The Sun.
London, England, 1850-02-21 00:00:00

BIRTHS IN THE WEEK.

' Males •••
Females ...

... 724
... 752

Total ... 1,476
*ln this number are included 13 by Scarlatina, 29
by Typhus Fever, and 18 by Dian ho n..

DUNCES Or DowNlNG'sTßEET.—Ministers are at a
loss what to di with the Ton Hours Fa?.tory Bill, which
owing to a defect. in its wording, pruv.s inoperative
For the present they had better send it to the dead la-
ter office. Really Parliament must have an edit ,r to
prepare its Acts for publication. His salary would cost
the country hilt little, as a gentleman of moderate litC-
nary attainments would be competent to the employ-
ment. He would only be required to possess the ability
to write the English language correctly, an art, appa=
may, beyond the reach of statesmanship. To create
such an office would be giving some little encouragement
to the profession of the pen. What but faulty compo-
sition can be expected from a Government that neglects
literature.—Punch.
LADY JOHN RUSSELL'S SOIREE.—Lady John Rus-
sell held her fifth assembly last evening at the private
residence of the Premier, in Claesham-place. The.guests
were far more numerous than at any of the previous re.
unions of the series.

En "route from Malta to Gihraitar, Lisbon, 'end
Pngland--The Ilerciller,- 12, store-ship, Captain R.
Fulton ; the Prince Regent, 92, Captain Martin.
En route from Malta to Corfu—The Racer, 12,
Captain Beddoes.
En route from Malta to the Levant—The Growler,
Commander Stoddart.

MAIL STEAM-PACKETS.
At Malta—The Medusa, Lieutenant Bathurst;
Antelope, Lieutenant Smyth ; Triton, Lieutenant
Glinn.

En route from Malta to Marseilles—The Medina,
Lieutenant A. Darby.
En route from Marseilles to Malta—The Merlin,
Lieutenant J. H. Turner. •

PENINSULAR AND ORIENTAL STEAM ICATIGATION

COMPANY'S FLOTILLA.
At Southampton—The Pasha, Queen, Tagus, Ri-
pon, Hindostan, and Euxine.
En route to Constantinople and ports of the Black
Sea from Malta—The Sultan.
At Constantinople—The Erin.

At Malta—The Indus.
UNITED STATES' EQUADRON.

At Naples—The Independence frigate, bearing the
flag of Commodore Charles W. Morgan.
At Mahon—The St. Lawrence, Captain Paulding.
At Spezia—The Mississippi steam-frigate, Captain
Long.
At Messina—The Cumberland, Captain Latimer.

FOREIGN SHIPS OF WAR AND PACKETS IN PORT.
French steamer Lyeurgue ; yachts Firefly, Petrel,
and Nautilus ; lonian Government steamer Eptanisos;
Tunis Government brig Sufis ; Russian brig Pto-
lomee ; Norwegian corvette Ornen.
PORTSMOUTH, WEDNESDAT.—Tbe Havannab,l 22,
Captain Erskine, was at Auckland, New Zealand, re-
fitting for another surveying cruise (having just re-
turned from one of 134 days) on the 22d of October
to the Auckland Islands and New Zealand—all well.

The Ajax, 56, is now in every respect ready for
officers and men.

The Phaeton, 50, Captain Elliot, had not hove in
sight from the eastward at six P.M.
Mr. Robert C. Allen, of the Blenheim, will accom-
pany Captain Austin, C. 8., in his expedition in search
of Sir John Franklin.

We believe Captain Ommanney, son of Admiral Sir
John A. Ommanney, K.C.8., will also go on the same
expedition in command of one of the vessels.
WOOLWICH' FEB. 19.—The Right Hon. Sir Fran-
cis T. Baring, First Lord of the Admiralty, held his
first levee for the season, at one o'clock to-day, at
Whitehall, when the following officers were received
by his Lordship :
Captains.---Charles Talbot (1830), Henry Wells
Gifford (1844), Arthur Forbes (1846), Richard
Burridge (1646), Erasmus Ommaney (1846), and
William Peel (1849).
Commanders Joseph Richard Raggett Webb
r-F1 28), Merry Worslrg mill . (1841); John .Eiiiott
i 0,0441.),- PAPr_ge..; 0 41VeV-141pd- :(1841),-
41en 'yj'anes .aeon (1842), Willa liericit Mait-
land (1842), Pech‘ -tlart• Dyke. • 1844),* William
Charles Chamberlain —(1844), Thomas- Chaloner
(1845), Edward Augustus Inglefield (1845), Henry
Edward Wingrove (1846), George Lavie (1846),
Albert Heseltine (1846), Leopold George Heath
(1847), Charles Codringtnn Forsyth (1849), Bald-
win Arden Wake (1849), and Richard Studdart
(1849).
Lieutenants—Arthur Mayne Noad (1838), Ross
Moore Flood (1840), Charles Ricketts Carter (1840),
George Pechell Mends (1841), Charles William
' Hallett (1841), Francesco Saugro Tremlett (1843),
and the Hon. Oliver William Matthew Lambart

