The Express.
London, England, 1849-12-17 00:00:00

THE LATE GENERAL COURTS-MARTIAL

NOTTINGHAM, Er:rDST.
Yesterday the sentences en privates Ball, Butter.
worth, and Knox. tried in this town by geeeral courts-
martial on the 6th, 7th. and Bth of November list, wore
communicated from Sheffield to Nottingham, having Men
ufficiarly annhunced ti tt e prisoners in the former town on
he previous day. The unsteteticed prisoners were removed
to Sheffield at the time the nveral troops exchanged quarters
a few days ago.
As is usual in such eases, the official minutes of each trial
were read in the presence of the assembled troops; and th:
judgments of the courts, affirmed by the Commander-in-
Chief, mid appeased by the Mueen, were made knowu to ell
E.ch cure consi.t.ei of C done' C. G. J. Ar'iuthnot,
Commander of the North Midland District (President) ;
Lb ut..Culonel the Hon. J. Yorke Scarl.tt. sth Dragocu
Guards ; Major Henry Benny, 81st Foot ; Captain George
Lloyd Reborn. 51 Dragoon Guards; Captain Junes Cuu.
hieghant, VA Di agoon Guards; Captdu Sir Ut-age Curs nn
Balmy, Bart., 12tn Foot; Captain F. L. Dashwo d, 16th
Lenten; Captain William de Carionnel Eenhaw, let
Halal Dragoons; Lieu-errant George Campbell, In ft rya,
Drauuons: Lieat:Culonel John Patten, 12th Foot ; Ceptaiu
Frame H. Forster, 4th Dragoon Guards; Captain T.
Pattle, IGth Lines. a; Captain J. Arthur Gildea, plat Foot;
Captain Thomas D. Perry, 81st Foot; Captain Herber
Morgau, lit Royal Dra,nusa Guards; Lieutenant Michael
M'Creogh, 4th Dragoon Guards; and Captain J. Francis
mpt, 12th Foot (Acting Deputy Judge Advocate).
The following is a brief summary of each eme :
No. 7b7, Prorate Hobart Knox, charged with having, on
-10.141 of Oetuber last, left the Nottingham Barrecka wren
entiued thereto, and not returning until the 151; also, as
a second dines, with raising his hand, lit wive', au a large
stone, ogaihst Sergeant-Major Davis, and uttering insubor-
dinate words in a menacing manner.
Toe first charge was admitted. To prove the second,
S fgt.-Major Davis deposed:-1 was teat in charge of
eit.k,t in search of men, of whom the pr-loser was one. I
went to the Gate public. house in Breerimuse-yard, alai was
endeavouring to secure two of the absentees, when the
prisoher rued another ran away. My party gave chase. On
guiog clues to thi in, private Knox turned round ; he raised
nos Laud, in which, to the heat of my was a large
.tone, and exclaimed, " Da, you b —," or words to that
effect, se if in Atiance of my securing hint. I knocked bits
Mown with my sword, and broke it. l cut him &MN the
bead. Civilians &Leewards rescued the prismer.
Sergeant-Major Davis's evidence in the but tine was
objected to because he had been disbelieved on his egth by
a enart-martial at Glasgow; bat this being overruled, wit-
limits were called who ilita• that the sergeant major's
sword was broken during a row that t review:ly occurred L.
the Gate pub:ic-house, and that when he struck Knox it was
with a short piece of the broken mud, the prisoner having
his back towards the sergeant insj n at the time, and no:
making use of any menace or e spression of deG dice what-
,ver. The prisoner's age was sail to be 26, his service two
years, and his disinter very good.
Guilty of the first charge; not guilty of the second. Tu
be imprisoned and k• pt to hard !thous for tbr,e calendar
mantas.
Nu. 607. Private William Butteeworlt, fur breaking out
of barracks at Nottingham, when confin,id thereto, on the
14th of October, and not returning until brought back by a
leeket oa the 15th; and, secondly, for iusub.)rdir ation
'sizing and detaining Troop Serjeint-Major Davis in the
Gate public-house whilst two prisoners escape.l, saying
ineanwrol-, "I will not hurt you, serguntatejor, but I
will hold you." or word. to that effect.
The evidence for the prosecution and in favour of the pri-
soner was very lengthy.
The prisoner's age was described as 28 years, his length
of service 8 yeere, and character indifferent.
Guilty of the first charge, and partially guilty of the se-
cond. To be imprisoned and kept to hard labour for twelve
calendar months.
No. 849. Private Edward Ball, charged, Solt, with break-
fog out of barracks when confined thereto at Nottingham,
on the 14th of October; secondly, with escspsoa from a
pasty by whom he had been captured she same nigh., and
