The Sun. — London, England, 1859-05-14 00:00:00

THE NAVY. The staff composing the headquarters of the 3d -.siege and field brigades of artillery, about to be :stationed at Plymouth and Portsmouth, yesterday left Woolwich to make the necessary arrangements -and preparations for the instalment of the corps. The paddlewheel steam sloop Gorgon, Corn itnnder Pym, sailed from Woolwich yesterday morning for Shields, to embark volunteers for the The paddlewheel steam-vessel Volcano, 3, Master Commander J. M. Hockley, from Hongkong, took on board some dry provisions at Plymouth on Thursday, and sailed for Portsmouth. The paddlewheel steam sloop Virago, 6, Com mander M. B. Dunn, left Plymouth on Thursday, for Sheerness, with the men who navigated the Royal George down Channel. The gunboats Asp, Diligence, and Forward, were removed from Keyham basin on Thursday. The Doris, 32, screw frigate, at Spithead, got under weigh early yesterday morning to make her fourth screw trial (the last with the " Admiralty screw") at the trial ground in Stokes Bay, in charge of Capt. Gordon and staff, but owing to the strength of the wind, the trial was deferred. The Doris after wards steamed into Portsmouth harbour and berthed alongside the Malabar coal depot, to fill up her coal. The Flying Fish, 6, Commander May, was yesterday brought. down Portsmouth harbour, and berthed alongside the Blonde hulk. Capt. Webb, of Mr. M'lve's yacht Albion, which arrived at Liverpool on Thursday, reports that, on the 25th ult. he put into Algiers, and observed four French steam frigates embarking troops, chiefly cavalry, for conveyance to Marseilles. There were two line of battle ships also in the port. On the 7th inst., the day after the Albion left Lisbon, Captain ebb spoke two Portuguese men-of-war from England. On the 11th, in the Bay of Biscay, Captain Webb saw two French gunboats. The following appointments were made yesterday at the Admiralty :—Commander J. M. Bruce, of her Majesty's ship Firebrand, to the Fisgard, for special service ; Commander J. Dayman to the Firebrand, vice Bruce; Lieuts. St. J. Coventry, J. T. Pringle, C. W. Manthorp, and W. M. Wright, to the Lon don ; Lieuts. R. Carter, C. D. Varney, and C. H. Williams, to the Emerald; Lieuts. A. R. Wright, and H. H. M. M'Grath, to the Edinburgh; Lieut. J. B. Mitchell, to the Flying Fish; Lieut. T. Bor rett, to the Russell ; Lieut. W. F. Johnson, to the Pioneer; Lieut. A. H. Webb, to the Hastings; Lieuts. F. T. Hamilton, H. B. Johnstone, William Menzies, and H. M'C. Alexander, to the Agamem non • Lieut. J. L. Carr, to the London • Lieut. J. G. Mugford, additional, to the Fisgard ; R. G. Webber, paymaster, to the Emerald ; J. J. Rutter, pay master, additional, to the Formidable ; J. B. Hay, paymaster, to the London ; J. Lewis, paymaster, to the Agamemnon ; S. Smyth, paymaster, additional, to-the Hawke ; F. Bunn, assistant paymaster, to the Emerald ; E. F. Raffell, assistant paymaster, to the London ; W. S. Mould and Thomas S. Giles, assis tant paymasters, to the Agamemnon ; W. D. Aitken, clerk, to the Emerald; and IV. E. P. Saer, clerk, to the London. THE CHANNEL FLEET. Before another month shall have passed a Chan nel fleet will be in commission at Spithead worthy the name of England. There will be, at the least, 15 sail of screw line-of-battle ships, supported by a corresponding number of steam frigales, corvettes, and screw gunboats. Their cruising and exercising ground will extend from the Lands-end to the North Sea. It is believed that the command will be given to Admiral Sir Thomas Cochrane, K.C.B. The following are the line-of-battle ships commis sioned and nearly ready for the pendant : Royal Sovereign l3l Royal George lO2 Algiers Colossus Edgar Exmouth Royal Albert Agamemnon 9 Cmsar Cressy Hero Neptune Loudon . Queen . 91 91 Tnifalgar The above are expect fleet, and they are ships t] :ed to form the Channel he noblest of their class. THE TRIP OF H. M. S. CURACOA TO AMERICA. We have been favoured with the following extract from a private letter, dated April 18 : " Annapolis, U.S., April 18. "According to promise I now sit down to try and give you a small account of our proceedings since we left Ply mouth insipid and uninteresting as they are. On the 22d February, having taken Lord Lyons and his suite on board, we started for Washington. Steaming along the misty in clement shores of the west country, and through the bois terous chops,' we shaped our course to the south, the weather now becoming deliciously warm and pleasant. After a week's occasionally steaming and sailing, we came to an anchor at Madeira. I was greatly surprised at the altered appearance of this island ; the mountains, instead of being clothed in the rich Irish looking verdure, which I formerly remarked and admired, now seemed parched, arid, And barren looking, owing, I suppose to the failure of the `wine-crops'— the chief cultivation on the island now ming made, I understand, for the regeneration of the grape, detailing off of which, as well as tfie visitors, the natives soudly complain of. There were about 200 invalids on the island then, chiefly ladies, many of whom that insidiously fatal scourge, phthisis,' had set its seal upon. It made one melancholy to see them riding about on raokes'—so delicately fair and pallid, and so sadly in contrast with the bronzed and swarthy appearance of the alliaceously, redolent, seap-and-water abhorrent Portuguese. Having coaled, and moderately participated of the liquor of the country, and hospitality of the inhabitants, we again proceeded to sea—circling: away to the south, far into the regions of flying fish, ' white ducks,' and sangaree, in the hopes of falling in with the south easterly trades,' the tail end of which gently fanned our sails for three weeks, as far as Bermuda, which, as a matter cif course, we entered and left in a gale of wind. Between these islands and the Chesapeake' we encoun tered strong north-westerly gales, and after a tedious but pleasant passage of six weeks from England, we came to an anchor off Annapolis. The following morning Lord Lyons disembarked, the frigate manning yards and firing a salute of 17 guns. On his lordship landing a salute was also fired from the battery at the naval academy at Annapolis, the principal men of this ancient little place presenting him with an address and invitation to a soiree, which, however, his lordship declined, and started immediately for Washington. The trial of Senator Sickles' for taking the trifling poetical licence of riddling with a revolver Attorney- General Key,' for paying rather marked attention to his wife, forms the chief topic of scandal and conversation at Washington, as well pabulum' for the penny-a-liners in gemeral. The popular feeling in favour of Sickles is so great that the enlightened jury' have already formed an opinion,' i.e., that they should be lynched' if they were to convict him ; while on the other hand, the friends of Key' swear thoy shall shoot him in case of an acquittal. Washington :s a large, stragesling, though not very populous city; the strset., ara wile. irregular, mpaved avenues, with trees on each side, giving the place quite a rural ap pearance ; there are some fine public buildings, the capitol being the largest and most pre!aily situated. The ladies, I must say, are rather gaeal-leeking, but the male por tion of the population are sheet as sinister and reckless looking a set of desperadoes as I have ever seen. Strange to say, though generally well dressed, they all sport most infernally -battered, outlandish-looking 'tiles,' being, in fact, shucking bad h a t s ' i n every sensa of the word.' I have made a • piltsrimage to all the places, and seen all the relics so interesting to travellers : the tree under which Mr. Key was shot ; the chair and desk where Senator Sumner was cow -skinned ;' in Congress, also, the very identical stone spittoon which the venerable South States member, with such admirable presence of mind, hurled among the irate and riled members during the late row in the Con gress, thereby quelling the disturbance and establishing the peace of the assembly. I have not seen one soldier, policeman, or peace officer, since I came here. E„ nyono goes about armed to the teeth, even to 'our contractor,' a fine specimen of a free and independent American, w h o speaks of the President familiarly, as Jim Bee,' delivers his tobacco juice on the carpet with the force and accuracy of a syringe, and 'reckons that no tarnation co on or critter never found him without his doccyrnints,' the aforesaid documents being a six-barreled shooter' and a formidable bowie-knife, ingeniously secured in a pocket cunningly con trived on the inside of his coat extending from the nape of the neck to the s ma ll o f his back. Lord and Lady Napier have been staying at Annapolis for some time. They intend to embark to-morrow (19th), when we shall set out for Old England, and in a month or so you may expect us at Plymouth again. Mr. Irvine, the Secretary of -,ega tion, who came out with Lord Lyons, returned again in the Curacoa on account of ill - health."