The Express.
London, England, 1857-02-09 00:00:00

GROSS OUTRAGE BY THE MILITARY AT THE

CHATHAM POST-OFFICE.

CHATHAM, SUNDAY.

Much excitement has been caused in this town by
a violent attack yeeteribot morning mode on Mr. I)add, the
postmaster, by • party of ',oldie., within the pat-office pee-
MON. Mr. Dada, who is much injured, states that he heard
a noise of several men in the poet-olliee pasiage, between 12
and 1 yesterday morning. The Sheerness mail-cart wee
standing at the door, which was wide open. Ho hastened out
to are what was the came of the disturbance, and saw a large
party of soldiers ill-usi a sailor of the Iris, and nearly env-
i.ng him. Mr. Dodd interfered to rescue the man, and
whilst doing so received a tremendous blow on the bead with
• been stick, which laid his head open to the extent of three
Mehra. The wildiers then forced open the door, with the in-
tention of getting into the Oleo where the mail-bags were,
bat Mr. Dodd chanted for assistance, and kept them back
with a sword, threatening to kill any man who advanced.
HO cries brought down his family in their night clothes, but
the instant they piesred several stones were thrown at
there. Mr. ItanW; of the Mitre lintel, next door, hearing
the uproar, came, with several other persons and the soldiers
then made good their retreat. Long, the; mail-driver, in
endeavouring to render assistance, received a severe blow on
the face with a soldier'. waist-belt.
AS soon as the men had left Mr. Dodd went at once to
Colonel Eden, the commandant of the garrison, who ordered
all the to be aroused and the roll called, to ascertain
who were absent. A court of Inquiry, presided over by
Major Robertson, R.E., asembled yeeterdsy afternoon at
the Mitre to investigate the ciosenstasces and to examine
witnesses. Five soldiers were Identified, belonging to the
87th Regiment and the medical staff corps, bat the civilians
who were engaged in the eating. coald sot be identified.
The report of the roust will be forwuded to the War-ollice.
The petnicuaer, Mr. Dodd, was confined to his bed yester-
day, under medical treatment, in consequence of the injuries
ho had received ; but he was outHeiently recovered to-day to
be able to make a report to the Postmaster• General, who
will order • prosecution.

ECONOMY IN TUE

—Reductions on an extensive scale are ordered to be put
into execution in the government departments at Wools-wit
at the end of the present financial year. In addition to the
&mime of the various clerks engaged tot extras during the
late stress of work, the services of the whole of the tempo-
rary clerks, a number of whom have been always attached to
the establishment, are ordered to be dispensed with. With
a desire of corresponding with the rigid instructions of
economy which have been issued, about 2,000 artisan, and
labourers are likewise to be discharged at the end of March
—namely, 1,000 from the Royal leboratory, 500 from the
carriage department, end about 500 from the storekeeper'n
and the gun factory departments. Reports ere current to
the effect that the majority of the artillery officer. employed
anyerinteeding the department. of Woolwich Arsenal are
to be superseded by civilians experienced in the durics of the
department., the services of the military oaken, having been
demanded by the Commander-in-Chief. Other Important
chhaannggesca are likewise to be made in the state branch of the
War Department. Many of those who are advanced in life
are to be allowed to retire on the superannuation list.
Tit LICENSING SYSTEM AND BILLETING Or
BoLanits.—The following is a copy of • letter ',voiced by
Mr. Dimon, of Liven team Mr. W. Brown, M.P.
1867.—My deer sir,—A. I
ma stir ennunad at re iel.wtew with yourself and the
pedismien who esempenini yes in very interreetly stated in
the Them of this lay, rut Is sear purrs which I have
seen, I write to prevent mislabel r riemppeelsearks. We
perfectly agree that the Karig at miller is a ever herd-
ably on the publicans of Lrioryisel. Aldo* scenes of
great inunarelity rim piece Is sere boo-hewn and
ure-lsonsr, yet other re suet raperably redacted. I
yam In was set y. te biller any
in the Hews at Cerress on the sedrat. Having
moved ter set sistetrd a eserwales Mberm Iste
the lice rre errs, end the ersreenert bssr-bnerrad
palille-beserenist dr 'Mow telex sal dr Newt et the
nemiese bag sew bean der Genres Grey, I orealar I
hero dans re OnW • whether the gerwreent will de ear
dig Is the weer' I rennet ear. Iperwbst to let you
Knew it I head wrythise es the esli bat I one so
grim bow I disnli vote ifs ha rare Ist arid ; this
rot demi aides la. Bat es the rem hew it Se he
lahrel did I eserseoldbe ell yaw riews. It Weld be
swell then I also it I wee went. I Alen then Is greet
nen Irpownsent mad Meantls dr rade et pent-
t=eraittagkrr
fatene. derseene I esseried.
Adly, We. lisowsh—HenryDurns, Req., Coon s6eat,
Liverpool."
FEEFUER RESPITE OP MAirstu..—Tbe Governor
of Waideirse Gaol has received her the Barrels a far-
ther rseral the convict Kaneda until the et Kay.—
Dew
(AIIMIEBSPOWDL.I-110LLOWAT'S OINTMENT AND
awp2 .16.7:..Fr2...
MIN
weenser serwr =ta i..471et
MM. AID tot that swral areoserl
A et r•••• •I 7
• lin Se 1.7 one rd••••..
te•VT•l=l:•6l4 eimselY -116 a
Ino=o.llt4rg. $ll.
Zit

