The Sun.
London, England, 1848-10-06 00:00:00

NAVAL. INTELLIGENCE.

WOOLWICH, OCT. s.—The William and Mary yacht,
formerly the flag-ship of the Commodores and Captains-
superintendent ot Woolwich Dockyard, has been taken
alongside the wharf wall to have her masts taken out,
and when that operation was performed they were ft und
to be thoroughly rotten, and like a piece of sponge, to
the very heart of the wood. The cap of the mainmast
was so decayed that it fell with its own weight about a
week ago, and the weather. deck and sides of the vessel
are so rotten that a knife by the pres'ure of the hand
may at once run up to the hilt in the wood. Below the
water-line the wood ja perfectly sound. - The men, under
the command at' Eltiptain Austin, C 8., andnder the
immediate charge ot Lieutenant Robertson, oocupy
quarters on the vessel, and are greatly pleased with her
dry condition. The William and Mary was launched at
Deptford in 1807, and is 41 yes old. The masts put
on board of her at first were some old masts that had
been lying in the dockyard.
The Tenzer steam-vessel was towed down the river
yesterday by the Monkey steam-vessel from Deptford to
Woolwich, to be made ready for trial of her screw pro-
peller with reduced power of engines.
CHATHAM, OCT. 4.—The Black Eagle Admiralty,
yacht steamLvessel, Master Commander 5.-B. Co, k, ar-
rived this afternoon from Woolwich, having on board a
committee nominated by the Board of Admiralty, con-
sisting of Mr. Ward, First Secretary of the Admiralty ;
Captain Milne, lay Lord of the Admiralty ; Sir W. B.
Walker, Surveyor of the Navy ; and Mr. Bromley, from
the Accountant-General's-office. The committee, on
landing, proceeded immediately to the Captain Superin-
tendent's-office, and commenced an investigation of the
affairs of the dockyard, with a view to reduce the ex-
penditure, as recommended in the report of the Finance
Committee. It is expected that the committee will be
occupied during the remainder of the week.
Mr. S. Hinton, master-rigger of this dockyard, has
been superannuated on a pension of 281. per annum. Mr.
Grew, inspector of police, has been superannuated on a
pension of 254 ; and Mr. Thomas Tilman, shipwright,
who was superannuated last month, has had his pension
increased from 201. to 241. per annum.
PLYMOUTH, • OCT. 4.—We had k gale of wind all night
from the south-west, accompanied by rain and thick
weather. Towards mid-day it lulled a little, but in-
creased again afterwards. Sir Charles Napier's squa-
dron, and the Caledonia, last night brought their royal
and topgallant masts down on deck ; the Stromboli sent
down her topgallant yards only.
Her ' aaesty's packet Peterel has been taken into the
stern-a ar.k where it was found that the only damage re-
ceive': wan in the sole-piece of the rudder which is
slightly injured. She will be undocked to-day, and pro-
ceed to Falmouth to convey the next mail to Mexico.
Her Majesty's frigate Dmdalus, 20, Captain Peter
M•Quhae, from the East Indies, came in this morn-
ing at seven o'clock, and anchored near the break-
! water, inside the Peince Regent. She left Singapore
the 25th t 4. May, being relieved by her Majesty's ship
Meander, 44, Captain the Honourable H. Keppel, called
at Anger, and touched at the Cape of Good
'Hope
the 30th of July, St. Helena the 16th of August,- and
Ascension the 21st of August. At the Caps she found
her Majesty's frigate, Eurydice, 26, Captain Talavera •
V. Al. a:. The Arab, 16, Commander William Morris,
left the cape about the 20th of July, with orders for Port
Natal, where the commander, Admiral Dacres, was ex-
pected frcm the Mauritius. The Peninsular and Orien-
tal Company's steam-ship Achilles, from England, sailed
for Point de Galle the day the Dmdalus arrived. The
Daedalus has experienced light baffling winds ever since
she left Ascension, up to the last forty-eight hours, dur-
ing which she has had very heavy weather. At half-
past twelve yesterday she was close on the Lizard, and
at five o'clock this morning she was very close on the
Rame-head. Her compasses are out of order. Passen-
gers—Lieutenant Sword, the Hon. East India Company's
service, the captain's steward, and three seamen invalids
from um Meander, 44, one from the Havannah, 19, and
ono frau the Ilingdove, 12.
ROYAL MARINES.
COURT MARTIAL AT PORTSMOUTH.
Yesterday morning the signal gun from the flag-ship
Victory was tired at eight o'clock, calling together the
members of a court, ordered to commence at nine o'clock,
for the trial of P. E. F. Daniel, Esq., first lieutenant of
the Royal Marine Corps (Portsmouth division), attached
to her Majesty's ship Powerful, at that port, for having
on the 2d of August last, on board that ship, acted in a
manner unbecoming the character of an officer and a
gentleman, by inducing two young officers of the same
ship, Mr. W. F. Sullivan and Mr. A. R. Owen, a mid-
shipman and a naval cadet, severally to put their signa-
tures or endorsements to a bill or cheque for 111., drawn •
on the house of Grant, Gillman, and O-0., of Portsmouth,
at which bank he had no effects, nor the authority of
the bankers for drawing it.
The following officers composed the court:—
President : Rear-Admiral of the Blue Henry Pres-
cott, C.B. Members: Captain Lord Adolphus Fits-
clarence, G.C.8.; Captain R. A. Yates, of her Majesty's.
ship Illustriouej Captain H. Austin, C. 8., of her Ma-
jesty's ship Blenheim; Captain C. Eden, of her Ma-
jesty's ship Victory; Captain the Hon. G. F. Hastings,
of the Cyclops; and G. Greatham, Esq., Judge-Advocate.
Captain the Hon. B. Dundas, C. 8., of her Majesty's
ship Powerful, was the prosecutor, and stated, in reply
to questions from the Court, that the chaplain of his
ship had informed him about the time in question ot the
fact of one of the young gentlemen having put his name
to a bill. This, on investigation, led to the inquiry
which resulted in the present trial, and to the discovery
of more than one young gentleman having put his name
to the bill. Mr. Daniel, the prisoner, was taxed with
the transaction, when be at once admitted it, add ex-
pressed his contrition for it, and not only did so, but
wrote a letter to the captain, expressing his regret, and
asking his interest to get him put on half-pay quietly;
he replied, however, he must go before the Commis-
sioners of the Admiralty, and this trial was the result.
It appeared that a sheriff's officer went on board that
ship on the 2d August to arrest the prisoner on warrants
issued by Mr. John Howard, the clerk of the Ports-
mouth County Court, to which the prisoner had become a
defaulter, and to relieve himself from the unpleasant at-
tendance of the officer he resorted to the expedient laid
in the charge. The cheque was not honoured, no
moneys on account of the prisoner being in the hands of
Grant and Co.; and although the cheque, when returned
to Mr. Howard, remained in his hands four or fire days,
no effects were provided to meet it, nor until about ten
days before the present trial, when Mr. Ellard, the pri-
soner's solicitor, redeemed it from the hands of Mr.
Howard, who had taken it, believing it to be a sound
one, on the prisoner's being brought before him pre-
viously to his being committed to the county gaol. The
endorsees were aged respectively 19 and 14; and on
examination seemed to know thoroughly well what they
were lending their signatures to; therefore the charge of
deception and persuasion did not appear to be well sus-
tained. The Court, however, found that the charge had
been fully proven, and adjudged the prisoner to hr dis-
missed from the Powerful, and reduced to half-pay. and
rendered incapable of again serving on full pay in' her
Majesty's Marine corps.

