The Sun.
London, England, 1857-04-25 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

His Royal ifghness the General Coummding-
in-Chief will hold a lovee at 1 o'clock on Tuesiay
next.

Extensive preparations have been made at Chat-
ham Dockyard for the launch of the large steam
screw corvette Racoon, 22 guns, which wilt take
place this afternoon shortly after 1 o'clock. The
dockyard gates will be thrown open to the public
at 12 o'clock, and, in order to accommodate the
oEcials and others connected with th dockyard
and garrison, a gallery has been erected near the
bows of the vessel capable of containing a large
number of spectators. The, Racoon has been only
about ten months building. Her extreme length is
229 feet G inche3; and burden 1,462 tons. She has
been constructed under the direction of Mr. Laine,
the master shipwright.
The Princess Charlotte, 101, three-decker, was
ordered to be commissicned yesterday at Ports-
mouth by Captain St. Vincent King, C. 8., for
service on the China station.
The Agamemnon, 91, screw, was taken under
the shears at Portsmouth yesterday and masted,
and taken into dock again to be fitted for imme-

diate commission.
The Sylph merchant steamer arrived at Ports-
mouth on Thursday from the Channel Islands with
200 of the 72d Regiment, and sailed again the
same evening for Guernsey, and will bring over the
remainder of the regiment.
The Assistance screw steam troopship was com-
missioned at Portsmouth on Thursday by Mr. D. J.
T Louttid, Master, R.N., for Commander W. A.
J. Heath, and the Adventure screw steamship was
commissioned at the same time by Mr. George H.
Stabb, Master, R.N., for Commander E. Lacy.
These ships are to be rigged as barks, which is far
better for them and much handier for their crew.
Vice-Admiral Sir G. F. Seymour, K.C.8., re-
turned to Portsmouth on Thursday evening, and
rehoieted his flag on board the Victory.
The Sphinx, 6, paddle-wheel frigate, Commander

A. P. E. Willmof, arrived at Sp-I-the-ad yesterday
morning for the westward with a detachment of
11/4 Royal Marines. She is ordered to be paid off at
Portsmouth, and placed in the seconddivision cf the
steam reserve, for which purpose she went into
harbour yesterday.
In consequence of the strong wind and sea no-
thing could be done toward weighing the Coast-
guard cutter Curlew (which vessel was run down,
as stated, by the steamvessel Baron Osy), except
preparing the gear for raising her, which was being
done when the Lizard steamvessel left the African
near-the Curlew on Thursday evening.
The screw gunboat Lively was taken into No. 4
dry dock yesterday at Sheerness for a general refit
of her toilers, engines, &c., and for repairing her
hull. •

