The Sun.
London, England, 1845-08-30 00:00:00

NAVAL IN TELT, IGEN CE.

RETURNS CALLED FOR BY LORD INGESTRE
AND SIR CHARLES NAPIER.

The returns called for by Lord Intestre and Sir Charles
Napier, of various particulars connected with the construction,
comparative expense, and capacity of various ships of war, have
just been promulgated ; but are, strange to say, wholly un-
authenticated by the name of any public officer whatever.
Excepting, therefore, that they contain misstatements of the
most flagrant description, intended to account for and excuse
the gross blunders and jobbing of the Navy Office, we should
have been at a loss to conceive with what department they
could have originated. It will, however, be seen that whilst
they enormously understate the expense of the surveyor's
ships, and of their repair, they as grossly exaggerate the cost of
the ships of other constructors. We believe we may safely
affirm that details more deliberately intended to mislead than
these returns have never issued from any department of the
public service. Not only are the expenses of the construction
and repair of the ships of the Surveyor of the Navy very in-
correctly stated, but remarks are introduced, designed to ac-
ct.unt for the immense sums which have been squandered upon
them, which are far more applicable to the cases of rival ships which
have been produced at an infinitely smaller cost, although the price
of materials and labour when they were built was 40 per cent.
more than they are now. As, however, we propose to examine
these returns seriatim hereafter, we shall content ourselves for
the present with pointing out the following sample of the dis-
honesty of the details of which they are composed. Among
the many fine vessels of war which have been broken up at the
suggestion of Sir William Symonds because they were—like
the Barham—formidable rivals to his own productions, may
be mentioned the Tremendous. Tjais ship was surveyed in
1843, when the expense of repairing her was estimated at
31,9871., and but for the interference of Sir George Cockburi.,
she would actually have been broken up. A new survey of her
having been ordered, however, it was estimated that, at the cost
of 20,000/., she might be converted into a fifty-gun frigate, but
at a cost of half that sum she has been rendered one of the
finest ships of that class in the service. It is to be hoped that
the Admiralty will institute a rigid inquiry into the statements
of which these returns are ,composed, and put a stop to the
further concoction of such replies to the inquiries of the House
of Commons.

THE " BLOCK" Snirs.—Our daily contemporaries, misled
by a paragraph in an obscure weekly newspaper, have an-
nounced that it is the intention of the Admiralty to convert
sixteen line-of-battle ships, and ten frigates, into what they
absurdly denominate " block ships," and one morning journal
even goes st, far as to take credit for having advised the Board
to that which they decided u'on doing, so soon as the failure of
the experiment in the Penelope had been fully ascertained, and
the " advanced ships" had been completed. The Admiralty,
however, have not yet defined their plan, and it is premature
at this moment to say anything on the subject. But this mach
may be stated : the Admiralty have solicited from several engineer-
ing firms particulars respecting machinery, such as weight of
engines, the space they will occupy, and the power requisite
to propel a hoe-of-battle ship, and also a frigate, with given
armaments and a prescribed quantity of stores on board, at a
certain speed. On being furnished with those data, it is most
probable their Lordships will select, perhaps, six old line-of-
battle ships and half a dozen frigates as port guard ships, and
will then call for tenders for the screw machinery for them.
The port guard ships when finished will be jury rigged, heavily
aimed, and will then have complements of officers and men as-
signed to them. One reason for converting old ships to this
purpose is, that they can be fitted in one-fourth less time than
it will take to build new ships, ani they will be applying them
to some useful purpose. We believe the only other step taken
beyond asking the information of the engineers is merely
that of having instructed the Surveyor of the Navy to propose
one of the smallest class line-of-battle ships and one of the
second or third class frigates for each port.—Herald.
Admiral Sir George Cockburn, Captain the Hon. William
Gordon, and the Hon. H. T. L. Corry, the Secretary, have
returned to the Admiralty, from their annual visit of inspection
to Pembroke Dockyard.
THE RETIREMENT.—The list of captains who have notified
their desire to accept of the proposed retirement now amounts
to about 140, including four holding good-service pensions and
eight Companions of the Bath.
THE COMMAND-IN-CHIEF AT PORTSMOUTH.—There is
no longer any doubt that the declining health of the Gallant
and much-respected Admiral, Sir Charles Rowley, Bart., will
occasion his speedy retirement from the command-in-chief at
Portsmouth ; and it is very probable that Admiral of the Blue,
Sir Charles Ogle Bart., will be appointed to succeed Sir
Charles Rowley in the course of next month. The latter Gal-
lant Officer is at present residing at Brighton. He was ap.
pointed to the Portsmouth command in December, 1842. It is
generally believed that Captain Sir Richard Grant will be the
flag captain, and that the present respected Secretary, Richard
Haigh, Esq., will continue in that office on the appointment of
the new port admiral.
THE NEW IRON STEAM-SLOG. MEG.SRA.—The contract
for building the Megwra first class steam-sloop, of 1,297 tons, to
have engines of 560-borse power, and to be propelled by the
screw, by Messrs. Fairburn and Son, of Millwall, has been
completed, and the vessel is to be built with the greatest
dispatch.
THE PEGASUS IRON STEAM-SLOOF.—Messrs. Scott and
Sinclair's contract for building the Pegasus, second class steam-
sloop, to be propelled by the screw, of 1,280 tons, to have en-
gines of 560-horse power, has been signed.

