The Sun.
London, England, 1868-02-14 00:00:00

NAVAL AND

Admiralty orders have been received at i Ports-
mouth Dockyard for the repairs and outfit o f the
several armoured frigates now in hand at that port
to be hurried forward as rapidly as the resourc es of
the yard will permit. It is understood that the
Channel Fleet, under the command of R ear-
Admiral F. Warden, C. 8., will, on entering upon
its summer cruise, proceed to Gibraltar, where it
will join the Mediterranean Fleet, under the con i-
mand of Lord Clarence Paget, the united squadro. as

afterwards participating in a series of important
manoeuvres under steam and sail, separately and
combined, under the direction and supervision of

his Lordship.
The Bullfinch, first-class twin screw gun-v essel,
built under the shed in No. 2 Dock of Shee mess

Dockyard, was floated into the basin yesterday.
The ship is sister to the Magpie, launched from
Portsmouth Dockyard on Wednesday, and is, one
of 11 vessels of the same description now being
built or refitted in the various Government dock-

yards. She is built of wood, but is strengt;nened
between decks with iron beams, and has been. con-
structed from the designs of Mr. E. J. Reed, Chief
Constructor of the Navy. The engines of the ship
will be made by Messrs. Rennie and Co., of Lon-
don, and will be of 160 horse power, nominal, driv.
ing two propellers of the Mangin pattern. The ship
was floated on Wednesday afternoon, and prepared
for the ceremony yesterday. She will carry three
guns—one 6f-ton, and two 40-pounder guns, all
made so as to act as broadside guns. Precisely at
half-past one o'clock Miss M. Hall, daughter of
Capt. W. K. Hall, C. 8., superintendent of Sheer-
ness dockyard, broke the usual bottle of wine and
wished success to the Bullfinch. A mallet and chisel

having been handed to Miss Hall, the rope detain
ing the vessel was severed, and the Bullfinch, drawn
by the labourers of the yard, slowly left her housing
for the great basin, where she will be refitted with
all possible despatch. A great number of naval and
military officers and ladies were present. The band
of the 13th Kent Artillery Volunteers performed
before and after the ceremony. At the time of
christening the ship drew forward 4ft. 8/in. and
aft 6ft. 10in. of water. The following are her di-
mensions:—Length between perpendiculars, 170 ft. ;
length of keel for tonnage, 151 ft. 711 in. ; breadth
extreme, 29ft. Oiin. ; breadth for tonnage,2Bft. Bin. ;
breadth, moulded, 28ft. 2in. ; depth of hold,
12ft. sin. ; burden in tons, 664 11-94. The keel
and framework of another vessel of the same dimen-
sions as the Bullfinch have been prepared, and the
ship will be got on with at once.
The hydraulic propelled gun-vessel Waterwitch,
Commander P. Sharp, having been completed in
alterations and repairs at Portsmouth, has been
put through trials of her machinery and speed prior
to'sailing on a competitive Channel cruise, with the
twin screw gun vessel Viper. The trial of the ship's
engines took place with highly satisfactory results
on Saturday last off Spithead, Mr. John Dudgeon,
the head of the firm who manufactured the engines
for the Admiralty, being present. On Wednesday
the ship made her trial of speed over the measured
mile in Stoke's Bay, her draught of water being
lift. 2in. forward, and lift. gin. aft, or a mean
draught of llft. slin. The mean of six runs over
the mile with full boiler power gave the ship a
speed of 8.880 knots per hour, with an indicated
power by the engines of 785 horse. Four runs with
half-boiler power gave the, ship a speed of seven
knots per hour, with an indicated power by the en-
gines of 370 horse. The engines fully sustained
their reputation for development of power, smooth-
ness of motion, and general efficiency. Any further
trials of speed made with the ship should be
made with experimental alterations in the blades of
the turbine or water wheel, or in the trial of a dif-
ferent form of wheel. The engines of the ship, as
the driving power of the wheel,
are perfect.
The following appointments were made yester-
day at the Admiralty :—Lieut. Frederick Walter,
Lieut. John S: Brome, and Lieut. Harry T. Gren-
fell, to the Bristol ; Lieut. William Dutby, to the
Simoom ; Edward D. Herbert, paymaster, to the
Bristol ; Charles Leigh, paymaster, to the Bristol,
additional, for special service with naval cadets ; N.
J. Beale, assist.-paymaster, to the Bristol, and W.
H. Rae, clerk, to the Bristol.

RAILWAY AND 02 HEIR COMPANIES.

CALEDONIAN.

An extraordinary general meeting of this com-
pany was held at Glasgow yesterday ; Colonel
Salkeld, the chairman, presided. About 1,000
shareholders were present.
The CHAIRMAN said the meeting was called to re-
ceive the report of the committee appointed at the
meeting on the 29th nit., to consider the question
of dealing with the accounts of the company in
future, and to propose a partial or total retirement
of the directors. He regretted that the committee
had ignored the most important question sub-
mitted to them, that of dealing with the accounts,
me a hoped
and h
thatHe was
the
sorrymeetingthat would finally settle
that
six directors bad
that day resigned, because he would give a pledge
a tt matter.
not to use the proxies in electing new directors in
room of those retiring by the recommendation of
the committee.

Mr. JAMES HonEn, chairman of the Share-
holders' Committee, moved the adoption of a reso-
lution recommending thatt the committee be in-
structed to frame a scheme for the reconstruction of
the board, and that the scheme be considered at a
meeting to be held on the 26th inst. ; the com-
mittee to have power to issue proxies.
Mr. J. MILLER, of Edinburgh, moved an amend-
ment to the effect that the committee had not car-
ried out the terms of their remit, and had pursued
an unwarranted, dictatorial course as to retirement
and election of the directors, and therefore that their
report be not approved.
The motion of Mr. Hozier was carried by a large

majority.
The CHAIRMAN moved that the recommendation
of the directors in the circular of the 6th of Feb-
ruary with reference to the mode of dealing with
the accounts be adopted.
The resolution was negatived.
Several other resolutions were proposed but not
put. Among them one asked the chairman to re-
sign, another that he should be superseded in the
chair by Mr. Hozier.
Colonel MullE, one of the directors who resigned
on the question of using proxies, charged the chair-
man with breach of faith in that matter, which the
chairman denied.
The meeting throughout was very noisy, and
much feeling was shown against and in favour of
the directors.
The Chairman and Mr. Miller demanded a poll
on their motions, which was granted. The result
Mr. HOZIER against
will
A bepr
oannounced
e not
enr'erdu e sbda y next.
y
the directors using proxies, which were alleged to
have been obtained by misrepresentation.

NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE.
Yesterday the half-yearly meeting of this com-
pany was held at the London Tavern--Col. Pear •
son in the chair.
The report, an abstract of which has appeared in
The Sun, was taken as read.
The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the
report, said it contained all that it was necessary to
place before the shareholders, bet there were some
facts to which he would allude. Theirs was one of
the largest mineral carrying
companies in the king-
dom as compared with the passengers carried, and
when the depression which had generally prevailed
in the mineral trade was considered, the company
might be congratulated on the manner in which it
had held its ground. The iron trade was exceed-
ingly buy in 1860, while during the last half year
the trade was in such a condition that one of the
largest establishments had stopped work, while
others were only on half work ; yet, notwith-
standing, the iron ore carried during the last
year had exceeded by 23 per cent. that carried in
the flourishing year of 1860.
Then, too, the coal
traffic had increased by 57 per cent., and he need
not tell them that had the iron trade been in a
good condition the coal carried would have greatly
increased, He them referred to the pottery car -