The Sun.
London, England, 1853-07-30 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, JULY 30, 1853.

.YAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

PORTSMOUTH, JULY 29.
THE SPITHEAD FLEET. _

The. Duke of Wellington, 131, Captain H. B. Martin,
C. 8., was honoured by a private visit of inspection last
evening from Prince Albert, who came up from Osborne
in the Fairy Royal yacht, Captain Crispin. No standard
was hoisted, nor any salute fired. This extraordinary
steam three-decker went 12 knots steadily under steam,
and all plain sail during her late cruise, and, after break-
ing off short both fans of her propeller the day before
she came into port, she made 10 knots an hour up to
Spithead with ease ! The Agamemnon, 91, Captain Sir
Thomas Maitland, C. 8., rejoins the fleet to-night. We
are enabled, on what we consider the soundest authority,
to reiterate our statement of her Majesty's intention to
inspect this fleet, but the precise day for the spectacle
is not yet determined.
Captain Sir Baldwin Walker, K.C.8., Surveyor of
the Navy, has proceeded to Pembroke to investigate
the cause of the disastrous accident to the Cnsar, 91,
recently attempted to be launched at that port.
Commodore Schroeder, of the Prussian frigate Gefion,
accompanied by Vice-Consul Vandenbergh, embarked
in the Consulate yacht, and landed this morning, to be
presented to the acting Port-Admiral, &c.
The Vulcan, iron screw troop•ship, Commander Von
Donop, returned to Spithead yesterday evening, after
landing at Cowes the reserve battalion of the 23d Regi-
ment, consisting of Lieutenant-Colonel Chester, 19
officers, and 470 rank and file, whom she brought from
Quebec.

The Plumper, ii, screw-sloop, is ordered to be com-
missionei at this port by Commander J. A. L. Whar-
ton, for foreign service.

PLYMOUTH, JULY 29.

The officers of the Queen of the South mail steam-
packet, which arrived this morning, and the military
and other passengers by that ship, speak in the highest
terms of the courteous attention paid to them at St.
Vincent, on the passage home, by the Commodore of
the American frigate Constitution.
The French merchant ship Jeune Edouard, Captain
Bertin, which left Bourbon on the 24th of February
with a cargo for France, sprung a leak on the 28th, and
put into St. Augustine's Bay. The King of that part,
with 1,500 or 1,600 armed natives, laid claim imme-
diately to the ship, because she was in distress. Capt.
Bertin, to pacify the pirates, gave them $4OO, and
wisely sent a courier to St. Augustin's Bay, to the com-
'
mander of her Majesty's brig Grecian, who, although
about to proceed on a cruise, changed his course, went
to the assistance of Captain Bertin, assembled the chiefs,
and, having declared his intentions, effectually protected
the. French ship, her crew, and cargo.
The Bioodhound, 3, Lieut.-Commander H. Christian,.
which arrived yesterday, left Sierra Leone 11th June ;
St. Vincent, 21st June ; Teneriffe, 2d July ; Madeira,
12th July ; and Lisbon, 21st July. After being put in
commission she sailed from Plymouth on the 20th of
February, 1851, and, touching at Lisbon and Madeira,
arrived at Sierra Leone on the 29th of March, and has
been since constantly cruising in the Bights and, on the
West Coast of Africa. On the 6th of July, 1851, she
captured in New Calabar River the slave schooner
Desceada, fully equipped ; and on the 24th of December
she was effectually engaged off Lagos, her boats going
up the rivers. In November, 1852, off Shebar River,
she captured a schooner, name unknown, which was
taken to Sierra Leone and condemned. In April
last the Bloodhound was engaged in the same river,
settling disputes between two chiefs, Ibboboo Salafoo
and Califa and some American missionaries, regard-
ing the rent of a house and land. The crew sur-
prised and spiked a gun while the chiefs were hold-
ing a parley, and the affair was thus speedily settled
to the satisfaction of the missionaries. George
Saxton, gunner's mate, was killed by the concussion
of the gun. The late Commander of the Bloodhound,
Lieutenant-Commander Patey, died of fever on the 4th
of March, 1852. Mr J. Waye, Second Master, took
temporary command until May, when Lieutenant-Com-
mander H. Christian, from the Wolverine, was appointed.
Dr. J. Angus died of fever on the 10th of April, and
Mr. Palmer, clerk in charge, has been the only person
doing medical duty since.
Mr. Waye took charge of the Desceada at Calabar,
piloted the Teazer over the bar into Lagos River, 24th
December, 1851, and subsequently assisted the British
Consul, Mr. Bancroft, in making treaties and forming
port regulations for New and Old Calabar and other
rivers. The boilers of the Bloodhound are worn through,
and 51b. only steam pressure can be obtained.
The Camel lighter, with Mr. Brown and a party of
riggers, proceeds to-day from Plymouth for Pembroke.
T4ley wilt first assist in the endeavour to float the Caesar,
and then bring to this port the Squirrel brig.

PEMBROKE DOCKYARD.

Orders have been issued that the Squirrel sloop, of 12
guns, is to be launched on the 4th of August. She has
been on the stocks building for a length of time, and is
now ready to be sent afloat. This will be the fourth
launch at this yard daring the present season.
The Cmsar is a much shorter vessel than the James
Watt, and yet the breadth is nearly alike in both vessels,
which are of the same rating. The James Watt is 230
feet between the perpendiculars, and the Caesar only
207 feet. The tonnage keel in the James Watt is 194
feet, while the Caesar is only 170 feet. It is a very ge-
neral opinion that the Caesar would prove a much better
and faster vessel if properly lengthened, and her breadth
is amply sufficient to warrant the alteration.

WOOLWICH, JULY 29.
APPOINTMENTS.

