The Sun.
London, England, 1857-01-26 00:00:00

PTa.vPl and Military lntellipenne.

Vice-Admiral the Right Hon. Sir M. F. F. Berkeley
K C. 8., Ai.P , and Capt. Milne, Lords of the Admiralty,
visited Portsmouth on Saturday, and, accompanied by
Vice-Admiral Sir G. Seymour, K.C.8., G.c.H., the
Commander-in-Chief, went over to the new berthing
ground at Haslar, where the gun and mortar boat flo-
tilla are laid up. Here they remained some hours. They
also went on board their state yacht OThorne (in dock),
Commander Bowen (Master, R.N.), and ordered sundry
r.oprovements. The Imperieuse, 51, Capt. R. B. Wl"'
son, C 8., was also inspected by their Lordships, who
took the 4.30 train for Chichester.
The Imperieuse is ordered to be paid off at Portsmouth
arid placed in the second class of the steam fleet in 1r
serve at that port under the superintendence of Captain
the icon. F. T. Pelham,
Her Majesty's steam troopship Simoom, Commander
Cooke, left Portsmouth on Saturday for Queenstown, t°
embark troops for the Cape of Good Hope, Mauritius,
and Hong

The IfamillaMitchell, hired freight ship, sailed from
Spithead on Saturday for Trinidad with troops.
The William Hammond, hired freight ship, ,ailed from
Portsmouth on Saturday for St. Lucia and Barbadoe3
Alt') the following cetanliments of troop, :
For St. Lucia—Brevet-Major lowlands, Lieutenants
Lowry and Byaw, Ensign Jeminett, 107 non-commis-
si,ned officers and men, 6 women, and 7 children of the
41Pt Regiment.

For Barbadoes—Capt. and Mrs. Beresford, child ani
servant, Lieut. and Mrs. Eustace, Lieuts. Savary and
Astley, Ensigns Gibson and Nason, Assist.-Surgeon
James Hannan, 164 ❑on-commissioned officers and wen,
10 women and 16 cbildren of the 49th Regiment.
Her Majesty's steam troopship Megmra, 6, Cornwall"
der Purvis, will be ready on Wednesday to embark at
Portsmouth the following troops for the Mauritius
7 officers, 168 non-commissioned officers and men, With
a proportionate number of women and children of the
33d Regiment, who embark on the 29th inst. ; 8 officers,
1 officer's wife, 260 non-commissioned officers and me"'
21 married women, and 47 children of the 85th Bee
ment, who embark on the 30th inst.

The paddlewheel steam frigate Retribution, 28, CaPt'
C. Barker, which arrived from Portsmouth onThursdsl'
sailed from Plymouth on Friday for Lisbon.
The paddlewheel steam vessel Buzzard, 6, from Pem-
broke, arrived at Plymouth on Friday, and sailed 021
Saturday for Portsmouth.
In consequence of instructions from the Lords of the
Admiralty, Mr. Clifford, the patentee, exhibited on SE
turday, at Devonport, his invention for speedily lower;
ing boats. Askiff fitted with his apparatus was suspender,
from the davits of the Zepher, which steamed
several times into Hamoaze, and, on returning under
full power, dropped the boat in front of the dockyard
the presence of Port Admiral Sir W. Parker, Admiral
Superintendent Plumridge, Mr. Mills, Captain
fl.gship Impregnable ; Capt. Jerningham, Cambridge ;
Capt. Hay, Indus ; Mr. Thompson, Queen's harbour;
master, and others. The trials, which were entirely und,eo
the control of the naval authorities, appeared to WY,
great satisfaction, and it is understood that the Indll°'
78, now fitting at Devonport for the West India station,
is to be supplied with Mr. Clifford's invention.
Instead of tidal gates all the docks at Keyhasn-Pr
are filled with iron caisons, which are divided into tbral
compartments, and are floated out by withdrawing die
water from the middle compartment. On Tuesday 1°,9
when lifting th• middle saisle, it upset in consequence °1
one of the valves having become choked by a piece °
wood. All efforts to prevent it from going over weft:
t:
ineffectual, the movement being so sudden, and it en°7
immediately. Its vast bulk, 400 tons, presented a cone°
derable obstacle to its recovery, and it was not until Se;
turday, by means of chains and purchases, attached t
sheers, under the direction of Mr. Biddlecombe, master
attendant, and Mr. Townshend, superintendent engineer,
that it was raised.

