The Sun.
London, England, 1849-10-30 00:00:00

LONDON, TUESDAY_ EVENING, OCTOBER 30 1849.

NEW ZEALAND.

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Extract from a private letter, dated Singapore,
17th August, 1849, received from Mr. Charles 11.
Hodgson' of Carlisle, who is chief mate in the Ber-
hampore (Captain Smith), which sailed from Graves-
end in March last, with emigrants for New Zea-
land :
" We left Auckland on the Bth of July, and
arrived here this day, after a very exciting and
beautiful passage. After getting through Torres
and Endeavour Straits, there is an island
called Booby, quite a barren place : upon its
lee side an immense cape is fitted up as a store-
room. Ships getting through safe, call and deposit in
the cave any provisions they can spare for the benefit
of shipwrecked crews. We left some. There are pro-
visions in it enough to last a large ship's company for
at least six months. In another part of the island
there is a post-office, but of course no postmaster
or person to carry on the business. Ships leave
their reports and communicate any new reef or danger
they may have found on their passage, for the benefit
of the next ship arriving; or if bound to any out-of
the- way port, the captains write to their owners, &c.
We found letters addressed to London, Liverpool,
Sydney, Scotland, Calcutta, &c. We also found re-
ports of the following two vessels :—Bark Symmetry
(Captain Young), and the bark Cadet (Capt. Pratt),
left Sydney 24th June ; arrived at and left Booby
Island on the 17th July, 1849, bound for Manilla.
These two vessels left a report as follows :
" We found on this island the crew of the
whaling ship Ceres, which vessel was wrecked on
Osprey reef, off Cape Melville ; they are 29 in
number, were six days in the boats, and eleven days
on this rock : the crew were all saved, and embarked
on board the above two ships for Manila. The cap-
tain of the Ceres reported the Osprey reef as being
20 miles long, whereas it is laid down in the charts
as only 10 miles. The Ceres left Sydney on the 12th
of June.'
" There was also the report of the ship Mary Ann
(Captain Darby)—left Sydney on the 20th June,
bound for Anatam; left Anatam on the 13th July;
arrived and left Booby Island on the 24th July, at
six, P.M., bound for China ; they had left a lot of
provisions.
"We left Booby on the 25th July. I went all
over the island,. and found two holes on the top of
it, which I went down, and discovered two most
beautiful little wells, with a quantity of not by any
means bad water."

