The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1860-05-29 00:00:00

NAVAL COURT-MARTIAL.

EXTRAORDINARY CONDUCT OF A STOKER, AND
NARROW ESCAPE OF AN EXPLOSION.
A naval court-martial was held on board the Impreg-
nable, guard-ship, at Devonport, on Friday last, to
inquire into the conduct of John Casey, stoker, em-
ployed on
Royal Albert, "whereby damage wa
board the Partridge, steams
a-ltlcengdeedi
ttoo. the
have
been done to the midship boiler on the morning of the
wl 'latsh
roefa:dMfaryo,mand
Mr. t o
T.
try him for. Sanders,
the m
same." e ."
en g
iAn e
eletter
charge on board the Partridge, stating the orders given
with respect to the management of the boilers; and a
letter from Capt. Lacon, who said he had examined the
prisoner as to his motives in acting as he did, but could
ascertain no reason. The prisoner appeared to be quite
sober, and had acted in a most premeditated manner.
The witnesses for the prosecution were called. From
their evidence it appeared that the prisoner had been
drafted on board the Partridge, screw gun-boat, tender
to the Royal Albeit, and on the morning of the above
date, in defiance of standing orders, he proceeded to got
up steam without calling the engineer on duty. The
consequence was that beinginsuthciently acquainted with
the duties he undertook to perform he heated two of the
boilers without filling them with the requisite quantity of
water, and thereby caused the crown of one of the furnaces
to become red hot and bulge in. Mr. Ware, one of the
engineers on board, fortunately hearing the noise pro-
ceeded to the engine-room and there found the prisoner
about to turn on the cold water, he having just started
the donkey-engines, there being already about 50Ibs.
pressure on the boilers. Mr. Ware immediately took the
necessary steps to remedy the prisoner's indiscretion.
From the evidence of the other witnesses it was shown
that had not Mr. Ware arrived in the engine-room at
the fortunate time he did the accident might have
extended to most serious consequences. The prisoner,
in defence, could offer no explanation why he was in the
engine-room without orders at so early an ho ur. He denied
having heard any order that he was not to go into the
engine-room, or that he had touched either the safety-
valve or blast, but admitted that he had put on fresh
fuel. When he went down the fires wero burning up.
He stopped there, and thought it was later than it was.
He put the donkey at work, and was rigging the pump
when Mr. Ware came. He threw himself on the mercy
of the count.—The. Court. was of opinion that the
prisoner had disobeyed orders, and by his neglect caused
the damaged sustained, and consequently sentenced him
to be degraded to the second class, and to be imprisoned
and kept to hard labour for three months.

SINGULAR GUN ACCIDENT.—A serious accident
happened at Worcester, on Saturday evening to Wm.
Thomas, of the Queen's Own Worcestershire Yeomanly
Cavalry, while practising carbine shooting. It seems
he had loaded his carbine with powder and ball, and
was firing at a target, but though the percussion cap
exploded several times the charge did not ignite.
Thinking the charge had got loose, or had not been
rammed sufficiently home, he drew his ramrod and used
it for the purpose, as he thought, of rectifying the
charge. While ramming home the charge the gun
exploded, and shattered his right hand in a fearful
manner, drilling a hole completely through it. It is
supposed that some wet powder near the nipple had
smouldered until the charge had been rammed down to
it, when the latter ignited. The sufferer is going on
well.

ANNUAL MEETING OP' dIIDTELLOWS:

Yesterday afternoon the anntlai meeting of the 'Bir-
kenhead Di,triet of Oddfellows took place Dr. Baylee
in the their: At five o'clock about two hundred pers6n§
sat dthiiri 6 tea ditd caste, provided et the Monks Ferry
Hotel. The roorti WdS decorated with tvic flags and
the haul's of the order; on orre' Itefe the cto'tds "The
Grand United Order of Oddfellows—Gdod gtitHafitait
Lodge," thid the' secon'd, " Pride of Cheshire Lodge ;
and he took hirrr oy tbA 4glit hand and lifted him up."
After tea

