The Sun.
London, England, 1859-02-03 00:00:00

man) could not be accused of having any feeling in
the matter, because he did not know a single one of
the parties. At the same time he could not well
see how the directors could interfere to prevent
any particular names being used by candidates in
soliciting votes. With regard to the orphan schools,
if anybody should be found ready to move in that
matter, no man living would give the project more
zealous or more hearty support than he would.
(Loud cheers.)
Messrs. Gray and White were then unanimously
confirmed in their office as auditors, after which a
vote of thanks was carried to the treasurer, J. Abel
Smith, Esq., M.P., and the trustees, Messrs. Baring,
Hankey, Prescott, and Rothschild.
Mr. J. A. SMITH, in responding, regretted
that his colleagues were not present, but with
respect to one of them (Baron Rothschild,
M.P.), he could not help • saying he was
glad, and he felt sure most of those pre-
sent would share that feeling, when he stated
that the baron was absent in consequence of his
having an engagement, as member for the
City of London, to dine with Lord Palmerston—
a position in which all, who knew him, must be
pleased to see him after a struggle of so many
years' duration. He believed another of his col-
leagues, Mr. Thom Son Hankey, M.P., was also absent
from the same cause. He (the chairman) concluded
by saying that few events of his life had given him so
much pleasure as his connexion with this institu•
tion, which he believed was one that had done
much good, and would, he sincerely believed, ere
long, take a very high place amongst the associa-
tions of the United Kingdom. Tile knew that the
fund was administered with all the kindness, care,
and forethought which were so necessary; and
that it was as little mixed with .evil in its opera-
tions as any institution .of the kind in existence.
(Hear, hear.)
A vote of thanks was then proposed to Mr. Smith
in his capacity of chairman of the meeting, and
was earned with loud acclamation. _ _

Mr. SMITH having briefly returned thanks, the
meeting broke up.

THE NAVY.

Her Majesty's ship Nankin, 50, Commodore the
Hon. K. Stewart, arrived yesterday at Spithead,
from Hong Kong and Singapore. She brought
home as supernumeraries-Mr. Sceales, midshipman ;
Mr. Edwards, master's-assistant, and Mr. Whil-
burn, carpenter, from heiMajesty's ship Cambrian ;
Mr. Reed, boatswain, froth her Majesty's ship Prin-
cess Charlotte; Lieut.Arthstreng,R.M., from Hong
Kong ; 94 invalids and supernumeraries, and ten
five-years men; with six.bandsmen from the Cape
of Good-Hope. Twenty-four.deaths have occurred
on the passage home. She sailed from Hong Kong
on Aug. 24; experienced heavy gales from Hong
Kong to Singapore ; from Singapore to the Azores
had generally fine weather; from the Azores to the
Channel, heavy north-westerly gales. On Nov. 15,
in lat. 24 10 N.. long. 55 40 E.,signalled the Eng-
lish ship Anne Crofton, from alcutta, 43 days out ;
on Jan. 26, in lat. 30 21 N., 30W., the Swedishship
Australia, from Batavia for Cowes. The supernu-
meraries and invalids were landed- at the dockyard
yesterday afternoon. The Nankin will sail from
Portsmouth for Chatham. this 'naming to be paid
off. She is very defective and leaky in her topsides.
The Nankin was commissioned at Chatham in Sep-
tember, 1854. . . .
Her Majesty's screw steam-sloop Wasp, 13, Com-
mander F. H. Stirling, arrived at .Spithead yester-
day afternoon from Rio Janeiro. She parted com-
pany the day she sailed from Rio (Dec. 15) with
her Majesty's ship Cumberland, flagship, and her
Majesty's steamsloop Buzzard, both bound for Rio
de la Plata. The Spy, 3, Lieut.-Commander T. B.
Collinson, was to sail from Rio for the River Ama-
zon (Para) on 'the 20th of Dec. Her Majesty's
steamer Oberon, 3, Lieutenant and Commander F.
G. C. Paget, was in the Rio de la Plata. Her Ma•
jesty's ship Siren, 16, Coinmander G. M. Balfour,
was at the Falkland Islands. OR Dec. 30, in lat.
11 38, long. 31 57 W., s.poke. the'English barque
Cordelia, steering S.W. She brings home Mr.
Baker, second master, Mr. Mills, boatswain, 30 of
the Spy's ship's company (which vessel had been
paid off at Rio and recommissioned again the same
day), eight five-years' men, and four invalids. At
the date of the Wasp's departure from Rio
the fleet and Rio itself Were very healthy. The
Wasp has sailed the whole passage home ; she has
no screw, her machinery requires considerable
repairs, and her stern is in a very defective and
rotten state.

The Pique, 40, Captain Sir Frederick Nicholson,
which arrived on Tuesday. (as reported in The Sun
of yesterday), was commissioned Dec. 26, 1853, and
has consequently been five years arid one month on
duty. She sailed from England on March 7, 1853,
for the Pacific, when she made 'an unsuccessful
search for the frigate Aurora. After the cessation
of hostilities with Russia she repaired to China, and
was present at the taking 'of the Peiho forts.
The Pique was chiefly engaged in the north, and
not in the Canton River, and her crew has, in con-
sequence, suffered less than the crews of some other
ships. Eight or nine deaths occurred on one visit,
to Hongkong, but they were Trincipally through
recklessness ashore. After the signatures were at-
tached to the treaty of peace with China the Pique
left the Gulf of Pechelee on the 18th July, 1858,
and went to Hongkong, whence she sailed on the
18th Aug. Her subsequent dates are Singapore,
Oct. 12 ; Cape of Good Hope, Dec. 7 ; and Ascen-
sion, Dec. 25. In the expectation of shortening the
passage home thQ frigate passed to the eastward of
the island of St. Michael's, having a fair wind till
she reached the latitude of the Azores, when unex-
pected calms were experienced. Other vessels from
the south at the same time passed to the westward
of the island of Flores and made a shorter passage
by the longer route. The Pique spoke, Jan. 2, in
lat. 5.10 N., long. 23.8 IV:, the Sir Isaac Newton,
of Jersey, and in lat. 5.20 N.; long. 23.8 W., the
Dutch brig Sappermeer, 77 days from Trieste, for
Pernambuco ; Jan. 3, in 22.30 N., long. 34.52 W.,
the third distinguishing pendant No. 4,221, steer-
ing north ; and Jan. 22, first distinguishing pen-
dant No. 2,617, the Defiance, of Liverpool, 81 days
from Calcutta, for London ,steering east. The Pique
brings home as passengers Lieut. -Robinson, who•
was First Lieutenant of the paddlewheel steam
sloop Fury ; Lieut. the Hon. -A. K. H. Legge, of
the paddlewheel steam sloop Vesuvius ; Mr. F.
Kirkham, master ; and 40 invalids. She appears to
be in a very healthy condition ; the total deaths
among her grew and the invalids have been only
five since ha' departure from China. Excepting ono
Lieutenant, all the officers who left England are on
board now. • •
The screw steam ship Sanspareil, .70, Capt. Roch-
fort Maguire, left 'Plymouth Sound on Tuesday
morning for Hamoaze.
Her Majesty's ship Britannia, 120, Capt. Robert
Harris, moved out of the ship basin at Portsmouth
[ Dockyard, yesterday, at high water, and was towed
down to the training ship's moorings at the mouth
r of the harbour off Haslar Creek.