The Sun.
London, England, 1856-10-18 00:00:00

THE NEWSPAPER PRESS AND THE COURTS

OF LAW IN SCOTLAND.

In the Dumbarton Herald of the 16th inst. a blank
column is surmounted by the following paragraph :
"THE PRESS DT BONDS.—In consequence of the Sheriff-
Substitute of this county considering that the publication
of the evidence in the libel case referred to elsewhere might
interfere with the due administration of justice,' we re-
gret being under the necessity of sending our paper to
press without the report, the greater part of which was in
type when we were served with the interdict against its
appearance in our columns. We obey the edict of his
lordship, and feel satisfied our readers will approve of our
entire proceedings in this affair."
Additional light is thrown upon this paragraph by the
following documents which appear in the same paper :
INTERDICT AGAINST PUBLISHING NEWS.

Before proceeding with the ordinary small debt cases in
Sheriff Steele's Court on Tuesday last, Mr. Colquhonn
made an application to his lordship anent an interdict
served upon the proprietor of this newspaper the preceding
evening, to restrain him from publishing either a report
of the proceedings or any matter connected with the case
of Dunbar v. Bennett, heard before Sheriff Hunter on
Saturday. The following is a copy of the interdict :-
13th October, 1856.
Unto the honourable the sheriffof the sheriffdom of Dum-
barton and Bute, or his substitute for Dumbartonshire.
Thomas Dunbar, residing in Dumbarton, superintendent of
police for the county of Dumbarton, petitioner, against
S tmuel Bennett, residing in or near Dumbarton, editor,
printer, and publisher of the newspaper entitled the Dum-
barton Herald and County Advertiser for Dumbartonshire,
.Argyleshire, and Buteshire, respondent.
The petitioner, Thomas Dunbar, humbly sheweth that
there is presently before your lordship's Small Debt Court

for Dumbartonshire an action of damages, at the peti
tioner's instance, against the said Samuel Bennett, respon
dent, for defamatory and libellous articles, which had ap
peared in the said newspaper against the petitioner.

That the said action was heard before your lordship on
Saturday last, 11th October, 1855, and proof led for both
parties, when your lordship made avizandum with the case
with a view to judgment.

That in the state of the action tho respondent has thought
fit, in reference thereto, and to the petitioner as pursuer
thereof, to print, and post upon the walls of the burgh of
Dumbarton, and on the houses in the said burgh, this day,
13th October, 1856, or caused to be so printed and posted,
a placard, in large letters, of the tenor following, viz.:—
" Where was Dunbar? The Secret out ! See the Dum-
barton, Herald of this week."

A copy of the said placard is herewith produced, and
referred to.

That it will be seen from said placard that it is scurrilous
in its tone and features, and thatthe respondent announces
his intention to publish in his said newspaper this week
matters connected with the said action during its depen-
dence.

That the printing and posting of said placard, and the
threat to publish in the said newspaper an account of the
proceedings in said action, or some matter connected there-
with, affecting the petitioner, and that during the depen-

deuce itself, constitute an undue interference with the ad.
ministration of justice.

May it therefore please your lordship to grant warrant
for interdicting the respondent,and all others in his employ,
from further printing, publishing, and posting the said
placard, and any other placard or statement of a like or
similar nature or tendency, having reference to the peti-

tioner or the said action ; and also fiorn printing and pub

lishing, in his said newspaper or otherwise, any report or

account of the said action, or of the proceedings bad there

in during the dependence of the action, and. until the same
be finally decided, and in the meantime to grant interdict

in the above terms ; and further, to ordain the respondent

forthwith to take down and remove the said placards, so

far as already posted, or to authorise the petitioner to do
so; and lastly, and in respect to the premises, to find the

respondent liable in the expenses of this application and
procedure to follow herein.—According to j ustice,
(Signed) Thomas Dunbar.

Drawn by

(Signed) Jas. Mackibbin, Petra. pror.

Dumbarton, 11th October, 1856.—The Sheriff-Substitute
appoints a copy of the foregoing petition, and of this deli-
verance, to be forthwith duly served upon Samuel Bennett,
complained against ; and ordains him to enter appearance
therein, in the hands of the clerk of court, within 48 hours
after such service with certification. Meantime grants in-
terim interdict as craved.

(Signed) W. C. STEELE.

