The Sun.
London, England, 1848-04-24 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

MALTA, APRIL 14.—The affairs of Sicily being
brought to such a termination as warranted Lord
Minto to return to Rome and Vice-Admiral Sir
W. Parker to leave the waters of Naples (at which
place he arrived from Palermo on the sth inst.), the
British fleet—composed of the Hibernia, 104, Capt.
P. Richards, bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral Sir
W. Parker ; Trafalgar, 120, Captain C. Hope ; Van-
guard, 80, Captain G. F. Rich ; Rodney, 92, Captain
C. Collier ; Superb, 80, Captain Corry ; Vengeance,
84, Captain Lushington ; and Terrible steam-frigate,
Captain W. Ramsay—left Naples on Sunday arid
Monday last, and after rendezvousing off Marittimo,
arrived in Malta harbour on Wednesday last in beau-
tiful style and in their order of seniority. The Ter-
rible accompanied the fleet under sail, having discon-
nected her engines, and proved a beautiful vessel
under canvas.

...____
A portion of the squadron yet remains on the Sici-
lian and Italian coast, and is thus divided :

At Naples— Sidon and Porcupine steam ships.
At Palermo—Gladiator steam-frigate.
At Messina—Thetis, 36, and Hecate steamer.

At Syracuse—Harlequin brig.
The news brought by the fleet is not of any impor-
tance, and nothing, not known before, has transpired
as to the political causes which led to its departure.
On the flag-ship arriving off the mouth of the
harbour, her Majesty's ship Queen exchanged salutes
with Sir W. Parker.

Oa Monday a signal was made for the Vanguard,
Superb, and Vengeance to try rate of sailing; the
weather was beautiful but the wind very light, yet
after eight hours the Vanguard was the victor in the
struggle, beating the Superb by about eight knots,
and the Superb paid a similar compliment to the
Vengeance, which was thought to have stood a chance
of being first at the winning post. The Superb was
not in very good trim.
'We hear of the following changes that have taken
place, or are about to be made, in the personnel of
the fleet :

Lieutenant Boys to the Hibernia, from the Tra-
falgar ; Lieutenant Parker, from the Hibernia to the
Superb ; Lieutenant Charles Sullivan, from the
Superb to the Trafalgar; Lieutenant Fead, from the
Hibernia to the Superb, vice Simpson ; Lieutenant
Reynolds, from the Trafalgar to the Terrible, vice
Need. Assistant-Surgeon R. E. Smart, from the
Trafalgar to the Hibernia, vice Wells promoted.
It is also said that Lieutenant G. 0. Willes, son
of the late Captain Willes, will receive the appoint-
ment to the Spitfire steamer, vice Macdonald pro-
moted ; and Mr. Auret will be promoted to the rank
of Paymaster and Purser, vice Milner deceased.
A melancholy accident happened to a sailor of the
Trafalgar on her passage to Malta—he fell off the
foreyard arm and was killed instantaneously.
We learn that her Majesty's steamer Trafalgar will
be the first to leave the Mediterranean. She will
convey Rear-Admiral Sir Lucius Curtis to England,
and will sail at the end of the month. Her departure
will be much regretted on this station.
The French mail steamer Lougsor arrived here ou
the 7th inst. from Marseilles direct, and proceeded on
the following day to Alexandria and Beyrout.
The French mail steamer Leonidas, from Mar-
seilles and ports of Italy and Sicily, arrived here on
Saturday last, and on the following day proceeded to
the Levant.

Her Majesty's steamer Locust left port on the Bth
instant with dispatches for her Majesty's British Con•
sul-General at Tunis. She is hourly expected on
her return.

Her Majesty's surveying ship Volage left port on
Saturday lust for Athens, whence she will proceed to
the Levant and rejoin the research cutter, commanded
by Lieutenant Lord J. Brown, and continue her
surveys.

The French steamer (Rost. Comp.) Bo3phore ar-
rived here on the 11th inst. from the Levant, and on
the evening of the same day continued her route to
Marseilles, touching at Leghorn.
Her Majesty's steamer Oberon, which left port on
the 6th inst. with dispatches for Sir W. Parker, re-
turned on the night of the 11th inst. She is destined
to proceed to Marseilles with the India mails expected
to. morrow per Hindostan.
The Egyptian frigate Shiarkie, from Alexandria,
arrived here on the 12th inst. She was 17 days out.

