The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-05 00:00:00

TILE ARMY.

On Tuesday Colonel J. J. Louth, of the 38th Regi-
ment (president), and other officers, forming a disrriet
court martial, assembled in the general court martial
room, Chatham barracks, for the trial of three prisoners.
The court assembled at eleven a.m., and after the mem-
bers had been duly sworn, Corporal Henry Batho, of
the 32d Regiment, was arraigned on the following
charges :—First, for absenting himself without leave on
the 7th December last from the barracks at Hull, after
delivering over two prisoners (he had in charge) to the
28th Regiment, the prisoners being deserters from the
6th Regiment of Foot. Second charge :—For having,
on the night of the 7th December, made away with
11. Bs. 10d., public money, entrusted to his charge when
on escort duty with the two prisoners. Evidence was
given by two sergeants of the 28th Regiment, from
Hull, that the prisoner arrived from Chatham in charge
of two deserters in the evening of the 7th of December,
and delivered them over to the main-guard of the 28th
at Mull ; and that afterwards he absented himself from
the barracks. Evidence was also given of the prisoner's
receiving the sum of 11. Bs. 10d., entrusted to him for
the use•of the escort. The prisoner's defence was, that
after he had delivered up the two prisoners he was not
aware that he was then attached to the 28th, as no bed
was allotted to him. That he went into the town of
Hull, and there he lost the money ; how he lost it, he
could not tell. The court found the prisoner Guilty.
Sentence must he confirmed by the Commander-in-Chief
before it will be made known. The prisoner has been 18
months in the service.

Private Lowrie, of the 74th Highlanders, was next
tried for desertion, and making away with his regimental
necessaries, on the 20th of August last, from St. Mary's
Barracks, Gillingham. The prisoner deserted when he
was under orders for embarkation with a detachment to
join his regiment in India. Nothing more was heard of
him until he was brought into Chatham Barracks, on
the 25th of December last, in charge of a military escort.
The prisoner, who was dressed as a civilian, in his de-
fence, said he was sorry for what he had done. Staff
Captain Jackson said the prisoner's character was good,
and he had been one year in the service.
John Kelly, 81st Regiment, was next tried for deser-
tion, and making away with his regimental necessaries.
At the time the prisoner deserted the depot was sta-
tioned at Cork, and the prisoner was missed in the month
of July, 1853 ; and Sergeant Hodge, 81st, said that
nothing was heard of the prisoner until the beginning of
last December,. when he found him a prisoner in the
mainguard-room, Chatham barracks. The prisoner has
been eight months a soldier, and he bears a very indif-
ferent character.

The court did not break up until after four p.m.
None of the sentences are known. The proceedings
must be laid before the Horse Guards, and there con-
firmed before they will be made public.
THE 4TH (KING'S OWN) REGIMENT.—This gallant
regiment, at present in garrison here, is held in readi-
ness to proceed by railway to Glasgow, and by steam-
vessels to Belfast ; and, on being disembarked there,
will go by special railway trains to Dublin, there to oc-
cupy barracks in that garrison.—Rdinburgh Courant.

THE BOURBON FUSIONISTS AND THE EASTERN QUES-
TION.—The only persons, writes the Paris correspondent
of the Times, who appear to anticipate with pleasure and
with confidence the future triumphs of Russia, and the
humiliation of their own (the French) Government and
of its present ally and friend, are the Fusionists. If the
opinions expressed by a few members of that political
section be the same that animate the whole, England
would appear to have no more bitter enemies, from the
simple cause that England has in the present instance
made common cause with France ; and that this alliance
may retard the success of their idol, the Emperor of
Russia, as on that success is fixed their best hope of the
restoration of the Bourbon family. I have alluded more
than once to that subject ; and it is now more than a
year since I informed you on good authority of the pro-
ject then suggested for the isolation of France from what
is termed the Concert Enropeen, as if, whatever be the form
of its government, such a country as France could be set
aside like a petty German principality, or the territory of
Monaco. I quoted the words fatnilllsrly heard from those
partks, that the Emperor of Russia would, before
long, act in such a manner as to force the head of the
French Government to make a coup de tete, as he had
already made a coup d'etat. The Czar, aided by his ad-
visers, has certainly done his best to produce that result ;
but neither had calculated on an alliance with England.
That alliance has grievously disappointed them, and,
though they have always professed to be great admirers
of England and English institutions, I am not quite sure
whether, with their present feelings, they do not feel
more proud of the Russian serf that the English yeoman.
I dare say these people are patriotic, after a fashion.
They love their country, but they are impatient
that its well-being should proceed from others than
themselves. Any one who chooses to listen may
now be informed by the enfans terribles of the fusion
that in three months from the present date France
will be involved in inextricallle difficulties that
she will be abandoned by England, "perfidious Eng-
land, the object of unsparing abuse by the A ssenzblje
Nationale, the favourite organ of the party—that by
that time Russia will have obtained all she demands in
spite of France—and that, to crown the glorious work,
the princes of the house of Bourbon will return to Paris
with the countenance and under the protection of the
Absolutionist Powers of the north. Whether France or
England would gain by the change is more than I can
pretend to say ; but that the parties in question believe
that they themselves would gain immensely is pretty
certain.

FATAL COLLIERY EXPLOSION.—A fatal explosion of
fire-damp took place early on Friday morning at a coal-
pit situated at Hamilton-hill, near Rockvale. The duty
of examining the pit to see that it was safe for the work-
men before their going down to resume work for the day
appears to have been entrusted to William Dick, the
foreman of the pit. In doing this a Davy lamp is used.
However, shortly before six o'clock, a number of the
workers went down, headed by William Dick, who ap
pears to have culpably proceeded to make his accus
toned examination, bearing with him a common open
lamp, and followed by the others. There being a quan-
tity of foul air in the pit, an immediate explosion took
place, killing a man named Andrew Buchanan on the
spot, and frightfully injuring Dick and the other three
men, named Devlin, Hugh O'Neil, and John Ralston.
Dick died in the forenoon, and little hopes are enter-
tained of the recovery of the other men. No doubt is
entertained of the culpable recklessness of the deceased
man Dick. He has left a wife and six children. The
other man who was killed was 23 years of age, and has
left a widow, but no family.—North. British. Mail.
THE NAVAL COAST VOLUNTEERS. —We understand
that no parties have offered themselves in this quarter
to join the Naval Volunteers proposed to be raised by
the Admiralty for the defence of the coast. The sea-
faring classes are at present too profitably employed, for
the, bounty of Gl, proving a powerful inducement to
bind themselves to be at the call of the Admiralty, as
the conditions require, for any period within five years.
So far as this district is concerned, the scheme will be
a failure.—Banifshire Journal.