The Sun.
London, England, 1857-10-27 00:00:00

ARE THEY THE RIGHT MEN?

A writer in a contemporary says :—" In the
Army List of the present month I read the fo!-
lowng announcement :

" Attached to Foot Guards, Major-General Lord
Rokeby.

" Ade de-camp, BreTet-Major Hon. W. Cote,
Scots Fusilier Guards.

" Assistant Adjutant-Generals,
Lord A. Hay, Grenadier Guards ; Brevet-Colonel
Lambert, Grenadier Guards."
For th© subjoined rea,ons the appointment of
Lord Rokeby to the Guards was a job.
1. The lieutenant-colonels of the three household
regiments are ex officio brigadiers. They never act
in an inferior capacity.
2. There is no "division duty to be done in the
Guards, because these troops are never massed on
home service ; only four battalions (including one
on detachment at the Tower) out of seven battal-
lions, being quartered in Loudon at the same time.
3. The " field officer in waiting" on the Queen
transacts all "brigade business."
4. The half-yearly inspections ought to be per-
formed by the Inspectors-General of Infantry.
I have said enough to show that Lord Rokeby
and his aristocratic staff (two assistant adjutant-
generals, mark !) are as useless to the Guards as
they are costly to the public.
But this "snug berth about town," it appears,
has been so severely commented upon in military
circles that Lord Panmure insists on its suppres-
sion; anoth(r "place," therefore, must be found
for Lord Rokeby, who has "grpat interest" at
head-quarters. He is to be provided for thus—
Lord West is to vacate the cAnmand at Shorncliffe,
and Lord Rokeby will reign in his stead.
Now, Lord West is a very promising officer ; he
has served with the " line" in India, Canada, and
the Crimea. Hence, he is really " the right Irvin
iu the right place" at Shorncliffe. Understanding
every detail of his profession, be is a master of the
art of drilling recruits and embodying bat'alions,
which, at the present time, is the work, par excel-
lence in our camps.

It is otherwise with Lord Rokeby. His lordship
entered the Scots Fusilier Guards, April 24, 1814.
He Baas never done duty with the line, and cannot
possibly know anything about recruits, forasmuch
as the Guards' recruits are drilled by a sergeant at
Croydon, and are never placed in their officer,'
hands till their manufacture into trained: soldiers
has been completed.

Beyond doubt, than tb.e.contemplated appoint-
ment of the old Guardsman to the Shornclitte com-
mand. will (if it be allowed to take place) turn out
injurious to the public interests—a rank job.
Another "selection" meditated by the Hots-
Guards, is severely handled by the clubs—that of
L'nd George Paget to the command of the Bridah
cavalry in India. Thig officer entered the army
July 25th, 1831, and has served in the Crimea.
Some men have greatness thrust upon them, and
Lord George is one of these. Beyond the fact of
his being the son of the late Marquis of Anglesey,
we soldiers are quite at a loss to account for his
lordship's good fortune. " Lordly generals" were
the curse of the Crimean army ; we must take heel
lest they become the bane of the Indian army.
These are not times to mince matters. We must
speak out, and loudly too or woe tci England.

BANK OF ANGLAND RETURNS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMPS.

Sir,—Referring to " A Merchant's" letter in your
paper of the 22d inst., I beg to enclose an epitome
of Mr. Weguelin's evidence before the,Select Com-
mittee on Bank Acts, viz. :---
" The weekly account is brought up to the SB-
- previous to the Friday's publication, being
an interval of four days. The account might be
brought up to Wednesday night and published cn
Friday without inconvenience to the Bank. As far
as the Bank is concerned the accounts are now. de-

livered in tine for publication on Tuesday. Delay
is now desired by the Bank for Thursday's meet
.Ft
jug. The Batik proposes that the a,iccsobuenats, s
nho
be made up to Wednesday and pu i
Fri-
day, which would reduce the interval to one uay
instead of four. Ina time of uneasi tie,s it would be
very satisfactory to the public to shorttn the yeti( d.
The longer the interval the greater the risk of the
public being taken by surprise."
To complete the accounts returns must be mad,'
by the branch bai,ka, w be r
telegraph daily.-_l)) am, s., y • ob ecTt leertevci nt.
Oct. 24,
1A COUNTRY BANKER:

SOUTH
-LUMMOX MUSEDll.—During the week
ending Oct. 24, the visitorA have been as follows :—Oo
Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday (free days) 2,815; on
Monday and Tuezday (free evenings), 4,761 ; on the
three students' days (admix: ion to the public 6d.), 325 ;
cne students' evening (Wednesday), 149 ; total, 8,050.

wrrYsKam/ -
NAVAL AND AfIL ETA RY INTE7.LIGENCE.

Intelligence has-been received at 'Chatham that
Ensign Thoinas S. Mitchell, 89i1r-Regimeut, who
was placed tinier arrest at ShorE:cliffe, with offers
to proceed to Chatham garrison for the purpo,e of
being tried by general court-martial on several
charges of disgraceful conduct and drunkenness
whil on duty, has broken his arrest and gone to
the continent, leaving behind him a letter addressed
to the adjutant of the corps, fif which he states that,
as there was no doubt whatever of his being f. dud
guilty by the general court-martial, and, conse-
quently, dismia,.,ed from the service, he declined
taking his trial, and had ir iceedel to France. In
consequence of the course taken by the prismner her
Maj,sty will direct his d.t.miss,tl from the army.
Ye,..terday Ceptain C. C. Abbott, co.Timandirg
tne Falkland Island Coi-p5,,W;11..h has been ra test
at Chatham, received au orier fr.un the War-
office directing the nod-counnisi,.ne.l officers And
men to proceed to Gravesend, th.le to eml.iaik
on board the Ealing Grove for cony yanee
to the Falkland- laands, whole they will rel eve a
detachment of pei-sion,.rs -vho have b:::eri doing mi-
litary duty at that station fur many years. The
whole of the men are marritd, and on their arrival
at their destination e a',l, will be pi oyid-:d with quar-
ters and a certain quantity ,!1 hod, :v .d in a.dilition
to the regulation pay, will receive lac rarioni for
himself and family. The sum of 31. has been pre-
sented to each man by order of the authorities at
the Horse Guards for the pur,Aiase of sea c.:)mfi,rts.
Orders have been received at the Invalid E3ta-
blishuient, St. Mary',., Chatham, directing arra-ige-
meats to be made for the rt,c-ptitan ter2ol.l Fick and
wounded tro . who ire now- on their pas-age
from India, having been wounded in their conflicts
with the Inutineers,•and of 70 men who are sho -tly
expected to arrive invalided it me from China.
Owing to the large nitaitnrs of infirm trooki who
have laiely been discharge i a' Cha'haut tin a.!oiunt
t heir unfitness for furl :or service the strength cif
Vie invalid dei,ot is reduced t • ss than 100 men..
During the part week miwaids of 100 wheelers
and smiths have keen added to the Royal carriage
degartinent of Woolwich Arsenal, bringing the
es'ablishment, exclusive of contractors' labourers,
to 6,ooo—nearly equAl to the higliest number tm-
ployed at any period during the Ri.usiau. war. The
officials are collecting suoscripLions for the present
relief of the wives and families of the Artillery
soldiers who have already gone to India.
The following appointments were made ye.4ter-
day at th,‘ Adleira;ty :
Lieu'. F. P. Doughty ann Lieut. H. Parke to
the Itopil Abert for disposal; Lieut. H. E. G.
Earle to fie Persian ; J. L. Hope, acting mate, to
the Triton.

OPENING OF THE FIRST DOCK ON THE TY.,71.

