The Sun.
London, England, 1850-12-12 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

Captain O'Callaghan and Mr. Cave, mate, passed
on Tuesday for steam, at the college, Portsmouth.
The following midshipmen also passed their college
examination for mated—viz., Messrs. Turton, Frank-

lin, Fazer, Smallpage, Sutton, Palmer, Chetwynd,
Rogers, Annesley, Smith, Buck, and Campbell.
Lieutenant George T. S. Winthrop, 1846, has been
appointed from the Coast-guard service to the Vic-
tory, flag-ship, at Portsmouth, and C. J. T. Comp-
ton (1844), to the Fantome, 12, fitting at Portsmouth
for New Zealand. _

Master—C. J. Yolkingborne (1849) to the Fan-
:ome.

Paymaster—Robert E. Malone (1847), to the
Fantome.

-----__
Mate—H. P. De Kantzow (1849), to the Volcano
steam-vessel, Woolwich.
Clerks—C. P. Fielon, late of the Alert, to the Bri-
tannia, 120, at Portsmouth ; W. L. G. Drew (1847),
from the Britannia to the Fantome.
Master's Assistant—E. L. B. Williams, to the
Fantome.
Boatswain—W. Neale, to the Fantome.

Carpenter—Timothy Runyard, to the Fantome.
ARRIVAL OF TER WATER WITCH AT PORTSMOUTH
FROM THE COAST or AFRICA.—The Waterwitcb, 8,
Commander Richard R. Quin, anchored in Cowes
roads on Tuesday night, and went up to Spithead at
eleven o'clock yesterday morning. She passed Ply-
mouth on Sunday morning, and has been detained in
the Channel since that time by light winds and foggy
weather. Her dates are—St. Helena, 18th October;
Ascension, the 25th; and Sierra Leone, the 11th
November. At Sierra Leone she shipped a small
freight, consisting of 11 boxes of gold and gold dust,
consigned to Messrs. Emanuel, of Portsmouth, which
was landed yesterday, and was conveyed to London
yesterday afternoon in charge of one of these gentle-
men.

She left the Centaur, flag, steam-frigate, Commo-
dore Fanshawe, C. 8., Captain M. Buckle ; the Cy-
clops, 6, steam-frigate, Captain the Hon. F. Hastings ;
and the Sealark, 8, Commander Sotheby, off Ben-
guelle, the 18th of October; all well. The Cyclops
was to sail the middle of November for England.
At St. Helena, there was no man-of-war except the
American brig Perry.
At Ascension, the Tortoise, Captain Hutton.
At Sierra Leone, there were the Hound, 8, brig,
Commander Frederick Patten ; Dolpbin, 3, brigan-
tine, Lieut.-Commander Temple; and the Firefly
steamer, 5, Commander G. Seymour. The latter vessel
arrived at Sierra Leone, from England, two days be-
fore the IVaterwitch sailed.
The ships on the coast and the islands were healthy.
On the 14th of August the Water witch captured a
fine Brazilian brig, considered to be the finest vessel
and fastest sailer out of Rio. She had made five suc-
cessful voyages, and had repeatedly been chased, but
had always escaped. It was nearly calm when the
Water witch saw her, and she sent two boats after her ;
but on the boats nearing her she fired on them, and as
they were not of sufficient force to contend with her,
they returned to their brig. Fortunately a breeze
sprung up, and after a most interesting chase cf 15
hours the Waterwitch succeeded in coming up with
her and capturing her. She has been purchased by
the authorities of Sierra Leone for an hospital dep6t.
In all, the Waterwitch has, in her course of two years
service, captured seven vessels, one full one, with 800
slaves on board.
One or two invalids, and Mr. Edwards, late clerk
of the Prompt tender, have come borne
Passengers, and
also the crew of the English ship Sir Robert ieel)re*l

There are no orders down at Portsmouth, respect-
ing the Hogue, GO, screw-ship, Captain Macdougall,
she still remains in harbour with her eau's bent.
The Hercules store-ship, Master-Commnder Ful-
ton, was towed outside the Nab Light vessel by the
Bloodhound, and proceeded under sail for Greenhithe
with condemned and unserviceable stores.
The Monkey and the Jasper s'eam-tug left
Woolwich for the Downs, to tow the Hercules up
the river.
The Advice steamer left Woolwich yesterday
morning for. Cork, and the Manceuvrer forPortainouth
and Plymouth.
Phaeton, 50, Captain Elliot, has bent sails ; she is
to go to Spithead to-day. She will probably sail for
Lisbon, to rejoin Commodore Martin's squadron, on
Saturday next.
Sprightly steam-tender, Master-Commander Allen,
left Portsmouth on Tuesday afternoon fur Plymouth,
with supernumerzries for the Albion.