- -
NUTRIMENT IN VARIOUS KINDS OF FOOD —ln
bread, every 100 lb. weight is found to contain 801 b. of
nutritious matter; butcher's meat, averaging the various
sorts, contains only 351 b. in the 100 lb.; beans, 921 b.;
peas, 931 b.; greens and turnips, which are the most
aqueous of all vegetatles used for domestic purposes,
furnish only 31b, of so.id nutritious substance in 100 lb.;
carrots, 141 b.; arid--what is very remarkable as being
in opposition to the hitherto acknowledged theory-
100lb. of potatoes only yield 251 b. of substance valuable
as nutritious. One pound of good bread is equal to
2ilb. or 31b. of the hest potatoes, and 751 b. 01 bread and
301 b. of meat are equal to 3001 b of potatoes ; or to go
more into detail, 4'11:. of bread, and 5 ounces of meat are
equal to 31b. of potatoes; but lib. of rice, broad beans,
or French beans (in grain), is equal to 31b. of potatoes.
°Pr sE. —Rs FAr
oNmD al-1r
ue
tlui rEns
in-
cident to the railway commissioners, as at present exer-
cised, and just issued, it appears that between 200 and
300 Acts of the past and preceding session contain pro-
visions by which, on a variety of subjects, questions
relating to railway companies are referred to their deci-
sion. Their general Fowers under special Acts are afar
very extensive, and embrace the duty of entertaining
and investigating charges against railway companies of
non-compliance with the provisions of their Acts, of in-
quiry into the eh cumitances and causes ofaii railway acci-
dents, of examining into all the Railway Bills of the
session, and Acts passed by the Legislature of the colo..
vies for railways when referred by the Secretary of
State. No railway is to be opened without their certifi-
cate of inspection. They have power of interfering and
regulating branch communications with different rail-
ways, so as to insure public safety, to regulqte the
speed of mail-trains, and to provide cheap trains, with
discretionary powers as to starting, speed, stations at
which they etop, with seats and protection from the
weather.

