The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-29 00:00:00

HER 111JJESTY.

OSBORNE, Jan. 28.
The Queen drove out yesterday afternoon, ac-
companied by Prince Arthur, and her Majesty
walked in the grounds this morning, accompanied
by Princess Louise.

ADELPIII THEATIZE.—The Duchess of Cambridge
and the Prince and Princess of Took were present at the
performance at the Adolph Theatre last evening.
The Duke and Duchess of Northumberland leave
town to-day for a tour in Italy.
The Duchess Dowager of Athole and Miss Mac-
gregor, and the lion. Mr. and Mrs. Edward Russell have
left the St. George's Hotel.

The Marquis of Lansdowne has during the past
week entertained a sel9ct party at Bowood Park, Wilts.
The Earl of Derby is daily regaining strength.
By the last accounts received from Knowsley the noble
earl will, if possible, be in town at the meeting of Parlia-
ment.

Lord and Lady Fitzhardinge have arrived at the
Alexandra Hotel, Hyde-park-cornei.

Mr. and Mrs. Gaseeigne have arrived at Mau-
rigy's Hotel from Partington Park, South Milford, York-
shire.

Mr. Evans and family have left Maurigy's Hotel
for Paris.

NAVAL AND MILITARY lATELLIGENCE

The freight ship Forest King, with military stores
from Halifax, having discharged her cargo at Wool-
wich arsenal, yesterday returned to the London
Docks. The Lord Panmure, War Department
steam store vessel, Mr. Spriddel commander, having
delivered her cargo of returned stores at 'Woolwich
Arsenal, yesterday commenced shipping the new
species of Fraser guns, Palliser shot and shell, and
a number of iron carriages and slides, &c., for Ports-
mouth.

Iler Majesty's iron. steam storeship Megiera, on
particular service, recently commissioned by Staff-
Commander Jabez Loane (now Navigating Lieut.),
having undergone the necessary repairs to hull and
machinery at Woolwich, and having been undocked,
under orders to proceed to Deptford, will ship a
cargo of victualling and dockyard stores for the
Pacific. Before leaving dock her officers and crew
joined from the flagship Fisgard, and the ship was
in readiness for departure, when it was discovered
that the timbers near the funnelling had taken fire,
and but for the promptitude with which the acci-
dent was discovered and the application of the dock-
yard hose much damage must have been sustained.
Some of the clothing and stores, in addition to the
cabin furniture, are said to have been injured by
water, but not to any considerable extent.

A fair honest fight between armour-plating and
guns took place yesterday on board the Thunderer
target-ship, in Dorchester- creek, in the upper waters
of Portsmouth harbour. The plate was from the
rolling mills of Messrs. John Brown and Co., Atlas
Steel and Ironworks, Sheffield, and was no less than
10in. in thickness, by 15ft. in length and 3ft. 9in.
in breadth. It was selected as a " test" plate from
a score of plates manufactured by Messrs. Brown
for the central broadside armour of the turret-ship
Monarch, 5,100 tons, 1,100 horse-power, building
at Chatham. The plate was bolted on to a wooden
backing of upwards of 4ft. in thickness, supported
by iron and oaken beam struts of immense strength.
The gun was the ordinary test gun—•9scwt. 63
smooth-bore, but on this occasion fired with 161 b.
in lieu of the ordinary 131 b. of powder. The dis-
tance between the muzzle of the gun and the face of
the armour-plate was 25ft. Nine shots were fired,
and all struck the plate within a square space of
34in. The greatest indentation made was only
1.7 in., and the least I.sin. ; no cracks, surface or
otherwise. The trial, indeed, gave the plate an ex-
traordinary degree of credit. It was the first 10in.
plate tried on board the Thunderer ; but, in com-
parison with a series of Bin. and 9in. plates pre-
viously tried on board, its resisting powers to the
impact of shot was very much in excess of what was
simply due to its exceptional thickness. The plate
is now being taken down from its backing on board
the Thunderer, and will be sent round to Shoebury-
ness, where it will be further experimentally tested
with the 10-inch filled gun and maximum charge of
powder.

