The Sun.
London, England, 1851-12-23 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

Rear-Admiral Houston Stewart, C. 8., we are
glad to announce, has recovered• from his indis-
polition.
Commander Tatham, of the Fury, steam-sloop, at
Woolwich, is on leave of absence to the 6.h January.
The ship is reported ready for sea on the 31January,
if manned.
Commodore Eden's leave expires on the 20th of
January.
The gunnery-ship Hotspur, 42, at Dzvonport, is to
have a complement of 266 officers and men, who with
Captain R. S. Hewlett, are to be borne on the books
of the Excellent, at Portsmouth.

Mr. Charles Pemberton has been appointed chief
engineer to the Retribution steam frigate at Ports-
mouth, in the room of Mr. Vickers, left sick at the
Cape.

Air. Charles K. Renwick has been appointed as-
sist Ant engineer to the Birkenhead steam transport, et
Spithead.
Clerk—Henry Gray (b) to the London, 92,
Sheerness.

The iron screw troop-ship Meg Lars, Master Com-
mander Barton, will be ready to embark the first
battalion of the Rifles for the Cape on th 6 29th inst.
Aboukir convict ship arrived on Friday evening in
the Sound to embark 56 convicts from Dartmoor,
when her complement will be complete, and the ship
will sail for Van Diemen's Land.

Homosze lighter, Wood master, sailed for Devon-
port on Saturday, with stores from the River yards.
Nile, 92, having had her bottom overhauled, was
taken out of No. 5 dock, at Devonport, on Saturday.
Sanspsreil, 81, screw-ship, having taken her
boilers, was removed from the Sheer Hulk to Devon-
port Dockyard on Saturday.
Captain H. M. Denhain, F.R.S., is to have the
charge of the new surveying operations in the South
Seas. 'We stated yesterday that the Herald, old
frigate, was ordered to be fitted for the service.
Capt. Denham will command this ship, and will have the
Arrow, 6, ketch, at Portsmouth, with him as a tender.
Captain Denham's abilities as a marine surveyor are
well known, and his reputation as a sound practical
seaman, and his popularity as a most excellent officer,
have been established for many years. On this ap-
pointment we quote the following from the Liverpool
Albion

" We now understand that the Lords of the Ad-
miralty have given directions for the immediate
quipment of two vessels to proceed. upon an explo-
,rstery expedition amongst the South Sea Islands,
including New Caledonia and the Fegees,' with a
view to ascertain the capabilities they respectively
present for the purposes in question. We also learn
that her Majesty's ships Harold and Arrow are
destined for this service, and that the Board of
Admiralty, with a laudable appreciation of the pro-
fessional talents and public services of Captain Man-
gles Denham, have appointed him to command the
intended expedition. In this instance, at least, it is
admitted that their Lordships, by their selection of
such an officer, have exercised a sound discrimination,
and performed an act of justice to a meritorious public
servant. It is likewise stated, upon the hest autho-
rity, that her Majesty's steamer Pluto is about to be
dispatched to the coast of Africa, to commence the
survey of the Bight of Biafra fronothe point at which
Captain Denham concluded his operations in her Ma-
jesty's steamer Avon, a few years ego. The present
period is considered most propitious for resuming this
survey, as the obstacles which have heretofore opposed
its progress from the hostile attitude of the native
chiefs engaged in the slave trade are now removed
by the almost total cessation of that nefarious traffic.
It becomes, therefore, necessary, with a view to the
encouragement of mercantile enterprise and the safety
of our shipping, that the navigation of a portion of the
African coast now so little understood should be defined
as early as possible, more particularly as it seems that
those who up to a late period were engaged in a law-
less pursuit are, in its paralysis, now anxious to em-
brace any opportnnity of 'establishing mercantile in-
tercourse with this country upon a friendly footing."
PORTSMOU T MONDAY.—Her Majesty's steam-
yacht Fairy has been taken into the steam basin to-
day to have her boilers repaired.
The Edinburgh, 58, screw blockship, has received.
her boiler and has been taken into the Sidon dock to-
day to have her engines fitted.
The St. Vincent, 100, is all ready; for undecking
on Wednesday.
The Sidon steam-frigate has bean taken into the
steam basin to-day to have her engines repaired.
The Sharpshooter iron steam-vessel has been un-
docked to-day to make room for the Edinburgh, and
the Leopard steam-frigate has been taken into the
steam-basin.

