The Sun.
London, England, 1810-06-01 00:00:00

NAVAL NEWS

PLYMOUT/i,- MAY 30.—Arrived the sloop Aciit;e,
Captain BENJAMIN STOKES, from Morlaix, with
Mr. DICKINSON, who is gone off for London with
dispatches ; Donor @TEAM:JEN also came over in
her.

Sailed his Majesty's ship Favourite on a cruize;
the Times, JOHNS, and King Harry, SALTER, for
Lisbon.

Arrived the Hero, STRAWTEN, from Dundee ;
the ship Alexander, Ross, from Portsmouth ; and
the Rhin frigate from Basque Roads.

Sailed his Majesty's ships Milford for Basque
Roads ; Encounter and Cheerly to the Westward.
The Nottingham Regiment of Militia marched
in here this morning.

PORTSMOUTH, MAY a I.—Came in this day his
Majesty's ship Crane from the Downs.
Went into Harbour his Majesty's ship Steady to
undergo repair.

Arrived the Blackbird, JAMES, from Sunderland;
and the Unity, MONDAY, from London.
Sailed the May, ---, from Sunderland.

FALMOUTH, MAY 2g.—Sailed the Snake packet
for Gibraltar and Malta.

SHEERNESS, MAY 30.—Sailed his Majesty's sloop
Dauntless and her convoy; his Majesty's sloop Ere-
bus, and his Majesty's brig Redpole.
Arrived his Majesty's brig Starling.
Sailed his Majesty's Wig Cretan, Capt. PAYNE,
for the Downs.

SIR RICIIdIIP BICKER7'ON.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR,

The .acrimony against every thing which proceeds
I from his-Majesty's present Ministers, is so predomi-
nant a feature in the Morning Chronicle, that we
are sure to find whatever is done by them made the
object of the severest attack and censure. This is
perhaps excusable in a newspaper s 6 inveterately de-
voted to party purposes; but still truth, and a small
portion - of regard to the characters and feelings of
individuals, ought to be infused into the Philippics-
in which the Editor so frequently indUlges himself.'
I am led to these reflections from the perusal of a
paragraph in the above print about a week ago, in
which, for the purpose of founding a censure on
Ministers for their appointment of Sir li. BICKER-
TON to the rank of Major-General of Marines, it is
asserted that more deserving officers (such as had
spent their lives in the service) might have been
found for
-this mark of .his Majesty's favour, than
one who had never teen in ac ion in his lije.
. Now, Sir, without entering into comparisons be-
tween the respective mei. sot Admiral BICK0:11TON,
and the other gallant Admirals, with whom, thank
heaven, oar naval service is adorned, I may be al.
lowed to state, that this assertion in the Morning
Chronicle is either a wilful perversion of the case, or
displays much ignorance of our naval annals preced-
it% the present w:ir. So tar from never having been in
action, Sir R. BICKERTON, when a Lieutenant, was
wounded in a gallant action fought by the Jupiter.
For his bravery on this occasion he was made;
and in the great vidory gained by the immortal
RODNEY, he commanded a line-or-batle ship (1 be-
lieve the implacable), and obtained his lull share of
the glories of that splendid day.
It is true that, during the present war, Sir Melt-
Aan has.nar had the good fortune to meet the enemy,
whose sculkiug in port affords Our brave tars but
few opportunities of giving him battle; but he has
been afloat in the Mediterranean during the whole
war and both peaces; and shares with Lord Cot.-
LINGWOOD that species of merit which a life devoted
to the service of nis country, in the arduous duly of
blockading the French fleets, has so deservedly °b-
lamed. In this severe duty Sir RICH. BICKERTON
remained till his health
,was so-much impaired as to
leave his life, for a length of time, in 3 very preca-
rious state; nor has he yet fully recovered.
Were I to add any thing to this refutation of an
unfounded calumny, it would be to refer the Writer
of the Morning Chronicle to the refusal of Lord NEL-
SONIO accept the honours offered him by the City of
London, because his gallant and excellent friend and
coadjutor, Sir R. BICKERTON, waslint included in the
vote. The opinion of NELSON is itself the stamp of
merit, and when it is kno*n that' no man in the
navy stodd higher in his estimation, as an officer,and
a friend, than Sir R. BICKERTON, I trust au ae-
knowledgment of his error in the same Paper, will
shew that the Writer of this paragraph loves justice
as much as abuse.

I beg pardon Sir, for occupying so much of your
lime, but totally unknown to the gallant Admiral
whose cause I have advocated, my obje& has bL en
solely to rescue a most meritorious charaaer from
❑njust obloquy, having observed that no contradic-
tion of the slander appeared in any other News-
pape-r. •

I am, Sir,
your obedient servant,
A FRIEND TO THE NAVY.

The British Navy,' up to this day, consists of
1118 ships of different descriptions, of which 834
are in commission, and of which 152 are ships of
the line.
The Right Honourable the Earl of LIVERPOOL
held a Court of Lieutenancy for the Cinque Ports
on Saturday last, 'at Dover Castle, when the
quotas of the several towns and their numbers,
for the Local Militia, were definitively fixed, and
the draft, it is expeaed, will immediately take
place: The towns of Deal and Folkstone are ex-
empted from the draft in consequence of the very
effective state of the Volunteer Artillery Comp-
nie; belonging to-those places, which, much to the
credit of their Officers, have been kept up on so
respe&able a tooting, solely by their exertions, dur-
ing the almost general decay of the system through
the other parts of the ports.