Mr. Colquhoun remarked that he had never yet heard
that it was illegal to publish proceedings which took place
in open court, as his lordship was well aware the thing
was done every day in the supreme courts of the eountry,
and that too in cases where interests were at stake infi-
nitely greater than those involved in the present action.
The Sheriff-Principal, who heard the case, made no re-
marks as to the impropriety of publishing the evidence.
It was not intended to mix it up in any way with com-
ments. The defender had it already prepared and set up,
and as his newspaper was to be issued on Thursday morn-
ing, it was hardly possiblo for him to comply with the
prayer of the interdict, if it was now confirmed by his
lordship. Under these circumstances, he hoped his lord-
ship would recall the interdict, and allow the publication
of the evidence to proceed.

Mr. Mackibbin, who appeared for the pursuer Dunbar,
said it was not necessary in this case to discuss the abstract
question whether or not the defender was entitled to pub
lish the report of trials which took place in open court, nor
was he called upon to allege that no such right existed. The
application was made in consequence of the defender hav-
ing yesterday issued bills bearing the words—" Where was
Dunbar?—The Secret out !—See the Dumbarton herald
of this week," a placard he might say, which was in itself
not only a continuation of that system of defamation which
had been already complained of, but intimated, besides,
that in his newspaper would be found some revelation
seriously affecting the character of Dunbar. Now, it was
to all intents and purposes most unwarrantable to make
remarks of this kind while the case was still in the hands
of the sheriff, and, though the pursuer did not seek to in-
terfere with the defender so long as the latter fairly exer-
cised his profession, yet, when attacked iu the way he had
been, he was compelled to seek such reparation as the law
afforded, ho therefore trusted the interdict would be con-
firmed by his lordship.
Sheriff Steele having explained his reasons for declining
to proceed with the case himself, said, in regard to the
present application that the rule usually applied in such
cases was that no portion of the evidence in an action
should be published till the whole case was complete.
It might be that even the evidence in this case was not
complete, and, for anything he knew, Sheriff Hunter might
think it necessary to have other witnesses examined than
those already heard. Mr. Colquhoun had referred to jury
trials in the higher courts, but it must be borne in
mind that they were generally finished at ono sitting,
and hence newspapers could not influence the decision
in any way by publishing the evidence. Therefore,
though there might be no rule universally applicable,
yet, upon the principle that all courts, however hum-
ble, were entitled to make such rules for their re-
gulations as seemed necessary, ho thought that, in this
case, the interdict already granted ought to be confirmed.
So long as the case remained in the hands of the sheriff
it could not be said to be concluded, and he trusted that
all the patties concerned would see the propriety of
refraining from discussing it till the decision was an-
nounced. Regarding the placard referred to, he would
say nothing further than that, if the pursuer 'considered
himself to be aggrieved thereby, the proper course for
him was to raise another action ; but, in the mean-
time, the document was not before the court. Acting,
as he had said, upon the principle that a Court had a
right to interpose to prevent the publishing of anything
that might interfere with the course of justice, he thought
it his duty to advise both parties from saying or doing
anything in connexion with it till it was out of the hands
of the sheriff, which was not likely to be very long.
Mr. Colquhoun and Mr. Mackibbin having both stated
to his lordship that Sheriff Hunter intended to send from
Edinburgh a written interlocutor in the case, accompanied
by a note, Sheriff Steele said he thought there must be
some mistake here, as a written interlocutor in a small
debt case was a thing manifestly illegal. The action was
a small debt action, so far as he was aware, and he there-
fore thought it more likely that the Sheriff Principal
would deliver judgment in Dumbarton himself.
Mr. Colquhoun made another attempt to enlighten his
injusticea
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The aggrieved journal comments upon these proceedings
iu the following terms :

" THE CENSORSHIP IN BRITAIN.—EXTRAORDINARY
PROCEEDINGS.—We believe the fact is not generally
known, either to our readers or our brethren of the press,
that a sheriff-substitute can play the part of censor of the
press by interdicting the publication of an ordinary trial
hearl in open court. In illustration of our statement we
refer to the proceedings which took place before Sheriff
Steele here on Tuesdry last, and from which it will be
seen that in defiance of scores of precedents to the contrary
he thought himself entitled to grant an interdict against
publishing a certain report, or anything having reference to
it, till the question at issue was finally decided. If an
official of this description can thus interfere with a jour-
nalist while pursuing his lawful avocation, the much
vaunted liberty of the press is reduced to a mere phantom ;
for in every county in Scotland there sits a censor more
mischievous than even the censor of the continental press,
inasmuch as .his powers are undefined and his abilities for
the office untried. As the matter is one in which the