'f he United States' corvette Marion arrived here
from Marseilles on the 12th inst.

The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer
Hindostan, with the India mails and passengers, is
expected here to-morrow.
The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer
Tagus, with the outward India mail and passengers,
together with Lyndon dates of the 3d inst ,is hourly
expected.
On arrival, the Tagus will put her mails and pas-
sengers on board the Ariel, which steamer will pro•
teed to Alexandria, and the Tagus to the Levant and
Black Seas.

Her Majesty's steamer Ardent, with that part of
the India mail sent through France, and London dates
of the 7th instant, arrived during the night.
The Neapolitan steamer Maria Christina, from
Naples. arrived this morning.
The French mail steamer Mentor, from the Levant,
arrived this morning.
The French mail steamer Caire, from Beyrout and
Alexandria, is hourly expected.
_ _

PCILTSMOUTH,am 23.—The Fairy royal yacht,
Master Commander Welch, embarked her Royal
Highness the Duchess of Kent and suite at half-past
twelve yesterday afternoon, and conveyed them to
Osborne on a visit to her Majesty. The usual honours
were paid to her Royal Highness by the Government
authorities of the port.
We stated that the Earl of Auckland would pay a
visit to Portsmouth on Monday. We believe his
Lordship will call on Lord Palmerston, at Broad-
lands, whilst in the neighbourhood. Rear-Admiral
Dundas, C. 8., M.P., left the Admiralty on Saturday,
for Birkenhead, where he will be joined this day by
Mr. Secretary Ward, M.P. The gallant Admiral
is not expected to return to town before the Ist of
May. In the meanwhile, it is probable that he will
Nice a trip to Cork, to have a look at the squadron
there. The Hon. Captain Berkeley, C. 8., M.P., is
spending the Easter holidays in Wales. Captain Lord
John Hay, C. 8., M.P., is staying at Redlesham Rec-
tory, Woodbridge, Suffolk. Captain Milne and the
Hon. W. F. Cowper, M.P., remain at the Board,
with Captain W. A. B. Hamilton, the Second Secre-
tary. Captain Henry Eden, private Secretary to
Lord Auckland, is on a visit to his sister, Lady
Graham, at Hampton Court.
The Bellerophon, 78, Captain Baynes, C. 8., ar-
rived at Spithead from Gibraltar, on Saturday,
at noon, the Admiralty orders countermanding her
proceeding to Quebec with troops having reached
her in time. Orders were awaiting at Portsmouth,
directing her to come into harbour to be refitted, to
take on board all her guns, to embark her additional
marines, fill up her complement to 650, officers and
men, and wait further orders. No doubt she will
ultimately join Sir C. Napier's squadron, as will also
the Powerful, 84, Capt. the Hon. IL S. Dundas, C.B.
as we have before stated.

The Colossus, 80, is ordered to be launched at
Pembroke, on the Ist of June. We stated last week
that she is to be navigated to Portsmouth and fitted as
an advanced ship.

The Dido, 18, Captain Maxwell, is ordered home
from New Zealand to be paid off on the arrival of
the Havannah, 20, Captain Erskine, on that station.
The Comus, 16, Commander D'Eyncourt, on her
arrival from Brazil, is to be paid off at Sheerness.
TI e Seagull, 6, Lieut. Commander Dicken, at
Devonport, will be ready by the 26th. An explana-
nation is demanded by the Admit alty respecting the
extraordinary defects of this vessel.
The Termagant, new screw steam frigate, now at
Messrs. Young's, of Limehouse, is to have the alter-
ations in her stern completed as soon as possible, when
she is to be c3ppered by them and sent to Portsmouth
to be fitted for sea service.

The Sharpshooter, steam• vessel, at Portsmouth,
Lieut. Commander John C. Bailey, will not be ready
for sea until the 26th. She is ordered to be employed
in conveying newly-raised men, and in protecting
the fisheries on the coasts of Sussex and tent. She
is half a dozen shirt of her complement.
The Dee, steam transport, Master Commander
Filmer, left Portsmouth on Friday at noon for
Madeira and the Cape, touching at Devonport for
supernumeraries and officers waiting a passage. She
takes out orders for the Rosamond, steam-sloop,
Commander Foot, to come home.

