The Sun.
London, England, 1855-05-04 00:00:00

ARMY BEFORE SEBASTOPOL COM-

MITTEE.-(TIIIS 'DAY.)

The committee re•tsseinbied this morning at the usual
hour.

Sir Thomas Hastings :vas again recalled, and, in ex-
amination by Lord Seymour, produced a number of
official documents referred to in his evidence of yester-
day. Amongst other matters, he stated that the first
requisition sent to him fur winter clothing was in July,
1854 ; and was for 150,000 woollen socks, 90,000
flannel drawers, and 50,000 woollen drawers. A supply
of Quartermaster-Generals stores were applied for in
March. If any deficiency existed in the Intter it was
the fault of the Quarterma ;ter-General for not ordering
a proper quantity. He denied that any of the bedsteads
sent out were incomplete or deficient of legs, &c. He
did not believe that the boots and shoes were too small,
because they were made' on long-established specifica
Lions, and he did not think the size of them could have
varied. The boots and shoes hitherto, had been found
to answer for size in all climates and under all circum-
stances.

By the Chairman—Considerable difficulty was found
in obtaining steamers to convey out the stores, and they
were accordingly delayed for some time.
the Chairman—According to your account, then, no
person was to blame I

- Sir T. Hastings replied that he had fairly given his
opinion that the delay arose from the great difficulty of
providing steamers.
Lord Seymour said the committee had been informed
by Captain Tallon, who embarked a quantity of tools in
his vessel at Constantinople, that he was told to con-
vey them to Varna, but that neither the Quartermaster-
General nor the Commissariat would take them ; and
inquired whether that went to show that there was a
Quartermaster as well as a Quartermaster-General there?
Sir T. Hastings replied that that was the case. A quan-
tity of Canada boots and socks were sent out. The
committee, by comparing some of the boots at present
at the Tower, would find that the boots sent out were
adapted for all sizes of feet.

By General Peel—Their clothing had been supplied
independent of the Ordnance by purchases made under
the direction of the Secretary for War and the Secretary
at War, the result of which was that they were bidding
against themselves in the same market. With respect
to fur caps, they were in treaty with a person to pur-
chase them at ss. 10d. each, and, in the interim, the Sec-
retary for War made an arrangement to purchase them
at Os. Bd. The parties in question heard that the Go-
vernment hal raised the price in the market, -and they
were unable to make the purchases at the original
price agreed upon. When witness was required
to provide a supply of winter clothing, he was
not informed that the army would wirter in the Crimea.
He was,not able to say on what department the duty
of providing such articles, if they were required, would
fall.

By Lord Seymour—He had made an applicatiod to
provide rifles in November, but it was not carried into
effect until February.
Lord Seymour reminded the witness that the Duke
of Newcastle had stated that he would have ordered a
large quantity of rifles to be obtained from Liege, but
that it was contrary to the opinion of the Board of
Ordnance.

Sir T. Hastings denied that it was against the opinion
of the Board of Ordnance, but that it was simply against
his own opinion. He objected on the ground that it
would tend materially to affect if not destroy the gun
trade of this country, and th4t the gun tnak(rs of B►r-
mingham would withdraw their capital from the trade.
The evidence principally, throughout the morning,
was of a very uninteresting character, and had reference
to technical details of routine management under the
Ordnanca department.
[LEFT SITTING.)

LAW INTELLIGENCE.-(THIS DAY.)

COURT OF CHANCERY.
(Before the Lori Justices of Appeal.)
PEACOCK V. STOCKFORD-JUDGMENT.

Their lordships gave judgment in this appeal from the
decision of the Vice• Chancellor Kindersley this morning,
reversing the order of the Court below, without costs.
The question in this case related to the construction of
the will of the testator in the cause, but there was no
point involved that contained the least interest except to
the parties concerned.

(Before Vice-Chancellor Wood.)

EX PARTE THE PRECENTOR OF ST. PATM'S-JUDGMENT.

His Honour gave judgment to-day in this case, which
came before him a few days ago upon the petition of the
Rev. Mr. Belli, the precentor or chief chanter of St.
Paul's Cathedral, seeking to obtain the payment to him
of the sum of 2,5871., the amount of two renewal fives
claimed by the petitioner out of a sum of upwards of
1,40001. 3 per Cent. Consols, standing in the names of
the Lord Mayor and other members of the Commission
for the Improvement of th4CitY of London.
The petitioner was opposed by the Ecclesiastical
Commissioners on the gro'und that there was no real
status for the claim.

His Honour, after going at some length into thy: case,
decided that the petitioner was entitled to enforce his
claim.

Nothing of the least interest came before the Master
of the Rolls or Vice• Chancellor Kindersley ; and the
Vice• Chancellor was occupied the whole day with the
further arguments in the part heard ca,e of
IeINTOSH V. THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY COMPANY,
which have already occupied the Court no less than 9
days. The sum in dispute is, as we have already stated,
upwards of a quarter of a million of money, and the
result is anxiously looked to by all parties.

