Power, employs in time of peace 140,000 able-bodied
seamen, 2000 boys, and 15,000 Royal Marines, divided
into four divisions (102 companies), viz.:—at Chatham,
25 companies; at Portsmouth, 27 companies; at
Plymouth, 25 companies; and at Woolwich, 25 companies;
and 10 companies of Royal Marine-Artillery, headquarters,
Portsmouth. Besides, there are 7 brigades of
Dockyard Volunteers, well-trained to gunnery, viz.,
Deptford, Woolwich, Chatham, Sheerness, Portsmouth,
Devonport, and Pembroke, and 3 other battalions.
Coast Guard, &c. ——The Portsmouth Squadron.—
The squadron now in commission at this port consists
of the following force:—Victory, 101 guns, 176 men;
Neptune, 120 guns, 482 men; Prince Regent, 90 guns,
820 men; Rodney, 92 guns, 820 men; London, 90 guns,
345 men; Vengeance, 84 guns, 330 men; Blenheim,
60 guns, 500 men, 450-horse power; Phaeton, 50 guns,
600 men; Leander, 50 guns, 500 men; Arrogant,
46 guns, 450 men, 360-horse power; Excellent, 46 guns,
693 men; Victoria and Albert, 2 guns, 118 men, 430-
horse power; Sidon, 22 guns, 300 men, 500-horse
power; Odin, 16 guns, 300 men, 560-horse power;
Leopard, 16 guns, 300 men, 560-horse power;
Encounter, 14 guns, 175 men, 360-horse power; Simoom,
18 guns, 181 men, 460-horse power; Furious, 16 guns,
216 men, 400 horse power; Plumper, 11 guns, 110 men,
60-horse power; Fury, 6 guns, 160 men, 515-horse
power; Basilisk, 6 guns, 160 men, 400-horse power;
Rolla, 6 guns, 150 men. Besides these there are the
yachts Fairy, Elphin, Fanny, Portsmouth, Fire Queen,
&c. —— Sheerness Squadron.— Waterloo, 120 guns;
Monarch 84 guns; Horatio, 24 guns; Amphion, 34 guns;
Barracouta, 6 guns; Rattlesnake, 8 guns.

The Trade and Navigation Returns for the month
ending December 5, 1852, and for the eleven months
terminating at the same period just published, afford
gratifying evidence of the commercial prosperity of the
country. They show that in the month ending the 5th
of last December, the value of articles of British produce
exported was £6,102,694 as compared with £5,188,216
for the corresponding month of 1851, and with £5,362,319
for that of 1850. The increase is therefore £640,375
over the month of 1850, and no less than £914,478 over
the same month of 1851. This increase appears to be
fully shared in by all the articles of staple manufacture.
Comparing the month ending the 5th of December, 1852,
with that of 1851, there is a very large increase under
the heads of beer, butter, cotton manufactures,
haberdashery, all kinds of machinery, metals (especially iron),
silk and woollen manufactures. A moderate increase
is exhibited in hardwares and cutlery, saddlery and
harness, and in linen manufactures. The total declared
value of exports for the first eleven months of 1852 was
£65,349,798; for those of 1851, £63,314,272; and of 1850,
£60,400,525. It thus appears that within these eleven
months of 1852 we exported, in round numbers, over
two millions worth more than in 1851, and within a
fraction of five millions worth more than 1850. Turning
to the import tables, we find, in the column of articles
entered for home consumption, a great increase in nearly
every article of domestic comfort.

NARRATIVE OF LAW AND CRIME.

