The Sun.
London, England, 1862-03-10 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, MARCH 10, 1862.

HANDEL FESTIVAL, 23d, 25th, and 27th
June.—The PROGRAMME of ARRANGEMENTS
on application, personally or by post, at 2, Exeter Hall.
The TICKET OFFICES at the Crystal Palace and at
Exeter Hall are OPEN for the disposal of Reserved Stall
Tickets daily from Ten till Four.
Post-office Orders to either Ticket Office to be payable at
Chief Office, London ; as well as Cheques to be payable to the
orderof George Grove, Esq.
Tickets Two-and-a-Half Guineas the set for the Three
Days, or One Guinea for each Ticket for One Day. Stalls in
each corner Gallery, Five Guineas the sat.

HANDEL FESTIVAL. —That the SALE
BOOKS should be POSTED UP EACII EVENING,
it is necessary for the present to CLOSE the TICKET
OFFICES at the Crystal Palace and at Exeter Hall, each
afternoon at Four o'clock.

HANDEL FESTIVAL-SPECIAL TICKET
iNOTICE."--"From the number of applications, it
becomes requisite to intimate to persons WHO APPLY for
TICKETS by POST, that their applications should not
STIPULATE for seats in certain blocks, as, in the event of
the specified blocks being full, delay must arise in communi-
cating with the writers before securing the places required.
The Committee allot the Tickets in regular order. From
the improvements being effected by roolhig in the orchestra,
even the most distant blocks will be eligibly placed, it must
therefore be evident that applicants from the Country will
best attain their abject by leaving the Committee unfettered
in the selection of seats.
- - - • -

As in six days the Sales of Tickets have exceeded TEN
THOUSAND POUNDS, the Committee think it requisite
once more to publish the following Note, appended to the
Programme :
NOTE.—Persons desirous of securing Seats are recom-
mended to apply for them as early as possible after the
opening of the subscription books on the 3d March. Even
the Crystal Palace, with its vast space, has limits of accom-
modation which cannot be exceeded. This caution is the more
requisite because of the large increase to the number of visi-
tors to London for the International Exhibition—which at
the time of the Festival will be in full operation—coupled
with the great number of names already registered as appli-
cants for the earliest intimation of the issue of Tickets.

THE WELLINGTON RE-OPENED.—The
GROUND FLOOR of the WELLINGTON, containing
dining, smoking, and reading rooms, is now OPEN, from
9 a.m. to midnight daily. Breakfast (plain and ala fourchette),
lsncheons, dinners, and suppers are served during those
hours. The saloon dining rooms, on the first floor, are open
for dinners only, from 5.30 to 9 p.m. The billiard rooms are
open as usual. Gentlemen requiring private rooms should
apply to the secretary, Mr. Cates ; or to Mr. Scowen, super-
intendent.—The Wellington, entrances, St. James's-street,
and 100, Piccadilly.

the same difference in the amount of tidal water in
the harbour as the displacement of the Warrior
would to the amount of tidal water at Spithead.
Mr. Whitbread is not, perhaps, aware of
the extent of. Portsmouth harbour, and also of
the very important fact that after the ebb tide
has commenced making from the mouth of the
harbour, the tide from Langston and Chiches-
ter harbours runs into Portsmouth for upwards of
two hours in front of the new lines at Hilsea. The
volume of water which thus enters Portsmouth
harbour, as a matter of course, adds itself to the ebb
of the main channel, and will be much increased in
volume on the conclusion of the new deep moat
which will be cut in front of the Hilsea lines during
the present year. The subject of the construction of
basins and docks for our great steamships is one
deserving the gravest consideration, and if Ports-
mouth is to be fortified at the expense of millions
sterling, and can safely afford the requisite accom-
modation, there can surely be no reason for forming
them elsewhere.

