The Sun. — 1840-02-27 (London, England)

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.  (From the Brighton Gazette.) PORTSMOUTH, —The following steam-vessels, Vesuvius, Stromboli, and Hecate, will be commissioned shortly in the River, with the Scout, 19, and Pelican, 16. The troop ship Jupiter. 30, commanded by Mr. Fulton, Master, was in Simon's Bay, Cape of Good Hope, on the 12th December, having arrived there on the preceding day from Trincomalee, with the Gist Regiment on board. Her arrival, therefore, is doubtless retarded by the present easterly winds. On her arrival, she is to take the I)2th Regiment to Cork. The Persian, a new 16-gun brig, built at Pembroke, is ordered for commission at Plymouth, by Commander W. Quin.  The Prometheus steamer, Lieut. Thomas Spark, has left this harbour for the Mediterranean, via Plymouth and Lisbon, and also the war steam-ship Cyclops, Captain Austin, for Lisbon and Malta, having on board a detach- , ment of Marine Artillery. The Inconstant, 36, Captain Pring, is in Harrow ; and ' such portion of her crew as may require it are being discharged. The ship is to be kept in commission, and wil be docked and prepared for service without delay. The Pique, 36, Captain Boxer, it is now reported, will convey the new Admiral to the Cape of Good Hope. She is ready for sea with the exception of men. The Minden, 72, Captain Sharpe, recently front the Mediterranean, has been paid off at Plymouth. Rear-Admiral Elliot, commanding the Southern and West African Squadron, is appointed to succeed the late Sir Frederick Maitland in the Indian seas, whither he has proceeded from the Cape of Good Hope. Rumour a encia out as his successor Rear-Admiral Sir Thomas Briggs, recently Superintendent of Malta Dockyard. The Nimrod corvette, Commander Barlow, has beca dispatched from Plymouth to the East Indies, with dispatches for the naval Commander-in-Chief. Rear-Admiral Sir John Lor:is, Bart., (Superintendent of Malta Dockyard,) is to hake the temporary command of the fleet at Vourla, the inlnsposition of Sir R. Stopford compelling him to 'retire to Malta. The Columbia steam transport, Mr. Thompson, mas')er, has returned tr, Plymouth, with stores and sllpernurneralies for that port  HOME CIRCUIT, HICETPORD, Fxs. 26. The Commission of Assize for the County of Herts was opened this day by Mr. Justice Littledale at one o'clock. Lord Abiuger did not arrive until the evening. The Calendar contains the names of twenty prisoners, venteen males and three females. IA very great proportion of these prisoners can neither read nor write, and the others can only do so imperfeetly. The Grand Jury baying been sworn, Mr. Justice Littledale proceeded to address them. His Lordship said that upon looking over the calendar, he observed that there was one very serious case, a charge against a female named Maria Brace, of the wilful murder of her husband, by poison. Tie had been informed that the u-,fortunate woman had just been delivered of an infant in the gaol, and consequently she would not be in a condition to take her trial at the present assize, but it would, nevertheless, be the duty of the Grand Jury h to inquire into all the eircumstances of the case, and see whether the evidence was sufficient to ' warrant them in ending a bill against her for tb