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

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

The Fox, 42, Commodore Sir H. Blackwood, Bart.,
will be paid off on Saturday.
The Virago steam-sloop, Commander 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 for the service. She is to be paid off, and her
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 must
necessary purpose, which is so requisite for 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, rze.,
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 for 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 oft. The Admiral and officers
of the French fleet were invited, as. well us the Elite of
the nobility and gentry. The greatest harmony and
good feeling prevaled, and the compliment was warmly
acknowledged by the Admiral and by all present.
The Defence, 72, went out of duck at Sheerness 'on
Saturday, to be wasted, and went iu 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.
TIIE Inisa FORCES.—The squadrons on the Irish
coast oumprise four line of-battle-ships, two frigates ( ne
with an auxiliary steam force), three steam frigates,
four sailing sloops, two steam sloops, one screw steam
schooner, t%% o 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 nave 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 Mating, the
senior Vice-Admiral; Sir R. H. Bromley, Bart., becomes
Vice-Admiral of the Red; tied 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
Radatock, C. 8., becomes Rear-Admiral of the Red;
and Richard Arthur, C. 8., 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 Wyv.ll (1832). to the 12s. 6d.
list. _ _

As w•e have before stated, Captain Peter Richards,

C. 8., flag-captain to Vice-Admiral Sir W. Parker, Bart.,
in the Hibernia, 104, on the coast of Sicily, will succeed
to the superintendentshio of Pembroke Duckyard; and
Captain Charles Wise (1847), formerly commander of
the Hibernia, will succeed Captain Richard in the cow-

wand of the Hibernia..
EXTRAVAGANT EXPENDITURE IN LAUNCHING HER
MAJESTY'S 6HIPs.,--1t will be 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 au effort to curtail the extravagant
waste of the public money in ship launching. If their
Lordships bad 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 Doek-
tad at the launch of the Indefatigable, and have saved
themselves all the 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.
By command,

W. A. B. HAMILTON."

APPOINTMENTS.

The commissions of Captain the Hon. G. F. Hastings
(1845), promoted from the Harlequin, and last of the
Eudyinit.n, appointing him to command the Dragon, and
prospectively to the Cyclops steam-frigate, when he finds
that vessel on the coast of Ireland, were received at Ports-
mouth on Tuesday.
Lieutenants—T. Andrews, additional to the Birken-
head steam•frigate, employed in conveying troops on
the coast of Ireland ; J. Townshend, to the Pantaloon
sloop, on her way to the coast of Africa.
Mate—Charles Gibbons, to the Hastings, 72, flag-
ship of Sir Francis Collier, on her passage to the East
Indies.

Chief Engineer—T. Bullion, to the Fisguard, pendant
ship at Woolwich.
Assistant-Engineers—J. Stow and W. Ibbett. to the
Lucifer, tender to the St. Vincent, Sir C. Napier's flag-
ship at Cork.
Midshipman—The Hon. H. W. Chetwynd, to the
Eurydice frigate, on the Cape of Good hope station.
Lieut. Algernon F. H. De Horsey (1846) to study at
the steam-factory, Woolwich.
Master—J. T. Crout (1844) to the Cyclops steam-
frigate, on the coast of Ireland.
Surgeon—John T. Jenkins (1846) to the Waterwitch,
8, on the coast of Africa, vice Negua.
Assistant Surgeons—Charles Layer Hugs, of the
Trincomalee, 26, in the West Indies, has been confirmed
to that vessel; seniority, May,1847; George H. Edwards,
of the Queen, 116, in the Mediterranean, has been con-
firmed in his rank—seniority, March, 1847 1847;
jamllaevisdE.
o.d
West (1846) to the Linnet, 6, packet-brig;
mondston and Horan H. Smith, acting, to the Victory,
flag ship, at Portsmouth.
Clerks—Charles D. Lindsay, Frederick Field, and
George Lapidge, to the Raleigh, 50, flag-ship, at Monte
Video.
ROYAL MARINES.—The commissions of Captain C. J.
Hadfield and First Lieutenant Henry Adam have been
received at Portsmouth; and those of Captain Hayes
Marriot and First Lieutenant John Grieve, at Chatham.
DocKyAnn,—Mr. Ebenezer Wood, inspector of ship-
wrights at Devonport Dockyard, having undergone the
necessary examination and reported to be qualified, has
been promoted to the rank of foreman, vice Peake, pro-
moted. Mr. Wood has been engaged most assiduously
in correcting errors and defects in the lines of the Inde-
fatigable, which ship may be said to be as much Mr.
Wood's as Mr. Hyde's, and as much after the lines of the
designer of the Southampton as she is after any of the
naval architectural notions of the above-named persons.
—Herald.

CHATHAM, Aua. 2.—The Spy, 3•gun brigantine, was
put out of dock on Monday last, when she was taken
alongside the shears and received her masts.

The Wolverine, 16 guns, was put out of dock also on
Monday last.

The Acorn, 16 guns, Commander John E. Bingham,
from the East Indies, was towed into this harbour yes-
terday afternoon by the African steam-vessel. She is
now alongside the Hussar hulk, and will be paid off on
Tuesday, the Bth inst.
Yesterday a detachment consisting of 45 men in charge
of a sergeant of the Royal Sappers and Miners, arrived
at this garrison from Woolwich to take part in the field
operations under Colonel Sir Frederick Smith, K.H., of
the Royal Engineers.
WOOLWICH, AUGUST 2.—The Spiteful steam sloop,
280 horse power, will be completed by the dockyard
workmen, and ready for commission on Saturday next.
The Daedalus, 12 gun frigate, Capt. Peter M`Quhae.
left Singapore for England on the 25th of May.. She
was about to proceed to Siam, to quell a mutiny of the
Chinese coolies (about 4,000 in number), who had de-
stroyed some sugar mills, and done other damage to
British property, but the Meander, 44 gun frigate, Capt
the Hon. Henry Keppel, having arrived on the previous
day, proceeded to the execution of the llsodalus' orders.
Mr. Claude de Crespigny, midshipman, has been ap-
pointed from the llsadalus to the Royalist, 6 gun brig,
and the latter vessel has proceeded to survey the coast
of Borneo, which will occupy her about six or eight
months.
The Termagant steam frigate arrived at Sheerness
yesterday evening at eight o'clock. Her speed was
ascertained to be 7.12 knots per hour, and her engines
were found to work well. Tae coals on board were not
of the best quality, which prevented a trial with her full
power of steam.

FUNERAL OE THE TWO FIRE BRIGADE MEN.—
Yesterday afternoon the remains of Pierey and Hancock,
the two firemen who lost their lives at the recent fire at
Wapping, were deposited is the parish churchyard of
St. George's in the East. A procession of sixty firemen
attended on the occasion, and a great concourse of per-
sons were present. Provision, for a time, will be made
by the establishment for the benefit of the unfortunate
men's widows and children. Mr. Mackay, the engineer,
whose life was so fortunately saved on the fatal oceasi.n,
is fast recovering; but it will be some months before he
will be able to do duty.
A JEREMY DIDDLER.—" Will you pay, me my
bill, sir?" said a tailor to a waggish fellow, who had got
into him about a foot. "Do you owe anybody any-
thing, sir?" asked the wag. " No, sir," said the tailor.
" Then you can afford to waitl" and he walked off.. A
day or two afterwards the tailor called again. Our wag
was not at his wit's end yet; so, turning on his creditor,
he says—" Are you in debt to anybody?". " Yes, sir,"
says the tailor. " Well, why the devil don't you pay?"
" Because I can't get the money." " That's just my
case, sir; I am glad you can appreciate my condition—
giie us your band, old fellow!"