The Sun.
London, England, 1865-11-23 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

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Her Majesty's ship Vestal has been successfully
launched at Pembroke Dockyard. The christening
was performed by Mrs. Loring, wife of Capt. Lor-
ing, the superintendent of the yard. The Vestal is
intended as a despatch vessel, and has a projecting
prow from below the water-line. Her dimensions
are as follows :—Length between perpendiculars,
187 ft. ; length of keel for tonnage, 158 ft. ; breadth,
extreme, 36ft. ; breadth for tonnage, 35ft. ; depth
in hold, 19ft. ; burden in tons, 1,081; armament,
four heavy guns ; horse-power, 300.
The Salamis, paddle despatch-vessel, 835 tons,
250-horse power, Commander Francis G. Suttie,
now at Portsmouth, is ordered to be paid out of
commission and recommissioned on the same day by
her present commander for service in the China and
Japanese seas. The Salamis is a vessel of great
speed, and will steam satisfactorily against the mon-
soons. This the vessel she goes out to relieve--the
Coromandel—cannot do. She will prove a most
efficient addition to the fleets of her Majesty's ships
on the coasts of China and Japan.
The sentence passed on Gunner Sullivan, of the
7th Brigade, Royal Artillery, whose trial by court-
martial for striking his commanding officer, Major
Champion, was reported some time since in The
Sun, has just been made known. He is sentenced to
five years' penal servitude, to be branded with the
letters " B. C." (bad conduct), and finally to be dis-
missed her Majesty's service with ignominy.
On Tuesday and Wednesday last a court-martial
assembled on board her Majesty's ship Formidable,
flagship of Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Talbot, K.C.8.,
to try Charles Norton, ship's steward, borne on the
books of the Cumberland for service in the Naval
Barracks, Sheerness, for having, between the Ist of
July and the 30th of September last, fraudulently
embezzled and appropriated to his own account cer-
tain provisions, the property of the Crown—namely,
80 gallons of rum, 1681 b. of tea, and 1,9211 b. of
salt pork. The court was composed of Capt. John
Fulford (president), of her Majesty's ship Formid-
able ; Capt. G. G. Randolph, of her Majesty's ship
Cumberland ; Capt. Francis H. Shortt, of her Ma-
jesty's ship Favourite ; Commander F. H. Stevens,
of her Majesty's ship Wellesley; and Commander
Samuel B. Dolling, of her Majesty's ship Formidable.
Mr. Knight, of the firm of Essel, Knight, and Ar-
nold, Admiralty solicitors, Rochester, acted as
Deputy Judge Advocate. Mr. Nicholas Giles, the
Paymaster, Commander Henry E. Crozier, and
Samuel George Thirtle, Master-at-Arms in the Naval
.Barracks, gave evidence in support of the charge.
The prisoner, in his defence, denied embezzling or
fraudulently making away with the stores, and ac-
counted for the deficiencies by stating that the stores
Must have been supplied to ships and the demand
notes lost. He denied that the dockyard police or
the masters of the lighters had had any stores from
him, and stated that he had said they bad because
Mr. Giles had told him he would not -use what he
'night say against himself. He handed in certifi-
cates of 14 years' service in the navy, and hoped that
en account of his former good character, steadiness,
and sobriety the court would deal leniently with him.
The court found the prisoner guilty of the charge so
far as related to the rum and tea, but did not con-
sider the charge of having appropriated the pork to
his own use proved, and sentenced him to 12 calen-
dar months' imprisonment.