THE EAST INDIAN SQUADRON.
The mail from India has brought us letters from
the above squadron.
Commodore Plumridge had not proceeded to China
by the last advices, but was about doing 1.0.
HoNG-IioNG, FEB. 27.—The Fury steam-sloop,
Commander Willcox, arrived here on the sth, nine
days from
made
anadei against
splendidhieeh snorth-easthe Singapore,w t h emr
eho
dna vs
most
no
ogns, t sbtnleooawbml en d.g
gaal
Thisl ts h
aevnewst
vessel
passage out from England, under
sail nearly the whole distance, and reached llong-
Kong in less than six months from the date of her
being commissioned—one-half the time of some
steatLers which have been sent to this station, and
six weeks less than the quickest. The Fury can
steam a distance of 2,470 miles in eight days and a
half, and on the lowest step of expansion 3,262 miles
in 19 days, which could be made more of if a chain
of operations had to be carried out. The full power
was never put upon her (315 horse. power) except
by way of experiment, but usually averaged from
10 6 to 11 knots on the second step of expansion
after her coal is reduced to 300 tons. She is
considered the best and most efficient vessel in the
China seas; her rig answers admirably, her sailing
qualities being such that she could cruise with any
squadron, and work well offshe in a sea way that her heavy g
a leeunshsowree.re
fSroey
qeuase liys
worked with an inclination of 12 to 15 degrees. Her

captain is trying a plan (an invention of his own)
which will, if successful, prove highly important in
the service with regard to steamers, by which, at any
time of a e night or day, at sea or in harbour, he can
get the immersion of the ship at the midship section
and both extremes to the eighth of an inch or less, so
desirable in a steamer, to work the coals off to keep
her in proper trim, to ascertain the immersion of
paddles, and in shoal water or up rivers to know imme-
diately what to lighten the vessel to if necessary, and
many other advantages. It is most simple, and in a
few hours may be fitted to any vessel in the service.
The Daedalus, 20, Captain P. Maquhe ; Childers,
12, Commander Pitman, and Medea steam-sloop,
Commander Mason, were at Hong-Kong on the 6th
of February.
The Coluinbir.e, 12, Commander J. C. D. Hay, is at
Whampoa, and the Hon. Company's steamer Pluto at
Canton.
The Melampus, 42, Captain J. N.. Campbell, and
the Royalist, 10, Commander Gordon, arrived at
Hong .Kong on the 14th of February, and Captain
Campbell hoisted a broad pendant as senior officer in
China.
The Daedalus sailed three days after for Singapore.
The Ringdove, 12, Commander Inglefield, is at
Penang.
The Scout, 14, Commander Johnstone, is at Amoy.
The Childers, 12, Commander Pitman, was at
Shanghai February the 27th.
The Espiegle, 12, Commander Campbell, is at
Ningpo.
The Medea steam-sloop, Commander Mason, is
under orders for Whampoa to relieve the Columbine,
and will sail in a few days.
We hear the Inflexible steam-sloop, Commander
Hoseason, has been aground in the Paramatta River
at Sydney.
A French frigate, the Bajonnaise, was at Hong-
Kong on the 27th of February, with the French
Ambassador to China on board. She was going to
Manilla in a short time.
The Vulture steam-frigate, Captain M'Dougall,
left Singapore on the Bth of February, and passed
we
Anjer on the 12th on her way to the Cape of Good
Hope and England to be paid off.
PORTSMOUTH,
N.E.;
moderate
The Waterwitch, 10 guns,
on
is alongside the Tartar
AaTnndAemrrbreezes
Rz . e s
APRILaR. i SUNDAY,nQ2finelu.
En 5
weather.
—Wind,
hulk ; she has got her topmasts on end. Her guns
were put on board yesterday.
C
The Ranger, 8 guns, Commander J. Anderson,
mi
from the coast of Africa, where she has been em-
ployed since 1844, is ordered to this port to be paid
off, without her bulkheads or internal fitttings being
disturbed.
Arrived—the bark Eliza Ann, J. Blyth, Master,
from Savannah, with pine timber for the dockyard,
and the Aid, Smallman, Master, from Devonport.
The following persons have been this week super-
annuated, viz., Henry Heard, fireman of smiths, at
281. per annum; John Hawkins, lead man at metal
mills, 34/. ; Joseph Bailey, engine-keeper, at ditto,
24/. ; ant Thomas Gardner, workman, at ditto, 231.
per annum.
The foundation of an official residence for Captain
Mould, Royal Engineers, Director of Works, is being
laid between the Pay-office and the officers of the
yard residences.
CHELSEA BOARD.

