The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-18 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

PORTSMOUTH, MONDAY.—A court-martial, compris-
ing Rear-Admiral Hyde Parker, C. 8., president ' • Cap-
tains John Pasco, of the Victory ; Sir Baldwin Wake
Walker, of the Constance ; Woodford I Williams, of
the Avenger ; Commander Willcox, of the Victory ;
and Mr. George Lamburn Greetham, Deputy Judge
Advocate of the Fleet, assembled this morning, on
board the Victory, to try Mr. William Ellis, superrr.,
inerary carpenter of the Victory, on the followit:
charge :

" For that he, the said Mr. William Ellis, then being
a supernumerary carpenter of her Majesty's ship Vic-'
tory, did, on the 13th of June, 1846, embezzle and im-
properly take away from her Majesty's ship Trinco-
malee, in Portsmouth Dockyard, four pounds of paint
composition, and five ounces of nails and brads."
Sergeant Catling, of the dockyard police, proved he
saw the prisoner coming out of the blacksmith's shop in
this dockyard, about half-past one P.M., on the day
stated in the charge, and he appeared to have something
weighty in his coat pockets ; that on the prisoner's
coming out of the dockyard he (witness) searched him,
and found in his coat pocket a small wooden box, with a
tin cover, which box was full of mixed paint. In his
hat was found a tin canister or pot, also filled with mixed
paint. While being searched the prisoner took out of
his trousers pocket, and delivered to witness, some iron
nails, also Queen's stores, and marked with the broad
arrow, which, together with the paint, he acknowledged
to having abstracted from the Trincomalee corvette
under his charge.
Lieutenant Henry Watson Hall, director of the dock-
yard police, proved the prisoner's acknowledgment of
having taken the stores from the Trincomalee.
Mr. James Horsey, clerk to the storekeeper of Ports-
mouth Dockyard, proved Sergeant Catling's delivery
to him of the stores found upon the person of the pri-
soner ; the value of the paint, nails, and brads was
about ls. 3d.

This was the case for the prosecution, which being
closed, Mr. C. H. Binsteed, of Portsmouth, the prisoner's
solicitor, applied for time to make out the defence, alleg-
ing he should be able to prove his client was of unsound
mind, and not consequently answerable for the commis-
sion of the act set forth in the charge.
The Court allowed until to-morrow at nine o'clock,
A. 31., and then adjourned.
TUESDAY.—The Court met this morning at nine, but
immediately after adjourned until nine to-morrow morn-
ing, to await instructions from the Admiralty, the Pre-
sident having doubts as to the legality of trying the
prisoner by a court-martial for the offence with which he
stood charged.

WEDNESDAY.—The usual signal gun was fired at eight
o'clock this morning, and at nine the members of thst
Court were all re•assembled, when War-Admiral
Parker stated that, having consulted the law officers
of the Crown upon the case, he had come to
the conclusion that the ptisoner could not be legally
tried by a court-martial. He thereupon committed him
to the custody of the civil power, and the accused will
take his trial at the next general quarter sessions for
the borough. The Court was then dissolved.

THE CHANNEL SQUADRON.

Extract of a private letter, dated Cork, July 11, 1846 :
—" I have just time to send you a line to inform you that
to-day, rather suddenly, a signal was made to land field-
pieces, and man and arm boats, &c. About 1,300 ma-
rines were landed, and 14 field-pieces, at a place called
Cork Bay. There was some little difficulty in landing
the cannon, owing to its being low water. Everything
else went on well. There was no firing, it being intended
as a prelude to Monday next, when a regular field day,
with firing, is to take place. The field-pieces were
manned by the seamen, who went through the exercise
with much spirit and good will. The whole was under
the command of Captain Willes, of the Vanguard."
The Avenger, steam-frigate, Captain W. J. William.;,,
although far from complete, being still in the hands of
the joiners and painters, went out of harbour to-day,
being required for the service of his Highness Ibrahim
Pacha and his suite to-morrow.