The appointment of Commander Edward K. Barnard,
announced yesterday, to command the Philomel, 8,
sloop, at Devonport, has been cancelled.
Commander Alexander G. West (1848), to command
the Philomel, vice Barnard.

Lieutenant Hugh M. Elliot (1847), to the Ajax, 58,
screw steam-ship, at Portsmouth.

ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE.

WESTERN CIRCUIT.
BODMIN, JULY 27.
MURDEIL-SENTENCE OF DEATH.

Jane Chenworth,, 17 years of age, was indicted for the
wilful murder of William Beard, in the parish of Pro-
bus, on the 14th of .Tune last. The prisoner pleaded
not guilty.
William Beard, with whose murder the prisoner stood
charged, was an illegitimate infant, born last March.
Its mother and the prisoner had known each other as
inmates of the Union workhouse. The child bad been
entrusted by its mother to the prisoner for an hour or
so, but the mother, instead of returning to take care of
it, left it a burden to the accused. The latter, it was
proved, made many attempts to get it properly off her
her hands. She took it to the police station, and In-
spector Nash directed her to take it to the union. She
went there, but was told that they could not admit the
child without an order from an overseer. • She re-
turned between nine and ten o'clock, telling Inspector
Nash that she had rung the bell at the union three times,
but that no one had answered it, and she could not
be admitted at that time of night. The inspector then
gave her a shilling, and told her to go back to the lodg-
ing-house in Calenick-street, and call at the station on
the following morning, and he would go with her to the
union. She did not, however, call at the police station
on the Tuesday morning, and did not apply at the
union. Shortly afterwards the child was found in a
mill-head, drowned. The child had been seen in pri-
soner's care a little before, and the prisoner was known
to have come from the neighbourhood of the mill with-
out it. She was apprehended, and afterwards made a
confession to the landlady of the inn where she was in
custody, to the effect that the child was cross, that Ethe
was tired of carrying it, and she dabbed it down into
the mud and water and went away. She also confessed
to the man who was conveying her in a van to Bodmin
prison after committal, that she had placed the child in
_the water and went on her way.
The jury found the prisoner guilty.

The learned Judge, in a very-affecting manner, then
pronounced sentence of death upon the prisoner, who
was greatly excited and cried violently. An intense
sensation was occasioned amongst the spectators of the
painful scene. The prisoner was with great difficulty
removed from the bar.

NORFOLK CIRCUIT.
IPSWICH, JULY 28.

THE BACTON MIIBDER.

William Flack, aged 18, and described in the calen-
dar as a labourer, was charged with the wilful murder of
Maria Steggles, of Bacton. The prisoner, who is a sim-
ple looking country lad, pleaded not guilty.
The village of Bacton is about four or five miles from
Stowmarket, on the road between Haughley and Dotes-
dale. The deceased was about 67 years of age, and was
housekeeper to the Rev. Mr. Barker, a gentleman very
much advanced in life, being upwards of 80 years of age.
The rectory house, where the murder was committed, is
distant about a mile and a quarter from the church. On
Sunday morning, the Bth of May, the service at the
church commenced as usual, at about half-past ten
o'clock. On that day, the only domestics at the rectory
were Maria Steggles, the housekeeper, and a housemaid
named Percy, with the exception of a man named Proc-
tor, who was engaged to saddle Mr. Barker's horse,
that he might ride to church, but this man did not reside
in the house. Proctor came at his usual hour in the
morning to saddle the horse, and after he had done so he
left, and proceeded in the direction of the church. The
housemaid, Sarah Percy, soon after left the rectory,
and was shortly followed by Mr. Barker, upon his
horse, both of whom went to church. The only person
left in the rectory was the housekeeper, Maria Steggles,
left to prepare the dinner for the rector on his return.
Wben the rector came back the housekeeper was lying
on her back upon the floor, her skull beaten in, there
being eight wounds on her head. Her throat was cut,
and a pool of blood was close by. A poker, with which
the wounds on the head seemed to have been inflicted,
was missnig. A sword, with which the throat had been
cut, was for.nd naked and bloody. The prisoner was seen
going to the reelory on the mm ning of the occurrence, and
also returning same time :,fterwaras. He had formerly
been employed there. He had been often heard to dis-
cuss with earnestness the possibility of identifying the
property which had disappeared from the rectory. It
was proved thAt before the murder the prisoner was
short of money, whereas immediately after he was
making large purchases. Witnesses proved that he had
sold
wehavpesird rreosepinnesetorteely which had been stolen from the house,
such as rings, a breast-pin, a knife, &c. One person
had heard say that be meant to kill the deceased.
The defence of the prisoner was the insufficiency of
t.
nicereTdhhebeayrd jury
htshe lordshipretuned
se ut sentence
natcoev ebred
perfectly i verdict t
executed. o f
unmoved,
Guilty, and
leaving the, clock laughing.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

LATEST BETTING AT MANCHESTER.
FRIDAY.

The betting to-day was almost exclusively confined to
the Goodwood events, to quote which would now be
superfluous. The only horses backed for the St. Leger
were West Australian and Cineas—on the former, 50 to
40 was laid, and 200 to 25 was taken about the latter.

FROM THE LONDON GAZETTE of YESTERDAY.

WHITEHALL, JULY 27.

The Queen has been pleased to present the Reverend.
John Mackenzie, M.A., to the church of Ferryport-on-
Craig, in the presbytery of St. Andrews, and county of
Fife, .vacant by the deposition of Mr. Walter Foreman
Burtt, late Minister thereof.

26%
85%
189%
94%

17114
285;4
188
319%

18k
553%
5%
173%
263 U
34%
11%
16734
_9%

498
126

254 q
131

65,334

443 U
577
240