The Sun.
London, England, 1848-08-03 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

The Fox, 42, Commodore Sir 11. Blackwood, Bart.,
will be paid off on Saturday.
The Virago steam-sloop, Command** Harris, remains
at Spithead ready for service.
The Colossus and the Collingwood, 80, at this port,
are ordered to be fitted as advanced ships.
The Mercury tender has been brought back from her
surveying duties in the Bristol Channel, being altoge-
ther unfit fur the service. She is to be paid off, and leer
place supplied by the Myrtle steamer. - We have repeat-
edly noticed this penny-wise-and-pound-foolish method
of doing business practised by both parties of politicians
when in office. Here is a service acknowledged by all
to be the most essentially important in the Admiralty
department, yet it is really the worst paid and found.
They actually grudge to employ vessels for this most
necessary purpose, which is so requisite fur the preser-
vation of life from shipwreck, while they hesitate not to
bestow rewards and pensions on men who never did a
meritorious deed in their lives. When the present Sir
Charles Fitzroy was employed in the Beagle in survey-
ing on the coast of Patagonia and Terra-del Fuego, &c.,
he purchased a schooner to employ as a tender, which
was proved to have very materially facilitated the pro-
gress
of the survey. As a matter of course, he expected
the Admiralty would pay for her, but it is a positive
fact that they refused to do so, and they have never re-
imbursed him for his outlay in their service!—Times.
On the 19th ult. a grand ball was given expressly to
Sir William Parker and the officers of the British fleet
by the English residents at Palermo, as an acknowledg-
ment of the solicitude shown fur their safety and in-
terests during the late troubles, and also of attentions in
forwarding their correspondence when the communica-
tion with Naples was cut off. The Admiral and officers
of the French fleet were invited, as well as the elite of
the nobility and gentry. The greatest harmony and
good feeling prevailed, and the compliment was warmly
acknowledged by the Admiral and by all present.
The Defence, 72, went out of dock at Sheerness on
Saturday, to be masted, and went in afterwards to have
her bottom sheathed.

The Acorn, 16, Commander Bingham' arrived at the
Nore on Sunday from Plymouth, and sailed up the
Medway, to be paid off at Chatham on Monday.
The Africaine steam tug was docked on Monday, to be
cleaned, and went out the same day.
The Diamond corvette is nearly ready for launching
from Sheerness Dockyard.
THE IRISH FORCES.—The squadrons on the Irish
coast comprise four line of-battle:-ships, two frigates (4 ,ne
with an auxiliary steam force), three steam frigates,
four sailing sloops, two steam sloops, one screw steam
schooner, two steam transports, three store ships, two
tenders, and four steam vessels, carrying in the aggre-
gate 539 guns, and amounting to 24,817 tons, and 3,848
horse power.
DEATH OF ADMIRAL HONEYMAN.

The death of this venerable and gallant flag officer,
which was stated some time since to have taken place at
Paris, has now been officially reported. He was a Lieu-
tenant of 1790; Commander, 1796; Captain, 1798;
Rear-Admiral, May, 1825; Vice-Admiral, January,
1837; and Admiral of the Blue, February, 1847.
By the death of this distinguished (but undecorated
officer, Vice-Admiral Sir F. W. Austen, K.C.8., late
Commander-in-Chief in the West Indies, becomes Ad-
miral of the Blue, leaving Thomas James Maling, the
senior Vice-Admiral; Sir R. H. Bromley, Bart., becomes
Vice-Admiral of the Red; and C. B. H. Ross, C. 8.,
senior Vice-Admiral of the White; Rear Admiral John
Impey becomes Vice-Admiral of the Blue, leaving
Henry M. Ommanney senior Rear-Admiral; Lord
Radstock, C. 8., becomes Rear-Admiral of the Red;
and Richard Arthur, CB., becomes Rear-Admiral of the
White.

Captain Gordon Thomas Falcon (1813), Superinten-
dent of Pembroke Dockyard, by the above promotion
obtains the rank of Rear-Admiral of the Blue, leaving
Sir Watkin Owen Pell (1813), the senior Captain on the
list. Captain H. D. Chads, C.B. (1825), now of the
Blenheim, succeeds to the half-pay list of 14s. 6d. per
diem, and Christopher Wyvill (1832). to the 12s. 6d.
list.

As we have before stated, Captain Peter Richards,
C.B. flag-captain to Vice-Admiral Sir W. Parker, Bart.,
in the Hibernia, 104, on the coast of Sicily, will succeed
to the superintendentship of Pembroke Dockyard; and
Captain Charles %Vise (1847), formerly commander of
the Hibernia, will succeed Captain Richard in the com-
mand of the Hibernia.

EXTRAVAGANT EXPENDITURE IN LAUNCHING HER
MAJESTY'S SHIPS.—It will bo seen by the following ge-
neral memorandum, issued to the respective superin-
tendents of her Majesty's dockyards, that the Admiralty
have at length made an effort to curtail the extravagant
waste of the public money in ship launching. If their
Lordships had issued this memorandum a week previ-
ously, or at the time when we pointed out to the board
the tendency of this great abuse, they would have pre-
vented the disgraceful squabbling at Devonport Dock-
yard at the launch of the Indefatigable, and have saved
themselves all th• inconvenience of having to deal with
a very serious breach of the rules of the public service.
We are gratified, however, that we have succeeded, to
some extent in inducing the Admiralty to check, at
least, one dockyard abuse.

" Admiralty, July 28.
" My Lords having had under their consideration the
large sums that are annually expended in the erection of
booths, scaffolding, &c., on the occasion of ships being
launched, are pleased to direct that in no case hereafter
shall the expenses on such occasions exceed 401.
">3y command,
"W. A. B. IIAMILTON."