The Sun.
London, England, 1848-08-08 00:00:00

MATCH AGAINST TIME.

Mr. W. Smith, a very respectable landsman, yesterday
rowed a match against time. The distance was from
Richmond Bridge to Putney Bridge, with tide ; the
amount of stakes did not transpire; the time in which
the task was undertaken was one hour. B. Coombes,
the champion of the Thames, had been engaged to direct
the steerage of the " operator," who accomplished the
distance to Kew Bridge in 20 min. 34 secs.,
Ham mer
smith Bridge in 48 min., and, finally, by dint of greaet
pluck, accomplished his task fifteen seconds within the
given time.

----
OPENING OP THE NEW NORTH DOCKS LIVER-
POOL.—On Friday, five of the splendid line of new
docks in course of construction at the north end of the
town were formally opened for traffic by Mr. J. Bram-
ley Moore, chairman of the dock trustees. The founda-
tion stone of these immense works was privately laid,
and it bad been resolved that their opening should also
take place without the least pomp or ceremony, up.
wards of a week ago, water was admitted into the five
docks which it was intended to open; and on Friday all
necessary arrangements having been previously made,
the Redwing, Government steamer, with Mr. Moore'
,
the Dock Committee, and a party of
the Bramley gentlemen
on board, made its entrance into the first,
the Salisbury Dock. Having sailed named
r
vessel; successively entered the Nelson,ound, the
Moore, the Collingwood, and the Stanley Docks, and
thus completed the opening. The a
docks, opened yields a water area of between
of the five
thirty and
forty acres available for the accommodation
The other works in progress ofshipping.
a
be completed for a year or two.
t the north end will not
Wel-
lington Dock, the WellingtofialTf-htiedyeaureasinth,eandthe
Dock and Basin.
Lady Chetwynd and suite, the Countess of Freno
Countess and family, and the Kaenincke arrived in
afternoon London on Saturday by the General Steam
Navigation Company's steam-ship Triton, from Ostend.

-.-
COURT CIRCULAR./
OSBORNE, 40xi?„.4,Y.
The Queen and Prince took their usual eanrarairt—......,,,
in the Park at Osborne this morning. 1:4 41.45:
The younger branches of the Royal Family also wamea-J- • .i/V
and rode in the grounds.

The royal dinner party yesterday included the Mar-
quis and Marchioness of Abarcorn, the Dowager Lady
Ly ttelton, and Lord John Russell. His Lordship left
Osborne this morning for London.

A Cabinet Council was held yesterday afternoon, tt
the Foreign-office. The Ministers present were—Lord
John Russell, the Earl of Minto, Sir George Grey,
Viscount Palmerston, Earl Grey, the Chancellor of the
Exchequer, the Earl of Auckland, the Right Hon. H.
Labouchere, Lord Campbell, Sir John Hobhouse, the
Marquis of Clanricarde, and Viscount Morpeth. The
Council sat two hours.
Lord John Russell arrived in town at three o'clock
yesterday afternoon from her Majesty's marine residence,
Osborne, Isle of Wight.
Dispatches were received yesterday at the Colonial-
office, from the Governor of Canada; and also from the
Governors of the other North American provinces.

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.
PORTSMOITTM, AUGUST 7.—The Princess Royal trans-
port, Lieutenant Harris agent, Mr. Looney master, 33
days from Barbadoes, brought home invalids from the
following corps: Ist Royals, 19th, 54th, and 66th Re-
giments, 72d Highlanders, 88th and 97th Regiments, and
Royal Artillery, in charge of Lieutenant Robeson, lst
West India Regiment, and Dr. Gordon, medical staff.
The following officers came home as passengera:—
Captain Spalding, R.M., promoted from the Amphitrite;
Lieutenant Clarke, 72d Highlanders; Dr. Montgomery,
66th Regiment, and lady; Dr. M‘Cartney, medical staff;
Mr. Loney, master of the Trincomalee, invalided; Mr.
Watson, of the Quartermaster-General's department,
Barbadoes, and lady; Mr. Justine, late stipendiary
magistrate at Grenada, &c. In the Channel the
Princess Royal was run into by a-Spanish vessel,
but fortunately sustained no material damage. When
she sailed from Barbadoes that island was tolerably
healthy, but a number of men of the 66th Regiment had
died of yellow fever. The other neighbouring islands
were generally healthy. General Berkeley and staff had
recently made a tour of inspection among the islands in
the Princess Royal, which in going into St. Kitt's got
ashore for a short time, but got off without damage on
the following day. The Trincomalee was at Barbadoes
when the Princess Royal sailed, and was the only man-
of-war there, and she was about leaving for Antigua to
lay up for the hurricane months. She is the only man-
of-war on the windward station of the West Indies, and
consequently has more than her share of work to do; she
has been incessantly employed since she left England,
and never had her anchor down more than a fortnight
at a time. She is very short of officers; her surgeon
having come home invalided and since died (Dr. Lam-
bert); her master is invalided, and officer of Marines
promoted and come home, leaving only three lieutenants
and the purser to carry on the duty. Fortunately the
officers and ship's company have been generally healthy.
The Java, 50-gun advanced frigate, was taken from
the ordinary to the jetty of Portsmouth Dockyard yes-
terday, to be repaired, it is supposed prior to being com-
missioned.

