The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-20 00:00:00

THE ARMY.

The veterinary surgeon and adjutant of the 10th Hussars
will arrive in India before their regiment, in order that the
required number of horses may be prepared for use.
Lieut. Saurin Richards, of her Majesty's 62d Regiment, and
previously of the 29th Regiment, after escaping the ravages
of war, fell a victim to that insidious disease, small-pox, and
expired on the 9th of February, at Ferozepore, deeply re-
gretted by his brother companions in arms. He was but
nineteen years of age, and was the son of the Rev. E. Richards,
of Clonallin, county of Down.
Captain de Blaquiere, late of the 3d West India Regiment,
has been appointed adjutant of the Limerick County Regi-
ment of Militia.
The 11th Hussars will leave Dublin on the 27th instant.

•
NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.
TIIE EXPERIMENTAL SQUADRONS.
PORTSMOUTH, FRIDAY.—We are informed that Commo-
dore Sir Francis Collier, K.C.8., Superintendent of Wool-
wich Dockyard, has received his appointment to command
the squadron of line-of-battle ships in the forthcoming cruise,
and that Captain Sir James John Gordon Bremer (1814),
K.C.8., K.C.H., will hoist a commodore's broad pendant, and
take the command of the steam squadron. It is certainly
high time a revision of the navy list tosk place, in order to
define who are capable and who are incapable of serving their
country longer, when we see an officer taken from his com-
mand of an important arsenal and put in command of a fleet,
from which it would be but reasonable to infer that Commo-
dore Collier is the only officer upon the navy list, contain-
ing upwards of 150 flag-officers, capable of taking the tem-
porary command of a squadron for a cruise of exercise.
Where the necessity can exist for maintaining 150 admirals
at the country's expense after this we cannot imagine.
It would seem, too, that while experimental squadrons
increase in power they decrease in importance, as here-
tofore a rear-admiral has had the command, but now a
commodore is deemed an officer sufficiently important to
fulfil the onerous task. We do not make these remarks in
disparagement of Commodore Collier's qualifications to per-
form all the duties demanded of him in his official capacity ;
we know him to be well qualified in every respect for the
post conferred upon him, but we object to the appointment
as inconsistent, and as an affront to every other active flag-
officer upon the Navy List. Commodore Collier is already
in possession of a lucrative and distinguished appointment
as superintendent of Woolwich dockyard. Why, then should
he be taken away from that to go to sea, when there are so
many other deserving men to whom the appointment of com-
mander-in-chief of the experimental squadron would be not
only a just compliment and tribute to their acknowledged
talents and efficiency, but also a welcome pecuniary boon ?
We know that precedent may be urged in favour of Commo
dere Collier's appointment (to wit—Rear-Admirals Pym and
Parker were taken away from their respective dockyard com-
mands last summer to go to sea with the experimental
squadron of 1841), but that will not answer the charge of
inconsistency. In fact, it renders its truth more apparent,
as we well know Rear-Admiral Parker was confined to his
cabin with gout nearly the whole time he was in the St.
Vincent, and his successor reported the best ship of the
squadron as " leewardly and crank !" With the appoint-
ment of Captain Sir J. J. G. Bremer we are sure every one
would be perfectly satisfied. He commanded the Bermuda
and Royalist in 1812-13, and captured several privateers, and
was actively employed on the north coast of Spain, particu-
larly at the defence of Castro. In the latter sloop, in com-
pany with the Scylla, he fought the French frigate Weser,
of 40 guns. He was also Commander-in-Chief with a broad
pendant, in the Wellesley, in the operations on the coast of
China, including the capture of the Bogue forts and Canton
in 1841.
Captain Sir Richard Grant, of the St. -Vincent, 120, was
sent for by electric telegraph yesterday to attend at the Ad-
miralty this morning.
The Retribution steam-frigate has landed all her guns,
and about 400 tons of dead weight, in order to lighten her
sufficiently for floating over the coping stones at the entrance
to the basin to get her into dock. Her rudder, too, has been
unshipped, as her length would otherwise have prevented her
getting in. Having made every preparation she hauled off
from the jetty last evening alongside the Blake hulk, to
await a favourable tide.
The Contest new 12-gun brig was taken out of dock yes-
terday, coppered.
The Nautilus, 10, Lieutenant-Commander Macdonnel

sailed this morning to resume her station off the Sussex coast
to protect the fisheries.
The Lively navy-lighter shipped the effects of Captain
Moubray, late of the Victory, yesterday, and sailed with
them for Greenwich this morning.
The Comet steam-vessel, Lieutenant- Commander Prety-

man, left yesterday morning for Plymouth, taking supernu-
meraries, and the dispatches, parcels, letters, and supernume-
raries which had been previously put on board the Electra
14, Commander Maitland, for the coast of Africa squadron,
which she transfers to the Wanderer, 12, at Plymouth, the
destination of the Electra having been changed from the
coast of Africa to the Pacific station.
The Eagle, 50, Captain Martin, was at Monte Video on
the 3d of January. Movements uncertain.
the peedwell at the capture o grPAtIY
who was midshipman of
supluot:nfZiel, inti:VVrePst(lnttdieL)s, in 1831, is appointed to
the Belleisle troop ship at Devonport.
The Rodney, 92, Captain Collier, C. 13., embarked her
marines yesterday morning. She has since taken on board
her powder, &c., and is ready for sea.
The Childers, 14, Commander Pitman, is nearly ready for
sea, and will go out to Spithead in a few days.
The Apollo troop ship, Commander Radcliffe, is ordered to
be ready for sea by Monday.
The Mercury tender returned from Plymouth on Wednes-
day, and the Rochester navy lighter sailed for that port on
the same daY with victualling stores.
The Eurydice, 26, Captain Elliot, was paid off yesterday.
She is expected to be recommissioned to join the experi-
mental squadron.