The Sun.
London, England, 1861-06-12 00:00:00

THE ARMY.

His Royal Highness the General Commanding-
in-Chief will hold a levee at the Horse Guards at
one o'clock on Thursday, the 20th inst.
From information obtained at Chatham yester-
day, it appears to be uncertain whether the troops
composing that garrison will take part in the bat-
talion movements to be undertaken by the London
Rifle Brigade on Chatham Lines on Saturday after-
noon next, preparatory to the review of the brigade
in Hyde Park on the following Saturday by the
Duke of Cambridge.
The depot of the Ist battalion of the 20th Regi-
ment at Chatham, being above its required
strength, volunteering has been opened for the 2d
battalion of the same regiment. Immediately after
it was announced that volunteering would be
allowed, a large number of men offered themselves
for the 2d battalion, but only 27 of the number were
accepted. Each of the volunteers receives one
sovereign. They will proceed to join the 2d bat-
talion at Aldershott on Friday next. Volunteering
from several other of the Indian depots at Chatham,
which are above their proper numbers, has also
been opened.
The following officers and troops belonging to
the three battalions of infantry at Chatham garri-
son have been placed under orders to embark for
India to join the service companies of their respec-
tive regiments in the Bengal, Madras, and Bombay
Presidencies, as soon as the necessary amount of
tonnage has been taken up for them by the Coun-
cil :—First Battalion—Ensign W. H. Stone, En-
sign E. M. Kemp, and 118 non-commissioned offi-
cers and men of the Ist battalion 4th King's Own ;
Ensign J. J. Twining, and 21 men of the 35th Re-
giment ; Ensign G. Cook, Ensign W. J. M'Clel-
land, Ensign J. Potts, Ensign H. Topp, and 122
men of all ranks of the 77th Regiment ; Ensign
W. A. Symes, Ensign H. Jones, and Ensign F.
J. Hassard, 94th Regiment. Second Battalion—
Ensign C. T. Doorly, Ensign H. H. Leeming,
Ensign 11. H. Mardon, and 60 rank and file
of the Ist battalion of the 20th Regiment. Cap-
tain R. P. Armstrong, Lieutenant H. E, Stanley,
and Ensign L. J. W. Hadden, Ist battalion
23d Royal Welsh Fusileers ; Capt. the Hon. E.
Curzon, Capt. the Hon. D. G. Monson, and Ensign
V. E. Knox, 52d Light Infantry ; Capt. W. Min-
hear, Capt. J. F. Sweeney, Ensign J. Ford, Ensign
H. A. Fuller, Ensign C. L. Smith, and 48 men of
all ranks of the 83d Regiment 3d Battalion,—Capt.
R. C. Martin, Lieut. R. H. Hackett, Ensign W.
Irvine, Ensign J. Moir, and 120 men of the Ist bat-
talion 19th Regiment; Ensign R. R. Draught,
Ensign H. M. Trenchard,rEnsign J. V. Nugent,
and Ensign G. B. Bird, 51st (the King's Own)
Light Infantry ; Capt. C. H. Malan, Ensign 1.0.
M. Vandaleur, Ensign R. J. F. Day, and 86 men
of the 75th Regiment ; Capt. W. B. Brown, Lieut.
D. Weir, and Lieut. G. B. Bevan, 81st Regiment;.
Capt. H. Wood, Ensign H. H. Rogers, Ensign
91st
Regiment.
•
T. Passingham, and Ensign W. D. Cauldwe ,
Regiment.
d Marine
officers and men of the Royal Marines
ma,n
Yesterday a detachment of 24 non-commissioned
and em-
Artillery left head-quarters,
Commander Har-
cboamrkmedisosinonboedardatthe
Sheerness Dragon, 6,b pyaddlewheel steamer,

dinge.
The Royal Marine Artillery Division at Fort
Cumberland
R. Wesley, the Deputy Adjutant-
Generalla_aral
° of the Royal Marines.
ren
The Bosphorus, hired transport, arrived at Spit-
heade were yesterday officially inspected by
S.
yesterday from China, with the headquarters
of the 87th (Royal Irish) Fusileers on board, num-
bering 14 officers and 529 non-commissioned offi-
cers and men. The ship sailed from Hong Kong
on Jan. 3 ; Singapore, Jan. 17 ; Cape of Good Hope,
April 14 ; and St. Helena, April 27. Fine weather
Was experienced throughout the passage, and the

Sir,—The subject of contracting for iron ships,
engines, and anchors was several times discussed
in the House of Commons last week, and in refer-
ence to this subject Lord C. Paget said :
"It was true they might advertise ; but would
the Government be justified in allowing strange
parties to tender for the manufacture of first-class
anchors any more than they would for that of first-
class engines ?"
The rule of the Admiralty, in respect to engine
contracts, is understood to be as follows :
The premises, and facilities for executing work,
of the parties applying to be put upon the list
of engine makers are surveyed, and if approved
they are then called upon for tenders, and
placed into several classes in something like
the following order—say, makers up to 200-horse
power, 200 to 400, 400 to 600, 600 to 800, 800 and
upwards.
All makers who have norsupplied engines to the
Admiralty before are placed in the lowest grade,
working up only step by step, even though they
may have made engines of the largest class and
undeniable quality for other parties.
As the manufacture of engines for the Admiralty
has lately been confined to very few parties, it will,
of course, take many years before any number of
makers get into the higher grades, which limits
materially the competition for large-sized engines.
When the Admiralty decide to order a lot of
engines, makers whose names are on the Admiralty
list are invited to send in tenders for engines to
exert a stated amount of power, the designs requi:___.---....
site to carry out the various TaqirPilenta beint ' -
left to the engine-maker, the -Aclunralty satisfying
themselves, from the plans and details submitted,
that they will accomplish the desired objects.
This is an important point, as it enables the
Admiralty to judge of the competency of the dif-
ferent firms to design as well as to execute work,
and has been the means of bringing into play, for
public benefit, the talent of such firms as Messrs.
Penn and Son, Messrs. Maudslay and Field, and
others who have made so many excellent engines
for the Government.

