The Sun.
London, England, 1861-05-16 00:00:00

URSDAY!,I EVENING,' MAYI 161 1861.

r T

Her Majesty's line-of-battle sailing ship Ganges,
84, which was paid off at Sheerness yesterday, was
commissioned at Sheerness on the 25th of June,
1857. After sailing from Sheerness in July of the
same year the Ganges proceeded to the Pacific,
where she has been cruising the greater portion of
the time which has elapsed since then. While she
has been on commission her crew, which numbered
750, have been generally healthy, and there have
been comparatively few deaths among them, The
officers, from the captain downwards, speak in ex-
ceedingly high terms of their excellent conduct and
good behaviour. The following petty officers and
seamen have been selected to receive the silver
medal and gratuity awarded by the Admiralty '
for exemplary conduct, viz.:—Thomas Hales, car-
penter's mate ; Cornelius Divers, captain of the
mast; Joseph Wren, yeoman of signals ; Peter Cole-
man, captain's coxswain ; Edward Arnold, gunner's
mate ; and William Chambers and James Dolby,
Royal Marines. George Fry receives the medal
without the gratuity. Prior to the Ganges being
paid off the crew were mustered by Capt. Fulford
and addressed by him, after which a number of
Turkish medals, awarded by the Turkish Govern-
ment to those seamen belonging to the Ganges who
served in the Crimea, were distributed to upwards
of 100 of the crew by Mrs. Fulford. The continuous
service men, who form the greater part of those on
board, have been granted seven weeks run ashore
by the Admiralty, at the expiration of which period
they will join one of the guardships at either of
the naval ports. The Ganges will now be attached
to the sailing reserve in ordinary at Chatham.
The War Department transport Bomarsund, W.
Spicer, commander, arrived at Upnor Castle, Chat-
ham, yesterday, and landed the powder and shells
from the line-of-battle screw steamer Cressy, 80,
400-horse power.
A further delivery of the patent Admiralty sig-
nal lanterns, introduced by Mr. Ward, of Auburn,
t.titea nt. ~, Lei iued the ocean Marine Tele-
graph," was yesterday received at Woolwich. The,
compactness of the apparatus, the case, in which
a complete set of lanterns is packed ready for im-
mediate use, being only 18 inches square, was much
admired. The officials and signalmen remarked that
with the powerful burners of this (No; 3) pattern
signals might be transmitted intelligibly over a sea
range of upwards of 20 miles in ordinarily clear
weather, and might be used with profit as day sig-
nals also, it being a readier method than that of
flags, in consequence of the lanterns facilitating a
much more rapid means of communication both
afloat and ashore at short ranges, the shades form-
ing the three great contrasts of red, white, and
black. It further transpired during the inspection
that the new system is in course of being adopted
by the continental Governments and the navies of
Europe generally. Orders have already been exe-
cuted for the Swedish Government, and the manu-
facturers are now engaged in completing an exten-
sive commission for the Russian navy. Mr. Ward,
having terminated his arrangements for a continued
supply at Woolwich, will leave in a few days tc;
submit his system to the Minister of Marine, at
Paris. Notwithstanding the universal adaptation of
the system, it was yesterday stated that in. The event
of war a special code appropriate to eaeo. individual
nation can be made use of, without the possibility
of the signals being read be 3 and thr, privileged circle.
The Black Eagle, tender to the flagship at Wool-
wich, is under orders to sail this morning for Os-
tend to receive Prince Frederic William Louis of
Hesse Darmstadt, betrothed to the Princess Alice.
In consequence of the Admiralty not having the
flag of Hesse British colours only will be hoisted
on board the Black Eagle.
One of the naval Armstrong guns,loo-pounder,
similar to the one supplied to the Driver at Wool-
wich, under orders for the coast of America, is about
to be forwarded to the Challenger at Sheerness,
likewise ordered for the coast of America.
Commander G. H. Gardner, C. W. Hope, J. C.
Byng, J. Bythesea, and H. T. Burgoyne, were
yesterday promoted to be Captains ; and Lieu-
tenants P. G. Nettleton, C. T. W. G. Ceyat, W.
H. Pym, A Morrell, J. H. Bushnell, F. Hardy, C.
B. C. Dent, J. G. C. Evered, R. C. Mayne, and
C. A. P. V. Robinson, to be commanders.
The following appointments were also made at
the Admiralty :—Edward E. Williams, third.-
class assistant-engineer, to the Rhadamantlsus ;
Thomas Ritchie and William A. Stewart, third-
class assistant-engineers, to the Ariad.ne, con-
firmed; Edward Tesdall, assistant-paymaster, to
the Donegal; and Alexander G. Yo-ang, assistant-
paymaster, to the Donegal.

,-..........---.....,..--,,,--Iwke vi......
house for its concurrence any such bill the question
shall be put whether the house will agree to the
same, and on such resolution being agreed to the
bill to which it relates shall be forthwith sent to
the house for its concurrence without any farther
question being put or any debate allowed.
" The Committee also suggested, through their
chairman, that it would be expedient that the
House of Commons should autnorise some one of its
members to move as soon as possible the first read-
ing and the printing of all bills sent down
from the House of Lords, in conformity with the
practice adopted by the house with reference to
bills sent up from the House of Commons.
These suggestions did not meet with the concur-
rence of the Committee in the House of Commons,
for the reasons set forth in their report, which
has since been communicated to this house. That
report, however, contains certain resolutions agreed
to by the Committee of the House of Commons,
which, if carried out would, in their opinion, effect
`changes in their own forms and proceedings
which they confidently believe will expedite the
despateh of business from the first commencement
of the Session, and thus give to the Lords an earlier
opportunity of considering their measures. Under
those circumstances, and the Committee in the
Commons having made their report to the house, it
appeared to the Committee unnecessary to prolong
their sittings ; and that it would be desirable, be-
fore any further steps are taken in the Lords, to
watch the effect of the alterations proposed, in case
they should receive the sanction of
Commons. tile House of
" May 7, 1861."