The Sun.
London, England, 1846-01-29 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

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PORTSMOUTH, MONDAY.—The Prince Albert, a splendid
American line-of-packet ship of 1,000 tons, Captain Sebor,
will sail this evening (wind continuing favourable) for New
York. Captain Sebor and the passengers have embarked.
The Scourge steam bomb-vessel, Commander Caffin, has
come down so low in the water since she has shipped her
fuel and ammunition, that it has been found necessary to
put on another streak of copper, which has been done.
The Netley tender is ordered to Plymouth with super-
numeraries for the vessels fitting out there.
The Comet steam-vessel, Lieutenant-Commander Pretty-
man, has been examined by the engineer department, and
will proceed to-day to Devonport with supernumeraries.
The Mercury tender, Master-Commander Scarlett, sailed
to-day for Plymouth with supernumeraries.
The Rattler steam-sloop, Commander Smith, came into
harbour again yesterday, after trying her new screw (Wood-
croft's) at Spithead.
Further shell practice was continued from the Excellent
this morning at the steam funnel, which now presents a
very torn and shattered appearance, as does the bed on
which it is fixed. It is considered that neither shell nor
shot will, under ordinary circumstances, do any very great
damage to a steamer's funnel, as shot go direct through the
iron, and shells do not explode on striking it, passing
through it as shot, and merely creating a larger perfo-
ration.
ANTI-MILITIA MEETING.

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NEWCASTLE, TUESDAY, JAN. 27.—This evening a public
meeting was held in the Lecture-room, for the purpose of
adopting measures to induce the Government to abandon
its intention of enrolling the militia. The attendance was
very large.
Jonathan Priestman, Esq., presided; and after a number
of speeches by local Dissenting ministers and others, the
subjoined memorial was agreed to without the slightest op-
position :
".To the Right lion. Sir R. Peel, First Lord of the Trea-
sury, &c., and the other honourable members of her Ma-
jesty's Government—the Memorial of a public meeting
of the inhabitants of the borough of Newcastle-upon-
Tyne humbly showeth,
" That your memorialists have learned with the most
sincere regret that it is the intention of her Majesty'sGoveni-
ment to embody the militia.
" Your memorialists seriously apprehend that such a mea-
sure would operate injuriously in various respects.
" That by exciting the jealousy and suspicion of foreign
powers, diffusing military tastes and habits amongst the
people, and rendering it more easy to engage in war, it would
tend to produce the evil which it is desired to prevent.
" That it would exert an unfavourable influence on public
morals by withdrawing a large number of young inert
from the guidance and oversight of their parents and con-
nexions, and that it would tend materially to retard the
general prosperity by diminishing the powers of productive
industry.
" That by a consequent increase of taxation, it would bear
hardly on the whole community, and it would inflict peculiar
hardships on those classes which, having no direct voice in
the representation, have the stronger claim to the considera-
tion of those in power.
" That by the introduction of compulsory military service,
it would afford a dangerous precedent for a positive en-
croachment on civil liberty, and that, in the case of those
who conscientiously disapprove of war, it would present a
violation of the rights of conscience unworthy of our age aid
country.
" In conclusion, your memorialists would respectfully sub-
mit these views to your serious consideration, and earnestly
request that a measure, replete with so many evils, may not
be carried into effect."