The Shannon,-35, screw, Capt. J. B. Wainwright;
the Emerald, '35, screw, Capt. A. Cumming; the
Chanticleer, 17, screw, Commander Stirling; and the
Vigilant, 5, screw, Commander Pike, all at anchor
at Spithead, are under orders to proceed on a
cruise in the Channel, at the close of which they
will rendezvous at Queenstown.
The second trk.loof the Defence, 18, iron frigate,
, appointed to take
pClaspetea in R
on
Saturday
d.
ayr Powell, esllt,okee
s.B.
Bay,
was again post-
poned owing to the weather.
The screw steamship St. George, 91, Capt. the
Hon. F. E. Fgerton, having discharged her powder
and shell, was removed on Saturday from Ply-
aired and refitted.
eyham Steamyard,
HmosunatohazSeo,uwndhstroemshoeoiwiniglisboeffrepli
In accordance with the recent regulations of the
of the guns of the
screw
ws
steamship
a themsh
ip Admiralty,itev e D g 24
e 89,
flag of Rear-Admi-
ral R. Smart, at Plymouth, have been sent to the
gun-wharf, and 80 of her crew have been trans-
ferred to the guardship Royal Adelaide.
The
following
a
Richards to the Dart ; Lieut. A. R. Tinklar and
tth Aadpmpoiirnatltmye :—Commander
F. W.
were made on Sa-
turday
Lieut. Francis Durrant to the Cambridge ; Lieut.
W. B. Stubbs to the Narcissus ; Lieut. Albert E.
Kay to the Dart; C. A. Leger Langford,_ naval
cadet, to the Royal Adelaide; Henry de Bohun
Devereux is nominated to a naval cadetship ;
Henry W. Blake, chief
engineer, to the Indus,
for the Buzzard; John Langlands, engineer, to
the Indus, for the Shearwater ; James Barlow,
second-class assist.-engineer, confirmed in the Asia;
WTm. Jones, second-class assist.-engineer, confirmed
in the Warner ; Stephen Sweetman, assist.-surg.,
to the Forte; James R. Osborne, second master, to
the Dart ; Wm. F. Strong, master's assistant, to the
Dart ; and Chas. S. Hills, assistant-paymaster in
charge, to the Dart.
In the Royal Naval Reserve, Alexander D. Harris
is appointed to be Sub-Lieut.

longer range with a smaller charge of powder;
greater precision in firing; and, in consequence of
the elongated form of the projectiles, shot of equal
weight may be fired from much smaller guns. A
range of 9,000 yards has been attained by heavy
projectiles fired from rifled ordnance. The advan-
tages of rifled ordnance 'are, however, confined to
long ranges, and Major Owen observed that smooth-
bored cannon and round shot are preferable at a
distance of 300 or 400 yards to rifled ordnance
and projectiles.

271 E COURT-MARTIAL ON CAPTAIN

ROBERTSON.

EIGHTEENTH DAY.

The court-martial on Captain Robertson was
resumed on Saturday morning.
The prisoner handed in the following letter ;
" 53, Marine-parade, Brighton, March 4, 1862.
" Dear Robertson,—Your letter, dated Feb. 28, 1862,
and addressed to London, only reached me hero this day.
During the period I held command of the 4th Dragoon
Guards—from,lB4B until 1859—1 always found you atten-
tive to your regimental duties, and I was satisfied with the
grooming and condition of your horses and the internal
economy of your troop.—Believe me, yours truly,
(Signed) " EDWARD C. HODGE, Colonel.
"Captain Robertson, 4th Dragoon Guards."
Captain Robertson then read a statement, sum-
ming up the evidence which had been given. Ho
stated that the language of Colonel Dickson when
he was recalled was of a character with the lan-
guage he used in October, 1860. Captain Henry's
statement that he (Captain Robertson) refused to
meet Colonel Dickson in October, unless he (Col.
Dickson) lodged the price of his commission, was
quite untrue, and he left Captain Henry to the op-
probrium which be so justly merited, and which he
would receive at the hands of every officer and
gentleman. He then called attention to the charges
on which he was tried, and maintained that he had
submitted the matter between him and Col. Dick-
son to the higher military authorities. He con-
tended that the evidence of the riding-master was
strongly in his favour, as showing that he had
been treated in a manner most unusual with a cap-
tain of his standing, or indeed with an officer at all.
As regarded the order that he should attend morn-
ing and evening stables, he arraigned it as part of
the series of persecutions to which he was subjected,
with the object of forcing him to resign. These acts
were done for a particular object, the best test of
which was the evidence of Colonel Bentinck, and
the contradictions to which he had exposed him-
self as to the withdrawal of the subaltern from his
troop on the line of march from Birmingham. He
left it to the Court to judge of the intention of
Colonel Bentinck in doing so. After referring to
the "round robin" affair, and deducing from it the
same reason, he presented a brief summary of the
several transactions which had been detailed at con-
siderable length in the course of the trial, and in
conclusion he submitted that he did everything he
could to obtain redress from Colonel Dickson ; that
he carried out the suggestions of those on whose
advice he had acted.

