The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-19 00:00:00

" Integer vitae seeleridque plums."

Did Mr. Ciocci appear to be such a character ? Could
he pronounce him to be such, looking at all the facts of
the case ? Here were the admitted facts. • That in De-
cember 1850 and Jan. 1851, he had a disgraceful dis-
ease, derived from association with some of these very
prostitutes ; that not being assured of his perfect cure
on the 10th of January, he
_married on the 15th. Nor
was this,all. how stood his character as regarded the
seleMn obligation of an oath`? Was it possible to read
his answers and avoid coming to cne conclusion ? He
denied that for some time before, and at the period of
his said marriage, he was suffering from disease ; but it'
'was declared in the evidence of .the medical witnesses
from Brighton that he w,as in that state. Had they the
slightest reason to suppose that Mr. Watson and Dr.
Starr were not speaking the truth ? Yet if they were
speaking the truth Mr. Ciocci was not. The court
was obliged to look at character in this case, for Mr.
Ciocci's very shield and defence was character. "It
is true," he said, "I placed myself in a position natu-
turally engendering strong suspicions, but those suspi-
cions will be dissipated when you come to know that
I acted as the agent of a great and humane society, and
that my life is pure." The court would not waste time
in noticing the salvo to Mr. Ciocci's conscience con-
tained in the Magical words "as articulated," which had
often served as a cloak for the disguise of truth and the
promulgation of falsehood. But the words had nothing
to do with the matter in this case ; they did not occur in
the sixth article, and Mr. Ciocci's statement involved a
direct averment of what had been disproved by credible
witnesses. The court was of opinion that the defence
had wholly failed, and that while the attempt to ascribe
to Mr. Ciocci a pure and praiseworthy motive was not
supported by affirmative. evidence ; any presumption
arising from the evidence of Mr. Smith had been re-
butted and annihilated by the proved character and con-
duct of Mr. Ciocci himself. All honour, to those who
from a pure motive dedicated their money and their time
to rescuing from -vice and misery the outcasts of society;
but nothing could be more disgusting than to see an
ostensible connection with such a society paraded for
selfish purposes, for corrupt indulgence, and for defeat.
ing justice. He (Dr. Lushington) trusted that he had
with due patience and care examined all the evidence
by which Mr. Ciocci had sought to exculpate himself.
He had not forgotten, too, that he was a foreigner,
though after eight years' residence in England that
was an element of less importance ; but the court
was of opinion that his justification had wholly failed,
and it now only rc-mained for it to state its decision. As
to Charlotte Thomas, there was her own evidence, sup-
ported by Owen, who saw her in Mr. Ciocci's room.
The court was of opinion that her examination was not
shaken by her cross-examination, but that it had even
been confirmed by it ; for it was perfectly clear that be
tween her examination and cross examination she had
been tampered with. The court was not to be thus
deceived. The very foundation of Mr. Ciocci's defence
was, that lie was intimate with her; and when his
averment of benevolent and philantWopic motives was
discredited, his own case corroborated her evidence. A
similar observation applied even more strongly to the
case of Fanny Alexander. The court had no doubt that
Alexander did return with Mr. Ciocci to Grosvenor-
street, and as it had been proved to his satisfaction that
the purpose alleged for the defence was false, for what
other conclusion could he come bit that she returned
for the purpose of committing adultery ? In this case j
he should pronounce the charge of cruelty to be
not proved ; and he should pronounce for the separation (
on the ground of adultery, especially as referred to Char-
lotte Thomas and Fanny Alexander, although that was 1
unnecessary. He should also condemn Mr. Ciocci in
the costs.

The judgment occupied upwards of two hours in its
delivery.

NAVAL „INTELLIGENCE.

PORTSMOUTH, JAN. 18.
We believe Captain Sir Thomas Maitland, C. 8., will
be succeeded in the Victory by Capt. Dalrymple Hay,
as flag captain, a probability we recorded some time ago.
The engineer department of this arsenal is engaged
in deepening the moats of the fortifications of Gosport,
on which side this harbour it is proposed to erect a new
barrack for 1,000 infantry, with the necessary comple-
ment of officers. The site pointed out for this additional
garrison for Gosport is near the double gateway within
the lines.

The Dauntless, 31, screw-frigate, Captain Ryder, is
to be ready for sea or out of the hands of the dockyard
artificers by the 3d of next month. She has got 10
volunteers from the Simoctn, but is still 280 short of her
complement.

The Serpent, 12, Commander Lambert, is under the
shears to-day, dismasting, preparatory to being paid off
to-morrow.

The Princess Royal, 91, Capt. Lord Clarence Paget,
has entered a few mere hands, and is favourably pro-
gressing with her equipment.
The Colossus, 80, was brought down the harbour this
day by the steam-tug, and placed in the fitting basin to
remove her ballast, &c., prior to being taken into dock
to have a screw propeller fitted. This ship was built at
Pembroke, and launched in 1848. She was built upon
the design of the ex• Surveyor of the Navy, Captain
Sir William Symonds, and is so nearly upon the lines of
the Vanguard that she may justly be considered a sister
ship.

The Sphynx, 6, paddle sloop, has been placed in No.
4 dock to-day, to undergo the necessary repairs, and to
fit her for further service.

The freight-ship 3 Sir George Pollock and Orient have
been taken up to convey file 62d Regiment from Queens-
town to Wlta ; the 49th, from Malta to Barbadoes ;
and the 36th, from Barbadoes to this port.
The freight-ship Bussorah Merchant embarks a draft
of the 11th Regiment from this port, and the 40th Regi-
ment from Queenstown, for New South Wales.

WOOLWICH, JAN. 18.
APPOINTMENTS.

Clerks-in-Ohba-go—William M. Shanks (1846), serving
as First Clerk of the Britannia, 120, flag-ship of Vice-
Admiral J. W. D. Dundas, C.B.,•in the Black Sea, to
the Caradoc paddle-wheel steam-vessel, on the Mediter-
ranean station ; John G. Barnes (1847), serving as First
Clerk in the Tiger, 16, paddle-wheel steam-frigate, in
the Black Sea, to thg Shearwater steam-vessel, on the
Mediterranean station, vice John M. Jefferson, pro-
moted to be Paymaster ; Win. Warburton (1847), serv-
ing as First Clerk of the Leander, 50, in the Black Sea,
to the Banshee, on the Mediterranean station, vice Wm.
Thom, promoted to be Paymaster; Henry Callaway
(1347), serving First Clerk in the Cumberland, 70,
flag-ship of Vice-Admiral Sr George F. Seymour,
K.C.8., on the North America and West India station,
to the Scorpion, 6, surveying vessel at Devonport.
Midshipman—Win. F. Johnstone to the Calliope, 2,3,
on the Australian station.