The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-14 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 14, 1865.

LAW INTELLIGENCE—This Day.

COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH.
(Bebre Mr. Justice Lush and a Special Jury.)
ODDY V. LORD GEORGE PAULET.

This was an action for defamation, brought by
the plaintiff, Mr. Richard Oddy, corn-dealer, Vic-
toria-terrace, Finchley-road, to which defendant
pleaded not guilty.
Mr. Hawkins, Q.C., and Mr. H. James were
counsel for the plaintiff, and Mr. Coleridge, Q.C.,
and Mr. Brand for the defendant.

Mr. Hawkins, in stating his case, said that the
plaintiff had been in business three years in the
neighbourhood of the Finchley-road, and was in
the habit of supplying the defendant with corn,
hay, and straw for his stables. The goods were to
be sent to Lord Paulet's on Mondays and Thurs-
days, but occasionally they were not delivered until
the Tuesday, the reason being that the plaintiff
went to market on Tuesday, and wished to supply
his lordship with the freshest articles. On the Ist
of May last the defendant called at Mr. Oddy's and
saw Mrs. Oddy, whom he desired to make out his
bill. She did so, and inadvertently entered the
goods that were usually sent on the Mondays,
although they were not to be delivered until the
next day, but she immediately rectified the error
when it was pointed out to her. Lord George called
the next day and saw the son of the plaintiff, and
he was asked in to wait until the latter
returned. He said he would not, that Mr.
Oddy and his family were a set of rogues
and thieves, and were in league with his servants.
He called again and saw Mr. Oddy, who was en-
gaged in conversation with a gentleman, named
Middlemas, who supplied him with corn ; and in his
presence he repeated the defamatory language he
had previously used. He was written to by the
solicitor of the plaintiff, who threatened to bring
an action against him, but he took no notice of the
letter, and made no offer of apology or reparation
of any kind. From what Mr. Middlemas heard
Lord George say he refused to supply the plaintiff
with goods except for ready money, and the latter
was obliged to compromise with his creditors and
give up his business.

Mai)* Oddy, wife of the plaintiff, was examined,
and 'confirmed the statement of counsel as to what
had taken place between her and the defendant.
Mr. Frederick Herbert Oddy, son of plaintiff,
deposed to the language used by defendant on the
occasion when he came to his father's house on the
2d of May last.

The plaintiff was examined, and corroborated the
statement of his counsel.

After a consultation with Mr. Coleridge and the
defendant, a verdict was given of 40s. for the
plaintiff on Lord George Paulet withdrawing the
expressions complained of.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—This Day.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

BEGGING OF THE PRINCE OF WALES.—Thomas Mou ntjoy
described as a farrier, was charged before Mr. Knox as
follows:

Sergeant Smith, 1 C, said he was on duty at Claridge's
Hotel, Brook-street, Bond-street, shortly before one that
morning, when he saw the prisoner standing in front of the
hotel, and on the Prince of Wales leaving the hotel for his
carriage, the prisoner rushed up to his royal highness and
said something to him. The prisoner, on his royal high-
ness taking his seat, put his head in at the window, and
said, " Now, you royal sovereign, you must give me some-
thing to-eight." He pushed the prisoner away from the
carriage, as also did one of the servants, and directly after-
Wards, on the Portuguese Minister leaving the hotel, the
prisoner rushed up to him, and he (the sergeant) then took
him into custody. The prisoner had been drinking.
Mr. Knox inquired how the prisoner obtained his living.
Sergeant Smith said that he was a joiner, but had done
no work for some months.

The prisoner said he could not get near enough to say
anything to any one in the carriage, as the constable and
the servant pushed him away.

Mr. Knox said the prisoner was served quite right. He
did not see why the Prince of Wales, or any of the great
personages, were to be annoyed any more than any one
else. As the prisoner was not known at the court as a
regular beggar, he would be committed for seven days.
RIVAL CONTRACTORS.—SamueI Ludford, of 28, St. Anne-
street, Westminster, attended to answer the complaint of
Mr. William Hearne, contractor for the removal of the dust,
&c., from St. Martin's parish, that being a person other
than the person employed by and contracting with the
vestry of the said parish, he did carry away and collect
dust, rubbish, and ashes, from premises in the parish.
Mr. Edward Dillon Lewis, of Great Marlborough-street,
appeared for the complainant.
The facts of the case were not disputed, but the de-
fendant set up a contract which he had entered into with
the authorities of the War-office empowering kim to re-
move the dust from St. George's and Wellington Barracks.

On the other hand, Mr. Lewis submitted that under the
Metropolis Local Management Act the dust and ashes were
vested in the parish, who alone had the power to grant a
contract. The contractor paid a large sum to the parish
for the privilege, and the proceedings of the defendant had
subjected him to a loss of upwards of £2OO a year. He
(Mr. Lewis) was therefore instructed to press for a severe
penalty, that the defendant might be convinced that the
course he had been pursuing was an illegal one.
The defendant called a clerk from the War-office, who
stated that the War-office had been in the habit of granting
contracts for the removal of ashes and straw from the bar-
racks throughout the United Kingdom, and produced a
certificate granted to the defendant, and said he had never
heard the right called in question before.
Mr. Lewis said it was high time it should be called in
question, and that the authorities should know that it was
in direct opposition to the Act of Parliament.

