The Sun.
London, England, 1849-05-22 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

PONINNOUTH, MAT 20.—The-Gladiator steam-frigate,
temporarily commanded by Mr. Thomas Laen, late
Master of the Royal Sovereign, at Pembroke, but re-
cently appointed to sueceed Mr. Alexander Barley,
Master-Attendant at Chatham, who retires, went to
Spithead on Friday night, and sailed at daylight yester-
day morning for Plymouth and Milford.
The Basilisk steam-sloop, Captain H. T. Austin, C. 8.,
and the Niger, Captain Halsted, sailed yesterday morn-
ing at an early hour to pursue their experimental trial.
It is said that no real injury was sustained by the latter
vessel from the extreme heat :of her funnel or smoke-
box, but that, finding everything in its vicinity getting
inconveniently hot, and fearing ignition thereby, it was
judged most expedient to return to port, to endeavour
to obtain the application of such preventives as might be
deemed most efficacious for the purpose. These have
been supplied,
The Columbia, steam surveying vessel, Commander
P. F. Shortland, sailed yesterday morning to the west-
ward. Before leaving Spithead, Commander Shortland
corrected his compasses for local attraction on a plan of
his own, by turning his vessel to port and starboard
under steam, by this means effecting as much in two
hours as would have occupied a whole day with warps
in harbour.

The Fifeshire freight-ship sailed from Cowes yester-
day morning, with detachments of regiments from Park-
hurst•barracks for the Cape of Goud Hope, passing
through Spithead.
The Comet packet, from Madeira (six days), arrived
here yesterday, and landed about 40 passengers.
The Lark shooner, Liehtenant-Commander Hall, en
route to Liberia, as a yacht for the President of that
new settlement, arrived at Madeira from Devonport en
the 19th ult., and sailed on the following day fur the coast
of Africa.

The Rifleman, 4, Lieutenant Commander Crofton,
sailed from Madeira on the 20th, for Rio.

The Cuckoo steam-vessel, Commander Henry Duma-
resq, arrived yesterday from Jersey, with a supply of
provisions and stores, &c.
Yesterday, being the day appointed for celebrating
the anniversary of her Majesty's birth. was observed as
a holiday at all the Government establishments. All
the ships and vessels were dressed in flags from 8 o'clock
A.ll. till sunset. At noon the Victory, tho Illustrious,
and the Excellent, in harbour; the Superb, at Spithead ;
and the platform b attery, ashore, fired royal salutes.
Royal salutes were also fired by the Yacht Club bat-
teries at Cowes and Ryde.
Woot.wwg, MAY 19.—The arrangements to make
the Stromboli steam-sloop. Commander Lord Amelius
Beauclerk, ready for sea were very successful, as she was
able to leave Greenhithe at two o'clock P. M. on Wed-
nesday last, with the North Star in tow, for the Arctic
regions.
The funeral of the late Mr. M'Callum took place
yesterday at two o'clock P.m. The coffin contain-
ing the body was placed on a 9-pounder gun-carriage
opposite the Boatswain's residence in Woolwich Dock-
yard, and drawn to Charlton Churchyard, nearly two
miles, by a number of riggers, who volunteered their
serviees to convey it in that manner as a tribute of re-
spect to the memory of the deceased. The union jack
was placed over the pall, and a number of the heads of
the departments, with all the warrant-officers of the
dockyard and ships and steamers.in the harbour in uni-
form, followed in procession to the place of interment.
he body of the late Mr. Warren, quartermaster of
the Unielmoirvict hospital ship, was found this morning
in the river near the place where the Fisgard frigate is
moored, opposite the dockyard.
PORTSMOUTH, MONDAT.—We perceive that the death
of another flag officer is reported—Rear-Admiral of the
White Sir Nesbit Josiah Willoughby. C. 8., K.C.H.,
aged 72. There was not an officer living who could
show so many honourable scars, earned by his brilliant
achievements, as Sir Nesbit Willoughby, as the record of
his serrices, which are too well known in the pilot