whole press of the country is concerned, we specially invite
the attention of our brethren to the proceedings referred
to, ending, as they did, in the suppression, for the present,
of a report which it was not even hinted was libellous in
its details or likely to be mischievous in its effects. The
question at issue is simply this—Can any official in this
country interfere to prevent the publication of the report
of a trial which took place in open court."
English readers may be mystified by the institution of
an action for libel against a newspaper in a Sma:l Debt
Court. The following case, reported in the same number
of the Dumbarton Herald, appears to throw some light on
the modus operandi
" SINGULAR SMALL DEBT CASE.— 51`NAUGHT V.
CAMPBELL.—On the 25th Sept. last, Robert M'Naught (son
of Mary M`Farlane or M'Naught,
eating-house k 3oper,
APlNTeil's Land,' Dumbarton) was convicted in the police
court here, before the presiding magistrate, for the theft
of a lame pigeon, which was proved to be the property of
James Campbell, sen., carter, Dumbarton, and was sen-
tenced to five days' imprisonment. It would appear that,
after Mrs. M'Naught's son was convicted of the theft
of the pigeon, Campbell went about the town stating to
sundry parties that a woman he did not know had told
him that one Mrs. M`Naught, residing in M'Neil's Land,
Dumbarton, had caught and plucked five or six of his
pigeons, or that such were in her cellar. Mrs. M'Neught
immediately summoned Campbell to the Small Debt Court
for damages for defamation of character, and produced
sundry witnesses, who proved that Mrs. M`Natight's son
had received the pigeon from some of his companions in the
street, and that Mrs. M'Naught never had any pigeons in
her cellar. The pursuer produced ample proof to satisfy
the sheriff that she never had any pigeons in her posses-
sion, and other parties, who prpved that the defender had
used the expressions complaint 4 , The sheriff exone-
rated Mrs. M'Naught of any slander which might have
ari.en by the report, cautioning Campbell, the defender,
and found him liable to the pursuer in 10s. damages and

expenses."

SIR JOHN TROLLOPE'S OPINION,! ON
THINGS IN OENEUAL.

