The Sun.
London, England, 1859-09-29 00:00:00

lIIE NAVI

The Duke of Somerset, accompanied by several
members of the Board, left the Admiralty yester-
day morning for Plymouth, to resume the annual
official tour of it spection. _ _ _

The squadron under the command of Rear-Admi-
ral Mundy, C. 8., which has been at anchor in Spezia
Bay during the late gales, was to sail on Saturday
for Malta. It consisted of the following ships :
The Hannibal, 91, flag ; the St. Jean d'Acre, 101 ;
the London, 90; the Brunswick, 80 ; and the As
surance despatch gunboat.
The Perseverance, screw troopship, Commander

Power, has been removed from No. 8 dock at Ports-
mouth, and moored in the steam basin. Steam was
got up yesterday to test her machinery.
The Beagle, 6, screw despatch vessel, Comman-
der R Hay, has been placed in the dock vacated
by the Perseverance, for examination.
The Pigmy, paddle steamer, Master Commander
Johnstone, arrived at Portsmouth yesterday from
the westward with supernumeraries.
The entering of seamen for the navy proceeds
steadily at Liverpool, and a draught of 20 volun-
teers was forwarded from that port to the southern
depots on Wednesday evening.
The paddle-wheel steam vessel Antelope, 3, Com-
mander Johr W. Pike, from Sierra Leone, August
the 28th, and Teneriffe September the 17th, arrived
at Plymouth Sound on Tuesday evening. The
Colonial Secretary, the Hon. Mr. Smyth, died at
Sierra Leone on the 22d of August. She left at
Sierra Leone the screw steamsloop. Surprise, 4,
commander Lord Edward Cecil, and the screw
steam-vessel Sharpshooter, 8, commander Charles
Gibbons. The paddle-wheel steamsloop Ve-
suvius, 6, Commodore Charles Wise; the
screw steam corvette Archer, 13, Captain
John Sanderson ; the screw steam gun vessel Viper,
4, Commander William Hewett; the paddle-wheel
steam vessel Pluto, 4, Commander Cortland H.
Simpson ; the screw steamship Conflict, 8, Com-
mander Richard Courtenay ; and, the paddle-wheel
steam vessel Triton, 3, Commander Robert H. Bur-
ton, were on the South Coast. The paddle-wheel
steam vessels Medusa, 4, Commander William Bow-
den, the Spitfire, 5, Commander William Chapman,
were in the Bights. The Antelope returns in con-
sequence of the decayed state of several of her iron
plates. She was commissioned on the Ist of Decem-
ber, 1856, and has been constantly employed in
the suppression of the slave trade. Two of her cap-
tures have been condemned ; the third was taken
on the Killongo on. the 15th of June, a fine Spanish
bark, name unknown, having all the necessary fit-
tings for a slaver. While on the coast, January,
1858, Mr. Pearce, second master, died of fever ; she
has only lost 'another of her crew, a seaman, while
in commission. The Antelope brings passengers,
Lieut. Nathaniel Cox Burton, of the Trident,
now on her passage home, Mrs. Laughland and
child, from Fernando Po, and several volunteers
from merchant vessels on the coast, for continuous
service in the Royal Navy. Fine weather had been
experienced until nearing the channel. On Sept.
16, just outside Teneriffe, passed the Royal Mail
steamship Avon, bound south.
The corners of the screw of the steamsloop Fly-
ing Fish, 6, Commander C. W. Hope, having been
cut off, she made a trip outside Plymouth Sound
on Tuesday, but the weather was too heavy for a
satisfactory trial. She will go out again shortly.

. _
The screw storesloop Supply, W. H. Bulleston
master, left Plymouth on Tuesday, it is said for
the Mediterranean.

The following officers, masters of the Royal navy,
qualified themselves at the Trinity House, on the
27th inst., for taking charge of any of her Majesty's
line-of-battle ships :—Mr. William P. Braundi late
of the Urgent; Mr. James M. Share, late of the
Calcutta, flag ship; Mr. Francis Taylor, of the
Sphinx. _ _

