The Express.
London, England, 1862-10-11 00:00:00

WESTMINSTER.

John Morelli, ais ItalialiroLiteriiiilor, of the Grenadier
Guards, living at 9, Corowalletreet, Pimlico, appeared for
final examination, charged with stealing a quantity of cloth
belonging to the ecretary at War.
. . .

Mirffiryers attended to watch the ease on behalf of the
War-office ; and Mr. F. H. Lewis, barrister, &neared for
the accused.

—in reply to an inquiry from Mr. Peyote; it was stated
that the quartermaster of the 47th Regiment., spoken of by
the prisoner is his defence on the last examination, was not
in England. but could be brought forward if necessary.
At Mr. Lewis's request. Colonel Danbeney, inspector of
army clothing, stood in the witness-box for Cro34ll.Z.Mitll•
ton.

Mr. Lewis logo when he was appointed to his present
post, and followed it op by asking whe:her there was not
a prescribed allowance for all the clothing, when
Mr. Poynter °tem wed that it was not of the smallest
importance to this inquiry, and called the banister', atten-
tion to the fact that there was a piece of cloth of three
yards produced on the last examination.
Mr. Lewis urged that in his line of defence the ques-
tions be was putting were important; big client had re-
commended certain reductions to the amount of cloth given
out.

Mr. Payr, *.er, as the question was about to be pressed,
pointed ou. that the defence set up by the prisoner on
the last occasion was that Colonel Hudson bad given him
leave to appropriate the property.
Mr. Lewis contended i., was material to his client that
hie cransmaminatioo should be pursued as be was conduct-
ing it. A person who had done what the prisoner had
done to effect an enormous saving was cot a likely men to
commit a felony.
Mr. Payeter said the prisoner was allowed at his own
MENA request to make his fall response on the last occa-
sion. He was not aware of any suggestion that prisoner
bad made any saving, nor was rt important to this in-
quiry.
Mr. Lewis declared that through the prisoner's instru-
mentality 13,0001. per annum had been saved.
. .

Mr. Lewis putrtwo or three other question to Colonel
Daubeney, who disclaimed any knowledge of the saving
enoken of, and who said there were 200 master tailors in
toe army, some of whom were soldiers, some civilians.
Mr. Poynter again said that these inquiries were irrelevart
Mr. Lewis persisted that the inqnuies he WAS about to
make were moat important. He not only amid show the
saving he bad mentioned, but that after the stipulated quan-
tity of cloth was given to • master tailor there was no
return of the remnants. The practice of keeping what was
left bad subsided into • custom.

Mr. Poynter remarked that it was not a legal custom ;
he thought it melees for Mr. Lewis to pursue that line of
dormice, as the defence was that Colonel Hudson had given
him permission to keep the cloth. He thought the time
of the court was being wasted.
Mr. Lewis suggested that the time of the court was
beiog more wasted by the magistrate's frequent inter-
ruptions.
In answer to his further inquiries,
Colonel Daubeney said he did not know of • muter
tailor returning remnants of cloth to the War-office ; it was
his duty to return what was left to the quartermaster
from whom he received it, in order that it might be left for
the regimental stores—regimental muter tailors worked in
the regimental shop, and could not lawfully take as ounce
of thread out of it without permission.
Mr. Lewis aid that, while speaking of strict rule, be
would inquire of Colonel I)subeney whether he had not
himself used the regimental cloth for a table cover at the
War-office.

Colonel Danbeeev replied that. he had an obsolete piece of
green cloth on hie table, but he had had the War-office au-
thority to put it there.
Mr. Poynter having stated that there was no necessity
for answerial that question, which Colonel Daubeney, how-
ever, immediately replied to,
Mr. Lewis observed that Mr. Paynter appeared to take
• strong view of this case, and not in accordance with that
of the public.
Colonel lludeon, superintendent of the manufacture of
clothing, was then called.
in crois-examination by Mr. Lewis he said that prisoner
was so first-rate a master tailor that be had received his
present post in that capacity through the instrumentality of
General Crawford; it was at the general's request, and for
his ability and general good conduct io the 47th. The
minimum quantity of cloth was served out for the soldiers'
clothing, as little as was possibly thought sufficient to
make the artice. One yard and seventeen inches of cloth
was given out to make • tunic before the prisoner became
the muter tailor, but the prisoner made calculations and
produced patterns to show that • much less quantity of
cloth would be sufficient for the purpose. The patterns
were submitted to Sir Thomas Triubridge, end being
approved of, a great seeing was effected. Could not say
that 13,0001 per annum had been saved by prisoner, but
there certainly was a most considerable saving to the
public. Witness thought, in consequence of prisoner's
plans being brought under the notice of the government,
none of the remnants were ever returned to
the government stores ; it was the practice to
retain the remnants, witness thought, to repair the
soldiers' clothing. Prisoner had bad 700 suits of clothing to
cut out while in the 47th. Is ISIS prisoner showed him •
piece of cloth at Diver zed said he had some left after
made, the clothing ; at that time prisoner spoke and under-
stood English very imperfectly, and it wee difficult to make
him understand. The piece of cloth prisoner showed him
tritium, told him to keep ; be Keep it here ;" he
lossat with the storm of the regiatest, se it would have