The Sun.
London, England, 1846-08-27 00:00:00

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LONDON, THURSDAY. AUGUST 27, 1846.

PRIM Y COUNCIL AT OSBORNE

HOUSE.-(THIS DAY.)

This morning, at nine o'clock, Lord JOHN RUSSELL,
Lord GREY, Lord LANSDOWNE, Sir GEORGE GREY,
and other Cabinet Ministers, left town from the Nine
Elms station for Gosport by a special train, in order
to proceed to Osborne House, where her MAJESTY
holds a Privy Council this day, for the arrangement
of the Queen's Speech on closing the session of Par-
liament to-morrow.

The Ministerial party will be conveyed from Gos-
port by the Fairy, and, after attending the Council,
are expected to return to town this evening by an-
other special train on the South-Western Railway.

The proceedings before the Court-martial assem- I
bled at Portsmouth, for the trial of the lion. Captain
Goanos, will be perused with the deepest interest
by every one interested in the British navy.
The charge was a serious one, imputing to the
prisoner a disobedience of the orders of his
commanding officer in sailing from Valparaiso,
in Chili, for England, with her MAJESTY'S ship
America, of which he was then in com-
mand. The Court found the charge fully proved, but
added their opinion, that the prisoner was not actu-
ated by his private pecuniary advantages, thus practi-
cally acquitting him of any improper motive, and pro-
nounced a sentence the most lenient possible, viz.,
that the prisoner should be severely reprimanded.
It will be in the recollection of our readers, that the
sentence of a naval court-martial is perfect the mo-
ment it is pronounced, and may be forthwith car-
ried into execution, and that, unlike that of the
similar military tribunal, it is not submitted to any
person or persons whatever for approval or revision.
We are, therefore, already acquainted with the final
result of the trial, although it only took place
yesterday.
Although the letter of the law was against the
Gallant Officer, the decision of the Court was
tantamount to a full and honourable ac-
quittal. A certain degree of discretion must
be vested in an officer commanding any of her MA-
JESTY'S vessels when absent from his superior officer.
It would be utterly impossible for any man, or body
of men, to foresee all the circumstances that might
possibly arise at a future period, when a literal
obedience of the orders given might prove in the
highest degree injurious to the British interests,
which it should be the first and paramount duty of a
Briti.ib officer to maintain and support. Had Lord
NELSO,N at all times acted in obedience to orders, some
of his most brilliant exploits would never have been
performed, and the nation might have remained in
ignorance o f the brilliant qualities of the hero in her
service. His axiom was that an officer should dare
all in order to. benefit his country; that be should
encounter not ,Tnly the bullets and missiles of his an-
tagonists, but tint he should also risk the displeasure
of his superiors ; nay, the possibility of meeting death
as a criminal by the hands of his English brethren,
in furtherance of that great object. We have never
heard the memory of that illustrious officer stigma-
tised for these opinions; on the contrary, every one
has admired the devotion, the deep resolution that
prompted such a determination. We admit that the
15rst duty of an officer is obedience to his
superiors ; that he must act on the orders
deliver% Id to him, without questioning or hesitating ;
nay, alth, ligh be himself may be satisfied of their