The Sun.
London, England, 1848-05-22 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

PORTSMOUTH, SUNDAY.—We have accounts from Sir
Thomas Herbert's squadron to the 31st of March, at
which time the Raleigh, 50, bearing the broad pendant
of Commodore Sir Thomas Herbert, the Fire..
brand steam-frigate, Captain Hope; the Alecto steam-
sloop, Commander Massingberd; the iron steamers
Lizard, Lieutenant-Commander Pears, and the Harpy,
Lieutenant-Commander Tomlinson, were at Monte
Video, together with the United States frigate Brandy-
wine, and several French, Brazilian, and Spanish men-
of-war.
" The Griffon brigantine, Lieutenant Commander
Thin-burn, sailed from Monte Video on the 10th of
March with sealed orders. Supposed destination, the
Falkland Islands.
" On the 30th of March the vessels of War at Rio de
Janeiro were—the Comus, 16, Commander D'Eyncourt;
the Acheron surveying steam-vessel, Captain Stokes;
the Swift packet, the Crescent receiving ship, and a
Peruvian steamer, newly arrtved from the United States,
bound to Valparaiso. The Grecian, 16, Commander
Tindal, was cruising.
"The Inconstant, 36, Captain Shepherd,
are gone
Hy-
dra steam-sloop, Commander Skipwith, are gone down
to the Plata. The Mariner, 12, Commander Mathison,
touched at Rio on her way from the coast of Africa to the
East Indies.

"Lieutenant Ballard, who came out in the Asia, 84,
is appointed to the Alecto ; Lieutenant Hollingsworth
to the Raleigh ; Lieutenant d'Aguilar, to the Grecian.
Lieutenant Phelps, late first of the Raleigh, proceeds
home in the packet to join the St. Vincent, 120, as flag-
Lieutenant to Rear-Admiral Sir Charles Napier. IT. .
bears dispatches from Sir Thomas Herbert and the Bri-
tish Minister. Commander Tatham has returned to do
duty on board the Raleigh, and is succeeded on shore by
Flag-Lieutenant Egerton.
" The Firebrand steam-frigate, with Lord Howden on
board, will leave Rio for England four days after her ar-
rival from the River Plate. So you will have her at
Spithead shortly after the packet.
" All—that is in the River Plate and Rio—are
anxiously awaiting the decision of the new Minister.
" At Monte Video, on the 9th iust., several companies
of Basques refused to go on board until the Government
paid them their arrears. The Government tried to bor-
row money from the merchants, but succeeded in raising
a verysmall quantity only. During the some night(tha•-
9th) many robberies were committed, it is believed by
these bands. On the 10th they returned to their daty.
On that night several more robberies were committed;
but now all is apparently quiet."
The Howe, 120, Captain Sir James Stirling, was docked
yesterday for a slight repair. She is ordered to be at
Spithead by the 29th inst.
The St. Vincent, 120, Captain Dacres, flag of Sir
Charles Napier, wants a new capstan, and will be gene-
rally refitted in about nine days.
The Dido, 20, Captain Maxwell, sailed from Auckland,
New Zealand, on the 24th of December, for the Fejee
Islands.
The Portsmouth Naval Club held their quarterly
meeting at the Portland Hotel, Southsea, on Friday
evening, Captain Sir Richard Grant in the chair. About
30 officers sat down to a first-class dinner, prepared by
Mr. Dent, complete in all its appointments. The known
vivacity and good humour of the Gallant Chairman, the
superiority of the viands, the old "barns" which brought
back cock-pit times fresh to the memories of the
veterans around the festive board, kept them together
beyond club hours, and yielded to all a cheerful enter-
tainment.
OPENING OF TILE NEW STEAM-BASIN AT PORTS-
23.,riMr7*---The most extensive preparations are being
ceremony
the accommodation of the public to witness the
is to takye ofpl
place
ee opening
the
timeothef fn ebw. steam-basin,
3 P.M., on Thursday next Te he igprincipal or grand
stand is formed like a section of an an3phitheatre, and is
on the east side of the basin, the outlet to the north
dthoicskd.
ocTk hise ctohrenelrasotosptionnge-,5
tin,: forming the entrance to
lacintls and other coping
ai temporary being all complete. At this nosiwt.
land-
ing place has been built, where supposed her
Majesty and the Royal party will disembark the
Royal yacht Fairy, after she has enteredmilr
the basin.
Along the pier-head and sea wall, forming the north side
of the basin, a long line of booths are in course of
erection. Booths have also been built in the large
openings in the new storehouse that extends nearly
700 feet along the margin of the west side of the basin. .
large booth is also being erected on the south side; this, we
understand, is for the use of the admirals, the principal
personages of the dockyard, and their families and
friends. The stones, timber, and rubbish has all been
cleared away, and the ground levelled and made good
completely round the margin of the basin, so there will
be no lack of room for all the persons who may wish. to
witness the spectacle. Should the day prove fine, no
doubt many thousands of persons will attend the
ceremony.
IMPORTANT ORDER RESPECTING BILLETING MA-
RINES.—The Lords of the Admiralty have caused an
alteration to be made in the law as to the billeting of
Marines. By the Marine Mutiny Act, just passed and
now in force, it is enacted, " That upon the order or
orders in writing, under the hand of the Lord High
Admiral, or the hands of two or more of the Commis-
sioners for executing the office of Lord High Admiral,
or upon the order or orders of any commandant or
commanding officer of any division of Royal Marines,
constables &c., are required to billet the officers and
marines, Whether marching or otherwise, in victualling-
houses and other houses specified in this Act, and they
shall be received by the occupier of such houses, and be
furnished by such victualler with proper accommodation
in such houses, and with a separate bed for each ma-
rine ; or if any victualler shall not have suffi-
cient accommodation in the house, then in some good
and sufficient quarters, to be provided by such victualler
in the immediate neighbourhood. And it is further
enacted, that if any person liable by this Act to have
any officer or marine quartered on him shall refuse to
receive any such officer or marine, or to afford him such
proper accommodation, he shall forfeit any sum not
exceeding 51., nor less than 405., and that all provisions
for such billeting shall extend and apply to all inns,
alehouses, and to all houses of all persons licensed to
sell beer, ale, porter, cider, or perry by retail, to be
consumed or drank in their dwelling-houses and pre-
mises."

