The Sun.
London, England, 1860-04-17 00:00:00

2HE NAVY.

Vice-Admiral H. W. Bruce, Commander-in-
Chief at Portsmouth, with Major• General S. R.
Wesley, Deputy-Adjutant-General of the Marine
Forces, yesterday concluded their inquiry relative
to the late disturbance on board the Edgar, at,
Spithead. The report of the inquiry will be for-'
warded to the 'Admiralty.
We have to announce the death of Rear-Admiral
the Hon. C. 0. Bridgeman, which took place on
Saturday last, at his residence, near Oswestry. The
deceased Admiral was second son of Orlando, first
Earl of Bradford, by the Hon. Lucy Elizabeth
Byng, eldest daughter of George, fourth Viscount
Torrington, and was born on the 3d of February,
1791. He married, on the 2d of December, 1819,
Eliza Catherine, eldest daughter of Sir Henry
Chamberlain, by whom he leaves a family, being
father of Lady Lone --,sborough and Lady Corbet,
wife of Sir V. R. Corbet. The late Rc.e:Admiral
entered the navy at an early age, and obtained his
commission of lieutenant on the 10th of September,
1810 ; that of commander on the 6th of May, 1814 ;
captain, 2d of September, 1819 ; and rear-admiral
on the 19th of January, 1852. Numerous families
of rank are placed in mourning.
Capt. Farrant, Royal Marine Light Infantry,
with Lieuts. Haseltine, Fuller, and Carlyon, and a
detachment of Royal Marine Light Infantry and
Artillery, are ordered to' embark from the Ports-
mouth Division for service on board the Edgar, re-
lieving the detachment on, board under the com-
mand of Capt. C
Louis.

The Osborne, Royal paddle yacht, Master-Com-
mander G. H. K. Bower, got up steam in her new
boilers yesterday in the steam basin at Portsmouth.
The Forte, 51, screw, Capt. E. Tumour, flagship
of Rear-Admiral Sir H. Keppell, K.C.8., is ordered
into Portsmouth Harbour from Spithead for the
purpose of being docked, having a leak in the vi-
cinity of her sternpost. This will delay her depar-
ture for the Cape of Good Hope for some days.
The paddlewheel steam sloop Firebrand, 4, Com-
mander J. M. Bruce, from Portsmouth, arrived in
the Sound yesterday morning, with two batteries
of the third brigade of Royal Artillery, to join head-
quarters in Plymouth Citadel. Two batteries be-
longing to the same brigade will leave the Citadel,
and take passage in the Firebrand to the Channel
Islands.

It is reported in Plymouth that the screw steam
frigate Orlando, 50, is to be put in commission about
Thursday next, and that Captain Parker will have
commad.
Mr. ?ohn Burnell, mayor of Plymouth, and Mr.
Tracey, magistrate, are appointed by the Board of
Trade a Court to inquire into the circumstances
attending the stranding of the Government trans-
port Havering, now on Batten reef. She will pro-
bably be lifted by Mr. Orchard on Wednesday next.
The sailing sloop Atalanta, 16, Commander T. M.
S. Pasley, from the West Indies, having been descried
becalmed outside Plymouth Sound on Saturday
afternoon, the tug Zephyr was sent off to assist her
in, when she saluted the flag of Port-Admiral Sir
Barrington Reynolds, K.C.8., which was duly ac-
knowledged by the Impregnable. The Atalanta
left Antigua on the 15th March, and has experienced
a very favourable passage, with the wind ranging
from north-west to south-west. The Atalanta was
commissioned by her present commander, May 26,
1856, and has been constantly employed on the
North America and West India station ; she is re-
ported to be in first-rate condition. During the
commission she has lost three officers by death—
viz., Mr. Norman, master, Oct. 26, 1856 ; Mr. Kerr,
assist.-surg., Feb. 4, 1859 ; and Mr. Creak, master,
in September, 1859. Mr. Nicholson, was appointed
master of the Atalanta, but died before joining.
The paddlewheel steam sloop Styx, 6, Commander
Charles Vasey, was appointed to leave Antigua on
the 17th March for Barbadoes.

