The Sun.
London, England, 1858-07-24 00:00:00

MILITARY AND NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

The following General Order has been pro•
mulgated

" Horse-Guards, S.W., July 17.
"The competitive examination of officers serving fo
the united kingdom, who are desirous of entering the
Staff College, will be held in London, on the 23rd of
August next.
" Commanding officers of R >yal Artillery, Roy 1
Engineers, and of all regiments and depots of the
Cavalry, Guards, and Line, will, with reference to the
Horse-Guards memorandum, dated 17th of December,
1857, and the General Order of the 3d ult., forward to
the Adjutant-General, for the consideration of the
General Commanding-in-Chief, the application of such
officers as wish to compete for admission, together with
the necessary certificates.
" The applications should be sent in not later than the
7th of August, after which date the officers approved by
his Royal Highness will be instructed to place them-
selves in communication with the Council of Military
Education, with the view to their receiving the regula-
tions for the examination "By order, &c.,
"G. A. WETHERALL."
Major-General the Hon. Sir James Yorke Sear-
lett, K. C. 8., Governor of Portsmouth, attended by
Lieutenant Colonel Wright, Assistant Quarter-
master-General ; Major Adye, R.A., Brigade
Major ; Captain Thursbay, Aide-do-Camp, &v.,
reviewed all the available troops in Portsmouth
garrison, on Southsea-Common, yesterday after-
noon. All the movements before described were
admirably executed by the infantry and the field-
battery of artillery, ending with a mock attack ou
and defence of the town.

Yesterday a very interesting trial of skill took
place between the non-commissioned officers of the
Royal Engineers and those of the first depot bat-
talion at Chatham garrison, for the purpose of as-
certaining which branch of the service produced
the best marksmen with the rifled muskets nosy
used by the troops at Chatham. The shooting took
place on the practising-ground used by the troops)
at the rear of the dockyard, adjoining St. Mary's'
creek, and was under the direction of Captain G.
R. Lempriere, instructor of musketry to the Royni.
Engineers, and Capt. K. H. Travers, 24th Regi'
ment, the instructor of musketry attached to the
battalion. A prize of a silver snuff-box, of the
value of six guineas, had been subscribed for by the
officers. The rifle used by the Royal Engineers /9
that known as the Lancaster elliptical bored mug'
ket, while that in use by the troops of the line is
the ordinary Enfield musket, used at the School Of
Musketry, Hythe. The experiments of yesterday
exhibited the superiority of the Lancaster rifle
when placed in practised hands, the practice of the
Royal Engineers being admirable. The range
selected commenced at 350 yards, which was after'
wards extended to 600 yards, each man being sup'
plied with 20 rounds of ball cartridge. The
number of non-commissioned officers selected to
compete for the prize was eight from each corps-
The firing of the Royal Engineers was very good,
and the average number of "points" gained by each
non-commissiond officer was 15 out of the 20, several
balls in succession striking the centre of the target
at a distance of 600 yards. The average number
of points" gained by the troops of the line
was only 10.87, although several of the non-con'
inissioned officers exhibited remarkable skill in their
use of the Enfield rifle. At the termination of the
tiring the prize was awarded to Sergeant Joseph
Grtshore, R.E., who gained the extraordinarY
number of 21 "points." During the experiments
there was a fresh breeze blowing across the range,
which somewhat interfered with the practice.
The following officers, who were recently ar
pointed from the Royal Military Academy, Wool-
wich, to commissions in the Royal Artillery, hal
been posted :—Lieutenant Mackenzie, to Lail',
Fort ; Lieutenant Gyle, to Woolwich ; Lieutenant
Togood, to Devonport ; Lieutenant Baring, t°,
Corfu ; Lieutenant Jones, to Guernsey ; Lieutenav"
Bond, to Woolwich ; Lieutenant Pickford, to
Ballincolig ; Lieutenant Barnett, to Portsmouth'
and Lieutenant Desborough, to Woolwich. They
are ordered to join their respective stations on the
let of August, with the exception of Lieutenall.t
Baring, who has been granted leave of absence uattl,
the Ist cf October. The following removals and
exchange of companies have been ordered to take
place—viz., Major Crauford's company, 3d battalion
Royal Artillery (of field battery) at Leith Fort, t°
return to head-quarters, Woolwich, and prepare
for embarkation for India.
M,,jor Pieon's company of the 12th battali°l3
Royal Artillery, now at Woolwich, to be held 1°
readiness to embark for Ceylon, to relieve Captain
Taswell's company, 10th battalion.
Twelve non-commissioned officer and 20 gunner° •
of the 10th battalion Royal Artillery were yesteri
day morning medically inspected at Woolwich, an
are ordered to proceed on recruiting service v
Scotland, for the purpose of filling up the vacancle.
created by draughts afforded to that battalion in
India, some of the companies in Woolwich havill
been reduced to 20 and 30 men.
Major the Hon. W. Yelverton'e company, 9!
battalion, is to take up the horses and equip
from the Y field battery, ordered to India, an
will form a new battery, to be called No. 16.
In consequence of good service performed by
Gunner George Dandy, of the 7th battalion 1010
Artillery, her Majesty has been pleased to Banal°
the restoration of his services, which he forfeited hi
disgraceful conduct.
The Commander-in-Chief has ordered the prl
Lice of carrying loaded shells in the limbers an
cirriages of troops and field batteries to be disanly
tinned pending the receipt of further orders.
Orders were yesterday issued at Woolwich fr°P-of
the Commander-in-Chief for the A and K troops°,
Royal Horse Artillery, now at Woolwich, to Prof
ceed to Shoeburyness, to go through a course ,8
practice ; and Brevet-Lieut.•Colonel Caropbel,l,
company, at Shoeburyness, will return to Wouti,
wich. The term necessary for the troops to rolil°
at Shoeburyness will be left to the discretion Of
officer commanding there.
Admiral Lord Lyons struck his flag on board thaB
Royal Albert, at Spithead, yesterday morning, 811
went on leave.
The Victor Emmanuel, 91, was commissioned
yesterday, at Portsmouth, for Captain John Moor!:
C. 8., by Mr. W. J. B. Hilliard, Master R.N. 5'
will have a complement of 860 officers and men. e
The Castor, 36, arrived at Chatham on Thursds4
night, and was immediately moored alongside
Gloucester, 50. Yesterday she commenced retail
ing stores into the dockyard, and as soon as shell,'
been stripped and dismantled she will be paid eu't,
Jamey Farrelly has been appointed acting-basis
ant-surgeon to the Tortoise ; James R. Andersoni,
assistant-surgeon, to the Arrogant ; John N. C°,„.
borne, clerk, to the .Hydra; and Alfred P. Free
man, assistant-clerk, to the Formidable.

