The Sun.
London, England, 1851-11-10 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

TIIE LATE MAJOR Joula:2lh; remains of thin
gallant and much-lamentec officer will be interred
with military honours at the burial.ground of St.
George's, Stonehouse, to-morrow.
PORTSMOUTH, SUNDAY.--The Birkenhead iron
steam-transport, Master-Comander Salmond, having
been repaired and refitted, went out of Portsmouth
Harbour on Saturday morning. She went down
Stokes Bay, and having tested that her machines and
engines were all right, returned into harbour, where
she remains all ready for service.
The Hecate steam-
sloop, Commander G. Hand, is
all ready for service in Portsmouth Harbour.
DEVONI'ORT, SATSATURDAY.-Admiral Sir John A.
Ommanney, Naval Ccmniander-in-Chief at this
port, struck his flag at sumet on Thursday evening,
having obtained seven days' leave of absence.
ROYAL MamsEs.—First Lieutenant Onslow has
joined the Portsmouth division for embarkation.
Lieutenant and Adjutant Harrison hes obtained
leave of absence till the 30thinst., Lieutenant Thomas
until the 27th, and Lieuterant Gould until the 2d
December. Captain Clav,ll, now on leave, one
month's further extension ' furlough. Six privates,
found unserviceable at the medical inspection held
yesterday at the Royal Naval Hospital, have been in-
valided accordingly.
The Nautilus, Lieutenant J. B. Dolling, returned
on Friday from a week's craise in the Channel.
Her Majesty's steam-slip Rosamond, Captain
Campbell, is forwarding wits all dispatch, and will
probably be ready by the 20th instant to sail for the
West Indies.
The frigate Spartan is ordered to be commissioned
by Captain Peel, son of the lab ex-Premier.
The steam-vessel Avon, having been repaired, is
placed at her moorings.
The Confiance steam-vessel arrived on Thursday
with a detachment of the 77th Regiment from Pen-
dennis Castle, relieved by a detachment of the 19th,
conveyed there by the Confiance from this garrison.
An order has been issued to prevent food of any
kind from being carried into the Dockyard, Devon-
port. The artisans have been for many years in the
habit of eating their dinners within the walls, and
the present order will no doubt prove seriously incon-
venient to those residing at a distance.
His Imperial Majesty's steam-ship Danube, Cap-
tain Paul, arrived here from London on Thursday,
for a supply of fuel, bound to Odessa.
ADMIRALTY PROSECUTION.—On Saturday, Nov.
8, Commodore Michael Seymour, the superintendent
of the dockyard (and during the absence of the
admiral, Sir John Ommanney, the commander-in-
chief), sat in the dockyard as a magistrate, to consider
complaints brought against seven masters of barges,
charged with discharging mud within the limits of
the harbour, against the laws. The charge having
been proved, the parties were prosecuted by Messrs.
Eastlake, the Admiralty solicitors for the port, when
Passmore, who had appeared upon a similar charge
before, was fined 51. ; five of the others were fined '2l.
each, and one who appeared to have been less guilty
was fined 1/.

PROMOTIONS.
Lieut. Powell, of the Janus, has been promoted to
the rank of commander.
B. P. Heather, to be purser.
APPOINTMENTS.
Commander J. Ormsby Johnson has been appointed
mail agent on board one of the Cape screw-steamers,
and will proceed in the Hellespont on the 15th inst.
Assistant Surgeon—Charles D. Nettleton, to the
Impregnable.
Acting Assistant Surgeon—Charles E. Playfair, to
the Hecate.
Assistant Engineer—Jas. Stuart, to the Rosamond.
Gunners—John Lowen, to the Rapid; John Wed-
dell, to the Rosamond.

INSTRUCTION OF OFFICERS IN STEAM
MACHINERY.

The subjoined circularhas been issued by com-
mand of the Lords of the Admiralty :
" Admiralty, Oct. 30, 1851.
"My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty are
pleased to direct that all subordinate officers (except
clerks), serving on board her ➢iajesty's ships having
steam power, bo instructed by the senior engineer on
board in the knowledge of the component parts of the en-
gine and boilers, and the practical working of the ma-
chinery, as it is their Lordships' iutentior, at some future
period, to institute an examination on the above subjects
when officers come forward to pass their final examina-
tion for rank. But should any officer who is now serving
wish to be examined as to his knowledge of the above
subjects when passing his final examination, he is to sub-
mit his wish to his captain, for the information of the
commander-in-chief or senior officer; sad if found to
possess a competent knowledge thereof, the same is to
be certified on his passing certificate for notation in the
Admiralty office,
" Commanders-in-chief are, in such eases, to give the
requisite orders for the examination, and to nominate a
senior engineer officer to attend on the day of examina-
tion, should the passing captains require his services.
" By command of their Lordships,
JOHN PARKER.
" To all commanders-in-chief, captains, com-
manders, and commanding officers of her
Majesty's ships and vessels."

