The Sun.
London, England, 1848-01-14 00:00:00

INCREASE OF THE ARMY.

The Queen's Bays, for some time quartered in the
south of Ireland, have this week received an intima-
tion that 130 horses are to be added to the present
number of 271, which will make the regiment 401
strong, or eight troops of 50 each, which was the
usual strength of all cavalry regiments prior to the
peace of 1815.
DEATHS BY STARVATION.

There is, it seems, every likelihood of a repetition
of last year's horrors in ill-fated Mayo, several in-
quests having been already held in which verdicts
of " death by starvation " have been returned by the
juries.
NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

PORTSMOUTH, JAN. 13.—Rear-Admiral of the
Red„ the Hon. D. Hugh Mackay, appointed to suc-
ceed the late Sir Thomas Uasher in the chief command
of the squadron on the Irish station, was, according
to Allen's New Navy List, midshipman of the Unicorn
at the capture of the French frigate Tribune in 1796;
and of the Melampus in several actions on the coast
of France ; Lieutenant of the Ariadne in the expedi-
tion to Ostend, and of the Isis at the Helder ; he com-
manded the Malacca during the operations against
the Sultan of Sambas in 1813. He is expected to
have a sea-going first class frigate to hoist his flag in,
but the Winchester, 50, could not be got ready in less
time than six months. -
The Stromboli steam sloop, Commander Lord
Amelius Wentworth Beauclerk, hauled off from the
jetty into the stream this morning, and. will drop out
to-morrow, if possible, to Spithead, to receive ad-
vance, and await final orders. This is one of the ex-
surveyor's vessels, having been built in this yard in
1839, is of 970 tons, and 280-horse power, upon the
paddle system; her engines by Napier. She has had
numerous alterations and improvements since her
last commission, amongst them the sightly improve-
ment of a mizen mast, which has answered very
well as yet. On coming round from Woolwich she
went 9i knots under steam, and averaged 9, she
has had two additional- store-rooms made; one
for the midshipmen's use, and the other for ma-
' rine accoutrements. The tiller has been altered-
; from a short to a long one, to work forward ; she
has been fitted with Mr. Lang's copper ventilat-
ing tubes for giving air and light to the lower deck,
certainly a great and very healthy addition to the
comfort of the crew and sanitary condition of that
part of the ship ; she has had an additional Rumber
of shot racks made ; a new head for the men, inboard
instead of outside the vessel; and additional shell-
room made ; and is supplied with a new description
of powder cases, of hexagon form, made of zinc, 83 in
number; she is, as before, fitted with Captain Smith's
paddlebox boats, swung by the davits, on the plan of
the same officer, whose recently-invented circular life
preserver she is also supplied with. The Stromboli
looks remarkably well ; her three masts add to her
warlike appearance. For her complement and ton-
nage we question whether there is a more serviceable
steamer afloat. Her crew consists of 160 hands, being
one lieutenant, one leading stoker, and three stokers
less than in her last commission. For the above com-
plement she has three mouths' provisions on board,
drawing—with 250 tons of coals in bunkers, and an
armament of six heavy guns (two 10-inch, 84 cwt.
each ; two 32 -pounders, 24 cwt. each, on Sir Thomas
Hardy's pattern; and two 32-pounders, 25 cwt. 3 qrs.
each, on Fearnell's pattern ; besides one 12-pounder
brass howitzer, and one 6-pounder ditto)-15 feet
8 inches aft, and 15 feet forward. The newly adopted
lights for steamers, ordered by the Admiralty, are
being this day fitted to her ; she also takes out the
lamps for the Terrible, and a baking apparatus for the
Queen. Commander Stirling, R.N., cousin of Sir
James Stirling, of the Howe, 120, takes a passage to
Malta as the guest of Lord A. Beauclerk. The vessel
is in remarkably good and serviceable order, to which
creditable end the indefatigable attention of her
First Lieutenant, Lieutenant Thomas Davies (b),
late of the America, 50, has contributed much.
Altogether this vessel is efficiently officered and
ably manned, and will be an acquisition to the
Mediterranean squadron, especially since the melan-
choly loss of the finest steamer in that force. We were
informed that her engines had done more effectual
service during their working than those of any other
ship of her class, and had been less affected by mishap
or disaster.
The Birkenhead iron steam-frigate, Commander
Ingram, was paid off, after only fourteen months'
commission, this afternoon, all standing. Her lower
yards and topmasts are struck, and a considerable
part of her running rigging unrove. The causes for
thus prematurely putting out of commission a new
vessel after so little service are variously stated.
The Fairy, Royal yacht, Captain Lord A. Fitz-
clarence, was docked yesterday, to have her bottom
examined, and to have it paid over again with Hay's
composition. The iron was very clean ; but this is
not remarkable as it has no chance of fouling, the
composition being renewed so often.
The Cuckoo steam-vessel, Commander Dumaresq,
was removed from the basin yesterday, and is coaling
alongside the depot.
The Firefly steam-sloop, Lieutenant-Commander
Ponsonby, was masted yesterday. She wants a few
men, and will be ready to take the next mail to the
coast of Africa, according to Post-office notice, on
the 31st instant.

The Fire Queen steam-yacht, Master-Commander
Allen (pro tem.), returned from Plymouth on Tuesday
night. We are informed she broke down on the
passage to or from Plymouth, but we cannot ascer-
tain froth what cause.

The Mercury returned from Devonport yesterday
afternoon. _

The Victory, flag-ship of Admiral Sir Charles
Ogle, Commander-in-Chief, has not yet
icompleted
her complement of 171. Mr. W. IL Thompson,
Master (1829) of the Albion, 90, at Devonport, is ap-
pointed to the Victory.
The Bonetta brigantine, Lieutenant-Commander
Forbes, for the coast of Africa, is detained for a feiv
days by the master shipwright's department.
Wind, north, fresh breezes; weather dark, hazy,
and cold ; 5 P.M.

