The Sun.
London, England, 1865-02-03 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE—(This Day).

COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH..
FEATHER (PETITION OF RIGHT) V. THE QUEEN.

Their Lordship gave judgment this morning in this
case. It will be recollected that it was instituted by the
plaintiff against the Lords of the Admiralty, complaining
that in the construction of her Majesty's ship Enterprise
they had infringed a patent he had secured for iron plating
vessels of war. On the part of the Crown, it was set up
that uo action on a petition of right could lie against the
Crown.

Their Lordships gave their judgment in favour of tho
Crown.

THE QUEEN T. RUMBLE.-THE CASE OF THE CONFEDERATE

SHIP RAPPAHANNOCK.

The examination of witnesses was resumed this morn-
ing in this cause. To make a long story short, the follow-
ing outline of the circumstances will be found useful. The
charges against Mr. Rumble were, that in proceeding as he
had done, he had infringed the Foreign Enlistment Act.
A screw gunboat called the Victor, was constructed for
her Majesty's Government in the year 1857. She carried
six guns, about 350-horse power, and about 500 tons,
was for some time employed in the Royal Navy, but
being found unable for the Government service, the
Admiralty, in November last, accepted an offer from
Messrs. Gordon, Coleman, and Co., shipowners in London,
and she was sold to them for £9,000. On the 6th of No-
vember Messrs. Coleman were registered as owners of the
vessel, but it appeared from statements subsequently made
by the defendant, Mr. Rumble, that a Mr. Zachary
Pearson was the real owner. The Victor was delivered to
the purchasers on the 10th of November, but previously
to that all the warlike fittings were removed from her,
and she was sold without masts, sails, and rigging.
Having undergone some slight repairs in Sheerness dock-
yard, she was anchored in the Thames, a new name,
that of the Scylla, having been given to her. It was stated
that she was destined for a voyage to China, and prepa-
rations were made to get her ready for sea. A number
of men were put to work on her boilers, which were
supplied with fresh tubes, and men were engaged and sent
on board ostensibly with the object of going to China. The
equipment proceeded rapidly up to the 24th November,
and on that day, about 12 o'clock p.m., she was suddenly
taken out of the Thames, and having anchored for a few.
hours at the Nore, proceeded direct to Calais. Her name
was then changed. She was called the Rappahannock, the
Confederate ensign was hoisted, and, according to the alle-
gation of the prosecution, a Captain Campbell, who was a
Confederate officer, and had formerly been a mate of the
Alabama, came on board and took the command of the
vessel. The crew were afterwards mustered on the deck
and requested to sign articles of war. They were offered
£8 a month wages and £lO bounty, with a prospect of
' prize money, the captain saying, " I shall fight for my
country and glory, and you will fight for faine." Some of
the men signed the articles and remained on board ; others
left the vessel at once and returned to Englands. Attempts
were made to enlist more men, and some coals were taken
on board; but the French Government interposed, and
prevented any further equipment of the vessel, a French
man-of-war was moored across her bows, and she was de-
tained in the port of Calais. The facts relied on to prove
the defendant's complicity in the matter were as follows :
As inspector of floating machinery belonging to the Govern-
ment, Mr. Rumble had nothing whatever to do with the
Scylla, but nevertheless it could be proved that he was
aboard her almost every day while she was lying off Sheer-
ness, and gave directions respecting her equipment. He
procured boiler makers, and ordered new tubes to be put in ;
and ho also gave instructions as to her rigging and other
equipments. Application was made to the Government
officials for the use of her Majesty's ship Cumberland, and
apparatus for 'nesting vessels ; and as the Government
had then no reason to suppose that she was intended for
anything more than a merchant vessel, the necessary
leave was given, and she was accordingly masted by
Government hands. The defendant was held out as the
person to whom men seeking employment on the vessel
should apply. He engaged men in different capacities,
and entered into agreements with them as to the amount
of wages they were to receive. He paid them their
wages for some weeks, and told them that, when they
were at sea, he would undertake that the portion of
their wages which they did not want should be regu-
larly transmitted to their wives. He likewise paid
the travelling expenses of several men from Wool-
wich to Sheerness when they went to join the vessel. On
the afternoon of the 24th of November—on the night of
which day the ship left the Thames—he was in the cabin
with Mr. Pearson, the real owner, and the persons then in
command ; and when the men were brought into the cabin
he tried to induce them to enlist for a long voyage. Some,
however, refused to sign articles, while others were induced
to do so for a trial trip.

