The Sun.
London, England, 1853-09-01 00:00:00

THE MEDEA COURTS-MARTIAL.

From private advices we learn something of Com•
mander John Crawshay Bailey, of her Majesty's ship
Medea, and the circumstances that have been brought
out at the court-martial; but we refrain from comment
until after the conclusion of the court-martial on the
commander, the first lieutenant of the Medea, T. D.
Williams, at the termination of his trial having instantly
preferred the following charges against the said Com-
mander J. C. Bailey :
" 1. For that Commander John Crawshay Bailey, being
in actual service and full pay in the fleet, and in command
of her Majesty's steam-sloop Medea, did, on or about the
18th of March, 1853, after Lieut. Thomas Drinkwater
Williams's complaining to the said commander, conduct
himself in an unofficer-like manner towards me, tending
to bring me into contempt with the officers and ship's
company.
" 2. For that the said commander did on or about the
22d of March, at Havannah, conduct himself in an oppres-
sive and overbearing manner towards me, the said Lieut.
T. D Williams, in having superseded me from the usual
duties devolving on the senior lieutenant, formally on the
quarter deck, in consequnce of my giving to him, for the
senior officer, a letter requesting an inquiry into my
conduct.

3. For that the said commander did, on the 26th of
March, 1853, conduct himself in an oppressive, over-
bearing, and unofficer-like manner, in compelling me, the
said Lieut. T. D. Williams, by order to sign the ship's
log, such log not being a correct copy of the deck or rough
log.
" 4. For that the said commander did, on or about the
28th of March, 1853, at Havannah, conduct himself to-
wards me, the said Lieut. T. D. Williams, in an oppressive
and overbearing manner, in having reprimanded me on the
quarto:-deck for an alleged offence, in the presence of part
of the officers and ship's company, without any previous
investigation.
" 5. For that the said commander did, on or about
,the
28th of March, 1853, at Havannah, conduct himself in an
oppressive and overbearing manner, in having placed me
in close arrest for an alleged offence, after holding a par-
tial investigation, and deducing conclusions therefrom
quite contrary to the evidence given, I, the said Lieut.
T. D. Williams, having denied the charge; and that the
said Commander John Crawshay Bai!ey did enter, or cause
to be entered, the same falsely in the log.
" (i. For that the said commander did, on or about the
6th of April, 1853, conduct himself in an overbearing and
oppressive manner, in confining me, the said Lieut. T. D.
Williams, to my cabin for the space of ten days for au un-
intentional breach of etiquette, notwithstanding I had
verbally, on the quarter-deck, and afterwards in writing,
apologised for the same.
"1. For that the said commander did, on or about the
2d of May, 1853, conduct himself towards me, Lieut. T.
D. Williams, in an unofficer-like manner, in having sent
me an improper message, such message tending to bring
me into contempt with the officers and ship's company.
" 8. For that the said commander (lid, on or about the
23d May, 1853, at sea, conduct himself towards me, the said
T. D. Williams' in an oppressive and unofficerlike manner,
in refusing to take notice of a complaint of insolence to
myself, when reported by me through the officer of the
watch, such message tending to encourage disrespect to-
wards myself.
" 9. For that the said commander did, on or about the
26th May, 1853, at sea, conduct himself towards me, the
said Lieut. T. D. Williams, in an oppressive and over-
bearing manner, in confining me to my cabin for an al-
leged offence, and refusing me,'in an unofficer-like and
ungentlemanly tone, to allow me to explain the circum-
stances.

