The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-10 00:00:00

MISCELLANEOUS AMERICAN NEWS.

Naval and Military Intelligence.

The 71st Highland Light Infantry, which for
several days has been under orders for service in
Ireland, will leave Aldershott this morning for Ports-
mouth, there to embark for its destination. The
strength marching out is as follows :-23 officers,
42 sergeants, 26 drummers, 535 rank and file, 92
women, 121 children, and six horses.

The 48th (Northamptonshire) Regiment, which
recived orders at the same time as the 71st High-
landers, will also leave Aldershot this morning for
Ports-mouth, en route for Ireland. The strength
marching out is as follows :--21 officers, 7 staff-
sergeants, 35 sergeants, 16 drummers, 600 rank and
file, 80 women, 90 children, and eight horses.
It is understood that an additional force of Royal
Artillery will shortly be despatched to Ireland to
augment the Royal Artillery now serving there.
Brigadier-General Sir Alfred Hastings Horsford,
K.C.8., commanding the 3d Brigade at Aldershott,
has left the camp for Dublin, to take the temporary
command of a division at that station.
Capt. the Hon. W. H. Herbert, 84th Regiment,
has proceeded to Landguard Fort, Harwich, to
assume the command of that station, in succession
to Capt. Gregory, 98th Regiment.

The 65th Regiment, under the command of Col.
A. F. IV. Wyatt, C. 8., arrived at Aldershot Camp
on Saturday evening at 7 o'clock from Devonport.
The following is the strength of the regiment :-21
officers, nine staff-sergeants, 620 non-commissioned
officers and rank and file, 65 women, and 71 child-
ren. The 65th is quartered in the centre block of
the infantry barracks, and is attached to General
Campbell's (the 2d) Brigade.
- - -

The examination of candidates for admission to
the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, under the
regultations dated Horse Guards, March 31, 1866,
will commence at Chelsea Hospital this morning,
before Major-Gen. W. C. E. Napier, vice-president,
and the members of the Council of Military Educa-
tion. The examination will occupy the whole week.
Her Majesty's screw troopship Orontes, Captain
llire, arrived at Spithead on Saturday morning from
Devonport with the 65th Regiment on board. The
Orontes immediately after arrival at Spithead went
into Portsmouth harbour and disembarked the Re-
giment at the dockyard. To-day she embarks the
48th for Ireland. The Tamar, screw troopship,
Capt. Sullivan, will receive the 71st Regiment at
Portsmouth this evening for conveyance to Queens-
town.

The Research, 4, armoured screw sloop, Com-
mander Grant, went out of Portsmouth harbour to
Spithead on the completion of her refit on Friday
last. On Saturday she was swung under steam in
Stokes'-bay to ascertain the deviation of her compass,
and yesterday morning sheleft Spithead understeam
by the Needles' Channel, for the coast of Ireland.
The Virage, 6, paddle sloop, arrived at Spithead
yesterday morning from the Nore, en route for the
coast of Ireland.
The Reindeer, 7, screw unarmoured sloop, Com-
mander E. Nares, having completed the necessary
repairs to her fire-hearth at Portsmouth, has sailed
from that port for the coast of Ireland, and after-
wards for a term of foreign service.
The hector screw iron frigate, Captain Luard,
remains at Spithead, and is expected to do duty as
guardship off Osborne during her Majesty's stay
there. Captain Luard is on leave from the Hector
until the 17th inst.

