Glasgow Courier. — 1864-03-17 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

NAVAL AND MILITARY.  It is probable that Rear-Admiral the Hon. Joseph Denman may be sent to command in the Pacific. It is stated that H.M.S. Ajax, now so long stationed at Kingston, is about to proceed to Portsmouth to be taken out of commission. Lieut. Cochrane, 34th Regiment, was recently shot dead in Gude by the accidental discharge of a rifle in the hands of Major Gough. Admiral William Manley Hall Dixon, on reserved half-pay and in receipt of a service pension, died last week at his residence near Devonport. It is rumoured in India that General George P. Lawrence will be appointed Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjaub, in succession to Sir R. Montgomery. The iron-clad frigate Caledonia, 35, 1000 horse-power, now fitting for sea at the Nero, is ordered to be in readiness to be commissioned by the Ist of April. The appointment of Deputy Adjutant-General in Ireland is vacant by the appointment (announced by us last week) of Colonel Haines, C. 8., to a Brigade of the Dublin Division. On Saturday, the long winter monotony of the camp at Ahlershott was agreeably broken by et visit from Prince Arthur, on which occasion a series of interesting manceuvres were performed by the greater portion of the troops in camp. Two of the largest guns in the world are about to be manufactured at Pittsburg in the United States. They will carry round shots of 10001bs each,lhave a bore of 20 inches diameter, and weigh about 20 tons each. The two guns will cost about £12,000. The Royal Sovereign, the first British iron-plated vessel fitted with the turrets of Captain Cowper Coles, has been successfully floated out of dock at Portsmouth. She has four turrets, the first one built to mount two heavy guns, and the others only a single piece of ordnance. By the removal of Sir George Lambert to the reserved list, 'Vice-Admiral Sir Michael Seymour, G.C.8., Cornmander-in-Chief at Portsmouth, will be advanced to the rank of Admiral, and will hoist his flag (blue) at the main as soon as he receives official intimation of his promotion. Captain Henry Mangles Denham (1i46), in receipt of a good-service pension, has been promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral on the active list, in consequence of the retirement of Sir George Lambert. Captain Arthur Forbes, aide-de-camp to her Majesty, is now the senior captain for promotion. It appears from a table published by the Moniteur de Boulogne that the Italian army now consists of 400,000 men; namely, 22,000 royal carabineers, 30,0110 hersaglieri, 275,000 infantry, 21,000 cavalry, 36,000 artillery, 23,000 engineers and men belonging to the baggage and ambulance department. Lieutenant Fleury, who was some months since tried for the murder of a washerwoman in the Passage de Cherbourg, and condemned, by a sentence since held informal, has again been tiled and condemned to only ten years' imprisonment, instead of twenty, with military degradation and surveillance of the police as on the first trial.. The committee appointed by Lord de Grey to investigate the. claims of Captain Grant for remuneration for his services in respect to the introducing of his system of cooking into the army have reported in favour of granting him £lOOO, in addition to the sum of £1365 13s already paid to him. This latter sum he explains barely clears the expense he has been at. Experiments which are considered satisfactory have been carried out at Woolwich to test the merits of Montstornt's breechloading rifle, which it is expected will be introduced to some extent into the service. The weapon is fired with the ordinary leaden bullet, without greased wad. It is constructed on simple principles, and will not easily get out of order. - By the Naval Agency and Distribution Bill now before Parliament, provision is made for the appointment of an agent to each of her Majesty's ships of war to act officially for the ship in all cases of salvage services, breach of law relating to national character, seizure for breach of customs law, or slave trade acts, or in any matter connected with piracy, warlike captures, and reprisals, and grants or rewards. The agent is to be appointed by the commanding officer, and to be under the directions and control of the Admiralty Court.