The prosecutor then stated that he would produce
evidence to impugn the statements of some of the
witnesses for the defence.

Captain Bragge, 4th Dragoon Guards, was then
called and examined by the prosecutor with refer-
ence to the period at which the prisoner exercised
with the back-board. He stated that to the best of
his belief it was about April, and not in July or
August, as alleged by the prisoner's witnesses,
The prisoner then read a statement to the effect
that he should be permitted to cross-examine the
witness with respect to certain matters, with the
view of testing his credibility.
The room was cleared to consider the matter, and
was not reopened for an hour and a half. When
the public were admitted,
The President announced the decision of the
Court to be that the proposed line of examination
could not be allowed, and they expressed their sur-
prise at the observations of the prisoner, seeing that
they had allowed him every latitude in his defence.
The prosecutor handed in a protest that the cross-
examination of the witness should be confined to
the evidence already before the Court, or matters
bearing upon the charges against the prisoner.
The prisoner expressed his thanks to the Court
for their perfect impartiality.
Captain John Arthur Bragge, 4th Dragoon
Guards, was then sworn and examined by the pro-
secutor. Do you remember being in the ride, and.
seeing Captain Robertson riding with the back-
board ?—Yes.

Was it exclusively an officers' ride ?—To the
best of my belief it was.
Can you fix the date of that occasion positively
or approximately ?—lt was about last April.
What fixes that in your memory P—l returned
from leave about March 14, and shortly after that
we began to ride, and that was in the month of
April. I know this from one of the early rides,
because we rode with bridoons.
Was the weather warm at that time ?—I think
so.

Did Mr. Childe ride with the backstick on that
occasion P—He did.

When did you go away from head-quarters at
Birmingham P—About the 14th June.
When did you return P—About the 10th or 12th
of September.
How did you know the ride was with the bri-
doons P—l remember it was.

Captain Robertson here handed in a question
which the President, on reading, said could not be
put to the witness. Captain Robertson was at
liberty to put questions touching points raised on
the direct examination, but he could not put ques-
tions that had for their object the shaking of the
credibility of the witness.
Captain Robertson then read a protest against
the question being rejected. It was in effect that
by the general law of the land, by whichcourts-
martial were bound, he was not limited in his cross-
examination of a witness to the evidence given by
him in his examination in chief. If such a rule
were established the result would be that sometimes
a witness might be brought up and only asked
about very trivial and isolated matters, while at
the same time he might be possessed of informa-
tion injurious to the party calling him, which
should necessarily be elicited by the prisoner for
the advancement of truth and justice, and he would
also submit that he had not pretermitted any op-
portunity of asking any question, as the witness
had not been previously brought up for examina-
tion for the prosecution. He further submitted
that he was entitled to put the question for the
purpose of testing the accuracy of the witness.
Since the commencement of this inquiry he
(Captain Robertson) and his legal advisers had
endeavoured to act in every way that would appear
to be agreeable to the wishes of the Court, and.cer-
tainly they had frequently withdrawn qirstions
when they saw the Court had the slightest difficulty
about admitting them, although they had no doubt
that they were admissible in point of law. This
was only
t o po
un
te
oo
nf a se r i series
ofmatters
he
cibueegsgioendstowsha
iyehthahte
intendedthis
was a matter of the greatest importance to him, and
relevant to the question it issue and the evidence
given. He therefore begged the Court to come to
a decision as to the reception or rejection of the
question; and if they rejected it he begged that it
might be recorded.
The court was then cleared to consider the matter.