The Danish man-el-war steamer, in the River, has
dropped down from Blackwall to the Arsenal, to take
on board her gunnery stores.
Mr. Lang, master shipwright of Woolwich dock-
yard, has been granted fourteen days' further leave of
absence.

A. party of engine fitters has been sent to Sheerness
for the factory at Woolwich, to complete the works in
the enginuer department in that yard by the 21st of
March next.

PLYMOUTH, WEDNESDAY.—Her Majesty's ship
Albion, 90, Captain W. H. J. Johnatone, now in the
Sound, is ordered to be got ready for sea with all pos-
sible dispatch.

The officers and crew of her Majesty's brig Harle-
quin, 12, Commander A. P. E. Wilmot, were paid
advance of wages yesterday, and she will sail to-day
with the mails for the Coast of Africa, touching at
Madeira.

Her Majesty's brig Waterwicb, 8, Commander R.
R. Quin, from the Coast of Africa, was off this port
on Saturday, and obtained a supply of fish from a
trawling sloop. Having signalised with the Albion
she proceeded up Channel for her destination, Ports-
mouth.

Five shipwrights with the leading man and eight
caulkers will sail in one of the lighters to-day for
Falmouth, to caulk and temporarily repair the Astrea
receiving depot for the packets, which is to be brought
here and laid up in ordinary.
The Penguin packet was commissioned yesterday
by Commander Thomas Etheridge.
The Express packet, Lieutenant W. Lory, will be
paid off to-morrow.

The treasurer of the Devon and Cornwall Female
Orphan Asylum desires us to acknowledge the receipt
of 10/.165. from the ship's private fund of her Majesty's
frigate Inconstant, 36, Captain J. Sheppard, paid off
on Saturday by Mr. Henderson, Master-Attendant,
in the absence of Lord J. Hay. Besides this sum the
officers of the Inconstant gave 201. 12s. 6d. to the.
Sailors' Home, Portsmouth, 101. 6s. to the Seamen's
Orphan School, Portsmouth, 201. 12s. 6d. to the
Dreadnought Hospital Ship, 101. 6s. to the Ship-
wrecked Fishermen and Mariners' Society, 10/. 6s.
to the Devonport Naval and Military Free School, .5/.
3s. to the Royal British Female Orphan Asylum,
Stoke, and 51. 3s. to the Plymouth Eye Infirmary.
In consequence of the first contract-day, the 15th
inst., falling on Sunday, the Postmaster-General, Lord
Clanricarde, has sent orders for the shipment of the
Cape mail on the day following, Monday, the
16th, when the screw steamer Bosphorus, Captain
Hall, will start from Plymouth for the Cape of Good.
Hope.

IRELAND.
ACTION FOR LIBEL.
WEDNEUDAY.—For five whole days " the
lawyers" have been talking away in the Court of Ex-
chequer upon an apparently simple case of alleged libel,
in which Captain Edward Wynne, an inspecting officer
under the Poor-law Commissioners, was the plaintiff,
and the Marquis of Westmeath defendant. The libel
complained of consisted of a petition to Parliament,
drawn up by the Noble Lord, and by him circulated
through a publication of it in several newspapers, to
which he furnished copies of the document, 500 of which
he caused to be printed for distribution. The petition,
after a general statement in reference to the condition of
the notorious union of Carrick-on-Shannon, attributed
to the plaintiff conduct of a grossly immoral nature in
his official capacity of poor-law inspector. The passage
was as follows:

" That the appointment of any individual to be in-
spector, and to act arbitrarily over es (the poor-law
guardians), will appear to be equally reprehensible, be
having, previously to his removal, compelled one of the
relieving-officers to place on the list a woman of bad
character with whom he was cohabiting, and on the re-
lieving-officer refusing to do so, and informing him that
she held ground, and was not in need of out-door relief,
he persisted in bringing the case before the guardians,
who refused her relief; and this was done on three
several occasions. That an investigation was demanded
of the Commissioners upon this immorality, and evaded
by them."
_ _

The damage was laid at 5,0002 A strong bar was
arrayed on each side, and the wordy warfare was sus-
tainf,d, with a tenacity worthy of an Irish Court of Nisi
Prins in its most palmy days. For the defence, pleas of
justification were put in, the evidence to support which is
quite unfit for publication. The Chief Baron commenced
his charge on Monday, and did not finish until the
afternoon of yesterday, when the jury retired; and, after
long deliberation, were discharged at 20 minutes past
5 o'clock, there not being the most remote possibility of
their agreeing to a verdict.

