The Sun.
London, England, 1851-09-15 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

Commodore Michael Seymour, the new superinten-
dent, arrived at Moorhead s Royal Hotel Devonport,
from Sheerness, by the mail train, on Friday morning,
and was immediately waited upon by the principal
officers of the dockyard. The Gallant Commodore
visited the port admiral, and from thence proceeded in
his barge to the St. George, 120, when his red pen-
dant was hoisted on board that ship, and the usual
salutes fired by the St. George and the Impregneble.
lie then returned to the dockyard and entered on his
official duties.
The secretary to Captain Seymour at Sheerness
was a clerk of the dockyard, and his appointment
entailed no additional expense on the establishment,
but at Devonport it is understood that Mr. Dyer, a
paymaster and pureer of the navy, late secretary to
Lord John Hay, is to fill the office of secretary to
the new superintendent, thus usurping the legitimate
position of a clerk of the establishment, and adding
some 4001. a year extra to the navy estimates. This
appointment is neither fair nor economical, nor is it
an advantageous one to the public service. In the
course of.a few days we may have something more to
advance.
Tun NAVAL AIDES-DE•C MP.—ln giving Sir G.
Pechell, Bart., the appointment of A.D.C. to the
Queen, the senior captains, Sir E. Parry, W. J. Min-
gaye, J. E. Walcott, and Lord Spencer, C. 8., have
been passed over. Sir George Pechell has never
served a single day since he was posted (1822), and
altogether has only seen 15 years active service in the
navy, whereas the gallant and distinguished Arctic
voyager Sir E. Parry has been about 35 years on full-
pay service, and has served his time as a captain for
his active flag rank. Copt. Mingaye has also served
24 years afloat, and is likewise eligible for his active
flag. In conferring the other vacancies on Captains
Wyvill and Hotham, a still greater injustice has been
inflicted by passing over at least more than a dozen
officers of long standing and superior claims. The
lucky favourites are captains of 1832 and 1833; but
in going so far down the list, the following are among
the senior officers who have good reason to complain
of neglect :—Ryder Burton, K.H. (1824) ; Hon. R.
S. Dundas, C.B. (1824) ; Lord Hardwick (1825) ;
G. R. Lambert (1825) ; Sir Henry Leeke, K.H. ;
Freemantle Yates; G. B. Martin, C.B. ; Sir R.
Grant, Purcell, Richards, C. 8., Duntzs, 11. Smith,
C. 8., and many others whose standing and services
we o not for the moment remember.

ROYAL NAVAL SCHOOL, NEW CROSS.—Rear-Ad-
miral Murray has liberally subscribed 101. in aid of
the " Church Building Fund " of this institution.
CAPTURE OF A SLAVER BY THE FLYING FISH.—
The Flying Fish, 12, Commander G. E. Patey, was
at WhySlan on the sth of August. She had been
successful in capturing another slaver. The follow-
ing are the particulars from a private letter :—" Her
Majesty's ship Flying Fish, July 14, 1851, at anchor
off Little Popo Island, got hold of another slaver after
a beautiful chase of two or three hours. On standing
in for the land this morning, about eleven o'clock,
we observed our friend stealing along shore es close
as possible, evidently trying to shy us. Hands make
sail' was soon piped, when the reefs were out and
starboard studding-sails set in double•quick time.
On oar approaching him we fired a blank gun to
make him show his colours, of which he took no
notice. We then waited until we got within good
gun shot, and sent a 32 pounder acrows his bows,
but this not producing the desired effect, a gunner's
crew kept hammering directly at him, and it was de
lightful to see the good practice they made—two shots
through his foretopgallant sail, another shot his
lower studdingsail boom away ; another through his
mainrigging, across the quarter-deck, and shot his
mainboom through. The fellow then put his helm
hard-a-starboard, and it was thought he was going to
beach her, but supposed the surf was too high for him,
as he again righted his helm, let run all his studding-
sail halyards, and after a few shots from the marines he
came towards us. She is a pretty brig, named the
Pepeta, and was going to take in 500 slaves, but we
disturbed him in the middle of it ; for ha had only
time to take 70 on board, when he saw us in the offing,
upon which he cut his cables, and run down along the
land, thinking we should not take notice of him. We
only returned from Princes' Island the day before,
and relieved the Sampson at Quite, which vessel we
saw this morning to leeward of us, running to Why-
dab, and bad not been long out of sight when we pin-
ned our friend, otherwise she would share with us."
The slaver was sent to Sierra Leone the same evening,
at which place she has arrived, for condemnation.
This is the 10th prize captured by the Flying Fish
since she has been on the station ; and the efficiency
and discipline maintained on board this fortunate ves-
sel is highly spoken of. Commander Patey had re-
ceived orders to meet Commodore Bruce about the 22d
October, and, having taken the mail on board, would
sail for England, andmay be exyected to arrive before
Christmas.
Rear-Admiral W. W. Henderson, C. 8., the new
Commander-in-Chief for the Brazils, in his flag-ship
Centaur steam-frigate, Captain St. Leger Cannon,
sailed from Spithead on Saturday at ono o'clock, pro-
ceeding out through the Needles on his passage for
Rio, to relieve Rear-Admiral Reynolds, C.B. We
understand Mrs. Henderson and Miss Henderson ac-
company the Admiral out to Rio.
Lieutenant Richard Moore, mate of 1849, and pro-
moted to be acting lieutenant of the Gorgon, steam-
sloop, in the Pacific, July 5, 1850, has been con-
firmed in his rink, having arrived home and passed
the usual examination.
The following mates and midshipmen passed last
week at the Naval College in navigation :—Messrs.
Grenville Marshall Temple, Edward H. Howard,
Charles J. Slaughter, Robert E. Pakenham, William
G. H. Johnstone, James Wylie East, Edward Spencer
Mears, John B. B. Telfer, John B. Anderson, Henry
R. Douglas M`Murdo, and William N. Cornewall ;
and F. B. Youel, for master. Oa and after Novem-
ber next the examination day will be on the second
Wednesday in the month, instead of the first Monday
after the first Wednesday.
The undermentioned young gentlemen have been
found qualified at the Naval College for the appoint-
ment of naval cadet, and joined the Victory for the
purpose :—Messrs. G. Pows, Herbert, Hilton,
Mervin Bradford Medlycott, Charles R. K. Smyth,
Francis M. Ommenney, Uvedale C. Singleton.
Shearwater, steam-vessel, Lieutenant-Commander
Horton, arrived at Devonpert on Friday, and having
received a fresh supply of coals, proceeded en route to
Constantinople.