—Plynteuth Mail. THE ARHY. The Commander-in-Chief, his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, arrived at Bates's Royal Hotel, Plymouth, o'.i Wednesday night, and early on Thursday morning proceeded to the Brick -field at Devonport, where the follow ing forces were assem- Ved—viz., a field battery of Artillery, commanded by Major Hawkins ; the second battalion of the 17th Regiment, under Col. H. D. Crofton ; Royal Ma rines, Col. Mitchell; 96th Regiment, Lieut.-Col, R. W. Scovell; and the 2d Warwick Militia, com manded by Major E. Galton. The Duke of Cam bridge was attended by Major-Gen. G. M. Eden, Commander-in-Chief of . the Western Division ; Major-Gen. Foster, D.A.G.; Col. Pester, Royal Ar tillery ; Lord Burghersh, A.1).C.; Cot. Crofton,l7th; Wright,l.-Commandant Dwyer, Royal Marines; Col. c f_ Royal Engineers; Viscount Valletort, Capt. Cornwall Rangers, and several other o ffi cers. The field battery was not detained long, and the horses did not excite the Duke's strong a dmiration. The Chief cause o f the inspection seemed to be the actual conditio n and the 96th Regiment, and the dis ciplineProfi le ta ncy of the 17th, a newly raised battalion which has for some time been expecting orders for Aldersho received by the troops'llis Royal Highness was formed in line of contiguous columns at quarter dist a n ce, an and after saluting they marched past in open Second, refor m e d e r l distance column in quick time. and ad line of contiguous columns at quarter distance the 17th Re,ina va c nced—the se cond battalion of Third,.formed mass of columns on thuet9d6iting. Regi ment. Fourth, wheeled into a line of contiguousv columns as before. Fifth,changedfrontl t h e and countermarch of subdivisions roun d the centre. Sixth, advanced, halted, and formed square on the front companies of the battalions. Seventh, re farmed parter.diatance column and wheeled to the left. Eighth,l7th and 96th deployed on their front companies. Ninth, 17th performed the manual and platoon exercise, and then passed through the 96th by fours. 96th performed bayonet xercise. During these evolutions his Royal Highness fre quently expressed his approbation of the precision and movements of the 17th and 96th, more especially when marching past and du: ing the per formance of the manual and platoon and the bayonet exercise. At half-past 2 o'clock his Royal Highness was received in Plymouth Citadel by Col. Crofton and the officers of the 17th, with whom he lunched in the mess-house, and then inspected the men's quarters. Shortly after 3 the Duke embarked at the lower fort, under a salute, in the paddlewheel steam vessel Vivid, which left the Sound by the eastern end of the breakwater and returned by the western end. This excursion had reference, probably, to the intention of the Government to construct fortifica tions inside and connected with the breakwater. On proceeding up Hamoaze his Royal Highness was saluted by the flagship Impregnable, 104, Capt. W. H. Stewart ; the Curagoa, 31, Capt. H. Mason ; and the gunnery ship Cambridge, Capt. A. Jerningham. The Duke landed at Torpoint, on the Cornish coast, and proceeded on horseback t o T regan tl e , some three or four miles south-w es t, w h ere a li ne o f forti fications is in course of construction, for the purpose of defending the Devonport Royal Arsenal from any land attack in that direction. His Royal High ness returned through Mount Edgecumbe-park to Cremyl beach, when he entered the Admiral's barge and, rejoining the Vivid, ', as landed at Plymouth. In the evening the Commander-in-Chief dined at M , ,nt 'Wise, with Gen. Eden, where he was met by a large party, which included Port Admiral Sir B. Reynolds, K.C.8., Lord Valletort, Mr. Carew, the heads of departments, and colonels of regiments. His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge break fasted yesterday (Friday) morning with Major-Gen. Eden, at Mount - Wise, Devonport, and after a cur sory inspection of Keyham steamyard, to which considerable additions are making, especially with a view to its military connexion with the Cornwall and South Devon Railway, he returned to Plymouth. At the railway station Col. Crofton and a guard of honour of five officers and 100 men of the 17th Re giment were in attendance with the Queen's colours. At 10.45 his Royal Highness joined the express train, and left for London under a salute from Ply mouth Citadel. The following general orders have just been issued from the Horse Guards, addressed to all commanding officers, directing increased efforts to be made in obtaining recruits for the army : " His Royal Highness the General Commanding-in-Chief desires that commanding officers whose regiments are below their establishments will send their bands and drums to one of the nearest towns on all market-days, or on such other occasions as may lead to a concourse of people, for the pur pose of raising recruits. " By command, " W. F. FOSTER, Deputy Adjt -Gen." " Commanding officers do not seem to be aware of the consequences attending the employment of music on the recruiting service, yet the uniform and repeated representa tions from all quarters! clearly establish the importance of attaching a drum and fife to every recruiting party where such an arrangement is practicable. " His Royal Highness the General Commanding-in- Chief now desires that you will detail one drummer and one fifer to join one of your parties employed on the re cruiting service, and you will at once submit the station of the party you may select for this addition, when the neces sary authority will be sent to you. " By command, " W. F. FOSTER, Deputy Adjt.-Gen." Yesterday afternoon, in accordance with orders previously issued, the whole of the officers and men of the Royal Engineers now at head-quarters, Chatham, assembled on their parade ground for the purpose of witnessing the interesting ceremony of decorating four non-commissioned officers of the corps of Royal Engineers with good-conduct medals, by order of his Royal Highness the Commander in -Chief, for long and meritorious service. The parade having been formed, Colonel Sandham called the four non-commissioned officers to the front, and, addressing them, expressed the plea sure he felt in being deputed to present each of them with a medal and money gra tuity for long and meritorious service, and trusted that the young soldiers then before him would endeavour to imitate their example and maintain an honourable character in order to obtain the same reward. Each of the non-commissioned officers was then handed his medal, which fastened to his breast. The names of the men thus decorated are—Staff-Serg. R. Douglas, Colour-Serg. Robert Coppin, Serg. G. Dadswell, and Corpoal J. Williams. Sergs. Douglas, Coppin ' and Dadswell also received a gratuity of £l5 each, and Corporal Williams a gratuity of £5. They have all been upwards of 20 years in the service, during the whole of which period they have borne most exemplary characters. The 32d company of Royal Engineers left Brompton Barracks, Chatham, at 6 o'clock yesterday morning, and proceeded to Weymouth, at which port they will embark this morning for Alderney in one of the Great Western Company's steamships. The officers who left headquarters with the com pany were Capt. Wm. James Stuart and Lieut. C. A. Lyon Campbell. Owing to the companies of Royal Engineers at head quarters having given a large number of men to the companies proceeding to the Mediterranean, and also to fill up vacancies at Gibraltar and Malta, the 32d company has been reduced very much below its establishment, and now numbers only 40 non-commissioned officers and men. The Royal Engineers will be employed in repairing the fortifications of the island of Alderney. Gen. Sir W. F. Williams, K.C.8., who is about to retire from the command of Woolwich Garrison, yesterday assembled the corps of Royal Artillery under his command in review order on Woolwich common. The troops, in heavy marching order, were formed in line at 11 a.m. ; the Royal Horse Brigade, with 18 guns, on the right, and the field batteries, with 30 guns, on the left. The Ist brigade of siege artillery, consisting of 8 batteries, and por tions of other brigades in