" 10. For that the said commander did, on or about the
28th May, 1853, conduct himself towards me, the said
Lieut. T. D. Williams, in an oppressive and overbearing
manner, in ordering by memorandum that no one in the
ship was to hold any communication with me except the
surgeon, gun-room steward, and my servant, with( ut his
(Commander J. C. Bailey) giving me any reason for such
order, and in keeping me in solitary confinement for the
space of 25 days, from the 28th of May to the 22d of June,
and only releasing we therefrom when advised of the ne-
cessity of so doing by the surgeon.
" 11. For that the said commander did, on or about the
22d of June, 1853, at Port Royal, conduct himself in an
oppressive and overbearing manner to me, Lieut. T. D.
Williams, in continuing to refuse me the society of my
ruessmates, although recommended the said society by the
surgeon, for the benefit of my health, and notwithstand-
ing the expressed wish of Captain Walter Reid, the senior
officer at Port Royal.
" 12. For that the said commander did, on or about the
16th and 22d of June, 1853, conduct himself towards we,
the said Lieut. T. D. Williams, in an oppressive manner,
in suppressing or not transmitting letters on her Majesty's
service, forwarded by me, through him, to the senior
officer at Port Royal.
" 13. For that the said commander did, between the
dates of the 22d of March and the sth of July, 1853, con-
duct himself in a general unofficer-like manner towards the
officers of the said steam-ship Medea, tending to bring
them into contempt, and to produce a general discontent."
~> We leave our readers to digest the contents of the
charges, and await the result of the four days' require-
ment of Commander John Crawshay Bailey to prepare
his defence.

CAPTAIN SANDOM AND HIS VAGARIES.—We have re-
ceived complaints from several correspondents of the
over zeal of this newly-appointed official. On one oc-
casion, it is stated, he took upon himself to order
a gentleman—a member of a Royal Yacht Club—
to cast his yacht off a buoy to which she was lying.
The gentleman, however, more acquainted with the re-
gulations than Captain andom himself appeared to be,
immediately applied to Captain Sandom's superior,
by whom he was informed that the superintendent
of the Victualling Yard was °vers. sipping the bounds of
his duty—a fact he at once communicated to Captain
Sandom, who u he dared to touch his yacht "at his
peril." Another complaint against Captain Sandoin is,
that he has taken upon himself to rescind the privilege
of inspecting the yard, hitherto enjoyed by the public,
and now confines their visits to the bakery only. This
is the more felt, inasmuch as it forms a sad contrast to
the urbanity at all times displayed by Captain Sandom's
i
predecessors. We must hope that the severity of this
relation will be at once relaxed, as an excursion-
trainplaces—out
of
town
ate number from the metropolis last night brought to the
heavy London
fiscal a nodo
contributions
ui inter-
mediate sofvisitors
ofsreom
not only is C
but aptain Sandom liberally paid for his ser-
vices,desire to thevisit,
whole establishment they may, perhaps,
DEsmnoLsvulvorted.—Plymouth, Mail.
from Devonport that the Leander, 50, Captain King,
to America with
returned with 35 men and a full complement, has
consequence of the numerous
roboys short of her number, in
the other side of the Atlanti
ics desertions at the ports on
SCARCITY OF SEAMEN FOlt.
withstathat the fine
new
ROYAL NAVY,—Not-
d'Acre 101, commanded by a, ~,W, screw-ship St. Jean
twin the Hon. H. Keppel, has beenryPinPular officer, Cap-
the 21st May last—that is, more than commission since
above 130 seamen short of her complement, is
every exertion has been • made, and every i,nc;dthough
and encourag,einent held out to good seamen oicoetnent
The new acts, therefore, do not seem to have heeen.
re-
ceived with that approbation which the House of Cone.
mons was led to believe they would..]
Captain Warden, who was taken from the command
of the Retribution, 21, steam-frigate, and placed in a
very anomalous position connected with the Admiralty
Department, Somerset House, has been nominated to
some regular service again. He is to commission the
Ajax, 58 Dive ,port, th
screw-ship, at as
A_e superinten-
dent of the st( am s !rvice at that port. new captain-
superintendentsinp of the new steam-dock establishment
at Keyham is, perhaps, in prospect. Sir George
The Commander-in-Chief, Vice-Admiral F.
Seymour, C. 8., G.C.11., arrived at Halifax, in his flag-
ship Cumberland, 70, Captain Seymour, on the 18th of
August.
the Com-
The last accounts from Rear-Admiral Bruce,
wander-in-Chief on the coast of Africa, left him, in his
flag-ship Penelope, 8, steam-frigate, Captain Lyster, at
Loando, July 17.
One would imagine that there was no railway commu•