The Sun.
London, England, 1847-06-30 00:00:00

ROW WITH THE MILITARY OFFICERS.

(From the Portafoglio Maltese, June 3, 1847.)
In ours, as in all other theatres frequented by per-
sons of education, certain indecent positions and cer-
tain improper acts are not tolerated. Amongst us, in
Malta, those who most frequently offend against the
rules of propriety, whether inadvertently or designedly,
are the military officers. On Saturday, a gentle-
man, who we understand belongs to the Commissariat
Department, was sitting in the pit in an improper
position, and he was requested to correct his manners.
Bat an officer who was near him, displeased, perhaps,
that his friend should have been thus reproved, imme-
..

tliately placed himself in an improper position
This produced hissing and groaning from the public; but
the officer took no notice of it, but persisted in main-
taining his position, The Adjutant of police rea-
soned with him on his conduct for a considerable
time, during which the murmurs became louder, and
the performances were stopped. It seemed at length
that the Adjutant had succeeded in persuading the
offender to go out, when, to the' surprise of everybody, I
all the officers who had beep, in the boxes were seen
to enter the pit and surround their comrade, in order
to prevent his being turned out of the theatre. The
Adjutant of the police upon this retired, and the
public became exasperated beyond measure at the
want of energy shown by the police officer, and the
little respect shown to his authority.
We cannot avoid here remarking that by the side
of the officer who thus despised the warnings of the
police sat Colonel Fane, of the 54th Regiment, the
senior officer of the garrison, and a member of the
Council of Government. We cannot believe, as some
say, that this superior officer encouraged the other to
persist in sitting in an indecent posture; but, as a
superior officer, although of another regiment, he
ought to have advised him to attend to the police
officer, if it were only to put an end to the tumult
which prevailed in the theatre, in consequence of
which many respectable families were obliged to re-
tire from the theatre, fearing that the disturbance
would become serious.
Thus terminated the affair on Saturday ; but on
Monday the military were observed to enter the
theatre at rather an early hour, contrary to their usual
custom, and five officers in the pit very soon hoisted
up their feet in the manner precisely which had given
so much offence on the preceding Saturday. Now
the audience of the theatre is generally composed of
ladies and gentlemen, English and Maltese, so that
this act of insolence was offensive to everybody. But
this time the police did not interfere, and the public
took no further notice of it, and everything passed off
quietly. After the theatre the officers went out, and
being disposed to pick a quarrel with the people, took
offence at some hisses that were heard here and there
in the crowd and attacked them. The most peaceable
and inoffensive inhabitants, being provoked by these
excesses, a general row took place, and we are sorry
to say that several of the officers and those who took
their part, were wounded more or less. Things were
taking a serious aspect, though the police did all in
their power to separate the contending parties. But
what provoked the people more than all was to see
the soldiers approaching with fixed bayonets from the
military guard in the square. An order, however,
issued, it is said, from the Government Palace, put
an end to the disturbance by desiring the military
to retire, under pain of arrest to those who should
disobey.
(From the Malta Times).
NIGHT BROILS IN MALTA.—We are extremely
sorry in having to record another of these disgraceful
emeutes, which took place last night, after the closing
of the theatre, between British officers and the popu-
lace ; but the origin of which we are at a loss to ac-
count for. Be it, however, understood that it com-
menced and terminated, fortunately, in a mere as-
sembling of opponents, with an apparent desire of
testing each other's metal. We are candidly of
opinion, and honestly avow, that more serious con-
sequences might have ensued, but for the very active
and intelligent measures made use of on the spot.
We cannot too warmly express our approbation of
the ready, deliberate, and efficient prudence of the
officers of the police force, and we should be remiss
indeed in our duty did we neglect to mention the
gallant and well-directed efforts of Major Tidy, who
dismissed the guard to their station immediately on
their appearance, and directed, in conjunction with
Mr. Sedley, the movements of the whole body of
police. It might appear to many that we have en-
larged too strongly on the subject, and aim at conse-
quences which never would have ensued ; but having
become unwilling spectators, we may be permitted an
opinion, and which we candidly avow,that had not
Major Tidy repulsed the soldiers to the guard station,
some serious consequences must have been the result.
The street which was to have been their passage was
already choked with an infuriated and a predisposed
mob, which, composed as it must have been of (we
hope a very few) desperate and belligerent characters,
a scuffle could not have been avoided, and heaven
knows how many lives we should have had at this mo-
ment to regret. France and Spain are but too rife
with melancholy examples of this nature to require
any other incident to point out the mature nature of
the proceedings we have attempted in a few words to
applaud, and we can only regret that the streets were
not earlier cleared, and a few examples made of those
delinquents who threw stones from the balconies or
terraces of the houses. We were witnesses of one
sinner being marched off to durance vile, whose crimes
appear to have been more than venial. The excite-
ment was fed for an hour or so by hooting
yells on
the appearance of a red coat or naval uniform. One
gentleman, residing near the scene, we observed bare-
headed in his anxiety to aid, we hope, in the good cause.
However, the crowd was soon dispersed, and we again
repeat that it was mainly owing to the well-directed
discipline and energetic movements of Major Tidy,
Mr. Sedley, Mr. St. John, and last, though not
least, the Sergeant-Major Caruana and the police
force.