The Swedish sloopof war Oradd, recently wrecked
on the shore between Dungeness and Rye, on the
south-west Sussex coast, will be sold as the wreck
lies, guns, hull, rigging, and stores, on the 14th inst. 1
Mr. Reed, Chief Constructor of the Navy, paid
an official visit last week to Devonport. On Friday,
accompanied by Rear-Admiral Superintendent the
Hon. Jas. R. Drummond, C. 8., he proceeded into
the Sound and made a thorough inspection of the
ironclad flagship Zealous (converted on his plan)
prior to her departure for the Pacific. On returning
from the Sound they visited the ironclad twin screw
gunboat Vixen, in which the only improvement sug-
gested was the lining of the under side of the iron
deck with thin plank, to prevent the condensation
f water from the atmosphere upon it, as this con-
densation is the cause of much discomfort to the
crew. This suggestion Mr. Reed approved, and the
work was at once taken in hand. The next ship in-
spected was the sloop Vestal, which is complete for
sea, and is expected to put in commission shortly.
This vessel resembles the Amazon, but is fitted with
an iron collision bulkhead. She is of about 1,000
tons, will steam 12 knots, and carry two heavy and
two light rifled guns of the newest type. The exa-
mination of the Lord Warden, which is in dock in
Keyham, occupied the remainder of the day. On
Saturday the Admiral Superintendent and Mr.
Reed (accompanied by officers of the Steam Re-
serve and dockyard) paid a second visit to the Lord
Warden, and completed the arrangements for en-
abling the upper deck bow guns to fire right ahead.
These guns are to be each of 9 tons in weight,
and, with the two 61-ton guns on the main deck,
will make the armour-plated bow battery of
this ship the most formidable in the world, with
the single exception of the sister ship, Lord Clyde.
As the Lord Warden is to be a flagship, the accom-
modation proposed for the Admiral and his suite
was fully discussed and arranged. After a short
sojourn on board the wooden frigates Liffey, Phoebe,
and Galatea the visitors went on boardtihwereCtahleey-
donia, flag of the Commander-in-Chief,
where
were received by Admiral Yelverton. They then
proceeded to the ironclad ship Achilles, and devoted
the rest of the day to the Lord Clyde. The main
object of the inspection of the various ships Seems
to be to arrange the reception of the new armament,
as it is now decided that every wooden frigate shall
,
carry a certain number of 61-ton guns, which with
Palliser shot and shell will pierce ordinary armour
plating, and that every ironclad frigate shall carry a
proportion of 9-ton guns, which arc of still greater
power in this and every other respect. There can be
little doubt that these visits of the Chief constructor
to the dockyards are of considerable use to the ser-
vice, as they enable the designer of the ships to con-
fer minutely with the Admiral and other practical
officers on all points touching their efficiency.
The screw steam gunvessel Ranger, 5, Commander
W. A. Catnbier, nine days from Loando, arrived at
St. Helena Oct. 31, bound for Ascension.
The screw steam sloop Rapid, 11, Commander
IV. B. Stubbs, 21 days from Simons Bay, arrived at
St. Helena Nov. 4, and sailed therefrom on the 6th
for Ascension and England.
The armour plated screw steamship Caledonia, 30,
Capt. Hon. F. A. C. Foley, flag of Admiral H. R.
Yelverton, was placed: on Friday in the basin of
Keyham steamyard, to have some alterations made
in her armament.

The armour plated screw steamship Zealous, 20,
Capt. R. Dawkins, flag of Rear-Admiral the Hon.
G. F. Hastings, C. 8., left Plymouth Sound on Sa-
turday for the Pacific station.
A numerous body of workmen and labourers was
engaged in the quadrangle at the smithery in Chat-
ham dockyard on Saturday in erecting the lifts for
the second 40 ton crane which is ordered to be
erected on that establishment, to be used for lifting
the heavy forgings required for the ironclad ships
how under construction. The works connected with
the forging of the massive sternpost for the Her-
cules, the largest forging of the kind ever attempted
in this country, are still at a standstill, in conse-
quence of the breaking down of the heavy 40 ton
steam hammer during the operation.
in the
which description of the iron troopship Mala-
bar, whi
draught of water of the five Indian
transports
stated building for the Government was by
an to be "30 feet," whereas the
proper draught of those vessels should have been
described as 21ft.

