The Sun.
London, England, 1847-12-29 00:00:00

~~

PORTSMO ITTH, DEC. 28.—Admiral Sir Charles
Ogle gave his second grand entertainment to upwards
of 200 guests, comprising the officers and their ladies
of the heads of the Government departments, the ships
in commission, the regiments in garrison, and the re-
sidents of the borough, this evening at the Admiralty-
ho u se.

Rear-Admiral Dundas, C. 8., M.P., accompanied by
Lady Emily Dundas and the Hon. Augustus More-
ton, passed through Portsmouth yesterday on a visit
to Mr. Dixon, at Stanstead-park, whence the First
Naval Lord of the Admiralty and Lady Emily will
proceed to visit Vice-Admiral Warren. Admiral
Dundas visited Sir Charles Ogle on passing through,
and made a cursory inspection of one or two objects
in the dockyard, remarking, en passant, on the ex-
pense of the Terrible steam-frigate, which vessel is
retarded in her equipments considerably by the want
of her gun carriages from Woolwich. The whole of
the internal fittings of this vessel have been deranged
this refit, and a complete metamorphosis between
decks has taken place from Captain Ramsay's cabin
forward. This, however, is not the caprice of the
captain or officers, but is the result of a change of
armament and concomitant circumstances. Some
portions of her engine gear are also at Woolwich.
The Rolla, 10, Commander Ellicombe, lately from
the coast of Africa, was paid off all standing this day.
She is now to be attached to the flag• ship Victory, as
a training-ship for boys, 200 of whom will be placed
upon the Victory's books immediately for that
purpose.
The Rifleman, new screw gun-boat of 200 horse
power, after numerous trials under various circum-
stances of defective machinery, alterations of screw,
&c., is at length dispatched to Woolwich, having pro-
ceeded thither this morning, in charge Gf the officers
and men who brought the Gorgon to this port, to
have suitable engines substituted for those she now
has. Miller and Ravenhill made the Rifleman's en-
gines, but, like those of the Amphion, they have never
been effective.

The Prince Regent, 92, Captain W. F. Martin,
picks up men very slowly, although there are hun-
dreds unemployed at this port. Men seem to have an
insurmountable antipathy to heavy ships, especially
such as have half-a-dozen prisons on board of them.
The Rolla was this day paid off, but out of about 50
disposable seaman, we do not expect she will contri-
bute a man to the Prince Regent's complement.
When the Recruit, 12 gun iron-brig, was paid off at
this port a couple of months since, the Bel'ask, 72,
and the Bellerophon, 79, were the only ships in want
of men here, and yet, out of 60 blue jackets so paid
off from the brig, only one entered for the Belleisle
and one for the Bellerophon, all the others entered
small vessels commissioned at the eastward and west-
ward. The only inducement for a sailor to enter a
large ship is popular officers ; but where an increase
of labour and a decrease of comfort are offered them,
their pay being the same as in a small vessel, it is not
reasonable to expect large ships to be speedily manned
as more favourite craft.

The Avon steam surveying-vessel, Commander
Otter, is ordered to convey to Cork one subaltern,
two sergeants, two corporals, and twenty-three pri-
vates ; of this division of Royal Marines, to be placed
under the orders of Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Ussher,
Commander-in-Chief on the Irish station.

The Mercury tender returned from Sheerness to-
day.
The Kite steam-vessel, Master Commander Ballis-
ton, is fitting for towing service at Bermuda.
The Firefly steam-vessel, Lieutenant Commander
Ponsonby, fitting at this port, will be ready to take
the second mail to the coast of Africa by the end of
next month.

The Sharpshooter iron steam-vessel, sister vessel
to the Rifleman, was finished this day by Mr. Hay and
his employes, under whose hands she has been receiv-
ing a coat of Hay's adhesive substances on one side,
and the composition of a Mr. Chanter on the other,
for some time past, and will be ready to go out of
dock for trial or commission to-morrow.

The Plumper auxiliary screw-brig, building by Mr,
Fincham, under one of the new slips, has her first
planking on and beams aeross for laying the decks.
She will be complete in about another month.

The Arrogant, 46, screw steam-frigate, on the ad •
joining slip to the Plumper, has a gang of shipwrights
and caulkers employed upon her, making the altera-
tions in her after run and bilge, alluded to as having
been resolved on some time since.

The Leander, 50, new frigate, built on the design
of Mr. Blake, the late master-shipwright of this esta-
blishment, is receiving the last offices of the artisans
employed upon her (viz., a coat of ordinary colour
paint), prior to being floated out of dock.
The Retribution steam-frigate is in the master-
rigger's department. She wants only her funnel to
render her machinery workable. She is otherwise
being brought forward with speed as an available
steam-ship.
The Ajax steam-guardship is in the bands of Cap-
tain Horatio Austen, C. 8., and assistant, resolving
upon the establishment of her propelling powers, &c.
The Blenheim steam-guardship, Captain Baynes,
is in the basin, re-fitting and undergoing sundry al-
terations and improvetnents.
The Cormorant and Cuckoo steam-vessels are in
the engineer-in-chiefs department, and will be the
first steamers whose machinery will be repaired by
the new steam establishment at this port, which will
co!Emence work next spring.
Wind N. by E. Moderate breezes and hazy wea-
ther—five o'clock rat.

