The Sun.
London, England, 1863-10-06 00:00:00

-THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 6, 1863.

Naval and Military Intelligence.

THE NAVY.
VALETTA, Sept. 29.—Her Majesty's iron paddle-
wheel sloop Trident, 3, Commander C. J. Balfour,
left Malta harbour on the 23d inst. for Athens, with
a mail for the Commander-in-Chief. She took with
her as passengers Commander Comber, R.N., to
command the Pelican, and Lieut. Harris, R.N., and
Lieut. Ching, R.N., to join their respective ships.
Her Majesty's screw gunboat Foxhound, 4, Com-
mander W. H. Anderson, loft port the same day, to
show the British flag at Syracuse, and returned on
the 26th inst. She will leave again on the 30th for

Athens, with the mail due from Marseilles on that
day. Her Majesty's screw frigate Phoebe, 35, Capt.
_ _

T. D. A, Fortescue, returned from Corfu on the 26th
inst. in consequence of a breakdown in her machi-

nery. It will probably not be necessary for her to go
to England for repairs, which can be made good

here, and she is awaiting instructions on the subject
from England. Sir V. Houlton and Lady Moulton
returned to Malta by this vessel. Her Majesty's

screw line-of-battle ship Revenge, 73, bearing the
flag of Rear-Admiral H. R. Yelverton, C. 8., Capt.
the Hon. F. A. Foley, arrived this morning from

Corfu and Patras, in consequence of the receipt of a
telegraphic despatch ordering her immediate return
to this port. It is rumoured that she is to proceed
to Toulon, to escort the new King of Greece to
Athens, where, after his Majesty's coronation, it is
expected she will relieve the Commander-in-Chief,
and remain for the winter. She is at present await-
ing telegraphic instructions from England. Her
Majesty's screw line-of-battle ship Meeanee,6o,Capt.
G. Wodehouse, is still here, and is to go up to Athens
with the mail expected on the 7th or Bth pros. There
are also in port her Majesty's ships Psyche, de-
spatch vessel, and the Medina, surveying ship.
Colonel Crawley is expected to-night from India,
on his way to England via Marseilles, to undergo
his trial by court-martial, and by the steamer
Ceylon for Southampton, 63 non-commissioned offi-
cers and privates are proceeding home to give evi-
dence in the case.

A letter from Corfu, dated Sept. 21, says—The
health of the troops has somewhat declined lately,
as the temperature is excessively hot for the season.
Rear-Admiral Yelverton in the Revenge steamed
into harbour on the 13th instant from Greece, the
Hon. Sir Victor Houlton and Lady Iloulton being
passengers. A shock of earthquake was felt here
to-day at half-past 1 p.m,, but it caused no damage
that I have heard of. The frigate Phoebe came in
on the 18th and a gunboat on the 19th inst. The
former I hear will leave for Malta and England on
the 23d of this month.

The screw steam corvette Scylla, 21, from Ports-
mouth for China, arrived at Plymouth yesterday

morning.

By direction of the Admiralty the apparatus in-
vented by Captain H. F. M'Killop for cleansing
the bottom of iron ships from seaweed and other
marine incrustations is to be tried at Chatham
dockyard. Their lordships have directed the first
trial to be made on the bottom of the iron paddle-
wheel steamer Recruit, which is to be placLd at the
disposal of Captain M'Killop. The chief merit of
the invention lies in their being no necessity for
placing iron ships in dock every time their bottoms
require cleansing. If the trials ordered to be made
should prove satisfactory the invention will prove
of the greatest possible benefit, as the only draw-
back to the use of iron ships for lengthened voyages
undoubtedly is to be found in the necessity which
periodically exists for placing them in dock to un-
dergo the cleansing process. An examination was
yesterday made of the bottom of the iron steamer
Recruit bysome of the staff connected with the mas-
ter shipwright's department, when it was found to
be very foul, many of the weeds which thickly cover
her bottom being from one to three feet in length,
while the other marine incrustations were likewise
found to be very thick. The bottom of the Recruit
had been paved over with one of the anti-fouling

compositions, none of which have proved better
than the Admiralty mixture of coal-tar and naphtha.
After the Recruit has been treated according to
Captain M'Killop's method she will be placed in
dock in order to ascertain the extent to which her
bottom has been cleansed.

