The Sun.
London, England, 1850-01-21 00:00:00

gentleman who doubtless would make those sugges-
tions to the officers commanding the expedition
that would enable them to accomplish all which
could be accomplished. Should your corres-
pondent " Nauticus " wish for any information
in trying aeronautic experiments, if he will drop
a line to me, in care of Mr. Wieland, mathemati-
cian, near Manor-place, Walworth, I shall be extremely
happy to afford him any information that it may be
in my power to give Young associations and old recol-
lections make the nautical service of my country, one
whose honour and welfare I must ever desire, and the
loss of one friend and relation in that service, near
and dear to me, invests its name with a hallowed re-
verence. Cut off in his young and blooming dap, he
realised the lines of the imperishable Byron :
" Those whom the Gods love die young, was said of
yore,
And many deaths do they elcape by this,
The death of friends, and that which slays even more,
The death of friendship—love, youth, all that is
Except mere breath; and since the silent shore,
Aw:its at last even those who longest miss
The old archer's shafts, Terhaps tl,e early grave,
Which men weep over, may be meant to save."
Apologising for the length of this intrusion on your
;pace, I remain, Sir, your obedient servant,
RICHARD GYPSON, Aeronaut.
Jan. 15, 1850.

SERVICES OF BREVET-MAJOR

MACKAY.

(From the British Army-Despatch, 4th Jan., 1850.)
We would he remiss in our duty were we not to
direct particular atention to the subjoined services of
Brevet-Major Mackay, of the 21st Fusiliers, who,
after a full-pay service of forty-one yearr, is still but
a captain and brevet-major in the army. A harder
ccse, or one requiring more immediate redress, has
never come under our notice ; and we hope and
trust the authorities will give this officer a rank which
his length cf service so imperatively calls for, and
justice at once requires to be conceded to Linn To
render it one of greater harthhip, Major Mackay was
thirty years a subaltern, though he purchased his first
:And second lieutenancy. He has been upwards of 17
years a captain, of which he has been for the last six
years the senior in the regiment. He was 26 years
on foreign service, in the four quarters of the globe.
He was for five years a prisoner of war in France,
having bad to surrender to a superior force in Calabria,
in June, 1809, on which occasion his commander,
Ciptain Donald Mackay, was desperately wounded,
d his own captain (Hunter) killed. Dis-
heartened by the manner in which he has been
treated% by the legitimate service he depended on for
promotion, he has no alternative but to exhibit,
through the press, his unparelleled case of hardship,
after long and arduous services. A friend of Major
Nlackay's naturally indignant at the treatment he
has received, writes to us :—" I leave it to your su-
perior advocacy to bring it forward in whichever way
you deem advisable, and I am sure you will at once
convince the public of this unheard-of case of injustice.
I even question whether there is a sit-nilar
instance in the British army ; and I would add, that
in looking ever " Hart's Army List," I can find but
two exceptions to Major Mackay (Li:-nitenant-Colotel
Dennii, 3d Foot, and Lieutenant-Colonel Despard,
99th Foot, both effective Lieutenant-Colonels) in the
whole of the field officers of the line, whose commis-
sions bear date antecedent to his ; and the services cf
hie late father, Captain Robert Mackay, who served
with distinction for thirty-five years in the same
regiment, be borne in mind, as giving Brevet-
Major Maekay an additional claim to the notice of his
Grace the Commander-in-Chief."

