The Sun.
London, England, 1850-06-17 00:00:00

at two or three different points was a purely casual coin-
cidence. We shall return to the subject of Cuban des-
potism. But meantime we are content to appeal to such
facts as those which we hare stated already; and it is
wirlout hesitation as to the answer which will be given
by Englishmen, that we e ask—" Ought the nations of
Europe, in the nineteenth century, to sanction the con-
tinuance of such a Government as this?"—Herald.

NAVAL list TELLIGENCE.
THE CHINA SQUADRON.
HONG•KONG, APRIL 24.—The Braganza, Peninsular
and Oriental Company's steamer, arrived here with the
mail on the 18th inst., bringing with her the new Flag-
Captein (F. W. Austen) to join the Hastings, 72, who
received the command of her from Captain Morgan the
same day. Captain Morgan goes home overland by this
mail, and his departure from China is universally re-
gretted. The admirable state of order and discipline in
which he handed over the flag-ship to his successor was
only in accordance with his well known abilities is an
officer, while his urbanity of manner and obliging de-
portment rendered him generally popular, and will cau3e
him to ho much missed in the naval and social circles of
this station.
The Commander-in-Chief (Rear-Admiral C. J. Austen,
C. 8.), remains at Singapore with his family to recruit
after the fatigue of the overland passage, and has ordered
the Heating; to join him there as soon as she is relieved
by the arrival of some other ship at Hong Kong. She
has remained at anchor in Hong-Kong roads nearly
seven months without once moving (I), and both officers
and crew begin to wish for a change of scene.
The Arab, 12, Commander Morris, is lying at
Whampoe.
The Royalist, 8, Commander Bate, left this place on
the 2d for Manilla and Palawan, where she arrived or,
the 4th.
The Reynerd, 11, Commander • Cracroft, left for
Shanghai, en route to Pei-ho, on the 10th inst. She
had reached Amoy on the 18th, where the Mariner, 12,
Commander Matheson, is still stationed.
The Pilot, 12, Commander Ince, is at Shanghai.
The Amezon, 24, Captain Troubridge, is in the Straits
of Ma'acca.
The Cambrian, 40, Captain Morris, and the Fury
steem-sloop, Commander Wilcox, are on their way to
Singapore from Colombo, with detachments cf the
Ceylon Rifles on board to reinforce the garrison of
Hong-Kong.
Although the Mariner is ordered home, it is not the
Governor's intention to part with her yet.
The pirates captured by Commander Cracroft in the
Bur ard have been tried—three are to be hanged, nine
transported for life, and two were acquitted.
PORTSMOUTH. JUNE 16.—The westerly gale moderated
on Seturaay, and drew round to N.N.E. At noon the
Victory telegraphed to the Ajax, at Spithead, to get up
steam and proceed to Plymouth and Cork, end she soon
went away with a fair wind.
On the arrival of the Vengeance, 84, at this port from
the Mediterranean station, she will be paid off all
standing, and recommissioned by Captain Sir Henry
Blackwood, with a complement of 330 men, for home
service.

The Fairy Royal yaebt, Captain Lord Adolphus Fitz-
clarence, G.C.11., will embark her Majesty and the Court
at Osborne on Tuesday, at a quarter-past two P. 31., for
Gofpot t, en route to London.
The Cuckoo steam-vessel, Commander Dumaresq, and
her tendtr, the Seaflower, are ordered to be paid off here.
The former is also ordered to be recommissioned for sea
service with a complement of sixty men.
The mainmast of the new steam-frigate Termagant,
24, is ordered to 69 shifted seven feet further forward.
PEMBROKE, JUNE 15.—Moorings for a line-of-battle
ship and a frigate are immediately to be laid down off
this yard. It is expected that this step is preparatory
to a man-of-war beieg permanently placed on the station,
as this important arsenal is the only naval establish-
ment which is left without the defence of a single vessel
of war.
The Teiun3pb, 74, ore of the lszsrettoes at the port
of Milford, is lacing taken to pieces iu the dockyard,
being much too defective to be repaired. She is an ex-
tremely old ship, having been launched at Woolwich in
the year 1764, and was built on the lines of the Invin-
cible, captured from the French. She is of 1,825 tons
burden. Her copper materials and the sale of the old
timber will realise a considerable sum above the expense
of breaking up.
It has been decided that a hospital shall forthwith be
erected for the benefit of the troops in the garrison. This
measure, though involving an outlay at first, will ulti-
mately prove a raving to the country.

APPOINTMENTS.

WOOLWICH, JUNE 13.—Lieutenant George W. Towsey
(1816) to the Sealark, at Portsmouth.
Second-Master Samuel Braddon (1844) to the Illustri-
ous, 72, derot ship of ordinary, Portsmouth.
Midshipmen—Edward W. Dillion and Edward Tongue
to the Sealark.
Clerk—Timothy Clinch to the Fisgard flag-ship at
Woolwich.

Naval eadot—Edward Adoane to the Phaeton, 50,
Lisbon squadron.