garrison, were drawn up, and formed the centre of the line, to the number of about 1,200 men. The General, accompanied by Colonel Tombs, of the Indian Horse Artillery, and attended by the garrison staff, was received with the customary salute, after which the troops marched past and performed a series of field manoeuvres, and retired to quarters. It is announced as tolerably certain that Sir R. Dacres will be the successor of General Williams at Woolwich, and that the review of yes• terday was intended as a farewell visit. It is uni versally acknowledged at Woolwich that General Williams has endeared himself to the garrison and town by, his uniform evenness of temper under trying circumstances, as well as by his consistent and just decisions in the various matters which have been referred to his consideration, and he will vacate his post to the extreme regret of a large ma jority of the inhabitants. The general was present in the evening at a grand entertainment in the Royal Artillery mess-room, which was concluded by a ball on a scale of unusual splendour, attended by 700 or 800 persons, comprising the officers and their families, and the residents in the neighbour. hood. Col. Bloomfield, A.D.C. to her Majesty, Inspector-General of Artillery, and 2d. Commandant, is deputed to the command pending the appoint ment and arrival of the future commandant. MILITIA. The South Notts Yeomanry Cavalry have con cluded their eight days' training, and were reviewed on Thursday, on Bulwell Forest, near Nottingham, by Lieut.• Colonel Lowe, of the 4th Light Dragoons. Their evolutions were performed in a manner fully calculated to sustain the reputation the regiment has acquired for proficiency in its field duties, the reviewing officer stating that he should have great pleasure in reporting favourably of them at the Horse Guards. THE NORM-COUNTRY SEAMEN AND THE NAVY. capt. pi ll] , RN., addressed a large meting of nor th country seamen , on Wednesday night" in the - Central-hall, South Shields, on the advantages of the navy. The Mayor (Mr. ly illiamson) presided. The MAYOR, who was received with great ap plause, said that it gave him very great p l easure to introduce to them his gallant friend, Capt. Pi m, an officer who, he had no doubt, was well known to many of them. Capt. Pim had been sent down to the Tyne by Government to endeavour to obtai n voluntee rs for the navy, and his worship trusted that he wou ld b e success f u l in getting many to join. (Hear, hear.) The flames of war were spread ing over Europe, and he did not know how soon they might reach this happy land of ours. His worship, however said that should such a thing occur—which he trusted would not—they would, he doubted not, all be ready to take up arms and drive the enemy far away; and thus show how futile and absurd it was to attempt to invade Eng land. (Hear, hear) It was necessary, however, that Government at the prese n t t i me shou ld h ave men to man the various vessels, and he, therefore, trusted that many of them would respond to the call made by her Majesty. (Hear, hear.) The sea men of the north were equal, if not superior, in bravery to any of those in other ports of this great empire, and he had no doubt that if circumstances called them into active duty they would discharge their duty faithfully and well. (Great applause.) Captain Pim would address them on various sub jects, and they might rely on what he said to them. Captain Pim on rising was received with three hearty cheers. After thanking them for the hearty reception they had given him, he said that he just wanted to have a quiet chat with them in a sailor like way. (Hear, hear.) Seamen were wanted in her Majesty's navy, and it was his intention to speak to . them of the advantages they would obtain Iby joining it. He did not wish to mislead them in THE SUN, LOINDON, SATURDAY EVENING, MAY 14, 1859, any way whatever. Aftet what they had heard it was his desire that they should think the matter over, and when they had decided upon the course they had intended to take he would be happy to meet them. (Hear.) At the outset he proceeded to reply to some objections which seamen were said to entertain against joining the navy. The first of these *as the use of the " cat" on board of men-of war. It was oily bad skulking characters who were punished. The man who behaved himself well was well treated and cared for. (Hear.) They laid great stress in reference to alleged cruelty in the navy, but they forgot to mention how men were frequently used in the merchant service. The press, however, during the past year had not told them of a single case of cruelty perpetrated on board of a man-of-war, but it had told them of a man in the merchant service having been tied up before a fire and roasted to death. (" Shame.") In making these remarks he did not wish to excite any unkind feel. ing against the mercantile marine ; far from it. (Hear, hear.) Many men who had not been in the navy fancied that the old system pursued in the last war was still in use, and that any of the officers of a ship could order a man up for punishment. This was not the case. A captain alone had this power, and before he could carry this order out he must allow a certain number of hours to intervene between the sentence and the punishment, so as to allow time for cool and calm reflection. No man, so long, as he was entitled to wear a good conduct badge, was con sidered liable to corporeal punishment, except in cases of mutinous conduct or for desertion. Capt. Pim then proceeded to discuss the wages question, and considered that the wages given in the navy were better than those given in the merchant service. In the navy an ablebodied seaman received £2 9s. a-month ; extra for good conduct, 7s. 9d., and sav ings, Os., making the total receipts £3 ls. 9d. This made his income for the year amount to about £37. He contrasted this with the wages given in the mer chant service, which he calculated at about £4 per month. Only about eight voyages, he said, were made in the year, so that the total income would only be at that rate about £39. Continuous employment was given in the navy, and therefore he considered it preferable in a pecuniary point of view to the mer chant service. He also stated that the clothing was obtained at a cheap rate, and that the men were only charged ls. per pound for tobacco. The victuals were excellent, and if a man was not able to consume the whole of the provisions served out to him, he re ceived pay in hard cash for those he returned. (Hear.) If a seaman continued in her Majesty's service for 10 years he was eligible for a pension. If a man continued 20 years in the service, of course, he was entitled to a much larger pension, for instance, the cook on board the Gorgon, who was present at the meeting, had £2B a-year pension, and £47 2s. 11d. his present pay, making his total income for the year amount to £75 2s. 11d. (Hear.) As he came across in the ferry boat that evening he ob served a number of poor old broken down fellows trying to pick up a few pence in the sculler boats. This or the workhouse seemed to be the only refuge for the old sailor in the merchant service. How different was this from the state of the old men-of-war's men. The other day at the Sailors' Home, a young fellow objected to the navy on ac count of the risk. Well, if they meant the risk of war, such persons had better stay away. If, how ever, he meant the risk attending shipwreck, he might inform him that more than 2,000 merchant vessels were wrecked to one man-of-war. (Hear, hear.) If persons did not like the smell of powder they had better stay away, for he expected that they would have plenty of it by and by. (" Hear, hear," and laughter.) After alluding to the north country seamen—a number of whom he would like to see join the navy—he concluded by inviting any present to address the meeting. Mr. CHARLES LIDDLE was the first seaman to accept the invitation given by the gallant captain to address the meeting. The seamen, he said, were not afraid to go on board a man-of-war on account of any risk to their own personal safety. By no means. There were, however, other objections which they entertained. The Government had net treated the British sailor in a proper manner, but he had no doubt that if the safety of England was placed in jeopardy, they would, notwithstanding, repel any foe who dared to attempt to set his feet on English soil. (Hear, and applause.) He referred to the lash as one objection to seamen joining, and con sidered that it was a brutal and unnatural treat ment, for which some other mode of punishment ought to be substituted. (Hear, hear.) It was also desirable that there should be some provision made for the wives and families of those who lost their lives in the service of their country. (Hear, hear.) He hoped that in case of a war breaking out, and men being needed, the " press" would not be re sorted to, but that the ballot would be adopted in its place. (Hear, hear.) Mr. JOHN FISH, an old veteran, was the next speaker, and on ascending the platform he was re ceived with applause. He had been on board of a man-of-war five years—three years and a-half in one ship, and eighteen months in another— and therefore he knew something about the service. He had seen a good deal in his time, and some flogging too, but it was necessary at times, he could assure them. (Hear.) Whenever the captain of his ship flogged a man, he always afterwards sent him ashore about his business. He had then done with him. (Hear.) Captain Pim had referred to the old scullermen, but if they were treated as they ought to have been after the last French war, they would not have been compelled to go in a sculler boat. (Hear.) Referring to the manning of the navy, he said he was now too old or else he might think of going again. [Captain Pim.