Yesterday the paddlewheel steamer Lucifer ar-
rived alongside the dockyard at Chatham from
Portsmouth with a cargo of timber, machinery, and
other stores for that establishment.

The Lords of the Admiralty have awarded a
silver medal and an annuity of £lO to Sergeant C.
Jeffery, of the Chatham division of Royal Marines,
for distinguished service and exemplary conduct.
The following appointments and promotions were
made yesterday at the Admiralty :—Commander M.
B. Cockraft to be an Inspecting Commander of the
Coastguard, vice Commander Symons, appointed to
the Indus; Lieut. C. G. Fegen, additional of the
Pembroke, for service in the Coastguard ; Lieut. G.
Parsons, additional of the Pembrolle, for service in
tender; Lieut. C. R. T. Russell and Lieut. George
W. Allen to the Excellent, additional for study;
E. C. D. Phillips, master, to the Asia for the Wasp ;
R. C. P.Lawrenson, assist•surg., to the Cumber-
land, for naval barracks; C. C. P. Bawden, mas -
ter's assistant, supernumerary, to the Fisgard ; J.
Anderson, of the Indus; Hugh Aitken, of the Ed-
gar; George Boyd, of the Asia; E. C. Legh, of the
Dauntless; J. Ring (b), of the Havock ; J.
Watson (b), and R. Blackwood, supernumeraries of
the Indus, and C. E. Uffindell, supernumerary of
the Fisgard, promoted to first-class assist. engineers;
J. M'Master, of the Vulcan ; T. Russell, of the
Tertar ; G. O'Brien, of the Rapid ; D. Grant, of
the St. George ; James Jack, of the Aboukir ; T. N.
Crowder, of the Jason ; and D. Ferguson, of the
Nile, promoted to acting first-class assist engineers.

--,
Execution of Deserters from the Federal

Ranks.

The orders issued by the Federal authorities for
execution of all soldiers deserting their colours, are
being unsparingly carried out. The correspondent
of the New York Herald, with Meade's army, writ-
ing on Sept. 19, thus describes the shooting of two
deserters :—" Yesterday the solemn and impressive
scene of shooting two men for desertion took place
in the third division commanded by Gen. Hayes.
The unfortunate victims of this tragic event were
two substitutes who were sent out from Boston a
few weeks ago to the 14th Connecticut Volunteers.
Their names were Edward Elliot, Company B, and
Charles Eastman, Company I, both privates. As
the second corps had been on the march for several
days,the prisoners were brought in charge of the pro-
vost-marshal, and were removed from corps head-
quarters to General Hayes's on the morning of the
execution. As the sentence was to be carried out
before four o'clock p.m., and it was now within half
an hour of the time, the door was thrown open, and
the two prisoners, leaning on the chaplains' arms,
walked to the ambulance that was to carry them to
execution. From our elevated position we could
plainly see the troops forming in line around the
graves. The procession now formed. In front was
the band of the 14th Connecticut, playing the dead
march. After these the shooting party of sixteen
selected from the provost-guard of the division, and
belonging to the 10th New York battalion. After
these followed the coffin-bearears—eight conscripts
of the Ist Delaware. Next, the ambulance bear-
ing the prisoners, the chaplains, and myself,
followed by a guard. The procession moved along
slowly and solemnly, the prisoners all the time
either reading the Testament or conversing with
the chaplains. As the third brigade was out on
picket duty, only the first and second were present.
They were drawn up in the following order ;
The second brigade formed two lines of the
square, whilst the first brigade formed the other
line. As the procession reached the square the rri-
soners alighted from the ambulance, and the band
fell to the rear. Here the bearers took up the
coffins on their shoulders, in front of the prisoners.
The prisoners cast a timid, troublous look et the
coffins, and then moved on, leaning on the chaplains.
The coffins were placed beside the two graves, which
were dug about five feet deep. The Rev. Mr.
Murphy addressed the prisoners and the troops
present in feeling language, exhorting all to join
in prayer to God to have mercy on the two souls
so soon to appear in His presence. He strongly
exhorted others to take warning by the tragic fate
of the prisoners, and not desert their country's
service. Captain Fields now came up and bandaged
the prisoners' eyes. Elliot sat back on his soffin—
Eastman knelt in prayer. His voice was audible
above the click and sound of the guns as they were
brought to " present." The word " fire" having
been given, Elliot fenbacic gently on his coffin, only
wounded, while Eastman jumped up end tore the
bandage from his eyes, evidently untouched. The
reserve was ordered up. Eastman appeared as if
electrified, and placed his hands before his eyes to
shut out the horrid sight. The men again missed.
The provost-marshal, during this, in mercy, pulled
out his revolver and shot him through the head; he
also fired another ball through Elliot's head.
After the two unfortunate men were pronounced
feless, the troops were marched by the corpses.