community in which be was so distinguished an orna-
ment to need recapitulation here, will prove. He lost
an eye and an arm in action, and there was scarcely
another portion of his body which had not been maimed
by the fire or sword of the enemy. Captain Robert
Waucnope (1814) obtains his flag by this death
vacancy.
The ship Kent arrived at Spithead last night from
Deptford, with a detachment of the Ist Rifle Brigade.
She embarks a draught of the 91st to-morrow, and a
draught of the 45th Foot from Cowes on Wednesday.
She calls at Cork for a detachment of the 6th Foot, and
sails thence to the Cape of Good Hope.
Wind—W.S.W., light breezes, and cloudy weather.
PLYMOIIIITH, MAY 18.—Her Majesty's sloop Harle-
quin, 12, Commander Seymour, was inspected ) osterday '
morning in the Sound by Captain Sir Thomas Maitland
(Impregnable, 104). Her guns were scaled, sails un-
bent, and topgallant masts struck, and in the afternoon
she was towed up harbour by the Confiance steam-vessel,
preparatory to her being paid off.
The troop-ship Belleisle, and reserve steamers Spiteful
and Conflict, are ordered to be commissioned.
The Queen, 110, will be hauled alongside the sheer
hulk on Monday, to have her masts taken out.
This being her Majesty's birthday, the usual demon-
strations of loyalty were exhibited. The troops were
reviewed on Mount Wise, and the naval pensioners
(adorned with their well-earned medals) were assembled
before Port Admiral Sir W. Hall Gage, in front of the
Government House. Her Majesty's snip Impregnable,
Agincourt, and others, were decorated with colours, and
salutes were fired from the batteries and men-of-war.
Wind—S.W., strong breeze, with rain.
MAY 20.—Her Majesty's brig Grecian, 12, Com-
mander Louis S. Tindal, from Pernambuco, last from
Portsmouth, came in between two and three o'clock this

afternoon.
Three of her Majesty's steamers, two of which arrived
last evening and one this morning, are gone up to Ha-
moaze. The Gladiator is said to be one of them.
Wind—S.W., blowing strong, with rain.

SURREY ADJOURNED SESSIONS.
These sessions commenced yesterday at the Ses-
sions House, Newington Causeway, before Thomas
Puckle, Esq., and a full bench of magistrates.
The calendar contained the names of 79 prisoners
for trial, 31 of whom could neither read or write, 20
read and write imperfectly, 25 read imperfectly, and
only three could read and write well.
The CHAIRMAN, in his address to the Grand Jury,
remarked, that the calendar was extremely heavy for
that time of the year, but he believed the majority
were trifling offences, which would not occupy much
of their time. He was, however, sorry to see so
many prisoners under the age of 20, and such a want
of education among them. It showed that some alter-
ation was further required by the Legislature. Many
of the offenders were parties rambling from remote
parts of the country, and from Ireland, in a state of the
utmost destitution, and being refused admission into
the metropolitan unions, they committed depredations
for the purpose of being sent to prison. The law
would now enable them to punish such characters with
great severity, as it was not to be tolerated that prisons
should be preferred to honest labour, which most of
those offenders objected to. He bad one particular
remark to make to the Grand Jury, not connected
with their duty, but that through them it might
become public by the means of the press. On the
Ist instant, an Act of Parliament came in force re-
garding prisoners charged with simple larceny.
'Transportation was now done away with respecting
those offences, excepting in two instances, viz., robbing
furnished lodgings, or stealing from houses property
over 51., or when two previous summary convictions
had been proved against the offenders.
Henry Lee, 24, was indicted fcr stealing, at Lam-
beth, a coat, the property of William Webb, a gentle-
man of independent fortune, residing in Harleyford-
street.
Mr. Charnock prosecuted,' and Mr. Robinson de-
fended the prisoner.
The lady of the prosecutor said that, a little before
I..feven o'clock on the morning of the 21st ult., she
was standing at the front parlour window, when she
saw the prisoner pass the house several times. The
hall door was open, and suddenly she heard some'one
leaving the hall, and on going to the window she saw
the prisoner run past with. the coat under his arm.
She instantly gave the alarm, but the prisoner suc-
ceeded in making his escape.
In cross-examination witness said sfie was not able
to distinctly see the man's face, but she was certain
the prisoner was the party.
Two tradesmen in the neighbourhood proved they
saw the prisoner run away from the house with a coat
under his arm.
Mr. RoßiNsoN, on behalf of the prisoner, contended
that the witnesses must be mistaken as to their iden-
tity, as he was instructed to deny the charge.
The jury, after a few minutes consultation, re-
turned a verdict of Guilty.
The prisoner was afterwards indicted for stealing
two coats, the property of Thomas Hawkins, a trades-
man in the Borough.
This was a case similar to the above, and the jury
found him Guilty.
Mr. Keene, the governor of the gaol, said the pri-
soner had been four times in his custody for re-
examinations, but to his knowledge had not been
convicted.
i3urton, 272 M, an active officer, said he had
known the prisoner some years as an associate of
thieves, some of whom had lately been transported.
The prisoner had not yet been convicted.
The CHAIRMAN told the prisoner that be had been
a lucky fellow. Had he been only twice summarily
convicted, he would have been transported, as there
could be no doubt he was an old offender. Prior to
the passing of the new Act, such, no doubt, would
have been his fate, but as a warning to him the Court
would sentence him to twelve months' hard labour in
Brixton House of Correction.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
MANSION-HOUSE.