REPEATED attempts at Incendiarism have been made
in the town of Olney, near Newport Pagnel. On
Christmas Eve some villains set fire to a barley
stack on the extensive homestead of Mr. R. Whitmore,
adjoining the village, with the evident intention of
destroying the whole of his premises; but the timely
arrival of assistance prevented the flames extending
beyond the stack, which was destroyed. The next
night, at the same hour, another farm adjacent to the
village was fired, and considerable mischief occurred.
On New Year's eve again a fearful fire was discovered
to be raging in a large barn and other premises of Mr. J.
Palmer, in the centre of the village. Here a shocking
scene presented itself; amid the roaring flames were to
be seen nine fat bullocks chained to the racks. To save
them was impossible, and after writhing in agony for
several minutes they fell, and were burnt to death. A
number of sheep and pigs shared a similar fate, the
whole of the premises being consumed. The next night
(Sunday) an attempt was made to set fire to the town
by thrusting lighted lucifers and paper under the
thatched roof of the houses. It was fortunately very
early discovered, and suppressed ere any material
damage was done. This diabolical act led to much
commotion. Watchers were appointed to the
neighbouring farms and other buildings in the place, and
every means adopted to detect the villains, but in vain,
for on Tuesday, the 11th inst., the centre of the town
was fired. When discovered, the fire was raging on
some thatched buildings at the back of the houses in
the main street. It extended to the premises of Mr.
Killingworth, watchmaker, and those of Mr. Saul, jun.,
Mr. Saul, Miss Brooks, Mr. J. Field, Mr. J. Lembrey,
the Duke of York Inn, and numerous cottages tenanted
by poor labouring families, nearly the whole of which
were destroyed. In consequence of several persons being
missed, the ruins were searched, and beneath them were
found the remains of W. Scott, a labourer, and J. Mason,
a ratcatcher, who seemed to have been killed by the
falling of a wall upon them. It was midnight before
the flames were got under. The Home-office has been
communicated with on the subject, and several of the
metropolitan detective officers have been ordered to aid
the local officers in promoting the capture of the guilty
persons. A reward of £200 and a free pardon to any one
coming forward to give such evidence as will fix the
guilt upon the offenders has been made public. It is
said that suspicion attaches to parties not of the
labouring class.

Mr. Elliot Bower was tried for the Murder of Mr.
Saville Morton at Paris, before the Court of Assize of
the Seine, on the 28th ult. Mr. Bower was the
correspondent of the Morning Advertiser; Mr. Morton of
the Daily News. Mr. Bower was married and had
three children; Mr. Morton was unmarried. They
were intimate friends, and Morton was a friend of
Mrs. Bower's family, and had known her from her
childhood. Mr. and Mrs. Bower are said to have lived
happily together; though she appears to have suffered
from his conjugal infidelities. In 1850 she received a
letter from Isabella Laurie, living in London, in which
that young woman accused Bower of having sought to
estrange her from her husband's affections. That
revelation made a strong impression on Mrs. Bower's
mind, and she had the imprudence to confide her griefs
to Mr. Morton. There was no certain proof, but
unfortunate circumstances led Mr. Bower to suspect that he
had been unworthily betrayed. During many months
Mrs. Bower was in a state of excitement, the precursor
of that derangement which subsequently affected her
intellect. Fifteen days before her last accouchement
she ordered the portress of the house to come to her
immediately after her delivery, in order to bear the news
of it to Morton, together with some of the hair of the
expected child. On the 2nd September last, after her
accouchement, she said to the woman, "Go announce to
Mr. Morton that I have been confined, that the baby
resembles him, that I cannot send him a lock of its hair
to-day, but that he shall have it soon;" and this
message was delivered. It appears that Morton had
conceived the project of procuring a divorce between
Bower and his wife, for the purpose of marrying her
himself. Several English lawyers whom he had
consulted as to the legal means of accomplishing his object
could not dissuade him from it. Mrs. Bower's accouchement
was favourable, and everything promised a speedy
convalescence; but towards the fifteenth day an
imprudence induced puerperal fever, and the state of
excitement which already existed was increased so
as to produce mental aberration. Her relations were
summoned to her bed-side, and, with the consent of
Bower, Morton himself remained in the chamber of the
sick lady, where he passed the night on a couch. By
his presence and his discourse he appeared to calm
Mrs. Bower's agitated mind. On the 30th September
Mrs. Bower expressed an ardent desire to abjure the
Protestant religion, in which she had been born and
educated. Her wish was accomplished on the evening
of the same day; but her madness, far from calming,
increased in force during the succeeding night and the
day of the 1st of October. She refused to see her