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

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.
PIIRTSMOUTYL.—A court martial, over which Sir C.
Napier, K.C.8., presided, was held on board the Vic-
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 eoni-
reitted 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•
went. He waa 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 ;
yen have drive❑ me to it; lam ready to die." The pri-
sutler put in a long written address, in which he
stem] that he was maddened with the knapsack drill and
the threat of two floggings, and in a mementary fit of
horrid desperation committed the act which he thought
s wild 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 case, the Judge-
Advecate-Gen, rel announced that the charge had been
fully proved, and that the sentence upo❑ the prisoner
was that he be transported for the term of his natural life.
The Collingwood, 80, Captain Smart, flag of Rear-
Admiral Sir G. F. Seymour, C. 8., 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 cus-
tody of Mr. Chambers, freight agent of Portsea and
Portsmouth, for conveyance to the Bank of England.
She sailed from Valparaiso on the 11th of April, arrived
at Rio 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 ou
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 stagnant 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
iu commission. Her officers give her a very excellent cha-
racter as a good sea boat, a steady fast sailer, &c. 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 dis-
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.
WooLavich, 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. 13., having made a speed of rather more than 8*
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, 10 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 Lard Collingwood.
Mr. Edward Casey, chief engineer of the first class
Fisgard, is appointed engineer of Sheerness Dockyard,
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
Plymouth and Curk to embark detachments of line regi-
ments under orders to juin 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 Loudun; 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 •
stiff breeze from the southward, with occasional showers.

-----
SUICIDE AT BLACKFRIAR'e-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
foremost 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 hue 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 bead 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
Neitherthat
thebe
heard the child cry out, " 01 my mother."
child nor the shawl has been found. It is supposed
into
the child, in looking for her mother, must have fallen
the water, and also perished.
OYSTERS.—A plentiful supply oysters may
of prime
be expected for the future, a bed,_ apparently
miles
inex-
haustible, having been found in the Channel,
out smacks
for the express purpose of engaging oyster trade 1
in length. Parties at Shorehamidaarteitnhfirtthetieengshillings
per
and, instead of oysters beinlgseso
more than half that sum
hundred,
iwere so many persons en-
very shortly.
having period o f the year
There' neverbefore ; and the spirit of competi-
apparatus for
they will not realise
employed in dredging
• ' prohibited by law, and .
is
are seized by the Coast Guard on
lion runs strong. Dredgingan
that purpose on board boatstattlOn this
informality in the
owing to an
r, ivin in port ; but, .
Act of radiomen,
Parliament, boats having oysters on board are
sink the apparatus and the dredgers at
mot seizable,
•in cargoes of oysters in spite of the in.
sea and bring , .
' and in spite of • statute in that case made and
tension
provided."—.Brighton Gazette.
EDINBURGH AND GLASGOW RAILWAY (C
AMPSIN
i
BRAM:110.--
This branch was opened on Wednesday for
passenger traffic, and yesterday we had the pleasure of
.
going over the line, which we found substantially made,
id the rails firm and smooth. After passing the new
Kirkintilloch junction station, the ... line has a slight
descent, and, as it here takes a prett
ywide sweep, a good
opportunity is afforded of seeing the line and the country
Th
through Which it passes. • • -
The Campsie portion of the
line, as we formerly mentioned, runs through the town of
Kirkintilloch, and is a very pleasant one to travel on, the
scenery being agreeably diversified with the view of hill and dale, and wood and water. At Milton, halfway 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 Campsie 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 persons de-
sirous of going during the day to Campsie and returning
in the evening ; and as the glen is the very place for a
pie-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
on 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 Ztlail.
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 Brompton.
Notwithstanding the very adverse state of the weather,
the sacred edifice was completely crowded, and after a
most eloquent discourse the handsome collection of
137/. 13s. 7d. was made.

THE SUNDAY SALE OF NEWSPAPERS.--Sir Benj.
Hall has just given notice, that when the i louse of Corn•
mons is in Committee on the Sunday Trading (Metro.
polls) Bill (at present fixed fur Wednesday), he will
move the insertion of a " clause allowing the sale of
newspaperd on Sundays."