The screw steamship Royal Albert, 121, Captain
Henry Lacon, discharged her powder and shell on
Friday, and on Saturday steamed from Plymouth
Sound into Hanioaze for the purpose of being
taken into Keyham steam-yard to receive new
boilers. Rear-Admiral George Elliott, Captain of the
Fleet, hoisted his flag (blue at.the mizen) the same
day, as second in command, during the absence of
Sir Charles Fremantle, K C. 8., who is now on
leave. The flag was saluted by the Impregnable,
104, in Hamoaze. A room has been appropriated
in the dockyard for the use of Admiral Elliott.
It is reported at Devonport that the screw steam-
ship Duke of Wellington will go there to take the
duty of the Royal Albert, and that a portion of the
Royal Albert's crew will assist in navigating the
Duke of Wellington to Devonport.
The screw steamship Nile, 90, Capt. Edward K.
Barnard, was expected to leave Plymouth Sound
yesterday for Bermuda.
The screw steam frigate Melpomene, 51, Capt.
Charles T. F. Ewart, at Plymouth, is to be fitted for
a flagship, and will convey to the Mediterranean
Vice-Admiral Sir W. F. Martin, the newly ap-
pointed Commander-in-Chief on that station.
The defects of the paddlewheel steam frigate
Terrible, 21, Capt. Frederick H. H. Glasse, C. 8.,
in Plymouth Sound, will be made good there.
The screw steamship Hero, 91, Capt. George H.
Seymour, preparing at Plymouth for the convey-
ance of his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales to
Canada, will be ready for sea about the 6th of May.
The repairs of the screw steamship Donegal, 101,
Captain Henry Broadhead, at Plymouth, are com-
pleted.
The paddlewheel steam surveying vessel Bann,
Master James S. Wells, under repair and refitment
at Plymouth, will be ready to resume her duties
about the end of May.
The paddlewheel steam sloop Virago, 6, Com-
mander Montague B. Dunn, in Plymouth Sound,
received on Saturday the men lent from the Sans-
pareil, 70, to navigate the Howe, 121, from Pem-
broke to Plymouth, and on Sunday morning sailed
for Queenstown.

The crew of the screw steam sloop Surprise, 4,
Commander Lord Edward Cecil, were inspeeted on
Friday morning by Capt. Jerningham. In the
afternoon she was towed from Plymouth, bound
into Hamoaze, by the tugs Zephyr and Confiance.
Her crew will probably be paid off on Tuesday, the
24th inst.
The gunboat Hind, tender to the coastguard ship
Russell, 60, having completed her tour of inspection,
left Plymouth on Friday for Falmouth.
The gunboats Steady and Penguin, built at Liver-
pool for the Government, are expected shortly at
Devonport.
The screw steam frigate Forte, M, Capt. E. Tur-

nour, bearing the flag- of Rear-Admiral the Hon.
Henry Keppel, is appointed to call at Plymouth on
her way to the Cape of Good Hope.
The screw steam sloop Curlew, 9, went outside
the breakwater at Plymouth on Saturday, and after
several hours' trial of her machinery returned to
Hamoaze.

The topmasts of the Indus, 78, Capt. W. K. Hall,
at Plymouth, were struck on Saturday, and she is
fast dismantling. Her crew will probably be paid
off on Thursday next.
A large number of naval officers assembled at the
office of Admiral Superintendent Sir John Pasley
in Devonport Dockyard on Friday, when, it is said,
the subject of leave was discussed.
Eighty-four artisans and labourers were dis-
charged from Devonport Dockyard on Saturday
last, being the same number as on Saturday, the
7th.

Eight shipwrights from the hired list were entered
on the establishment of Devonport Dockyard on
Friday.
The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty :—Allan Brown, surgeon to the
Bacchante ; Edward Faulkner, paymaster addi-
tional to the Asia ; J. M. Lowcay, paymaster to the
Bacchante; C. D. Lee, assist.-paymaster to the
Bacchante ; G. B. Westcott, clerk to the Bacchante ;
B. F. Meyer, assist.-clerk to the Bacchante ; Fre-
derick H. Herrmann, confirmed in the rank of
second-class assist.-engineer in the Opossum; Ed-
ward T. Read, second-class assist.-engineer to the
Wellington, for charge of the machinery of the
Charon ; and Malcolm Baird, acting third•class
assist.-engineer to the Fisgard, for service in the
Shamrock.