COURTS-MARTIAL IN NEW ZEALAND.
(From the Southern Cross, May 19.)
Captain C. H. M. Smith was appointed by the lout'
Goverment a resident magistrate for the pensioner set-
tlements, and Lieut. 0. W. Gray was appointed a
justice of the peace ; that in the discharge of his
duties in that capacity Lieutenant Gray was in the
habit of attending the bench of magistrates at Howick
on the court days ; that some time in November of
last year, Captain Smith and Lieutenant Gray being
both sitting for the adjudication of cases in the Court
House, at Howick, a case of debt was called on, in
which a civilian, named Tatam, was the complainant,
and a pensioner, named Lynch, who held a pub-
lican's licence, was defendant ; that the com-
plainant, previous to the case being gone into,
objected to Captain Smith sitting upon his case, al-
leging that Captain Smith was a partner of the
defendant Lynch in his public house, and that he
(Captain Smith) was, in consequence, prejudiced in
favour of the defendant. Upon this statement being
made, and Captain Smith declining to take any steps
to punish the contempt of court, or to vindicate
the purity of the bench thus grossly insulted,
Lieutenrnt Gray, as a justice of the peace,
communicated to the Colonial Secretary, the fact
of such an -accusation having been made against
a magistrate while sitting on the bench, and
that the magistrate had taken no notice of it. This
communication was then brought before the Execu-
tive Council, when Lieutenant Gray was called upon
by that body to prove the charge against Captain
Smith of being in partnership with Lynch. Lieu-
tenant Gray stated that he had made no such
charge against Captain Smith; that he simply
brought under the notice of the Government
the fact of a charge so disgraceful having been
made in open court, and that no steps
had been taken to vindicate the character of
the magistrate, or the purity of the bench of
which he was a member; that he knew nothing as
to the truth or falsehood of the charge itself. Upon
this the Executive Council decided that Lieutenant
Gray had failed to prove his charge against Captain
Smith, and that Captain Smith was exonerated from
all blame. In the interim, the written desire of the
Government that Lieut. Gray should prove the charge
made by Tatam against Captain Smith, appears to
have put him (Lieutenant Gray) on the qui vice to
ascertain the truth or falsehood of that charge, and
while seeking for the necessary proof, the man Barry,
who has been so conspicuous throughout these pro-
ceedings, sent word to him that he could give impor-
tant information. The information given by Barry,
if true, went to prove so serious an amount of em-
bezzlement against Captain Smith, that the original
charge appears to have been totally lost sight of
by all parties. Upon the information given by
Barry, supported and confirmed, as Lieutenant
Gray supposed it to be, by other testimony
the charges, as laid before the first court-martial,
were transmitted by Lieutenant Gray to the corn-
maading officer of pensioners, Major Gray; by him they
were forwarded to the governor-in. chief, and thence
they found their way to the major-general command-
ing, and from him they were returned to Major Gray,
with orders to bring Captain Smith to a court-mar-
tial upon them, and to make Lieutenant Gray the
prosecutor.
The court-martial took place, and Captain Smith
was honourably acquitted; and subsequently Lieut.
Gray was arraigned before a similar tribunal, the re-
sult of which will be se n from the following extracts
from brigade orders :--
" At a general court-martial, held at Auckland,
New Zealand, on the 2d day of April, 1849, and of
which general court-martial Lieutenant-Colonel
Daniel Bolton, Royal Engineers, was President,
Lieutenant Owen Wynne Gray, staff officer of New
Zealand Enrolled Pensioners, appeared a prisoner on
the following charge, viz :
" For scandalous and infamous conduct unbecom-
ing the character of an officer and a gentleman, in
getting up and attempting to support, in an un-
justifiable and improper manner, disgraceful charges
against his senior officer, Captain Charles Henry
Montressor Smith, staff officer of New Zealand
Pensioners, which charges so got up, and so attempted
to be supported by Lieutenant Owen Wynne Gray,
were found by the general court-martial by which
they were investigated at Auckland, New Zealand,
from the Bth day of February to the 3d day of March,
1849, to be totally without foundation; such conduct
on the part of Lieutenant Gray being subversive of
all discipline and subordination in the pensioner corps,
and calculated to bring discredit on her Majesty's

service.'
"To which charge the prisoner pleaded not guilty.
"Finding—The Court having maturely weighed
and considered the evidence in support of the charge
against the prisoner, Lieutenant Owen Wynne Gray,
staff officer of the New Zealand Pensioners, his de-
fence and the evidence adduced in support of it, are of
opinion that he is guilty of the whole of the charge
preferred against him, with the exception of the words
scandalous and infamous,' of which the Court do
acquit him.
"Sentence—The Court having found the prisoner
guilty of the charge preferred against him, with the
exception of the words scandalous and infamous,'
and taking into consideration his former good service
and character (certified copies attached and marked
.R 1,2, and 3), do now sentence him, the prisoner,.
Lieut. Owen Wynne Gray, staff officer of New Zea-
land Pensioners, to be suspendeded from all rank and
pay for one year, to be severely reprimanded in such
manner as the Major-General commanding the troops
in New Zealand may be pleased to direct, and further
to be removed from, and rendered incapable of again
serving in the Pensioner force in New Zealand.
(Signed) " DANIEL BOLTON,
" Lieut.-Colonel Royal Engineers, President.
" J. Greenwood, Captain, Major of Brigade
and Officiating Judge Advocate.
" Approved and confirmed,
(Signed) " G. D. PITT, Major-General,
Commander in New Zealand."
" Auckland, April 26, 1849."
In promulgating the finding and sentence passed
by a general court-martial on Lieutenant Owen
Wynne Gray, staff officer of New Zealand Pen•
sioners, as a severe reprimand forms part of that
sentence, his Excellency the Major-General command-
ing takes this opportunity of reprimanding him
accordingly ; and his Excellency trusts that the
extreme leniency of theha condemnatioinfln passed upon
Lieutenant Gray mayhave a salutaryinfluence upon
his conduct.
The sentence will be carried into effect from this
date inclusive.
His Excellency the Major-General commanding is
pleased to direct that the above order be read on
three successive parades, at the head of every regi-
ment and detachment serving in this command.
By command, &c.,
(Signed) J. GREFN WOOD, Major of Brigade.
BRIGADE ORDERS.
Auckland, 26th April, 1849.
His Excellency the Major. General Commanding is
pleased to order, with reference to that part of the
sentence of a general court martial on Lieutenant
Owen Wynn Gray, published in Brigade Orders of
the 2filth instant, which is in opposition to the 121st
article of war, viz.—" To be suspended from all rank
and pay for one year"—shall be hereby rescinded,
and his Excellency confirms only the latter portions
of the decision of the court upon that officer, viz.:—
" To be severely reprimanded in such manner as
the Major• General commanding the troops in New
Zolend may be pleased to direct, and further, to be