not returning until the 16th of the same munch ; thirdly,
with usiog insubordinate language to &quint-Major Davis
on the 14th, and saying," You ate nu man, Se rjeant-Major,"
or words to that effect.
From the evidence it seemed that the prisoner was one of
those who escaped from the Gan public house at the time ,
Berjeant-Major Davis was endeavouring to capture some of
toe absentees, on the evening they absented themselves nom
barracks. On leaving the public-house lie went a circuit
round Winton, and was at Bedford, in the vicinity of 01-
oarracks, when a second picket observed him, and gave
chase. Ho ran down Dnibproa 4, and entered Notting lam
market-place, when Sergeant-Major Davis and hi. party met
him. Both pickets pursued the prisoner up Perk-street,
when he took refuge in Mr. Shuttltworth's passage, which
«as very dark at the time. He was observed to enter by
two policemen, who save information to the pursuing
pickets, the commanders of which ordered the policemen to
follow, with their lights turned on. They then entered
themselvee, followed by their men, when the prisoner was
observed lying on the ground at the top of the passage.
Lieutenant Whitby ordered his party to "handcuff him ;"
when the prisoner exclaimed, "I will go peac.ably, but wits
die rather than be hiendeutfed." Sergeant-Major Davis
cried to his party, " If he stirs, cut him dawn;" and suiting
the action to the word, he cut the prisoner acne. the herd
with his sword, and Corporal Sturges+ at the same moment
thrust the point of his sword into the prisoner's mouth.
" Then it was," said the prisoner, in his defence, " that I
made use of some remark to the effect that they were not
using me a a fellow-soLUer, or as a man." He was, however,
secured, and given in charge to a small party, whose vigi-
lance he eluded at the Park corner, a dark place, and a
second time escaped—not returning to the barracks until
two days afterwards.
The prisoner's age is 27 years, length of service 3 years ;
character indifferent.
Guilty of all the charges. To be imprisoned and kept to
hard labour for 12 calendar months.
During the late unhappy troubles, a great proportion of
the men compeeiog two troops of the 3rd Dragoon Guards
have been punished for insubordination and misconduct in
one way or other ; 3 have been tried by general courts.
inertial, 13 by district courts, about 30 have been disposed of
summarily, 2 were lined by the Nottingham magbtraes, and
1 souped.
Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur, to whose illegal order for con-
finement of the troops to barracks the Duke of Wellington
has attributed the wide-spread spirit of insubordination
which followed, is under orders, it is stated in the regiment,
to dispose of his commission by the 10th of March next.
Ali the offenders sentenced to imprisonment have been re-
moved to the military gwl at Weedon.

IRELAND.

DCHLIN, Dec. 15.
The Glengall memorial is the subject of general
discussion. It is din great " fact" and rallying point
of the protectionists, who spare no pains to gather
under their standard other classes of Irishmen, and
are sanguine enough to suppose that it will form the
programme of an organisation that may assume •
very formidable aspect. There can be no doubt that
the Freeman's Journal has accurately described it as
a manifesto of landlordism, and that little faith
ought to be placed in any thing ema-
nating from the Irish landlords, however plau-
sible their pretexts, where the interests of the
country are at stake. The landlords have too long
led the hostile ranks of the opposite party, their con-
version is much too abrupt, and the motives for it
much too obviously selfish, for any confidence to be
now judiciously placed in them ; yet there are not
wanting liberals who are deceived by the tone of
nationality assumed by the Gllengall party, nor others
who, althour,h not so deceived, think the movement
one which 'de well to pat on the back as one which
can do this country no harm, and may lead, at least
indirectly, to some good.
The action for defamation against Captain
M.Nlanus was brought to a conclusion yesterday, the
jury mulcting the defendant in the amount of 3501.
and costs. The case had occupied the court duricg
six days, and the public interest which it created was
sustained to the last. The plainti Devine,
is about 30 years of age, and thedefendant bordering