The Arrow surveying ketch is undergoing a tho-
rough repair in No. 6 dock.
By letters received to. day we are informed the
Fox, 42, Commodore Lambert, remained at Calcutta
on the 7th ult , in expectation of proceeding in a few
days to Rangoon, with two steam-vessels of the Hon.
East India Company's navy, to demand reparation
for continued insults and injuries to British subjects
and commerce. Her Majesty's steam-sloop Hermes
and the Serpent, 12, were to join the Commodore
immediately. Coercive measures were confidently
spoken of at the Presidency.
WooLwicir, DEC. 22.—The Highflyer steam-sloop
has been taken under the shears to be masted, and is
ordered to be completed as early as possible for com-
mission. Her rigging is all ready for putting up.
The Zephyr steam-vessel left Woolwich about one
o'clock to-day with stores, to be put on board the
Meg era steam .frigate at Sheerness, as the latter
vessel is under orders to proceed to-morrow to Dover,
where she will embark the Ist battalion of the Rifle
Brigade, and convey that regiment to the Cape of
Good Hope.

COWES, ISLE OF WIGHT.
(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
COWES, DEC. 22.
Sailed—The American steam-ship Franklin, for
New York, with a full cargo; she steamed away at
3.30 P.M., with a fresh wind at NAV. : it has since
got more to the north, attended by heavy rain.
Just after her departure from Havre yesterday, for
this port, one of the sailors fellfrcm the foreyard on to
the deck, unfortunately breaking his jawbone in
three places, three of his ribs, and fracturing his
skull : he is still alive, but there are little hopes en-
tertained of his getting over it.
THE " AMERICL" Yacar.—There is no truth in
the story which is going the round of the, newspapers,
that Lord Blaquire, after giving 4,0001. for this far-
flmed yacht,.would now gladly sell her for 3,0001.
The writer could know nothing of the matter. Lord
Elaquire gave, as we before stated,-.5,0001., and when
' lie sailed from Cowes was perfectly satisfied with her ;
e is now with her at Lisbon, and unfortunately too
ill to sell or buy.
SUPPLY or WATER.--Through some great defect
in the reservoir of the Cowes Waterworks, the whole
ce the water escaped through the bottom, and the in-
habitants have had no supply from it since the 30th
of August last ; it is about to be purchased by tho
Cowes Local Board of Health, and Mr. Joseph gaiek,
of the Southwark and Vauxhill ‘VaterworkF, has
been appointed to value it for the town.

NATIONAL TIIEATILE.—The great dramatic feature
of the season, the first appearance of Madame Celeste, was
ma de last evening under most flattering auspices in regard
to I;he general success of the present engagement. There
wa:i a crowded audience, and we have seldom seen a more
enthusiastic one. To-night the French Spy, a melo-dra-
a%ie spectacle, the principal character in which is admirably
adapted to Madame Celeste's versatile powers, is annouuced.
—Boston Daily Times, U.S., Tuesday, Dec. 0.

IVETMINSTER PLAT.—The Eunuchus was re-
paled last night,' and, if possible, with increased effect
Ana!ong the distinguished company present were—His Royal
Hif ;hums Prince Albert,with the Equerries in Waiting ; the
Belgian Minister, the Prussian Minister, the Saxon Charg6
d'Affaires, the Lord Chancellor, the Marquis of Westmin-
ster., the Earl of Carlisle, the Lord Chief Justice of the
Qu ten Bench, Lord Justice Cranworth, Lord de Roos, the
ClOef Baron, Baron Alderson, Mr. Justice Williams, Mr.
Jju3tice Talfourd, the Attorney-General, Sir David Dundas,
rs. Philimorc, Sutherland, Layard, Colquhoun, Vaux, and
a large attendance of other noblemen and gentlemen educated
at the school.

