The Sun.
London, England, 1856-06-25 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

The steam-transport Euphemus, No. 121, arrived at
Spithead yesterday morning from the Crimea, with 188
Russian guns, 36 gun-carriages, 3 mantlets (rope), 352
empty powder barrels, 43 casks of accoutrements, and 31
chests of arms (621 stand).
The Lilydale, No. 17, sailing transport, brought 57
guns, sundry mortars, and a quantity of shot and shell
fram the Crimea, with which she has proceed to Wool-
wich to land.

The Etna steam-transport went into Portsmouth har-
bour yesterday morning to land the Militia she arrived
with the day previously from Cork, consisting of 28 offi-
cers and 714 men of the Middlesex and Wet Norfolk.
Her Majesty's steam troop-ship Urgent, Commander
Phillips, left Spithead on Monday night for the Crimea,
to bring home troops.
The Britannia, No. 2, transport, left Portsmouth yes-
terday for Plymouth, with about 100 of the 96th Regi-
ment.

The steam-transport Khersonese, No. 10, left Ports-
mouth yesterday for Cork with the 94th Regiment.
The steam-ship Great Western was paid off from the
transport service at Portsmouth yesterday.
The Kangaroo steam-transport, No. 29, arrived at
Spithead on Monday night with Royal Horse Artillery
from the late seat of war, whom she went alongside the
dockyard to disembark.
A letter from Simon's-bay, dated April 18, to a
Portsmouth correspondent, gives the following as the
latest intelligence from the squadron on that station :
" In Simon's-bay the Penelope, 18, steam-frigate, Capt.
Sir Wm. Wiseman, and the Seringapatam, receiving-
ship. The Castor, 36, Commodore Trotter, is ou a
cruise for a few days only, and it is said will shortly
proceed to the Mauritius and Mozambique. The Frolic,
12, Capt. Nolloth, is in Table bay, having a few days
since arrived from the Island of Tristan d'Acunha, it
having been erroneously supposed that the islanders (the
descendants of the corporal of Artillery and the two or
three man-of-war's men who had volunteered to remain
in 1824, when the British left) had become too
numerous for the means of subsistence afforded byt
the island. There were 72 persons on the island, abou
half of whom wished to be removed, with their families
and some of their property, cattle, &e. The wives o
the first settlers were negresses from St. Helena, but the
present generation are well-known, good-looking people,
with scarcely any sign of black blood in their veins. The
corporal died about three years ago, and some 30 of his
children and grandchildren migrated (with his widow) to
the United States. The Dart, 2-gun brigantine, second-
master M'Clune, is in the Mozambique, and it is hoped
that she will bring back Dr. Livingstone, the missing
traveller, who undertook in the middle of 1854 to cross
the vast continent of Africa, from San Paolo de Loando,
a Portuguese possession on the west side of Quilimane,
on the eastern coast of Africa. All goes on well as far
as Kafir matters are concerned. Sir George Grey is
doing all he can to raise them in the scale of civilisation,
and it is to be hoped that he will be as succe.sful in his
endeavours as he was with the aborigines of New Zea-
land."

The Acorn, 12 guns, saiUng sloop, Commander Arthur
W. A. Hood, yesterday had her compasses adjusted at
Blackstakes, and is under orders to leave Sheerness to-
day for Plymouth to receive orders for her future desti-
nation. The Acorn is fully manned.
The Elk, 12 guns, sailing sloop, Commander Charles
H. Hamilton, is ordered to have her compasses adjusted
at Sheerness ready for sea. She is now 30 hands short
of her complement of seamen.

The Merlin, 6 guns, paddle-wheel steam-vessel, Com-
mander Cecil W. Buckley, was inspected yesterday at
Sheerness by the Commander-in-Chief, Vice-Admiral of
the White the Hon. Wm. Gordon. The Merlin is to
proceed to Plymouth, there to await Admiralty orders.
The following appointments were made yesterday at
the Admiralty :
_

