The Sun.
London, England, 1866-03-22 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

The large vacant dock at Chatham in which the I
ironclad frigate Bellerophon was completed and
equipped for sea is now being prepared for the re-
ception of the keel of the improved frigate Hercules,
which is to be laid down and completed in the same
dock. The heavy wooden caisson, which, like all
other caissons of that material, is a constant source
of expense, has undergone some necessary repairs
in one of the vacant docks, in readiness for its being
floated into its proper position as soon as the piling
works at the dock entrance are complete. Although
some delay has arisen in commencing the Hercules,
yet the time thus gaiited has been turned to good
account in the preparation of the large quantities of
angle ani plate iron required in her construction.
A number of the armour plates for the Hercules
have also arrived from the contractors, Messrs. John
Brown and Co., the Atlas Works, Sheffield, the two
firms under contract with the Admialaity for manu-
facturing the armour for the new frigate.
Her Majesty's screw gun vessel Sylvia, 4, was
on Tuesday launched from her building slip in
Woolwich dockyard. The Sylvia has been on the
stocks since 1859, when she was set up in frame, and,
like many ether ships then in progress, she was or-
dered to remain unfinished, and was set aside to
give wayto the improved system introduced by Mr.
Reed. She is now intended to be prepared for Bur-
-1 veying purposes, and is constructed on designs
similar to those of the Nassau, launched last month
at Pembroke yard. Her principal dimensions are as
follows:—Length between perpendiculars, 185 ft. ;
length of keel for tonnage, 165 ft. 71 in. ; breadth,
extreme, 28ft. 4in.; breadth for tonnage, 28ft. lin. ;
breadth moulded, 27ft. 6in. ; depth in hold, 14f t. ;
burden in tons, old measurment, 694 66-94ths. The
ceremony of christening the Sylvia was performed
by Miss Monteith, a neice of the superintendent of
the yard, Commodore Hugh Dunlop. The launch
was witnessed by the numerous naval and military
officers residing in the garrison and neighbourhood
and their families and a large assemblage of visi-
tors, who were admitted without restriction. The
launch took place at 4 o'clock precisely, after
which the work of the yard totally ceased for the
day, as usual at former launches.
On Tuesday the depot of the 54th Regiment,
which has been stationed at Colchester for more

than eight years, left that camp for Gosport to await
the arrival of the regiment from India. It is ex-
pected that the 11th Hussars will arrive at Col-
chester in the course of next week. The Royal ap-
proval has been given to the inclusion of the military
stations of Norwich and Ipswich in the Colchester
division ; the whole will be termed the Eastern dis-
trict. Col. M'Causland, Commandant of Royal
Engineers, and the whole of the officers on leave
from the Ist of January have rejoined their respec-
tive corps at‘ Colchester.
Capt. A. J. Sykes, Ist Battalion 4th (King's
Own) Regiment, has been ordered to proceed from
Chatham to Bombay, to join the service companies ;
Capt. J. Hawley, of the same regiment, has received
orders to join the depot of his corps at Chatham

garrison.

The Gresham, East Indiaman, has been taken up
by the Government for the conveyance of troops to
China and Japan, and in accordance with orders
received yesterday at Chatham garrison will embark
at Gravesend on Saturday 37 non-commissioned
officers and men of the 2d battalion of the 9th
Regiment, together with one barrack-sergeant and
wife, for Japan. The following officers will also
embark in the Gresham, viz. --Capt. G.II. French
and Ensign C. H. Shepherd, 2d battalion, 9th
Regiment ; and Capt. A. N. Adams, 2d battalion,
20th Regiment.

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, March 21.

Fenianism has done much evil and cost a great
deal, but it has also elicited some good. It has fixed
the more earnest attention of Parliament on the con-
dition of Ireland, and drawn closer and rendered more
cordial and confiding the relations between the Irish
gentry and the Executive. For some years there had
been something very like disaffection in a large por-
tion of this class, and the way in which they ex-
pressed their feelings towards those who represented
the Sovereign in this country was by no means calcu-
lated to induce the masses of the people to respect
the authority of Government. We hear nothing of
that kind now. On the contrary, warm expressions
of approval and promises of co-operation are com-
ing in to the Lord-Lieutenant from all parts of the
country.