STATE OF TRADE.
(From the Manchester Guardian of yesterday.)
MANCHESTER.—The home consumers of yarn, who
have long kept themselves as barely supplied as their
requirements would allow, are venturing to purchase
rather more freely than of late; and, although the spin-
ners have not raised their quotations, they maintain
them with a marked increase of firmness. There is also
a moderate business in spinnings adapted for the Medi-
terranean. India counts and qualities are well engaged,
and steady. From the German merchants there is a little
more inquiry; but their purchases continue small. They
are now expecting to hear that the Elbe is frozen. Al-
together, there is a somewhat improved tone in this de-
partment. As regards goods, no general activity is ob-
servable; but some of the wider and better printing
cloths are in good request; and long cloths, as well
as the light and medium qualities of domestics,
are going off fairly. The Inuit' merchants are not
active operators, but previous transactions by them
and others have made the market bare of 40-inch
shirtings. A general firmness prevails amongst manu-
facturers; and both they and the spinners are looking
for some improvement in prices with the turn of the
year.

ROCHDALE.—There has been a dull market to-day,
as is generally the case at this season of the year. The
manufacturers are working up their former orders, and
have received a few new ones of late. There is little
change to report in the wool market. The business is
of a limited kind, and prices firm.
MACCLESFIELD.—There is little alteration to report in
the manufacturing trade here. The manufacturers ap-
pear to be preparing for the spring trade by giving out
more silk to the dyers, who aro accounted tolerably busy.
There has been little inquiry for thrown silks, but prices
are much complained of. The raw silk market is
quieter, but prices are firm.
lIITDDERSFIELD.—We have had, if anything, an im-
provement upon last week's market to-day. A fair
amount of business has been done in tweeds, checks,
and doeskins ; whilst plaids and stripes have been
freely inquired for, and sales generally effected at
pretty fair prices. There is not much doing in
yarns. The fancy trade is flat, with the exception
of one or two houses, who have not been so busy at this
time of the year for some time as they are at present.
The wool trade is quiet, and the advance of prices at
the recent London sales will deter manufacturers from
buying except to work out orders they may have in hand.
LlALmax.—There has been a little better demand to-
day for mixed ,fabrics, but not for other descriptions of
worsted goods. Owing to the aspect of affairs on the
Continent, the yarn trade continues paralysed, and
prices are little more than nominal. There is a growing
disposition amongst the spinners to restrict production.
In wools, there has been a little more doing, without any
change in the quotations.
LEEDS.—There is no change to notice in the cloth
trade since our last report, The market has been dull,
and there is not much doing in 3 the warehouses, but
prices are firm.

NEW Sours' WALES.—Letters have come to
o handl froml
kinds o
Sydney,f
goods
dated
were
stillt the
very heavy,2othAugust last. The stocks
f a
and trade con-
tinued depressed, but some little improvement was
anotice-
able during the last week. The price of wool had ad-
vanced, and the market would of course become firmer on the
receipt of the news from England, regarding the rise in the
London market for the staple. Good fair quality had ad-
vanced to Is. 2id. to Is. 4d. per lb. Of superior clip none
had come down from the interior, and no quotation is given.
The price of beef tallow was 271. 155., and mutton lallow 281.
The Legislative Assembly was debating upon the estimates.
The town of Ipswich, at Moreton Bay, is described as ra-
pidly advancing in importance. A Government sale of
lands had been held, and the greatest animation prevailed ;
all the lots put up found ready buyers, and the total sale
realised 7131. 7s. 6d.
OPENING OF THE WEST INDIA DOCK RAILWAY TO
CAMDEN Tows.—Another portion of this railway, which is
intended to connect the London and North-Western Railway
with the East and West India Docks Blackwall, was
opened for public traffic on Monday: or some months
trains have been running on it from Highbury to kenchnrch-
street terminus, and the extension recently opened is to Cam-
den Town, the station being near the Eagle. Considering
the distance, the fares are more than ordinarily low, and
will, no doubt, seriously affect the omnibuses. Between
Bow and the docks the works are in a very forward
state, an immense area of ground at the eastern end of
the West India Locks being occupied for warehouees,
sidings, &C.