The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-25 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

An Admiralty order received at Chatham dock-
yard directs the officials at that establishment to re-
port as to the possibility of their building three new
vessels in addition to the ironclad turret and other
ships now in progress at that dockyard. The new
vessels proposed to be laid down include a new de-
scription of covered deck corvette of 1,459 tons
burden and 400 horse power, a twin-screw gun
vessel, for mounting a couple of heavy guns, and of
about 700 tons burden, with engines of 160 horse
power, together with one or more composite gun-
boats, with wooden hulls and iron frames, of about
600 tons burden, 155 ft. in length, and fitted with
engines of about 120 horse power. The report of
the officials made to the Admiralty states that the
proposed new vessels can be at once laid down and
commenced on the several vacant slips at Chatham
dockyard, and that their construction can be pushed
forward during the approaching year, without in-
terfering with the building of the Monarch, Her-
cules, and Blanche, now in progress. There are four
building slips at Chatham dockyard at present quite
empty, two of which have been converted into store
places for the reception of the large quantities of
plate, angle, and T-iron almost daily arriving at the
establishment from the several contractors.
The dockyard and naval establishment clerks at
Woolwich and others of her Majesty's naval sta-
tions have resolved themselves into committees, for
the purpose of memorialising the Board of Admi-
ralty to be pleased to introduce a fairer and more
encouragingsystem of promotion to the upper grades
of their departments than that generally practised
hitherto. They complain that in the case of any
vacancy occurring in the storekeeper's or other supe-
rior officer's berth it has been frequently filled up
from Whitehall or Somerset-house to the detri-
ment of the officers of the respective yards well ac-
quainted with the duties, and whose emoluments
are, moreover, inferior to those officers who are pro-
moted with injustice over their heads. Their lord-
ships have signified their intention of taking the
subject into consideration.
The whole of the branches in Woolwich arsenal
were closed on Saturday, and business of every
kind will be suspended until Thursday morning,
with the exception of the engineer department,
which has commenced a course of repairs required
to a large portion of the machinery. The Commis-
sioners of Police have likewise ordered a proportion
of the inspectors and constables ou those days when
the men will be absent from the general work to be
granted alternate holidays. The cessation of work
in Woolwich dockyard will terminate to-day. In
consequence of some anonymous communication re-
lative to a Fenian outbreak threatened during the
holidays, the police of the yard are ordered to re-
main strictly on the alert, night and day, without
absenting themselves on Sundays, as permitted by
the Commissioners' regulations, two-thirds of their
body at a time in relief.
Her Majesty's iron screw steamship Northumber-
land, 26, armour plated, 6,621 tons and 1,350 horse
power, having been hauled out of the Victoria docks
by the stearntugs Monkey and Bustler, ;of Wool-
wich dockyard, and the Locust and Adder, of Sheer-
ness, yesterday went down the river to be moored
for the night at Greenhithe in preparation for pro,
ceeding by the early tide to Sheerness to be pre
pared for sea, and will ultimately go down to Devon,
port to join the Channel squadron.

Capt. Robilliard, Royal Marine Light Infantry,
Woolwich division, has been ordered to proceed on
the 31st inst. to Derby to relieve Capt. Short on
recruiting service, recalled at his own request. Capt.
Graham left Woolwich yesterday to join her Ma-
jesty's ship Lion to take the command of the com-
pany of Royal Marines, vice Capt. Usher, super-
seded by court-martial verdict. Assistant-Com-

missary-General Swain is under orders to leave
Woolwich on the 10th of Jan., his term of three
years having expired. He will then proceed to St.
Helena in charge, and relieve Commissary-General
Uniacke, who is ordered to China.