The Sun.
London, England, 1854-12-16 00:00:00

LAW INTELLIGENCE.—Dec. 15.

ADMIRALTY COURT.
(Before Dr. Lushington.)
THE SYLPH.—COLLISION.
This was a suit promoted by the steam vessel Meteor, of
the burden of 114 tons, with two engines of 40-horse power
each, against the iron screw steam-ship Sylph, of the bur-
den of 255 tons, with two engines of 35-horse power
each, to recover the loss resulting from a collision be-
tween them in Barking-reach on the 18th of December
last, at about half-past 5 p.m. The Meteor was proceed-
ing in her usual occupation with passengers from Black-
wall to Gravesend. The Sylph, laden with a general
cargo, Was bound from Dublin to London. The Meteor,
according to the plea, had a lantern suspended in front of
the funnel and another attached to the bowsprit, bath of
which burnt brightly, but one of which went out just
anterior to the collision. The wind blew strong from
E. and by S., the tide being about a quarter ebb and
the weather clear. On arriving about half way through
Barking-reach, keeping as far as practicable to that
side of mid-channel which, lay on her starboard side,
she saw a white light at the masthead of the Sylph,
which was coming up near the Kentish shore. Shortly
afterwards the red and green lights became visible,
denoting that the helm of the Sylph had been starboarded.
Finding that she was approaching the Meteor in a direct
line, the helm of the Meteor was'immediately ported and
the engines ceased. The helm of the Sylph was still kept
to starboard, whereupon she was hailed to port, and the
Meteor put her helm hart sport, and set on her engines,
in order to get into shallow water. The Sylph, however,
continued her course, and ran stem on at full speed into
the Meteor, close to the Kentish shore. Tho passengers
and crew boarded the Sylph, and in about 20minutes the
Meteor sank, half a mile from the place of collision. The
Meteor charged the Sylph with not keeping as far as prac-
ticable to that side of mid-channel which was on her star-
board side, and to her not porting her helm, or stopping
or backing her engines, on descrying the Meteor. The
Sylph, in her defensive plea, alleged that ore entering
Half-way roach she steamed slowly and carefully. up the
bight as near to the Kentish shore as vessels lying there
for shelter would permit. There wore several sand-barges
at anchor near the point of land at the Halfway•house,
and a schooner distant about a third of the breadth of the
river. She descried a white light, apparently at the
masthead. of a vessel at anchor, and continued her
course, intendins, to enter the Reach between the
point of land and the schooner. She would have done
so without any risk of a collision between herself and the
vessel whose white light she had seen, but the vessel,
which proved to bo the Meteor, running at full speed
rather nearer to the Essex than to the Kentish shore, in-
stead of keeping her course, all of a sudden ported her
helm, as if to run across the hawse of the Sylph ; and,
fearing that a collision would ensue, the helm was kept
steady and the engines stopped and reversed at full speed,
in consequence of which she went rapidly astern. She
loudly hailed the Meteor to stop her engines, but no atten-
tion was paid to it, and, having exposed her whole broad-
side to the tide, she was carried by its strength with suck
violence against the Sylph that the sharp stem cut into
her just before her port paddlebox. She attributed the
accident solely to those on board the Meteor. The prin-
cipal question for the decision of the Court was whether
the Sylph was justified in following an alleged usage of
vessels cemint up the river with an ebb tide keeping to
the Kentish shore to round the point, or whether, in com-
pliance with the 14th and 15th of Victoria, sh•• was bound
to have kept to the starboard side of mid-channel. The
loss sustained was estimated at B,ooo'.
The Queen's Advocate and Dr. Dasent were heard for
the Meteor; and Dr. Addams and Dr. Twice for the
Sylph.
' The learned Judge, having directed the attention of the
Elder Brethren of the Trinity Corporation by whom he
was assisted to the facts of the case, retired with them for
consultation, and, on returning into court, said they were
of opinion, in which he entirely concurred, that the Sylph
was not justified in keeping the course which she pursued,
reference being had to the statute ; secondly, that the
Sylph was not to blame for not having ported her helm,
she having been misled, as they thought, by the bowsprit
light of the Meteor having gone out, so that she was mis-
taken for a vessel at anchor. The Meteor did not keep as
close to the Kentish shore as the statute directed, but
such deviation did not occasion the collision. They did not
impute blame to the Meteor for porting her helm, though,
under the circumstances, the so doing contributed to the
collision. The Meteor was to blame for not having stopped
and reversed her engines. Although no blame was attri-
butable to her for the light going out, yet the consequence
was to the Sylph as if it had arisen from negligence. Pro-
nouncing his own opinion on the law, having obtained
from the Trinity Masters their judgment as to the facts,
it appeared to him that both parties were to blame, and
the damage, therefore, must be divided between them.