Lieut. foe Hon. W. C. Talbot, to the Hannibal ; J.
Molloy, second master, to the Blenheim ; E. P. Bedwell,
second master, to the Victory ; R. C. Dyer, additional
master to the Impregnable ; J. P. M'Ewen, master's-
assistant, to the Dasher. Mr. A. F. Hart, mate, has
been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant ; Mr. G. L.
Bridges, Mr. M. C. Seymour, and the Hon. J. B.
Vivian, mates, to the Victoria and Albert Royal yacht ;
J. W. F. Harvey, naval cadet, to the Dauntless ; R. P.
Pardon, naval cadet, to the Dauntless ; W. F. L. El-
wyn, naval cadet, to the Tribune ; C. W. Beaumont,
naval cadet, to the Majestic ; W. B. Littlehales, naval
cadet, to the Royal Albert ; and P. A. Davies, naval
cadet, to the Royal Albert, to bear date June 25 ; W.
Tresher, naval cadet, to the Ringdove ; W. M. INI oger,
naval cadet, to the Wanderer ; D. R. Hewitt, naval
adet, to the Mohawk, to bear date June 24 ; H. Hodge,
4sistant-clerk, to the Calcutta ; W. H. J. Aitken,
ssistant-clerk, to the Calcutta.
The whole of the non-commissioned officers and men
belonging to the Chatham division of the Royal Marines
Light Infantry are to undergo a course of instruction in
the use of the Enfield rifle. Major G. B. Rodney,
Royal Marines, with three non-commissioned officers,
who have qualified themselves as instructors in musketry
at the School of Musketry, Hythe, have been appointed
:nstructors to the corps.
The following circul, r memorandum respecting the
distinctions of the Legion of Honour conferred on Bri•
tish soldiers by the Emperor Napoleon has been addressed
to the officers commanding regiments and depots at home
And abroad :

"Horse Guards, June 7.
"Commanding officers of regiments and depots are re-
quested to cause a nominal return to be prepared ou the
Ist of January in each year of all officers, uorx-commis-
sinned officers, and men appointed to the Legion of Ho-
nour, who have died within the year, and transmit the
same to the Military Secretary, in order that it may be
fnrwarded to the French Government.—By command,
"G. A. NVETJERALL,"

THE MILITIA.
The following General Order was issued yesterday :
" Hove Guards, Stine 9.
" The Militia forces having been directed to be dis-
embodied, the Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief, pre-
viously to their return to their counties, desires to offer
to the officers, non-commissioned officers, and men his
best acknowledgments for the zeal and discipline which
they have shown during the whole period of their ser•
vice. They have not only performed every duty which
fell to their share with the cheerful obedience of good
soldiers, but they have in large numbers gallantly volun-
teered into the line at the most critical period of the
war, and by thus reinforcing the British army before Se-
bastopol have essentially contributed to its success.
"Several Militia regiments volunteered their services
for the garrisons of the Mediterranean.
" The offers of 10 regiments were accepted, thereby
liberating an equal number of regiments of the line to
proceed to the Crimea.

" The Queen has been graciously pleased to mark her
sense of these valuable services by signifying her com-
mands, through the Secretary of State for War, that the
following regiments, which volunteered their services
abroad, be permitted to bear the word Mediterranean'
on their colours—viz., the Royal Berkshire, East Kent,
First Royal Lancashire, 3d Royal Lancashire, 3d Royal
Westminster (Middlesex), Northampton, Orford, 1 t
King's Own Stafford, the Royal Wiltshire, and 2d We, t
York.

"The Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief congia-
tulates these regiments on the distinction thus accorded
to them by her Majesty.
" The Field-Marshal has received constant reports
from General officers, both at home and abroad, of the
excellent state of ciecipline of the M►litia regiments ge-
nerally, and at this moment of their returning to their
homes he desires to express to the officers, non-conainis.-
aioned officers, and private soldiers of every regiment
embodied during the war his thanks for their good con-
duct and his best wishes for their welfare and happiness.
"By command of the Right Hon. Field-Marshal
Viscount Harcliuge, Commanding-in-Chief.
" G. A. WETHERALL, Adjutant-General."

THE POLITICAL TRIALS IN NAPLES.