The Undine steam yacht, employed in the mail
packet service on the Dover station, arrived at Ports-
mouth yesterday morning, in the command of Lieutenant
H. P. Jones, R.N.
The Fire Queen steam tender, Mr. George Allen,
master, R.N., commanding, having disjointed her engine
gear, has been taken into the new basin at Portsmouth,
to undergo the necessary repairs.
The Reynard steam sloop, Commander Cracroft, R.N.,
sailed from Portsmouth on Sunday morning for Cork, to
join Sir C. Napier's squadron. _ _

DEVONPORT, SATURDAY.—The men of the outer boat-
brigade, i. e. employed on the Breakwater, &c., under
Lieut.-Col. Walker, commenced ball practice at the
target, on the west side of the harbour, from the Hot-
spur, moored alongside the dockyard this morning.
The 28th regiment was inspected this morning, on
Mount Wise, by Major-Gen. the Hon. H. Murray ; they
are about 700 men.
Wind, W.—A fine breeze.

The Emerald Isle, Buckmaster, detained for having a
large quantity of gunpowder on board, has been re-
leased, the cargo proving to be the property of Go-
vernment.

APPOINTMENTS.
Lieutenants—D. A. Preston, to the Southampton, So
gun frigate, at Chatham.

Master.—C. T. Tucker, to the Crocodile, flag ship of
Admiral M'Kay, at Cork.l
Surgeon—D. Deas, to the Southampton.
Assistant-Surgeons—W. Lawrence and W. Dairs, to
the Southampton ; W. B. Sproull (acting), to the San
Josef, flag ship, at. Plymouth.
Clerk—F. T. Robins, to the Blenheim, steam guard
ship, in the Shannon.
Gunner—W. Russell, confirmed to the Griffon brigan-
tine, on the Brazils station.
THE DOTTED LIST OF FLLG•UFFICERS.—A return of
the number of flag-officers on the present list who have
not served the proper time to qualify them to be paid as
Vice-Admirals:—
Admirals
Vice-Admirals
Rear-Admirals