(1844).
His Lordship will continue to receive officers every
Tuesday, at one o'clock, but all the levees that can
be held before Easter are already arranged, the names
of the officers who have expressed their intention of
attending them having filled the whole of the lists.
Rear-Admiral Fitzhardinge Berkeley, C. 8., and
Captain Sir Baldwin Walker, K.C.8., arrived at
Woolwich dockyard at twelve o'clock to-day, and
were accompanied by Commodore Henry Eden, with
Lieutenant Robertson, Mr. Lang, master shipwright,
Mr. Humphreys, chief engineer, and Mr. Chatfield
and Mr. Poake, assistants to the master shipwright,
to the Eider steam-vessel, now in the east dock pre-
paring for Captain Austin's searching expedition to
the Arctice regions. Rear-Admiral Berkeley and
Captain Sir Baldwin Walker inspected the engines
with which the vessel was fitted by Maudslay, Son,
and Field, of 60-horse power, and having a screw
propeller with three leaves or flanges, and then pro-
ceeded to inspect the Retribution steam-frigate, in
the adjoining dock.
His Lordship, with Sir Baldwin Walker, then went
to the west end of the yard, and went on board the
Minx steam-vessel, in the inner basin, where they re-
mained about twenty minutes, examining very
minutely the operation and properties of the disc
engine still on board that vessel. A small model of
the engine enabled the chief engineer to show the
internal movements, and clearly to illustrate the mode
in which the steam performed its duties so effectually
in a small compass, and with a comparatively mode-
rate consumption of fuel. The Mega3ra steam-vessel,
in King William IV.'s Dock was next visited. She
is in a forward state, and has had her iron bottom
coated with the protecting compositions. The re-
mainder of the two hours' official visit to the dock-
yard was occupied in examining plans and other de-
tails at the office of the chief engineer.
Rear-Admiral J. W. D. Dundee, C. 8., First
Naval Lord of the Admiralty, held his first audience
to officers of the Royal Navy to-day, at Whitehall,
at 2 o'clock, r.m., and a great number of officers
attended. The gallant admiral has announced that
he will, during the sitting of Parliament, receive
such officers as may wish to see him on the first and
third Tuesdays in every month, at 2 o'clock, P.M.
The Vivid Dover mail steam-packet, Captain
Smithett, arrived at Woolwich to-day, from Dover,
to have some defects made good, when she will return
to the Dover station.

ST. LUKE'S ITosrITAL.—The annual court of the
Governors of this hospital, which was instituted in the
year 1750, .4 as a further provision for poor lunatics,"
was held yesterday at the George and Vulture Tavern,
Lombard-street;; Mr. Henry Francis Shaw Lefevre,
treasurer, in the chair. The reports of the general
committee, auditors, and physicians, were read and ap-
proved. It appeared from the report of the general
committee for the last year that, in addition to 101 incu-
rable patients permanently maintained and provided for
in the hospital, 285 patients deemed curable have been
under treatment during the year, of whom, in 167 cases,
tho treatment was completed, and 118 remained in the
hospital on the Ist ef January last. Of the above 167 cases,
101 were discharged cured, 52 were discharged uonseett,rcre,
and 14 died in the hospital, 4 of whom, out of -
cases, died at the time of the cholera from typhoid
and cholera. The report stated that ont
1750, nearly 100 years ago,l3t 11n f June,lever
the foundershesofittahliswcahsafirittsyt
held their first meeting, and
31stthat theo_
eventfinJ a
1.41117,51. It is
i manner
peaetinietenetsmeornatethtehfis
by celebrating a cent,nary e. a
stiv I in 1851, anil' resolu-
opproenpoesdedfutro
this view were adopted by the
court. Several legacies were announced, amongst, others
lions in accordance with
100/. from the late secretary, Mr. Thomas Webster,'
whose futher and himself held office successively for a
period of 99 years. The financial report stated the in-
come for the year amounted to 8,903/. 18s. BJ., 3131.
10s. lid. of which was received from donations, and
4,8291. ls. sd. from dividends. The expenditure for the
year was 6,8221. Ss. 64., of which 3,795/. Bs. 61 was paid
for ordinary expenses. The balance remaining in hand
amounted to 2,0811. los. 4d. This statement was agreed
to, and the meeting separated, alter thanking the chair-
man.

Dispatches for the Governors. of Now South Wales
and Labuan were sent ott from the (Menial-office on
Tuesday evening;