The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-10-26 00:00:00

•I:.

.....
" In being absent from Cavalier St. Angelo tin the aforesaid
Fort) without leave, when such salute was fired by the said detach.
ment t"—" the Court finds him godly only to the extent of being
at scut, it appearing to the Court not to have been the practice in
the Loyal Artillery fort Meets to attend these salutes, and there-
fore does acquit him of being absent without leave."
" The l'siurt„ having found the lingerer Guilty of the First and
t4vecical Charges, and first part of the additional t7liarge, and to the
stunt a. set forth regarding the second and last part of the said
additional Charge exhibited against him, hung its breach of the
Articles of IVar, dues therefore, upon a moat mature and deli.
berate re.consideratiim of the whole of the circumstances attend.
ing this Officer's e"te, sentence him, the prisoner, Lieut. Grine
Francis l)awsem, of the Royal Artillery, to be dissit'ased his Ma.
jesty's service."
- - - -

At another General Court Niartial, held at La Valletta,
on the Yttlt of March. lw.n. and on subsequent Jays, and
re.awetnblml for revision on the 'not July, Irrel, Captain
flonnas Atchison, of the Royal Artillery, was arraigned
upon the undermentioned charge, via.
" For disobedience of orders, insubordinate and unofficer-like
conduct, in not c.irrying into execution the orders that were eon.
'seal to hint. by letter, from Acting Adjutant nn or
about the Wilt rot August lam, desiring that b^ •••• I give direr-
tions for tiring salutes at Fort St. Angelo, 011 the 9th aid Illth of
that month."
"And for writing a letter, d: the 9th of Aiwa t, addressed
to Major Aiklams, Comniando g Ohm, holm .ig and TCIIIOII.
Boating against carrying the mud ....era mot cheer."
" above conduct being highly subversive of military diaci-
pline, and bolding Itch a must slangerons example u the British
Army."
Upon which charge the Court came to the following
deciwion :
The t:ourt having most maturely and deliberately weighed
and ciassalend the evidence adduced in support of the prosecution
against the prisoner. Ciptain Thomaa Atchison, of the Royal Ar.
tiliery. as will as what he hungered in his defence' is of opinion,
that he is Malty of the charge preferred against him, Laing in
breach of the Articles of War. does therefore sentence him,
flue r'-
saner, Captain Thomas Atchison, of the Royal Artillery, to be
dismissed his Majesty's service."
" The Court, moreover, feels Itself called upon to animadvert
in a particular manner on the tondact of Brevet Major Addams.
of the Royal Artillery, throughout; se, in all probability, the
spirit of resistance, vac net forth in evidence, might hare been
clieclual, and put down in its origin; but fix the indecision on the
part of that Oldeer, as OMR oinnuanding the ltoyst Artillery sta-
tioned at Malta."
In consequence of a communication from the Judge-
Adrocate-Gcneral, tiattsl Slat May last, to the Deputy-
Judgc-Advocate, Captain Itaylev, of the :toth R,glineot.
which is inserted in the proceedings. the Court was re-
c9nretted by a general order, eaten 10th July, 15•24, and
upon a revision of the proceedings, Cattle to the following
decision, viz.:—

Jal, Iti"!•

" TM Court having heard the defer...v. aral irer;tui,i,terril it%
proceedings, the former seutetice ou this trial, is of • pinion as
lows, vit.:—
" Thnt he, the prisoner• t'slitain Tlinmas Atchison, of the
Royal Artillery, is Guilty of the ch:trge praerivil sigmilst hint,
llisohedienee of orders, insubordinate and unallicer.like
duct, in nut carrying i"•tv rimution the orders that were con-
veyed to bin, by lat,r, !.r.0!1; ALI:Jg kitl or

about the 9th of Augost last, desiriag that he would give direr-
tiona for firing salute,' at Fort St. Angelo, on the 9th and 10th of
that month.''

•' ALA for writing a letter, dated the oth August, addressed to
Major Addams, his Commanding I)lfieer, !imitating and ieutun.
01Tat jug spinet carrying the said orders Into efli.:t."
•"rlte above conduct being highly subvereive of military di*.
cipline, and holding forth a most dangerous example to the Beth!'
A ntoy."
Iteing In breach of the Article* of %Car, does therefore, on $
moat attentive reconsideration of the whole of this Aker% 'llso,
sentence him, the primmer, Captain Thomas Atchison, of the Ituyal
Artillery, to be disnsissed his 3lajesty's service."

In approving and confirming the finding anal sentence of
the Court, in both these cases, his Majesty was pit aijeil to
observe, that an occurrence of a nature so extraordinary,
as that of the direct disobedience of orders committed by
('a; thin Atchisnn, and Lieutenant Dawson, of the Royal
Artillery, should not be promulgated to the army, without
the expression of hie Majesty's decided reprobation of the
mistaken principles that have led these officers to sacrifice
the feelings of subordination, which, as soldiers, they
ought to have cherished, awl upon which the discipline of
the army depends ; and his Majesty was further pleased to
observe, that if religious principles were allowed to be
tirge.l by individual Officers, ass plea fur disobedience of
orders, the discipline of the army would sustain au injury
which might ha dangerous to the welfare of the State;
and that it is the ante of all those placed in authority, to
°planer t. decided check to any departure from that princi-
ple of obedience. which forms the first duty of a soldier.
In making this latter observrdon. Ins Majesty was
pleased to revert to that part of the sentence of the Court
which commtms upon the conduct of the proircutors,
Lieutenant-Cobeiel Rain, the Ikputy Adjutant-General,
and Nlajor Addams, commanding the Royal Artillery, at
Malta, as being wanting in that energetic and finii de-
cision, which if properly exercised in the first instance,
might have obviated time present proceedings; and his
Majesty espre,s, it his re.,!ret that Officers, so sitnated,
should fail in giving a prompt check to any violation of
obedience and discipline.
The Commander-in-Chief directs, that the foregoing
charges preferred against Captain T. Atchison, and Lieut.
G. I'. Dawson, of the Royal Artillery, together with the
finding and sentence of the Courts Martial, and his
Majesty's pleasure thereon, shall be entered in :he general
order-book, and read at the head of every regiment in his
Majesty's service.
By Command of his Royal Highness
The Commander-in-Chief,
Ile:gay 'roans: 55, Aajt.-Gets.