—" No, you arc not ; I will take you."] (Applause.) He was of opinion that the Government would obtain plenty of men, provided they dealt out to them the same privileges which were awarded to the officers. (Hear.) What he wanted was that the seamen should be put on half-pay when they retired from service as well as the officers (Hear, hear.) Speak ing of himself, he said he was not a man until he went on board of a man-of-war, and while there he learnt more than he did all the time he was in the merchant service. What., however, was wanted was a fair day's pay for a fair day's work. (Hear.) Mr. KING, secretary to the Seamen's Friendly Association, also addressed the meeting at consider able length. He considered that the wages in the navy should not be less than £3 per month. This, of course, would he independent of the extras adverted to by Captain Pirn. It was also desirable that there should be shorter periods of service, and that pen sions should be given. If these suggestions were acted upon no great difficulty would be experienced in obtaining seamen to man the navy. (Hear.) Mr. King, referring to the treatment on board of a man of-war, said if a man conducted himself properly he was respected. (Hear.) He next alluded to the number of foreigners employed in the British mer chant service, and remarked that if our Government wished to protect England they must treat the sea men better than they had hitherto done. Mr. GRAHAM next addressed the meeting. He said that he had been in the navy, and was not afraid to go again. (Hear.) They must under stand that he was what they called an efficient dis ciplined man. (" Hear, hear," and laughter.) He could load a musket, work a gun, follow a division of boarders, and if it came to a push he could lead them. (Hear.) He, however, was not the man to be caught by a bounty of £lO or even of £lOO. (" Hear, hear," and laughter.) He wanted some thing more beneficial to his wife and children in case anything happened to him. (Hear.) The dis cipline in the navy was strict, and it needed to be so. There must be attention to duty and obedience to officers. No prospect, however, was held out for such as him joining the navy. He had been three years in the service, but if he was going back he could not expect to be rated as a petty officer over the heads of those who had served 10 or 12 years. (Hear.) Before a man was promoted he must do something to entitle him to the promotion. It must also be seen that he was fit for the place that it was intended to promote him to. Mr. A. LESLIE having spoken, Captain PI3I rose to reply to the various observa tions which had been made. There appeared to be certain prejudices entertained against entering the Royal Navy, but he hoped that when the Gorgon arrived in the Tyne, they would be removed. They would then be able to see how things were con ducted on board of a man-of-war. (Hear.) Refer ebwnaecare e c h aracte r had ti.r e been e f e r h. e made to men being distressed who had been i n th e navy. I t was not so b a d as repre sented. Th ose w h o con d ucte d t h emse l ves proper l y could fuc c ourse, e exp if Q cto a t m r a e n ce l i e N f - t e wasistihsta ance. They must not take it for g ranted that all 13s e ch m ar e it il y whom they saw in the streets excit inghad N be o e r r th on board of men-of-war had a sailor's dress. Certainly tlhicaYd o verhaulet s l h o ie n l e d . ,, of tclphse discovered I n )c o e t: ithi i e ie tt e t a l t i l e le k r n d e a N Y v nothing iii at all about-anthe sea. (Hear, hear.) Some of them talked about com i ng . forward appeared. It was ridiculous gt t he ehnactminYanner. Unless they were able to I tN I Na- 1. 11 1 ; 1C i l nn l e a musket it was ne use. They must first be trained, rind that they would require to be, for but few among them knew how to handle a gun. (Hear, hear.) With respect to the "press," he hoped that there would be no occasion to resort to such a means of manning the navy. (Hear, hear.) Captain Pim, after referriug to a remark which had been made about seamen receiving half•pay, said the suggestion respeeting shorter periods of service was a very sensible one. With respect to the wages, he was of dpinion that. those given in the navy were better than those paid in the mer chant service. In rea and to promotion in the navy, Captain Pim said if Mr. Graham, one of the pre vious speakers, would produce a certificate that h© had served on board of a man-of•war, he would enter and rate him as a petty officer on board the Gorgon. (Cheers.) Three hearty cheers were given for the Mayor, who, in acknowledging them, proposed that a simi lar compliment should be paid to Captain Pim. This was accordingly done, with an additional cheer for the first man who volunteered. The pro ceedings then terminated. LAW INTELLIGENCE—May 13. COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH. (Sittings at Nisi Prius at Westminster, before Mr. Justice Wightman and Common Juries.) THE QUEEN V. CLERK. This was a prosecution by way of a quo warranto to try the right of the defendant to exercise the office of town councillor for the borough of Liver pool. He was elected for St. Paul's ward, and sat and voted in the council. After documentary and other evidence had been adduced to prove that he was disqualified for the office, owing to his residing beyond the boun daries of the borough, The jury returned a verdict for the Crown. THE QUEEN V. lIIGGINS AND ANOTHER. This was an indictment charging the defendants with conspiring to defraud Mr. Charles Gruneberg, of Chelsea, of a large sum of money. It was re moved by certiorari on the application of the de fendants from the Central Criminal Court into this court. Mr. Sergeant Ballantine now applied, on the part of Iliggins, for the postponement of the case until next term, on the ground chiefly of the absence of a material witness. The Court acceded to the application on the payment of costs. The case was accordingly postponed. SUTTON V. GILBERT. This action was brought by John Sutton, of No. 1, Upper Grosvenor-street, Bedford-square, against Grafton Gilbert, the publisher, in Paternoster•-row, to recover a sum of £62 Bs. 3d., being the amount he claimed in respect of certain medical books which he had printed and entrusted to the defen dant for sale upon commission. Mr. Prentice and Mr. Gordon Allen were for the plaintiff, and Mr. Edward James and Mr. Patchett for the defendant. It seemed that the plaintiff, who was described as a medical student, printed three books, one on " Spermatorrhcea," another on the "Physiology of Women," and a third on " Consumption," bearing the name of Dr. Sidney Hall as the author, and employed the defendant, whose name was inserted on the title page as publisher, to sell them upon the usual commission charged by the trade. The plaintiff, according to his own account, became acquainted with Dr Hall, who possessed considerable experience in a particular description of complaints, a few years ago, and entered into a mutual arrange ment with him for the publication of these works. Before, however, it was carried out Dr. Hall started for America, and the plaintiff determined to extend the manuscripts which he had left behind, and to publish them on his own account. The defendant objected to pay the money to the plaintiff, on the ground that it belonged to Dr. Hall, with whom he had entered into the contract for the sale of the works. The plaintiff, who was a very young man, ad