Yesterday there was a general full-dress parade
of the officers, non-commissioned officers, and pri-
vates of the Chatham division of Royal Marine
Light Infantry at the divisional head-quarters, on
the occasion of the annual distribution of medals
and decorations awarded by the Admiralty for long
services and exemplary conduct. The battalion
having been formed in the barrack square, the non-
commissioned officers and men selected for the re-
wards were called to the front, and Col. G. Lam-
brick, Aide-de-Camp to the Queen, expressed his
gratification at being deputed to present those well-
earned rewards as a recognition of their exemplary
conduct. After exhorting the younger members of
the division to emulate their example, Col. Lam-
brick presented the medals, fastening each medal to
the wearer's breast. The following is a list of the
rewards :—Sergeant and Gunnery-Instructor Chas.
Pouter, medal and £l5 ; Pay-Sergeant Geo. Henry
Harris, medal and £l5 ; Master-shoemaker Henry
Hart and Private Joseph Tanner, each a medal and
£5 ; and silver medals, without gratuities, to Sergt.
George Town, Sergt. Henry Howard, and Corporal
Henry Loseby.

A hundred non-commissioned officers and gunners
of the Depot Brigade, Royal Artillery, have joined
the head-quarters of the Ist Division from the 2d
Division at Woolwich.

Orders were yesterday received at head-quarters,
Chatham, directing 61 non-commissioned officers
and gunners of the 16th Brigade, and 63 non-com-
missioned officers and gunners of the 25th Brigade,
Royal Artillery, to proceed to Liverpool for the
purpose of embarking on board the screw steamer
Australasia, for Calcutta.

Lieut. R. F. Williams, R.A., Bth Field Brigade,
having terminated his leave of absence, will take his
departure from head-quarters, Woolwich, this even-
ing, on his return to Calcutta, in command of two
sergeants and 57 rank and file of the depot, to rein-
force the 16th Brigade. The detachment will pro-
ceed to Birkenhead, and embark on board the ship
Australasia for their destination.

Rear-Admiral William Newton Fowell, whose
death has just been announced, entered the navy on
the 26th of March, 1819, and served as midshipman
in the Lion, schooner, in an action with pirates in
the West Indies, and was mate of the Pickle at the
capture of the Calero slaver. He was promoted to
lieutenant on the 12th of August, 1834, and in that
capacity served on the North American and West
India station, off Lisbon, and on the Lakes of
Canada; and as lieutenant in command of the Ex-
periment surveying vessel was actively employed
and wounded at Prescott, on the St. Lawrence, in
1837, during the Canadian rebellion ; and as a re-
ward for his conduct was promoted to Commander
on the 4th July, 1839. He was senior officer of the
Lake squadron from 1843 until paid off on the 28th
July, 1848. He obtained post rank on Aug. 6,
1852, and became retired rear-admiral on the Ist
September, 1867.

THE CHARGE OF FENIANISNI AGAINST A SHERIFF.
—The charge of Fenianisin brought against Mr. Thomas
Simon, the sheriff of the island of Alderney, seems to ha,vo
arisen out of a very trumpery affair, which makes all con-
cerned in it look very ridiculous. It appears that Mr. Simon
was in a shop in Alderney, where there happened to be at
the same shop ten women, natives of the island. A news-
paper lying on the counter led the conversation on to
Fenianism and the Manchester executions, when Mr. Simon
said in French that "the Government would do well not to
hang any more, as England would suffer from these hang-
ings, and it would s:xve her right," adding, "If the Feniane
should come to Alderney, I'll show them the way." These
treasonable words being repeated to the magistrates as they
sat in court, his Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor was
communicated with, and his advice in the emergency
asked for. His excellency declined giving any, and told
the Court they might do as they pleased. They adopted
the latter suggestion, and suspended Mr. Simon from his
office, admitting him to bail, and referred the case to the
consideration of the Royal Court of Guernsey. This
tribunal, seeing the ridiculousness of the charge, at once
quashed the proceedings and ordered the liberation of Alr
Simon.