The Sun.
London, England, 1850-03-28 00:00:00

ArrOINTMENTS.

WooLwicit, Mucci 27. Master Frederick IL
Sturdf e (1843), from the Centaur, flag-ship on the
coast of Africa, to thy Tortoise, 12, store-ahip at the
Island of Ascension.
Master William Bayford, to the Centaur, vice
Sturdee.
Assistant-Surgeon John N. Ryder, to the In•
trepid screw steam-vessel fitting for the Arctic ex-
pedition.
Commander J. 0. Johnson (1849), Commander
William F. Barnett (1846), and Lieutenant J. W.
Vaughan (1848), have been appointed to-day to study
steam at the Factory at Woolwich Dockyard.
The Myrtle steam-vessel went up the river yester-
day from Sheerness to Blackwall with masts and spars
for the Assistance, fitting at Mr. Green's shipbuilding
yard for the Arctic expedition.
It has been decided that the present masts of the
Intrepid, Lieutenant-Commander John Bertie Cator,
are to be taken out, and other masts, ten feet longer
each, are to be substituted.
The Dasher steam-vessel, Lieutenant-Commander
Parks, was taken out of the basin to-day, after hav-
ing been thoroughly refitted.
The Magicientie steam-sloop has had her ballast
and weights, with which she was tried between the
Nore and Mouse Light, taken out, and a party of
riggers have been selected to take her round to
Chatham on Saturday next, to be made ready for sea
at that port.
The Megarse steam-vessel is taking ballast on board,
preparatory to being tried down the river.
The Cygnet sloop, 8, Commander Robertson, just
returned to Portsmouth from the Coast of Africa,
brought home one sergeant and four gunners of the
Royal Artillery from St. Helena, and they joined
head-quarters at Woolwich garrison yesterday.

DUTCH RHENISH RAILWAT.—The alterations in
this company's statutes, suggested by the Liverpool com-
mittee, have received, by royal decree, the approbation of
the King of Holland, and wilt be imported into the laws and
regulations. The company's staff is to be re-organized, which,
it is expected, will effect a saving of 31 per cent., and ne-
gotiations have been received for a junction of the line with
those of P 1.1235111.

CAPE OF Goon Hors.—Two days' later papers
have arrived from the Cape, but they do not contain a single
fact of interest.
TORQUAY.—We had several showers of snow and
hail us Saturday last, between the sunshine, which is a great
rarity in this place, even in the depth of winter.
STEAM-BOAT LABNCHES.—Yesterday (Monday)
no fewer than three steamers were launched in succession at
Dumbarton, from the building-yard of the enterprising firm
of Messrs. Denny, Brothers. The following is a note of their
respective dimensions ;-1. The Queen ; length 135 feet,
breadth 17 feet, depth of hold 7 feet. 2. The Lunar; length
105 feet, breadth 14 feet, depth of hold 7 feet. 3. The Nep-
tune ; length 160 feet, breadth 19i feet, depth of hold 9 feet.
The Queen is intended for the Arrochar trade, and the two
latter are to be employed at St. Petersburgh. The Luna is
built especially to act as a ferry, being built with two sterns
and two rudders, i❑ order.to save time. The day being fine,
although piercing cold, there was a numerous attendance of
spectators to witness the series of launches, all of which went
off in excellent style.—Glasgow Daily Mail.
CORONER'S INQUEST.—SUICIDE Its WESTMINSTER.
—Yesterday morning an inquest was taken before Mr. Bed-
ford, at the Northumberland Arms, Charles-street, West-
, 'Muster, on view of the body of Thomas Evans, aged 53
years, who committed suicide by shooting himself. The evi-
dence went to prove that the deceased was a carpenter by
trade, and had for some time past lodged with his wife at
the house of Mr. Whitmore, a fruiterer, &c., Charles-street,
to whom he was nearly related. about seven o'clock on
Tuesday morning a load report of firearms was heard by
Mr. Whitmora's porter to proceed from a loft at the rear of
the premises. Ile quickly hastened to the place, and to his
great astonishment found the deceased lying upon the ground
a corpse—blood was flowing copiously from his clothes, and
smoke, as if from a recent discharge of powder, Was curling
upw.ads from his body. A large horse pistol was found
lying by his side, and upon au examination of the body it
was ascertained that the deceased had shot himself through
the heart with a charge of small shot. The deceased for-
merly held a responsible situation in the works of Messrs.
Cubitt, the extensive builders, but be had latterly been out
of employment. He had been unable to get another situa-
tion in consequence of his advanced years, and it was sup.
posed that circumstance had caused Irian to be ♦ery low and
desponding, which he had been of late, and which resulted
In his connnitting the determined act. The jury, without
any hesitation, returned a verdict of Temporary insanity.
GOOD FRIDAY.— To-morrow being Good Friday
it will be observed as a close holyday at the Bank of Eng-
land, the Stock-Exchange, Lloyd's, South Sea-house, East
India-house, and the different Docks, the Custom-house, Ex-
cise, and all the Government departments, with the excep-
tion of the Post-office, which will be open as usual for the
receiving of letters and newspapers, and also the receiving-
houses throughout the metropolis; there will, however, be
no delivery in town after 12 o'clock. The chief money order
office, Aldersgate street ; the branch-offices—Lombard-street
Borough, Strand, Charing-cross, and Old Cavendish-street--
as well as the other places, will be closed both for paying and
granting orders; also, all the courts et law, and police-
offices. Bills of exchange becoming due to-morrow will
be paid this day, as all places of public business will be
closed.