removed to Johnson's Island, from which place he
sent a letter to one of his friends in this city to go to
his late boarding house, settle his bill and get his
trunk, which was to be forwarded to him on the
island above named. This news being imparted to
the military circle generally the terrible truth
flashed across their minds for the first time that
they had been entertaining and giving important
information to a spy from the Confederate army.
Measures were immediately taken to fasten upon
the sharper Belville the charge of being a spy, and
District Provost Marshal Reaney went to Johnson's
Island for that purpose. Mr. Reaney has returned
from Johnson's Island, bringing with him the spy
Belville, who is at present lodged in the M'Lean
Barracks, on Third-street, to await the further
action of the authorities. His real name has not
yet been developed, the probabilities being that
Belville is fictitious. The marshal has further
learned that about two and a half years ago Bel-
vine entered the rebel service under John Morgan,
a portion of whose command, of which Belville was
a member, was detached and ordered to report to
Humphrey Marshall. General Marshall made Bel-
ville's acquaintance, and learning that he could speak
five different languages, and being exceedingly
shrewd withal, had charged him to come North in the
capacity of a spy. Belville went to Washington,
New York, Boston, Baltimore, St. Louis, and all the
leasing cities and posts, and adroitly succeeded in
06E; g the confidence of all the military authori-
ties, from President Lincoln down. The information
be gained at the capitol from the War Department
and the cabinet officers was of great importance, and
was continually forwarded South by the under-
ground railway. When he had occasion to visit the
armies he would purchase stores for the Union
troops, and, as a sutler or agent for the Sanitary
commission, always had free passes to every part
of the Union camp. Such was his knowledge of
all our movements that no sooner were they deter-
mined upon by our commanders than the enemy was
posted at once, and our plans checkmated or frus-
trated. It is truly marvellous how successfully he
carried on his operations. He is now kept in close
military confinement, and will be brought before a
military court-martial to be convened by General
Burnside, and tried us a spy, and, if convicted, of
which there is no possible doubt, he will suffer death
by being shot.--Cincinnati Enquirer.

The Sunday Haymaking Case.

A public meeting, convened by the National
Sunda)? League, was held last evening in Cam-
bridge- I
hal , Newman-street, Oxford-street, Mr.
Shaen in the chair, "to protest against the inflic-
tion of punishment by fine, distraint, or the stocks,
in cases of necessary Sunday labour, and to appeal
to parliament to amend the law relating thereto."
There was a very large attendance. Mr_ Morrell,
the burs. secretary of the League, read letters from
Sir J. IValmesley, Sir J. G. Wilkinson, and others,
apologising for their inability to attend, but entirely
concurring in the objects of the meeting. The
Chairman, in opening the business of the meeting,
expressed his opinion that if the Leigh magistrates
had thought for one moment that their judgment
would have called down upon them the obloquy it
had done, they would have hesitated before putting
into force the provisions of an old and obsolete law
against the farmers of the neighbourhood for per-
forming an act of necessary labour. (Cheers.)
Having reviewed the whole circumstances con-
nected with the haymaking
case, he concluded by
contending that the decision of the magistrates was
unjust, uncalled for, and tyrannica'. (Cheers.) Mr.
S. B. L,ingley moved the first resolution as follows :
_4, That this meeting strongly condemns the con-
duct of the justices in the Leigh hay-harvesting
case, as an arbitrary and vexatious infliction of
punishment for necessary Sunday labour, and thanks
the gentlemu forming
the defence committee for
their energetic action, by which and the supper t of the
public press, the Leigh farmers have been held to
have been justified in saving their crops from the
effects of ruin." Mr. John Kenney seconded the
resolution, which was carried with one dissentient.
Dr. Perfit moved the second resolution :—" That
the Sabbatarian element of the country, in defiance
of public opinion, having resorted to the revival of
Acts of Parliament deemed obsolete, warrants the
adoption of a new sphere of action on the part of
the National Sunday League in affording protec-
tion
in cases of necessary Sunday labour." He en-
forced the resolution in a very eloquent speech,
which was received with applause by the meeting.
Mr. C. Clements seconded the resolution, which was
supported by Mr. S. Ay tours, and carried unani-
mously. The following resolutions were also
adopted :_—" That a petition to Parliament be sent
from this meeting, calling the attention of the
legislature to the necessity of devising means for
preventing the decisions of county justices on Sun-
day observance being made a public nuisance and
scandal." "That this meeting, desirous that the
Sunday, as far as Possible, should, in addition to
purely religious duties, be made available for the
healthy recreation and moral elevation of the people,
would urge upon Parliament, by petitions, the de-
sirability of opening the national institutions on
Sunday afternoons, being convinced that much
labour now done at home on that day would thereby
be abandoned." The proceedings concluded with a
vote of thanks to the Committee of the League for
bringing the Leigh haymaking case before the
public, and to the chairman for presiding on the
occasion. _