PROMOTIONS AND APPOINTMENTS.
THE HEROINE COMMISSIONED.-Commander Charles Ed-
monds (1841), has been appointed to command the Heroine, 6,
brig, refitted at Devonport, for further service on the coast of
Africa. He was a lieutenant twelve years, and was promoted
when first lieutenant of the Curacoa.

Commander Joseph Martin Mottley (1843), was yesterday
appointed to the President, 50, flag-ship of Rear Admiral
Dacres.

Lieutenant Francis Philip Egerton (1836). first of the Agin-
court, 72, was appointed by Rear- Admiral Sir T. Cochrane,
the Commander-in-Chief of China and the East Indies, to the
command of the Hazard, 18, sloop, vacant by the death of
Commander Bell. The Admiralty hare promoted Lieutenant
Egerton to the rank of commander, and have confirmed his
appointment. The gallant commander of the Hazard, David
Robertson, who, as First Lieutenant, assumed the command of
the Hazard, but since promoted for his conduct in the affair at
New Zealand, will be invalided.

Lieutenants F. Marten (1844), to the President; Macleod
Cockraft (1844), to the Excellent ; H. Haswell, on pro.
motion, to the Vernon.
Master James T. Russell (1837), to the President.
Surgeon William H. B. Jones, M.D. (1837), to the President.
Mr. John Edwards, surgeon, of 1809, of the William and
Mary yacht, has been placed on the retired list, creating a
vacancy in that vessel.
Chaplain and Naval Instructor, the Rev. Arthur Browne
(1841), to the Crocodile (not yet joined).
Paymaster and Purser William Benge Basden (1805), from
the packet service at Dover, to the President.
Mates S. H. Henderson, and T. B. Hannam, to the Excel-
lent ; W. H. Connolly, from the Comet.
Second Master W. C. Payne, to the President.
Assistant Surgeons, James Rae (b 1841), to the Meteor ;
J. 1. W. Roberts 1835), and John Corkin (1841), to the Pre.
sident.

Naval Cadets C. Montagu and T. Bishop, to the President.
Master's Assistants Bunett and Williamson, to the Presi-
dent.

Carpenter James Pink, from the Victory to the Excellent.
Lieutenants John M. D. Smith, first of the Penelope steam-
frigate, and Augustus C. May, first of the Larne sloop, have
arrived home invalided from the coast of Africa.

Mr. Peter Cullen, surgeon of 1793, on the retired list, died
at Sheerness on the 23d instant, aged 76. Mr. Cullen had a
pension of 801. per annum as retired surgeon of colivicts.

COWES, ISLE OF WIGHT.
(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
COWES, AuG. 19.
YACHT SQUADRON INTELLIGENCE.

In the absence of the yachts of the squadron to Plymouth and
the Western Ports, the spirit has been kept up by the Earl of
Fitzhardinge, that liberal patron of aquatics ; on Saturday
last he gave a Silver Cup of fifty guineas value, to be sailed for
by four yachts—the St. Margaret, Jilt, Sea Flower, and Agi-
noria. After a very spirited contest it was won by the Jilt.
On Monday he gave another Cup, which was sailed for by
the three first-named cutters, and the lugger Rachael, belong-
ing to Lord Albert Cunningham; it was won by the Sea Flower,
T. Milner Gibson, Esq., beating the Jilt by two.and-a-half
minutes.

The yachts of the Royal Yacht Squadron are expected back
to-morrow ; it is much to be lamented that the squadron does
not amount to double its present numbers, and we have no
doubt but it would, but for objection of many to the present
mode of election : it often happens that ten members cannot
be brought to the Royal Yacht Society House in time for the
ballot, without great difficulty, yet should there be one black
sheep amongst them, whose crooked temper should prompt him
to throw in a black ball, the most honourable and spirited noble-
man in the kingdom might be prevented becoming a member
of this national club, which, instead of numbering only 9,000
seamen, ought to count double that number. Rumour says
that their highly respected secretary has tendered his resigna-
tion ;we hope this is not correct—if it is, it is the most serious
circumstance that has occurred to it for many years.
The Earl and Countess of Wilton have left Clift House for
the season ; Col. and Mr. Anson and family from Gothic
Villa ; the Duke and Duchess of Beaufort sad the Ladies
Somerset from Trafalgar House, and No. I, Castle-terrace.
On Saturday Lord and Lady Dillon leave Adelaide Villa. On
Sunday Lord Fitzhardings leaves the South-parade for Berkeley
Castle. On Monday Sir H. Hoghton leaves Bath-buildings.
THE HARVEST.—There never could be more splendid wea-
ther nor finer crops ; there certainly has been nothing near it
for the last ten years of;wheat, barley, and oats. On potatoes
there is an unfortunate blight which has entirely destroyed
the entire crop in many places ; this extends to other parts of
the country. Letters from Belgium describe it as having very
serious effects there.