The Sun.
London, England, 1846-10-15 00:00:00

the 13th day of August, 184, being then the senior
Lieutenant of her Majesty's steam-ship Retribution
. . . did . . . order Edward Redpath, then the
captain of the hold of the same ship, to be confined in
the ' port bunker' of the said ship, in which bunker the
said Edward Redpath was accordingly confined, and
was fount dead ; the said Lieutenant having ordered
such punishment of confinement without reference to
Captain Stephen Lushington, the captain of the said
ship." We are not about again to arraign Lieutenant
Story, or to question the justice of the finding of
the court, by which he was honourably acquitted of all
blame for his said conduct on the occasion before men
tioned. Indeed, it was quite apparent, from the evidence
on the court-martial, that Lieutenant Story bore an ex-
cellent character on board the Retribution for humanity,
and that he was an enemy to the barbarous practice of
flogging. It appeared also that the punishment which
led to the death of Edward Redpath "had been pre-
viously resorted to on board the Retribution, with the
knowledge of the captain, and not disapproved of by
him, and that the same punishment had been adopted in
other steam-ships." The finding of the Judge-advocate
adds, "without any bad consequences ;" but qumre. By
this time our readers may wish to have some insight
into this "port bunker," which was the scene and the cause
of the death of Edward Redpath. For the benefit of those
who are not very learned in naval lore, we beg to mention
that the " port bunker" is the coal-hole of the steam-
vessel, into which it has become the practice in the
steam-vessels of war to cast refractory seamen. The un-
fortunate man Edward Redpath, whose crime was drunk-
enness, was placed on the platform in this miserable
place, and was seen just under the grating some hours
after his imprisonment, but when the time approached for
his release, he was found lying insensible on the coals.
The truth is, the man was poisoned by the foul gas—the
carbonic acid gas emitted by the coals. Every one
knows, or ought to know, that an atmosphere which ivill
scarcely feed the flame of a candle is one in which
human life cannot be sustained. Now, one of the wit-
nesses stated that he took a candle to look for the de.
ceased man, and in answer to a question from Captain
Stanley, he admitted that the light " was burning dimly ;"
and farther, that he felt the ill effects of the gas himself
during the short time he was employed in raising the
deceased man out of it. The same witness, Thomas
Rumble, a stoker, admitted that he felt the ill effects of
the gas in the bunker before, those effects being "pains
in the head, across the eyes." In accordance with these
statements is the evidence which was given by the sur-
geon of the Retribution, who said," I made a post-mortem
examination, and found the appearances on the body such
as are known to exist where the persons have died
from respiration of carbonic acid gas. The lungs
were gorged in blood dark in colour. What blood
was about the heart and the large vessels was fluid and
of a very dark colour." There is, therefore, not the
shadow of a doubt that this poor man was killed by
being cast into a mephitic atmosphere, from which he
could not escape, and where he died, just as any one
would die, in a sort of Grotto del Cano. We cannot
withhold the expression of our indignation at the gross
ignorance which presides over this department of the
punitive code in the steam navy. Here are gentlemen
of great sagacity in the cocked hats, entrusted with
irresistible power over the lives of their men, and who
have to find out, by the actual occurrence of death, that
it is unsafe to order a man into the receptacle of a large
quantity of coals, where the temperature is between 76
and 80. We regret to discover on board the steam
navy so much ignorance, or so little attention to the ne-
cessary effect of modes of punishment ; and we hope the
competent authority will interfere to prevent the further
infliction of death by the certain process of " the port
bunker."