MALTA, Dec. B.—The merchant screw-steamer Tamau-
lipas, having made good her dli(ni age, proceeded to Bey-
rout, Alexandretta, and Alexa. ria, on the 4th ; and en
the same day the Edinhcrgh, merchant steamer, with
crhe
French Government stores, for Qonstantinople.
The French postal steamer ire arrived from Con-
stantinople, Smyrna, Syra, an, ante, on the evening of
the 4th, having been compelle ' y stress of weather to
seek shelter in the last-nienti oed port. She bad on
board 12 English and 196 Fren soldiers, four English
and 3S French sailors, and 10 rench officers, invalids
from the allied army and navy. English were landed
at Malta ; the French procee ed in her to Marseilles,
for which port she left on the same night, when the
Ripon steamer arrived from Marseilles, bringing Colonel
Midon, 35 other officers, and k;097 non-commissioned
officers and privates of the French army, who went on in
her to the Crimea on the same lOght.
The Thames steamer arrived ikt the same time, also
from Marseilles, and left for the primea on the following
morning, having on board General Dubue, Colonel Le-
febvre, Lieutenant-Colonels Akelles and Baffes, 36
other offic,irs' and 1,200 non-c4tnis ioned officers and
privates, and 28 horses.
Her Majesty's steam-sloop Vauntless arrived from
Portsmouth on the night of the kith, bringing Captains
Graydore, Oldfield, Gleig, and So _y ; Lieutenants Cham-
pion, Wolfe, Jones, and Briscoe f the Royal Artillery,
and 306 non-commissioned office 4 and privates of the
same corps, and left for the Cri aon the 6th.
The Blake transport (No. 33) 'arrived from Cork on
the sth with ammunition, and achments, viz., Cap-
-1
tain Gore and three privates of t 3d ; Ensign Hussey,
Surgeon Le Blanc, and 93 no commissioned officers
and privates of the 9th ; Ensi Bridges, and 55 non-
commissioned officers and privates of the 14th ; and 1
private of the 62d. She lat againtior the Crimea on the
6th.

The Sardinian brig Spirito Santo, and the French
barque Ville de Dunkerque, in the French transport
service, arrived on the sth, bringing 37 rank and file,
and 50 horses for the cavalry, andleft on the 7th for the
Crimea.

The Telemaque, French postal steamer, arrived from
Marseilles on the sth, and left for Constantinople on the
same evening, having on board 255 rank and file to re-
inforce the French army.
The Tamar steamer arrived from Southampton and
Gibraltar on the 6th, and left on the same night for
the Crimea, having on board from the last-men-
tioned Port Lieutenant-Colonel McPherson, Major
Burke, Captains Routledge, Croker,. E. Croker,
Gordon, O'Connor, and MoKiasledy ; Lieutenants
Earle, Brinckman, Williams, Smyth, Boyd, Lukin,
Surie, Macpherson, Traherne, and Macbayne ; Ensign
Grant ; Paymaster Telford ; Adjutant Heighan ; Quar-
termaster Campbell ; Surgeon Simpson ; and 719 non-
commissioned officers and privates of the 17th. Also
Captains Wragges and Reymen ; Lieutenants Price,
Brown, and Milman ; 120 non-commissioned officers
and gunners of the Royal Artillery.
The Paramatta transport (No. 52) sailed for the
Crimea on the 6th, laden with ammunition, and deal
planks and stanchions for the construction of tem-
porary barracks for the Blitish army.
The Arethusa frigate sailed for England on the
evening of the 6th, having on board 126 military in-
valids from various regiments in the East.
The Amazon steamer, bound to Constantinople, ar-
rived from Plymouth, on the 7th, having had to put
into Vigo and Gibraltar for fuel, and into Bona by rea-
son of damage sustained in her paddle-wileelsand boxes,
which she was unable to get completely repaired there.
The Esk steamer arrived on the morning of the 7th
from Portsmouth, with Government stores, and left on
the same day for the Crimea. Mr. Ponfold, agent of
the naval hospital at Therapia, took passage in this
vessel for Constantinople.

The French transports Laurentine, Julie, and Saphir
arrived from Marseilles on the 6th and 7th, with 47
rank and file of the French army, rand 56 horses and
mules.