The Immortalitie, 50, will be launched at Pem-
broke yard the middle of next month, when she
will be navigated to Portsmouth for commission.
The following appointments have been made at
the Admiralty :—Lieut. W. V. S. Bridges, to the
Hogue ; Lieut. H. L. C. Rawlinson, to the Trafal-
gar ; Lieut. F. H. Blair, to the Blenheim ; Lieut.
A. C. Curtis, to the Beagle ; Lieut. T. W. Simeon
and Lieut. Henry Waller, to the Perseverance;
Lord Walter T. Kerr, to the Flying Fish; the
Hon. J. B. Vivian, to the Marlborough ; Lieut. G.
T. Gordon, to the Centaur ; Lieut. W. E. Stone, to
the Encounter; Lieut. W. 0. Butler, and not
" Buder," to command the Snap gunboat, commis-
sioned ; Lieut. W. K. Bush, to the Odin ; James S.
Watts, second master, to the Ringdove ; John Do-
nald, paymaster, to the Simoom ; Henry T. West,
assistant paymaster in charge, to the Snake;
J. T. Farwell, assistant paymaster, to the Sphinx ;
E. L. Brookman, assistant paymaster, to the Am-
phion ; Arundel Smith, secretary's clerk to Admiral
L. T. Jones ; George A. Rowe, clerk, to the Im-
pregnable; John P. Dore, clerk, to the Centaur;
John Ashton, clerk, to the Encounter ; Albert
Allen, clerk, to the Pearl ; John A. P. Williams,
clerk, to the Chesapeake ; Henry Ellis, assistant
clerk, to the Ajax ; Arthur S. Binslow, assistant
clerk, to the Cornwallis ; George L. Miller, assistant
clerk, to the Hogue ; Cecil P. Walker, assistant
clerk, to the Eagle ; Gilbert J. Vaux, assistant
clerk, to the Urgent ; James Cox and G. J. Sparks,
assistant clerks, to the Chesapeake, supernumeraries;
and Thomas C. Russell, assistant clerk, to the Odin.

THE ARMY.

The chartered East India troopship Gertrude,
950 tons, Commander T. Spalding, arrived at Graves•

end yesterday, from Calcutta, having on board the
last of the detachment of sick and wounded troops
who are to be sent home from India during the pre-
sent season. The Gertrude embarked her troops at
Calcutta on the 21st of May, and sailed the fol-
lowing day, the passage to the Thames being a
very protracted one of 131 days. Her dates are,
Sandheads, the 26th of May ; and St. Helena, the
only land at which the vessel touched, the 14th of
August. The number of troops that embarked at
Calcutta was 123 of all ranks, belonging to the
Royal Artillery, 2d (the Queen's) Dragoon
Guards, 7th Hussars, 12th (Prince of Wales's)
Lancers, 6th, Bth ( the King's ), 13th
(Prince Albert's Light Infantry), 20th, 23d
(Royal Welsh Fusileers), 29th, 34th, 35th,
42d (Royal Highlanders), 43d (Light Infantry),
48th, 52d (Light Infantry), 53d, 54th, 60th (Rifles),
73d, 77th, 79th (Highlanders), 80th, 84th, 90th
(Light Infantry), and the Rifle Brigade regiments,
with six women and children, the whole under the
command of Brevet-Major W. Rudman, 32d Light
Infantry, and in medical charge of Assist.-Surgeon
J. Tulloch, 10th Regiment. When near the coast
of Africa, and distant about 400 miles from Algoa
Bay, the vessel was caught in a tremendous hurri-
cane which nearly laid her on her beam ends, car-
ried away her mainyard, foreyard, and jibboom,
and washed two of the seamen overboard, one of
whom could not be recovered. During the voyage
cholera broke out on board, and notwithstanding
the unremitting attention of Mr. Tulloch, the sur-
geon, assisted by two army apothecaries on board,
it committed the most serious ravages, several
deaths having occurred from that cause, including
Mr. Stevens, chief mate, a seaman, and several sol-
diers. The number of deaths on board during the
passage was no less than 13, including Mr. Beattie,
of the Indian service (who was returning to Eng-
land on sick leave), Sergeant Casey (Bth), Privates
Chester (80th), Snow (34th), Knight (42d), Fenton
(60th), Stevenson (20th), Black and Leahy (53d),
and Leonard (54th). On disembarking at Graves-
end yesterday the invalid troops were forwarded
to Fort Pitt, Chatham, for medical inspection, the
Royal Artillery being sent to Woolwich. Several
of the men are still suffering from severe wounds
received in their various conflicts with the Indian

rebels. One of the invalids, Private M'Cullen, 13th

Light Infantry, received a bullet just übove the
right eye, where it still remains, defying all the
attempts of the surgeons in India to remove it.
There are also several men who have lost either an
arm or a leg, besides cases.of severe sabre and gun-
shot wounds. After the medical inspection of the
invalids by the staff at Fort Pitt, 39 men were
ordered into hospital for surgical treatment, and
the remainder sent to St. Mary's invalid depot to
await their inspection by a Chelsea board previous
to their being discharged. At the date of the sail-
ing of the Gertrude from Calcutta there were no
other vessels waiting for detachments of invalid
troops, the whole of them having taken their de-
parture for England.
The Gipsy Bride troopship, from Calcutta, with
the 2d division of the 29th Regiment on board,
arrived at Spithead yesterday morning. The fol-
lowing are the names of the officers who accompany
the troops on board :—Major Westrop (in military
command); Captains H. G. Walker, F. Knebone,
and -- Wilkie; Lieutenants J. H. Gordon, G. F D.
Smith, W. Winn, J. N. Bomford, G. F. Hart, K. F.
Bacon, and H. Davis ; Ensign W. M. Cochrane ;
Surgeon E. Morehead, in medical charge ; Assist.-
Surgeon W. L. Fat mer, and Quartermaster Elliott.

