The Sun.
London, England, 1854-03-06 00:00:00

GENERAL ORDER.

Deputy Adjutant-General's-office,
Woolwich, March 2.
His Lordship, the Master-General, has appointed the
folio wing officers to be adjutants, provisionally, under
the regulations contained in the General Order of Feb-
ruary 5, 1826 :
Second Captain E. E. Hamley to the sth battalion,
vice Cannon, promoted.
Second Captain E. E. R. Dyneley to the 12th battalion,
vice Rogers, promoted.
In consequence of the above the undermentioned offi-
cers are posted as follows :
Second Captain P. F. Miller to the 2d battalion, vice
Hamley.
Second Captain H. T. Fitzhugh to the 12th battalion,
vice Dyneley.
HENRY PALLISER, Lieut.-Colonel,
Assistant-Adjutant-General.

The horses of two batteries are to be sent over from
Ireland for service in Captain Swinton's 3d company,
11th battalion, and Captain J. Turner's 4th company,
11th battalion.

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

SHEERNESS, MARCH 4.

The Driver, 6 guns, paddle-wheel steam-sloop, Com-
mander the Hon. A. Cochrane, has this day been taken
into No. 3 dry dock, to be examined, and for the pur-
pose of cleaning her bottom, clearing feed pipes, &c.
This being done she will be ready for sea ih a few days.
Orders have been received here for the Monarch, 84
guns, Captain John E. Erskine, to leave on Thursday
next for the Downs. All hands employed upon her are
working long extra hours to insure her departure on that
day. Lieutenant H. St. John Mildmay has taken up
his commission and joined this ship.
The Majestic, 80 guns, new screw steam-ship, Capt.
James Hope, C. 8., is ordered to be out of the dockyard
on the 25th instant, and will be ready to sail within
seven days afterwards. Lieutenant Edwin A. Porcher,
9th of November, 1846, has taken up his commission
and joined this ship. A number of very smart A.B.'s
have volunteered for her, and ordinary seamen and lands-
men are coming forward freely for entry. This ship has
what wardroom officers call a popular commander, and
what the blue jackets call a first-rate sailor. The conse-
quence is, a great number of blue-jackets, who formerly
served under him, are again entering the same ship. She
was masted yesterday, tops sent over the mastheads, and
the standing rigging is being fitted. The greatest activity
prevails among the blue-jackets, the marine artillery,
and Royal Marines, the last being engaged conveying
the standing rigging, &c., from the stores ready, for the
use of the former. Her screw propeller was lowered into
its bearings yesterday, and on Thursday next a trial
will take place to prove the strength of her boilers, &c.
Lieutenant Charles G. G. Perceval,- promoted from
the Fury paddle-wheel steam-sloop, serving in the Medi-
terranean, and Lieutenant Thomas H. Downs, of the
2d of March, 1838, from the Coast-guard station at Aln-
mouth (Alnwick) have taken up their commissions and
joined the Cressy, 80 guns, Captain Richard L. Warren.
Her compasses will be adjusted by Mr. John C. Barlow,
Master of the Waterloo, immediately after which she
will be inspected by the port officers and leave for the
Downs.
The late 120 gun-ship Howe, which was taken into
dry dock here in October, 1850, was being taken to
pieces (by Admiralty order) last week, by which another
spacious dry dock, capable of receiving a first-rate man-
of-war, armed, manned, and victualled, with six months'
stores of every description on board, is available for any
emergency.
A number of schooners, varying from 100 to 150 tons
loading burden, have been hired as transports, for the
conveyance of provisions, stores, ammunition, &c., for
the use of the Baltic fleet, part of which are now engaged
bringing provisions from Deptford to the victualling
stores at this yard. The Reform, of London, Robert ,
Rex, master, and the Wharfinger, of London, J. Harris, t
master, have arrived here, completed their discharge,
and sailed again for Deptford. Each vessel has been
supplied by the dockyard authorities with sufficient pig
iron ballast to enable them to discharge their cargoes of
provisions, &c., and return from the fleet in fair ballast
trim, when occasion may require them to proceed after
the fleet, on their departure from the Downs.
The schooner Boyne, of London, William Stone, mas-
ter, is now discharging victualling stores here for the
same purpose.
The Hart, sailing tender to the Waterloo, under charge
of Eugene C. Batty, returned from Dover this day with
volunteers from general service, among whom are several
mechanics for armourers and carpenters' crews. All the
volunteers ate drilled daily on board the Waterloo, in
bending, reefing, furling, and unbending sails ; also at
the gun, small arm, and cutlass exercise, while the boys
are engaged knotting, splicing, &c.
Arrangements have been entered into with the Ad-
miralty for the electric telegraph being laid down from
this yard to Deptford and Woolwich, by which, on the
shortest notice, ammunition from the latter, and provi-
sions from the former, can be immediately shipped, and
proceed, wherever directed by telegraph, from the
Thames. In addition to this, It will be rendered available
, for communications from the Admiralty, Horse Guards,

4

G--e-f

z

[PRICE 51°.