Anchors, it appears, will be placed on the same
footing with engines, the present makers retaining
the principal portion of the work until other parties
have had an opportunity of showing that they can
execute work of good quality for the Admiralty.
With regard to ships, the course adopted is very
different. Instead of asking for designs from the
various builders selected, as they do from engine-
makers, the Admiralty make the designs them-
selves, and only ask for tenders to carry out their
own plans. No preference is given to builders who
have completed contracts satisfactorily for the
Admiralty before, as is the case in engine-making,
but all parties tendering are placed on the same
footing.
Enormous penalties of L 20,000, £40,000, and even
£50,000 are also imposed by the contracts for non-
completion within the time specified, and other
causes, a course not adopted in the case of
engines.

If these penalties arc intended to be enforced,
the result may be a most serious matter even to
contractors of the largest means, and if not meant
to be enforced they had better be left out of the
contract altogether, or it is a manifest injustice
to those who may decline from prudential motives
to enter into such heavy responsibilities.
If it is necessary in engine making to classify
the parties tendering, and to ascertain by experi-
ence those who are competent to design as well as
to execute work of an important character, the same
principle should surely apply to iron-cased ships, a
novel description of work, and one requiring the
greatest care in designing and executing.
The public service certainly would not be damaged
by requiring the builders asked to tender to send in
designs, leaving the question as to the fitness of
those designs to accomplish the required objects to
the decision of the Controller of the Navy, as is the
case in regard to engines.—I am, Sir, your obedient
servant, JOHN LAIRD.
Birkenhead, June 10.

ASTLEY'S ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE.-
THIS EVENING, the most successful Spectacle ever
produced, MAZEPPA, with splendid scenery and stately
effects. To be followed by the Rocky Mountain Wonders
and SCENES in the CIRCLE. Concluding with the Panto-
mime Ballet entitled JOCK°, the Brazilian Ape. Reduced
prices. Doors open at half-past 6.
On Thursday, June 13th, Benefit of the Rocky Mountain
Wonders.

CANTERBURY -HALL CONCERTS
AND FINE ARTS GALLERY.
EVERY EVENING,
Two Grand Selections from celebrated Operas. including
Verdi's new Opera. THE BAL MASQUE (first produced
in England and only to be heard at this Establishment), with
a Chorus of Forty Voices, and upon a scale unequalled at any
other Concerts.
Miss Russell, Miss Ernst, Mr. Greville, Mr. Herbert, Signor
Tivoli, Mr. Bernard ;the popular Solos on the Cornet-a-
piston, by Mr. Levy ( first performer of the day) ; the
Brothers Conrad (in an entirely new and original entertain-
xnent on the double rope, not to be seen elsewhere); eon_
tinned success of Mr. Wood and his talented little Son.
The Comic Department comprises the following favourites :
—Mr. Marshall, Mr. Hollingsworth, Mr. Blanchard, and
immerous other artistes.
Ite_appearance at these Concerts of Mrs. Lawrence.
Musical Director, Mr. JONGHMANS.

T x
E

O X F O R D,
6, OXFORD-STREET.

Mr. 1.17VY, undoubtedly the best performer of the day on
the Cornet-R- Piston—Grand Selections (on the most complete
scale) from Dinorah, Martha, Stradella, Sze., and other vocal
and instrumental music, by Miss Russell, the Misses Stuart,
and Miss Ernst, I.•lessrs. Charles Greville, Fornari, ICimber-
ley, Bernard, Beaumont, Bervon, Huish, Signor Tivoli, and
Mr. Henry Herbert, with full band and powerful and selected
chorus, conducted by- Mr. F. Jonghmans.—The following
Comio talent, Messrs. NV. Randall, J. Blanchard, W. H. Wie-
land, Hollingsworth, E. Marshall, Harvey, and French, and
the Brothers Conrad in their latest and best entertainment,
every evening. Admission, Hall, sixpence ; Balcony and
stalls, one shilling. Private Boxes, 10s. 6d.

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
TIM DAY.—Morning, 4h. 16m.—Afternoon, 4h. 34m.
TO-bionTtovf•-Morning, 41L53n00n. sh. 16m.

_
TUB WEATHER.—SUN OFFICE, JUNE 12, 1861.
THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE.
69—highest since noon yesterday.:
57—lowest this morning and daring the night.
o—this day at noon.
BAROMETER-30.23; rising still.
WIND—S.-Westerly—light ; with warm cloudy weather.