Yesterday the Lord-Lieutenant received deputa-
tions from two grand juries, one from Down, in the
north, and the other from Kilkenny, in the south.
The former consisted of Mr. J. Cleland, High She-
riff, Major Forde, M.P., D.L., Major Percival
Maxwell, D.L., Major Nugent, D.L., and Mr. John
Mulholland, D.L. His Excellency, accompanied by
Mr. Edmond R. Woaehouse, private secretary, and
the Hon. Captain Dormer and Mr. Campbell, aides-
de-camp in waiting, received the deputation in the
Throne-room at the Castle. Mr. Cleland read an
address, which stated that the grand jury desired to
express their thanks for the firmness and rigour
with which Lord Wodehouse has met and is repress-
ing " the treasonable conspiracy which, casting off
all social and religious restraints, has threatened the
property and the peace of this portion of her
Majesty's dominions." They rejoice that he has
obtained from the Legislature powers which, exer-
cised with energy and judgment, promise to prove
equal to the protection of all classes of her Ma-
jesty's subjects in Ireland. From the well-known
loyalty of their county, they have been spared the
alarm and disturbance that have been felt else-
where ; but they express their determination to
support the Executive in all measures that may be
required to maintain the integrity of the kingdom,
to preserve the peace of the country, to protect its
institutions, and to uphold that supremacy of the
law without which there can be neither prosperity
nor progress.

His Excellency read the following reply :

" Mr. High Sheriff and Gentlemen,—As representative
of our most gracious Queon, I sincerely thank you for
your loyal address. The announcement of your determi-
nation, in common with similar influential bodies of gentle-
men, to support the Executive and maintain the supre-
macy of the law, cannot fail to strengthen the hands of
those who are incrusted by her Majesty with the adminis-
tration of the country. It is a source of great satisfaction
to me that you approve the course which has been taken
by the Government to repress the treasonable conspiracy
which has threatened to disturb the tranquillity of this
portion of her Majesty's dominions. You may rely on my
sparing no effort to afford protection and security to all
classes of her Majesty's subjects."
The deputation from Kilkenny consisted of Col.
W. F. Tighe, D.L., J.P. ; the High Sheriff, Sir
James Langrishe, D.L., J.P. ; Sir John Blunden,
D.L., J.P. ; Sir •H. Marsh, D.L., J.P. ; and Mr.
John de Montmorency, J.P. In their address they
said :

"Believing that an expression of grateful support ema-
nating from public bodies, who may be supposed to repre-
sent much of the prosperity and intelligence of the country,
will be considered acceptable to your Excellency, and may
tend to strengthen the hands of the Executive, we wish to
record our approving sense of your official conduct under
\
the circumstances of the present insane and criminal con-
aPtracY, which is creating much personal uneasiness, scaring
az capital, and paralysing tho best energies of the country.
the cnonsPtittclirly first exhausted the extreme resources of
utfonal law' your Excellency was compelled to
apply to Parliament for an exceptional measure, and by the
by carefully
vigorous execution of the
powers
dangerous
c)thm e r eybosyuycmaorpnetfio.,drel
ad,
ati
nno
gdy
tobhuye,
Watching
your demand for additional troops,
fears and reassuring the loyalty of all well-disposed'y
sub-
jects ; and we trust that a continuance of the
same
firm-
ness and vigilance may dispel the delusions of the seditious,
and in time restore the confidence and tranquillity of Ire-
land. We have only to add our determination that no
effort shall be wanting on our parts in aiding the ends of
justice, and in maintaining the dignity of the Throne."
Lord Wodehouse read a reply similar to the fore-

going.
It seems that Mrs. Stephens had no notion of