The Sun.
London, England, 1847-07-19 00:00:00

CHARGE OF MUTINY.

Nine seamen, named Aneas Dunkin. Anthony Thomp-
son, John Bull, William Cornish, Hugh Mulholland,
Samuel Armstrong, J.tnes Shields, James Linard, and
John Weakling, were brought before Mr. Ballantine, at
the Thames Police-office, charged under the 6th section
of the Merchant Seamen's Act, K i:lt refusing to pro-
ceed to sea in the ship Katherine, on her intended
voyage to the East Indies, after signing the articles of
agreement. _ _ _

—The seamen came up from Gravesend voluntarily,
with Mr. Barnard Robert Matthews, the Master of the
Katherine, for the purpose of obtaining the magistrate•',
opinion on their alleged grievances, but he refused to go
into the case, unless it was regularly put before him.
The men were then given into t,,e custody of Inspector
Horn of the K division, and their names entered on the
police charge sheet.
Cat•tain Matthews then stated that all the prisoners
had signed the ship's articles and received an advance
note -tor two months.' wages, which each man got cashed.
On Thursday afternoon the ship was below Gravesend,
off Leigh, in Essex, and he gave orders for all hands to
heave the anchor and get the vessel ready for sea. To
his great surprise the prisoners refused to do any duty,
and said they would not sail in the vessel. He was
therefore compelled to bring the seamen to London and
detain the ship.
Theseamen, in reply to the charge, objected to proceed
to sea on three grounds:—The first was, that the ship
was a leaky one and not seaworthy; secondly, that the
provisions were bad, and the bread !Me bricks anti
mortar baked together; and, lastly, that the full corn
plernent of hands had not been shipped.
The Magistrate inquired the torina:e of the ship, and
the seamen declared she was 900 tons burden, and that
fact was marked on the combings of the hatchway.
Captain Matthews, however, declared she was only
753 tons by the new measurement,
The seamen said the crew, including the captain, only
consisted of twenty-eight hands, and she ought to have
at least thirty
Captain Matthews, in reply, said the ship was per
fectly sea-worthy, and had recently come out of Fletcher's
dock, where she had been copper bottomed and repaired.
The provisions were good, and he had brought some as
a specimen. He contended that the ship was not short•
handed.

Mr. Ballantine thought she was, and that the mater
ought, for a vessel of the Katherine's tonnace, according
to the Act 3d and 4th William IV., cap. 54, at least t
carry thirty men.
The men insisted the ship was leaky, and that they
had had a good many spells at the pumps alreridy.
Captain Matthews said the ship did not leak much,
and that, frian her construction, all the water ran into
the well, where there might be a few; inches of water,
while the rest of the hold was dry. He wished the
magistrate to examine the prev;.sions.
Mr. Ballantine declined clping so, and asked the cap.
tain if he was disposed to take the men back, and ship
two additional hands.

Captain Matthews said there were two men whose
conduct had been so very bad that he could net avail
himself of their services. If he did they would foment
disturbances. He afterwards said he would rather not
go to sea with any of the prisoners.
Mr. Ballantine—What, after advancing them two
months' wages?
Captain Matthews—Yes, Sir. The advanced notes
for which the men have obtained cash will not be paid.
Mr. Ballantine said the master could request him,
instead of committing the seamen, to cause them to be
conveyed to the ship again ; but as he would not do so,
he did not think it necessary in this case to send them to
gaol, becaus,- it did appear the vessel was short handed.
He would discharge the seamen, and the master could
discharge them too, and take care to forward their re-
gister tickets to the proper officer of Customs. He also
recommended the captain to make up the number of
his crew to thirty at least, and thou'ht he was bound to
do so.
Captain Matthews said he would act on the magis-
trate's .uggestion.
The seamen asked the naP gistrate to order the restora-
tion of their clothes, chest, 'and hammocks, now on board
the shi
mr,
shall make no order about that.

EATH OF IR WALTER BLUNT, BART.—This
youthful baronet exr,ired unexpectedly on Tuesday last,
at his seat, Heathfi eld, Sussex, aged
seeds of severe com-
plaint but 21. It appears
i
that about twelve months since
plaint manifested themselves, but no
was apprehended. On Monday last, zilmeeddiiate danger
park, one of the horses plunged, and the
shock,r ving in his
which
under ordinary circumstances might have been
Compara-
tively harmless, had a fatal effect. He was immediately
conveyed to the mansion, where death ensued next
morning.
A premium of.' 1,0001. has been offered by the
Royal College of Chemistry, for the discovery of a
method of rendee,ng iron, when applied to ordinary pur-
poses, as little liable to rust as copper.
ST. JAMES'S L'HEATE E.—Mr. Mitchell, the lessee of
this theatre, tales his benefit at the St. James's Theatre,
on Wednesday night next ; and if integrity and ability
—those rare quail, ties in a theatrical manager—he prized
by the public, 1 its benefit will be a benefit indeed.
Apart, however, from those considerations, the per-
formances will pr esent the singular feature of the tragic
muse—Rachel—.d onning the buskin " for the nonce,"
and assuming th a sock ; in other words, in a comic
part—that of Co limene, in Moliere's famous comedy,
"Le Misanthrope ." She will also appear as Virginie,
in the celebrated play of that name. The entertain-
ments on this no casino will, the retore, be unique—nu
such event havin; ?; ever passed before in public ; end,
consequently, the ,se who go there will have a treat of an
extraordinary n a ture. In every respect. for the high
character he be ars, ate well for the general excellence of
the performance 'a he produces at this theatre, Mr. Mit-
chell is entitled 0.0 the patronage of the public.
Nothing is s t ttled respecting the person to be
selected for then esv see of Manchester. Tt.e rumours
in the public paper b are, therefore, premature, and only
calculated r o excite n npleasant feelings in some quarters.
No appoin rnent can be con,i-ered until the Bill for the
creation of the Bichni Tic of Manchester shall be passed.
Her Serene Higila nesa the Duchess Ida of Saxe
Weimar, the sister of her Majesty the Queen Dowager,
19 expecte.l shortly tae arrive in this c..k.ntry from the
cOatlacat, OB a visit 14 the queen Dowager.