NORTH BRITISH RAILWAY.-RESIGNATION OF
THE ENCANEIIEN AND STOKIRS.—We understand that on
Monday last the enginemen and stokers of this company
gave fourteen days' notice of resignation, in consequence of
certain reductions which the directors have determined to
make in the amount of their remuneration. The pay of the
enginemen, who are divided into four classes, is about an
average of 6i. per diem, and we believe it is intended to re-
duce their pay on those days they are not traversing the
line, but arc only in the shed cleaning or repairing their en-
gines, to 4s. a day, a proportional reduction also to be made
in the case of the firemen. In ordinary cases we understand
that the in-door work seldom requires more than one day a
week, unless the engines have sustained serious damage. in
which case, however, the reduction on the weekly income of
the men would be very considerable. In these days, when
economy is on all hands pressed on the directors of railways,
retrenchment had been made pretty extensively on most
lines in this quarter. but on the reduction in question being
proposed, the men determined in a body to quit the service
rather than submit to have their pay curtailed. Wo under-
stand that the matter still remains in statu quo, the directors
as well as the men holding out; but as another week of their
notice has to elapse, we trust the directors will be able to
make such arrangements as will preserve the public con-
venience and security.---Edinburyli Courant.

IMPORTATION OF HOPS.—A parcel
wofhichhops,
place i
be-
lieved to be of British growth, having been returned to this
country from ono of the European ports, to
had been previously sent from this country, application was
made to the authorities for delivery of the hops duty free, as
there was no difficulty in proving that they had been so ex-
ported from hence as stated, but it appearing to be a legal
enactment that hops having once been exported from this
country, are on reimportation liable to be considered foreign
equally as those actually of foreign growth and produce, and
to be leviable with the duty due on hops imported into this
country from abroad, it was decided that the request could
not be allowed.
TESTIMONIAL TO BRITISH SEAMEN.—A
commu-
nication has been made to the authorities of the Customs'
department, by Mr. Halter, the Secretary of the Treasury,
signifying that Mr. May, the Consul-General of the Nether-
lands, having made a further representation to their Lord-
ships, requesting the delivery duty free of a package for-
warded to him from the Government at the Hague, by a
ateam-vessel from Rotterdam, containing a silver cup and
two snuff-boxes, intended as presents to Captain Moir and
part of the crew of the English vessel Minerva, for services
rendered to the crew of the Dutch ship Gertrude, which was
lost in August last off the Cape of Good Hope, he (Mr.
Halter) was to desire, on the part of their Lordships, that
the authorities would give the requisite directions for en-
suring a compliance with their Lordships' wishes in this
matter, by granting the request; and the necessary direc-
tions have therefore been given for the free delivery of the
articles for the purpose mentioned. We have very great
pleasure in thus recording this appropriate testimonial on
the part of the Dutch Government to British seamen for
gallsnt services rendered to its subjects at sea, in addition to
some former presents to the same deserting individuals from
parties more immediately concerned in maritime affairs.
The same vanity which leads us to assign our mis-
fortunes or misconduct to ethers prompts us to attribute all
our lucky chances to our own talent, prudence and fore-
thought; not a word of the fates or sten when we are get-
ting rich, and everything goes on prosperously.—Eliza
Cooh's Journal.
As IiBURTON.
now at the close or March;ernw winter has again visited us
heavy showers of snow have
fallen since Saturday, accompanied with sharp frosts.
LicEassn VICTUALLBRS.—There were on the 10th
of October last, according to a return to Parliament, which
was yesterday printed, as many as 34,800 licensed victuallers
in England; besides which there were 2,697,757 persons
licensed to sell beer to be drunk on the premises, and
330,200 persons licensed to sell beer, but not to be drunk on
the premises.
Baawaas IN THE UNITED KINGDOM.--Yesterday
a return to Parliament was printed, showing that on the
10th of October last there were 2,507 brewers in the United
Kingdom, comprising 2,257 in England, 154 in Scotland,
and 96 in Ireland. They consumed in the
year 19,658,052
bushels of malt.

SUNDERLAND TIDE SIGNAL —A new tide signal
has been recently erected at Sunderland, designed by Mr.
Mtik, which appears well adapted for such purposes. It
consists of a tower carrying a dial, on which is exhibited the
height of the tide. The figures are painted on a web of
copper wire gauze, mounted on two copper rollers, on which
it is wound and unwound by the motion of a float, acted upon
by the rise and fall of the tide. In order to increase the
scale of the figures, to make them visible at a great distance,
the motion of the float is multiplied by a wheel and pinion,
as four to one; the wire web will, consequently, pass over
four feet while the tide rises or falls one foot. At night the
dial is strongly illuminated; and as the letters are about
21 inches high, they can be seen, and the height of the
tide ascertained, at a considerable distance.—Durham Ad-
vertiser.