Etc., to the port and fort officers in command here. The
submarine part of the line will cross at King's Ferry.
An increased number of workmen are set on to for-
ward the completion of the new artillery barracks being
built in this garrison, in order, if required, to give bar-
rack accommodation to from four to five companies of
Marine artillery-, who will then be in readiness for
draughting into any of our screw steam-ships of war re-
quiring their services afloat.

In consequence of the increase of business now being
transacted in the. different offices in the dockyard, a
number of extra clerks are to be entered, to be employed
as writers and copying clerks. The present clerks,
writers, measurers, &c., are frequently engaged day and
night in Lorder to prevent delay in the routine of the
service.

WOOLWICH; MARCH 4.
APPOINTMENTS.

Commander Frederick A. Egerton (1852) to the Bos
cawen, 70, at Portsmouth, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral
Arthur Fanshawe, Commander-in-Chief of the North
American and West India station.

Lieutenant Robert M. Sandon (1843) to be agent in
charge of mails in a contract steam-vessel.
Surgeon Daniel Ritchie (1846) to be surgeon-superin-
tendent of the Ramilies, hired convict ship.
Clerk William H. Chapman (1848), from the Hogue.
60, screw steam-ship, to the Conflict, 8, screw steam-
sloop, at Portsmouth.
Acting clerk James Inglis, to the Caesar, 91, screw
steam-ship, at Portsmouth.
Clerk's-Assistants—F. L. R. Bedwell, to the St.
George, 121, at Devonport ; W. H. Allen, to the Royal
William, 120, at Devonport.
. Assistant-engineer George Wynhall, of the third class,
to the Archer, 14, screw-corvette, at Woolwich.

THE. BALTIC FLEETS.
We shall doubtless before many days have the French
fleet to join the English at Spithead: We only wish the
Emperor Napoleon may pay a visit on such an occasion,
there is not an Englishman but would give him a
welcome, and show to him how much they appreciate
his high-minded and dignified conduct throughout a
treacherous attempt on the part of Russia to sow feel-
ings of distrust between us. We say there is not a
right-thinking man but would hail his Majesty as a
sincere friend—his actions have proved that he is so,
for the peace of the world has been secured by his mag-
nanimous bearing—even at a time when insult and
abuse were unsparingly heaped upon him by a rancorous
and bitterly hostile portion of the English press.—
Morning Herald.

THE LATE INDICTMENT AGAINST
MAJOR BERESFORD.

A. public meeting having been held at Derby, repro-
bating the conduct of Mr. Coppock and several others
who, it was alleged, had corruptly withdrawn the indict-
ment against Major Beresford, Mr. Coppock has written
a letter to the editor of the Derby Reporter, in which he
states the grounds upon which the indictment was aban-
doned. The following are extracts :
At the last election for the borough of Derby a Libe-
ral candidate lost his return and a Tory member was
elected, in consequence of gross and notorious bribery.
I was selected to conduct the proceedings which became
necessary to restore to the Liberal party the seat which
shad been filched from them. After some months of
labour those proceedings terminated by the complete ex-
posure of an organised system of bribery, in which
Major Beresford and the electioneering management of
the Tory Government were implicated, by the unseating
of the Tory member elected through that bribery, by
the restoration of the seat to the Liberal candidates by
the declaration that the charges against Mr. Bass were
frivolous and vexatious, and by the conviction of the in-
strument by which the Tory bribery had been adminis-
tered. Never was success more complete.
There was a general feeling. that, the House of Com-
mons should order the prosecuthin of the parties who had
been concerned in the organised system of bribery ;
.but
as this did not seem likely to be done, I was pressed
on all sides, promised support by some, and urged by
many, to undertake the prosecution for public good.
At a public dinner in Derby, Mr. Bass made some strong.
remarks as to the propriety of bringing " W. B. and the
gentlemen of the Lead Works to justice," upon which
the whole meeting rose and cheered vociferously, and
when I subsequently stated, as I had privately and pre-
viously said I should, and as I was authorised to do,
" that if the House of Commons did not order the At-
torney-General to prosecute, I would, bring all parties
before the Central Crizainal..Cuurti" I was greeted ,sitith
unanimous approbation.
I gave instructions for the preparation of the indict-
ment, and having waited until it was quite clear that
the House of Commons, who had ordered the prosecu-
tion of a bricklayer's labourer at Chatham, would not
interfere with Major Beresford and the rich men of
Derby, I caused a bill to be preferred at the Central
Criminal Court, being advised by counsel that it could
not be removed from that court, as an act of Parliament
had just passed which would prevent removals by cer-
tiorari from the Central Criminal Court. The grand
jury found a true bill. I calculated upon an early trial,
and at no very great expense. But the defendants got
the case removed by certiorari to the Court of Queen's
Bench, where it could not possibly come on for several
months.

