The Sun.
London, England, 1862-02-12 00:00:00

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, TUESDAY MORNING.
The Court-martial on Captain Robertson was re-
sumed yesterday at the Royal Barracks. Captain
Robertson, who wore his full-dress uniform, was
accompanied by his counsel. The President, the
Hon. A. Gordon, Brigadier-General, directed that
the witnesses on both sides should leave the court.
The charges having been read over by the Judge-
Advocate, the accused was asked to plead guilty or
not. He pleaded " Not guilty," but asked to put
in written pleas, that they might appear as part of
the proceedings. After c msideration the pleas were
received, and read as follows :
" With regard to the first charge, I respectfully
submit that the 17th Article of War, on which this
charge purports to be founded, is not inundatory in
its provisions, and does not create or point at any
offence for which I can be tried by Court-martial,
and that non-compliance with the course to which
approbation is thereby accorded in the case stated
on the said charge does not and cannot constitute
conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman, and
to the prejudice of good order and military disci-
pline. And I further respectfully submit that the
charge as now preferred is vague and uncertain,
and not within the 3d Article of War; but, inas-
much as I am most anxious that my defence on this
trial should not rest on any matter having even the
appearance of technicality, I invite the fullest in-
vestigation into every circumstance connected with
the transactions out of which the said charge has
arisen, and I therefore say that I am not guilty
of it.
" And with respect to the second charge now pre-
ferred against me, which, for the first time, I was
informed of yesterday (Sunday), the 9th day of
February, 1862, I respectfully submit that the same
is not within any of the Articles of War, and is not
cognisable by Court-martial, and that the same is so
vague and uncertain as to render it unfairly embar-
rassing to the person charged therewith, but for the
reasons already stated by me in my answer to the
first charge, that I am not guilty of it.
" And to the third charge, I say that I am not
guilty of it.

" ARTHUR M. ROBERTSON,
Captain, 4th Dragoon Guards."
Colonel Brownrigg, Adjutant-General, as prose-
cutor, having given a statement of the circumstances
which led to the prosecution, insults offered by Col.
Dickson, and the steps taken to induce Captain
Robertson to vindicate his honour, called as the
first witness Colonel Bentinck, of the 4th Dragoon
Guards. When the witness was sworn, the charges
against the prisoner were read aloud by the Judge-
Advocate.
Colonel Bentinck then made the following state-
ment ;
"On the 9th of May, 1861, I was walking in
Rotten-row, when I met Colonel Dickson, whom I
was previously acquainted with. In course of con-
versation he told ME that he had occasion, publicly,
in the Army and Navy Club, on or about the 19th
of October, 1860, in the presence of Capt. Durant,
to demand satisfaction of Captain Robertson. He
threatened to come down to Birmingham and horse-
whip him in front of his regiment when certain
legal proceedings between them were ended. He
also spoke of his cowardly and blackguard conduct.
He also made use of expressions which, being of a
private nature, Ido not wish to repeat. Colonel
Dickson at the time he made that statement re-
quested that I would consider it confidential. I told
him it was a matter for consideration ; and fortu-
nately meeting him again on the same evening, I
begged him to repeat to me the observations which
he had made in the morning, which he did. I then
told him that I should consider it my duty to call
on the prisoner for an explanation. On my return
to my regiment, in a few days afterwards, at Bir-
mingham, I discovered that Major Jones and Capt.
Gunter were already acquainted with the circum-
stances. On the morning of the 15th of May,lB6l,
I called upon the prisoner, in presence of Major
Jones, for an explanation. I informed him of the
expressions which Colonel Dickson stated he had
used towards him, and desired him to give me a
written explanation of what had occurred between
him and Colonel Dickson on the 17th of October.
He forwarded to me the explanation about the 22d
of May. I beg to hand in that explanation."
The statement was then read. It was to the fol-
lowing effect :
"That Captain Robertson saw Colonel Dickson at
the Army and Navy Club on Oct. 17, 1860 ; that
he requested an interview with him, which he de-
clined ; that he afterwards went up to Col. Dickson
as be was leaving the club, and, having apologised
to him for interrupting him while at dinner, began
to speak to him about some legal proceeding which
had been going on for a long period ; and that Col.
Dickson said to him, When I settle with you
legally I will settle with you otherwise.' There
was no person present at that interview, but in a
few seconds afterwards he called him over, and said
to Capt. Durant, ' This is Capt. Robertson, and I
will horsewhip him in the presence of his regiment.'
He answered that two could play at that game, and
walked away. Col. Dickson had frustrated his mar-
riage settlement. The next morning he gave in-
structions to Capt. Henry to act as his friend, and
he was then quite willing and ready to resent the
insult offered to him, but Col. Dickson declined to
have anything whatever to do with him. His firm
conviction was that Col. Dickson had been, and was
at that time, sheltering himself under his legal con-
nexion and was spreading these false reports with
the view of prejudicing him in public opinion.
However, he was now determined either to have an
ample apology or obtain satisfaction in full. On
receipt of that letter (said the witness) I forwarded
these two letters and other correspondence to the
General commanding the northern district at Man-
chester, requesting that an inquiry might be insti-
tuted. The answer I received from the Adjutant-
General was that they could not grant me a court of
inquiry, inasmuch as the witnesses were civilians.
I, on receiving that letter, forwarded it to Colonel
Dickson, and received a reply from him."
The reply was read. He stated that,—
" He had never refused to meet Captain Robert-
son, and that he never called him out through
his friend Captain Henry. He was only asked
to withdraw his insulting language and threat,
which he declined to do, and he waited
for ulterior proceedings on the part of Captain Ro-
bertson for several days. On the 17th of October,
1860, Captain Robertson persisted three times in
seeing him when he was at dinner at the Army and
Navy Club, and waylaid him in the ball, when he
was going with some friends to the opera. He told

Captain Robertson that he would horsewhip him
before his regiment, and that he was a blackguard
and coward, and shook his fist in his face. Captain

Durant was present on the occasion, and he called

on him to bear witness to what he had done. It

was a deliberate falsehood to say ho was screening

himself by any connection. He never offered any

such excuse, and it was a subterfuge and after-
thought on his part to state so. The next of the
allegations was wilfully false, and he treated it with

contempt, coming from such a quarter as it did.
Captain Durant had advised him, and he refused to

see Mr. Owen, after such a lapse of time. (The
letter was signed 'Dickson, late Colonel command-
ing the Swiss Legion.')"
Colonel Bentinck, cross-examined by Captain
Robertson :

" When was the first communication you had
with me relative to Colonel Dickson's affairs ?—To
the best of my belief it was on the morning of the
15th May, 1861. I think I may have had a con-
versation with him on the evening of the 14th of
May.

" Did you tell me to write out a statement of the
matter ?—I
" Is the statement which has been handed into
court by you the statement I made in consequence?

—lie commenced to make a verbal statement tome,
but I requested him to put it in writing, and the

statement I received from him is the one which I

have given in. I gave him a week to send in the

statement, and requested him in the interval to
avoid as much as possible intercourse with the offi-
cers, and not to attend the news-room.

~ Is that written statement I referred you to
Captain Henry's atatement, and the letter of Mr.