The Liverpool troopship also arrived at Spithead
yesterday from Calcutta with the following officers
and troops :—Major Steele, 9th Lancers ; Capt. and
Mrs. Shaw, Capt. Rich, Lieut. and Mrs. Martin,
Quartermaster and Mrs. Hcose, Lieuts. Pretor,
Carletown, and Crofton ; Adjutant Thouger, As-
sist.-Surgeons Fuller and Evans, Cornets Bury and
Russell, 400 men, women, and children, all of the
9th Lancers; Captains Hill and Sandwo7th, and
Lieut. Betsom, with 100 men, women, and children
of the 10th Regiment of Foot.
The Gipsy Bride will disembark her troops at
Portsmouth this morning.

The 9th Lancers will also disembark at Ports-
mouth this morning from the Liverpool.

The detachment of the 10th Foot await further
orders from the Horse Guards.

The entire regiment of the Scots Fusilier Guards,
numbering 800 men, were to embark on Wednes-
day at the North-wall, Dublin, and proceed to Eng-
land. The baggage of the regiment was shipped
on Tuesday night.
It was stated a few days ago that a movement
had been commenced in Exeter, with the view of
giving the 9th Royal Lancers, who are expected to
arrive in that city from India shortly, a
hearty and substantial public reception. Since
then a numerous and influential meeting
has been held in the Exeter Guildhall, to
determine what form of popular welcome should be
adopted. The Mayor (Captain Tanner) presided,
and the Earl of Devon, Sir H. F. Davie, M.P., Sir
E. S. Prideaux, the Rev. Chancellor Harington,
and others addressed the meeting, and referred in
glowing terms to the heroic deeds which the .9th
Lancers bad performed during their 18 years' ser-
vice in India. It was etated that the regiment had
left the Exeter Barracks for India 18 years ago ;
that then the present gallant commander, Sir Hope
Grant, was Capt. Grant ; and that at that time it
was the privilege of Chancellor Harington, as chap-
lain at the barracks, to wish this distinguished
general " God speed." It was resolved by accla-
mation to invite the whole of the non-commissioned
officers and privates of the regiment to a public
banquet in the name of the city of Exeter. Liberal
subscriptions towards defraying the expenses were
contributed by the Earl of Devon, Sir. H. F. Davie,
Sir E. S. Prideaux, And various other gentlemen
and tradesmen, and it is anticipated that a very
large sum will be obtained.
In our report yesterday of the general inspection
at Woolwich of the Military Train, by Major-Gen.
Sir R. Dacres, K.C.8., it was stated that Major
Shervinton commanded. That gallant officer is
Major of Brigade of the Military Train. The two
battalions which were inspected were under the
command of Colonel Erskine and. Major M'Court,
the former being in command of the two battalions
on the occasion of -the inspection.

ABOLITION OF FLOGGING IN TILE
ARMY AND NAVY.

Last evening a public meeting was held at the
Hall of Science, City-road, to adopt measures for
the total and immediate abolition of flogging in the

