The Sun.
London, England, 1866-09-28 00:00:00

Military a]

,elligence.

The Endymion, 21, 2,486 tons, 500 horse-power,
unarmoured screw frigate, was commissioned yes-
terday at her moorings in the Medway, by Captain
Charles Wake (23d June, 1859), formerly of the
Bullclog, which was lost in the West Indies. The
frigate is complete in her fitments, and has only to
receive her sea stores on board to be ready for sea.
The destination of the Endymion is not yet announced,
but a report was in circulation at Chatham yester-
day that she-will in all probability proceed to the
west coast of Africa, for temporary service as the
flagship of Commodore G. T. P. B.ornby, in lieu of
the Bristol, 31, 600-horse power, Capt. L. E. H.
Somerset, which is on her passage home to make
good some serious defects in her machinery.
The sloop-corvette Reindeer, 7, 200-horse power,
Mr. C. Watton master in charge, was placed in No.
4 dock at Chatham yesterday afternoon, to make
good a few temporary defects.
The sailing frigate Chichester, 50, attached to the
sailing reserve in the Medway, has been removed
down the harbour, and placed in the steam basin at
Sheerness, where she will undergo the necessary
alterations and fittings to adapt her for service as a
school training ship, to be stationed at one of the
ports.

The screw gunboat Magnet, 2, 60-horse power,
Lieut.-Commander G. B. Goolden, tender to the
Pembroke, 25, 200-horse power, is making good
defects in the basin at Sheerness.

The paddlewheel steam tender Adder, Mr. W.
J. Blakey, Master Commander, resumed her duties
at Chatham Dockyard yesterday, after having the
defects to her boilers made good.
The Serapis, screw iron troopship, built at the
Thames Ironworks at Blackwall, was launched on
Wednesday in the creek from their building slip
with complete success. The contract was taken in
February last under a bond to complete the work
by April next—namely, in 15 months. The ship
is now ready to receive her machinery, and is ex-
pected to be put in commission long before the ap-
pointed time. Lady Cranborne, wife of the Presi-
dent of the India Board, undertook the ceremony
of " christening," which was immediately followed
by the noble-looking structure gliding away down
the slides and floating out under the control of five
checking hawsers, by which she was well kept in
tow. She bad scarcely made a distance of her en-
tire length in the river when she was brought round
to about 50 feet of the entrance to the building
slip, and was again examined with much interest
by the crowded audience who were present. Ihe
examination appeared to give evident satis-
faction, and many and loud were the good
wishes vociferated for her success, as well as for the
prosperity of the builders. This new class of In-
dian transports, five in number, are intended to carry
a whole regiment each, and fitted and ventilated in
a manner to insure as far as possible the soldiers'
comfort during the voyage. The dimensions of
each of the ships are 350 ft. in length between the
perpendiculars ; 326 ft. 9iin. of keel for tonnage ;
and breadth, 49ft. ; depth in midships (from top of
keel), 34ft. Gin., 4,173 tons, and to be provided
with engines of 700 horse power nominal, byMessrs.
Humphreys and Tennant.

Her Majesty's 17 gun screw ship Chanticleer,
ordered to be prepared for commission at IVoolwich,
was yesterday undocked and warped into basin, in
order to receive her machinery and to be masted.
Capt. Cusack, 2d Battalion Bth Regt., is ordered
to proceed from Chatham to Malta, to join the ser-
vice companies of his regiment at that station.
The Royal Engineer detachments and the drafts
of infantry' at Chatham under orders to embark for
the Cape of Good hope have been inspected at the
garrison, and are awaiting orders for embarkation
at Gravesend as soon as the Merchantman, hired
Government transport, is ready to receive them on
board.

Yesterday Colonel Hastings, in command of the
Royal Artillery in the Chatham district, completed
the half-yearly regimental inspection of the Royal
Field Artillery at Chatham garrison, consisting of
the mounted B battery, 4th Brigade. The first
day was devoted by Colonel Hastings to the in-
spection of the Armstrong guns, magazines, horses,
gun carriages, stables, and the general equipment
of the battery, the following day boing occupied in
the inspection of the officers and men in field drill
on Chatham lines, where the battery was exercised
in the customary artillery field manoeuvres.
The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty :—Lieut. Alfred J. Cheek, to the
Terror; Lieut. John G. Hanmer, Lieut. H. J.
Robilliard, and Lieut. Frederick J. Wetherall, to
the Excellent, for study ; Sub-Lieut. Arthur 11.
Fronde, to the Endymion ; Thomas 11. S. Robert-
son, midshipman, to the Endymion ; Joseph C.
Paine, paymaster, additional, to the Cumberland,
for naval barracks ; and Thomas M. Ramage, pay-
master to the Lion.

RAILWAYS AND OTHER COMPANIES.

METROPOLITAN DISTRICT.
The half yearly meeting of this company was
held yesterday at the Westminster Palace Hotel ;
the Earl of Devon in the chair.
The report, an abstract of which appeared in The
Sun, was taken as read.

The CHAIR3IAN, in moving its adoption, said, on
the whole the position of the undertaking might be
deemed satisfactory as regarded the progress of the
works. Tho statement which was made in the re-
port was fully borne out, in the opinion of the di-
rectors, by observations which had from time to
time been made by various persons. He, with the
Board, visited the works a few weeks since from
Westminster to Kensington. The undertaking
would be as much an ornament to the metropolis as
it would be a great national undertaking. They
ventured to assure the shareholders that the works
were mAking considerable progress. Every pos-
sible endeavour was being made on the part of the
directors to push the work forward as speedily as
possible. They had made an arrangement, which
had been sanctioned by the Metropolitan Railway
Company, for the opening and working of a portion
of their line as far as Westminster_bridge, when in
a fit state to be opened. They thought it would be
better that that portion of the line should be opened
and brought into active working order as soon aa
possible. The engineer's report fairly stated the
position of the works.

Mr. JOHNSON, in reply to a question, said he was
not aware that any of the Thames Embankment
was to be built upon arches, except opposite the
City Gas Works. Still if it was it would not affect
their plans.

Mr. BEST wished to know what. progress had been
made during the past half-year. The report stated
that the works were making satisfactory progress,
but then they were left to find out what that pro-
gress was. Six months ago it was stated thatwithin
18 mouths from that period they might expect the
line to be opened from Westminster-bridge west-
ward. In the present report there was nothing said
about the probable time when the line would be
opened westward, neither was there any statement
of the quantity of work which had been done, or
whether there was any part of the line which now
might be said to be completed, but they were left to
guess whether the expectations would be realised.
The CHAIRmAN said the total capital for the whole
scheme was £3,600,000, and the first issue was
£2,250,000. They did not entertain any fear that
the expectations made in the report would not be
realised.

A SHAREHOLDER said they were called u Pon to
make large payments when money was dear—(hear,
hear)—and lie thought those shareholders also who
bad not paid ought to be be called upon to do so ;
, ~.; -j(),000 Was their borrowiu
g powers, and they
ought not to exercise them while arrears of calls
were due.

The Cu AIIDIAN said the directors had, after great
consideration, come to the conclusion that on the
whole it was better to exercise the borrowing power,
than to make another call. Upon the whole of the
share capital issued a sum of X 754,640 remained to
be called up.

The motion for the adoption of the report was
seconded by. Mr. SHERRIFF, M.P., and carried

unanimously.

A DIRECTOR said the rate per cent. offer(' 1 for the