The Sun.
London, England, 1869-05-11 00:00:00

THE NAVAL RESERVE.

Yesterday about 250 men of this force were
gathered together in the Minories previous to
marching down to London-bridge to embark on
board a river steamer, and proceeded by water to
Sheerness, thera to join her Majesty's ship Agin-
court for a fortnight's cruise and training in the
Channel Squadron. These, however, were not the
only body of men which assembled yesterday for
the same purpose, for one may say that at all the
great stations ofl the Naval Reserve throughout the
United Kingdom a similar muster went on, and
the men were all volunteers, who had come
forward in answer to an invitation to train for
two weeks on board the regular ships of war.
Though this is the very busiest time of a sailor's
year, when the spring opens up all the coasting
trade and the traffic of the North Sea, and the men
can get engagements at almost any terms, no less
than 1,900 responded voluntarily to the call, and
were yesterday embarked from various ports for
service on board her Majesty's ships Duncan,
Agincourt, Hector, St. George, Mersey, Done-
gal, Black Prince, Trafalgar, Royal George,
and Valiant. The object of this movement is
to give both the officers and men of the Naval
Reserve a good acquaintance with the real routine
of the discipline of the Royal Navy. In mere
seamanship they have nothing to learn, for
the men of the Naval Reserve are the very
pick of the Mercantile Marine, and their lieu-
tenants and commandersjare the most skilled offi-
cers of our finest lines of steam and sailing vessels.
The Naval Reserve now numbers about 16,000
men. There was great cheering as the men, headed
by their band and colours, marched down to Lon-
don-bridge, where they were to embark on board
the Saloon steamer the Princess Alice, to take them
to the Agincourt at Sheerness. With the men
went Mr. J. J. Mayo, the Registrar-General of
Seamen, Captain Allen Young, Captain Brown,
Capt. Gardiner, &c. The crews of the vessels in
the Pool, the crews of the Fisgard and the training
ship Worcester, turned out and cheered the steamer
as it passed, and the meu of the Naval Reserve
roared themselves hoarse in response, and then be-
took to hornpipes to wile away the shining hours.

Mr. Guest has been elected for Youghal after a
very close contest. The numbers at the close of the poll
were :__G mt., 125 ; Graen, 123. A petition is already
spoken of. _

RAGGED SCHOOL UNION.—The twenty-fifth
annual meeting of the Ragged School Union was held last
evening at Exeter Hall, under the Presidency of the Right
Hon. the Earl of Shaftesbury, K.G. The meeting was
opened witL singing and prayers, after which the report
of the past year was read by the secretary, J. G. Gent.,
Esq., which was of a highly satisfactory nature, and most
encouraging. The noble chairman highly commended
the same, and stoke to its having been iu successful ope-
ration for a quarter of a century. The meeting was after-
wards addressed by the Rev. W. Curling,' the Rev. J. P.
Chorn, of Bradford, R. Johnson, Esq., Secretary of th,3
Manchester Ragged School Union, the Rev. H. S. Brown,
the Rev. Pr. Landells, the Rev. Newman Hall, and J.
Payne, Esq., to the several resolutions which were all
unanimously carried.

BRITISH iVlusEum.—Yesterday his Highness the
Nizam of Bengal, accompanied by two of the Princes Of
his family, and attended by Colonel Layard and suite,
visited the British Museum. Tho distinguished party
were received by Mr. Winter Jones, the principal librarian,
and conducted through the various galleries of the na-
tional collection by the heads of departm:nts.