During the past year there have been under medi-
cal examination at Fork Pitt 3,191 men belonging to
the different regiments serving abroad. These men
were sent home from the East Indies and other
colonies to be pensioned off. Of that number 2,669
were placed on the Chelsea Board ; 435 were found
fit to join their respective depots; and eighty seven
died in the hospital. So great a number of invalids
in one year has not passed that board fur some
years.

POLICE IN TELLIGENCE.
MANSION-ROUSE.

On Saturday a young man, whose name appeared
upon the warrant on which he was apprehended as
Bonniface Chrystie, was brought before the Lord
Mayor in the custody of John Forrester, the officer,
charged with having been concerned in a conspiracy
to commit extensive fraud by imitating the current
coin of the Republic of Colombia.
Mr. Peachey, of the house of Oliverson and Co.,
solicitors to the Colombian Government, attended for
the prosecution.
John Forrester produced a warrant signed by Mr.
John Burke Davis, a magistrate of Warwickshire,
for the apprehension of the prisoner, to whom a
parcel containing spurious coin had been forwarded
by the North-Western Railway. The warrant
charged the prisoner, who is no more than twenty
years of age and a resident in London, with having
been one of the persons engaged in the offence.
The officer here produced a large parcel containing
about 3,000 pieces of the spurious coin.
The prisoner said his real name was Garredo, but
he had received parcels in the name of Bonniface
Chrystie (as we understood him).
Mr. Alexander Fletcher identified the prisoner, and
stated that the prisoner had received parcels and let-
ters iu the name of Bonniface Chrystie, directed from
Birmingham.
The parcels, it appeared, had been directed to a
house in Lombard-street, with a clerk in which the
prisoner was acquainted.
John Forrester said, his object was to take the pri-
soner to Birmingham as soon as possible, and he
should therefore be obliged to Alderman Gibbs to
give him permission to do so.
mmane,riemlye
ttioll
Alderman Gulas—Has the prisoner anything to
sehayould tohavel
re
Tuesday next, as I shall by
'bleheobplirgiseodoteor —37
that time be enabled to
sMayondthaayt orl
get papers ready, calculated to show that I have been
merely acting as an agent and interpreter in this
matter. I am anxious to send my statement to the
Consul, and I dare say it will appear to be so satis-
factory that there will be no occasion for sending me
to Birmingham at all. I have nothing at all to do
with transactions of the kind.
Mr. Peachey had no objection to have the prisoner
remanded, in order that he might have the opportu•
nity of preparing the explanatory papers.
The prisoner was ties remanded.
The spurious coin is a piece of yellow metal, of the
size of a half-sovereign, with the impression of the
arms of Colombia of 1832 and of I E R M Popayan.
It is believed that 10,000 of them at least have been
struck off.
MARLBOROUGH-STREET.
A tall, aged man, very respectably dressed, was
charged by a gentleman residing at Thompson's
Hotel, Berkeley-square, with collecting a mob in
Oxford-street, under the following peculiar circum-
stances :
The gentleman said, that seeing so respectable an
individual covered with placards, parading the streets,
he conceived he was not in a state of mind to be al-
lowed to go at large, and he applied to a constable,
and eventually caused the defendant to be brought to
the court to be questioned by the magistrate.
Mr. BINGHAM wished to know what was the pur-
port of the placards on the back and front of the de-
fendant and round his hat, and was told that the front
placard was headed, "To the Rich. Failure of the
Potato crop._—The wet season will produce another
failure of the potato crop ; and then, Lord have mercy
on the poor." On the placard at his back was as fol.
lows : A Scale of Prophecies for 2,290 years,
price twopence ; to be had of the bearer." On the
hat was, " Prophecies fulfilled.—James v. 9."
Mr. BINGHAM asked the defendant if he had any
friends to whom he could apply ? The defendant
said he was independent of his friends. He could
produce the first testimonials from parties in London
and in Scotland. If the magistrate sent to Mr. Wil-
liams, No. 52, Regent-street, he would receive rea-
sonable- satisfaction. He wished to know why he had
been taken into custody, ;and asked to have the name
of the gentleman who had given him in charge.
Mr. BINGHAM said, he should perhaps render the
last proceeding unnecessary by a few words which he
intended to address to him. In London a man might
preach as much as he liked, and pretty nearly what
he liked. A man might also advertise anything he
had to sell how and in what manner he liked; and,
strange to say, the more unusual the way he preached
or advertised the more certain he was to attract pub-
lic attention. But. then, the liberty of preaching and
advertising must be taken with this qualification—
that a man either preaching or advertising must take
care not to inconvenience persons or block up a public
thoroughfare. Now, if a man of the defendant's ap-
pearance chose to hang a placard on thef
front_ and
back of a good coat—the same way as placards were
seen hung on a beggar's coat—it would naturally follow
that such an unusual act would attract a good deal of
public notice, especially if 'the party walked about
the streets of London. If' the defendant had not
actually broken the law, he had gone sufficiently far
to justify the proceedings that had taken place. With
this caution he should order the defendant to be dis
charged this time.
The defendant wished to know where he was
entitled to walk without molestation to exhibit his
warnings.
Mr. 131soaAlt—Why, on a very cold or a very wet
day you may walk in the middle of Hyde Park. I
don't think you can do much harm there.
The prophet was then set at liberty.
WORSHIP-STREET.
Amongat the "remanded cases appointed for re-
examination at this Court on Saturday, was one I
preferred against a well dressed man, named Henry
Southcombe, who was charged on the preceding
Wednesday with having, by false and fraudulent re-
presentations, obtained a large quantity of expensive
household furniture from an upholsterer named Cut-
bill, in Worship-sivare, Finsbury, and who was
liberated upon entering into his own recognizance to
appear on Saturday.
The prisoner was now three times called in the
usual manner, but did not appear ; And
•

