The Sun.
London, England, 1848-07-10 00:00:00

S

/'~`~

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.
rORTS3IOUTH.—A court-martial, over which Sir C.
Napier, K.C.8., presided, was held on board the /ilk'
tory on Friday and Saturday last to try John Mac=
donald, a private in the Marines, belonging to the Belle-
rophon, 78, on the Charge of striking Captain R. L.
Baynes, C. 8., captain of the Bellerophon, in the execu•
tion of his duty, on the 2d of July instant. Mr. C. Bin-
steed, solicitor, of Portsmouth, acted as advocate for the
prisoner. The prisoner had been guilty of insubordina-
tion, and was undergoing knapsack drill when he com-
mitted a fresh act of insubordination in refusing to lash
up his hammock. When brought before Captain Baynes,
who told him that his conduct deserved severe punish-
ment, Macdonald struck him a severe blow in the face,
and exclaimed, " Now you may hang me if you like."
He was immediately secured and ordered into confine•
rnent. He was sober at the time, but very much excited.
On being secured he said, "I have done it ; you may
have satisfaction of me ; you may hang me at once -;
you have driven me to it; lam ready to die." The pri-
soner put in a long written address, in which he
stated that he was maddened with the knapsack drill and
the threat of two floggings, and in a momentary fit of
horrid desperation committed the act which he thought
"mild hang him. He called a number of witnesses to
his character, whose evidence went to show that he was
a man who mixed little with his messmates when off
duty; that he was of a hasty temper, and eccentric in his
habits.
The Court having deliberated on the csse, the Judge-
Advocate-General announced that the charge had been
fully proved, and that the sentence upon the prisoner
was that he be transported for the term °ibis natural life.
The Collingwood, 80, Captain Smart, flag of Rear-
Admiral Sir G. F. Seymour, C. 13., G.C.H., the late
Commander•in-Chief of the Pacific, arrived this morning
at :Spithead with a freight' on merchants' account of
1,000,000 dollars, which has been consigned to the cull-
tody of Mr. Chambers, freight agent of Portsea an.l
Portsmouth, for conveyance to the Bank of England.
She sailed from Valparaiso on the 11th of April, arrived
at R►io on the 12th of May, sailed on the 23d, and passed
the Western Islands on the Ist inst. She passed the out-
ward-bound West India and Mexico mail steamer on
Wednesday last, and communicated with her. The Comus,
16, Commander D'Eyncourt, was at Rio, under orders for
England. Sir Thomas Herbert, with the rest of his
squadron, was at Monte Video. Affairs in Rio were in
a very disturbed state, owing to the stagnaat state of
commerce consequent on the French Revolution. The
Champion, 18, Commander Hayes, had arrived at Rio,
and sailed on the 17th of May for the Pacific, calling at
Monte Video to communicate with Commodore Sir Tho-
mas Herbert. Mr. Loney, master of the Juno, 26, in
the Pacific, has come home invalided in the Collingwood.
Mr. Arthur Dawson, paymaster and purser of the Col-
lingwood, died on the passage between Rio and England,