mitted, in cross-examination, that he had advertised himself to the world as Dr. Sutton, M.R.C.S., as John Sutton, F.R.C.S., and as John Sutton, M.D., although he had never taken any one of those de grees. He so described himself for the purpose of selling the books which he brought out. (Laughter.) One book was directed against quackery. (Laugh ter.) He had been a medical student at St. Bar tholomew's Hospital. He had published some books in the name of Isaac Palmer Hall, who was a friend of one of his assistants, but he had never seen him. (Laughter.) Witness then said he was once charged at Clerkenwell Police -court for pub. lishing a libel, but he was not then also charged with extorting money. It was not said he had demanded money from the person against whom he published the libel. The charge was withdrawn. He was taken into custody by the police. He was not found under a trap door in the floor of his room, but he was in the cellar hiding from the police. (Laughter.) Blott, his assistant, did not state in the Insolvent Court that a patient came from Dublin and paid him (witness) a fee of ten guineas and afterwards gave him a promissory note for £l5O. Witness did not receive those moneys. Blott did not express his sorrow for lending him self to such frauds, and obtain an indemnity against prosecution from the opposing creditors. The re port of the proceedings at the police-court in the Dispatch headed " The Notorious Dr. Sutton" was incorrect, and an action was pending in respect of it. The witness then said that he still advertised that the poor could see Dr. Hall gratis, at No. 1, Upper Gower-street, Bedford-square. Mr. Edward James, on the part of the defen dant, contended that the contract was made with Dr. Hall, who, from the plaintiff's own representa tion, was a real person now in Canada, and said that if the jury found a verdict for the plaintiff, Dr. Hall could, on his return to this country, compel the defendant to pay the money over again. Mr. Gilbert, the defendant, deposed that when the contract to sell the works was entered into the plaintiff came to his shop with another person, whom he represented as Dr. Sidney Hall. He said Dr. Hall wished him to publish the works for him, and he consented to do so, and to receive the books upon sale or return, with the usual com mission. On several other occasions the plaintiff again called at the shop with the same person. Cross-examined—l have got the money I re ceived for the books. I have paid it to no one, but as soon as Dr. Hall claims it he will have it at once. I came into possession of my father's busi ness all at once. My father took the benefit of the act twice. I cannot say of my own knowledge how many more times he did so. As far as I know, it may be two or three hundred times. (Laughter.) My uncle bought the business under a bill of sale from the sheriff. My father is now m y manager . I did not state in the Insol ven t C our t th a t I h a d known the plaintiff in the name of Dr. Sidney Hall. I said I knew he sometimes used the n ame of Hall. The first time I knew that was when I saw in the newspaper . the re p or t o f t h e case at Clerkenwell Ponce-court, in which he was describei as Dr. Sutton, alias Dr. Sidney Hall. The learned judge having summed up, The jury found a verdict for the plaintiff, damages £62, to be reduced to £52, if the books remaining unsold were returned within a week. COURT OF COM3ION PLEAS. Sittings at Nisi Prius in Middlesex.—(Before Mr. Justice Williams and a Common Jury.) TUN KS V. ELPHICK. This was an action to recover damages for slander. Mr. Huddleston and Mr. Charnock appeared for the plaintiff; and Mr. Skinner and Mr. Dowdeswell for the defendant. The plaintiff in this case, in September last, pur chased of Mrs. Read the business of a butcher, in East Moulsey, and paid £lOO for goodwill and fixtures. The defendant had been for many years a butcher in the same village. The plaintiff's case was that in a conversaticn in February last between the defendant, Mr. Greaves, and Mr. Furber, the then keeper of the New Inn, but who had since died, Greaves said that two diseased cows had passed his house, and that the boy who drove them in• formed him that they were going to the premises of Mr. Baldry, a cattle dealer, at Twickenham. The defendant said, " They do not send them so far now ; there was one from Mr. Taylor's slaughtered in this village last week." He added, that it was killed at the, plaintiff's shop. He also said that Dr. Roberts (the farrier), in passing the shop, had noticed the meat, and said that, unless the authorities of the village interfered, he would give information to the police ; that he did not consider the meat fit forhuman food. He also said it was publy known that one of Mr. Taylor's de ceased beasts had been slaughtered the previous week at the plaintiff's. On another occasion, in the coffee-room of the New Inn, the defendant said, in the presence of a witness named Howard, to a man named Payne, " We shall have some cheap beef." Payne said, " How is that ?" and the de fendant answered, " My neighbour, Tunks, h as killed one of Taylor's diseased cows, which was driven down in the dark." He said a policeman watched to see where it went to, and that the beef in the shop did not look fit to eat. The witness, Howard, admitted that he had formerly been in the defendant's. service, and ten years ago he was tried on a charge of receiving some beef stolen from the defendant, but was acquitted. Mr. Taylor said he had sold two heifers to the plaintiff , for £25 155., and they were both healthy and sound, though many of the animals at the time on his farm were very badly diseased. There was other evidence to show that the meat was good, and Mr. Roberts denied that he had ever said that there was diseased meat in the plaintiff's shop. The plaintiff and his wife were called to show the injury sustained in consequence of the slander. In September the takings in the plaintiff's shop were about £5 a week, but in January the amount had risen to nearly £4O. After -the slander the amount decreased largely, and last week the plain tiff only took £3 ss. Bd. On the other hand the defendant was called, and he denied ever having uttered the slanderous words imputed to him. Payne also denied the use of the words said by Howard to have been spoken in his presence. A witness, named Hewitt, stated that he had seen some beef at the plaintiff's shop which was of the colour of mahogany, and he suggested to Mrs. Tunks that she should not keep it in the front of the shop. The jury gave a verdict for the plaintiff-- Damages £3O. COURT OF EXCHEQUER. (Sittings at Nisi Prius, before the Lord Chief Baron and Common Juries.) CHAMBERLAIN V. WHITEHEAD-ASSAULT. Mr. H. Digby Seymour was counsel for the plain. tiff, and Mr. Pearce, for the defendant. The plaintiff in this action, who is a wheelwright, residing in Rupert-street, sought to recover from the defendant, an architect and builder, in the same locality, damages for an assault. The plaintiff and the defendant were, on the night of Saturday, the 2d of April, in the White Horse public-house, when some dispute arose between them, and, according to the plaintiff's case, the defendant rose from his seat, struck him several blows, knocking him down, and otherwise injuring him. In cross-examination he denied that he had struck the defendant, but admitted that the latter had sued him in the county court for £l3, which he had paid since this action was brought. Some witnesses having been called in support of the plaintiff's case, Mr. Pearce addressed the jury for the defence, submitting that the smallest coin in the realm would satisfy the justice of the case. His lordship having summed up, The jury returned a verdict for the plhintiff— Damages £lO. EXCHEQUER CHAMBER. Sittings in Error—(Before Justices Willes and Byles, and Barons Martin, Bramwell, and Watson.) GARTON V. THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY. _ _ .