The Sun.
London, England, 1849-11-10 00:00:00

THE COURTS-MARTIAL AT
N H AM.
NOTTINGHAM, Nov. 9.—Last evening, contrary to
expectation, the district courts martial sittings since
Tuesday, completed their labours, the last prisoner
tried being private Ball. The President, Colonel
Arbuthnot, informed the reporters that he was re-
luctantly compelled fur a day or two to forbid the
publication of the evidence in the three cases that had
been brought before him, as the decisions, when
revised by the Commander in- Chief and Judge-
Advocate-General, would have to be laid before the
Queen ; but that it might be published on Monday
next, whether or not the sentence passed may have
been communicated to the prisoners by that time
At rather a lute hour last evening, the confirmation
was announced of last Monday's proceedings in dis-
trict court-martial upon Sergeant John Newman,
tried for allowing prisoner Moffatt to escape.
The Court consisted of Brevet-Major Splaine, 81st
Foot, who officiated as president; Captain Dyson,
Captain Barron, Lieutenant Turton, Cornet Lawson,
Cornet Pedder, and Cornet Hunt, all belonging to the
regiment.
The following is a brief outline of the case :
Corporal Richard Hearson said, I was corporal of
the regimental guard at Nottingham Barracks, of
which Sergeant Newman had charge. About seven
o'clock on the morning of the 26th of October several
prisoners were brought into the guard-room out of one
of the troop-rooms. Private Moffatt was one of them.
On account of the blackholes being so crowded
with prisoners, two of them, Moffat and another,
were obliged to sleep on the guard bed. I saw two
prisoners on the bed at one o'clock on the following
morning when I was parading my relief; but cannot
say, in consequence of it being dark, that Moffat was
one of them. Every two hours, when I paraded the
relief, I fancied I saw the prisoners all right. Ser-
geant Newman laid apparently asleep on the bed all
the time. About a quarter before six o'clock the
sergeant got up and dismissed the reinforement. He
then looked over the poisoners, and found that Moffat
was gone. He immediately reported the circum-
stance, and made the sentries prisoners.
By the CovET—The prisoner paraded the relief at
nine o'clock on the night of the 26th, and not again
until seven o'clock on the morning of the 27th.
The prisoner, in his defence, endeavoured to
throw the blame upon the corporal for parading the
relief at eleven, one, three, and five without him. On
the night of the escape he felt very ill, and was afraid
he should have to go to the hospital, but at the same
time he wished to do his duty. He laid down on the
guard bed, not to sleep, but he did so ; and the cor-
poral did not cull him as lie ought to have done.
When he awoke, about six o'clock, he looked for the
prisoners, and found that private John Moffatt was
absent. With a sentry ineide, and one outside the
door, it; could only be by their 'connivance that he
could have escaped ; and it had since been ascertained
that the prisoner had gone out of the guard-room in
one of the sentry's cloaks, which was found the next
morning in a ditch. Ile then threw himself upon
the mercy of the Court.
Adjutant Robinson, Major Dyson, and Lieutenant-
Colonel Arthur gave the prisoner a good character.
Prisoner (to Lieutenant Colonel Arthur) What
is my general character as a non-commissioned
officer since I have held that rank in the 31 Dragoon
Guards ?

Lieutenant• Colonel Arthur—Very good, and I
consider zealous; and particularly so on a late
occasion, when you prevented a number of prisoners
from making their escape, by discovering that they
had raised a flagstone in the room in which they were
confined, for the purpose of descending into the stable
and thereby getting away. I think you a clean
soldier and a well conducted man, and I never before
had occasion to find fault with you for any neglect
of duty.

Sentence—That Sergeant John Newman be
reineed to the rank and pay of a private soldier.

THE METROPOLITAN SEWERS

COMMISSION.

Yesterday, at twelve o'clock, a general Court of
Sewers was held at No. 1, Greek street, Soho ;
present—Viscount Ebrington, in the chair ; Sir G.
Burgoyne, Sir Henry de la Beche, Mr. P. Eardwicke,
Mr. Peto, 11. P., Mr. Stephenson, Mr. T. Hawes,
Mr. Lawes, Captain Dawson, and Captain Harness.
Viscount EBRINGTON complained of the practice of
addressing letters, connected with the business of the
commission, to him personally. The regular course
was to forward them to the secretary, who would
deal with them according to the established rule. Any
communications which he received he would hand
over to Mr. Woolrych.
Mr. PETO made a similar complaint, and stated that
his practice was to consign such letters to the waste-
paper basket.