At the anniversary of the Grantham Agricultural So-
ciety on Friday "the health of the members for the
county of Lincoln" having been proposed and drunk with
enthusiasm,
Sir J. TROLLOPS, M.P., rose to reply. He said—Gen-
tlemen, in replying to the toast of the health of the county
members, I regret that it again falls to my lot, single-
handed, to do it without the co-operation of my colleague,
my noble friend Lord Burghley. It may be in your recol-
lection that about two years since his lordship undertook
the command of a regiment of militia, and, when the re-
quirements of the war withdrew our troops from our
foreign garrisons, that regiment was the first of our mili-
tia regiments which tendered its services for duty abroad.
His lordship went with his regiment to Gibraltar, and,
having served a year in that fortress, he returned to this
country a short' time before the close of the last ses-
sion of Parliament ; but a few days after his arrival
among us he was attacked by a dangerous malady—the
smallpox, which he thinks he must have contracted on
his jsurney home. He was, in consequence, unable to
take any share in the legislation of the country, and on
his recovery he went as a convalescent to Wales, where
he stillremains, to recruit his health, As he has, as
regards his Parliamentary duties, been lying fallow for
two years, and as I have been working, not only during
tbat time, but for a period long before his lordship entered
Vae Legislature, it is but fair that for the future I should
endeavour to put as much upon his shoulders as I possi•
bly can. If I can make him take an active share in legis-
lation, believe me- it shall be done. Whenever the
health of the county members is toasted in a company
composed of their constituents, they themselves being
present, it is expected that they should get up tine'. make
a speech, detailing something of what has been done in
the past and is likely to come off in the future. Now, so
little was done during the last session of Parliament,
that it may be disposed of in a few words, and, as I have
not the gift of prophecy, I can give you no idea 'of what
is likely to b 3 done in the coining session. You are, no
doubt, aware that many things are proposed for legisla-
tion at the outset of the session, and that but very few
of them ever come to maturity ; and for the last two
years the interest of the war was so absorbing that it in-
terfered with everything else. We foUnd ourselves, as
Eug!ishmen and patriots, bound to support her Majesty
in carrying on hostilities, and we were not prepared for
any other business. The only act of last session which
affects your interests is the County Police Act. I did
not think that we wanted a police in this county ; for,
as chairman of the quarter sessions, 1 knew that we had
few criminals among us; and that offences are few and
far between. I, therefore,, felt it my duty to give it
every opposition in my power. It was, however, the
pleasure of Parliament to pass it, and it is now the law
of the land, nod our duty is to see that it be properly
carried out. Yesterday we bad, in the Court-house of
Lincoln, a meeting of the magistracy of the county to
take measures for that purpose, and I hope it may give
all that security to property which such an expensive
machinery ought to give. Rely upon it everything shall
be done by the magistracy to make it do so. (Hear,
hear.) There were many things which it was expected
Parliament would last session do, but which it did not
do. The most important of these was the passing of a
general measure fur the education of the people. (Hear,
hear.) That is a subject on which men's minds naturally
differ, and, unfortunately, one element—the religious
element—has interposed so much in connection with it
as to prevent the pasting of any measure thereon. I,
for my part, mast say that I am disinclined to see the
youth of this country educated on the mere secular
principle, and I was prepared to vote for any measure
which would secure them a religious training ; and for
such a one, too, as would secure the reformation rather
than the punishment of the juvenile offender. (Hear,
hear.) As regards the bill for the collection of agricul-
tural statistics, I had great pleasure in presenting a large
number of petitions—one, I think, from this neighbour-
hood—in opposition to its enactment. So far as that
measure was discussed, I was opposed to it ; for it in-
troduced a compulsory and an inquisitorial system, re-
quiring i he farmers to make certain returns, and punish-
ing with pains and penalties if they made any error in
them or omitted to make a return at all. Such a mea-
sure, I think, was uncalled for, and would, I am sure,
had it been passed, have been found most unsatisfactory
in its workings. If the produce of a man's farm were
required of him, it is easy enough to make a return of
the number of acres growing any particular crop ; but
nothing is more difficult for him to do than to tell the
quantity it may yield. I cannot give a stronger proof
of the truth of this than by telling you what took place
the other day
in my own neighbourhood. A small
grower thrashed a bag of corn, and calculated from it
that he would have a yield of 20 quarters from what he
had sown, but when he thrashed the whole crop he had
only nine quarters. I give you this as an example of
how difficult it is for a man to calculate upon the re-
turn of his crop, and how much he may be deceived in
it. (Hear.) The returns which the farmers are re-
quired to make, if they are to be of any use for statis-
tical purposes, must be made simultaneously, and at
once compiled. If they are to take as long a time as the
counting of the people—namely, three years—and figures
representing men can be as easily counted as those re-
presenting quarters of corn, or even if they be three
months in being compiled, they cannot possibly be of
the slightest practical use to the agriculturists. At the
best they can only give a very rough estimate of the
quantity of corn in the country. Such is the case with
respect to the agricultural statistics oflreland, in which
country they are collected by the police ; and when We
get a county police, too, let them take the returns in the
best way they can, and make their ealculations accord-
inely. They would not, as I said before, benefit you ;
and the only portion of the people which they could at
all benefit is the commercial community, to regulate by
them the balance of foreign exchange ; and persons of
that class, I find, call for them more loudly than we do.
But have we not telegraphs, railways, and other facili-
ties of communication ? and, above all, have we not de-
mand and supply to regulate the price of corn, without
having. recourse to agricultural statistics ? (Hear, hear.)
The whole system proposed is a false one, and is likely
to prove vexatious to the farmers, and therefore I op-
posed it. There cannot be the least objection to tell the
number of acres under crop, and leave the persons mak-
ing the inquiry to form their calculations on those data.
That, gentlemen, was one question which affected your
interests injuriously. It was down on the paper day
after day for discussion, but never came on, as the Gi
vernment, knowing that they would be beaten upon
it, used to keep UP night after night until one or two
o'clock, and then postpone it. At last we got rid of it
by a side wind. We got up one after another and asked
when it was to be brought on, and the consequence
was, that by throwing in that kind of quick sharp
fire we got the Government to withdraw it altogether.
I was, I must confess, a leader in that conspiracy—
(cheers and laughter)—and if it be again introduced in
the same shape I shall give it every opposition. (Cheers.)
I am, as you know, a member of that constitutional
body-e-the Opposition ; but I was told the other day
that we were a defunct party. Now, I hope there will
apalwreadystoboepapnosOepapllosuitniosra'—tisf(acheteoerrys)--an Opposition pre-
measures, but ready
to support everything that may be for the dignity and
honour of the country. (Cheers.) That is the principle
of action with which every one ambitious of becoming a
senator ought to be imbued. I have mentioned already
the course we pursued with respect to the war. We gave
it every support, although I for one think that, had the
reins of Government been in firmer hands, it might have
been altogether avoided ; but, having drifted into it, we
felt it our duty, by liberally supplying the sinews of war,
to enable her Majesty to carry it on in a manner con-
sistent with the national character. (Cheers.) It is now,
I think, too bad, after giving Government that sup-
port, to be told that, as an Opposition, we are dead
or obsolete or effete. Lord Palmerston himself never
said that, but has, on the contrary, acknowledged the
support we afforded him—(hear, hear)—and will find,
that, when we come to matters of domestic legislation,
we are alive and ready to oppose what measures- of his
we may think worthy of condemnation. (Loud cheers.)