OLD COURT.
(Before the Matonier.)
Wm). Sayer, 15, • res=birlooklng lad, pleaded guilty
to four indtetinents fir
The prisoner, it affeared, irl been for twelve months
in the 111,11100 of Yr. Dellelb, warshouseman, in Aldersgato-
street, and his father bad base for thirty-three cries in the
wow scrim. It appeared that recently a nunifsir of forged
cheques had been pmosnloil to the prooentor'a bankers,
Smith, Payne, and Cis., and he a considerable tiros no
auspieke was entodelnei as to who was the
guilty party, it &dig however clear from the
excellent manner in which the terrines were executed that
they were the work of tame person, well acquainted with the
prosecutor's rignature and the mods in which his butanes
was conducted. At length, it would appear that something
occurred which led to an inquiry reeperting the prisoner, and
it we.. ausertaiind that he lout been asamiated with very
bad characters, and that be had parchasid a gold watch and
other expensive articles, taking care, however, nut to let the
articlea be seen by, his father, tow to avoid awaits, ; and
there was no doubt that he we, the person who bad com-
mitted the forgerico, and that theme articles were the premeds.
Mr. !lorry, who appeared for the primner, asked the
court to postpone the 'antrum, to give the prisoner an oppor-
tunity of gating what he had done with the property hr had
bought, which he bad concealed emnewhere, iu order that
it might be delivered up to the prosecutor.
The Recorder, however, mid he could not widen to melt
Pr.P.iti°n• It was ay r bed c_Sre—W4 SatiP4l

sstvltada Gee fwv years.
Jaws Berkr, who had pleaded guilty to an indictment
for forging a deed, and other charge., was sentenced to four
years' penal servitude.
Load Aririo Liroford, who was eomieted of stealing a
quantity of plate belonging to his muter, was also brought
up and sentenced to 12 months' hard labour.

NEW COURT.
(Before the Common Serjeant.)
Henry Belcher, the tutor Who, on Friday, in the Third
Court, woe found guilty of libel, came up fur judgment.
The Common Seijeant, in passing sentence, said the wide-
meanour of which the defendant stood convicted was a very
. serious one, end he did not believe that ha (the defendant)
was fully sensible of the nature of it. A legal difficulty,
arising out of the way the defence had been brought before
the court, prevented evidence being given to prove the truth
of the allegations in the letters which hail been rent.
Even had they been proved true, that would not have
served the defendant, for the mica which had
been laid down for his guidance clearly showed that the
alleged irregularities arose out of mine neglect upon his
part. If they were true, or he believed them true, de-
fendant had concealed them from Mr. Clement., which was
another violation of the inlet reposed in him ; and then came
the worst part, that defendant had only diacloeed them to
gratify an ill-feeling which had mitten in consequence of Mr,
Clement's conscientiously refusing to give testimonial. of his
good conduct. In large establisbulents it was impossible for
the master to attend himself to everything. Persons having
the very high trust reposed in them which in this instance
there was in the defendant, ought to be most careful in
the performance of it. The apology made was a reparation
doe to Mr.elenients, and he was bound to say that the irregu-
larities complained of bad nut been proved, neither did he
believe them to have existed to the extent stated, and that
if there had been any Mr. Clemente was not personally
responsible, but they had arisen from a breach of the
trust reposed In the defendant. Ender the act of parliament
the defendant was liable to a long term of imprieen-
ment. It .was not his intention to inflict any impri-
sonment, but, taking into consideration the summations
which had been made, and that the defendant woo not fully
aware of the character of the offence committid, he thought
the ends of justice would be met by ordering him to
enter into his own recognisance, in 1001., and two sureties
each in 501., to come up for judgment when culled upon.