The Sun.
London, England, 1867-03-22 00:00:00

RAILWAY BILLS.

Yesterday the House of Lords' Committee consi-
dered several railway bills. The Furness Bill was
reported specially with amendments ; the Hayling
was adjourned until this day ; the opposition on the
Rhondda Valley and Hirwain Junction was with-
drawn, and it was referred. In Lord Redesdale's
Committee, the Atlantic Telegraph passed through
with amendments ; and the Worcester and Birming-
ham Canal, with amendments. In the House of
Commons, Room 10, the Bristol and Exeter was
passed with amendments ; and also the Sevenoaks,
Maidstone, and Tunbridge. In group 4, the Great
Eastern (Steamboats) was proceeded with and ad-
journed ; and the following were adjourned until
this day :—The Great Eastern, the Midland and
Eastern, Norwich and Spalding, &c., and the
Wensum Valley. In group 6 the London and
North-Western (Buxton, Chapel-en-le-Frith, and
Sheffield) passed ; and the West Riding and
Grimsby was proceeded with and adjourned. In
group 10 the Caledonian (Forfarshire Works, &c.)
was adjourned ; the Forth and Clyde Junction and
Caledonian was proceeded with and adjourned ; and
the following were also adjourned until this day :
North British (Abandonment, &c.), Great North of
Scotland, North British (Carlisle Deviation), Solway
Junction. Mr. Palgrave sat as examiner in the
House of Commons. The standing orders were not
complied with in the Great Western (petition for
additional provisions) ; they were complied with in
the case of the Fulham and in the case of the Kil-
kenny Junction (various powers). The West Sussex
Junction was adjourned until the 28th.

Naval and Military Intelligence.

VALETTA, March 17. —The squa iron of heavy
ships under the personal command of Vice-Admiral
Lord Clarence Paget, C. 8., suddenly gotunder way
on the morning of the 11th inst., f.nd proceeded to
sea. It appears that at half-past 6, after the men's
breakfast, a esigual r,ars made fur theVietoria,Prince
Consort, Arethusa, and Ocean to take on board four
weeks' provisions in their own boats, and soon after-
wards the resources of the Victualling-yard were
taxed to their utmost in loading and getting away
the boats. This was accomplished with great expe-
dition, and in good order under the eye of the
Admiral-Superintendent. The Royal Oak, in order
to have something to do, being already filled up with
provisions, was told off to tow with her boats the
buoys of the above vessels, as well as her own, from
the dockyard to the respective ships. At 8 45, the
buoys having been shackled on to the different
moorings, and the boats hoisted in, the outermost
ship, the Royal Oak, 35, ironclad, steamed slowly
out of harbour, followed at intervals of about ten
minutes from each other by the Prince Consort, 35,
ironclad ; Victoria, 102, line-of-battle ship (bearing
the flag of the Commander-in-Chief) ; Ocean, 21,
ironclad ; and Arethusa, 35, frigate, all at half-
boiler power. When outside they formed in line,
the Victoria, of course, taking the lead, and thereat
following according to seniority, and proceeded very
slowly round the east and south coasts of the island
towards Tilfiai. When abreast of this rock each ship
fired several rounds, and then bore up in succession
and stood southward before the wind. The report of
the cannonading was distinctly heard in Valetta and
its vicinity—a distance of eight or ten miles, al-
though the wind was in the opposite direction. Lady
C. Paget, with a party of friends, accompanied
Rear-Admiral Kellett in the Hearty steam tender
to witness the practice. In the afternoon, when the
firing had ceased, the squadron was reinforced by the
Assurance, 4, gunboat, which had left port about
noon, under sail only. The period of 10 or 12 days
which the cruise is to last will be usefully employed in
target practice and in exercise under steam and
sail. At this time of the year opportunities will
probably not be wanting to try the sea-going qua-
lities of the several ships in heavy weather ; in fact,
they had some squalls of wind and rain the first
night at sea. In one of these the Assurance carried
away her jibboom and sustained some other trifling
damage, for the repair of which she returned to
port the following day. On making good her de-
fects this vessel will be transferred to the west coast
of Africa, orders having been received to that effect
by the last mail from England, and it is expected
that she will sail for that station about the 23d inst.
The Victoria also carried away her fore and main-
top sails, and most of the other
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great guns at sea. On Friday, 15th, they hove in
sight, and that evening returned to their former
anchorage. They are to sail early to-morrow for
the coast of Sicily, and will probably return to
Malta about the end of the week. The activity
displayed under the present command is in marked
contrast to the old system, when ships were allowed
to lie for a period of ten or twelve months at a time
in harbour without getting under way. The Enter-
prise and Endymion expected from the eastward have
not yet made their appearance. The Megwra has
completed unloading, and is taking in return stores
for England. It is expected she will sail about the
24th inst., with some 100 naval time-expired men,
invalids, and supernumeraries for newly commis-
sioned ships in the English ports, besides military.
It is stated here, on good authority, that the Gala-
tea will not visit the Mediterranean in the course of
her cruise. Telegraphic communication was received
a few days ago that three deserters, bandsmen of
H.M.S. Bellerophon, were on board the Peninsular
and Oriental Company's steamer Nyanza, which left
Southampton on the 4th inst. for Gibraltar and
Malta, but on strict search being made on board on
her arrival no trace was found of any such persons.
The U.S. screw sloop Canandaigua, 7 guns, Capt.
J. 11. Strong, arrived on the 13th inst. in three days
from Port Mahon, on her way to Candia and the