The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-14 00:00:00

THE ARMY.

Orders have been received at Chatham garri-
son that recruiting for the Ist battalion of the Bth
(the King's) Regiment, which was discontinued
some time since, to be recommenced ; from which
it is supposed that the regiment will not re-
turn to England next year, as previously ordered.
The head-quarters of the Bth Regiment have been
serving in India for 13 years, having embarked in
1846, and the regiment was expected to return next
year, but from the fact of recruiting having been
again opened, it is expected that the regiment will
proceed from India to China.
A court-martial has been held at the Camp at
Colchester on Private Carey, of the 44th Regiment;
found guilty of desertion and selling his regimentals.
The Court sentenced the prisoner to 84 days' im-
prisonment, and the General Commanding-in-Chief
has confirmed the decision.

THE UNION J'ACK.—The term " Union Jack"
is one which is partly of obvious signification, and in part
somewhat perplexing. The union" between England
and Scotland, to which the flag owed its origin, evidently
supplied the first half of the compound title born by the
flag itself. But the expression " Jack" involves some diffi-
culty. Several solutions of this difficulty have been
submitted, but with a single exception only, they aro by
far too subtle to be considered satisfactory. A learned
and judicious antiquary has recorded it as his opinion, that
the flag of the union received the title of "Union Jack"
from the circumstance of the union between England and
Scotland having taken place in the`reign of Kinr James,
by whose command the new flag was introduced. The
name of the King in French, " Jaques," would have been
certainly used in heraldic documents; the union flag of
King Jaques would very naturally be called aftor the
name of its royal author, Jaques' union, or union Jaques,
and So by a simple process, we arrive at Union Jack. This
suggestion of the late Sir Harris Nicholas may be accepted,
I think, without any hesitation. The term " Jack" having
once been recognised as the title of a flag, it is easy enough
to trace its application to several flags. Thus, the old
white flag with the red cross is now called the St. George's
Jack, and English seamen are in the habit of designating
the national ensigns of other countries as the " Jacks" of
France, Russia, &c.—Art Journal.

IMPUDENT THIEVES.—At a ball at the Brighton
Pavilion the other day a number of ladies had their
pockets picked of their purses. When the time came for
their departure, the purses were found ranged upon a
table, but emptied of their contents,

GREAT SHIP COMPAN Y.
a

[The following appeared in our late edition of yesterday
evening :—]
-

A meeting of the shareholders in this undertak-
ing was held this day at the London Tavern, for
the purpose of "reviewing the past management,
and receiving suggestions, by which this magnifi-
cent design can yet become 4 national glory, in-
stead of a national disgrace."
Mr. GUEDELLA took the chair at one o'clock, at
which time there were about 30 persons present.
The Chairman said he, like other persons, had
noticed an advertisement .of the Great Ship Com-
pany, calling a meeting of the shareholders for the
15th inst., bat as that meeting had been postponed,
a step which he did not approve,he had taken upon
himself the responsibility of calling the share-
holders together. He had sent an invitation to the
solicitors of the. Great Ship Company to attend, but
they had declined the invitation. He thought
that in any statements that might be made they
ought to be guided by moderation. (Hear.) He had
often thought of many things to which the ship
could be turned—amongst other things it might be
turned into an immense floating battery, as a brush
with France was not impossible, but above all thins
he counselled shareholders not to part with their
shares in the present state of affairs, as everything
had been resorted to in order to depreciate their
value. The company had issued a balance sheet
which he thought was mainly to be attributed to
the pressure from without. By that document ar-
rears of calls were set down at £7,242, but he
should like to know who owed the money. Then
again the directors said they had the satisfaction
of stating to the shareholders that the vessel had
been mortgaged—(hear, hear, and laughter)—for
£40,000. He really did not know anything more
laughable than such a statement, excepting on one
occasion when he was connected with a cemetery
company, when the directors in the report said
they had the melancholy satisfaction—(loud
laughter)—of congratulating the proprietors ou
the increase of burials. (Hear, and laughter.) The
mortgage had been done by an eminent firm in the
city at 5 per cent. _ _