• In this case the declaration stated that the defen dants wero indebted to the plaintiff for money had and received, and on an account stated. The defen dants pleaded that the cause of action arose after the passing of the statute which required 20 days' notice before an action was brought for any matter under the statute, 5 and 6 Win. IV. The Court of Queen's Bench, where the case was argued, and where it was contended that no notice had been given according to the act, it having been delivered at the company's offices at Bristol, and not at Pad dington, had decided in favour of the defendants, and from this judgment there was a writ of error. Mr. Knowles, on behalf of the plaintiff, now contended that the plea was bad, and was no answer to the action. Mr. Smith submitted that the plea was good, and implied that the action had been brought under the statute. The Court was of opinion that the plea was bad, on the ground that an action for money had and received did not fall under the statute requiring the notice. Judgment for the plaintiff. INSOLVENT DEBTORS COURT. (Before the Chief Commissioner.) IN RE CHARLES HIGHMORE POTTS. This insolvent, of the brevet rank of colonel in the army, was opposed by Mr. Hawthorne and Mr. Denney for two creditors ; Mr. Bicker Caarten supported. The insolvent had been nearly forty years in the army, and only had captain's half-pay of £240 a year. He had been in difficulties for some time. Mr. Howell, one of the opposing creditors, had advanced money ; and the other, Mr. Tooke, had educated the insolvent's son. The Chief Commissioner intimated that a recom mendation should be sent to the Horse Guards that £9O a year be set aside; and if not allowed he should give a judgment on the complaint of the opposing creditors. Subsequently the case was adjourned to the 25th instant, in order to see whether the oppositions could be settled so as to prevent the recommenda tion being sent to the Horse Guards. CENTRAL CRIMINAL COU.RT.—May 13. OLD COURT. THE TRIAL OF THE GANG OF FORGERS. Henry Smith, a detective sergeant of the metro politan police, deposed that on the 21st of March he was sent for to Messrs. Drummonds the bankers, and he found the prisoner Bramwell there, and he was informed that he had uttered a forged cheque ; the prisoner produced a letter which he said he had received from a person named Wilscn, in which he directed him to present the cheque; he was allowed to depart, and witness followed him to an empty house in Queen-street, Soho, and he remained there all day, but no Mr. Wilson came. He smoked a pipe part of the time. A woman named Fairburn and Bateman also came and looked over the house, and he gave the latter a light to his cigar from his pipe. The woman went away first, and Bateman left a few minutes afterwards. Cross.examined—Bramwell was not taken into custody that day, but he kept a pretty sharp look out upon him during the time he remained with him. Cross-examined--He believed that the house Bramwell was taking care of belonged to his uncle, and that his relations were respectable people living in the neighbourhood. He had not made any inquiries with a view to ascertain whether a deposit of £2O really was required before the house would be let. Henry Webb, a sergeant of the detective police force of the city of London, deposed that in NoTember of last year he was employed in watching the move ments of the prisoner Wagner, the witness Chandl er , and the man Bateman, whose name had been men tioned during these proceedings. Bateman and Chandler both lived at Battersea,a short distance from each other, and they seemed to be on very friendly terms, and generally went from their homes together in the morning towards the steam-boat pier, but when they got close to the pier they used to separate, and one travelled to London from one of the piers and the other from another, and the effect of this pro ceeding was that one of them would arrive a quar ter of an hour before the other. He knew that Wagner lived at No. 10, York-buildings, Adelphi. He took Chandler into custody at Battersea on the 21st of February, and he was going in the direction of Bateman's house when he apprehended him. After he had been taken witness searched his house, and then went to the residence of Bateman, who informed him that Chandler was clerk. Bate man was not taken into custody upon this occasion. He then proceeded to the house in York-buildings, but Wagner was not there, and he never again made his appearance at this house, and he did not see him again until his apprehension in Sussex street, on the 26th of March. While he was at the house in York-buildings, the prisoner Humphreys came in and asked for Wagner and said that he wished to see him about some money transactions. He subsequently observed the slope pail and the rolling-pin, and having been himself brought up to the tin trade, he could say that it was very unusual for a pail of the description that had been produced to have a false bottom such as this one had. Mrs. Skelton, the landlady of the house in John street, Fitzroy-square, proved that the man Kerp, who had been alluded to in the evidence of Chandler, lodged in her house, and that he was frequently visited by Chandler, Bateman, and Wagner, and on some occasions when they were in his room, the door of the room was locked. She also stated that Kerp generally was occupied in writing, and that he had left since these proceed ings, and she did not know where he was gone to. Cross-examined—Kerp was an old man—she should say nearly 80 years of age. When he was at her house he appeared to be feeble and stooped, but she believed that when ho was younger he was a tall, upright man. The witness Chandler was then re-called by Mr. Bodkin, and in answer to the questions put to him, he said that when a difficulty arose about the cheques that were to be made use of not having on them the Government stamp, Humphreys under took to make or to procure a die for the purpose of fabricating the stamp. After some time, finding that he did not bring it, Wagner became dissatisfied at the delay, and said he would not wait any longer for it; and he, Chandler, Bateman, and Wagner, then set about to make one, and when they com pleted it the die was shown to Humphreys, but he had no hand in making it. He was however, aware what the die was to be used for. In answer to a question put by Mr. Justice Crowder, the witness said that they first made a die of plaster of Paris, but this did not answer the intended purpose, and they then made one of metal, with which the impressi o ns were made upon the cheques. The witness Webb was then again examined, and he stated that when he and the other officer appre hended Humphreys he had something_ in his hand which he appeared desirous to g et rid of, and made some resistance, but they seized him and told him it was no use, and he then gave up what he had in his hand, which turned out to be a die of the same description as that which had been mentioned by the witness Chandler. Mr. Bodkin said that this was the case for the prosecution. The learned counsel for the prisoners then severally addressed the jury on behalf of their re spective clients, but as nearly the whole of them urged the same topics upon the attention of the jury, it will be unnecessary to say more than that the main points principally relied upon were that the evidence given by the witnesses Chandler and Watkins were unworthy of credit, and that they had taken advantage of their knowledge of the fact that the prisoners were occasionally in each other's company, to trump u th 4 romantic story they had told with regard to these cheques. Mr. Ribton, on behalf of the prisoner Wagner, also urged very strongly upon the jury the fact that, irrespective of the prejudice that had been introduced into the inquiry, the only evidence against this prisoner really was that of Miss Harris, who professed to identify him as the man who had gone into the coffee-room of the University Hotel disguised in the manner stated. Mr. Justice Crowder summed up the evidence al considerable length and with great care and minute• ness, and The jury retired at five minutes past eight, and were absent three quarters of an hour, when they returned into court, and gave a verdict of guilty against all the prisoners. Evidence was then given that Wagner had been before convicted of forgery, and sentenced to ten years' transportation. Sentence was deferred. POLICE INTELLIGENCE-April 13. B OW. STREET.