and Mr. Foord, clerk of the ship, was promoted to the
vacancy by Sir George Seymour. The Gorgon had not
arrived at Rio, nor did the Cellingwood see or hear any-
thing of the Plover discovery vessel sent out to search for
Sir John Franklin in company (if she arrived out in time)
with the Herald and Pandora. A very handsomely ex-
pressed address was presented to Sir George Seymour,
signed by nearly all the residents in Valparaiso, on his
giving up the command to Rear-Admiral Phipps Hornby.
The Collingwood has been four years and two months
in commission. Her officers give her a very excellent cha-
racter as a good sea boat, a steady fast sailer, Sic. The
Admiral will strike his flag to-morrow evening; the ship
will be inspected on Monday; after which she will come
into harbour and discharge her freight, which will be
forwarded to London by the London, Brighton, and
South Coast Railway. The Collingwood will be dia.
mantled and paid off at this port. Sir George Seymour
and family are all well.
The Colossus, newly launched 10 gun ship, arrived at
Spithead last night from Pembroke, and came into har-
bour this afternoon to be fitted as an advanced ship.
The Dragon steam-frigate, Captain W. H. Hall, was
docked last night to complete the repair of her machi-
nery, &c.
WooLwica, JULY B.—The Conflict steam•sloop, 400
horse power, was found to answer very well during her
trial down the river on Thursday, under the charge
of Lieutenant Robertson, assistant to Captain Austin,
C. 8., having made a speed of rather more than 81
knots per hour. The result being satisfactory, she
was taken to Sheerness the same day to be completed
for service. Lieutenant Robertson, Mr. Atherton, the
chief engineer at Woolwich Dockyard, the petty officers
and crew who navigated the vessel, returned to Wool-
wich in the Charon steam-vessel at three o'clock on
Friday morning.
Commander Cracroft has commissioned and hoisted
his pendant on the Reynard steam-vessel, 60 horse-
power, with screw propeller, and she will proceed down
the river on an experimental trial early next week.
The guns and carriages to be conveyed by the Myr-
midon steam-vessel to North Shields are intended to be
placed at the base of a monument erected to the memory
of the late Lord Collingwood.
Mr. Edward Casey, chief engineer of the first class
Fisgard, is appointed engineer of Sheerness Deckyaid,
at a salary of 2501. a year.
Messrs. F. Pearce. B. Hoare, S. Harris, and E. Mere-
dith, are appointed chief engineers, third class, of her
Majesty's fleet.
The baggage of Captain Fraser's and Captain Stace's
companies of the Royal Artillery was put on board the
Atholl troop ship at Woolwich Dockyard yesterday even-
ing, and the companies are under orders to embark at
four o'clock on Monday morning, and leave the same
day for Quebec to relieve two companies of the Royal
Artillery stationed in Canada. The Atholl will call at
Pk) mouth and Cork to embark detachments of line regi-
ments under orders to join the head-quarters of their
regiments in Canada, and, including the two companies
of artillery, will take out 380 men, besides women and
children.