Dr. BAYT,EE read letters of excuse for rthsefi6d Pout

the Rev: H. S. Brown, Messrs. BUrnett, George par.;
ison, and H. ispinalf ; and made an excellent praotical
speech on the value of ifiYlty and power; the importance
of religion and education; and he gave the audience
some practical advise about combination for the ptitrOse
'of making.a provi,ien for sicknes ; old age, and deaTh.
P.' G. M. Harass read the annual report, from'
r hick it appeated,, that there were seven lodges in the
• district—held at Dr. Bayle4's schopliroom; tbe
Hand, Independent Chapel, Crown.HOtekPrinee Albert,
Duke of York, .Oxton, and the Britanuia Hotel,,
mere. Towards funerals of ,deceased members, members'
wives, and children, £ll9 lls. bad been paid; tramp
levies, reports, and stationery, £l3 17s. 3d. ; and sundry
expenses, £2l Bs. ; leaving a balance in the hands
of the treasurer of £3O 2s. 6d. The balance-sheet of
the Widows' and Orphans' Fund showed that £l5 bad
been paid to widows and orphans ; the trustees' expenses
amounted to one shilling only; leaving a balance of
£93 ls. 9d. Beside this, £399 ss. 9d. had been paid in
the various lodges from the Ist of May, 1859, to the Ist
of May, 1860, to sick members. The rate of the morta-
lity amongst the members during the last year was very
great. The society had increased in numbers, however,
by eighty-five.
At the conclusion of the reading of the report,

Dr. BAYLEE said that if brief statements of the
accounts were printed, he would be happy to circulate
them amongst the members of his church, .and make
known, as far as he possibly could, the success which
had attended the philanthropic efforts of the lodges in
the district.

The Rev. S. H. BOOTHE impressively addressed the
audience upon the superiority of independence over
dependence, advising working men to patronise them-
selves by laying Dy Moir r
snit
in savings' banks, rather than spend their money in the
public-house, and seek the patronage of those above
them.

On the motion of Mr. Parrington, a cordial vote of

tanks was given to the chairman

In the course of the meeting the choir, consisting of
Mrs. Bath°, Miss Parry, Messrs: Cahill, Hirst, Thitho,.
Henderson, Griffiths, and Taylor, sang a mimber of
glees very creditably, and added not a little to the
pleasure of the entertainment.
The meeting was terminated by singing the nationa
anthem.

A ball took place at the Crown Hotel,

MUSICAL, DRAMATIC LITERARY, AND

ARTISTIC NEWS AND GOSSIP;

The idyllic contest of the brass bands, from the
counties of England, which is to take place at Sydenham
on July 10th and 11th, is a meeting to be watched for
with more than usual interest. For the first day's trial,
only " sixty " bands have entered themselves ; for the
second a yet larger number. The larger number of
these interesting orchestras, of what the Germans call
" harmony music," come from our manufacturing
districts.

We understand that Lord Elcho, dissatisfied with the
pecuniary results of the ball given in the new Floral
Hall, in aid of the volunteer movement, has entered into
negotiations with Mr. E. T. Smith for a monstre concert
at her Majesty's ; the principal performers to be recruited
among the talented artistes of his company.
M. G. Garibaldi, a flautist of unexceptionable talent,
is creating a great sensation among the dilettanti of
Brussels by his brilliant playing. Many of our travel-
ling countrymen will have an opportunity of hearing
him at the expiration of the season—as he proposes to
spend some months at the German watering-places.
Great preparations are making for the ceremony of
laying the foundation stane of the Royal Dramatic
College at Maybury, near Woking, by the Prince Con-
sort, on Friday next. A grand file and fancy fair will
be held, the stalls of which will be presided o7er by
ladies connected with the dramatic profession. Rustic
and other games will take place under the superin-
tendence of some of our principal comedians.
A new farce was produced on Saturday evening at the
Haymarket, entitled " The Fitasmythes, of Fitzsmythe
Hall," by Mr. Norton.
Can anybody tell us what has become of the book
import duty repeal ? In common with other journals,
we have discussed its effects, and certainly were under
the impression that it was a real substantial proposition ;
hut here we have before us the Customs Bill as
amended in committee, with no word about books in it.

It is now weeks since Mr. Gladstone first unfolded his
finanrial ceherne, and nothing is ypf. gettlad.

A congress of architectural and archeological societies
will meet at Cambridge during Whitsun week. Visits
will be made thence to Ely and other spots of arche-
ological interest, in which the neighbourhood is opulent.
A lecture, among others, will be read by Professor
Willis, (whose voice has been silent of late,) on the
architectural history of Cambridge—a theme on which
no man is so competent to speak.