A SHAREHOLDER—Is five per cent. the price P
I'm afraid it's more.
Mr. GuADELLA saidhedia not know. The directors
would not give him any information at the office.
But this he knew, that the loan had been hawked
about the city in two sums of £20,000, for which
5 per cent, was offered. He thought that the
first management of the company had been
as bad as it possibly could be, and he felt this
the more so as amongst the shareholders
there were no less than 50,000 shares held by the
working men, who had come forward with their
sovereign each from a national feeling of pride to com-
plete the ship, which they looked upon as a national
undertaking. The gentlemen present knew the
past efforts that had been made by many gentle-
men to improve the position of their affairs and
amongst them Mr. Magnus. (Hear, hear.)
Why, the directors had once demanded of
him a certificate of good character ; but as
they had demanded that in one case, he
should like now to see it furnished by all the gen-
tlemen at present at the board. (Hear, hear.) The
speaker then proceeded to give an outline of the
different schemes that had been advanced to com-
plete the ship, and said at last it was decided to
raise £330,000 in £1 shares ; but he contended
that, as that number of shares had not been sub-
scribed for, the project ought not to have
been gone on with, and the deposits ought
to have been returnel The directors moved
heaven and earth to get the shares taken
up ; everything was paid in shares ; the directors
had no ready money to go to work with, and every-
body knows the fate of people who go to market
without money in their hands. There was another
thing he should very much like to know—who were
the directors at the present moment. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. Jackson, it had been said, had retired to
make room for Mr. Bold. Mr. Dorgan was, he be-
lieved, also out of the direction, and he was
very sorry for it. Mr. Cutbill, Mr. Cargill,
and Mr. Herbert Ingram, it was said, had
quitted the directory, so he should like to know
who at present acted as directors. His principal
point against the directors was, that they had
stated in May or June that the whole of the
330,000 shares had been taken up, but he had been
given to understand such was not the case. The
directors had greatly mismanaged the ship ; and
he could only call the , fact of taking the
ship to Weymouth an act of vanity on
the part of Mr. Campbell, who, he believed, once
represented that place in Parliament. He had
been asked to state how he proposed to improve the
position of the company. He did not think the
ship was bad—(hear, hear)—he thought there was
a kind of panic at, present, and his deliberate opi-
nion was that the ship was safe.
A SHAREHOLDER—WiII you favour us with your
views?

The CHAlRMAN—Presently. .-
A SHAREHOLDER—Time is precious ; give us
your plan.
__

The -CrrAmm AN—The outline of my plan is the for-
mation of a third company. (Laughter.) Hethought
the best course to pursue at present was to prepare
themselves for the meeting of the 11th of January.
He should call the shareholders together again on
the 9th of January, two days before the meeting, at
which he should move a vote of want of confidence
in the directors.

Mr. O'BYRN—What is the first thing you pro.
pose to do ?

Mr. GUADELLA—To get rid of the present direc-
tors. If the meeting on the 11th should decide in
favour of the directors, then the resolution would
be negatived. At present he should conclude with
the following resolution :—" That this meeting
views with the deepest regret and indignation the past
management, and has no confidence in the board of
directors as at present constituted."
Major MURRAY said he was unconnected with
City business, but he would second the resolution,
as he thought it highly blameable that a great
scheme should be pulled to the ground.

The Rev. Mr. NICHOLSON said he thought the
resolution was too sweeping. Mr. Bold and Mr.
Magnus were not to blame. (Hear, hear.)
A great deal of confusion here ensued, during
which a number of resolutions and amendments
were moved and seconded Mr. Guadella finding
his original resolution distasteful to the meeting,
said, ".I claim the right of all chairmen—l dis-
solve the present meeting "—(loud cries of " No,
no")—" the meeting's dissolved,"—atd:snatching up
his hat, quitted the chair, exclaiming "Do as you
like."

Mr. PYFINCII moved and Mr. SAMUELS seconded
a resolution that Alderman llodson, of Birming-
ham, preside over the meeting.
The motion was carried unanimously.
Alderman Hodson then took the chair, and a
resolution that the present meeting should stand
adjourned until the 6th of January, 1860, was car-
ried unanimously.
Alderman HODSON thought that Mr. Guadella,
although he had exhibited a little irritation, was
entitled to the thanks of those present for the
trouble he had taken in calling them together.
(Hear, hear.)
A vote of thanks to Mr. Guadella and Alderman
Hodson was then agreed to, and the proceedings
terminated.