TOUTING TAILORS.—We are sorry to learn that a
very disgraceful and very injurious system of touting pre-
vails in connexion with the examination of candidates for
direct commissions in the army, which now takes place pe-
riodically at Chelsea Hospital. Emissaries of a certain
portion of the tailoring interest manage to scrape up an ac-
quaintance with the candidates, insinuate themselves into
their confidence, press small loans of money on their ac-
ceptance, and get their promise to employ Messrs. or
Messrs. -- to furnish their outfit, undertaking that the
items will be so charged that the amount of the loan will
be slipped in in the shape of an addition to each item, so as
to make thhigs pleasant with " the governor." The outfit
is thus made to assume proportions of a character sorely
to try the patience of " the governor," and, in one instance
that came to our knowledge, an ensign in a very unpre-
tending marching regiment in India had uniforms and fur-
niture provided for his use during his brief stay at the depot
amounting to £4OO. Some of these worthies even persuade
the candidates that they can obtain copies of the examina-
tion papers for them beforehand, and this furnishes a ready
means of introduction. The matter has been brought to
the noire of his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge,
who is determined to take prompt steps to check a practice
so disgraceful.—Army and Navy Gazette.
THE COINAGE.—A return relating to tl'e opera-
tions of the Mint was issued yesterday. The number of
sovereigns coined in 1859 were 1,547,603 ; of half-sove-
reigns, 2,203,813, a greater number than those for the
former year, when 803,234 sovereigns and 855,578
half-sovereigns were coined. The total value of
all the gold coinage manufactured at the Mint during
the last ten years was £54,490,265, The number of
2,568,060 ; of shillings,
florins coined in 1859 was
4,561,920 ; of sixpences, 4,688,640 ; of fourpences; 4,158 ; of-
threepences, 3,584,228 ; of silver twopences, 4,752 ; and of
silver pence, 7,920. In copper the coinage was as follows
1,075,200 pence, 1,290,240 halfpence, and I,29o,24ofarthim.
Half-farthings have not laces coinecl since 1850,

LA TV INTELLIGENCE.—(This Day•)

ROLLS COURT.
(Before the Master of the Rolls, Sir John Romilly).
JUDGMENT-HOLDERNESS V. RANKINE.

His Honour said the questions which arise on the facts
and evidence in this cause may be stated to be two—lst,
Whether an assignment of certain unfinished or un built
ships made to the plaintiff by his brother, who afterviarcl9
became bankrupt, was a valid assignment ; or, 2d, Whether
it ought to be regarded in the light of a fraudulent pre-
feience.

John Holderness became largely indebted to his brother,
the plaintiff, and, on his pressing him for payment, on 1601
November. 1857, he executed a deed of assignment in the
plaintiff's favour of three unfinished ships, of the aggregate
value of .L 26,420.
His Honour came to the conclusion that the assignation
to the plaintiff was a good and valid assignment, and de-
creed accordingly, with costs.

JUDGMENT—JOHNSON V. JOHNSON.
His Honour allowed the defendant his costs from tha
date of his lodging a letter of disclaimer in this suit.

THE NEW JUDGE.
Mr. Baron Wilde was sworn this morning, and took his
seat on the bench, in place of the late Baron Watson, one
of the judges of the Court of Exchequer.

COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH.

(Sittings at Nisi Prius, before Mr. Justice Wighttnall.)

ARBON AND ANOTHER V. BULL.

• This was an action brought by the plaintiff against the
defendant for the recovery of the value of a horse which had
been killed by the negligence of the servant of the defers'
dant.

Mr. Huddlestone, Q.C., was for the plaintiffs, and Mr'
Hawkins, Q.C., for the defendants.
The learned counsel for the plaintiff having stated 1
case, called a 'great number of witnesses, foil;
whose evidence it appeared that on the evening 0:
the 25th of November last a carriage and pair '3l
horses, the property of the plaintiff but let on hire to filed,'
named Fussell, was proceeding slowly along Westowa"
grove for some distance behind an omnibus. The coach.
man, intending to pass the omnibus, drew towards the
middle of the road, when a large van, driven by the ser-
vant of the defendant, came rapidly up and recklessly, as
was alleged, drove the shafts of the van into the breast of
one of the horses, valued at £lOO, which very shortly :after
the accident died.

The case for the plaintiff having closed, Mr. Hawkitia
called witnesses for the defendant, who gave it as their
opinion that the van driver was not in fault.
The case had not coneluded when we went to press.