PLYMOUTH, JULY 7.—Her Majesty's ship Tweed,
from Hamoaze, and her Majesty's brig Violet, from
Barnpool, went into the Sound yesterday; the brig will
be paid wages on Saturday and sail for Portsmouth on
Sunday. The Express packet was undocked and masted
on the sth. The Swift packet was taken into dock for
repairs on Wednesday. The merchant brig Jordeson,
Captain May, from the Gambia, May 22, landed a mail
on the sth, and proceeded with her cargo for London; no
passengers.

Yesterday there was a strong wind from E.S.E., with
dry clear weather; in the evening it chopped round sud-
denly to W.S.W.. with thick fog. To-day it blows a
stiff breeze from the southward, with occasional showers.

SUICIDE AT BLACKFRIAR'S-BRlDGE.—Yesterday
Sunday) morning, about a quarter past midnight, an
alarm was raised that a female had been seen to mount
one of the seats on Blackfriar's-bridge and plunge head
fi)rensost into the river. Neerey, the night pierman, in-
stantly put off in a skiff with drags, for the purpose of
rescuing, if possible, the party in question. The spot
having been pointed out to hies where the female was
supposed to have plunged in, Neerey dragged the water
for some time, but without being able to find any one;
and imagining that the female had been carried away
with the tide and drowned, he gave up the search. At
daybreak, however, a most appalling scene presented it-
self. Upon the third pier-head, on the lower side of the
bridge, was discovered a middle-aged female lying upon
her left side, with her jaw broken, her head battered in,
and covered with blood. At this time the water was
nearly ten feet below the spot where the unfortunate
creature was lying. A ladder having been procured
from the pier, Neerey, with the assistance of the Thames
police, succeeded in carrying the female down, and,
having placed her in his boat, she was taken ashore,
when she was found to be quite dead, and horribly dis-
figured. Who the unfortunote woman is at present re-
mains unknown. The person who raised the alarm in
the first instance stated that she had a child with her on
the bridge, that she suddenly pulled off her bonnet and
shawl and jumped into the river. He also stated that be
heard the child cry out, "01 my mother." Neither the
child nor the shawl has been found. It is supposed that
the child, in looking for her mother, must have fallen into
the water, and also perished.
1 supplyof prime oysters may
OTBTERII.—A plentiful
be expected for the future, a bed,c
out smacks
in length. Parties at Shoreham are fitting inex-
haustible, having been found in the h_astntPinPaeaglr,emntainYy miles
in the oyster trade ;
for the express purpose engagingof.
hundred, they will not rea
liwseore so many persona en-
employedand, instead of oysters being soml d
eruet
than three h
eihalf shillings
that stun
very shortly. There never
before
; and the spirit of competi-
tion in dredging
Dredging at this period of the year
tion runs strong.
prohibited law, ancfall.boats having apparatus for
rt ivin in port ; but, having
Owing to an informality in the
is by
that purpose on board are seized byoytahteeres Coast Guard on
Act of Parliament, boats board are
and. the dredgers sink. the apparatus at
in cargoes of oysters in spite of the in-
nursip;lte of " statute in that case made and
sea,Bot asnedizabbrilne,g
AIeG.OW RAILWAY (CAMPSIN
tpernoEtvldlnesd:duGlii:.
BRANCIO.—This branch was
w openedWednesdayehaodn
trio; GGaiz
Ipassenger traffic,andwhy
ieeshterday
going over the line, we foundthe pleasure
substantiallym a fdooerf.
and she rails firm and smooth. After passing the new
Kirkintilloch junction station, the ;line h
docent, and, as it here takes a pretty wide sli
ght
descent, a
e sweep, a good
opportunity is afforded of seeing the line and the country
ltihnreo,uish which
efoircmh eirtlypamsseensiioned, runsaui Campsie port
ion
town
nthoef
The C •
lii rkin
being agreeably
il lo ch, and is
vedryivperlesiafiseadnt oneitb tobetrvaiveewl oonf ti
, hthel
sceneryand dale, and wood and water. At wMiltotn, half-way be-
tween Kirkintilloch and Campsie, there is also a station,
and the terminus is at Lennoxtown, just beside
Campsie. The Campsie hills rise close behind the
village, and the far-famed Campaie Glen is not more
than a mile and a quarter from it—a delightful
and healthy resort for the denizens of Glasgow,
"in populous city pent," on a bright summer's day. We
believe that it is the company's intention to grant day
tickets, at a proportionably reduced rate, to persona de-
sirous of going during the day to Campsie and returning
in the evening ; and as the glen is the very place for a
pic-nic party, we have no doubt that many will avail
themselves in fine weather of the privilege. During
the fair week, too, cheap excursion trains might be put
lon with great advantage to all parties. The crops, we
are glad to say, look remarkably well in the neighbour-
hood of Campsie, and the hay harvest is pretty far ad-
vanced.—North British Daily Mail.
Yesterday (Sunday) morning his Grace the Arch-
bishop of Canterbury delivered a sermon at St. George's
Church, Hanover-square, on behalf of the Hospital for
Consumption and Diseases of the Chest at Brampton.
Notwithstanding the very adverse state of the weather,
the sacred edifice was completely croadea, and after a
most eloquent discourse the handsome collection of
1371. 13s. 7d. was made.
THE SUNDAY SALE OF NEWSPAPERS.--SiF Benj.
Hall has just given notice, that when the House of Com-
mons is in Committee on the Sunday Trading (Metro-
polis) Bill (at present fixed for Wednesday), he will
move the insertion of a " clause allowing tile sale of
• newspapers on Sundays."