PLYMOUTH, JAN. 12.—A court-martial assembled
yesterday morning, at ten o'clock, on board her
Majesty's ship San Josef, 110, in Hamoaze. She
carried a red ensign forward and another aft, the
Union Jack at her peak, and the red flag of Rear-
Admiral Sir John Louis at her mizen. -The Court
comprised Admiral Superintendent Sir John Louis,
president; Captain Sheppard, her Majesty's ship In-
constant; Capt. Goldsmith and Commander Chambers,
her Majesty's ship Wellesley; Captain C. H. Free-
mantle, her Majesty's ship Albion ; Captain the Hon.
G. F. Hastings, her Majesty's ship Endymion ; and
Lieutenant Commander Scott, her Majesty's steamer
Acheron. Mr. William Eastlake officiated as Judge-
Advocate. _ _

The Court sat for the-purpose of trying George
Newcombe and James Sayer, privates in the Royal
Marines, for deserting her Majesty's ship Endymion,
44, Captain Courtney, at. Halifax, Nova Scotia, in
May last. Lieutenant William R. Smith prosecuted,
and from the evidence produced it was proved that
George Newcombe, on the night of the Bth of May,

1847, was, in the middle watch, planted sentry on
the poop of the hulk Pyramus, lying alongside the
Endymion in Halifax harbour. At one bell prisoner
was vi,ited and found at his post. At two bells it
was discovered that he had deserted, leaving his
.nui.ket Ivar,ing• against the ship's rail, the cap having
been taken off and wetted, and with no powder on
the nipple. A boat, between a dingy and a jolly boat,
previously hanging with her keel just out of the
water, at the stern of the Pyramus, was missed at
the same time. The prisoner was not captured until
some months after. The Court sentenced him to
eighteen months' imprisonment, fifteen of which were
to be hard labour and three solitary confinement.
In addition to the charge of desertion from her
Majesty's ship Endymion, James Sayer, private,
Royal Marines, and servant to Mr. Thomas Lee,
midshipman, was accused of stealing from that gen-
tleman a bag containing 101. in silver. The evidence
on the charge of theft was very conflicting, but it was
clearly proved that he deserted from the Endymion
by climbing on board the hulk, and, to all appear-
ances, leaving the latter in company with Newcombe.
The sentence of the Court was, that he be imprisoned
15 months, 12 of which to hard labour, and 3 to
solitary confinement, Sayer, on a former occasion,
was sentenced to death for striking a sergeant on
board her Majesty's ship Queen.
The Court rose at 6 P.M.

On board her Majesty's ship Albion, 90, Captain
Freemantle, in Hamoaze, three serious accidents have
occurred on three consecutive days. On Friday, the
7th instant, at 5 P.M., Richard Edland, A.13.' a single
man, and a native of London, was knocked by the
topsail tye off the Jacob's ladder, which leads from the
tnaincap to the maintop, and striking twice in his fall,
dropp, d into a victualling-lump alongside. He was
taken to the Royal Naval Hospital, but expired shortly
afterwards. On Saturday morning, at three o'clock,
a seaman named Thomas Lucas, a native of Landrake,
overbalanced himself while hanging up his hammock
on the jibboom end, the cantlings not being lowered.
He fell into the sea, and his body has not yet been
recovered. Lucas has left a wife and three children.
On Sunday afternoon two seamen fell, separately,
down the ship's hold. One of them, Henry Patterson,
remains on board; the other, Louis, received injuries
of such doubtful character that he was immediately
conveyed to the Royal Naval Hospital.
On the sth instant, Lieutenant lnskip, R.N., of
the preventive station at Portwrinkle, picked up a
ship's long boat, which was washed ashore in White-
sand Bay. She is carvel-built, 19 feet long by 6 feet
2 inches broad ; her starboard side is stove in and
keel broken in two places ; no name, but belonged
apparently to a Dutch or Danish merchantman.

RAILWAY SHARE MARKETS.
LIVERPOOL, JAN. 13.

STOCK EXCHANGE.—The sales are—Birkenhead, Lanca-
shire, and Cheshire Junction (late C. and B.), 16 ex int.—
Caledonian, 51s. 3d. dis.—Edinburgh and Glasgow, 461,4
Glasgow and Dumfries, 71,4 ex int.—Great Western, 171.
Shares, OA p.—London and North-Western, 151—Ditto
(Manchester and Birmingham), Quarters (C), p.—Man-
cheater, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire, Preference, 1%) p.—Mid-
land, 112—Ditto, Halves, 13% dis. ex int.— North Stafford-
shire, IA dis.—Shrewsbury and Chester, Preference, 2% p.—
Shropshire Union Railway and Canal, 48s. 9d. dis.—South-
Eastern and Dover, 31 c.—Ditto, No. 4, 13/4 dis. ex int.
MANCHESTER, JAN. 13.

STOCK ExCHA)rom.—The sales are—Birkenhead, Lanca-
shire, and Cheshire Junction, 6 dis. ex int.—East Lancashire,
New, 3:14 dis.—Ditto, New Quarters, 15.16 dis.—Hudders-
field and Manchester Railway and Canal, Thirds, 13-16 dis.
—Lancashire and Yorkshire (West Riding Union), 2% dis.
Ditto (Preston and Wyre), 34%—Leeds and Thirak, 16 c.
dis.—London and North-Western (Manchester and Birming-
ham), Quarters (B), 4 p.—Ditto, ditto (C), 4 p.—North Staf-
fordshire, 3-16 dis.—South-Eastern and Dover, No. 4, 113-16
dis. —York, Newcastle, and Berwick, Extensions, No. 2, p.