removed from and rendered incapable of again serv-
-ng in the Pensioner force in New Z'_.aland.
" Which sentence will take effect from the date of
e original order.
This order will be read to the troops serving in
s colony, in the usual manner.
" By command, &c.,
" J. GREENWOOD, Major of Brigade."

(Signed)

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
WORSHIP STREET.
John Bailey, a young man of respectable appear-
ance, was placed at the bar before Mr. Hammill,
charged with having, under fraudulent representa-
tions, obtained a quantity of manufactured goods, of
the value of 20/ , from Mr. James Cousins, a currier
in Luke-street, Finsbury.
The prosecutor stated that in the month of May
last the prisoner, with whom he had previously had
some dealings to a trifling extent, and who at that
time carried on business in Shoreditch, called at his
warehouse and purchased goods to the amonnt above
stated, in payment for which he proposed to give him
a bill at three months' date, accepted by his mother-
in-law, whom he represented to be a widow lady
residing at Dalston, and possessed of considerable
freehold property in Yorkshire. He required time
to consider the proposition ; and having in the in-
terim ascertained that the mother-in-law really lived
where he had stated, and was reputed to be a person
of respectability, he executed the order upon the
terms he had offered, and paid away the bill in the
course of business ; but, upon the expiration of the
term for which it was drawn, it was returned to him
dishonoured, and he immediately proceeded to the
house of the acceptor, to whom he exhibited the bill,
and on asking if the acceptance was in her hand.
writing, she returned an evasive answer, and told
him she would see the prisoner and make it all right
in a few days. Upon calling on her again, however,
at the end of that period, she intimated that it was
not her intention to take it up, as she was a married
woman and not legally liable for the amount, and at
the same time called forward a respectable looking
person, who stated that she was his wife, and that
they had been married for several years. The
prisoner had in the meantime relinquished his busi-
ness, and removed into another neighbourhood, where
he was followed by the witness, who demanded
payment of the bill, which he promised to make in a
'ow days, but he failed to fulfil his engagement, and
witness therefore obtained the assistance of Evans, an
active detective officer of the G division, who ulti-
mately took him into custody.
Mr. John Alford, a master-carpenter and builder
in Holly-street, Dalston, proved his marriage to the
mother-in-law of the prisoner, the ostensible acceptor
of the bill, at Stepney Church, about eight years since,
and said, that if she had ever signed her name to
any bill or other instrument, it was entirely without
his knowledge or authority. The acceptance in
question was handed to the witness, who stated that
he did not believe it to be in the handwriting of his
wife, but, on inspecting a second bill, which it was
alleged that the prisoner had passed to another trades-
man, he recognised the endorsement as her signature.
Mr. Ashley, who attended for the defence, closely
cross-examined the witnesses, but without eliciting
anything favourable to his client ; and
The prisoner was remanded for a week, but the
Magistrate consented to accept substantial bail for his
future appearance, which was shortly after found.
The MAGISTRATE requested the reporter to acknow-
ledge his receipt of the undermentioned additional
contributions for the benefit of William Jones, the
gunsmith, whose case has been several times men-
tioned in this paper :—Mr. T. H. Piper, of Exeter, a
Post- office order for H. ; W. P., 55.; and M. E. M. in
postage-stamps, 11.