—Dennis Coedit!, , a labourer in the employ of Messrs. Holland and Hannen, con tractors, was brought up on remand on th e iarge of having assaulted another labourer named E. Cunningham. Mr. G. C. Fletcher, of Arbour square, attended for the prisoner. _ _ The compainant, who is an elderly man, appeared to have suffered considerably, looking exceedingly pale and ill. Mr. Catterwood, one of the principal clerks to Messrs. Holland and Co., entered into a statement of the circumstances. The firm felt that any fine which this court could inflict, or any compensation which the defendant might be induced to pay would be no punishment to him, as the society was very powerful, and would readily subscribe the money. Mr. Henry said that ho was by no means dis posed to deal with the case summarily or permit a compromise. At the first examination he was not aware that there had been a strike, or that the occurrence had arisen from defendant having been so discharged. As the evidence presented itself on that occasion, the matter wore the aspect of a private quarrel, in which the allusion to the society was incidental. If that had been its real character he should have permitted a compromise, in order that Cunningham should have that compensation which he could not get if the case went to trial. Now, however, the case assumed a much graver colour. It was evident that this was an act of violence arising out of the strike, and designed to intimidate the non-society labourers. He thought it was the duty of the firm to prosecute, and he should therefore swear Mr. Catterwood to the facts he had stated, and bind him over to prosecute. Mr. J. C. Arnold, house surgeon at Charing-cross Hospital, described the injury suffered by Cunning ham. It was a simple fracture of the jaw-bone. Being unable to masticate he was living entirely on fluids, which accounted for his altered apperance. lie was in a fair way of recovery. Cunningham repeated his former evidence. In cross-examination by Mr. Fletcher, he admitted that his jaw had been broken once before. Mr. Catterwood said the firm would much regret the necessity of prosecuting. Mr. Henry—l think you are bound to do it. The man is in your service, and you ought to protect him. You may depend on it that the prosecution will have more effect than a hundred notices. Mr. Catterwood—Quite so, sir. Still we regret it. We are very . sorry for these misguided men, who are really injuring themselves. Mr. Fletcher said that, as the magistrate was re solved to commit, he should reserve the defence. The prisoner was then committed. WESTMINSTER.—INFAMOUS TRANSACTIONS IN A GENTLEMAN'S HOUSE.—Henry Callaway, footman, at 55, Grosvenor-place, appeared to a sum mons charging him with being the father of a bas tard child to which Ann Sibley had given birth. Complainant said sh i e lived fellow-servant with the defendant in his present situation. An improper intimacy commenced between them in March, 1858, which resulted in her being delivered of a male child on the 14th of February last. After the birth of the child, her mother sent for the defendant, who said he would pay eighteenpence per week, or £lO down at once to settle the matter. In cross-examination by Mr:Horry, who ap peared for the defendant, the complainant said that there were other male and female servants in the same house ; there was another footman named Davis. He and the defendant slept in two beds in the same room, and at half-past six in the morning another female servant in the same establishment took her into the footmen's sleeping room, and they were all there together when the first intimacy took place between complainant and defendant. The footmen were in their beds when they went into the room. Complainant denied most positively that she had ever been, herself, intimate with Davis. Complainant's mother stated that, finding the situation her daughter was in through the improper intimacy with the defendant (which was repeated, according to the girl's statement), she sent to him. He said he was very sorry, and appeared quite convinced it was his. He said he was in a great difficulty arising out of the fact that there was another young woman in the same predicament by him ; if complainant was the only one he would not mind. Witness communicated with him di rectly after her daughter was confined, when he said he had promised the other young woman mar riage, and offered complainant ls. 6d. per week, which he said was quite as much as he could afford. He did not in any way repudiate the child ; he seemed to think it like him, and was rather proud. Mr. de la Mare, solicitor, who conducted the com plainant's case, here read a letter sent by her mother to the defendant, in which:the former (evi dently a very well informed woman) pointed out that she had been left a widow some years, and had struggled hard to bring up her children ; and now that her daughter (the complainant) was old enough to get her living, she had been plunged,- while a child in years compared to him (the one being 17 and the other about 35), into disgrace and ruin, and implored him to do what was becoming under the circumstances. A reply from defendant was also read, in which he stated that he had made a fair offer for the child, and if she did not like to take if she must go without; and if she came to the house where he lived and, annoyed him, he would never pay her a penny. It having been shown that he had sent her a sovereign by a fellow servant, Complainant's cousin was called, and proved that on the occasion of his visit after the child was born, he said he wa s g l a d to see i t ; that he thought it was like him, and that he would do all he could ; he then proposed an allowance of ls. 6d. per week. - Mr. lorry urged that the complainant had been his client's seducer, and that the offers to maintain the child, and the other circumstances spoken to by the - witnesses, which were in some respects exaggerated, were not strictly in consequence of any conviction that he was the father of the child, but from the fears he entertained of the matter obtain ing publicity, his dismissal from his situation, and the ruin of his character. Defendant denied that he ever said the child was his, or if he said it, it was only from the reason first stated. He would call a witness who would put a different complexion on the matter. Benjamin Davis, the other footman spoken of, was now called. He said he had left the situation where he was fellow servant with defendant, and now lived in service in Grosvenor-place. He (witness) had had connexion with the complainant at 55, Grosvenor-place, from February in last year more than once. In cross-examination by Mr. de la Mare, witness said he could not remember when he was last intimate with the complainant, but that intimacy took place in the pantry of their master's house, and defendant was present and saw it. Mr. Paynter put a stop to the case by ordering the witness to stand down. He animadverted upon the mode in which he had given his evidence, and upon the whole case in the strongest terms, declaring, that in his whole experience as a magistrate o f 20 years he had never met with anything so thoroughly disgraceful and infamous. It was lamentable to find conduct so gloss —a gentleman's house turned into a brothel by his servalits,_ and he thought it but right that th e proprietor should be informed of what had tak en place. He attached no credit to the testimony of Davis, and ordered defendant to pay 2s. 6d. per week, and 40s. costs. Mr. de la M are pledged himself to communicate with the defendant's master. THAMES. —Maria. Clark, a stern-looking wo man, was charged w ith assau lti ng h er s t e p son , William Clark, a diminutive boy, aged 10 years, who appeared to have been greatly neglected, and was very poorly clad. Mr. Stoddart, solicitor, defended the prisoner. The boy's father was an engineer, and had gone to Galatz with a steamer. The prisoner in the absence of her husband had been in the habit of illusing her stepson, and had not given him proper sustenance. Hard bread, and that in insufficient quantities, was his only food for several days. The prisoner was also in the habit of caning the boy immoderately, knocking him down with a candle stick, and committing other acts of cruelty. Th e boy had left his stepmother for seven or eight weeks, and was sheltered by a poor woman named Elizabeth Marriott, of No. 175, Newmarket -str ee t Old Gravel-lane, St. George's in the East, who treated him very kindly. The stepmother demanded the boy, and he was given up to her. She i m mediately recommenced her career of cruelty, and was continually caning the boy, dragging him about the room by the hair of his head, and committing other acts of tyranny and cruelty, until he left his home again. Mrs. Marriott had taken care of the little fellow since Saturday, and had acted with the greatest kindness towards him. The following certificate from the boy's school master was put in :—" The little boy, William Clark, when under my care was always a well behaved child. I never had occasion to find greater fault with him than with other children of his age and position, but I have been much pained at the evident neglect and ill treatment he has experienced from his friends at home.