The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-21 00:00:00

ZIIE NAVY.

The screw steamship Adelaide, Commander Car-
ter, having been chartered by. the War Department,
and numbered 5 transport, for the oonveyance of
military stores, &c., to China, yeste,:day steamed
down to -Woolwich from the Victoria -ilocks to enter
upon her engagement. The accommodations of the
Adelaide are on a most superior male, and her
stowage room is immense. She was built for the
service of the Australian Royal Mail: Company. A
great portion of her cabin room has been removed,
a new poop and forecastle built, r and her engines
overhauled to make her complete t Or the voyage.
On her arrival at Hong Kong she will discharge
her cargo, and remain at the clispos:l.l of the ship-
ping authorities for the conveyance ti the troops to
various destinations.

Her Majesty's paddlewheel steaxusloop Hecate
and the Princess Alice, on completion of repairs at
Woolwich, were yesterday hauled vat of basin and
steamed down the river on an envineer's trial of
machinery. The steam storeship S's pply yesterday
proceeded to Deptford to ship victuri,:ling stores, and
the Rhadamanthas entered the omter basin to em-
bark boilers and steam gear for thet western yards.
The screw steamship Nile, 90, Captain Wilmot,
arrived at Plymouth on Sunday )tight. She left
Queenstown on Saturday last, at .1) a.m., with the
paddlewheel steamship Hydra, 6, Commamdar
Hamilton, and when.off the Land"fi End the Hydra
took the Nile in tow, but cast hea• off again, and,
after a short interval, renewed th.e. duty, and took
her into the Sound. After discharging her powder
the Nile will go into Hamciaze, where her crew will
,be turned over to the screw steamship Sanspareil,
'7O. The Hydra is short of her co awlement.
The screw steamship Centurion, 80, Capt. Patey,
having had her copper repaired and cleaned and
valves overhauled, was taken out 'of No. 3 dock at
Keyham, Plymouth, on Monday. The screw steam-
ship Conqueror, 101, Capt. lirilixnc, was in the
afternoon placed in the same do ck, to have her
boilers cleaned, copper repaired, and valves over-
hauled.

The screw steamship Edgar, 91,, Capt. James E.
Katon, flag of Admiral Erskine, etas appointed to
leave Plymouth yesterday for Por. ;tan d. On arrival
the screw steamship Royal Alb( art, 121, Captain
Lacon, flag of Admiral Sir Charle a H. Fremantle,
will probably leave for Plymouth..

VOLUNTEER CO RP&

DALSTON.

Last evening a numerously attemaled meeting was
held at Albion-hall, Albion-square,„ Dalston, for the
purpose of taking steps to promote the formation of
a volunteer rifle corps for Dalston and its vicinity.
Mr. Ayrton, M.P., presided.
The CH i AIRMAN, n opening the 'proceedings said,
often as he had attended meeting s in that institu-
tion, he had never attended a mor a important one.
For some years past we had believed in the naval
superiority of England, but at tbJe present time a
totally new set of ideas had taken 'possession of the
public mind. He did not mentiom the subject of
rifle corps for the first time, as a lbw months back
he called attention to the state of our foreign rela-
tions. The Press had done an immense service to
the country by the interest it had exhibited in the
state of our national defences. Whsle our navy was
suffered to go into decay, the French had year by
year been increasing theirs ; and i t was with pro-
found astonishment that we learnt that the French
navy was superior to ours, and it w us only then we
commenced to look upon France w rith doubt. He
did not believe that by writing to foreign Powers
we could ascertain their intentions, as assurances
given upon paper might be hollow. He considered
that we ought to have a commission to inquire into
the state of our defences. It was 1114 lily necessary
that we should take steps to put ourselves into a
proper state of defence, as instances .b.adbeen known
of the French taking advantage of :an oppOrtunity
and capturing our vessels in the C tunnel ; but at
present it was a great deal easier, for steam had
bridged the Channel over ; it coulkl be soon done
by small steamers sailing every ho o r or so, and if
ue invading force once obtained a :footing on our
shores, no man could tell what :crmy might be
landed, or what force it would take to oppose its
lauding. He did not wish to creata, alarm, but it
was his firm opinion that our standing army was
not strong enough to defend our sh 3 res. He hoped
sincerely that this great movement would not
vanish with the excitement of thie moment, but
would became a permanent institutilon of the coun-
try. With respect to the uniforms of rifle corps,
he was of opinion that they shoulil be plain and
inexpensive. Volunteers did not require a gaudy
uniform. Time enough for the unitform when war
was about to commence. He concl tided by observ-
ing that the working men of Eng land had taken
very little notice of the great n vement. This
was very unsatisfactory. A great deal of mischief
was being done to the movement by exclusive
corps. He should like to see the working men of
England join heartily in the moves o ent. He would
advise them not to degrade their cocrps by electing
officers who had a little more moitey than others,
but to elect officer* of military worth.
A letter was then read from Mr.. Butler, M.P.,
stating that he was most anxious f, trr the formation
of rifle corps in every parish in the Tower Hamlets.
He considered it better to avoid fa racy names, such
as Albert, Wellington, Combermer e, &c.
The following resolution was them moved by the
Rev. Mr. MYERS, seconded by Mr. AYSHFORD, and
carried unanimously :
,4 That this meeting considers it desiraible to form a Dal-
ston Rifle Corps, and pledges itself to prc)mote the same."
A considerable number of names having been en-
rolled, and subscriptions anneuncs)d, the proceed-
ings closed with a cordial vote ocf thanks to the
chairman.