The case will occupy the attention of the court for some
days..

COURT OF BANKRUPTCY.
(Riforo Mr. Commissioner Goulburn.)

IN RE SHARP, SHARP AND SHARP.-A BANKRUPTCY OF 1822.

This was a bankruptcy nearly 50 years old, the firm
being described as merchants, of Threadneedle-street.
To-day was appointed as a dividend meeting. There are
no proceedings before the Court, as the case was originally
taken before an old Commissioner, since dead, as aro some
of the creditors. To show, however, the careful manner
in which the interests of creditors are looked after, our
reporter is enabled, through the kindness of the officials, to
state that there is now a sum of £450 in hand, applicable to
any dividend that may be claimed by actual creditor's, or
their descendants, who are entitled to claim a participation
in the profits.
IN RE T. RUTHERFORD-A BANKRUPTCY OF 1827.

This was another very old affair, the bankrupt being
described as a merchant of Austin-friars and other places.
This, like the case above, was a dividend meeting. Al-
though the bankruptcy is said to have taken place in 1827,
it did really occur in 1814. There are no proceedings from
which anything can bo gathered, but a sum of £7OO has
been collected, and may be claimed by those interested in
this memorial of a past generation.

CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT—This Day,

(Before Mr. Baron Martin.)
THE SAFFRON-HILL MURDER.

Serafini Pollioni, aged 36, was indicted for the wilful
murder of Michael Harrington, on the 26th December last.
He was also charged with the said murder on the coroner's
inquisition. The indictment and inquisition were inter-
preted to the prisoner, who is an Italian, and to both he
pleaded not guilty in a firm tone of voice.
When asked if he would be tried by a jury composed
entirely of Englishmen, or of a mixed jury of Englishmen
and foreigners, the prisoner elected to be tried by a jury of
Englishmen, and a jury thus composed was sworn.
Mr. Giffard, with whom was Mr. Beasley, instructed
by Mr. Pollard, from the office of the solicitor to the Trea-
sury, conducted the prosecution, and the prisoner was de-
fended by Mr. Ribton and Mr. F. H. Lewis, instructed by
Mr. Lewis, of Ely-place, who had been retained by a body
of Italian gentlemen.
The facts of the case have been so frequently and fully
reported that a brief summary is sufficient to remind the
public of the circumstances as disclosed by the evidence.
It appears that on the evening of the 26th of December
last (Boxing-day), a party of friends had assembled to spend
the evening together at the Golden Anchor publichouse, in
Great Saffron-hill, kept by a person named Shaw. They
occupied the apartment known as the bagatelle-room, and
were amusing themselves by singing songs. The deceased,
Michael Harrington, was one of the party, and had finished
a song, when the prisoner, who, with 12 or 13 other Italians
who had congregated in the taproom, rushed into the apart-
ment and stabbed the deceased in the abdomen, the effect
of the blow being to cause a largo wound, through which
the bowels of the unfortunate man protruded. The prisoner
was secured on the spot, but not until he had stabbed the pot-
man, Alfred Rebbeck; and another person. The wounded man
Harrington was removed to the hospital, where he shortly
afterwards expired from the effects of the injury he had re-
ceived at the hands of • the prisoner. If seemed that the
Prisoner and his fellow countrymen had entertained a spite
against the landlord of the tavern, in consequence of
his having ejected an Italian from the public-house on
the previous Saturday night, and that they came in a
body on Boxing-night, when the prisoner not only
threatened, but struck the landlord, who was protected by
his English customers, and hence the onslaught which ended
so fatally. These facts were sworn to by a host of witnesses,
and their cross-examination was directed to show that in the
confusion they were mistaken as to the identity of the pri-
soner being the man who had struck the fatal blow, and
that it was another Italian, named Gregorio, who had ab-
sconded since the transaction. It was further proved by
Sergeant Baldock, of the G division, that when the prisoner
was brought the same night to the Clerkenwell Police-sta-
tion, he found, blood on his right hand, and the prisoner
stated that all he had done had been to protect himself.
The case was proceeding when we went to press.

THE PRICE OF GAS.—The directors of the Equit-
able Gas Light Company, which supply gas in the vici-
nity of Charing-cross and Belgravia, have given notice
that on the first of July next, the price of gas will be re-
duced from 4s. fid. to 4s. per 1,000 feet.