The Sun.
London, England, 1850-12-20 00:00:00

THE MEDITERRANEAN SQUADRON.

PORT MAlioN, MINORCA, Nov. 29.—The Qtreen, 110,
flag of Vice-Admiral Sir Vs illiam Parker, is here, with
the Caledonia, 120; Powerful, 84; Ganges, 84; Superb,
80; and steamers Terrible, 16; Dragon, 6; Firebrand,
8; and Scourge, 6; all healthy. The Dragon arrived
here on the 21st, having left Malta on the 17th. The
Queen hai lost 50 hands by cholera since leaving MaPa
The Dragon was put in five days' varandne; since her
arrival the Zephyyretta yacht put in from Algiers with
a case of cholera on board. The Admiral has lent the
assistant surgeon of the Terrible to the yacht, and she
left the harbour; the is now at anchor in a neighbour-
ing bay. The squadron have taken out their bills
of health, and expect to sail in a day or two, but fur
what place is not known. It was imagined
the force would return to Malts after Christmas. It
has been said Sir William Parker would take the squa-
dron off Barcelona, and go in there himself in the Scourge,
but the season is now so far advaLced it is thought ho has
given up the intention. The squadron will. perhaps,
look in at Sprzzia, which is an excellent harbour about
HI miles E.S.E. of Genoa. The anchorage (Srezzia)
has been talked of as the winter quarters of the squadron;
latterly the American ships have frequented Spezzia in-
stead of Port Mahon. The people here are di.posed to
be very civil to the squadron. Our Gallant Cniof has
given one ball, and the officers have given another.
There is a very fair rpera company, and altogether
Mahon seems an agreeable place enough; indeed, any-
thing for a change would have been desirable after the
late protracted cruise.
The Growler steam-sloop has gone to Corfu to join
the Frolic, stationed there.
In about four or five months the new Commander-in-
Chief is expected, and it is pretty well known here who
it is to be, although so much mystery is observed at
home about him.

The squadron is frequently exercised at general
quarters.
PLYMOUTH, THURSDAY.—Her Majesty's frigate Inde-
fatigable, 50, Captain R. Smart, discharged her powder
on Monday, and was yt sterday towed by the Avon
steamer, Master-Commander Veitch, from the Sound
into liamoLza. After being cast cff by the steamer,
the hawser broke, and the frigate tailed down upon the
Cerbcrus hulk, damaging her stern and carrying away
the figure head and bulwarks of the hulk. After refit-
ment the Indefatigable, it is now said, will proceed to
the West Indies to relieve her Majesty's ship Wellesley,
72, Captain G. Goldsmith.
The Advice steamer, which arrived on Sunday from
Woolwich, sailed yesterday from Queenstown, where
she remains as a steam tender.

Her Majesty's ship Albion, 90, Captain W. H. John-
stone, was paid advance on Monday, and is appointed
to sail to-day with supernumeraries for Malta, whereshe
relieves her Majesty's ship Powedul, 84, Captain-the
Hon. E. S. Dandily.

The steam-vessel Vulture male an excursion trip
round the Eddystone on iktliay. She started at 11 30
A.M., and returned at 3 30 P.M.

Tha Liverpool emigrart sh:p, Levoi:, fr m Liverpool
for New York. put in yesterday v ith loci of foreyard
and maintops‘il.

The screw-:hip Bosphorus, Cvplt:in Hail, sailed at
half-past seven yesterday morning fer MAEirs, Cape
Verds, Sierra Leone, and the Cape of Good Hope. She
is supplied with 375 tons of Warlicht's patent fuel, suffi-
cient for twenty-eight days' consurapti,ln. Her serevv
propeller is on a novel principle; when not in direct nc-
.
tion it can be placed fore and aft, par al .
lel to the !hip'
keel, and thus avoid any impediment to her
progress
whou under CallY6so only. The experiment is a Toy

