieve to state
that last Tuesday there was an explosion of fire-damp in a
coal-mine belonging to the Duke of Hamilton, situated near
Quarter, in the neighbourhood of Hamilton. Seven men who
were on the outside of the mouth of the mine under the im-
pulse of humanity, rushed into the pestiferous atmosphere of
the newly-exploded mine, three of whom were dragged out
alive and four dead, by a third party, who, becoming alarmed
for their safety, came to assist them. Wednesday morning the
bodies of the seven first sufferers were recovered, some of whom
were shockingly mangled by the explosion, in a way that evi-
dently proved that the death of the whole of them must have
been instantaneous. Of the eleven sufferers nine were married,
which last have left widows and families behind them to deplore
their loss. The mine, which is an in-going eye or day level,
where the explosion occurred, WiS completely ventilated, being
open at both ends to the day, having a current of air constantly
passing through it ; and on the morning when the accident oc-
curred had been carefully examined by two overseers, and re-
ported to be free of danger. It appears that the carburetted
hydrogen had been instantly generated from certain fissures
connected with a rise in the metals, the bad effects of which
human foresight could not prevent.—Glasgow Paper.
DEATH OF SIR JOHN RICHARDSON.—
This distinguished lawyer, some years since one of the Judges
of the Court of Common Pleas (which situation he was obliged
to resign in consequence of ill health) died yesterday morning
at his residence in Bedford-square. Sir John was considered
by the profession as one of the s nindest lawyers of the day.
LUNATlCS.—According to the Report of the
Inspet trs of prisons in Ireland, the total number of in-
sane persons confined in that country op the Ist of January,
1841, was, 3,613. Of these 6:20 wore idiots, 310
tic, 973 curable, and 1,710 incurable,