The Sun.
London, England, 1867-04-02 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

Vice-Admiral Sir S. Dacres, K.C.8., arrived at
Portsmouth on Saturday from the Admiralty. Vice-
Admiral Sir A. Milne, K.C.8., also arrived at Ports-
mouth from the Admiralty yesterday, and in the
afternoon paid a visit to the dockyard. On Sunday
Admiral Dacres went on board Vice-Admiral Sir G.
Mundy's flagship, the armour-plated frigate Royal
Alfred, at Spithead. Yesterday the Admiral, accom-
panied by Rear-Admiral Superintendent G. Welles-
ley, went on board the Minotaur aid Valiant,
armoured iron frigates, and other vessels in Ports-
mouth Dockyard.

The armoured iron screw frigate Minotaur, 26,
6,621 tons, 1,350-horse power, has received the
whole of her armament at Portsmonth, and yester-
day was removed from under the sheers to the large
south jetty, where she is expected to be formally
COITI rnis*ion ed this morning, by Capt. J. Goodenough,
as the lbgship of the Channel Squadron for 1867.

The 48 hours' cruise which has just been made by
the Royal Alired in the Channel appears to have
been attended with very satisfactory results, except
on one point. The ship proved wonderfully manage-
able under sail as well as steam, and the gun-carriages
and slides of the 12-ton guns gave no signs of weak-
ness with the wins firing, singly and in broadsides,
401 b. powder charges, with shot. The exception lies
in the damage caused by the tremendous concussion
from the explosion of such charges. A large hole
had been made in the bottom of the lifeboat, and all
light wood about the ship's bulwarks or deck fittings
had suffered more or less. The boilers are having
some 180 of their faulty tubes replaced by new ones,
and when this has been completed the ship will make
a second trial of her speed over the measured mile in
Stokes Bay, probably on Thursday or Friday next.
The Norwood convict ship, arrived at Spithead
yesterday from the Thames to embark convicts for
conveyance to Western Australia.
It is rumoured that Capt. W. C. Chamberlain, at
present commanding the Asia and the Steam Reserve
at Portsmonth,will most probably be the officer se-
lected to succeed to the commodoreship of the 2d
class, and as senior officer in the Indian Ocean, on
the promotion to flag rank of the officer at present
holding the appointment, Capt. C. P. Inlyar, now
third on the captains' list of seniority.
The 40th Regiment of Light Infantry will remove
from Portsmouth garrison to Plymouth on the 10th
inst. The depot of the 93th Regiment, from Col-
chester, will afterwards occupy a portion of the
quarters vacated by the 40th at Portsmouth, and
await there the arrival of the service companies of
the regiment, now on their way home to England
from India, in two transports.

Major-Gen. John W. Ormsby, Royal Artillery
(April 5, 1866), recently appointed Lieutenant-Go-
vernor and Second Commandant of the Royal Mili-
tary Academy at Woolwich, in succession to Lieut.-
Gen'. H. Sandham, Royal Engineers (Aug. 3, 1866)
entered the academy yesterday morning, and com-
menced the duties of his post, which is a compara-
tively new one. The direction of the establishment
was held exclusively by Col. Wilford until Feb. 2,
1862, when he retired on promotion as Major-Gen.,
Royal Artillery. , The governorship and chief com-
mand was then assumed by Field-Marshal Com-
mander-in-Chief the Duke of Cambridge, to whom
all matters of importance connected with the cadets
have since been referred.

The following appointments were made yesterday

at the AdMiralty Hutnphrys, surgeon, to the
Chanticleer ; G. B. Moore, M.D., surgeon, addi-
tional, to the Frederick William ; J. Prowett, chief
engineer, to the Chanticleer; J. Watson (A), engi-
neer, to the Chanticleer ; J. Lewthwaite, first class
assistant-engineer, to the Chanticleer; and James
1). Drysdale, assistant-clerk, to the Fisgard, as su-
pernumerary for disposal.

RAILWAY IN TE L IGEN 6 E

--
WEST SONIERSET.

The half-yearly ineeting was held on Thurs.lay,
at Taunton ; Sir Peregrine Aclan 1 in the chair.

The report stated that the receipts for the half-
year showed a slight falling off as compared with
the e )IT:span:ling six months. After paying of
iuterest on loans there was a balance of £669 avail-
able for dividend, and the directors recommended a
diitribtition at the rate of 21 per cent.

The report was adopted and the dividend recom-
mended declared.

Sir A. Hood, M.P., Mr. L. Walter, and Mr. J.
Halliday were re-elected directors.
A vote of thanks to the chairman, and the direc-
tors closed the proceedings.