The Sun.
London, England, 1850-04-18 00:00:00

brethren, may shortly have to appear and hear judt.
ment pronounced, is the very earnest wish of,
Sir, your obedient servant,
A FRIEND TO COMMON SENSE.
April 15, 1850.

REWARDS TO FIREMEN.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR,—As you have ever been ready to assist the
working classes, may I be allowed most respectfully
to solicit a corner in your wide spread journal rela-
tive to Rewards to Firemen, a deputation concerning
which waited on Mr. Cornwall Lewis at the Home-
office a few days ago.
As one of the London firemen, I thank you on
behalf of my fellow-servants and myself for the praise
you have often bestowed on us in your journal, and
it will always he our anxious wish to merit the same,
thus showing that the public are satisfied with out
services.

Relative to the fire rewards granted under the 14th
George the Third, viz , 301. for the first engine, 20s.
for the second, and 103. for the third engiuo, as also
103. fur the first turncock, the public will be sur-
prised to hear that very seldom more than half,
and sometimes not one-third of those rewards are
paid us; and, in fact, one-twelfth only liberally
awarded by
James
parish, that of St. Anne's, Sohe; and
from St. ames%4, Westminster, the most wealthy at
the West-end, the rewards vary from 21. 10s. to 16s.
for fires, and from 13s. to 163. for chimneys, and
these sums fur three engines and a turncock, to say
nothing for a dozln or more a&sistants, who demand
payment for assistance; and the consequence is, that
sometimes, from the vexatious feelings of some paro-
chial functionaries towards us, we are money out of
pocket. Therefore the public can judge of our in-
terest in such matters. Ihe parish of St. Pancras is
still lower, allowing only 18s. 61 for three engines and
turncock for fires, and 13s. 6d. for chimnies, and St.
Anne's, Soho, with 1-12th of the rewards.
Look to the parish of Marylebone, where they say
they have paid 3001. fire-rewards during the last five
years, but according to a return made from July 1 to
Dec. 31, 11148, it appears that the sum paid for rewards
during that period was 761. Bs., out of which sum
651. 41. had been repaid to the parish by persons in
whose houses those fires happened, thus leaving the
ratepayers in that extensive parish only 111.41. to
pay. Bermondsey parish paid 691., St. Pancras 231.,
and St. Luke 481. But these authorities do not say
how much they have returned them from church-
wardens' summonses for chimnies, &c.
When it is considered that one-third of the fires in
London have been occasioned through foul chiamies
—and I know from experience such to have been the
case—as also from carelessness in many other in-
stances where, was it not for the dread of engines and
firemen arriving, some would allow their chimnies to
burn out to the danger of their neighbours with im-
punity. Ido respectfully hope that you will allow
your readers to form their judgment of the propriety
of our rewards remaining in force, and settled as
allowed by law, without a compulsion of submitting
to the various caprices of parochial functionaries who,
in many instances, from the timely arrival of our
engines, are deprived of the premiums awarded in
case of fire.

As to foul chimnies being the cause of many de-
structive fires, I need only refer you to the cases of
the Thatched House Tavern, Islington, the Houses
of Parliament, the Tower, and an establishment at
the corner of Bond-street, Piccadilly, where unin-
sured property to the amount of 3,0001. was destroyed.
In fact, in nine cases out of ten, when fires happen,
not more than three out of every ten have been
known to be insured.

I trust, Sir, that I have shown the necessity of
these rewards, as they tend to teach the careless por-
tion of the community the duty they owe to their own
property as well as those of their neighbours.
I remain, Sir, on behalf of my fellow•servants and
myself, . _ _

A LONDON FIREMAN.

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

THE COURT-MARTIAL AT PORT ROYAL.

By private intelligence from Port Royal, Jamaica,
we learn that the Commarder-in. Chief, Tice-Admiral
the Earl of Dundonald, G.C.8., had arrived there in
his flag-ship, the Wellesley, 72, Captain Goldsmith,
with the Plumper, 12, screw-sloop, Commander Mat-
thew Nolloth, and remained there on the 18th ult.,
with the Imaum, depot ships, Commodore Bennett ;
Trincomalee, 25, Captain Warren; Helena, 16, Com-
modore De Courcy ; Sappho, 12, Acting Commander
A. Cochrane ; Persian, 12, Commander A. G. Bull-
man ; and Vixen, 6, steam-sloop, Commander Jenner.
The court-martial on Commander Mitchell and the
officers of the Sappho, on account of that vessel getting
ashore at Beliz4 had been held, and the result was
the commander was sentenced to be dismissed the
ship ; Lieut. Malcolm was sentenced to be admo-
nished for not having kept the lead going; and the
acting-muster, Mr. Gilpin, second roaster of 1847,
was sentenced to be admonished, and to be reduced
to the rank of master's assistant, and to serve in that
capacity for two years before he will be deemed eli-
gible for promotion.
The Commander-in-Chief has appointed his fi tg
lieutenant and son, the lion. A. A . Cochrane (1845)
acting commander of the Sappho, vice Mitchell dis-
missed.