The Magistrate said the War Office, as well as every
body else, were bound to obey the Act of Parliament. The
defendant had no right to act under the contract, which
was invalid. The defendant had better apply to the parish
authorities, and see whether they would not employ him
to collect the dust and ashes from the barracks as use',
the contractor of course paying him for the work. It w
of great importance that the ashes of places like barrac s
should be daily removed.
Mr. Lewis said Mr. Hearne would take care they wer e
removed every day.

The defendant was then fined Is. and costs, the fine be-
ing really a nominal one, to show the right of the con-
tractor.

THAMES.

BRUTAL ASSAULT ON A POST-OFFICE LETTER-CARRIER.—
Wm. Edwd. York, seamen, were brought before
Mr. Partridge, charged with assaulting Wm. Grove, a post-
office letter-carrier, and intercepting him in the execution
of his duty.
Mr. Osborn, from the office of the Post-office, solicitor,
said that it could not be too generally known and im-
pressed on the public that the stealing of a letter, or any
attempt to steal a letter, from any person in the employ of
the General Post-office, or from any mail or letter-bag, was
a felony, and the party guilty of the same was, upon con-
viction, liable to be transported for life. Mr. Osborn read
the 28th clause of the Ist Victoria, cap. 36, in verification
of his statement, and said that if the magistrate
should be of opinion the prisoners intended to
steal the letters in the possession of the complainant, or
had stolen any one of them, the Post-office authorities
would prosecute. He would leave it to the magistrate's
discretion whether the prisoners should be summarily con-
victed of an assault or committed for trial.

The complainant Grove said that he was attached to
the Bow district Post-office. He was delivering letters on
the evening of yesterday in the Bow-road, at 20 minutes
to seven o'clock. The prisoners and three or four others
came up to him in a disorderly condition and pushed him
about. Fowler swore at him, and said, "-- your eyes,
give me a letter, for No. 36," which was not the prisoner's
address. He passed on, and took no notice of the party.
Fowler came behind him and pulled his cape. He got
away from him, and the prisoner struck him with a large
parrot cage. He was struck a third time. One of the
party said, " Pitch him up and get his letters."
York caught hold of the letters he had in his
hand, and endeavoured to pull them away from him.
He grasped the letters very tightly and struggled with the
prisoners. He did not think he lost any of the letters ;
while he was scuffling with the prisoners they were strik-
ing at his head. A gentleman came out of the North-
London Railway station to his assistance, and the pri-
soners ran away. He fell over Campbell in the Campbell-
road, Bow, and he was taken into custody. York came to
the court to inquire after Fowler, and a summons was
taken out and served upon him.

Robert Stewart, 329 K, took Fowler into custody. He
had been drinking, and said he wanted a letter for No. 95.
The prisoner lived at No. 2, Amiel-place, Bromley.
Fowler, in defence, said he was tipsy when the affray
occurred, and was sorry for what he had done. York
denied that he laid hold of the postman's letters at all ; he
interfered because he thought that Grove was about to
strike Fowler.

Mr. Partridge asked the prisoners if they could give any
account of themselves.

Fowler said he had been third cuddy servant on board
the auxiliary screw steam sloop London on a voyage from
London to Melbourne and back. Before that he was in
the Shannon. York said he served in the London as
ordinary seaman.

Mr. Partridge looked at the prisoners' certificates of ser-
vice and discharge. The two belonging to Fowler from
the captains of the Shannon and London were each
marked "Character for conduct very good; character for
ability very good." York's only certificate was marked in
the same manner. He should take the good characters of
the prisoners into consideration. They had been engaged
in a gross outrage on a respectable man in the public ser-
vice. They no doubt thought it was a good lark to upset
a postman. It was a foolish and disgraceful proceeding.
There was no reason to suppose that the prisoners in:

tended to steal the letters. He fined them £5 each, and, in
default of payment, one month's hard labour in the House
of Correction. But for the good characters of the two men
he would have sent them to prison without the option of
paying a fine.

TERRIBLE COLLISIoN IN THE
CIiANNEL.

-0.---

SUPPOSED LOSS OF FOUR LIVES.
(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)
DOVER, Thursday Morning.

A painful feeling was aroused early this morning
at Dover by the report that a steam vessel had been
run down in the Channel. The intelligence unfortu-
nately turned out too true, and in a short time after

a large steamer was seen being towed towards
the harbour. The unfortunate vessel turned out
to be the Royal Mail Steamer Samphire, the pro-
perty of the London, Chatham, and Dover Railway
Company, which left the harbour last night with
the mails and a number of passengers for Calais.
The -Samphire was in tow of the Belgian mail
steamer, and on her arrival it was learned that last
night she was in collision in the channel with the
American barque Fanny Bok, of Boston, from
Rotterdam to Cardiff.

