The Sun.
London, England, 1850-04-12 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

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PORTSMOUTH, THURSDAY.—The Echo steamer
towed out to sea on Wednesday the Batavian ship
bound to Holland, with a valuable cargo of spices,
and the Gonomeda Sara Ceassina, that came into
harbour in a leaky state about a month back, was
obliged to discharge and come into dock in the yard.
The Echo also towed out the Rolla, apprentice brig
tender to the Victory.
The William Hyde, barque, with timber for the
dockyard, came into harbour this morning.
Orders have come down from Londun }or the mili-
tary prison establishment to move over immediately
from Southsea Castle to the new prison at Porton.
One-half the offiJers and prisoners moved over to-day,
and the remainder will go to-morrow. The altera-
tions and strengthening of Southsea Castle will be
proceeded with ; we hear the costs are estimated at
2,000/.

The Devastation steam- sloop is being expedited for
commitsion to take the next mails to the coast of
Africa.

The Griffon brigantine, Lieutenant Thurburn, ar-
rived at Spithead last night from Devonport, to be
paid off and refitted as an instruction vessel for sea-
men apprentices on the Cork station. She was in-
spected this morning at Spithead by Captain Black-
wood for the Commander-in-Chief, and her crew
mustered. We cannot too highly praise the idea of
having an instruction and reception vessel for boys
willing to enter the navy at a station like Cork. The
excellence of the system is most apparent in the
training and seaman. like acquirements of the boys of
the Victory on board the Rolla, many of whom would
be taken on board sea-going ships in preference to
men.

The Bulldog steam-stoop, Commander A. C. Key,
will be paid off here on Saturday next.

♦PPOINTMENTS.

WooLwrca, APRIL 11.—Commander Jonas A.
Abbot (1841), to an inspecting command in the
Coast-guard.

Midshipmen 'lon. henry J. Eden to the Phwtoia,
50-gun frigate, one of the vessels of the squadron at
Lisbon ; George E. Barnes, to the Superb, 80.

EXECUTIONS IN IRELAND.

Tuesday being the day named for the execution
of John Ryan, who was found guilty at the last Tul-
lamore Assizes of the murder of Sergeant Grant, a
large concourse assembled in front of the gaol to
witness the spectacle. At five minutes past 12 the
culprit tripped up the ladder with a light step, ac-
companied by the Rev. Messrs. Cullery and Flood,
Roman Catholic curates, and were it not for the ap-
pearance of the gaol and its officials, the demeanour
of the unfortunate man would not impress the spec-
tators that it was an execution, for never did a man
walk up that fatal ladder with less apparent concern.
He turned his back to the people just as he stepped
on the drop, while the executioner was adjusting the
rope and putting his cap over his face. He never
spoke, and in a few minutes he was let off, and died
in great pain and agony, struggling for a long time.
At the usual time he was cut down and buried within
the precincts of the gaol. His brother was under
the drop witnessing the scene. On Saturday (says
the Limerick Chronicle) we stated that a memorial
had been forwarded to the Lord-Lieutenant on
behalf of Matthew and William Gavan, under
rule of execution in the county gaol, for the
murder of John Ryan, at Cappamore, praying
his Excellency to commute the capital punish-
ment to transportation for life. To that ap-
plication an answer was received on Sunday from
Dublin Castle, stating,—" His Excellency the Lord-
Lieutenant sees no ground for interfering with the
execution of the sentence of the law in the case of
William and Matthew Gavin." The governor of the
goal received another communication from Dublin
Castle on Tuesday morning, stating that the Lord-
Lieutenant has had the case of the Gavins again
brought before him, and sees nothing to make him
change his former decision, and that the law is to
take its course. This final letter sealed the doom of
the wretched young men, and in pursuance of the
sentence pronounced by Sergeant Stock at the last
assizes, the ill. fated brothers were executed this day
(Wednesday) at one o'clock, in front of the county
gaol. The scene was affecting as they embraced and
bid a last farewell to each other in this world, with an
earnest prayer to (mod that they may be united in the
next. They made no public declaration on the
scaffold. They were attended by the Rev. William
Bourke, Roman Catholic chaplain of the prison, and
the Rev. Messrs. Ryan and Quinlan. The city
police, with a party of Carbineers, were on duty in
front of the prisen. The bodies having been sus-
pended for an hour, were lowered from the gallows,
and removed for burial within the precincts of the
gaol. Ages of the two culprits—Matthew Gavin, 19
years ; William Gavin, 17 years.

SUICIDE or A GENTLEMAN IN PIMLICO.--A gen-
tieman named Whitmore committed suicide yesterday, at
No. 1, Burton-street, Eaton-square. The deceased was a
wine-merchant, recently carrying on business in Sloane-
street. The cause of the dreadful act was mentioned in a
letter written by the deceased to have been some disap-
pointment connected with a lawsuit in which he had been
involved. The neighbourhood was thrown into a state of
considerable excitement by the melancholy occurrence, which
took place at about a quarter before twelve o'clock.