The Sun.
London, England, 1858-09-16 00:00:00

TflE AV Y.

Commander S. H,Derriman, of her Majesty's
ship Harrier, has been promoted to be Captain.
The screw steam gunvessel Lapwing, 4, Comman-
der M. F. O'Reilly, arrived in Plymouth Sound on
Tuesday evening, from the West Indies, with
invalids.
The despatch vessel Caradoc left for the Darda-
nelles on the 2d inst., to receive on board there,
from her Majesty's steam frigate Curacoa, from
Marseilles, and convey to Constantinople, on a visit
to his Majesty the Sultan, Lord Stratford de Red-
cliffe, late her Majesty's Ambassador at the Sublime
Porte, since, under existing treaties, no large class
ship of war carrying guns can pass the Dardanelles.
A Prussian squadron, consisting of the Thetia,,,
the Gefion, and the Grille, with Prince
Adalbert, Lord High Admiral of -Prussia, on boards
passed the Wight during the night of Monday from
Dantsic' last from Yarmouth, bound to Brest.
The following appointments have been made at.
the Admiralty :—Commander Sir Malcolm Mac
Gregor to the Harrier, vice Derriman, promoted;
the Rev. S. Beal, chaplain, to the Royal Albert;
and W.
aI.L I Thompson, assistant paymaster, to the
Hannib

THE AR.311:

The Council of Military Education, composed of
Major-General D. A. Cameron, vice-president,
Major-General J. E. Portlock, Lieut.-Colonel J. E.
Addison, Colonel T. Elwyn, Royal Artillery, and
the Rev. T. Moseley, resume their examinations for
direct commissions on the 21st inst., and they will
continue for the three following days.
The 99th and 67th Regiments are under orders
to leave the Camp at Aldershott for Portsmouth en
route for India, on Saturday night.
The order alluded to in The Sun of yesterday,
relative to the barrack accommodation provided for
the use of the staff sergeants of the Royal Artillery
and their families, was yesterday put into opera-
tion. The new arrangements are said to have been
adopted by General Peel on the plea of a desire of
reducing the expenditure of the army, irrespective
not only of the health and comfort of the soldier,
but of his social and moral condition. The quar-
ters hitherto allotted to staff sergeants in garrison
have been a couple of rooms each, the more spacious
of the two being about an average of 8 or 10 feet
square. The apartments contain one fire-place and
one outer entrance only. By the regulations put
in force yesterday a double number of the same
class of non-commissioned officers, including their
wives and families, were told off and directed to
enter into a joint occupation of the one room, and
what is termed a closet, so that this limited space
is considered sufficient by the authorities of the
War Department to maintain the sanitary condi-
tion of eight, ten, or twelve persons huddled toge-
ther, without consideration of sex and age. Those
who prefer remaining out of garrison will be quar-
tered at their own expense. The artillery soldier,
who is not ordinarily a dissatisfied man, has thus
been goaded to a state of exasperation never wit-
nessed on any other occasion.
Since the recent visit of inspection of the Lords
of the Admiralty to Chatham Dockyard the greatest
activity has prevailed in that establishment in order
to complete those vessels which are ordered to be
launched during the present and succeeding year,
and also to push forward those ships which have
recently been laid down. Among the latter class
-is the line-of-battle-ship Atlas, 91 guns, one of the
large screw steamers which the late Board of Ad-
miralty ordered to be laid down at the various
dockyards. This screw steamer, although onlycom-
menced in the present year, is already in a very
forward state. She is one of the largest vessels
ever built at Chatham 'dockyard, and is sister ship
to the Renown, 91 ; her engines will be of 1,000-
horse power. Another 91-gun line-of-battle screw
steamer, to be called the Bulwark, is ordered to bo
laid down at Chatham dockyard. The Hood, 90,
is nearly completed, and will be fit to be launched
during the present year: This vessel was formerly
designed for an 80-gun sailing ship, but during her
construction she was twice lengthened in order to
be fitted with screw machinery, and altered into a
'9O-gun steamer ; she has been on the stocks several
years. The Charybdis, 21, one of the class of screw
corvettes designed by Sir B. Walker, Surveyor o
the Navy, is completed, but no day is yet fixed for
the launch to take place. The Irresistible, 80, screw
steamer, has been several years on the building slip
and is now only about three parts completed, tho
shipwrights being employed in pushing forward
those ships which the Admiralty have decided on
having completed forthwith. The Orpheus, 22
screw corvette, building on No. 2 slip, has been re-
cently commenced, and great efforts are being made
to have her completed early in the ensuing year.
Among the vessels in dock is the line-of-battle. ship
Trafalgar, 120, which is being partially taken ,to
pieces for the purpose of being converted into a 91
gun screw steamer. There are still two building
slips vacant at Chatham, but these are expected to
be shortly occupied by the new ships ordered by
the present Board of Admiralty to be laid down.
The aggregate of the vessels now in course of con-
struction at Chatham dockyard is nearly 20,000
tons.

Col. Tulloch, superintendent of the Royal Car
riage Department of Woolwich Arsenal, has returne
from leave of absence, and resumed the direction of
his department. Capt. Gordon, appointed princi-
pal military storekeeper, to succeed the late Mr. F.
Pellat, was yesterday ordered to take up his ap-
pointment.

COURT-MARTIAL ON A GARRISON
CHAPLAIN.

WOOLWICH, Sept. 15.—A court of inquiry, com-
posed of officers of the Royal Artillery, has been
sitting at the Commandant's-office in this garrison,
to investigate serious charges affecting the Rev.
William M. Wright, A.M., who has for many
years officiated for the Regiment of Royal Artil-
lery, at head-quarters, Woolwich, as garrison
chaplain. The president of. the court was
Colonel Buchanan, commanding the 3d Bat-
talion of Royal Artillery ; and the specific
charges against the defendant were that he
had been seen in a state of intoxication on
various occasions. In support of the prosecution
a number of witnesses were called, both soldiers
and civilians. The most material evidence was
given by a sergeant of Royal Artillery, who for-
merly officiated at 'Woolwich as clerk at the garri-
son church, and who took an active part, under the
superintendence of the rev. defendant, in the educa-
tion of the children of soldiers. The rev. gentle-
man positively denied all these charges, and
alleged that the non-commissioned officer referred
to had himself been guilty of certain malpractices,
and had falsified entries with regard to monies
entrusted to him for the purchase of rewards for
school children, &c. The reverend gentleman
produced as witnesses for his defence upwards
of 30 military officers and highly influential
civilians residing in this district, and it appeared
from that and other evidence, that not only had
the defendant for many years maintained his posi-
tion without reproach, but that the statements of
several material witnesses for the prosecution could
not be true. The court considered that there was
sufficient proof of the high character which. de-
fendant had previously maintained, and of his zeal
and activity as a clergyman, as well as in the work
of education. After a recapitulation of the evidence
in the usual way the court was cleared, and a de-
liberation took place, the result of which is favour.
able to the defendant. The specific terms of the
" finding" of the court will not be made known (in
accordance with military usage)until such decision
is confirmed by his Royal Highness the General
Commanding-in-Chief, to whom it has been for-
warded.