PORTLAND BREAKWATER.--,The immediate arrival
of convicts is now anticipated. A portion of the prison
completed is capable of containing about 350 convicts;
three other portions of the same dimensions are to be
immediately erected. The building already forms a
very prominent object in the island, and is a place of
much attraction -to visitors, who make a pleasure trip
round the island. It can also be seen some distance by
vessels in the Channel; and with. the other wings about
to be erected will form a very handsome pile of build-
ing. The steamers which ply daily between Weymouth
and Portland continue to carry a great number of per-
sons to inspect the works. Houses can scarcely be pro.
cured for the accommodation of the workmen, and some
which before had lain empty for years, fetch a good rent.
It is most sincerely hoped that the name of Mr. John
Harvey, whose exertions on the subject of a breakwater
for Portland roads have been so praiseworthy and de-
serving for a long series of years, will not now be for-
gotten by the Portlanders, WeymoutLians, the surroun?.-
ing neighbourhood, or the country in general.—''vole
and Dorsetshire Herald..

AN INFAMOUS SON.—In the Taunte:, County
Court, a few days since, 21r. Coombe •;,pplied for the
discharge of an insolvent, named George Day, an old
man upwards of seventy years of age, who had been
imprisoned eight years at the suit of his son, Frederick
Day. The old man stated that some years ago lt had
signed off the whole of his property, of the value of
about 1,0001., to his children, and having given a note of
hand for 501. to Frederick, which he failed to meet at the
proper time, he wax proceeded against, notwithstanding
that Vi riad hilt various sums to the son, amounting, in
the .411:11.., to nearly 4/, but of which no account had
been Kept. The. resurt was that the unfortunate old
man was thrown into prison, where he remained eight
yeari. Ills Honour the Judge immediately ordered the
insolvent's discharge, observing that he ought to have
had it eight years ago.
GRAPES.—A vessel, named the Queen, has arrived
from Lisbon with an entire cargo of grapes, comprising
1,319 boxes, the production of Portugal. The supplies
of grapes from this place, like those from Hamburgh, ass
particularly fine this year, and in great abundance,