APPOINTMENT!.
Commander—Walter Reid (1846), to the Imaum,
depot ship, pendent of Commodore Bennett, at
Jamaica, vice I'Vorsfolil invalided.

Lieutenant— George J. Malcolm (1849), from the
Sappho, 12, to Wellesley„ 72, flag-ship, West Indic.Masters—Edward J. P. Pearl, (1827), from com-
mand of the Athol, troop-ship, to be master attendant
of Deptford Victualling-yard, vice Morice, promoted
to the retired list of commanders ; Manser Bradshaw
(1824), formerly in command of the Alban steam-
transport, to command the Resistance, troop-frigate,
at Sheerness.

Second Masters—George R. Morrison (1845), John
C. SoMeet (1847), and J. W. M. Burnett (1849), to
the Resistance.

Assistant-Surgeons—James M. E. Wallace (acting,
Jan. 27, 1849), re-appointed to the Wellesley, flag-
ship, East Indies, on confirmation in rank ; Dr.
Francis C. Sibbald (acting, Dec. 31, 1846), con-
firmed in Adelaide, tender, at Sierra Leone ; Thomas
W. Rimell (1844), to the Wellington, depot-ship,
Sheerness ordinary.
Clerks—John Retallick (1844), in charge to the
Columbia, surveying-steamer, Bay of Fundy, vice
Phillipps, promoted ; J. E. Tiery, to the Resistance.
Midshipman—Douglas Walker, to the Excellent
gunnery-ship.
Master'asAssistant—C. T. Renny, to the Fisgard,
flag-ship at Woolwich.
Naval Cadet—Nathaniel C. Barton, to the Superb,
80, at Devonport
CAPTAIN AUSTIN'S ARCTIC EXPEDITION.
Lieutenant-General Sir 'Thomas Downman,
K.C.11., Colonel• Commandant, and the officers of the
Artillery at Woolwich, will entertain Captain H. J.
Austin, C. 13., Captain Ommanney, and the c fficers of
the Arctic Expedition at the Artillery mess on Mon-
day next.
The squadron is fast progressing towards completion.
All the provisions are on board, with the exception of
the four months supply, which is to be taken on board
from the hired transport Emma Eugenia at the Whale
Fish Islands.

- The Marquis of Westminster and other noblemen
and persons of distinction have visited the ships. As
there is nothing, however, very peculiar or very
striking to be seen on board, and as the interest is
more in the perilous enterprise on which the officers
and men are engaged than in the ships that will con-
vey them to the Arctic regions, it is very desirable that
the crews should not be interrupted or the work of
completion retarded by swarms of visitors running
over the ships.
Ajax, screw two-decker, is alongside the Vic-
torious hulk, off Portsmouth Dockyard. She is not
yet commissioned for the flag-ship at Queenstown.
Alert, 8, Commander Dunlop, was paid off at De-
vonport on Tuesday.
Bulldog, sloop-steamer, Commander A. C. Key,ds..
wasi
paid off at Portsmouth on Tuesday. *She was
masted and taken into the steam basin. 4
dock
at
Cygnet, 8, has been taken into NO.
Devonport, to be repaired.
ol ersess,
osec screw-frigate,
boardw -fr iagta
pt eo,
takDinagunstt
coaling, and it is said will be co
is nearly rigged, and is
Devastation, steam-sloop, is nen:amrlTssriiogngeeddt.o.dSahye
ais
t
Portsmouth.
Encounter, 12, screw-corvdertoten, CofaptexGeororidsoen,.joinhed
Commodore Martin's sqna in t
Tagus on the Bth, after a long and boisterous passage
from 6, steam-sloop, Commander Brown,
Spith.
was in
sGimeYoseadrt
ne's Bay, Cape of Good Hope, Feb. 24.
She returned from Dasscn island on the 18th, with
pa,„.nger3 and part of the crew of tho wrecked ship,
'etlilde Harold. Mr. and Mrs. Jackson and child,
Mr. Waller and two servants, Mr. Minde, chief
officer, Mr. Hawkins, surgeon, and fifteen of the
crew. The hull is bilged, but not broken up.
Griffon, 3, brigantine, Lieutenant• Commander
Thurburn, was also paid off at Portitnouth on Tues-
day, and disinasted, and has been taken into the old
ba,in, to be fitted up fur apprentices' exercising brig
at Cork.

Ilatnoaze, lighter, Wood, master, arrived at De-
vonoort o❑ Tuesday, with stores from Pembroke.
Recruit, 12, gun iron brig, sold some months back
to Mare and Cc., of Blackwall, was towed down to
Southampton, from Portsmouth yesterday, by one of
the Southampton tug steamers.
Sea Lark, 8, Commander Monypenny, arrived off
Ascension, March 7, on her way to England, to be
paid off.
Sharpshooter, screw schooner, Lieutenant-Com-
mander Bailey, had her defects completed at Deuoa•
port, on Tuesday evening.