MARLBOROUGH-ST.RE6II.-(THIS DAY.)

SCANDALOUS AND UNFOUNDED CHARGE
AGAINST A GENTLEMAN.

The Hon. Augustus Jocelyn, No. 40, Duke-street, St.
James's-square, was brought before Mr. Hardwick, on
the charge of having indecently exposed his person to
Mary Ann Adams, who described herself as a needle-
woman, residing at No. 8, Brompton-row. The corn-
"plainant, a woman of anything but respectable appear.
ance, stated that about half-past 2 o'clock this morning
she 'was coming along Duke-street, when she saw defend-
ant in a most indecent pcisition in a doorway, and as soon
.A 8 he heard her footsteps *he turned round, caught
hold of her, and tried to lift up her petticoats. She re-
sisted as well as she could, and at last she, got away.
He followed her to the bottom of the street, when she
looked out fora constable, for the-purpose of giving him
in charge. While she was doinic so be opened the door
of N 0.,40, and Avent In. In a few minutes afterwards
he came out again, when she gave him into custody.
By Mr. Leadley (the Chief Clerk),—Defendant caught
hold of her by the shoulders, called her "dear," and said
he would not, hurt her. She got her living -by plain
needlework, and nothing else. She could refer to several
parties for whom she worked to answer for her respect-
ability. The reason she was, out so late was that she
had been looking after her sister, who is "unfortunate,
and patronises the Strand. Sbe did not know where to
find her in the day time. She wanted to tell her her
brother was dead.

By Mr. Hardwick—She did not see her sister. She
had been looking for her about 25 minutes previous to
seeing the defendant.
Inspector Parke said there was a witness in court
whose evidence would completely upset that cf the com-
plainant.

James Mattrick, . coachman, Mason's-yard, Duke-
street, watostanding at the entrance of the yard about
half-past two this morning, when he saw the gentleman
at the bar pass up the street and stop at a doorway for a
certain purpose. The complainant followed and accosted
him. The gentleman, who seemed much annoyed, then
opened the door of No. 40 and went in. Witness saw
no more of the affair.

Halliday, 167 C, said he took the defendant into cus-
tody on the present charge, and conveyed him to the
station, where the complainant made the same state-
ment a 4 she had to-day. Witness subsequently went to
the addrss she gave, and found no such person lived
there.

The defendant, in reply to the acqusation, said he re•
turned to London from the country yesterday, and was
proceeding to his lodgings in Duke-street, when he had.
occasion to stop for a few moments for a necessary pur-
pose, and after he had arranged his dress, and was about
entering the house, the woman came up to him, and
asked him for money, for charity, as her mother was'
sick. He repulsed her, when she said she would make
him pay for making a nuisance against her door. He
treated her threat with contempt, ana went into his
house. Ile afterwards thought it would be better to
have the matter cleared up, and came out again, when
she gave him into custody on the present charge.
Mr. Hardwick said he bad a very great mind to
order the woman to be placed in the dock in- the place
of the defendant. The complainant's evidence was un•
worthy of belief, and it appeared to him (Mr. Hard-.
wick) that she had trumped up the present charge for
the purpose of extottion. lie,should therefore discharge
the_defendant, and in doing so must state that he left
the court without the slightest stain or imputation upon
his character.

Upon hearing this decision, complainant at once
vanished from the precincts of ttip court.

ISLE OF WIGHT.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

POSITION AND PROSPECTS OF THE FARMERS.—The
continued n3rft and east winds and the .ab-ence of rain
are having a very serious effect on the land. The tur-
nips are all gone, and the inangold wurtzel nearly so.
There is no grass in the meadows, and the sheep •and
lambs have eaten-off the seed grasses. Vetches are back-
ward, the hay nearly all consumed, and the graziers and
farmers are in a most deplorable fix. Lambs are offered
for sale at ss. each ; hundreds will be starved if we have
not rain within a very few days, and there is no prospect
of any at present (May 3). The wheat plant is thin on
the light soils, and the barley is much in want of rain.
The breadth of potatoes planted this year very far ex-
ceeds the quantity planted of late years.

A letter from Berlin of the 30th ult. says :—" The
speech to be delivered on the closing of the Chambers
was drawn up in a Cabinet Council last evening. The
session is not to be closed by the King in person, but by
the President of the Council.

Baron de Paiva, Minister of Portugal in Paris, his
iust left this city for Dresden and Weimar on a special
-mission from his Government.
The Austerlitz, the Tourville, and the Dliqnesne, ves-
vels of the line, and the steaai corvette th,i d'A-sss,
which form part of the Baltic division, sailed from Cher-
bourg, on Tuesday, for their destination.