—HENRY RowLEY, master of St. George's Mission School, Old Gravel-lane, May 13." The defence set up by Mr. Stoddart was that the boy was a great liar and thief, and in the practice of coming home at two and three o'clock in the morning. Mr. Selfe said the prisoner was a cruel and vindictive stepmother, caring nothing for the comfort and welfare of her husband's child, whom she was bound to protect and to treat with kindness. He sentenced the prisoner to be imprisoned for two calendar months without hard labour. His reason for inflictinr , such a mild sentence was that she was, afflicted a disease very dang erous to life. she had been in good health, he would have added hard labour to the sentence. He ordered 15s. to be paid to Mrs. Marriott, whose conduct was deserving of great praise, and he requested her to take care of the boy, and in a fortnight's time he would agai n recompense her from the poor-box fund. INCENDIARY FIRE IN ESSEX. On Wednesday, Charles Wright, a boy of 14, was committed for trial by the Saffron Walden magistrates for setting fire to the premises of his master, the Rev. J. Papillon, rector of Lexden. The first witness was Peter Thomas Ladbrook, who deposed to being in Lexden-street, about half past nine o'clock on Thursday week, when he saw a fire at the rectory, and went and found it burning in the cattle shed, which was consumed. Th e , female servants came oat of the h ouse , an d he viol' with them to the stable to get the horses, cows, and pigs out. The following morning, shortly after 11 o'clock, he was told Mr. Papillon's barn was On fire, and he went and helped to extinguish it: On Wednesday night, about nine o'clock, whilst in Lexden•strect, talking about the fires, he saw peopl e running, and heard the cry of "Fire," and went and found it burning at a tumbrel shed, ni‘ar Mr. Vince's watermill. Emma Smith, servant to Mr. Papillon, stated that prisoner lived at the h ouse , an d h a d b een o ut oboe" a quarter of an hour before she saw the first fire' but had returned indoors about five minutes before it occurred, and told her it rained. The ne,i t morning he brought h er some fi rewoo d from ta e barn for the oven, in doing which he would hav e to go to the spot where the second fire took plac e ' Head Constable Do wns s t a t e d th a t on hearing of the fire at Mr. Papillon's, on the night of the 28th April, he went and questioned prisoner as to It s cause, when he stoutly denied kn ow i ng anytilln„ about it. He questioned prisoner the mor ning Mr. Vince's fire, when he denied causing it. rrl s°- ner afterwards absconded with his master's hors e and he traced him to Bo x f or d, on the borders of Suffolk. He returned to Colchester that night, but in the morning he proceeded to Assington, virhe r , e he found Mr. Papillon's horse at a gentle:ins° house. He traced prisoner to Sudbury, and thenf e to Halsted, where he found him at 7 o'clock in the evening. He told him he was charged with sett" fire to Mr. Papillon's and Mr. Vince's premises, an,. e with riding away with his master's horse, when ," 1 . answered " Yes." He brought prisoner to the u°'• chester borough police office, when he was told the, charge by the mayor, and said " Yes, that's tie"' I did it," and described how he had caused thefires: He said that on the night of the fi rs t fire he wen through the chaise house, unfastened the stab le ' , door, and set fire to the furze in the c ow•shed a lucifer match, and returned to the kitchen ; nest day he took some wood from the back yard to the bake-office, and went into the barn by the bac k door, and set fire to the straw with a match, lap in the corner near the shed. With reference to Mr. Vince's fire, he said he went to the corner of - th e shed and set fire to it with a lucifer match, an d returned by the mill meadow. He thought at first the fire was out, but when he got some distance he saw it begin to blaze. When he set fire to it h e wished he had not done it. _ _ The prisoner, on being asked what he had to sigf observed he was very sorry he had done it. was committed for trial at the assizes, but ordered to be detained in the borough gaol. COUNTRY MAREBTS. LIVERPOOL—MAY 13. This morning we had a good attendance of millers and dealers at our corn exchange. Th e b us iness passing,wji pretty fair for whe a t, b o th f or consum pti o n and to 1 - I °A over, and prices recovered the reduction of 9d per °all quoted on Tuesday, closing about 2d lower since this o a l f week. Flour had a fair retail sale, at an improvemen t 0 „ 6d per coital. Indian corn was held firmly, at late r ate ' . Oats and oatmeal steady. Egyptian beans, peas, and bg ," ley were each unaltered in value. The market dosed firm. WAKEFIELD—MAT 13. Wheat was held at a decline of is to 2s per qr upon lat i , Tuesday's rates, and there was a rather better feeling °n the part of buyers, but the business done was of a ta w ' character. In other articles no material alteration. an Wheat, per qr. of 8 bushels 601 b., Essex, Suffolk, --- Kent, white, old, 54s to 565; new, 53s to 55e; ditto, old, 47s to 495; new, 44 s to 49 s ; Lincolnshire and York shire white, new, 45s to 47s ; red, 41e to 457. Averages for the week : Wheat .7,420 qrs., at 51s 10Id Oats -- 97 --s Od Rye "-- 97 8ar1ey......... 106 ~ 3 48 9d Beans Peas LOUTH—MAY 11. A great reaction took place to-day, when wheat dec lined from 9s to lO s per qr. The little business done was at 46s to 50s per qr. for red and mixed sorts. Other descriptions of grain unaltered. CORK—MAY 11. d The following were the quotations this morning • wheat, 24s Od to 25s 01; white, 27s Od to —s Od; barley A to 15s Od; oats, 14s 3d to 15s 10d. EXETER—MAN 13. The sudden reaction has caused a complete dulness in tse trade, and business was limited, at the following prices • 4'4 1 Wheat, white.. 6s Od to 6s 3d Barley.. 4s 4d to 61 Ditto red ..5s 9d to 6s Od. I Oats . 35 3d to 35 Flour, fine, 35s to 365; seconds, 34s to —s per sack. Fat beef,p score,9s6d to 10s6d Ewes, per lb 61d to 7' 1 ,, Pork carcases, do7s Od to 8s 6d Wethers, 7d to 7 o r Lambs, per lb. 8d to Od Fat c a l ves, d o ... Aid to Rough fat, 4zd per lb. DERBY SMITHFIELD—MAY 11. The supply of beasts to-day was good ; the demand Ir:: flat, and a clearance could not be effected. The pent' w . egi s well filled with sheep an d a few lambs, and high Pr l umi t asked. Calves numerous, but a heavy sale. Pigs au an average. 6d to 7d Beef 7d to 71d Veal Sid to 6d Mutton 7d to 8d P or k Lamb Od to —d Rough fat, 5s 3d per s tone. Hides, 31d t o 5d ; calf skins, 52d to 6d. BRISTOL SUGAR—AIex 13. i n of The chief feat ure i n th e market this week i s the sa — t h the first c argo o f new Barbadoes—about 300 easkB-0;t: whole of whi c h f oun d b uyers at prices rang i ng f r om 3 ' the 458 per cwt. The quality was decidedly superior O ther ordinary run of early c argoes o f thi s class ofsugar*Eturitius descriptions qu i e t. Ab ou t 500 b ags crysta ll ise d m realised 43 8 t o 47 s 6d ; an d 2 , 500 b oxes R a vin:mall LI been purchased afloat at 26s 9d for No. 12. Refined t and firm in price. Ru m h as b een so ld to a fair eaten 2s 6d per proof gallon for Demerara. BIRTHS. HAZELDINE.—On the 12th inst., at Lasswade 11°18;1, Forest Hill, the wife of Mr. Geor ge John. Hazeldixte , ° daughter. virest LYNDA.LL.—On the 11th inst., at 2, Amherst Vino , da, Hackney, the wife of Mr. William Wordsworth 1 , ,I ) - of a son. • of SPENCER.—At the Plantation, near York, the wife Captain Spencer, 2d (Queen's Royals), of a daughter. 0 VALPY.—On the 12th inst., at 30, Great Coram - st reet, th wife of G. C. Blandy Valpy, Esq., of a son. MARRIAGES CIIRISTIE—PRICE.—On the 12th illSt ,at Weyb .4 “u ,i g- A , Jag' Traill Ch r i s ti e , banister-at-law, of . the Middle Tel n P to Lydia Rose, eld es t daughter of Bonamy Dice, of Princes terrace, Hyde-park. LONG—ROWLEY.—On the 11th inst., at Stoke -by-Nay' land, "William Beeston L ong , Esq , eldest son of W illi 0 , Long, Esq., of Hu r t s Hall, Saxm . undham, to A-re th° Marianne, second d aug ht er of Sir Charles an d the 11011. Lady Rowley, of Tendring Hall, Suffolk. DEATHS. ARCHER.—On the 10th inst ,at Albo e, Sussex, George Archer, Es . q., of Worship-street, Loneo-7 aged 76. CALLINGHAM.—On the 12th inst , at his residen ce, Duke of Sussex, Haggerstone-bridge,.3lr.lVilliam Callinghal:c4 aged 48. HALL.---On the 11th inst., Ann, the wife of Thomas -gall' Esq., 103, Bi s h o pgate-street without. MITCHESON.—On the 11th inst., at 4, Wellington - P lace ' Commercial-road E., Robert William Mitcheson, Esq'' aged 43. PARKER.—On the 10th inst., a t Leamington, the Rec. Edward Geor ge P ar k er , M.A., Chaplain to the F orces aged 50. LONDON : Printed and Published by MURDO YOUNun' of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at The Sun Office, N o. 11 1 . Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the countY ° Aliddie,,,ez,:saturchty,.l4ay 14, 1859,