... 20

Total ... 37
That is, these 37 flag-officers have not served as cap-
tains in command of ships for four years during war, or
six years in time of peace. To show the general absur-
dity of this qualification, the number of years' servitude
of each of these 37 flag-officers should have been given,
and specifying how long they had served as captains.
One admiral who was placed on the dotted or unqualified
list, we believe, had actually served five years and eleven
months as captain.
COUNCIL OF NAVAL ARCIIITECTURE.—Mr. Abethell,
master shipwright of Pembroke, and Mr. S. Read, mas-
ter shipwright of Sheerness, who have been at Ports-
mouth on official business, have been ordered to return
to their respective dockyards. Mr. Large, who has
most ably filled the appointment of secretary to the
committees of reference, has been ordered to return to
his duty as foreman at Woolwich.
REsxave OF SEAMEN.—An addition of twenty-five
seamen-riggers have been entered in the dockyards, on
the new arrangement for providing a reserve force of
seamen. There were soon treble the amount of appli-
cants. A great many prime seamen are knocking about
the ports in want of employment. The Admiralty have
ordered that a certain number of the men paid off from
the Fox frigate, last week, shall bo entered as seamen-
riggers, at Devonport Dockyard, as vacancies occur.
The copper sheathing of the Flying Fish, and King-
fisher, and the Cormorant, steam-sloop, is ordered to be
stripped off at Portsmouth, with the view of submitting
it to experimental tests.
The men of Sheerness have applied to the Admiralty
for a small steamer to be attached to that port for the
purpose of conveying them to or from the ships afloat;
but their Lordships decline to accede to their request.
Would not the valuable time saved by speedy transition
cover the expense of fitting a launch with a screw pro-
peller for the use of the workmen.
WOOLWICII, AUGUST 7.—Captain Korniloff and Com-
mander Arkass, of the Imperial Russian navy, attended
at Woolwich dockyard to-day to witness the testing of
two anchors, the ono supplied by Lieutenant Rodgers
and the other by Brown and Lenox, for the Vladimir
frigate, of 1,200 tons burthen, commanded by the latter-
named Russian officer. Lieutenant Rodgers' anchor
weighed 29 cwt. 2 qrs. 9 lb., and on a test of 10 tons
being applied the deflection was found to be
of an inch; a strain of 20 tons, I inch, and a strain of
281 to the proof strain for anchors of the same weight
and the deflection reached and on the strain
being withdrawn it returned to 3-16ths. The other arm
of the anchor was then tested, and 10 tons gave a deflec-
tion of 4. of an inch, 20 tons 7-16ths, and 281 tons
11-16ths of an inch. At the request of Lieutenant
Rodgers an additional strain of five tons was given,
causing a deflection of one inch, which, on the power
be-
ing withdrawn, returned to of an inch. The
addi-
tional strain of five tons made the proof the Ea"as it
would have been had the anchor been 36 ewt. The anchor
made by Brown and Lenox, and weighing $2
cwsti 1
rain ofgr.
21b., on being placed in the testing fraine,oand a
10 tons given, deflected I of an inch, with _0
inch, and,
5-16ths
and with 30j tons, the proof power, of
returned
on the strain being withdrawn, d The other
fall home, as if no strain had been
PPti:e same result,
arm, on being tested, gave very nearly
flection with the proof
as the first tried, the greatest do
to the exact
the deflection
power of 34 tons being returninganddcommenced on the
point from which the deflectionh
easurement of the deflec-
ineade by rod six feet eight
strain being removed.
itniocnhsesinlobnogt.h anchors wasT

muRDER of a FATHER by his SON.
LINCOLN, Au..
.—On Saturday last a young man,
j
was committed to the Castle at
Lincoln, to takename Parker,
his trial at the ensuing assizes, on a
charge of having murdered his father. On the 19th ult.
b n
the deceased was found dead in his house, from the
effects of a gun-shot wound. Circumstances arose which
led to a suspicion falling upon the prisoner ; but at the
inquest, held on the loth of the same month, the jury,
after a lengthened inquiry, came to the conclusion that
there was not sufficient evidence to justify them in re-
turning a verdict of guilty against the prisoner, and ha
was consequently discharged. The inhabitants, not sa-
tisfied with the result of the inquest, caused further in-
quiries to be made into the matter, when additional
evidence was obtained, and the prisoner was taken into
custody, and brought before the Rev. Mr. Potchell on
Saturday, when he underwent a final examination, which
ended in his being committed as above stated. It ap-
pears the deceased, his wife, and son lived together in a
cottage at Corby, near Grantham; the two former led a
very disreputable life, and on the day that the alleged
murder was committed the prisoner and the deceased
wore down stairs, when an altercation took place, and
his wife, who was up stairs, heard the report of a gun,
but although the prisoner told her that " his father was
shot dead," his wife did not think it necessary to come
down and ascertain the fact, or send for medical assist-
ance! The report, however, alarmed the neighbours,
and they; consequently, entered the house, when they
found the deceased as already described. The prisoner,
in defence, said that " the deceased met with his death
entirely from accident ; that he (prisoner) had a gun in
his coat pockets, in two parts ; the barrel, which was
loaded with powder and shot, fell from a hole in his
pocket, when the contents were discharged, and his
father was shot."

NEW CAVALRY BAURACHS.—The Swansea Herald
says it is the intention of Government immediately to
commence extensive barracks at Longcross, near Car..
duff, which are to be on a scale sufficiently large to ac-
commodate 600 men, with their horses.