Henry Wagstaff was charged before Alderman
Musgrove under the following circumstances :
Mr. Eastwood, a licensed victualler and eating-
housekeeper, in Tower-street, having good reason to
believe that he had been robbed to a considerable
extent, caused, by the advice of Spittle, the officer,
some money to be marked, and used in the purchase
of goods in his house, in which Wagstaff had for some
years been acting as shopman and cellarman, for the
purpose of testing the honesty of that individual. It
was the duty of Wagstaff to pay over to his master
or mistress every night all the cash he received during
the day, and on the night appointed for trying the
experiment upon his integrity, Spittle entered the
premises, and after Wagstaff had delivered up all his
alleged receipts, discovered that he had in his coat-
pocket one of the marked pieces of money, the rest
being amongst the money paid in according to the
practice of the house.
A witness was called in support of the prosecution,
who stated that Wagstaff had expressed his intention
to quit the employment of Mr. Wood and go into
business for himself; which his present circumstances
seemed to be calculated to enable him to commence,
although he had but some months before been re-
engaged in the house by Mr. Wood from mere com-
passion on account of his apparent distress.
Wagstaff said he had been in the habit of carrying
about him money of his own, with which he fre-
quently accommodated customers as regarded change,
and the present suspicion of his honesty arose from the
fact' that a lady having called to purchase some
article, and tendered half a sovereign, he gave her
part of the change from his own store, and afterwards
repaid himself from the money he received from his
employer, and thus became the possessor of the
marked coin.
It was urged by Mr. Wontner that such an excuse
was untenable inasmuch as Wagstaff upon being
asked by Spittle whether he had any more money
about him, replied that he had not, but on being
pressed put his hand into his coat pocket, and pulled
out the marked coin.
Mr. Hobler contended that there was no case for a
jury, and that as Wagstaff had borne an excellent
character, and the present was the only occasion on
which any imputation had been cast upon him after
six or seven years spent in the service of Mr. Wood,
it would be but fair to give him the benefit of the
doubt, which certainly appeared to be in his favour.
Alderman MuscaovE, after having devoted much
time to the investigation of the circumstances, said
the case was one of great suspicion, but he did not
think he should be justified in committing the prisoner.
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INSTITUTION TOR PROMOTING INDUSTRT,_ SEC.,
AMONG the JEWS.—Yesterday evening (Monday) a
meeting of the committee of this society was held at the
institution, in Rid-Lion-square. From the report of the
secretary, James G. Simpson, Esq., it appeared that the
efforts of the society in promoting habits of industry
among the Jews of both sexes, in teaching different
trades, and in conveying a thorough knowledge of the
Scriptures, had been attended with the most encourag-
ing success. It was observed that a sale of ornamental
and useful needlework, executed by the Jewish females,
would take place this day (Tuesday), at 32, Sackville-
street, Piccadilly, under the immediate patronage of se-
veral ladies of high rank and distinction. A hope
having been expressed that the sale would prove alike
satisfactory to the friends of the charity and beneficial
to its funds, some routine business was disposed of, and
the meeting separated.
PARLIAMENTARY OATHS BILL.—The following is a
copy of the oath in clause 1, as proposed to be altered
by Lord J. Russell:—" I, A. 8., swear that I will be
faithful and bear truo allegiance to her Majesty Queen
Victoria, and that I will maintain the succession of the
Crown, as estaolished by an Act entitled 'An Act for
the further Limitation of the Crown, and better securing
the Rights and Liberties of the Subj ct;" and I make
this recognition, declaration, and promise, heartily,
willingly, and truly, upon the true faith of a Christian,—
So help me God."