Saturday was the third day of the political trials, and
the attendance of the diplomatic body had increased.
There were present the American and Prussian Minis-
ters, the Sardinian Charge d'Affaires, and members of
the British, French, and Prussian Legations. Several of
the accused have already been in prison several years—
six years, even, for political offences, of whom Avitabile,
as a consequence, has his hair turned quite grey, and. Donna
Antouietta Paer has nearly lost the use of one eye. Dur-
ing the day the court was occupied with the examination
of witnesses. Amongst them were ecclesiastics high in
rank, the chaplain of the prison where some had been
many.civilians— all of whom spoke either as to
high character, or the impossibility of committing eintain
offences imputed to them. The Attorney-General stili
displayed the same ferocity of character as on the other
occasions, and a desire to resist the success of the defence.
In proof of which I give you instances. A wish was ex-
pressed to have a room in Mignonna's house examined
and measured ; it was considered very essential to the
defence ; the Attorney-General however opposed it as
unnecessary. "I must press the point on the Court,"
said Da Filippo, "and can show from the admissions of
the Attorney-General that it is neceseary." " Signor
,
President," said the latter, "this is a,c,onternpt of the public
uthorities;mywordsarequestioned. DeFilippo,however
repudiated thecharge ofa can tempt of Court, and,pressing
his point, the Court retired to consider it. Another
incident not to be omitted was the following :—ln the
course of the morning the Attorney-General read a
letter from the Neapolitan Consul in Genoa, in which
he said that it was useless to seek for the desired
information from the Piedmontese authorities, as
everything in that kingdom was in disorder. On this the
Sardinian Charge d'Affaires rose and appeared very in lig-
nant. I must again advert to the defence, and eepcci illy
that of _Padre Ruggiero, an Augustin monk, "We have
known him ripwards of 30 years," said priests and
lians, "and have respected him as a man and an eccle-
siastic. Wz! have frequented his rooms as friends and
penitents, and have never seen nor heard anything to
compromise. him." The man whose evidence, however,
made the strongest impression was another monk of the
A.ugnstine. He deposed to a belief in the innocence
of Ruggiero; he declared that the moat violent menaces
had been used by Campagna to influence the deposi-
tion. "Re stripped me of my upper and lower gar•
merits, and threatened to have me lashed." We have
it therefore in evidence that one of the Augustin monks
had been frightened into making a false deposition
against another member of the monastery—that another
monk who, without any charge against him, had been
Imprisoned twelve days, was stripped, threatened with
the lash, and insulted, and that the unfortunate man to
injure whom all this infernal violence had been prac-
tised, has been a prisoner for neir'y one year without
being brought to trial. The political trial, have again
seen suspended, I am informed, by Royal rescript for
thii mon tb. —Latter fine Naples.

PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEES.

THE SOUND DUES.

This committee met again yesterday ; Mr. Villiers in
the chair.

Mr. Thomas B. Arnott, a merchant and shipowner
of Liverpool, and a member of the Chamber of Com-
merce in that town, was examined. He said the sub-
ject of the Sound Dues had been very much discussed of
late by the Chamber of Commerce ; they had sent two
memorials to the Treasury praying for some arrange-
ment by which the dues might be abolished. One of
these memorials was sent in 1853, and the other last
year. The witness read an abstract of the last memo-
rial, which, as the chairman observed, did not pray so
much for the abolition of the dues themselves, as that
they might be levied at some port where the ships
stopped to deliver their cargoes, and that they should
not be compelled to interrupt their voyage by stopping
at Elsinore ; the Chamber of Commerce were of opinion
that the dues should be paid on the cargoes, not on the
ships. The amount paid by Liverpool annually towards
the Sound Dues was from 100,0001. to 120,0001.
Mr. Thomas Higgins, a merchant of Liverpool, was
next examined. He said he exported salt to the Baltic,
which paid ls. 7d. per ton Sound Dues. He was not
aware that any complaint had ever been made to the
Danish Government on the subject of the dues ; he be-
lieved no alteration had been made in the dues since the
tariff of 1645 ; he believed if the dues were lowered the
consumption would be larger ; the salt trade of Eng-
land was exposed to very great competition both by the
Mediterranean and by Luxenburg. There was not less
than 100,000 tons of salt exported annually from Eng-
land to the Baltic, and which passed the Sound. He
believed the amount of Sound Dues paid by the salt
...trade of England generally was about 6,0001. a-year.
By Mr. B. Moore—The price of salt now at Hull was
17s. per ton ; at Liverpool it was about 103. ; the dif-
ference of freight varied.
By. Mr. Disraeli—Their ships paid is. per ton duty
going down the river Weaver, which was almost as
much as they paid for Sound Dues ; they received no
value for that duty paid on the Weaver.
Mr.. Hallewson, a merchant and soap-boiler of New-
castle, and two other witnesses, were examined to the
same effect, after which,

Tie committee adjourned until Friday next.

METROPOLITAN ROADS.

The committee met yesterday at one o'clock ; Lord R
Grosvenor in the chair.