The royal yacht will be reported ready for the use of
her Majesty to-night. All the workmen are to be out
of her this evening. It is understood that her Majesty,
with the Prince and Royal Family, will embark in her
to-morrow, should the weather prove favourable, and
take a short excursion, accomp`anying Ibrahim Pacha, in
the Avenger, outside the Isle of Wight, as a parting com-
pliment to the illustrious stranger.
The Raven cutter, Lieutenant Commander Stephen,
arrived from Sheerness last evening, bringing the marines
belonging to this division paid off from the Albatross,
and supernumeraries. She sails to-morrow morning for
North Yarmouth with naval stores.

DEATH OF JOHN CLAUDIUS

BERESFORD, ESQ.

The name of Mr. Beresford is identified with the mer-
cantile, political, municipal, and social history of Ire-
land. He is no more; and at his death was nearly the
last specimen of a class now fast passing away into ano-
ther world. Mr. Beresford was senior partner in one of
the greatest banking-houses ever established in this
country; he represented the metropolis at, and for many
years previous to the union; and was one of the first
members after that event, selected for the Imperial
Parliament • he was an Alderman, and served the
office of Lord Mayor for the city of Dublin with princely
with
man with a kinder heart or more benevolent disposition
hospitality; and in his habits andnd intercourse
his fellows he was joyous, frank, and entertaining.
from e o ni po
whence -
never lived, or a truer-hearted friend or more generous
family
or charitable individual never existed. At the period of
the union, and when the Beresford were e m
tent in this country, and the source
power, and patronage, and promotion flowed, he was the
only man of his name—resisting
all influence, and re-
jecting every entreaty—who stood forward the firm and
consistent opponent of the measure, and the Irish House
of Commons did not contain a more fierce or decided
anti-unionist than John Claudius Beresford. In the
terrible times of '9B, as Commandant of the Merchants'
corps of yeomanry, a severe and distressing duty was
committed to its captain. The exigency of the times,
and the very nature of the functions to be admi-
nistered, required a man firm of heart, resolute of pur-
pose, quick of conception, and rapid in execution. The
very occupancy of such a position, under such circuni.
stances, and at such a crisis, of course brought upon
him the malignant vituperation of the rebellious and
disloyal, whose schemes it was his business to expose
and frustrate, and whose plots it was his duty to
detect and defeat; and hence it was that a charac-
ter was drawn of him—one which no man ever did
less to earn. But let us draw a veil over these terrible
times, and let us bury in oblivion the transactions of half
a century in time. Long and many a year ago, Mr.
Beresford, in the true spirit of a Christian, forgave his
enemies, persecutors, and slanderers—departing this life
at peace with all the world. He had attained his
eightieth year, and died without enduring sickness, or
suffering pain ; and so very tranquil were his last mo-
ments, that those around his death-bed were unable to
pronounce the precise period at which the vital spark
became extinguished.—Dublin Evening Mail.

A most comical mistake occurred in the transmission
of the new Irish Chancellor's appointment. As Sir Frederick
Pollock sat after dinner ruminating on the sad mutability of
parties and the glorious im-mutability of the bench, thank-
ing God that he was not, like other Sir Fredericks, doomed
to stand afar off in penitent despondency, a letter on her
Majesty's service was brought to him, which conveyed the
startling intimation that my Lord Chief Baron was to con-
sider himself henceforth Lord Chancellor of Ireland. In the
haste of initiatory proceedings the envelope had been ad •
dressed in error, and the Chief of the English Exchequer •
was thus subjected to the torturing tantalisation of a mo-
mentary clutch of the Irish seals.—Dublin Freeman.
The prospects of the wheat harvest are everywhere
moat promising. Reaping will begin in some districts next
week. The mowing of barley has already begun, and a plen-
tiful supply is the produce.—Kentish Observer.
Potatoes, except those planted late in May, are look-
ing exceedingly well everywhere. The late planted ones have •
come up irregigarly,.on account of hot, dry weather; but the .
plants in those fields which have come up since the rain fell ,
are. 10-610 ti -lieattly- and—itrong. The early varieties now
taking, up for the market are small yet, but will now [
soon
get a good size. We have not seen or heard of any taint in
-any crop yet..r.Thafries cataitr.

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