CITY ORTHOPEDIC HOSPITAL. On Saturday
last a special meeting of the Governors of the City Ortho-
ptet;ric Hospital, iu Hatton-garden, was held at the London
'.I avern; Ralph Lindsay, Esq., F.S.A., presided. The Hon.
Secretary, the Rev. J. H. Bastard, having announced that
the meeting had been duly summoned in accordance with
the 30th rule of the charity, for the purpose of electing
trustees, it was stated that Samuel Gurney Fry, Esq., end
Samuel Gurney, jun., Esq., had given their consent to accept
the office of trustees, and they were therefore unanimously
elected. After which the chairman announced his intention
to present the charity with the sum of 100!., as a donation
towards its general funds. The number of patients at pre-
Bent in attendance was stated to be already 366. This largo
;number is supposed to be entirely owing to the operation of
the freedom of admission, as no letter of recommendation is
required. John Ivan. Briscoe, Esq., of Fox-hill, Chertsey,
and Eaton-square, was elected a vice-president. A vote of
thanks having been warmly carried to the worthy chairman,
the meeting adjourned.
CHRISTMAS PRESENTS.—Miss Martineau, in her
" Feats on the Fiord," gives a picture of Norwegian man-
ners which braces the reader like the mountain air—their
frost-bound land, their ice-glazed roads, bright night-fires,
festive sports, and bounteous repasts create an appetite as
you read the book. With similar exhilaration the British
nations contemplate the approach of Christmas, whose asso-
ciations are redolent of noble sports. proud holidays, and
festive scenes—cireles of womanly beauty and manly health.
At such a season what Presents can be more becoming than
those elegant preparations of Rowland and Sons—their
Macassar Oil, Kalydor, and Odonto, which insure beauty and
grace to the possessors? And not only are they elegant
presents to others, but they enable us to present ourselves
as taste would dictate at that season which " eomesbut once
a year."

THE NEW RECORD REPOSITORY.—From the last
report of the Commissioners of Woods and Forests, just
printed, it appears that the new Record Repository now
acing built in Rolls-gardens, Fetter-lane, will cost 43,0007.
It will contain 331,493 cubic feet, of which 124,311 cubic
feet will be required for records and the remainder for light,
air, &c. It is expected that there will be room for mere
records than there are at present.

SPIRIT Of the PUBLIC JOURNALS.
POST.—The decision of the people of France upon
the.momentous question submitted to teem by their
President has now been finally made. The result is
yet but partially ascertained. Apart from the votes
of the army and navy, the accounts which have
reached us up to the hour at which we write present
a return of something more than two million voices,
of which upon the whole, about 86 per cent. has been
recorded in affirmation of Louis Napoleon's proposi-
tion. Whether throughout the country this propor-
tion will be maintained, it is, of course, impossible to
say ; but there seems no room for doubt that, in
Parliamentary phrase, the " ayes have it" by
an overwhelming majority.
S
Jnaes, who, having determinedome o
-
in the first instance how the
of our
themselveseontem po-
be, and having subsequently matter ought to
perversely refuse to shape themselves
fashion of their wise predictions, und
seem
thr
aets afterelv resolved
eventsthtee
dismiss the actual facts from flan place in the
discus-
sion, and to substitute in their stead a
set of
fictions,
ingeniously calculated to serve the double
purposet of
alarming the public mind and of sustaining
false and foregone conclusions. Such dealersh
elirnotwhne
marvellous have, amongst other things equally
dible, circulated the report that whereas manyof ctrhe-
e
electors could not write at all, and, therefore, would
find some difficulty in writing "non," and whereas
the many more who could write would not venture
to trace the negative monosyllable for fear of certain
and condign punishment ; and, finally, whereas all
printers had notice from the police that if they is-
sued cards with the word "non" their licences would
forthwith be stopped and their families ruined, it was
clear enough to any simple judgment that nothing
but affirmative votes would tied their way into the
urns. This was all very dreadful to be told.—
so delightfully dreadful, that some people actually
fancied they believed it. But still there were others
who were less easily imposed upon, and they were
told to make themselves easy. For, if some patriotic
printer should sacrifice his home and his hopes
for the sake of justice, and supply dissentient voters
with the requisite cards, those cards might, indeed, be
dropped into the urns, but they would never be
counted as they came out. The mayors and inspectors,
as well as the surrounding witnesses in hundreds and
thousands, were all to be bought or intimidated into
the profound conviction that n. o. n. were letters
which, together, made the word oui, and so the same
result would be attained. Now, how stands the fact ?
From Paris it would seem that the numbers stand, if
not precisely, yet very nearly, as follow
Oui 194,000