The French screw steam-corvette Le Corse, C°°):
wander Garnault, left Sheerness on Saturday moroo,
la,it at daylight, under pilot charge of Mr. J. Mil11)01"
Trinity pilot, for Calais.
The brigantine John of Exeter, John Western roaster
(coal laden), for Exeter, under Admiralty arrest at
Sheerness for services rendered by the crew of the Claee
lagger, of Margate, on the sth instant, during the bee/
gales then prevailing, was released on Ssturday
The services of the salvors are to be this day decided 1)-Th
arbitration at London, and the John will go on wit'
her discharge to-day.
The Amphion is to be paid off at Sheerness on Frids/
next, the 30th inst., and not on the 6th of February 116
formerly reported.

WOOLWICH—SATunDAT•
A new steam vessel, of very large dimensions, and m
be ceastructed on an improved principle, is ordered '"
be laid down at this yard. The necessary plans 10::
been prepared and approved by the Admiralty, and tuu;
work is to be commenced in a few days. She will "
280 feet between the perpendiculars, and about 330 fee"
over all.

DEATH AND MEMOIR ON EDWARD NO'

WILLIAM.

(Front tke Era.)

It is with feelings of the deepest regret that we aO.
will
pounce the death of this talented young composer, ,
expired on Monday night last, the 19th inst., at „a
residence at Brompton, in his thirty-third year. 13.-5
the son of parents who were both public favourites (hid
father, Mr. Fitzwilliam, at one time an exceedingly
popular comedian and vocalist, and his mother the late
lamented Fanny Fitzwilliam),
it may not be unintereat:
ing to our readers if they have some account of the short
career of one who, had he been permitted to live, voui
have well fulfilled the promise of unusual excellene%
given in all his musical compositions. Edward Frae,,cl
Fitzwilliam was born
seat Deal, in Kent, on Aug. •-•`
1824, was educated he Pimlico Grammar Scl3°°,,'
afterwards at St. Edmuud's College, Old Hall, gate',
and finally at the institution of L'Abbe Haffrenqn.‘,
Boulogne-sur-Mer. While at this college he was a
ness to the memorable descent of Louis Napoleon UP%
the town, as on the day this event occurred it was ,
holiday for the English boys belonging to the colleges
who, being in the streets, saw Prince Louis oalitortly and taken a prisoner in the Hotel de 'Ville. Silos;
afterwards they beheld King Louis Philippe visit 0',°71.,
longe to distribute crosses, Ito., to Les Braves -13eztlo
l. On quitting this college he was placed under the
ate Sir Henry Bishop, by whom he was instructed the elementary course of harmony, and subsequentlyresid,B
e
forafew months with John Barnett, at Cheltenham, fortnd,
purpose of studying instrumentation under that 01
young,brate d mahad csterilieflHy
by
e was taught the pianoforte whey
his mother, who frequently', ;
"The Wreck Ashore" days of the Adelphi, after actlh
in three pieces nightly, would be found at six o'clock,o•
p;
the following morning with her then somewhat unwilling
pupil at the instrument, previously to his going to soh°,
for the day. On his coming of age he had compose
e,
" Stabat Mater." His mother, on this occasion, 1110
sented him with one hundred pounds to defray '
expenses of having his work performed at the Ha
ll°:or
,
square Rooms, and which took place on March 15, 1°45/ t,,
the principal vocalists being Miss Dolby, Miss Messeao
Miss K. Fitzwilliam, Mr. Hobbs, and Mr. Machin, 0113
a complete chorus; tbe composer himself conducting',
and his friend, Mr. Alfred Mellon, leading the orchest
This performanceexcitedthet Ducegra
atescktihntoewrelesdt,gtehde, tales
aOO7
of the young musician was at
brilliant career appeared to open before him. Innt'P
1847, he was appointed musical director of the Lreuel
then under the management of Madame Vestris, and