THE BERMONDSEY MURDER.

Since the conviction of the Mannings a circum-
stance of very considerable importance has come to
light, which, if any doubt could possibly exist as to
their guilt, would appear to be almost conclusive
upon 0* subject. It will be remembered that, after
the verdict had been pronounced agai•:st the prisoners
the woman made a violent speech, in which she as-
serted her innocence, and appeared to make it a strong
pint in her favour that she loved the deceased, and
could have been married to him if she had pleased.
It has, however, since been ascertained that for
some time before the murder O'Connor had been
paying his addresses to a young woman, and they
were on the point of being married ; it is known
that Manning and his wife were aware of the fact,
and it is probable that, feeling the marriage would
in all probability have the effect of breaking off al:
connexion between them, they determined upon the
desperate measure of getting possession of his property
of murder.

Another curious fact has also come to light. The
trial, as our readers are aware, lasted two days, and
the prisoners each day retired from the court for a
short time to take refreshment. Of course when the
prisoners were first received at Newgate they were
narrowly searched, and every instrument with which
they might inflict injury, either upon themselves or
others, taken away from them. Upon the second day
of the trial, in consequence of something that came to
the knowledge of the prison officials, it was considered
prudent to search the female prisoner, and in her
pocket there was found a large piece of broken glass,
a most dangerous missile, well calculated to have in-
flicted very deadly injury upon any person who might
have been struck with it. It was immediately taken
from her, and thus, no doubt, from the violence sub
sequently exhibited by the prisoner, some desperate
mischief was prevented. How she obtained posses-
sion of this glass remains a mystery, and the only
way in which it can be accounted for is by the sup-
position that it must have been given to her by some
of the persons who were in the dock, a great many
strangers having been, owing to the crowded state of
the court, admitted into the dock during the latter
part of the proceedings.
It was understood yesterday that the counsel for
Mrs. Manning have resolved, upon consideration, to
abandon their application for a writ of error. The
point, however, whether she stands in the position of
an alien will still be submitted to the Criminal Court of
Appeal, and as that Court must be composed of five
Commissioners at the least, and the whole of the
judges may attend if they please, it is quite clear that
a more competent Court for the disposal of the ques-
tion which, after all, is one of a very simple character,
could not be imagined. The next sitting of the Cri-
minal Court of Appeal will be on the 10th of Novem-
ber, and if the question should be sent before that
tribunal it will, of course, be disposed of on that day.
Manning has made some extraordinary disclosures
relative to the murder and his former connexion with
O'Connor, which will be made public after the exe-
cution. He persists in his statement which was
handed to his Learned Counsel, Mr. Sergeant Wil-
kins—" That his wife shot O'Connor, and afterwards
threatened to shoot him unless he helped her to bury
the body." He seemed more composed yesterday after
his interview with the chaplain, and several times
wished to see his brother and his solicitor, Mr. Binns,
to whom he wishes to make some communication.
Mr. Binns has not been able to have an interview
with him yet, as he must obtain a special order from
the magistrates for that purpose. His brother called
at the gaol last evening, and delivered a letter from
his sister in the country. The letter was shortly
afterwat ds delivered to him by the Governor, and
the contents seemed to affect him in a great degree,
as he wept several times while reading it. His
brother did not see him. Prior to the trial, and
while his unhappy wife was confined in the gaol
where she now remains, she wrote several indecent
letters to her husband, couched in the most obscene
language and written in broken Engl:sb. In none of
them, however, does she allude to the murder, but she
defies him to get her gold watches. Copies of these
letters were shown to Mr. Ballantine and Mr. Parry

during the trial, likewise to the Attorney-General,
but no attention was paid to them. She still con-
tinues in a very sullen mood, and speaks very little.
Her only remarks are that she has been unjustly
treated by England, and that she is innocent.

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Colchester
Harwich — 192 874
Leigh .. 440 1371 10 28
Maldon .. 566 149 116, 385 4®