army and navy.
The chair was occupied by Mr. J. P. MUR-
ROUGH, ex-member for Bridport, in the absence of
Mr. T. Wakley, who had been announced to fill
that position, and who had requested Mr. Brent
the deputy coroner for Middlesex, to say that he
(Mr. Wakley) cordially sympathised in the object
of the meeting, and he trusted that the agitation
against the lash would be continued until the brutal
practice of flogging was for ever abolished.
The CHAIRMAN said he would not detain them
long, but he entirely agreed with the expression made
use of by Mr.Wakley, for it was a most brutaland
degrading practice. It was said that they could
not find any punishment to take its place; but he
maintained that the punishment was offensive to
public feeling. The advocates of flogging said that
the men of the army and navy were of such a Blass
that corporal punishment was a matter of neces-
sity. He did not say that they were of a high
class, but he would say there was not a man who
could enter her Majesty's service under such con-
ditions, unless he had lost all respect for himself.
(Cheers.) It was the duty of society to step in and
stop this degrading punishment. The accounts in
t'te newspapers had shown that there had been no
less than 17,000 desertions in the army, and could
it be wondered at when flogging was continued,
and consequently desertions would follow.. Such a
system of tyranny existed only in this country. It
was not thought necessary in Russia, in Prussia, in
France, or in Germany. And was the English sol-
dier less deserving than those he had named ?
When the German Legion was in this country the
authorities dared not use the lash. They walked
about in the face of their officers, and were inde-
pendent of them ; but the English soldiers had
always the fear of the lash over them, and they
therefore could not help feeling that they were a
degraded class of men. (Cheers.) The fault in the
system lay in fhe fact that it was arranged for the
benefit of the aristocracy, and until the s 3 stem of
purchase in the army and favouritism in the navy
were altered, this feeling of degradation would
continue. Let the public turn their eyes upon our
dockyards, and behold the scenes that were
enacted there. He ventured to assert there was no-
thing in the slave states of South America where
the practices were equal to those he had referred to.
The patience and endurance of the brave fellows in
the British army were great, but besides that the
public owed something to them, for their battles,
guilty as he believed them to have been of late—
(cheers)—had been fought by these men. (Cheers.)
It was not now as it was in the time of Wellington
and Nelson, when it was said—" Put a man at the
head of your army and another at the head of your
navy, and England is safe." The men had now to
win the victories of the nation—there was not a
general now who could be trusted with the com-
mand of an army--(cheers)—and the men had to
fight the battles for them. (Hear, hear.) Let them
look at the vacillating conduct of the generals in the
Crimea, and what they would have been had it not
been for the indomitable courage and heroism of
the soldiers, and then consider whether it was fit
that these men should be subjected to the degrading
punishment of the lash. He advised them to do this
work resolutely, calmly, but determinedly, for it
was a disgrace not only to the parties who were
compelled to submit to it, but also to the middle
classes who tolerated it. (Loud cheers.)
Mr. WALL, the secretary to the committee con-
vening the meeting, then read letters expressive of
sympathy with the object of the meeting, from Dr.
Lushington, Mr. Ewart, M.P., the Lord Mayor,
Mr. Fry (brother-in-law to the late Mrs. Fry);Mr.
T. Duncombe, M.P., Mr. H. Vincent, Mr. C. Bux-
ton, M.P., Mr. Sergeant Parry, Mr. C. Gilpin, M.P.,
Mr. E. James, M.P., Mr. Hitchcock (of St. Paul's-
churchyard), Mr. Fox, M.P., Mr. J. Dillon, Gen.
Thompson, Mr. S. Morley, Mr. Whalley, M.P., Mr.
E. T. Smith (lessee of Drury-lane Theatre), Mr. A.
Pellatt, &c.
Mr. P. EDWARDS moved the first resolution,—

" That in the opinion of this meeting flogging in
the army and navy is alike brutal and degrading to
the men subjected to the lash, and unproductive of
good in deterring from offence ; it acts as a preven-
tive to the best class joining either service, and

fixes a disgrace upon the people of the British na-
tion as an enlighted and Chi istian 'community."
He contended that the degrading practice of flog-
ging in the army and navy would never be done
away with until the people were better represented
in the House of Commons.
Mr.. I BINYON seconded the resolution, which was
agreed to.
Mr. J. ACLAND then moved the second resolu-

tion That 'immediate steps be taken for ice
abolition of flogging in the army and navy, by me-
morialising her Majesty the Queen, petitioning both
Houses of Parliament, and iiddreSing the authOri-
ties at ihefovse Guards and Admiralty, for a speedy
and total abolition- of 'flogging.". He. did not agree
in what had fallen .from. Mr. EdWards, that they
ought to wait until they were better represented in
the House of Commme, because 'if they did, there
would‘be many thousand brave fellows that would',
be degraded, not only in their own opinion, but in
that of all their companions, by means of the lash.
(Hear, hear.) After referring to the disgraceful
practices resorted to in enlisting soldiers, he said
that when a man became a soldier he lost his citi-
zenship. If a soldier committed a crime he had not
trial by jury ; he was not tried by his peers, but by
the scions of the aristocracy, who purchased their
right t) punish him. He asked whether it was
just that because a free citizen of England got drunk
and foolish, hewas'to sell himself f‘r a shilling, to
forfeit his rights, and submit to be lashedwhenever
his commanding officer chose to indulge in that
luxury ? (Hear, hear.) Now the object was to
get rid of this horrid system as soon as possible, and
he advised them to commence at once, and, like the
attack upon the corn laws, the success would be
signal and glorious.

-Mr. M'GILCHRIST seconded the resolution, which
was carried.

The SECRETARY then -read the memorial to be
presented to her Majesty, aiift moved the follow-
ing resolution: " That the , memorial to her
Majesty, as now read, be adopted by this
,meeting,
and that petitions founded thereon and on the reso-
lutions of the meeting 'be presented to the Houses of
Lords and Commons; as well as addresses to the
authorities of the Horse Guards and Admiralty."
The resolution, having been seconded was agreed
to, as was also one for the appointment of a com-
mitttee to carry out the object of the meeting.
The business then terminated.