In the Naval and Military Intelligence of Satur-
day M. Gaudet (of the firm of Gaudet Freres) was
spoken of as a director of the Messageries Impe_
riales. We are requested to state that no member
of the firm referred to has the honour of being di-
rector of that company. Gaudet Freres are carriers
between England and the Continent, and are known
as the French correspondents of Pickford and Co.
They are also owners of the line of steamers plying
between London and Paris direct, and in this capa-
city have treated with Capt. Gordon for the con-
veyance from Woolwich Arsenal to the Paris Exhi-
bition of the 23-ton gun and the other military
Stores mentioned in the article referred to.

The Gettysburg National Orphans' Homestead
was dedicated to its future use on the 20th No-
vember last. The Homestead is situated on the
Baltimore pike, a continuation of one of the prin-
cipal streets of Gettysburg, half a mile from the
centre of the town, and close by the National
Cemetery for soldiers who fell at the battle of
Gettysburg. The building was formerly a large
and commodious residence, which was purchased by
the Homestead Committee, and so altered and im-
proved that it now presents a very handsome and
attractive appearance, being in fact, the most im-
posing edifice in the neighbourhood. It faces, and
is situated a few yards fr om, the famous Cemetery
Ridge, at the point where the Eleventh Army Corps,
under General 0. 0. Howard, took its position
during the great and decisive battle of Gettys-
burg. It is contemplated to erect a much larger
and splendid edifice on the piece of ground occu-
pied by Rickett's Battery during the battle, very
near the present Homestead, and which will accom-

odate between four hundred and five hundred
orphans of soldiers.
The meteors observed in America were not so nume-
rous as those seen in England. Arrangements had
been made in several cities to ring the bells in order
to arouse the people if the spectacle should be such
as was expected ; but it was not. Professor Loomis,
of Yale College, makes the following report :—" On
Monday night, November 12, a company of ob-
servers at this place counted 696 shooting stars in
five hours and twenty minutes, which is about four
times the average number visible for the same period
throughout the year. On Tuesday night, Novem-
ber 13, another company counted 881 shooting stars
in five hours, which is five times the average num-
ber. On Wednesday night the sky was overcast,
so that no observations could be made. We con-
clude that the number of shooting stars visible
about the 13th was very remarkable ; nevertheless,
this display is not to be compared with that of the
13th of November, 1833, in which the number of
meteors was variously estimated at from 10,000 to
30,000 per hour. The grand display, therefore,
which it was supposed might possibly occur this
year has not been witnessed in the United States.