The Ellison water-colour collection of paintings has
now been deposited in the South Kensington Museum,
and was to be first exhibited to the public on Saturday.
On Thursday evening the Academicians met in-Ira-
falgar-square to elect a full member of their body. The
choice fell upon Mr. Augustus Egg. Mr. Boxall run
close upon the successful candidate in the preliminary
scratching, but in the final vota Mr. Egg came in by a
majority of five.
A sculptor prefers a serious complaint against the
Royal Academy. Having sent in two statues for exhi-
bition, he received an intimation that one had been
rejected. When the exhibition opened, however, neithbt
appeared; and, on inquiring for his works, be found
them both in the cellar, one broken and the other very
much scratched. He adds, that in this condemned cellar
"huddled together in most dangerous juxtaposition,
were works from the hands of some five or six sculptors,
well and honourably known to the public as men of
acknowledged talent; works showing the study and
labour of months. Professional etiquette prevents me
mentioning names. It is sufficient to state that a very
talented work, executed by the last-selected travelling
student, and sent from Rome for exhibition, is among
the number, as well as the original model of a public
statue lately erected in St. Paul's."
We understand that it has recently been ascertained,
beyond doubt, that the Picture Gallery at Dulwich is
exposed to constant danger from fire. The gtivernors
are naturally very anxious about it. This gallery con-
tains some of the choicest pictures in England, the loss
of which would be irreparable. The danger springs
from the existence, on one side of the gallery, and in
close contact with it, of a row of small almshouses occu-
pied by. peer people, aged, and, for the most part, infirm.
The lantern windows are of wood. Once these wooden
windows get fairly in flames, woe to the Chyps, Murillos
and Van Dycks ! Last year a fire actually broke nut in
one of these houses, and the collection was saved by
nothing less than a miracle. The attention of the gover-
nors, and of Mr. Barry, surveyor to the buildings, has
been called to the matter, and we shall hope to hear
very soon that, by their care and wisdom, all public fears
on this head are at an end.

The Ministers have mostly loft town for the holidays.
A correspondent of the Northern Whig states that
two young men in Belfast are being trained to fight
Heenan.
MIND WuEat YOU LAY THE EMPHASIS.— Sir
Fletcher Norton was noted for his want of courtesy.
When pleading before Lord Mansfield on some question
of manorial right, he chanced, unfortunately, to say,
"My lord, I can illustrate the point in an instance in
my own person : I, myself, have two little manors."
The judge immediately interposed, with one of his
blandest smiles, "We all know it, Sir Fletcher."
A few nights ago, some woodcutters, in the forest of
Ardennes, were aroused from their slumbers by frightful
cries and howlings, and on reaching the spot whence the
cries proceeded, they saw a number of wolves and wild
boars fighting in a desperate manner. One of the men
lighted a chemical match, which at once put the beasts
to flight, and a fine boar, weighing 150 lbs.; which was
left dead upon the field, was taken possession of by the
woodm4en.
Txg MOORS.—The breeding season of the grouse in
this locality is exceedingly favourable in every respect.
The coveys are large in number and remarkably strong,
affording promise of excellent sport for crack shots on
the 12th. In the neighbouring parts in Ayrshire, we
believe, there has been some mortality among the grouse,
consequent on the effects of the severe winter ; but this
will not affect the sport of the ensuing season to any
appreciable extent. Hares are pl-ntiful in the lowlands
herebouts, and there is a good appearance of partridgees.
—Greenock Advertiser.

THE COLLEGE OF PHYSICIANS!AND GENERAL PRAC-
TITIONERS.--A recent decision of the College of Physi-
cians of London is calculated to produce a very impor-
tant influence upon the most numerous class of medical
men, the general practitioners throughout the country ;
and we believe also, indirectly, upon the practice of
pharmacy, as a distinct profession. At a meeting of
the fellows of the College of Physicians, it was decided
to create a third class of medical men connected with
the college, who, in regard to the nature of their
practice, will occupy a similar position to that of the
apothecary or general practitioner, with a restriction as
to dispensing medicines only to their own patients.
The licentiate to be admitted under the new regulations
will not be entitled to the appellation of doctor; they
will be general practitioners holding a license from the
College of Physicians, and having the power to dispense
heir own medicines, but not in any other way to engage
in the sale of drugs.