The Admiralty have ordered that immediately
the Vesuvius is ready to leave Sheerness she is to
proceed to Devonport, where she will complete her
crew of petty officers and able seamen.
The Terrible is now in No. 1 dry dock, Sheer-
ness, fitting for the pendant. The cylinders of the
Terrible are 72 inches diameter, and she has
worked up to 2,200 horse power. We stated in
error her cylinders were 74 inches, and that she
had worked up to 2,000 horse power.
The Emperor, new steam-yacht, destined as a
present horn her Majesty to the Emperor of Japan,
arrived at Sheerness on .Thursday to have some
alterations made in the officers' cabins and the
mess berths of the crew, &c. She left yesterday at
3 p.m. for Portsmouth, where Lieutenant-Com-
m.nder John Ward (b) is expected to receive his
final orders previous to his departure for Japan.
The Emperor has a raised poop-deck the entire
length of the saloon, which gives seven legit eleir
height from deck to beam. The saloon is entirely
of maple wood ; all the, fore part of the saloon is
fitted with mirror panels, richly cut and
figured. On the ficor is laid a richly painted
oiled canvas, over which is a magnificent Genoa
velvet carpet. The curtains and coverings of
the couches and chairs are of green satin, em-
broidered with gold. The Wilts are all covered
with green Genoa velvet; the bed cabins aresuperhly
fitted with similar furniture ; the bathroom is fitted
completely iu the Turkish style. The smoking chair
for the Emperor is of unique manufac -are. In the
upper deck of the saloon is a magnificent and spa-
cious skylight, adapted to be opened all round when
necessary for extra ventilation. The following oli-
ccre proceed with her :—Lieut.-Commander John
Ward, Mate John D'Arcy Irvine, Assist.-Sure to
David Courtney, and Second-Master John F. R.
Ayleo. She is fore and att rigged, with three
masts. Her engines alone, which are two 30-horse
power condensing engines, propel her from eight to
eine knots per hoar in a seaway. In smooth water
it is calculated she will attain from 10 to 12 knots
per hour.
A very numerous meeting, composed of the clergy
and most influential inhabitants of Woolwich and
Plums tea d, a ssem ttled yesterday evening in the
Town-hall, Woolwich, to devise and discuss the
best means to assist the discharged artisans
and labourers in their desire to emigra`e to Ca-
nada. 'Lieut.-General Sir W. Codrington occupied
the chair, and read a letter which ho had addressed
• to Lord Panmure, together with the reply, inform-
• ing him that his department had not the means of
complying with his request in behalf of the men.
Sir William then proposed the plan of raising sub-
scriptions from the town and country at large with
the endeavour to realise their project, awl of
urging the Government as a duty to , contribute
tewards the fund. A number of gent'emen ad-
dressed the meeting with much energy on the sub-
ject, and Mr. G. H. Graham proposed an appeal to
the Prime Minister himself, urging the justice of
the men being treated with the same liberality as
the German Legion, who, when their services were
no longer required, were provided with homes and
grants of laud. The Rev. Mr. Ackworth re-
marked that as the press had given publicity
to their cause, they would speedily receive
abundant funds for their object, and if the
country would only lend them a couple of
• ships the inhabitants of Woolwich and Pluaistead
would g a lly furnish the stores. A number of reso-
lutittns were subsequently agreed to, appointing a
ceminit'ee, treasurer, and secretaries for c Meeting
the funds, beaded by Major Gen. Sir F. Williams,
commandant of Woolwich garrison. Most of the
gentle•nen pres<nt en' erei their names for Si. each,
to which was finally annexed the name of the ch tir-
man for 25'. Applause and acclamatioa greeted
this announcement, and the meeting separated.
The screwsteamship Doris, 32, recently launched
at Pembroke, was towed on Thursday by the Con-
. fiance and another steam-tug from Plymouth Sound
into Reweave preparatory to her going into Key-
ham-yard to receive her engines. In consequence
of a merchant ship being at anchor in the Chemed
the Doris grounded for a short time on the Winter
Shoal in the Sound.
The steam-sloop Fury, 6, Corn. C. T. Leckie,
from Spithead, arrived at Plymouth on Thursday.l
The screw steamship James Watt, 91, Capt. T.
V. Anson, and the steam frigas e Euryalus, 51,
Capt. G. Ramsay, were paid off at Devonport on
Thursday. The Boscawen, 70, flagship, will be paid
off on Tuesday next.
In The Sun of the 11th inst. it was mentioned.
that Cpl. W. T. Crawford, 13th battalion, was ap-
pointed to the chief command of the Royal Artil-
lery in China. A correspondent requests us to state
that Lieut.-Colonel W. Crawford is much junior to
Lieut.-Colonel Dunlop,, and goes out, therefore,
only as second in command. Lieut.-Col. R. Craw-
ford, senior to Col. Dunlop, is at the Cape of Good
Hope. Col. Dunlop having given complete satis-
faction to his superiors, there was no idea that Le
should be superseded in the command of the artil-
lery, although, of course, on so large a body of
troops being
ordered to China, it was necessary to
senda general officer as Commander-in-Chief.
the
non-commissioned officers belonging to the
Ist West India Regiment, stationed at the provi-
sional battalion, Chatham, having 'completed a
course of rifle instruction at the School of Mus-
ketry, Bythe, uader Col. C. C. Hay, have left that
garrison, for the purpose of embarking at Southamp-
ton to join the head-quarters of their regiment, to
which t)iey will act as instructors in musketry, it
being the intention of the authorities to arm the
West India Regiments
whole of the troops of the
with the Enfield Rifle.
The following appointments were made at the Adt4
ralty yesterday afternoon :
Commander—John W. Dorville to the Princess Chai-
lotte.
Lieutenants—John E. Doran, John G. C. Evered,
and H. C. Belson,
to the PritteciesbetCohnartloottet.he
princom
Paymaster—George R. Dg
Royal.
Surgeons—David R. Morgan to the Assistance ;
Daniel Carter to the Adventure.
- Clerk—John L. Page to t)ie Princess Charlotte.
Assistant Paymasters—John S. Moore to the Vic-
tory ; Frederick Penfold to the Princess Charlotte.
Assistant Clerk—Edward H. Whyte to the Princess
Charlotte.

MEMBERS RETURNED TO THE NEW
PARLIAMENT.

(Front the London Gazette of last eveni,29.)
CROWN-OFFICE, APRIL 21.
Members returned to serve in the Parliament summoned

to be holden at Westminster, the 30th April.
County of Warwick, Nwthern ,n —Charles
Newdigate Newdegate, Esq. ; Richard Spooner, Eiq.
Southern Division—Evelyn Philip Shirlfly, Etq. ;
Edward Bolton King, Esq.