important cane, and considerable ri:.lt is kcurred
making it en f 0 long a voyage.
Pa ON C.TIONS.
WOf LWICIr, DEC. 19.—William L. Desre, Henry
Blythe, and Tobias Mar.key, to he acting- gunners.
k`t'l
George Sargearit, to be actirg boatswain. . , II -,
. _ ____ 4 1,, ,
The WidgeeP, Captain Bullock, the Speedwell, and _..-,„:,
the Woodlark, vessels recently employed on the survey4L.l-- 4,:--': -;
ing i•ervice, hare all been dismantled at this port, 047 ,:tIY.VI „.., `44'.1.(1,118.
I—s 4: 74,A., `-p..V.1
have been p ;id off. i,-.;171 .z" I' ,-_
The non commissioned officers and men of the Wkao) , „,.._, ...
with division (1 Royal Marines, recently serving in I,fiiip..„ ..-4,:',,r,-
z
Inconstant on the Pacific station, were paid cif at Wodief,le; " ..(1
with Dockyard on Wednesday last by the pay-clerks ' icNaSti‘'''
from the Admiralty. AfA
The Veleano steam-vessel, Commander Rivers, having
been re ported ready, is ordered to leave WOolwich on • ,
Saturday next for Greenkithe, to have her compasses
adjusted, and then
proceeds to Plymouth, on her way to
the coast of Africa.

According to Allen's Nary List, compiled from official
sources, the salary of Mr. James Meek, Controller of
Victualling of the Navy and of Transport Service, is
1,000/. per annum. Mr. Msek is to retire at'tho end
of the present month, and will be succeeded by Mr. Tho-
mas T. Gran►, Sturekceper of the Royal Clarence Vic-
tualling-yard at Portsmouth. Mr. Grant's salary under
the head of storekeeper is 800/ per annum, without de-
tailing any part of it for other service, but as the salary
of tte storekeepers at Deptford and the Royal William
Victualling-3 and at Plymouth are only 5004 each, it is
not anticipated the' the storekeeper's salary at the Royal
Clarence-yard, Plymouth, will exceed 5001. when Mr.
Grant vacates it.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.
TATTERSALL'S—YESTERDAY.
No betting.
THE FLYING DUTCHMAN AND VOLTIGEUR.
LI the match between these horses, to be run at York
Spring Meeting. the Flying Dutchman will carry Bat
Bifb, and Vultigeur Bst.

THE RIOT AT BIRKENHEAD.

EXAMINATION OF THE SUPPOSED RING-

LEADERS.

Yesterday the prisoners Brown, Haggarty, Smith,
Fitzsimon, Griffin, and Feehan, who were apprehended
a few days ago, charged with having taken part in the
late Papal aggression riot at Birkenhead, on the 27th
ult., were brought before the magistrates at Chester for
examination. The prisoner Brown is a s.l:oemakor,who
has resided in Birkenhead for eighteen years, and has
hitherto borre a highly respectable character. The
rest of the prisoners are all Irish labourers belonging to
the dock works.

At the commencement of the proceedings Sir J. Ste-
phen, who appeared for the defence, protested, in the
name of hi clients, against the hearing t f the case be-
fore the magistrates now sitting, whose names appeared
tacked on to the placard convening the meeting cut of
crl ieh this charge now brought forward arose.
The otjecticn was overruled. The case of Mr. John
Brown was then taken.

John Grine!ey, of the Liverpool police force, was the
first witness called. He was ore of those who were
almost killed at the riet. His head was still bound up,
a-A he appeared in an excee4in.;ly week state. After
speaking to the facts connected with the riot, and to ;Le
manner in which he was struck oa the head end in va-
rious parts of the body, by several of the mob, who w,:re
armz-d with crowbars and bludgeons, he solid that when
he vas down for the second time, a man cane forward
and struck him on the head with a bar of iron. He had
seen that man blue in Birkenhead Bridcwell. It was
one of the prisoners at the bar. Whilst he was held
down the priteuer Brown camo and struck him with a
bludgeon over the shoulder ; wh‘ n he (witness) Laid,
" For God's sake do not hill me." The witness fur-
ther deposed to being struck by ether of the prisoners.
He the described what took piece before the police in-
terfered. A window in the Town. hall was open at this
time, and a person put his head out of the window, and
called out to the crowd, " Now men, now is your time."
Mr. Conway—Who was that mar.? Witness—That
is the tutu (pointing to Mr. Brethertop, solicitor).
Mr. Bretherton (evidently excised, and addressing
the beach)—I appal to you, gentlemen, whetLr I was
not in the Two hall with you at the time.
Anoth,:r policeman, nursed John Bowes, who re-
ceived severe injuries, was next examined. He also
spoke to having been struck by some of the priso iers.
Superintendent Ride, of the Liverpool force, who was
placed at the head of the body of police sent over from
Liverpool, was under examination when our parcel was
dispatched.

It is expected that the investigation will occupy at
least tw,) or three days. There are thirty-Blur witnesses
on bf half of the prosecution, and nearly twenty on behalf
of the prisoners.