The Sun.
London, England, 1844-12-21 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

PORTSMOUTH, DEC. 19.—The commissioning of eleven
men-of-war—Superb, 80 ; Actaeon, 2G ; Racehorse, 18 ;
Persian, 16; Acorn, 16; and Ranger, 6, at Devonport ;
the Eagle, 50; Comus, 18; and Fantome, 16, et Chatham ;
the Amazon, 26, at Sheerness; and the Lily, 16, at
Portsmouth—is evidence that the Admiralty do not in-
tend to allow the force of the navy to be crippled in
future so dangerously as it has been hitherto ; and,
whilst we give them every credit for thus endeavouring
to sustain a suuud feature in the well-being of this
country, we cannot help pointing out acts of the grossest
injustice on the one hand, and the most evident par-
tiality on the other, towards individual ports. It is
tolerably well known that Admiral Sir George Cockburn,
first acting Lord of the Admirality, and Admiral Sir
Charles Rowley, Commander-in-Chief at Portsmouth,
are both rejected candidates for the representation of
Portsmouth in Parliament ; hence, it is said, the bitter
animosity which has ever been manifested towards
this unfortunate borough since the accession to office of
the two Admirals above-named ; one is merely the
double of the other, so that between the two, Ports-
mouth shares but little in the distribution of
prizes from the Admirality. A more striking
illustration of the feeling which is believed to pre-
vail, could not be well imagined than the circum-
stance of commissioning a squadron of ships at one
port, and only one small brig of 16 guns at another, the
chief naval depot in the world, at a time too when there
are plenty of seamen knocking about the glace, and
plenty of ships of almost every class in the harbour
ready for the pendant. Ever since Sir Charles llowley's
appointment to the chief command of this port have the
inhabitants suffered most bitterly for their faith in and
the performance of their promises towards that officer.
He will not buy an article for the personal consumption
of himself and household in or near the spot where floats
his flag; but sends his tender to Jersey, Guernsey, and
the London markets for provisions for his table and esta-
blishment. This is a fact so glaring as scarcely to
insure belief, but it nevertheless is a public fact, and one
the truth of which every week, nay, almost every day,
furnishes fresh illustrations of. It is said that Sir
George declared that the people of Portsmouth would
rue the day they returned him to his own seat instead of
a seat in the House of Commons, and dearly has his
anticipation been performed. The commission of the
Lily brig seems conferred as a sop in the pan to the
hungry people of Portsmouth, and as if in very shame
for the degradations heaped upon them. The insult ap-
pears more remarkable when we consider that at the
present moment there 'is not a craft at Spithead, nor
one in the harbour with guns on board, except the Vic-
tory with her saluting complement, and the Syren, 16
(dismantling prior to paying off), and not a war-steamer
in the port Such is the manner in which Portsmouth
is treated by the Admiralty !
The Dwarf, steam tender to the Royal yacht, Com-
mander Chamberlain, left the harbour yesterday, and
steamed out to Southsea Castle and back several times,
to try her rate of speed. She went without her figure-
head.

The Lily, 16, was brought down from her moorings
among the ordinary, on Tuesday, alongside the dock-
yard, for commission, by Commander C. J. F. Newton

838).

The Emerald, tender, returned to-day from the relief
of the wind-bound merchantmen in the chops of the
Channel.

DEVONPORT, DEc. 19.—The Actaeon, 26, Racehorse,
18, Acorn, 16, Persian, 16, and Ranger, 6, have been
brought alongside the jetty for docking, prior to com-
mission by the following otficers:—Capt. George Mansel
(1840). to the Actaeon ; Commander G. I. Hay (1828),
to the Racehorse ; Commander H. Coryton (1841), to
the Persian ; Commander J. E. Bingham (1841), to the
Acorn ; Commander J. Anderson (1841), to the Ranger.
These vessels, together with the Superb, 80, require
1,400 men to man them.
The Wellesley, 72, is ordered to be brought forward
as an advance-ship.
The Savage, 10, Commander Bowker, recently arrived
from Gibraltar, is in Hamoaze dismantling, preparatory
to being paid off.
The Dredalus, 20, Captain M`Quhae, sailed on Sunday
for New Zealand. .