CURABLE.—The generally re•
ceiC4NlloNpEinlilAonntNhEatssthis disorder is constantly fata
questioned. The Abedle Medi
taleseempublishes
t oablee
tsteeriro
fromul
E. Decroix, a veterinary
surgeon, in which he arrives at the following conclusions:
—l. That a subject labouring under canine madness may
die without may fit of frenzy. 2.
That a subject in whom
the disorder is characterised by such fits, their frequency is
in the direct ratio of exterior provocation. 3. That a dog
may, in a violent fit of anger, communicate the disease by
a bite, and yet continue to enjoy perfect health ; and 4.
That there are examples which show that communicated
rabies is capable of cure, either spontaneously or by means
of a proper treatment. The first two points were the sub-
jectof
rendered probable
by an observation published some time
ago by M. rat6gnat ; as to the fourth, the cases quoted by
our author are certainly conclusive. In the first, a dog inocu-
lated with the saliva of a man attacked with the disease, a
fortnight after displays all the symptoms of quiet madness,
which gradually diminishes in intensity, and at length
disappear entirely in the course of 13 days without any
remedy being applied. The second case was much the same.
In the third case, a man and his wife were bitten by an un-
known dog. A month later the man died of confirmed
rabies at the hospital. Two days after his death his wife
was taken ill and received into the hospital, where the phy-
sician pronounced her disorder to be rabies, nevertheless she
got better and eventually recovered. The doctor then said
he had been misled by the symptoms, and that the disorder
was not rabies. The question at once presents itself—Nl hat
was it then? Either rabies has definite symptoms which
may be easily recognised, or there must be a disorder a s yet
unknown, which has the same symptoms and yet is not
rabies. Is it not more logical to confess at once that rabies
is not always incurable ? The fourth case is one reported in
1777 by the surgeon Beudon. A sow and a little dog were
both bitten by a mad dog, which afterwards ran away, but
returned two days after in a pitiable state. Beudon had it
put into a cage, and for several days it displayed all
the
symptoms of rabies. Beudon then caused vinegar to boil
in the cage, so as to expose the animal to the fumes. By
degrees the patient got better, and at length recovered. Six
days after the infliction of the bite the sow became raging
mad, a state which lasted seven hours. Beudon took ad-
vantage of a momentary respite to cause boiling vinegar
to be let down into the sty. When this vinegar got
cool the sow drank some and got better; vinegar was
then mixed with its food, and in the course of a few
days the animal was medically cured. The little dog had
no symptoms at all. It may now be asked whether these
cures were spontaneous or owing to the vinegar. At all
events, these cases show that there is a possibility of reco-
very; and M. Decroix thinks that among all the nostrums
proposed as specifics for this terrible affection, there may
happen to be one of real value, but rejected on account of
this preconceived opinion of the incurability of the disease.
—Uaeignani.