PRESERVED MEATS.
The following circular has been issued :
" Admiralty, Oct. 31, ISSI.
" The attention of my Lords Commissioners of the
Admiralty having been drawn to the frequent and heavy
condemnations that have occurred on board her Ma-
jesty's ships, in consequence of the bad quality of the
preserved meats supplied under the contracts of Mr.
Goldner— _

" Their Lordships are pleased to direct that no
1p
further issues of Goldner's preserved meats shall be
made to the crows of her A jesty's ships,
either at
home or abroad; but that such may be on board the
ships at home shall be immediately returned int.) store,
and that the whole of such quantities as may remain in
store, and on board her Majesty's ships abroad at the
time of the receipt of this circular, shall be returned to
England free of expense by any of her Majesty's ships,
lr
as opportunities shall offer, in order that the same may
be surveyed by the proper officers who may be appointed
for the purpose, and disposed of in such manner as their
Lordships may direct; but any canisters which may b.-
e
found to emit offensive effluvium from the &compost
tion of the meat, or appear to be unfit to be sent to
England, aro to be destroyed; care being taken in all
such cases that a survey be held previously thereto, at
which a meaical officer is to be present; and the name
on the canister, its weight, and any other particulars
are to be stated in the report of survey.
" By command of their Lordships,
PARKER.
"To all commanders-in-chief, captains, com-
manders, and commanding officers of her Ma-
jesty's ships and vessels."

IRELAND.
TnE CHIEF
ACTION AG AINS secltETAßT.—The
case of James Birch, proprietor of tha World news-
paper, v. Sir William Somerville, Bart., adjourned
from Monday last, came before the Court of Queen's
Bench this day. An action
has been brought by the
plaintiff for 7,0001., claimed as a balance due " for
work, labour, and service rendered by plaintiff in sup-
port of the existing Administration, at the instance
and request of the defendant, from the 16th of July,
1848, to the 16th of January, 1851," including a
charge of 300/. for copies of the World, supplied and
distributed, as alleged in the declaration. The de-
fendant required that such a bill of particulars should
be furnished as would enable him to proceed with his
defence ; and the question was fixed for final decision
this day, when the Lord Chief Justice and Judges
Crampton and Moore took their seats on the bench.
We subjoin a brief report of the argument, which
terminated in the granting of the application made by
Sir William Somerville, and the staying of all fur-
ther proceedings in the action.
Mr. John Perrin renewed his application on the part
of the defendant, to the effect, that a bill of particulars
should be furnished by the plaintiff, in order that the
defendant might be made acquainted with the species
of demand made upon him.
Mr. WHITESIDE, (2.C., and Mr. MiDortouGH, Q.C.,
severally contended that a bill of particulars had been
furnished, and that, in compliance with the order of
the Court, an amended bill had been furnished on the
day after the application on the pert of the defendant
had been made. Those Learned Gentlemen cited a
great many authorities and cases to sustain their vie w,
after which
The CHIEF JUSTICE delivered judgment to the
effect that, on a former day, an application had been
made by the defendant demanding to be furnished
with a bill of particulars, but, in consequence of BOMO
informality in his affidavit, the Court refused the
motion with costs, giving him, at the same time, an
opportunity to amend his application, 'n conformity
with the Act of Parliament, in order that
the motion should come properly before the
Court. In the first instance, the Court was of
opinion that the bill of particulars furnished was per-
fectly illusory. An amended bill had been since
furnished, which in no essential respect differed from
the first, and Mr. Justice Moore, who was not present
in the first instance, quite agreed with the members
of the bench who then Presided, that the original
and amended bills were perfectly illusory. The Court,
therefore, were of opinion that tho application of the
defendant should be allowed.
Mr. PERRIN—And all further proceedings stayed.
CHIEF JUSTICE----Ye 3.
RESIGNATION OF MR, COMMISSIONER CURRAN,—
Soon atter the opening of the next year, Mr. W. IL
Curran, Q C., for many sears one of tbe Commis-
sioners of the Insolvent 'Miters Court in Ireland, is
to retire, according to the arrangement for superan-
nuation made in the new Act for the regulation of
that court. After that time Mr. Baldwin, Q.C., will
be the sole Commissioner. All the circuit business
heretofore discharged by tie Insolvent Debtors Com-
missioners has been transfared to the assistant bar-
risters at quarter sessions and the duties of the
Commissioners are confinel to the Central Court in
Dublin.