The Delta screw steamer arrived from Alexandria on
the 7th, having 254 haggi or pilgrims returning from
Mecca for Tangiers, whence she will proceed onward to
Liverpool. She left again on the Bth, on which day the
Orontes arrived likewise from Alexandria, having on
board 601 haggi for Tunis and Tangiers, whence she
will proceed to Liverpool, calling at Gibraltar.
The Sardinian barques Giulia and Felice, having made
good their damage, sailed for the Crimea on the 7th
with hay for the French cavalry.
The Jena French ship of the line, from Gallipoli and the
Piraeus of Athens, the Ullea French steam-frigate from
Constantinople and Gallipoli, and the Fulton French
Government steam-corvette, from the Katcha, and Galli-
poli, arrived on the Bth with 611 invalids from the
French army and navy, homeward Mound.
The screw steam line-of-battle ship Ruyal Albert arrived
from Spitbead, after a passage of 12ra.ays, having called
at Gibraltar and Algiers. She bangs Lieut.-Colonel
Lord Hay, Lieut.-Colonel Montresor; Captains Alexan-
der, Murray, Mitchell, and Philliinere • Lieutenants the
Hon. W. F. Forbes and Cla.yton4 Blenkins ;
415 nou-commieci.ieir officers add privates of the
Grenadier Guards ; Captains Burtontand Conteur ; Lieu-
tenants Wigram, Lambton, Rose, rand Ives ; and 154
non-commissioned officers and privates of the Coldstream
Guards ; Captains Meyrick and Hdden, Lieut. Lamb-
ton, and 151 non-commissioned officers and privates of
the Scots Fusilier Guards ; Major Ready ; Captains
Hope, Parker, and Blenn erhassett ; Lieutenants Bontam,
Mirehouse, and the Hon. R. Harbord ; Ensigns Campbell,
Wingfield, and Moursey • Assistant-Surgeon Simpson ;
and 417 non-commissioned officers and privates of the
71st Regiment ; Captain King ; Lieutenants Lowrie,
Grain, and Crofton, and 113 non-commissioned officers
and privates of the Royal Engineers (Sappers and
Miners).

The Tamar, which left on the 6th, put back on
the Bth in consequence of a case of small-pox having
manifested itself among the military. She left again on
the same afternoon, atter landing the sick man, and ano-
ther suffering from fever. Captain Baines, of the Royal
Artillery, is reported to have committed suicide the day
after leaving Malta.

MALTA, DEC. 9.—The Andes steamer has just arrived
from Balalclava, whence she took her departure on the
2d inst., but seems to have brought no intelligence of
moment.

The Lycurge, French postal steamer, has just arrived
from Alexandria, reporting that the India mail had not
been telegraphed up to the 2d ; and that, the Vectis,
going for same, was passed on the 4th, and would not
reach Alexandria before the sth.

FUNERAL OF THE LATE LORD DUDLEY

STUAIiT.

The funeral of this distinguished nobleman took place
at Hertford yesterday; the remains had been removed
on the previous evening from Stratford .place to Ball's-park,
near Hertfort, the seat of Capt. Townshend, M.P. Not-
withstanding the desire entertained by the family of Lord
Dudley Stuart that the funeral should
not be a public one,
it was found impossible to carry this intention fully into
effect, with a due regard to the earnest wishes expressed by
various public bodies that• they might
be permitted to
testify their high respect for the deceased, by following
his remains to their last resting place. In addition to
Captain Stuart, the only son of Lord Dudley, the Earl
and Countess of Harrowby, Lord James Stuart, Captain
and Mrs. Townshend, and the younger branches of these
families, there were present Sir B. Hall, Bart., the col-
league of Lerd Dudley Stuart in the representation of
Marylebone ; J. Abel Smith, Esq
intimate friends of the deceased -;*, M.P., and some other
Prince Ladislas Czar-
toryski and M. Blotnicki attended as representatives
of Prince Adam Czartoryski and the Polish refugees
in France ; Colonel Szyrma, and seven other gentle-
men, as representatives of the Polish refugees in Eng-
land; Mr. Kirby, and three other gentlemen, as a depu-
tation from the Literary Association of the Friends of
Poland, a deputation of nine gentlemen from the vestry
of St. Marylebone, and of nine from the vestry of St.
Pancras. The windows were closed in the streets of
Hertford, and the children of Christ's Hospital lined a
portion of the road through which the long procession
• passed. There probably was not amongst the crowd of
attentive spectators one to whom the fame of Lord
Dudley Stuart, as the protector of the oppressed, and
the friend of the unfortunate had not penetrated.
The'coffin, of polished oak, in which the remains were
brought from Stockholm, was deposited in the chancel
amidst manifestations of regret, neither equivocal nor
confined to a few.
W. L. I3irkbeek, Esq. ; P. C. F. Johnston, Esq. ;
R. G. Macdonnell, Esq , C.R. ; G. R. Carr, Eeq,
Private Secretary.—Mr. John Kidd.
Polish Deputations.—Prince Ladislas Czartoryski and
M. Hippolite Blotnicki, representing the family of Prince
Czartoryski and the Polish exiles in France ; Lieut. J
Jackowski (President), Lieut. C. Szulczewski (Vice-
President), Colonel-L. Szyrma, Major Gielgud, Lieut.
Joseph Gleinich, Mr. N. F. Zaba, Lieut. John Terlicki
(Secretor.)).
The following is the programme of the funeral proces-
sion :
Chief Mourner—Captain Stuart.
Relatives—The Earl of Harrowby, the Countess of
Harrowby, Lord Viscount Sandon, the Hon. Mr. Ryder,
Lord James Stuart, Mr. Hubert Stuart, Captain C.
Stuart, Mr. Abbott, Captain Townshend, Mr. V.
Townshend, Captain Sherson, Mrs. Sherson, and Mr.
Henry Stuart.

