The Express.
London, England, 1861-12-14 00:00:00

COMMANDER WILLIAMS ON THE " TRENT
ANIAIR."

A meeting was held on Thursday evening at the
Royal Western Yacht Club, fidlbay, Plymouth. Com-
mander Williams, R.N., who was the mil agent oo board
the Royal Nail steamer Trent when she wen stopped by
the Fe&ral war steamer San Jacinto, and Messrs. Slidell
and Mason, the Co' &federate commissioners, taken f ruin
her, is a member of the Yacht Club. When it became
known bow nobly Le had acted on the occasion of the Trout
affair, sane of his brother members determined to entertain
the leanest officer at denier on his return, and the event
sons off ea Thursday evening. The chair was taken by Mr.
C _Tarawa.

toln reply the toast of his health, which was most en-
thud:sassily received, Commander WILLIAM* after some
preliminary remarks, said it would be necessary be should
speak in some measure of himself, in consequence of what
had bees mid about him in the New York papers, which
had Bought proper to allude to him in unwarranted lan-
112:As to the manner in which the act on board the
' performed he was, at the time Caplein Moir
came to him to say that • suspicious ',fuel mashed, cc the
main dirk reading. A very few minutes after the vessel
was descried Way hoisted their woo ma beard the Trent.
It was not responded to. As they approached the San
Jacinto, a shot was filed acmes the bows of the Trout.
They proceeded slowly, and put her helm s-starbosd and
approached. They were not half • cable's length
from her. He would say abe stopped—except that
she had steerage way—when a shell was tired acres
her bows, and that was the way which it had
been thought proper to style as " unexceptionable."
With regard to the manner in which Lieut. Fairfax and he
Mr. Fairfax came to him oil the Inaindeck, hat in
and said iu effect—" Sir, I have a painful duty to per-
form, and if in the excitement of the moment I have said
aught that by possibility can be construed auto a personal
offence or an insult towards you, I must humbly beg your
pardon, w, fur I never meant it." He replied, " Mr.
Fairfax, I have had • painful scene to witneel—a seine of
degradation to my country's flag. (Hear bear.) Ido
not deny that my feelings have been greatly excited, but
if by any 'mature 1 have done aught to offend you, as a
man, there is my band, sir, and I crave your forgiveness."
Mr. Fairfax had said that his (Commander
manner was so violent he was compelled to request Csptaiu
Moir to remove him from the deck, and that there was to
union existing between him and Captain Moir. He utterly
denied that there ever occurred one siugle instance of a
want of unity between Captain Moir and himself, and he
was proud to have the opportunity of saying that he could
bear testimony to the high character of Captain Muir. It
was said by We Ameriain papers that Captain Wilkes could
Dot have received instructions from his govern-
ment at Washington, for that he was on his re-
turn from the Western Coast of Africa, wending
his way through the Bahama Channel to New York.
But on the 16th or 17th of October, he (Commander Wil-
liams) sew the San Jacinto off St. Thomas. He went on
his way to Mexico, going to liaraniudi, Vera Crux,' and
Tampico. On his return to Havannah on the 6th Nov., he
found that the San Jacinto had been to Havannah from
St. Thomas, that she had coaled there, and that two of
Ler officers, passing themselves off as Southerners in their
hearts, had lunched with Mr. Slidell and family, and ex-
tracted from them their intended movements. Mss Slidell
branded one of the officers to Lis face with Lis infamy,
having been her father's guest not ten days before. Mr.
Fairfax had denied that the marines made • rush towards
Miss Slidell at the charge with fixed bayonets, but he (Can-
mender Williams) most positively affirmed that they dril
Miss Slidell did 'strike Mr. Fairfax, but she did not do it
with the vulgarity of gesture which has been attributed to
her. Miss Slidell was with her father in the cabin, with her
arm encircling his neck, and she wanted to be taken to prison
with him. Mr. Fairfax attempted to get into the cabin—
he did not say forcibly, fur be did not my a word against
Mr. Fairfax so far as his manner was cow/rued
—he attemptedl to got her away by inducements. In
her agony, then, she did strike Lim in the hoe three times.
With regard to the circumstances attending the marines
rushing with the points of their bayonets at Mime Slidell, it
was then that she ectroamed for her father, who broke the
window of his cabin, through which Ile thrust himself ;
and as she screamed, he (Commander Williams) load just
time to put his body between their bayonets and Miss
Slidell. Before sitting down be read a letter which
he had received from Lis chief, Captain ratty,
showing that hr had the approbation of government for
his part of the affair, which, after referring to
the circumstances of the case, concluded as follow, :7

" I am commended by the Lords' Commissioners of the Ad.
miralty to convey to you their lordships approval of your
conduct whilst acting se naval agent ou board the Trent
on the occasion in question ; and also of the judicious' steps
you subsequently took for making the matter known to
Lord Lyons and Vice-Admiral Milne, end other British
authorities.— Osmium PArgy, Captain Superintendent."
The CHAIRMAN, du rinpontling, took occasion to read let-
ters from several members of the club, expressing their
great admiration of Captain Williams's conduct, and their
regret that circumstances prevented their being present.

On Thursday afternoon a large prayer meeting
was held in the Free Asscrobly-hall, Castle•hill, Edinburgh,
" fur the purpose of supplicating Almighty God that it
might please Him,
, in mercy, to avert the threatened war
with America: Major-General Andenion occupied the
chair. _ _ .

GRIEVANCTS OT JURYMEN.—Before the crown l•
awes commenced yesterday at the Liverpool A11ei7.61 a me-
morial wu laid before Baron Channel! from the jury who :
had been " locked up" on Tuesday night (the child murder
C 456 being unfinished), complaining that the accommodation
provided for them was very inadequate. Their sitting-
room was small and badly ventilated, so were their beds,
sad two jurymen had to sleep in each bed. When they
complained to the landlord be said that the accommodation
wee am good as could be afforded for the price paid by the
sheriff, and that if the jurymen wanted anything else they
must pay for it themselves. The memorialists said they were
in a moat languid condition in consequence of these defective
arrangements, and were physically unfit to perform their
duties with comfort and efficiency. His lordship, is reply,
said he could not believe that the high sheriff had per.
'axially been in fault, but said that the grievance should be
inquired into, and in future he had no doubt that suitable
provision would be wade.