MURDER OF A CHILD DT ITS MOTHElL—Consider-
able sensation was occasioned on Thursday last in the
neighbourhood of Great Waltham, in this county, by a
report that an infant, only 14 days old, had been mur
dered at North-end, its mother having cut its throat with
a razor, which unhappily proved to be true, for upon
some of the neighbours entering the house of Charles
Prior, a labouring man, the child was discovered in bed
with its mother, weltering in its own blood, the head
being almost severed from the body. When found the
child waa not dead, but expired in a few minutes, and
before a surgeon could be called in. From the circum •
stances which have transpired there is every reason to
believe that the unhappy parent was at the time in a
state of temporary derangement, strict orders having
been given by her medical attendant, a few days pre
viously, that she should not be left alone. Au inquest
was held at the Butcher's Arms, Black Chapel, on Friday
afternoon, before Mr. C. C. Lewis and a respectable
jury, at which a verdict of " Wilful murder" against
Martha Prior was returned, and the Coroner issued his
warrant for her committal. The accused woman, who
is yet unfit to he removed, is under the strict surveillance
of the police.—Esser Herald.
DEATH or SHERIFF SPEIRS...-4t iS with feelings
of the most poignant sorrow that we record the death of
Graham Speirs, Esq., the Sheriff Depute of Edinburgh..
shire, which took place between one and two o'clock on
Saturday morning at his house, near Wardie ; the
learned gentleman has fallen a victim to the prevailing
epidemic. Sheriff Speirs was aged about fifty-three.
He entered life as a naval officer, but having quitted the
service at the peace, turned his attention to the law, and
in 1820 passed as an advocate at the Scottish bar.—
North British Mail.

T.. NEW COMET.—The Diario di Roma of the
15th of December says—" We announce with pleasure
the re-appearance of the comet discovered in this capital
on the 3d of October last. Having advanced with great
rapidity towards its point of extreme declination in the
southern hemisphere, and become invisible to all spec-
tators, it is once more beginning to make its appearance
above our horizon, a few hours before sunrise. On the
morning of the 10th we discovered it near the point
which our previous calculation had assigned it." The
above communication is supplied to the Diarie from the
observatory of the Roman College, and may, therefore,
be taken as official astronomical information.
THE MODEL LODGER.—He is a quiet gentleman.
A smile is permanently settled on his clean face. He
wipes his boots on the mat before he walks up stairs.
He pays a high rent, and has few friends. lie leaves
his drawers open. He has a cellar of coals et a
time. He takes in a newspapei, and is not in a hurry
for it in the morning. Lie is never out later than
ten. He shaves with cold water. He never adds up a
bill. He is fond of children. He likes to buy them
sweetmeats, and to take one, occasionally to the theatre.
He never has supper. He never dines at home, ex-
cepting on a Sunday, and that rarely. The landlady
orders then his dinner; it is generally a very large joint,
with plenty of veg.tables, a ♦ery large pie, and a very
large slice of cheese. He never inquires for the joint,
or the pie, or anything, the next day. He lends his
books cheerfully. He is in doubt about the exact num-
ber of his shirts. lie rarely rings the bell. He pays for
extra without a murmur. Rather likes music. Does
not object to a flute and a piano playing different tunes
at the same time. lie is never in arrear with his rent;
if it is not paid the very day it becomes due, the
reason is because he has paid it the any before. The
model lodger is sheepish, rich, and contented.--Punch's
Alsanack

MILITARY EMIGRATION TO NEW ZEALAND.—.
BELFAST, DEC. 24.—The Anne, Government transport
ship, with volunteers from the pensioners of the United
Kingdom, has been lying for the last two months in the
Lough, opposite to Carrickfergus, in consequence of
small pox and measles having broken out among the
children, but as they have now completely recovered, the
vessel sailed on Wednesday for New Zealand. We
have never seen a vessel better fitted up for the comfort
and accommodation of passengers. We understand that
ere long another batch of the enrolled pensioners will be
allowed to extend their services to New Zealand. There
will shortly be an addition made to the local companies
of this district, from the reserve.—Banner of Ulster.
[ADVERTISEMENT.]—The pre-eminence of Hollo-
way's Pills for the Cure of Bad Digestion and Liver and
Stomach Complaints.—The superiority of Holloway's
Pills are a safe and effectual remedy in all cases where
the stomach is deranged, the digestion impaired, or the
liver diseased, is universally acknowledged by all classes
of society throughout the civilised world. For the cure
of those complaints they surpass every other medicine
hitherto discovered, they act so directly upon the disease*
that sufferers need only to give them a trial to be con-
viuced of their efficacy, particularly those persons who
have had their maladies aggravated by a long residence
in India. Sold by all druggists, and at Professor Hollo-
way's Establishment, 244, Strand, London.