Mr. Vann, the solicitor, who was accompanied by •
several tradesmen, anxious to prefer charges against
him, intitnate.t that there was not the remotest pro-
bability that he would ever again present himself ;it
that court, as he (the solicitor) was furnished with
evidence which would conclusively establish the fact
that a widely-ramified conspiracy had been carried on
by Southcombe and others to obtain goods from
tradesmen in various parts of the metropolis to an
enormous extent. Amongst the sufferers who were
able to establish clear cases of fraudulent collusion
against the parties were Mr. Miller, a furniture dealer,
in Old-street-road, from whom goods had been ob-
tained to the amount of El.; Mr. Parkinson, an iron-
monger in Oxford-street ; Messrs. Townes and
Packer, the pianoforte manufacturers, and various
other tradesmen, all of whom had parted with their
property upon the faith of similar representations and
by like devices. After the goods had been sur
reptitiously removed from the west end, diligent
inquiries were made to find them, an.), it was
at last discovered that they had been in the first
instance carried off to the house of a carman at
King's-cross; but it appeared that the instant the
prisoner Southcombe had been liberated at this court,
he went straight to that pl ice and rapidly removed
them again to a house in Win..:.ester-street, Penton-
villa, where he had advised his clients to proceed im-
mediately, and take forcible possession of all they
could identify, or in a few hours the property would
again disappear. In the meantime, however, he was
instructed to apply for the issue of warrants for the
apprehension forthwith of all the parties concerned in
the conspiracy, as he considered it monstrous that
they should be allowed to escape justice any longer
and carry on such a wholesale system of depredation
with impunity.
Mr. ARNOLD repeated his opinion as to the insuffi-
ciency of the law to meet such cases, and though he
concurred in the propriety of the course intimated as 1,
to the forcible re-possession of the property so obtained
by its owners, and that the parties, if indicted for
conspiracy, should be proceeded against in a superior
ceurt, declined granting the warrants for their appre-
hension, as they might be given into custody when-
ever they could be met with.
Mr. Vann thanked the magistrate, and withdrew
with his clients, but returned in the course of two
hours, by which time Southcombe had still not ap-
peared, and reported that the tradesmen upon pro-
ceeding to the house in Winchester-street, could hear
nothing of Southcombe, and had been told by a
woman who answered them, that no such property
had been deposited there ; but upon their expressing
a positive determination to force their way in, she
reluctantly admitted them, and then each one select-
ing his own, and by mutual assistance, they succeeded
at length in recovering two waggon loads of their
goods, which they had carried off triumphantly,
whether legally or mot, though a large amount of
property still remained undiscovered.