THE ADMIRALTY DOCKYARD GRATUITY.—The Ad-
miralty have ordered a foreman of the dockyard in each
establishment to be selected and reported to their Lord-
ships for the annual bonus of 50/., granted under the
new dockyard regulations. A gratuity of 50/, has been
ordered to be paid by the Admiralty to the widow of
Mr, D. Banes, late foreman at Sheerness.

EXPERIMENTAL SQUADRON.—The Caledonia, 120, is
about to go out of llamoaze into the Sound; and the
Ganges, 84, is at the Great Nore. If it is wished to
form a channel fleet this summer, these will come to
Spithead, and join the St. Vincent, 120, Prince Regent,
92, Powerful, 84, Bellerophon, SO, and Howe, 120; and,
should it be wished to exercise a larger number of ships,
as few of our officers ever served in a fleet, the Trafal-
gar, 120, Superb, 80, Belleisle, 72, Blenheim, 56, Vin-
dictive, 50, and Fox, 42, can be added, which, with
twelve steamers ready for sea in the harbour, would
make an imposing force, and, for the performance of
evolutions, not more than a sufficient number.—Ramp.
shire Telegraioh.
TUE NEW ARCTIC EXPEDITION.—The vessels, In-
vestigator, Capt. Bird, and the Enterprise, Capt. Sir
James Clarke Ross, in search of Sir John Franklin's
expedition at Baffin's Bay, passed Peterhead on the 17th
instant, and the steam tender, Monkey, accompanying
them, put in for a supply of coals.
OBlTUARY.—Commander John Ellis died on Thurs-
day, at his residence, Southtown, Great Yarmouth.
He was one of the old war officers, and served as
lieutenant in the Goliath, in the action with the
Spanish fleet off Cape St. Vincent. He was the
elder brother of Lieut.-Colonel Ellis, C. 8., R.M.,
and of Lieut. Francis W. Ellis, R.N.

APPOINTMENTS.
Lieutenant the Hon. W. B. de Blaquire (1844) to the
Ganges, 84, at the Nore.

Clerks—E. E. J. Grey, in charge to the Merlin
steam-packet, fitting at Portsmouth ; Thomas Reeves
to the Powerful, 84 guns, at Portsmouth.
Gunners—Joseph Buckle to the Merlin ; George
Farren to the Medusa steam-packet, fitting at Ports-
mouth.

Boatswains—J. Barris and W. Tyson, acting to the
Agincourt depot ship, at Plymouth.
Midshipmen—John 11. Ferguson to the Ocean, flag-
ship at Sheerness; John Moresby to the Odin steam-
frigate in the Mediterranean.
Naval Cadets—E. Foster to the Victory, flag-ship at
Portsmouth; W. Wilberforce to the Bowe, 120, at
Portsmouth; T. M. S. Riddell to the Amphitrite cor-
vette, on the coast of Africa.
Dockyard—Mr. John Honey, leading man of store-
houses at Devonport, to be first-class, vice Pope, super-
annuated; Mr. Francis Williams, storehouseman, to be
leading
Wm. manv io,foliathrod
tsoeetohned-1
storehouse,a s second-class at
vice Willie, Do np orti,
mvisc. e
Honey;

STEAMERS.—An
aceiehnatp,
happened
drlayt
attended TUB Rns
with
theE m
most
tAlatEaßl
consequences,
Bonn, on the Rhine, on the 7th inst. A young English
lady, on stepping from a steamer belonging to the Co-
logne Company, lost her footing, and fell from the narrow
plank placed from the vessel to the landing-place, head-
long into the Rhine, and, had she not, as the current
hurried her down, had the presence of mind to grasp
at the paddle and the courage to cling to it for many
minutes, although in a depth of ten feet water, she must
inevitably have been drowned. A length of time elapsed
before she could be rescued from her perilous situation,
owing to the negligence of this company in not being
provided with any means for rendering assistance when
life is in danger. Too much blame, in fact, cannot be
attached to the directors of this company, for not taking
the precaution of having at every station a companion-
ladder, with a railing on either side, instead of an un-
protected plank. The passengers at present are pushed
over among a crowd of porters, &c. Three lives have
already fallen a sacrifice at Bonn to this want of precau-
tion on the part of the directors of the Coleigne Steam
Navigation Company. It is but justice to add that the
Dusseldorf Steam Navigation Company's boats, built in
England, are provided with life buoys,,
and the company,
since this accident, have at once signified their intention
of Providing safe landing-ladders.
DEPARTURE OF THE NIAGARA.—This splendid new
steam-ship, under the command of Captain Ryrie, took
her departure from Liverpool for Boston rid Halifax, on
Saturday last. She took out about fifty passengers, and
the usual weekly mails, for Canada and the United States.