On Thursday took place the formal opening of
the first dock on the Tyne. The dock has alto tely
been in practical use—the first ship having entered
it on May 7. Thursday's proceedings were in
celei,ration of the laying of the last coping woite by
the Duke of Northumlier:and, after whom the dock
is called the Northumberland Dock. It is hituated.
at Hayhole. The area of the main dock is 55 acres,
the tidal la=in beiug 2 acres. The dock and r ver
entrances to the basin are respectively 70 feet wide.
The lock is 52 feet wide, and 250 feet between the
g ate,. The sills of the entrances to the 52 feet Ick
are laid at 10 feet below low water levet. When the
dock is in full working order, the water can be k pt
in the deck from 18 to 24 feet aceterding to the .tate
of the tides. The entire outlay incui red in the c :in-
pletion of the works is about 180,0001., being at the
rate of little more than 3,000/. per acre; and we
have hoard the dock charaptjriEed as the cheapest
in point .of con struction of any in the king / om. The
cofferdam was begun Aug. 9, 1853, being the first
part of the works. It was closed on the 10th April,
1854. The first stone, which was the pointed till
stone of the 52 feet lock, was laid by Joseph Cowell,
Eeq., chairman of the Tyne Cemini-sion' on the
13th Sept., 1854. There are two rows of piles in
the embankment, extending to the length of 3,800
' feet ; the number of piles being 7,600. Tile emb Ink-
meet involves somewhat peculiar principles of con-
struction, which it would uerhaps be scarcely jus-
tice to the engineers to make publ7c.' Suffice it to
say that it has answered every purpose ; and that,
after being pot to the fullest test, ic'hai been fee, lad
to be perfectly water tight. The tidal le,sin is 475
feet in length, and 175 feet in breadth; including,
as already stated, an area of about two acres. The
dimensions of the dock are such as to euab!e some
of her Majesty's largest steamers to came in and
take a supply of coals. The amount of land re-
claimed in the construction tf the dock has been
about 70 acres. There was on one occasion 25
feet of water in the dock ; and the embankm
then bore the test to complete swisfaction. This
Wing only a coal dock, the amount of quay space is
merely nominal. The dock gates were contracted
for and constructed by Messrs. Hawks and Craw-
shay. A remarkable fact of a highly gratifying
nature is, that the dock hay been constructed with
little or no interference with the traffic of the river,
or with the deep water channel close to
the eteiths adjoining. It may to worthy
of mendon that the coals shipped from
these staiths at the time when the deck works
were commenced were to an annual amount of
1,200,00(1 tons, and have since increased to an
annuaids fi amountguldionubi olheef
docks,lt
ueOtel,
aOt
tOhtooe
there
a willaNi
uoowubtneht
facilities t
ot rti e
nwe a:
rt. ei
foryris
shipp3,ooo,ooo tons a year. In the dock, this st eJk,
there have b-en some sixty or seventy vesmels lying,
of an average tonnage of 250 tong. A dock river
constructing on the opposite side of the river by
the North .Eastern Railway Company, and called
the Jarrow Dock, is progressing favourably. An
act of Parliament has already been obtained for a
third dock at Coble Dane, which is to have an area
of 40 acres, depth 26 feet, and a 70 feet entraece.
When the three docks are completed, Newcastle
will be in dock accommodation inferior only to
London and Liverpool.
About 10 o'clock in the morning the Duke of
Northumberland arrived at Newcastle, and pro-
' ceeded by steamboat down the river, the shippng
of which was gaily decorated, as far as the new
dock. The Mayor and principal inhabitants, end
a large number of ladies and gentlemen from the
immediate neighbourhood, were present to receive
his grace, who, after inspecting the dock, received
from Joseph Cowen, E-q., a licitly 01 nemerred.
trowel, manufactured by Messrs. Reid and Sons,
which b re Vie following iuscriptnn :—" co the
Most Nei& Algernon, Duke and Earl of Northum-
beiland, are., K.G., this trowel ev,:s presented by
the Tyne Improvement Commissioners, on laying
the last stone of the Northumberland Dock, 22d
October, 1857." On the reverse side, or back of
the trowel, were inscribed the names of the commis-
sioners, with the names of the clerk and secretary—
Mr. Clayton and Mr, Guthrie.