JUNE 15.—Lieutenant John Cartright (1846) to the
Sealark...
Second-Master William Stanton to the Illustrious.
Midshipmen—Hastings S. De Recheck tr, tLe Impreg=
nable, 104, flag-ship, at Davenport; C. T. Williamson
to the Wolverine, 82, sloop, on the coast of Africa.
Naval Cadet—Joseph Crispin to the Victory flag-
ship at Portsmouth.
Gunners—Charles Hicks to the Retribution stsam-
frigate at Woolwich; William Lesby to the Inflexible
steam-frigate at Woolwich.
Bosttwain John Smock to the Inflexible.
Carpenters—James Cannaway to the Retribution;
Thomas Con wing to the Inflexible.
Rear Admiral M. F. Berkeley, C. 8., me of the Lords
of the Admiralty, and Captlin Sir Baldwin Walker,
K C. 8., Surveyor of the Navy, visited Woolwich dock-
yard on Friday afternoon and inspected the Retribution..
and Inflexible steam-frigates. The gunner and car-
penter have been appointed to the Retribution to-day;
and the guiltier, boatswain, and carpenter to the In-
flexible.

The shipwrights have been taken off the Agamemnon,
80, steam-ship, to assist in finishing the other steamers,
the framework of the former being nearly completed
except a small portion tt the stern. The keel of the
San Florenzo, 50, has commenced being laid, and five
lengths are already down, on the same slip from which
the Nankin, 50 was launched.

The Nile, hired convict ship, is to leave her moorings
opposite the Royal Arsenal, with convicts who will
obtain tickets of leave on hor arriving at Van Diemen's
Land. 35 ha►e teen put on board from the Warrior
convict ship at Woolwich.
THE AMIRICAN ARCTIC EXPEDITION'.
Amongst the last papers received from America there
is one of much interest from Mr. Meriam, of Bricklyn
Heights, a gentleman well known in the scientific world
across the great n aste of waters which separate us.
It is entitled " The Franklin Life-saving and Arctic
Exploring Expedition," and has reference more partieu-
lerly to Mr. Grinnell's expedition, and to the passing of
the Act of Congress authorising the enogement of
volunteers among the men, as well as officers, of the
United States' navy for both the vessels fitted out—they
received from the Government their usual pay. Would
that such an Act had been passed in our Parliament to
relieve lady Franklin of the heavy expenses she has
incurred.

There was no want of volunteers for her expedition.
Never was a finer crew got together than that embarked
in the Prince Albert; and an officer of merit cf the
British navy commands them, Captain Forsyth, whose
services are gratuitous, relying upon the justice cf his
country, to reward him on his return.
In Mr. Meriam's interesting paper, to which we have
alluded, he remarks that " Mr. Grinnell, in his turneries'
to Congress, says,' There are some grounds for beliel—
iag this to be a 'propitious' season for exploring the
Arctic seas: It is my• present purpose to state, in as
brief a manner as possible, some facts and reasons why
the present is thought to be a propitious time."
lie then proceeds to show that within a given period
of the year 1842 one hundred and four vessels reported
Polar ice in great abundance making south, while in 1843,
during the same period, there were but three vessels re-
pvrted ice.
A tabular statement is given showing the number of
vessels which have met with Polar ice for ten y ears
past—viz., from 1840 to 1850; a copy of which we
annex:—

Years. c a cz4) 4.
-u, d ;iv, 4
1841 9 11 1 -- 21
1842 - 7 31 11 16 22 16 I 1 104
1843 - 3
-- 5 12 3 2 -- 22
1845 - 1 4 10.. 9 15 5 -- 44.
1846
14347
1843
1849 - 1 1 1 2 5
1850 1 1 6 5 —. 1-- 13
"It will be seen by this statement," observes Mr.
Merinin, " tbat there I% as no Polar ice repot ted flowing
_ _

ted as flowing

_ .
45 R/;
south during the year 1848, and but five
Januaryselsreporteodf
as having seen any in 1849; but as early a
the present year immense islands of Polar ice 4 been
Lave
bthetuas
reported as having reached let. 44 N, long.
most clearly showing that the Polar regions h
acted upon by some unusual phenomena
All this is very Cheering, and gives token
It restore our day that may yet dawn upon us,
t the
ande part
there of t the
of a goodly
long-
lost countrymen to their homes. is a noble, generous,
feoerdt hh thisem e
expedition,lle eet eliAmericans to send
:something very manly
in Mr. Grinnell's memorial to Congress, wherein he
stated, " That the paramount inducement
enter-
prise, is to aid, as tar as ponible,uicnemtirtp this
undhe trusts, the rescue, of Jahn Franklin eandisebeivaerc3o.'mpa-
binusl but that he shall think it due to the cause
of science to instruct the officers in command of the
expedition to use all diligence and zeal in the explo-
ration of the frozen regions to which they are bound. i
There are strong "grounds" he continues, "for be-
lieving this to be a,propitious season tor such an explo-
ration, and he will not easily relinquish the hope of
being, in some degree, instrumental in solving the hung-
disputed question of the existence of a north.% est
passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific."
Happy, indeed, should we be if the Atrelican expedi-
tion succeeded in rescuing Franklin ; but it woullbe
too great magnanimity on our part to c ish them to
make the north-west passage, which, year after year,
we have endeavourer?, for 300 years and upwards, to et-
fee', but hitherto without effect—mails, indeed, Franklin
yet comps out through Behring Straits, as we still think
he mays.—Herald.

COMMODORE MARTIN'S SQUADRON.
The following is an extract from the letter of a Ls-
bon correspondent, dated June 9 :
t
The whole of the British squadrob, ezeet the
Rogue, which bus been left in the Tagus, ;ailed from