TEE UNITED KINGDOM' LIFE ASSITJ

AiVCE COMPANY.

The United Kingdom Life Assurance ComP9ll,/
held their twenty-fifth annual meeting on Frid%'
at their offices in Waterloo-place, London, vill%"
the chair was taken by the Hon. F. Scott, Nt,'",s,
Statements of accounts, from the formation of the
company down to the end of last year, were 191
before the meeting and unanimously adopted, frofil
which it appeared that their annual income fOrcl
premiums alone reached the large sum of 111,000Lci
ir. espect:ve of interest upon their accumulstea
funds, which are all invested in Government 911„.,
other approved securities, and increased from
593,9301. to 617,8011. during the year, after p351,".„•P
every claim. These were 65,8701., being less L'ilo
8,8301. than those of the preceding year, owing, r
fewer policies by 31 having fallen in. The nulnue,,,
of now policies issued was 357, assuring an sgg.r"o
gate sum of 218,5501.. and producing an addltl°„
of 8,2471. to the company's annual income. Pli`t
ing the last ten years the new business carried oue
by the company amounted to upwards of tkre
millions and a quarter, represented by 4,737 policle°.;
and producing in new premiums no less a smith
120,(581 16s. 3d. The sum assured by each policy
f. om the
.commencement averages 7171.—a fie:,
which testifies strongly to the eligibility of the Class
with whom the company transact business, statisti.e'
showing. that the average duration of human lifer
is, as a general rule, measur,d by the greater
.%
less advantages enjoyed in respect of social positi°
and command of pecuniary means. Some time 90,i
when public attention was directed to the subJ,9io
of the days of grace allowed for payment of 1' 0
assurance premiums, the directors, who have alvirale,
held payments within the 21 dayS to be valid,. rd
solved that, in cases of death within that perl°,'
the premium may he deducted from the sill
assured when the claim is paid. This arrangelol:o
has given general satisfaction, for in many Os a
neat distress of mind has arisen to widows 011 ,0 others dependent on the proceeds of a policy,la
say nothing of the inconvenience to relatives 3,1),0
friends in providing means to pay the over-01`,
premium before there is a legally appointed rePre
sentative of the deceased's estate.

THE INSPECTORS OF COAL MLNES.—We are WI
to find that death and accident have been at W°'"
amongst her Majasty'd inspectors of coal aciiner."-b'
class whose duties bring them so much in contact; 'vitt
both. Herbert Mackvforth, Eq , F G.S. the inspect„
for the Monmouthshire and Bristol district,' died 1);
the 13th intit,; too hard work, both of mind id 13°`:,Je.
having apparently brought him to an early grfic'.;
He was 34 years of age, and was nephew to the late.Pld
Digby Mackworth, Bart., wh se daughter he mauled;
Thomas Wynne, Eeq , the inspector for North Ste
shire, Shropshire, and Cheshire, is still suffering frc)fa
the effects of an accident ; • and it seems don. 00„
whether he will be aide to resume active life.,--a
c7ieger Cittai dian,