where he remained two years. At this time he wrote ,
Cantata, entitled " 0 Incomprehensible Creator," afld
which was performed at Hullab's concert, on Hay 21°-
1851. This work was also exceedingly well received'
and pronounced by the critics as one of extraordina'h
musical skill. This Cantata was shortly afterwar;
publion to ished with a "Te Deum," which he dedicated by PB,l miss Spohr, and from whom he received a mostol,
and encouraging ackno wledgrnent. On a subsequent °cot,
sion he also received acorn plimentary note fromaleyerbee'i
At Easter, 1853, he was appointed musical director ea
till
the Haymarket Theatre, in which position he remain°.
the day of his death. His principal compos!tioati
are as follows :—" The Stabat Mater," "Te Deum '2;1)3;
Cantata before mentioned ; hes also, a Mass (unpublished)'
" The Queen of a Day," a comic opera, performed at tea
Haymarket; an operetta, "A Summer Night's L0'751
also represented at the same theatre ; volumes—entitTr
" Songs of a Student," "Songs for a Winter's Nigile'a
" Dramatic Songs," " Descriptive Ballads " (dedien
to G. A. Macfarren), ",Miniature Lyrics," a Lyric To ee
entitled "Christmas Eve ;" his final work, and W
he composed but a few days before his death, being
theseof
"Threehe
composed Sacred Songs
ovfoerrttlareC:ailcdCandlvriocaad.ldlrit'lS°
the Adelphi dramas "The Green
h Bushes;" anti
too
Flowers of the Forest;" also
.t e overtures and n't,sfs
of all the Haymarket pantomimes, and many that a
,so
been produced at the Theatre Royal, Liverpool.
,Tirs,
music of Perea Nena's celebrated Spanish ballets
Gauibusino" and " Los Cautivos ;or a Night in the f
hambra" was his entire composition. On the 31st .:
1853, he married the talented actress 1410
Ellen Chaplin, whom he has left with an infant son
lament his loss. Shortly after the death of his mother'
to whom he was devoted, he was taken ill, synsPt°lli)p
of consumption for the first time appeared ed
his constitution, under which disease he fingers/
for more than two years till he died. Thus has preo),„
turely passed away from us one that had the fairest Pltos pects before him, and who, through the constant oar° °',),
tender mother, was indulged, comforted, and protecte,
during his youthful struggles and in many a despondi%
hour. When we reflect upon the fate of this rg,l3
English musician, we cannot help thinking of that'll°
many others, no doubt equally as talented, but wnv have not met with even the positions or encourage°3;
that he did, and who have also gone away or reina•esese
unknown through the want of a proper field for 'ID
exercise of their abilities. How much better would
be if, instead of seeing two Italian operas striving but
to to
injure each other, that only one of these establishnienoo
should be permitted to exist in this metropolis---0 0, being necessary, and sufficient—and that the Govern
merit would support a second opera house, but for to",
sole purpose of producing the works of English ~°° s..
posers, and the employment and encouragement of Ps°oet
lists singers. In a wealthy country like this, the wasp.
of such an institution cannot be regarded without Tat
sure, especially when we consider the large sums tu
13
are squandered upon foreigners who only laugh
„•on
for our fatuity and liberality, while at
the English wow':
is and singer neglected, left to starve or seeks a
in becoming a drudging teacher of his art. in taa g
incoming
ave of the subject of our memoir, we have only to ow,
that he was beloved by his family and all who kij°ll
him ; that he was a talented and delightful couille""
and a firm and consistent friend,
liis srensal
funeral will take place on Tuesday, at the A-
eto
Green Cemetery, where he will be interred, at his exPr
wish, close to the grave of his mother.