.....
The Tartarus steam- vessel, Captain Wolfe, was paid
advance yesterday, and sailed for Cork, to resume her
surveying operations.
The Cruiser, 16, Commander Fanshawe; Osprey, 12,
Commander Patten ; and Espiegle, 12, Commander
Thompson, are fitting for service on the China station.
The Firebrand steam-frigate, Captain Hope, and the
Waterwitch, 8, Commander Birch, were ducked on Wed-
nesday to refit.
The Albion, 90, Captain Lockyer, arrived from the
Tagus on Monday. She is ordered into harbour to refit.
It is expected she will be put out of commission, and her,
crew transferred to another line-of-battle ship ; the late
trial sailing with the St. Vincent, Caledonia, and Queen,
having proved her to be almost useless in a heavy sea,
her rolling propensities preventing her lower deck guns
being of any &cry:ice.
The Daring, 12, Commander Matson, was docked on
Friday, when the cause of her leaking was discovered to
arise from a plank. on the starboard side, near the keel
forward, having split.
WooLwicH, DEC. 20.—The Rattler steam-vessel was
commissioned last week by Commander Henry Smith
(1), and Lhe ii, havc been ,it!e,,
made for service in that vessel :—Lieutenant E. B. Rice
(1844), Lieutenant William Robertson (1840), and sub•
sequently Lieutenant H. D. Blanckley (1844), vice Rice,
whose appointment has been cancelled; W. H. T. Green


•.

(1844), to be master ; R. J. B. Chambers (1844), to be
surgeon ; and J. D. Cronin, to be acting assistant sur-
geon ; J. R. Tate, to be purser and paymaster ; and,
subsequently, Frederick Mundy, to be purser and pay-
master, vice Tate, whose appointment has been can-
celled ; Richard Brown, boatswain ; Robert Hall, car-
penter ; Thomas Johnson, gunner (acting); and F. W.
Raey, master's assistant.

Tile Scourge, first-class steam-sloop, of 1,124 tons,
built at Portsmo:ith, was brought round to Woolwich
on Saturday last, and taken into the basin on Wednes-
day, to be fitted with engines of 420-horse power by
Messrs. Maudslay and Field.
The Comet steam-vessel, Lieutenant-Commander
Prettyman, left Woolwich yesterday, having come round
with the Scourge, and towed a tank-vessel to Chatham
Dockyard, and at the same time conveyed a party of
boiler-makers to rivet the wheels of the Janus steam-
vessel.

The Black Eagle steam-vessel, Master-Commander S.
B. Cook, returned to Woolwich yesterday from Ostend,
havinelanded safely their Royal Highnesses the Duke
and Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and the mem-
bers of their suite.

Lieutenants Davis and Spratt, 1 sergeant, 2 corporals,
1 drummer, and 50 privates of the Woolwich division of
the Royal Marines, proceed to Chatham to-morrow, to
join the detachment from that division selected for t‘er-
vice in the Superb, 80-gun ship, commissioned at Ply-
mouth by Captain Corry, C.B. . .. . .

One corporal and 18 Privates of the Woolwich division
are to embark at Woolwich Dockyard to-morrow, for
service in the Rattler steam-vessel.

One sergeant, 1 corporal, and 10 privates, having a
knowledge of mechanical trades, are to embark in a
transport-vessel at Deptford to-morrow, for Ascension,
where they are to be stationed.
CHATHAM, DEC. 20.—The Fantome, 16 guns, has had
her masts put in place, and was commissioned on Wed-
nesday, the 18th instant, by Commander Sir W. E.
Nicholson.

The Comus, 20 guns, was commissioned on Wednes-
day, the 18th instant, by Commander T. S. Thompson.
The Comus and Fantome will be taken into dock, to be
cleansed from the vegetable matter adhering to their
bottoms owing to their lying so long in the river.
The Eagle, 50 guns, Captain G. B. Martin, is fitting
for sea; she is expected to be put out of dock next week.
The Queen, 110 guns, at Sheerness, after b. ing paid
off, is to be taken into dock, to undergo some alterations.
The Janus steam vessel is in dock ; the engineers are
on board, engaged fitting her engines.
Lieutenant Henry Eden, whose commission bears date
the 15th of February, 1827, is appointed to the Eagle ;
and Lieutenant T. E. L. Moore, whose commission bears
date the 4th of October, 1843, is appointed to the Comus.
Mr. W. Baker, who was for many years deli, in the
Master-Attendant's office, in Chatham Dockyard, died
yesterday, at the advanced age of seventy-eight.