Intimate Friends—Captain Henry Seymour, Sir Ben-
jamin Hall, Bart., M.P., and J. Abel Smith, Esq.,

Baron Wurcinski, Chairnfan, and Mr. T. Zawadski,
Seeretary of the Committees of the Polish Exiles in
London.

Mr. Beales, Mr. Kirby, Mr. Dcrring, and Mr. Ed-
ward Johnstone, as a deputation from the Literary As-
sociation of the Friends of Poland.
Deputations from the Vestries of St. Marylebone
and St. Pancras, each consisting of nine gentlemen.
Servants.

Mdlle. Louise Christine was honoured with the pre-
sence of his Highness Prince Gholaui Mahomed, and
also that of his son, his Highness Prince Feroze Shah,
on Thursday evening last, at her residence in Eaton-
square, to hear her performances on th harp.

Yesterday morning the plst (Argyleshire) Regiment
of Foot, numbering over 600 men, and the regular com-
plement of officers, proceeded to Queenstown, to embark
on board her Majesty's ship St. George, 78, for Malta.
On Thursday morning her Majesty's ship Neptune,
120, sailed from Queenstown for Balaklava, carrying on
board 140 of the 17th Regiment, under the command of
Captain G. T. Brice and Ensigns Dyer, Disbrowe, Lees,
and Travers. The Neptune has also on board 160 of
the 89th, and the following officers :—Captains Hawley
and White; Lieutenants Haycock, Morris, and Holmes ;
and Ensigns Hall, Beck, and Robinson.
On Wednesday eight companies, comprising 498 men
of the 72d Highlanders (the Duke of Albany's High-
landers) arrived in Cork by special train from Buttevant,
en route to Malta. According to previous arrangement,
the Alice, Capt. Livingston, was in readiness to receive
the troops and convey them to Queenstown, where they
embarked on Thursday in her Majesty's steam-frigate
Leopard. 30 officers, 27 women, and 37 children proceed
to Malta along with these 498 men, among whom are 47
serjeants. The following officers accompany the regiment :
Lieutenant-Colonel Sharp, in command ; Major Parke ;
Captains McKenzie, Thellusson, Rocke, Robinson, Nor-
man, Crombie, Buchanan, and Alison ; Lieutenants
Hunter, Atkinson, Stewart, Coathupe, Hon. S. R. H.
Ward, Campbell, Cameron, F. M. Alison, and the Hon.
H.W. Fitzmaurice; Adj.Vesey; Ensigns Burges, Basset,
Campion, and Brownlow ; Quartermaster Macdonald,
Paymaster Webster, Surgeon Seaman, Assistant-surgeon
Roberts, and Serjeant-Major M'Key.

NAVAL AND MILITARY INTELLIGENCE.

The St. Jean d'Acre, 101, screw, Captain the Ron.
H. Keppel, Devonport. Every exertion is to be used
to refit this ship, as her services are required to take
troops and stores from Ireland to the Black Sea.
The tide having risen a few inches, Princess Royal,
91, screw, Captain Lord Charles Paget, has been taken
into dock at Keyham ; and the tide having also risen at
Davenport, Caesar, 90, screw, Captain Robb, has been
taken into harbour.

The James Watt, 91, screw, Captain Warden, should
the weather permit, will go into Portsmouth Harbour
to-day, and be docked on Tuesday for examination.
The Prince Regent, 90, struck her pendant at Ports-
mouth yesterday evening, and we believe the remnant
of her crew will be forwarded to Devonport by Lucifer
and Avon to-day (Saturday.)
The Cressy, 80 guns, screw steam-ship, Captain R.
L. Warren, from the Baltic, brought up at dusk on
Wednesday evening, between the Mouse and the Nore.
The Esk, 21, screw steam-corvette, Captain Thomas
Francis Birch, at Woolwich, has now completed taking
on board her powerful armament, consisting of 20
8-inch guns, and one 10-inch gun, mounted on a tra-
versing platform. She will soon be ready for sea.