Brevet-Major AI ickay entered the army as second.
lieutenant, by purchase, in the 21st Fusiliers, on the
24th July, 1802 ; reduced at the peace c f Amiens in
the same year; re-entered the 21it Fueiliers as second-
lieutenant cn the 16th October, 1805, without paying
the difference; was promoted as first-lieutenant, by
purchase, on the 30th June, 1808. He proceeded
with his regiment to Egypt, May 17, 1807, under the
command of Major-G-neral Mackenzie Fraser, and
returned with the army to Sicily, September
28th following; and from June 19, 1809, to July
14, 1814, was a prisoner of war in France. He
obtained his company, by purchase, in May, 1815.
Ia August, 1815, his company was cancelled through
family circumstances, but he was allowed to retain
his original position of lieutenant in the regiment,
ar,d served in America, the Netherlands, France, and
Jamaica with the 33d Regiment ; and from October
23, 1833, to 12th March, 1840, in Van Diemen'.
Lend with the 21st Fusiliers. He went on half-
pay in 1819 on account cf bad health, but returned
to full pay, as lieutenant, 33d R-giment, in Oc-
tober, 1821, repaying the difference. He was pro-
:noted to an unattached company July 27th, 1832,
without purchase ; removed to full pay in the 33 i
Itegiment August 10th, 1832; and exchanged to his old
regiment January 18th, 1833. He previously volun-
teered, when on leave, to accompany a draft under
Major Alexander James Ross, and embarked for the
United States of America to join the Ist battalion, and
commanded Captain Conran's (killed in action) come
play at the attack on the American lines before New
Orient a, January Bth, 1815, and served subsequent].)
with the army in France. Major Mackay ther
served from June sth, 1840, to February 18'h, 1847,
in the Bengal and Madras Presidencies, and oi.
November 9th, 1846, was promoted as brevet-major.
We feel confident that the above enumeration 01
Brevet-Major Mackay's services will speak more elo-
quently iu his behalf, and plead his cause far more
tfrectually, than all the words we could pen upon a
case of such unparalleled neglect, and cold and
withering injustice.
In contrast to the neglect of Major Mackay, we
take the following announcements from Gazettes
immediately preceding :—" Brevet-Major Hamerton
is brought in. from half-pay to full, in the 9th Foot,
and allowed to sell his commissions ;" but re-ap-
pears at the bottom of the same Gazette as lieu-
tenant-colonel by brevet. A still more glaring
case of favouritism is the following :—" The Hon.
Captain Cust, from half-pay, 3d Dragoon Guards, is
brought into full pay as Captain into the 22d Foot,"
sells his commissions, and at the bottom of the very
same Gazette he appears, first as " major by brevet,"
and then as " lieutenant-colonel by brevet." This is
promotion with most comfortable rapidity indeed !

RAILWAY SHARE MARKETS.
BRISTOL, JAN. 19.
STOCK EXCIIANGE,—The market was firm to-day, and
no alteration in prices.
LIVERFOOL, JAN. 19.
STOCK EXCHANGE.—The market has been very firm to-
day, and prices had an upward tendency. The transactions
were as follow : East Lancashire, 12!/x—Lancashire and
Yorkshire, Conscl. Fifths, 7 dis. —Ditto, 321. Shares, 9 dis.—
Lond,n and North-Western, 1161,i—Ditto, New Quarters,
13,; p.—Ditto, Quarters (C), 16s. 3d. p.— Midland, 45
Ditto, Halves, 2233, dis.—Ditto (Erewash Valley), CO%
South-Eastern and Dover (No. 4), 63A—York, Newcastle,
and Berwick (G. N. E. Purchase), 6 per cent. till 1850,
dis.
MANCHESTER, JAN. 19.
STOCK EXCIIANGE.—The transactions to-day were as
follow :—East Lancashire, 12'4—Ditto, Preference, 7%---
Leeds, Fifths, 71A dis. Preston and Wyre, 42—London
Stock, 1164—Manchester and Birmingham, Quarters (C),
p.—Sheffield (No. 1), 9—Ditto, Preference, 8 9.16
North Staffordshire, 9 11-16 dis. —Dover (No. 4), 63%.
BIRMINGHAM, JAN. 19.
STOCK EICHANGE.—There was little business done to-
(lay, but prices were much the same tt§ last quotations.
Midland, Birminghan, and Bristol, 6 per cent., were done at
125 ex in.