PORTSMOUTH, SUNDAY.—The Vernon, East ludia,
man for Calcutta, arrived outward-bound at Spit.
head on Saturday evening.

THE STATUE Is. CAVENDISII-2QIIARE TO LOUD
GEORGE BENTINCIi.—On Saturday, at the weekly meeting
ot.the vestry of St. Marylebone, Henry Lewis, Esq., in the
Chpir, a report was presented
.from a committee appointed as
t();Xhe making of two crossings from Holies-street to the
garden in the centre of Cavendish-tquare, that the present
crossing and gate might be removed from the centre, so as
not to interfere with the statuo now about to be erected there
to the memory of the late Lord George Matlack,
atlack, the inabi-
tants of the .square or parties applying for the change agree-
ing to pay the cost of the alteration themselves. The report
was adopted.

THE CHEAP EXCURSION TRAINS..---A very im-
portant trial is likely to come on in the Court of Exchequer
dining the next term, unless the Board of Inland Revenue
should think proper to abandon a claim which they are at
the present time endeavouring to enforce against several of
the leading railway companies who have been running cheap
excursion trains. Most of our readers are doubtless aware
thot the railway companies pay a large sum annually to the
Board of Inland Revenue for passenger duty. In the Act of
Parliament which passed in 1845, compelling :railways to
carry passengers in third class covered carriages, certain ex-
ceptions were made, which were stated in the Act" to secure
to the poorer classes of travellers a means of travelling at
moderate fares, at or under one penny per mile." These
were exempt from the Government tax. When the compa-
nies began to run excursion trains they looked upon this
particular description of traffic as coming within the meaning
of the Act, and did not include their excursion passengers
in their return to Government, as it did not amount even to
d. per The Board of Inland Revenue, however, de
nun the whole amount of duty that would be payable on
ordinary trains. The first company to which application was
made was the London and South-Western. Mr. Chaplin,
the chairman, immediately put himself in communica-
tion with other railway companies who have been running
cheap trains, and the result is, that they have agreed to fight
the bnttle with the Board of Inland Revenue, unless they
forego their demand—Sunda) Paper.

BOROUGH Or GREENWICH REGISTRATION.--The
revising barrister has not yet
i fixed the day for his attend-
ance, but we believe it will be n the first
.N 1 eek of October.
Notwithstanding that a general election 13 expected in the
spring, there seems to be but little or no party spirit in the
borough to prepare for a contest.
. Not a siugle objection has
been made, but the number et fresh claims is larger than
usual. The claims sent in are as follow :—Grecnwich, 152 •
St. Nichoite, Deptford.2 ; . ; Paul, Deptford 86 • ' wool:
ith, 21; Charlton, „2
Plumstead, 34 ; making a total
w
of 342.

NAPLES, SEPT. Neapolitan Mt,.iesty very
narrowly escaped death on Saturday last. The King was
driving some members of the royal family in the vicinity
of the Caserta Railway, and, was about to cross the line,
not observing a train was rapidly advancing. A countryman
rushed forward and held the horthes' head!, to the great
consternatior, of his Ya3e,sty, who, not perceiving the danger,
imagined a hozAlle intention on the part of the Wan Why "
in fact laving his life.