Part of the crew of the Samphire landed from
the ill-fated vessel, also 13 of her passengers for
Calais, and two of the crew of the American bark,
but it is greatly to be feared that the passengers
on board the Samphire have perished.
The bows of the Samphire were completely under
water, when she was towed into the harbour, and
in a short time after the Belgian steamer left her
she settled down head foremost.

The mails, of course, were detained by the acci-
dent, but they were forwarded on with the least
possible delay.
With respect to the barque nothing at present is
known, neither have any authentic particulars rela-
tive to the accident yet become public.

Naval and Military Intelligence.

The screw steam frigate Orlando, 46, Capt. John
B. Dickson, which arrived at Plymouth on Tues-
day, left Malta Nov. 23, and Gibraltar Dec. 5, and
brings from Gibraltar 44 military invalids under
command of Capt. Travers, and in medical charge
of Dr. R. W. Jackson, 86th Regiment. The
Orlando was put in commission in December, 1861,
and proceeded to the North American and West
Indian station, where Capt. Scott exchanged com-
mands with Capt. Randolph, of the Diadem. The
Orlando returned to England in April, 1863, and
left the following June for the Mediterranean,
where Capt. Dickson took command in May last.
When off Tunis in November, 1864, she lost eight
officers and four men by the capsizing of a boat.
Another trial of the Agincourt took place outside
Plymouth breakwater on Tuesday, when light
easterly winds prevailed, with a force of from 4 to
6. The sea was smooth. The mean of four trials
under full-boiler power was 15.487 knots per hour ;
and under half-boiler power, four trials, 13.545.
The load on the safety-valve was 251 b ; pressure of
steam boilers, 271 b, and 251 b ; vacuum in conden-
sers forward, 251; aft, 26f ; half-boiler power,
261 ; aft, 27+; mean revolutions, 611 and 52f ; in-
dicated horse-power, 6,867 and 3,115; nominal,
1,350 ; diameter of propeller, 24ft. bin. ; pitch, 23ft.
4in. At this trial the Agincourt fully maintained
the good character she received on Monday. Under
full-boiler power nothing could exceed the quiet
manner in which she passed through the water at
such enormous speed. Under half-boiler power
there was scarcely a ripple at her bows.
Major Andrew Clarke, Royal Engineers, Direc-
tor of Engineering and Architectural Admiralty
works, paid a visit to Chatham dockyard yesterday
and, accompanied by Major C. Pasley, superintend-
ing engineer, and other officials, was engaged a con-
siderable time in examining the progress made in the
formation of the extensive basins and other
works connected with the extension of
Chatham dockyard. The most important un-
dertaking, and that on which the chief efforts
of the engineers have been for some time di-
rected, is that connected with the formation of the
first of the three large basins to be constructed on
St. Mary's Island—the repairing basin, adjacent to
the existing dockyard, covering an area of 21 acres ;
the factory basin, 20 acres; and the fitting-out basin,
33 acres. The site of the repairing basin occupies a
portion of what was once known as St. Mary's Creek,
dividing the.island from the mainland, and for some
two years past the funds placed at the disposal of the
Admiralty by Parliament have been devoted almost
exclusively to the formation of this basin, in order
that no unavoidable delft), may arise in its comple-
tion for the reception of the numerous vessels requir-
ing repair constantly arriving at Chatham. The
whole of the sea boundary of the basin has been
completed, and an immense dam is now in course of
formation at what will form its entrance, to enable
the work of excavating to the required depth being
carried on without interference from the tides. This
basin will have a depth of water of 30ft. at high-
water neap tides, a hich will allow our largest iron-
dads to float even when fully equipped for sea.
Hitherto the whole of the works connected with the
formation of the docks and basins have been carried
on by means of convict labour, as many as 1,200
prisoners being daily employed on them. Under the
new arrangements, however, a considerable portion
of the future work will be intrusted to private con-
tractors, and already a contract has been entered
into by Messrs. Rigby for excavating the entire area
of the first of the basins intended to be completed.
The entrance to the repairing basin is situate at
Chatham-reach, nearly opposite Upnor-castle, and
a line of coloured flags indicates the position the
basin will occupy, the line of creek being followed,
by which the work of excavating will be very con-
siderably diminished. From the progress already,
made in this portion of the undertaking, it is confi-
dently anticipated that the repairing basin will be in
all respects completed and ready for vessels in two
years, when the factory basin will be at once pro-
ceeded with. The fitting-out basin will have an
entrance from Sovereign-reach, where the depth of
water is sufficient to allow of vessels of war of the
heaviest tonnage being floated in and out with their
armaments and stores on board. Adjoining the
central basin will be a large factory, running nearly
the entire length of the basin, this building having
been already commenced by the convicts. Four
docks are proposed to be formed in connection with
the repairing basin, but only two of these will in the
first instance be proceeded with. The total cost of
the entire works now in progress will rather exceed
one million sterling. When finished they will make
Chatham the largest and most complete of our
naval establishments.

The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty :—Capt. E. H. Starr, to be gunnery
instructor of the Artillery Division of Royal
Marines, vice Adair, promoted ; and William E.
M'Grath, master, to the Archer.