A plan was produced to the committee, showing the
position of every toll-gate and side-bar in the metropolis.
After examining the plan the room was cleared, and the
committee having deliberated for an hour and a quarter,
Mr. Browse was then recalled, and gave explanations
of some answers he had given on a former day.
In reply to the Chairman, the witness stated that the
loss to the commissioners by the removal of the St. Pan-
cras and Hampstead-road gates would be 2,5001. per an-
num. That was only an estimate, because they had no
facts to go upon. There were five lines of omnibuses
running through those gates daily. Could not state the
proportion of tolls paid by public conveyances. Notting-
hill-gate, if removed, would be a loss of 1,0001. a.year,
Harrow gate lets for 1,1101. a-year ; and Kilburn gate
produces 3,2001. per annum.
By Mr. Hildyard—The loss by taking off the gates in
the tenth district would be 2,8001. per annum.
Mr. Richard Thomas Swaine, examined by the Chair-
man—l am a hoase agent at Notting-hill. The gate
is a great obstacle to the letting of houses in that neigh-
bourhood, both from the expense and the nuisance it
created. By preventing competition it injured property
very much. Houses on the London side of the gate
fetched far higher rents than those on the other side.

By Col. Pennant—lle should certainly say that the
value of house property beyond the gate had been re•
duced within the last seven years.
Mr. Joseph Baxendale, examined by the Chairman—
Is the surveyor to the parish of Chelsea, and had been
for somc.l2 years. The rating for highways in the parish
was 6.1, in the pound, and the length of road repaired
about 23 miles.

By Sir W. Jolliffe—Granite cost 10s. 51 per ton de-
livered in the yard, and about ls. a ton spreading. It
was broken by paupers, and the cost of breaking was
2s. id. per ton. Tue King's-road was in good repair as
a main road, but there had been a sewer put down lately
which had made it in a bad state.

By Mr. M‘Gregor—ln 1844 the whole assessment for
the parish was 128,1381. ; in 1856 it was 209,1961.
By Mr. Hildyard— The cost of repairing the 23 miles
was about 3001. a mile, but that did not include lighting
and some sundry expenses. Sixpence in the pound would
give only 5,2001., but 3001. a mile would be 6,8001.,
which was the sum spent.
By Mr. Alcock—The whole of the Chelsea roads were
far too narrow. Could not state the expense of the
staff, or whether the expense was greater now than be-
fore the Improvement Act passed.
Mr. Augustus Lyne, omnibus proprietor, examined by
the chairman—His name was Lyne, and he was engaged
in more lines of omnibuses than one. He was interested
in the Waterloo omnibuses and the King's-cross onani-
buses, neither of which lines paid any toll. Also in the
Camden-town ling, comprising 19 omnibuses, which pa'd
41. per week. The toll would come to about 561. per
week if it were all paid ; but as they could evade it alto-
gether by going about two minutes' journey further
round, they were let off with that nominal payment in
order that the general public might not be shown the
way to evade the toll. The Highgate line paid about
the sante sum. There were 30 omnibuses altogether,
running over about 79 miles of road, and they paid alto-
gether for the whole district 1/. a week each.

By Sir B. Hall—The fares by the Waterloo omnibuses
were 6d, for the whole journey, and 4d. for three several
portions of the journey. The King's-cross were divided
in something like the same way, but he did not know
their division—he believed a portion of it was 3d. The
Camden-town line charged 31. the whole distance, and
21. halfway for outside passengers. The Hampstead
line charged 6d. to Oxford-street, and 9d. the whole dis-
tance, which was from 51 to 6 miles. The Kentish-town
lino ran the same distance, and charted 6cl. for the whole
district. The Waterloo line never ran through any
toll-bars. The Camden-town line once paid 61., but it
bad been a nominal toll for a long time. There had been
no gates taken off. On the Kentish-town and Highgate
lines there had been no reduction of farep.

By Mr. ..Adcock—Tee amount of toll evaded by those
omnibuses alone was 2,500/. a-year. It might be pre.
vented, but it would require about 100 side bars to do it.
By Mr. Hildyard—He thought, so far as omnibuses
were concerned, the Hampstead-road gate migirt be re-
moved without loss of revenue to the commissioners.
He believed that all the omnibuses that now ran through
that gate would run through the gate beyond. If tolls
were abolished altogether, he believed that restriction
would be removed which would improve every neigh-
bourhood very greatly, and the 26,000/. a-year now paid
by the omnibuses would be generally distributed.
James Fawcett, examined by the chairman—Took the
traffic in Regent-street on the 21st of June, from Friday
night at 12 until Saturday night at 12. Was employed
by Mr. Bradfield, the agent fur several gentlemen inte-
rested in the subj?ct. The whole number of carriages of
all kinds that passed in the 24 hours was 10,535.
A similar return from the City-road traffic was put in,
giving the number as 8,442 for the same night.
The committee then adjourned till to-day at one
o'clock.