The Sun.
London, England, 1812-02-26 00:00:00

NAVAL NEWS

PLYMOUTH, FEB. 24.—We regret to state, that
gallant Officer Sir CHARLES COTTON, Bart. 'Admiral
of the White, and Commander in Chief of the
Channel fleet, died yesterday morning at his house
in Plymouth Dock ; he was taken ill very late on
Saturday night, and expired early on Sunday
morning.

Arrived his Majes?y's ship Loire,'of 38 guns, from
the squadron off Brest, and is appointed to take con-
voy to Portsmouth, and is expeCted to sail to-morrow
or the following day ; his Majest) 's ship Vidage of
22 guns, Captain HORNBY, takes convoy to the
Downs, and is, expeded to sail about the latter end
of this week. '

His Majesty's ship Gorgon of 44 guns, is filing
in Hamoaze, for the Mediterranean, and will sail in
a few days.
Arrived a small convoy from the Westward.

PORTSMOUTH, FEB. 25.—Capt. PARKER'S Com-
pany of Artillery, for some time stationed here,
have received orders to embark immediately for ser-
vice in Portugal.
Arrived his Majesty's ships Freija,.Diligent, and
Terinit, from the Mediterranean the-Brune, lion.
Capt. G. DOUGLAS from Lisbon; and the Misleioe
from a cruize.

DEAL, FEn. 25.—Arrived his Majesty's sloop
Peacock, with part of her convoy, for Portsmouth ;
the remainder were dispersed by the successive
gales we hate experienced lately.

THaph o'CLOCK.—The outward-bound which
sailed yesterday have been obliged to bear up again,
and 'twain in the Downs.

FALMOUTU, FEB. 23.—Arrived his Majesty's

slosp Pheasant from a cruize.
Sailed the Initing -schooner, with a fleet, to

Portsmoutl►.

GRAVESEND, FEB. 25.—Sailed die Margaret, of
Himley, and Lord Keith for India.
L.YMINGTON, FEB. 25.—The outward-bound con-
voys remain.

--TORBAY, FEB. 24.—Arrived his Majesty's ships
Herring and Fawn.
Sided his Majesty's ships Aboukir, Cumberland,
and Fawn, for off Brest ; Dwinee for the Brazils ;
and several others outward-bound.

NAVAL APPOINTMENTS.-Capt. Thomas White
is appointed to the temporary command of the Antelope, to
relieve Capt. 'Carpenter ; she is under orders for the East
Indies.—Lieuts. H. Forbes and R. Ramsay are promoted to
the rank of Comnianders ; the Rev. C. Burne is appointed
Chaplain of the Temeraire, at Plymouth; Capt. 1, Tan-
cock to the rank of Post Captain ; Lieuts. A. Mott, C.,
Stewart, G. Arglec, and T. Williams (z) to the Duncan, 74.
commanded by Capf. Lambert ; Lieut. S. Blacker to the
rank of Commander; Mr. Coble to bd Secretary to Admi-
ral Dixon, COmifander in Chief at the Brazils ;- Mr. I S.
Hulbert to be PurSer of the- Renown, 74, at Portsmouth ;
Mr. W. Wills, Purser of the Hydra, to the Thunderer, 74;
Mr. R. S. Sutton,- the Purser of the Success, to the Van-
guard, 74.

Lately as Mr. T. OSBOURNE, the First Lieute-
nant of the Royal Marines, ,was returning on board
the ship Sarah, in Yarmouth Roads, his hands being
benumbed with cold, he requested to be hoisted up in
the boat; a rope was sent down with a bow-line
knot, to put round him for fear of an accident, but
this he had twice declined. He was then hoisted
up along with two boys, w,lati had been left in it to
fix the tackles ; but when .nearly up, the stem ring
of the boat drew out, and in consequence thereof,
Mr. OSBOUBNE was prei:ipated into the sea; and
the tide running very strong, he was instantly carried
away, and never seen after.

An Account of the NUmber of Commercial Li-
censes granted during the last 10 years, distinguish-
ing the years :

1802 - - . 68
111,)3 - - E 66
18)3 - 1041
1804 - 191

Hoc 79t 1809 t 5,226
. 1,62) 1810 13,356
1837 2,6J6 Igjc 7t6u2
18u8 - vpu

The following story is in circulation ; we give it
as it has reached us, without attaching any credit
to it :

" Immediately after
.her divorce, Josephine de-
clared herself pregnant, and was delivered of a son
in August, 18 10, at Lausanne, in Switzerland. The
child was seized by some agents of Savary, the Po-
lice Minister, and has disappeared with them. A
proces venial, with the particulars of this event, was
sent by Josephine's order to Fouche; and, being
intercepted, occasioned the fall of this favourite.—
The present Empress, instead of one son, was deli-
ve►ed of twins, both boys. He who stewed less
healthy was seiztd by Napoleon himself, but whe-
ther t.o be destroyed at once, or to be preserved as a
future recruit for the Buonaparte dynasty, etas not
known to any body but to his lather, and perhaps to
Savary, the perpetrator of all Buonapaite's cruel
deeds, and the confidant of must of his dark and se-
cret enormities. It is also said, that in a dispute with
the Empress, the Queen of Holland told her to her
face, that the: baby, King of Rome, was not the true
heir of the throne of France. Josephine having an
elder son, at whose birth she herself was present."
This anecdote, according to our narrator, finds be-
lievers in all persons in France, who detest Bona-
parte, and who constitute the great majority of the
French nation.

We hear the Quadruped Proprietors have com-
pletely succeeded in their demand for an increase of
salary, Mr. ASTLEY observing at the sane time, that
the prices paid for adrnissiou to his theatres were
much lower than the prices paid for admittance into
that theatre which had latterly been in the habit of
engaging such quadruped actors; but that he (Mr.
ASTLEY) had not the least doubt, that his Right
Hon. and dearly beloved cousins JOHN and Lady
BULL, would amply make up the additional sum
to be paid, by nightly filling the Pavilion Theatre to
the very corners.