The effects of this delay were dangerous. I was as-
sailed by persons of both political parties, some appeal-
ing to compassion, pitying Major Beresford, who had
been deserted by his own party, and had been grievously
punished already. Others urging that bygones ought to
be bygones, and that peace and quietness ought to be re-
stored to Derby. Some who had prompted the indict-
ment now disowned all participation in it—thought that
public justice had been satisfied—that if it did not suc-
ceed our triumph would be marred ; and those who had
eagerly tendered subscriptions towards the large ex-
penses which the trial would entail, now held tight their
purse strings. I have worked long enough in party
matters to know that success is the test of merit, and
that all gratitude and thanks for past efforts are wiped
off and effaced by one failure. I was anxious for suc-
cess, but not disheartened, and did not dream of any
abandonment of the prosecution.
Up to the 24th November I received numberless ap-
plications to obtain a settlement of the indictment. Of
that date I received the first written overture coming
direct from the defendants—the letter is now before me.
It " entreats that the conspiracy trial may not come be-
fore the public, and begs that a termination may be put
to the ill blood which had so long divided parties in
Derby—pleads hard for the defendants, whose expenses
had already exceeded 2,0001.; begs me to be generous,
to do a most praiseworthy act by the withdrawal of the
indictment, and offers to pay any sum of money for
costs." In a subsequent letter from the same party are
the following expressions :—"I wish you could help a
settlement of this unfortunate business. All expenses
would be gladly paid to get rid of their troubles." The
writer of these letters was a leading partisan of Mr.
Horde% and a most intimate friend of Messrs. Cox and
Mr. Huish. .

Since that time not a week has passed without letters
from friends of the defendants urging me to withdraw
the indictment. I have the letters now in my posses-
slon. They are mostly marked private and confidential,
and I shall not publish them. Sufficient to say that I
can produce them, if the writers give permission for me
to make them public. Without that permission, I am
not justified in stating more than the purport of them.
My own feelings un the matter will be best shown by
my written replies.
To one warm liberal friend, to whom offers had been
made on behalf of the defendants to pay all expenses,
and who communicated those offers to me, with his own
strong wish that all further exposure should be avoided,
I thus wrote in December last :•r.--
" I cannot under any circumstances make the consider-
ation for giving up the prosecution a pecuniary one. N
sum of money would induce me. The only consideration
would be the good of the party here and in Derby—the
desire of promoting peace in future, and the belief that
sufficient had been done to satisfy the past."
To a leading partisan of Mr. Horsfall, who pleaded
hard for a stay of the indictment, I thus l
wrote :
"If it is possible to put au end
thein way of doing so.
If there had been less vituperation
and more common
sense on the part of the defenders and friends of mr
Hors-
fall, much of the unpleasantness that has occurred might
have been avoided. To defend an indefensible seat—to
charge Mr. Bass with corruptpractices— to allege conspiracy
against Mr. He worth's friends, were all acts of folly, and
have brought their punishment. If without compromise
of character, I can restore peace to Derby, and put an end
to bad feelings, I will do so. I should not like to be any
party to the arrangement. What I have done has been
from no private or personal feelings. I only wished and
intended to do the best for my friends, and to punish their
enemies." _

Up to the 27th of January, as my written communi-
cations will show, .I held precisely the same tone. At
that time, counsel having fully considered the case, saw
many difficulties of a technical nature, as to the ad-
mission of statements made by the defendants—how
far they would, if admitted, affect the others of them
as to the different acts of the conspiracy—as to its
venue in Middlesex, and all the many obstacles in
the way of legal proof, which in a case of this kind
would the kept most strictly in view. Subpoenas
for the witnesses were issued and served; some, how-
ever, were not to be found, but preparations went on for
trial. On the Ist of February I went to Derby. I saw
Mr. Moss and Mr. Madeley, with whom I had acted
from the very beginning of the affair, and without whom,
up to the preferring of the indictment, I had not done a
single act. With the indictment they had nothing to
do ; they never advised it, they had never encouraged it,
but, in every other matte• connected with the Parlia-
mentary enquiry, and with the petitions, they had been
my advisers, and my sole advisers. Mr. Moss had from
the first acted gratuitously ; he refused to be profes-
sionally concerned. Mr. Madeley had worked hard and
zealously, . . . .
I told Mr. Moss and Mr. Madeley everything that
s had been done. I explained how matters stood, by whom