Non
Where on earth did all these adventurous " noes "
come from ? Were they written by the people who
could not write ? or by the other people who could,
but dared not write ? or sold by the printers who are
to be immolated for their pains ? or yet again, having
been duly deposited in the urns, who was the daring
weight that read them truly in the face of open day,
and set them down as lawful votes ? Will any one
set about the impossible task of answering all these
questions, and reconciling their answers to the mon-
strous statements under consideration ? No. The
public will open their eyes to the truth, and declare
that they have been imposed upon by a series of
shallow inventions, exposed by the event to their just
and unmitigated contempt. And yet we may not
hope that such exposure will deter the champions of
error from pursuing their foolish and mis-
chievous course. It is more than probable
that some "Englishman," curious to know
what amount of_ falsehood and enormity is
too large to be imposed upon human gullibi-
lity, will gravely tell us that there has been in fact no
voting at all, and that in the centre of a hollow square
the returning officers were compelled to write down
so many figures as would make up the required sum ;
and so the affair ended. Perhaps a clever artist will
be sent from one side of the Strand to an apartment
with a good light on the other—and there, "on the
spot," he will draw a very accurate representation of
the 80,000 voters, mayors, inspecting officer and all,
hung by their necks on one tree of liberty, while the
whole army of France are practising upon them with
every description of fire-arm, from a Colt's revolver
to a 64 •pounder. When this shall be done, let it be
remembered that the written and pictorial mendacity
already in existence will not be exceeded. Witness
the alleged expulsion of the correspondents of the
English press from Paris, and the spirited representa-
tion of the imaginary "Wild' on the Champ de
Mars—affairs which are humorously and successfully
disposed of—by no means for the first time—in the
letter of our Paris correspondent, which will be found
in another column. To that letter we also refer our
readers for the manner of taking the votes, and for
the means adopted for insuring the integrity of the
returns. But if misrepresentation has been busy with
respect ,to the mode of taking the votes, it has not
been idle on the subject of the vote to be taken.
This, like all the other facts in the eventful history,
is variously represented, according to the humour
or the purpose of the moment. Most generally it is '
convenient to employ it in tickling the tails of the
" Bears" on the Stock Exchange. Then, the ques-
tion proposed to the people of France is represented
as being, in effect, " Aye or no, will you vote for a
permanent military despotism—an irresponsible Go-
vernment—a press silenced for ever, and a perpetual
state of siege for all France ?" Tbis is turned and
fashioned into every conceivable shape of horror, and
the French nation es loudly insulted for its lack of
spirit in permitting such propositions to be enun-
ciated at all, much more entertained, throughout her
fair cities and rich provinces. It is undoubtedly very
provoking that. the French people will presume to
judge for themselves in matters which have been
predetermined in certain printing establishments in
London. Why are they so blind ? Wherefore do
they forge chains for themselves, and hug them as
if for very love of slavery ? Above all, why is com-
merce so obstinate ? She will, most improperly,
prosper. The public securities rise with every new
proof of public subjugation. Labour, preposterously,
finds abundant employment, and the fruits of labour
a ready sale. All this" was not so before." 41irhy is
it so now ? Why, but because these unreasonable
people are convinced that they see at last the opening
prospect of a stable Government; and they very
stupidly