. . If we receive no accounts of an unusual dis-
play of meteors this week in any part of the world,
we shall look with considerable confidence for such
a display on the 14th of November, 1867."
An important decision was rendered by Chief
Justice Titus recently on a point long agitated—the
validity of the charter of Great Salt Lake City.
The argument opposed to the validity was founded
on the fact that no minute could be found in the
Journal of the House of Representatives of the
United States ; that the House had not received
any copy of the laws of Utah passed in 1859-60 ;
and that consequently those laws, including the
charter of the city, granted that session were null
and void. His Honour decided that whether or not
copies of those laws were sent to the United States
House of Representatives, had no effect on their
validity. This question was sprung as a land claim
case, as a party issue, to lessen, if possible, the ex-
tent of power in the hands of the Mormon part of
the community, which have a sufficiently large
majority to control the city elections. Another
point of interest here is the liquor question. The
city authorities have for some time past endeavoured
to keep this traffic within narrow bounds, very lat-
terly having had but one place for its sale, and there
" not to be drunk on the premises." This policy
has been virulently opposed, chiefly by the " Gen-
tiles," though many Mormons were not well pleased
with it. This one place—the " City Liquor Store"
—is now closed, through a petition from many citi-
zens. So just now there is no place within the city
boundaries where liquor can be legally made,
bought, or sold.
From Belleville, Nov. 13, we hear the excitement
regarding the gold discoveries in Madoc is in-
creasing. Large numbers of people continue to
arrive, and nearly every person returning brings
specimens of the precious metal. Another spot
has been discovered where good specimens were
found.
The President has directed the issue of a warrant
for the pardon of Zeno Kelley, convicted at the Octo-
ber term, 1863, of the United States Circuit Court
for the district of Massachusetts, of fitting out a
vessel for the slave trade, and sentenced to four
years' imprisonment and to pay a fine of $l,OOO.
The iron Age gives an interesting account of the
late excursion through the mining and manufactur-
ing districts of Pennsylvania. The party consisted
of gentlemen of a great variety of opinions, pursuits,
and tastes, comprising Senators, journalists, mer-
chants, manufacturers, &c., but all having a common
interest in the industrial prosperity of the country.
It was conducted under the guidance of Hon.
David A. Wells, United States Commissioner of
Revenue, and passed off with unalloyed pleasure to
all parties.
The New York Evening Post makes the following
honourable mention of Cyrus W. Field :—" We
hope we do not violate confidence in stating a fact
to the honour of a New York merchant, which,
though a private transaction, ought to be known.
Our fellow-citizen, Mr. Cyrus W. Field—whose
name will always be connected with the At-
lantic Telegraph—has twice nearly ruined him-
self by his devotion to that enterprise. Though a
man of independent fortune when he began, he
embarked in it so large a portion of his capital as
nearly to make shipwreck of the whole. While in
England engaged in the expedition of 1857 a finan-
cial storm swept over this country, and his house
suspended, but on his return he asked only for time,
and paid all in full with interest. But the stop-
page was a heavy blow, and being followed by a fire
in 1859, which
burned his store to the ground, and
by the panic of
compromise woitfh December, 1860, just before the
breaking out
the war,
cr
d theer
41. v as finallyTbus
released,obliged
t oe
devoted himself to the work of his life, which he has
at last carried through
tic Telegraph, we are h The success of the Atlau-
back a portion of his losatppy to learn, has brought
wealth, and his first care
has been to make good all losses to others. He has
addressed a letter to every creditor who suffered by
the failure of the house in 1860, requesting him to
send a statement of the amount compromised, ad-
ding the interest for nearly six years, and
as fast
as presented returns a cheque in full. The
_whole
amount will be about $200,000. Such a fact, how-
ever much be may wish to keep it secret, ought
to be known to his honour, and to the honour
of the merchants of New York." At the banquet
Mr. Cyrus Field
given in honour oftelegraphic
wires were placed in the room to communicate with
Europe through the cable. The cards of invitation
were six inches by seven ; the engraving included
three pictures. The central one represented
America and England girdling the earth with
the telegraphic cable. An olive branch was held
over the earth by a dove on the wing. Joining it
was the seal of the Chamber of Commerce. On the
left below was the American eagle, with shield, &e.,
and thirty-six stars ; and on the right, the coat-of-
arms of Great Britain. The words of invitation
were :---" The Chamber of Commerce of the State
of New York respectfully invites to
meet Cyrus W. Field at dinner, on Thursday, the
15th instant, at six o'clock p.m., at the Metropoli-
tan Hotel, to exchange congratulations on the
happy result of his efforts in the great work of unit-
ing by telegraph the Old World and the New."
There were more than a hundred invited guests,
distinguished men of America and other countries.

Speeches were also made by Major Hoffman, ex.
_ _

Mayor Opdyke, Rev. Drs. Beecher and Bellows,
John Jay, and others. Telegrams were received
from Lord Monck and Captain Anderson, of the
Great Eastern ; and letters from President John-
son, General Grant, John A. Dix, Generals Porter,
Chase, Sir Frederick Bruce, &c. The following
telegram was received from Captain Anderson :
" London, Nov. 15.—Will you tell Mr. Field and
your banquet that I am with him in hearty friend-
ship, and hope his countrymen will give due recog-
nition to his unqualified efforts in establishing the
telegraphic cord between our two countries."
The Clement and llawks Manufacturing Co., of
Northampton, which was recently organised with
a capital of $100,000; are now erecting their fac-
tory buildings. The main building is to be 150
feet by 40 in size, 3 stories, high, with a French