The Sun.
London, England, 1853-09-03 00:00:00

COMMANDER J. C. PITMAN.

The restoration of this officer to his rank in the navy,
by Order in Council of the 19th of August, has been the
subject of general congratulation throughout the service;
for it is held by all to be an act of gracious justice.
That Commander Pitman deservedly earned that rank
in which, by the just recommendation of the Admiralty,
he has been reinstated, will be seen by the following
brief account of his gallant career :
"John Charles Pitman entered her Majesty's naval ser-
vice in the year 1826, on board her Majesty's ship Asia,
flag-ship of Sir Edward Codrington, and has served afloat
17 years._

Whilst serving as midshipman he was present at the
general action of Navarino, in her Majesty's ship Rose,
Captain Lewis Davies (in which engagement she so greatly
distinguished herself), and had the honour to be strongly
recommended by his captain on that occasion ; he was also
employed in her Majesty's ship Talbot, Captain the Hon.
F. Spencer, at the taking of the Moron Castles in 1828.
He also served whilst a midshipman with Captains Sir
William Parker, B. Maxwell, W. Gordon, and Sir H. Le
Fleming Senhouse,
" When serving as mate in her Majesty's ship St. Vin-
cent, in May, 1831, he received severe injury when on
duty on the quarter deck from the gun tackle purchase
giving way whilst getting the guns on board, for which he
received a pension of 2s. 6d. per diem, from 9th June,
1834, until December the same year, when he was capable
of resuming his duties afloat. In 1834 he was appointed
acting lieutenant of her Majesty's ship St. Vincent by the
commander in chief, Sir Josias Rowley, and continued
such until she was paid off. He also served as mate under
Captains Deans Dundas, Lewis. Davies, James Dacres, and
Sir H. Le Fleming Senhouse, in her Majesty's ship Blen-
heim, in which ship he proceeded to China, and on arrival
there was promoted by Lord Minto, having been seven
years and a half a mate. He was appointed junior lieute-
nant of her Majesty's ship Druid, Captain Henry Smith.
" As lieutenant he was actively employed in the opera-
tions in China, and received testimonials from Lord Gough,
Captains Sir Thomas Herbert, Sir Thomas Bourchier, Sir
Edward Belcher, S. Pritchard, J. Pearse, and George
Goldsmith, and others. He was at the taking of the
Ty-cock-tow, Chuenpee, and Anunghoy Forts, and was
present at the first advance on the Canton River ; was lent
to her Majesty's ship Blenheim to act as naval aide-de-
campt to Sir H. Le F. Senhouse (the senior naval officer)
and General Sir Hugh Gough, and was present during the
whole of the operations on the heights of Canton, which
led tooy i
thnehcearp3iitauljeasttiyo,ns ofsh ship Druid,city
a;nwdarsematatinhed etianki Chinangof
Ain
until the conclusion of the war, and was promoted to the
rank of commander in December, 1842.

" He was appointed to her Ma-jestPT; ship Childers Feb.
28, 1846, and during his command of three years and a
half in the China Seas, received testimonials of approba-
tion from the senior naval officers, Captains J. N. Camp-
bell, M`Dougall, M`Quhae, and Commodore Plumridge ;
also from Sir Geo. Bonham, as well as the thank 4 of her
Majesty's consul, and all the foreign residents at Shanghai,
as well as from her Majesty's Government and the Lords
of the Admiralty, for the services his ship performed in
conjunction with her Majesty's ship Espiegle, for block-
ading 80J war-junks until the Chinese made reparation for
their ill-usage of British subjects.
" For his services in getting off her Majesty's ship Chil-
ders, when aground upon the Pratas Shoal, on which she
was driven by a typhoon in the month of October, 1848,
on her passage from Hong Kong to Shanghai (threD of his
commissioned officers being the on the sick-list), he had
also the honour to receive their lordships' approbation, as
well as that of the commander-in-chief, Sir Francis Collier.
" He also received the thanks of the French commodore
and Capt. de Genourtly for services rendered to the crews
of La Glorie and Victorieuse, wrecked in the Gulf of
Corea, for which the King of the French wished to confer
on him the. Lenion of Honour, but it being contrary to
the regulations of the service to permit the acceptance of
foreign orders, her Majesty's Government could not accede
to it."

THE BRISTOL AND EXETER RAILWAY.—The guard,
by whose neglect the accident happened on the Tiverton
Junction branch of the Bristol and Exeter line, has been
summoned before the magistrates, who inflicted a penalty
of 10/. and the costa.