don't.c.pre one brass farthing whether some
certain English newspaper approves of the Govern-
inent or not. Now, again, what is the fact ? M. de
Cassagnac, in' the invaluable pamphlet, of which we
are indebted to our Paris correspondent for so large
and interesting a portion in his letter yesterday,
thus indicates the duty allotted to the army :
"In fact, what did Louis Napoleon demand of the
army? A throne? By no means. The ttiumptf of a
political party? Not in the least. Luis Napoleon
asked the army to protect France against the enterprises
of factious men, and to maintain order
,in the streets
yeti/ ten millions of electors, solemnly consulted, should
have made known their will by a vote."
The Assembly was in the act of violating the Con-
stitution, and thereby forfeiting its rights of exist-
ence. It was systematically impeding the legitimate
action of the Executive, and refusing compliance
with the rightful wishes of the people. A coup d'etat,
or a civil war was the alternative. The former was
the' more wholesome and the more legal—the more
consistent with the honour and the oath of the Plesi-
dent, as well as with the well-being of his country.
It was chosen accordingly, and the • questions now
put to the people of France, and by them now an-
swered, are—" J3e you:approvelor disapprove of a con-
stitution embracing a Legislaiivo Asseinbly elected
by universal suffrage—a Senate—a Conseil d'Etat,
and a Chief Magistrate, whose office shall endure for
ten years ? And do you delegate to Louis N apoleon
the necessary powers for framing such a constitution ?"
Anything more unlike a despotism, military or civil;
it is impossible to conceive; and, therefore, anything
more unlike the truth than the ravings of our
contemporaries cannot be imagined. • But we, it is
alleged, are advocates of Louis Napoleon. No such
matter. We are advocates for truth,. We deprecate,
on the part of England and Englishmen any inter-
ference with the domestic policy of France. We
condemn the journals whose reckless falsehood it is
our duty to expose for their ignorant and impertinent
meddling with what neither concerns them nor us.
Louis Napoleon rises above all the statesmen in
France, inasmuch that he is neither a Legitimist nor
an Orleanist, nor a Republican, nor a Bonapartist :
he seeks the triumph of no political party, but the
prosperity of France. For that reason, France,
end no party in France exclusively, chooses biro
to fulfil the high mission which he owns, that of
" closing the era of revolution." We protest against
foreign interference between him and the
which has elected him for her chief magistratA country
nd,
above all things, we advocate the observance magistrate,
and incontrovertible truth, as the foundation of honest
political discussion. For,v\evyeeonuhtrahvaes
stated no fact which the "in parts, we have
beennot proved
. toashave
been strictly accurate.
as more certain, than our contemporaries,
in-
formation which we h earli.enr,
the
eweil
which we have
one has ventured to question have giventoourraders. No
the exactness of any-
thingmple, and so, with
follow our example, no intermixture of
misstatement in the basis of discussion„ the public
stated. Let our antsgonists.
will be able to decide without prejudice on the merits
of our respective conclusions.

DRURY -LANE TOEATRE.—WitIa a view of affording
additional attraction during the h lidays, Mr. Bunn has en-
gaged " the Bateman Children," who make their appearance
on Saturday next.
ROYAL ACADEMY OF MUSIC.—KING'S SCLIOLAR
snws.—The examination took place last Friday. The
board of examiners consisted of Mr. Potter Ifpriucipal),
Messrs. J. Goss, C. Lucas, H. G. Blagrove, J. Howell, G. A.
Macfarren, and W. Dowell. The number of candidates
st hd
_Miss a ae
n:
exa-
mined was thirty-three; viz., seventeen boys and sixteen
girls. The scholars elected were Miss Rosette Vinning and
Master ildleanrodllobiwaSintgerhsigNhYlttyltderistirneguttii
jJoahnne tt a Barnett.
Ay l
ar
Henry Balmier.