The following among other resolutionshaving been
recommended by the general committee, were car-
ried unanimously without discussion :
" 1. That it appears that the plan submitted by
Mr. Cubitt to the Commissioners for Westminster in
November, 1847, and on the recommendation of their
surveyor, Mr. Phillips, approved by them, which pro-
vided an escape for the sewage through the outfal there
shown into George's sewer, was not executed.
That the officers of the Commissioners charged with the
superintendence of the work allowed the said'plan to be
materially deviated from ; that they allowed the
sewer to be blocked up with a wall, in what was
there described as the direction of its outfal, and an
outfal to be opened into Warwick-street sewer, where
none was described in the said plan. That for these
alterations and deviations no authority is to be found
in the records of the court.
2. That the best thanks of the Court be given to
Professor Lyon Playfair for his very valuables
vices, rendered gratuitously, to the Commissioners in
the chemical examination he made with so much skill
and judgment, in reference to the lamentable acci-
dent that occurred in the sewer in Kenilworth-
street.

"S. That though the Commissioners have not
sanctioned, and do not sanction, the application
made to Dr. Ure for his opinion on the subject of
the accident in the Kenilworth-street sewer, Pimlico,
yet, as it appears that one of their officers did,
during the interval which elapsed between the
termination of the old commission and the first
meeting of the present, apply to him and request a
chymical examination of the contents of the sewer,
they under the circumstances will not object to pay
Dr. Ure some reasonable remuneration for this first
analysis so requeited by their officer on his own
responsibility.
" That the Commissioners be summoned, and the
City Commissioners be requested to attend the next
court, for the purpose of taking into consideration
the plans sent in for the drainage of the metropolis."
The second resolution was moved by Mr. STEPHEN-
SON and seconded by Mr.,HARDWICKE.
The Court at its rising adjourned to that day
fortnight.

MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.
PoßTsatcirn.—Mr. Benjamin Bramble, alderman,
the contractor for docks, slips, and other stupendous
works in this dockyard, was yesterday unanimously
elected mayor of the borough (a second time) for the
ensuing year. Mr. Bramble is a Whig.
MANCHESTER AND Sar.roßD.—.Mr. John Potter,
late mayor of Manchester, and Mr. E. R. Lang-
worthy, late mayor of Salford, have both been una-
nimously re-elected to the office of mayor for the
ensuing year. William Jenkinson, William Harvey,
James Biggins, and William Morris have been elected
aldermen for the borough of Salford. There have
been no retiring aldermen for Alanchester this year.
LlVERPOOL—Yesterday Mr. John Holmes, a gen-
tleman long connected with this town, and highly
respected for his public services, was unanimously
elected mayor of Liverpool. Mr. John Burnley
Moore, the retiring mayor, vacates that honourable
distinction with a high character for courtesy, impar-
tiality, and philanthropy. By the instrumentality of
himself and lady, upwards of 11,000/. was raised in
August last to clear off a large debt from the leading
public charities of the town.

GREAT FIRE AT GREENWICH THIS MOILNINO,-'''
This morning (Saturday), about a quarter before one
o'clock, a fire, involving u serious destruction of pro•
perty, broke out in the premises belonging to Air.
Walter, known as the Patent Kamptulicon Works,
situate near the police-station in the. Greenwich road.
The flames originated in the main factory, a building
fitted up with the most costly machinery, end Containing
a large stock-in trade. Some of the inhabitants, whilst
passing the front of the premises, perceived a huge body
of flame shooting through the windows on the north
side, and iu an instant tire rushed through the roof
so high us to be distinctly visible from every part -of
London. This
forwarded to the eer,ine stations,
d the intelligence to be promptly
and forthwith the West
of England end London brigade engines started in search
of_ the scene of coillagration; the firemen being guided
solely by the great light in the air. After travelling ebeut
for some time the firemen at length root a mounted
police officer, who was going to call the engines, and
who directed thorn as to the road they should take.
Having at length reached the spot, a fearful sight pre-
sented itself, for the whole of the factory, from the base
to the roof, presented one immense sheet of flame, and
owing to the great quantity of India rubber in the place
the heat was so intense that the timber stacks in the
pientises of Mr. ilayerolt, on the oppoerte side of the
works, were stuokinh-, and were expteted momentarily
to burst forth in flstaes. At the same-time the covering
over the wharf et the side of the factory was on fire,
and the vessels under were exposed to imminent danger.
The engines from London were instantly set to werk.
The engines from her Majesty's dockyard, one from
messes. Penn's worker, aud several others were afro
b, ought to bear upon the flames, but at three o'clock
this morning the fire was far from being entirely
extinguished, although all danger of any further ex-
tension was over. The factory, however, was entirely
destroyed, atO n surrounding premises severely
damaged