The Sun.
London, England, 1860-01-03 00:00:00

THE NAVY.

A correspondence has taken place between the
Admiralty and Admiral W. Bowles, C. 8., Com-
mander-in-Chief et Portsmouth, relative to the
papers which have been published in connection
with the case of the Princess Royal. In answer to
questions from the. Admiralty, Admiral Bowles has
stated that those papers were published with his
sanction, and he at the same time tendered his re-
signation in case their Lordships disapproved the
publication. The gallant Admiral's resignation has
been accepted by their Lordships, and it is pro-
bable that Admiral Bowles will be relie•red from
his command at Portsmouth on the Ist of slarch
next.

The magnificent three-decker the Howe, pierced
for 121 guns, now in course of construction in Pem-
broke Dockyard, is so nearly completed that she
will be ready by March next, and will be launched
in the early part of the spring. The following are
the chief dimensions of this first-rate, which is the
largest vessel of her rating in the navy—viz.:—
Length over all, 300 ft ; ditto between perpendicu-
lars, 260 ft ; ditto of keel for tonnage, 229 ft ;
breadth, extreme, 61ft ; ditto for tonnage, 60ft 2in ;
ditto moulded, 59ft 4in ; burden in tons, 4,236.
The Howe is the same length as the Victoria, re-
cently launched at Portsmouth, but is of greater
beam, and is also of heavier burden by 110 tons
than the Victoria.
The Queen Charlotte, commissioned at Ports-
mouth by Captain R. S. Hewlett, C. 8., as gunnery
ship at the port, will in future bear the name of the
Excellent, and the ship that has borne that name
for so many years will, it is expected, be broken up.
The same course was followed with this latter ves-
sel when she became gunnery ship at the port, her
name having been previous to that time the Boyne.
The following named ships were yesterday char-
tered by the War Department to receive military
stores :—the Young Marquis, the Storm Nymph,
the May Sprout, the Cherub, and the Iris ; the
Llewellyn and Jabez ; the Palestine, for Barbadoes ;
and the Biton. The screw steam transport Sir
William Peel, having shipped a complete battery
of 9-pounder brass guns and 200 tons of war stores
at Woolwich, for China, yesterday proceeded to
Deptford to complete with Tower stores, &c.
The steam sloop Hydra, 6, Commander Hamilton,
at Plymouth, is shipping stores and provisions for
North America and the West Indies. She will pro-
bably convey some artisans with their families to
Bermuda, for service in the dockyard there.
The steam tender Avon, G. bay, master, was
under orders to leave Plymouth yesterday (Mon-
day) for Pembroke, with Mr. Paull, assistant mas-
ter attendant, and a party of riggers and seamen,
30 in all (from the Royal Adelaide), who will navi-
gate the screw steam sloop Espoir, 5, to Plymouth.
The Ardent, 3, Commander Parish, at Plymouth,
having been repaired, will proceed shortly to South
America.

A dismasted Danish schooner, coal-laden, having
sought refuge in Plymouth Sound on Sunday morn-
ing, the Royal Albert signalled Port Admiral Sir
B. Reynolds, who instantly ordered steam to be got
up on board the Hydra. Meantime the Royal
Albert's launch went into Cawsand Bay to the dis-
abled vessel, and she ultimately obtained shelter in
Catwater.

Her Majesty's steam storeship Himalaya, Capt.
John Seccombe, yesterday commenced preparations
for the embarkation of the Armstrong guns and
batteries, &c., some time under orders for China.
According to present arrangements her powerful
cargo of men and stores will be conveyed from
Woolwich to Purfleet, where she has been moored
since Friday last, from the presumption that her
progress further up the river might be attended
with danger, and where it is at present arranged
that all hr cargo is to be taken in. The entire
cargo is stated to be between 2,000 and 3,000 tons.
The Himalaya is ordered to be in readiness for sea
on or about the 15th inst. Letters complaining of
the trying position in which they were recently
placed have reached Plymouth from some of the
crew of the Himalaya. The men complain that
they were detained for eight days idle in the Sound
within sight of their homes, where their families
had to " enjoy" Christmas separated from them, be-
cause the ship was under what is termed " sailing
orders" for a foreign port.
A batch of 40 labourers taken on at the dock--1
yard, Woolwich, for a survey of the stores on Mr.
Pier's assumption of his new appointment as Store-
keeper in July last, were yesterday discharged, the
survey having been completed.
The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty :—Capt. E. S. Sotheby, C. 8., to