MESSRS. DELARUE'S ENVELOPES FOR NEWS-
PAPERS.—If any envelope be entitled to the denomina-
tion of safe, it is the newly-invented newspaper envelope
manufactured by Messrs. Delarue and Co., which, com-
bining as it does the security of a tie, by means of a
piece of tape fitted into the envelope, with that of the
usual adhesive edge of the ordinary envelope, furnishes
,a
double security. These envelopes, manufactured of
plain paper, are sold at the rate of Is. per 100, and will,
no doubt, soon come into general use. In addition to the
plain paper envelopes, Messrs. Delarue and Co. have
manufactured others of a patent material (paper lined
with caoutchouc), which being waterproof, and not liable
to tear, are admirably adapted for transmission to foreign
countries. They seem as tough and as strong asleather.
MY COUSIN NICHOLAS.—This is the new volume of
" The Standard Novels," and comprises the powerful
story with which the Rev. Mr. Barham first delighted
the readers of Blackwood. The quaint humour and the
deep pathos of the tale are still fresh in the recollection
of those readers, who will be glad to find this favourite
story presented to them in so convenient a form. We
envy those who have yet to read " Cousin Nicholas,"
and we hardly know whether or not to envy those who
have yet to become fascinated by the absorbing story
appended to it, under the title of " The Trance," which
deprived us of more hours' sleeping than we care to
acknowledge.—Court Journal.
MEXICAN BONDS.—In the dispatch which has
created so much noise within the last few days, is a
clause ordering Mr. Murphy to publish it immediately.
The bondholders, who are in the greatest state of
uncertainty, knowing the existence of the dispatch, and
seeing no official copy of it, are most anxious that Mr.
Murphy should comply with this order of the provisional
Government, or, at any rate, make some statement on
the subject. The fact that Messrs. Schneider deny the
receipt of any official information as to the mission of
Senor Gomez Farias is not enough to counteract the
effect of a document which is circulated in the City, and
which announces the repudiation of the new bonds, and
the removal of Mr. Murphy from office.
BENEVOLENCE OF THE LATE PREMIER.,--The fol-
lowing instance (says the Suffol k Chronicle) of Sir Ro-
bert Peel's unobtrusive benevolence was mentioned by
Mr. Wilderspin, in the course of his lecture at the Ips-
wich Mechanics' Institution, on Tuesday evening. We
give it in the speaker's own words:—" Some of you have
heard of Haydon, the painter, and, no doubt, you have
heard that Sir Robert Peel, the late Prime Minister of
England, sent that man 50/. in his distress. It ought to
be known, by my moving about the country in this
manner—and I never thought of self, for I always had
faith that my countrymen would not allow me to die ,in
a union, and that the Almighty would not allow me to ask
for the common necessaries of life—that I had spent all
my money. I was at last reduced to the utmost extre-
mity. I wanted a crust of bread, yet I kept the secret
within my own breast. I set out for an obscure village,
where I thought I would end my days. A friend called
upon me. And when I had not a single shilling in my
house, when I had nothing to offer him, for I felt I
should degrade my cause by running into debt, when my
poor dog was as thin as my children,lso/. 'came from the
Prime Minister of England, Sir Robert Peel. Thus you
see there are two men whom he has benefited. One is
now in the eternal iworld, and the other is the humble
individual who stands before you."
It is rumoured among the highest classes of society
that the fair fugitive from Gloucestershire will shortly
be received by her noble parents ; it is said that the
blacksmith at Gretna was not on this occasion called
upon to perform the ceremony, but that the gallant offi-
cer and his " ladye love " were united in a large town
in the west of England at an early hour on the morning
of the elopement.
We regret to announce the death of Mr. F. V. Lee,
a barrister of the Oxford Circuit, in very considerable
business. Mr. Lee was a man very popular among the
attorneys of his circuit, and was a man of great aptitude
and shrewdness, and what is called business-like talent.
His death was very sudden. He had been out shooting
on the Monday, and on his return home, and while
dressing, fell down and expired. lie has left a widow
and a numerous family to mourn his early loss—for Mr.
Lee had but attained his 41st or 42dear.
APPROACHING MARRIAGE IN HIGH LIFE.—The
marriage of Lady Charlotte Herbert, second daughter of
the Earl and Countess of Powis, and Mr. H. Mont-
gomery, of Grey Abbey, county Antrim, is to be solem-
nized on Tuesday next. The Earl and Countess of
Powis, and Ladies Herbert, Viscount Clive, and other
members of the family, have already arrived in town
from Powis Castle, Welshpool. A sumptuous dejeuner
will be given by the parents of the fair betrothed to a
numerous and distinguished circle in celebration of the
nuptials.
CURRENTS IN THE CHANNEL.—An inquest was

held by adjournment from the Ecclesbourne Coast Guard
Station, near Hastings, on Tuesday, on the body of a
man, name unknown. It appeared in evidence, that on
Saturday morning one of the Coast Guard, while on duty,
saw the body washed on shore. It was dressed in a
good black coat, a figured satin waistcoat, black trousers,
and Wellington boots. In the pockets were found seven
double francs, two single francs, seven double and one
single copper sous, and a card-case, containing cards of
Mr. Charles Ellis, and of Messrs. Ellis, 81, .Borough-
street, Southwark.' Lieutenant Coggs, of the Coast
Guard, repaired to London, and was referred to Mr.
Joseph Ellis, of Balham-hill, Clapham, from whom he
learned that his brother, a Mr. Charles Ellis, had been
living some years at Guernsey, and that about three
weeks ago his hat had been found on the rocks in that
island, and that it was conjectured he had fallen into
the sea and been drowned. Mr. Joseph Ellis attended
the inquest on Tuoday, and stated his belief that the
body was that of his brother, and the jury thereupon re-
turned a verdict of " Found drowned." The body must
have traversed the distance between Guernsey and
Eccleshourne during the late heavy gales from the south-
west.
THE COBDEN NATIONAL TRIBUTE.—Within the
last. week the committee of this fund have received 3501.,
-incipally contributed by the people of Manchester,
p'' Bury, Dalkeith, Clitberoe, and. Gomersol. At
Burs.. ,v
k meeing' on Tuesday evening, at Manchester,
wee
the Chairm.:l' George Wilson, stated that Mr.
Mr.
Henry Bury, o: Edenfield, has subscribed 1001. The
s to 74,7951. The collection
total sum received a..."Tmu:lt :a
in London is making 1.2.13 t°l-
. progress,ar and the reports
are of the most cheering
transmitted by the collet,
etit".• of the committee, a
character. At the next
return of the amounts collect, Lancashire, York-
-td. Warwickshire, will
shire, Cheshire, Staffordshire, a.
be submitted.
THE WESTMINSTER IMPROVEMEN
OF THE POOR-RATES.—It is stated that
will be made to carry out the long talke,
ments in Westminster by an allocation of the
and bills are extensively circulated in St. Marg,
St. John's parishes, calling on the rate-pa rs
ye
consent to any such application of the parochial ft,
Great complaints are everywhere made, too,that tk.
Government did not take the plan upon themselves,wout leaving it to be a matter for speculation.
CHARLTON FAlR.—This pleasure fair, which is
better known as " Horn fair," will commence on. Monday
next, and continue three days, at Charltot I (near Black-
heath). Its charter is of ancient date, and it' once
ranked among the first-class suburban plea sure fairs. It
has of late years gradually declined, and %e now become
a mere phantom of by-gone fairs.

"'S.-ALLOCATION
-nother attempt
i-of improve-
poor-rates,
set's and
not to
nds.