His (3i RACE having taken the trowel, and the
mortar being applied, the stone was then moved to
its positiou. His .Grace then said, that instead of
laying the foundation Bt,no at the commencement
of this work, the commissioners had prudently
delayed any ceremony until to-day, when the
coping stone had been placed. To this dock,
which was the first dock ever built on the T, ne;
all must wish prosperity. Indeed, no doubt could
be entert dried of its success. There was one matter
which was due to ti;e contractor of the works,
and that was that no serious accident had occurred.
In cAtclusion, ho asked the Chairman of the cora-
rni-sioners to accept the trowel as a memorial of the
completion of the dock. (Cheers.)
After the ceremony, a dinner took place, his
Grace the Duke of Northumberland in the chair.
There were present—the Mayor, the River Com-
tni.sioners, Mr. G. Ridley, M.P., Mr. Inghtm,
M.P., Mr. G. 'lnchon, M.P., Rev. Dr. Davies,
rector of Gateshead ; and other gentlemen. The
speeches had reference solely to local and commer-
cial interests. On Friday the workmen employed
at the docks hada hoiday and entertainment.

THE LATE RAILWAY ACCIDENT AT WESTON-BRIDG3.--.
It is satisfactory to state that the sufferers by the late
accident at Weston-bridge, near Tuxford, on the main
I,ne of the Great Northern Railway, who were left at the
latter place and at Retford, have sufficiently Teeny( red
to return to their respective hombss
suffering
exceptingienrihneg
and two gentlemen who a: e still staying at the Queen
Inn, Retrord. Dyson, the guard, has greatly improved
sustained.
Ts ofi bodilyTtireEs eB, health,BODY
pr ey
concussionci
GENTLEMAN
e iso Istillt
h
POUND DROWNED.—
On Saturday afternoon the body
was found fl ating in the Surrey Canal,
of a gentleman, about
30 years of age,
near the bridge on the Lower Deptford road. The body,
which had apparently been in the water some days, Was
brought on sht,re and conveyed to a neighbouringhouse
to await an inqueq. The c eceased is ab,ut 5 feet 10
Inches high, and has auburn hair. He was dress, din
an Oxoni oa coat, shaAl pattern ve,t, black trousers, and
black silk sttelt,
bwetith,,,wli s7p::oui,.:l Toe supP"BiL!°,7geniial
that the deceased had heel walking ,alO]g the
banks,sv discoveredan d fallen
heh into
ai tohse
hi water,
hands as eat the Nair
hite timei
~,, atthbeti
khreeill3
purse,
gloves. On his person were round a w
Scotchtnan,
a Russia
DREADFUL le h e r
MURDERpoko t
Ibmo 0
Tk I
reached town announcing i hAtrel ma
on Taursday night last.
wv,aiytiiii(h,ripielettiD. ,Tvehre,
He had tra\icl,rstrto,!:trl,y)a a,
a,rhr_ErtrA__.lia, a
o
WAR sb o t de a d mar
arrived and
by
y tarßanYi new church
cutcrhocauhtnil:vhtiaci
eve
ut;
a wet by a wan
' t''' l'e ' d i . discharged the contents of his we ipon.
.ill-fated gentleman's heart. There
awi n'eBtrahes; : rnigieitr:i r: rfafo- ndtf
eh-
nDe t oavte tab, ea
n and time,
purchased li r C ~some Ellisw
propertyas agent
to Mr. Tran ,
in that
Reighbourhood, which is rumoured to be the
cause of his assassination. He also rented the farm of
Meelick, near Mountmelick, in the Queen's County, at
which plain he Tent the most part of last Thursday.