J. J. MEOIII, ESQ., AT WOODBRIDGE.

The inhabitants of Suffolk invited Mr. Mechi to a
public dinner at Woodbridge, as a mark of the esteem
with which he is regarded, and as a small acknowledg-
hmaevnet of thosenowfor umasneyfu a
years
eanrsd ho
been
s paistsaobole gatherings
ia
te d
w,hs which
name.
The dinner took place on Thursday evening, at the Bull
Hotel, and passed off in a manner alike worthy of the
generous and warm hearted people of the neighbour-
hood, as well as most flattering and honourable to their
distinguished guest. Indeed such was the wish. evinced
by all partieho do honour to Mr. Mechi, that the large
room in which the dinner took place was completely
crammed, and had it been arranged in a still more spa-
cious apartment, a great many more tickets could have
been disposed of.
Mr. MacHr (who wore his handsome chain of office) was
ushered into the room shortly before six o'clock, when he
was received with hearty rounds of cheering, a similar
compliment being paid to A. Arcedeekoe, Esq., high
sheriff of the county of Suffolk, who presided upon the
occasion. He was supported on the right and left by
the guest of the evening, and John Crosley, Esq.,
Under Sheriff for the City of London.
The CHAIRMAN, in • proposing Mr. Mechi's health,
said—They were all aware for what purpose they had
assembled that evening, and everybody knew the gentle.
man whose health he was about to propose. As an
agriculturist, as a gentleman of the highest character,
and a most hospitable man, Mr. Mechi wes known over
the wide world. (Applause.) He (the chairman) did not
believe there was a more hospitable, jolly, better sort of
man in existence than their friend. (Prolonged cheers
and "Bravo.") The night before the last gathering at
Tiptree, he (the chairman) mentioned to some friends
that he intended going, when one of them replied,
"Goodness, gracious alive ! you will there see Swedish
turnips growing on deal boards." (Great laughter.)
" Surely," he said, " not without Suffolk guano has
been used ?" (Continued laughter.) This brought to
his mind a well-known anecdote of an old Norfolk far-
mer named Cooke. Some of his neighbours were dis-
cussing his merits as a farmer, when one of them made
the following sage remark—" If yar mean to du as Cooke
du, yar'ont du as yar du. du." (Roars of laughter.) As
their time, however, was precious, Mr. Mechi having
another engagement that evening to deliver an address
at the Mechanics' Institution, where some ladies would

be anxiously waiting for him—(laughter)--he (the chair

man) would not detain the meeting with any further
observations of his own, but would at one ask them to
drink to Mr. Mechi's good health. (Three times three
and one cheer more.)
Mr. MEcHr, in returning thanks, said it was a great
mark of affection that they had invited him there that
day, and treated him in the hospitable manner in which
they had done. He asked himself why it was—what he
had done to merit their good esteem and their kind
favours? The conclusion he had come to was, that they
had forgiven him for any agricultural follies he had
committed, and that after ten or a dozen years' reflection
they thought that he was not quite so wrong as they
had conceived him to be. (Hear, hear, and applause.)
When he bought a farm or two he did to those farms
what, its a man of buciness„ he thought was right and
proper—that was to begin to spend money upon them,
and to alter their unimproved condition. At that time
there was great difference of opinion as to what improve.
ments should be made. He believed that a great many
of the farmers of England, at least many of the farmers
of Suffolk, thought, ten or fourteen years ago, as they
had all thought in their time, that the farming of Suffolk
was not so had, and that the farming of England was
not so bad after all, and that there was not eo very much
to learn as he had pointed out ; but they must recollect
this—that every year they were going on in their popu-
lation by'compound multiplication, which seemed to be
such a favourite employment with Xnglishmen—(laugh-
ter)—and it was quite clear that that rapidly increasing
population demanded a corresponding increase of pro.
duction, which could not be carried out unless with im-
proved means—unless they invested in the soil, both on
the part of the lan-dlord Med tenant, a very much larger
amount of capital and intelligence. (Hear, hear.) Had
it not been for their invitation to Suffolk, he should to-
day have been at the Witham agricultural meeting,
where he should have seen the steam plough at work.
Probably they were aware that there were two kinds of
these ploughs now in use ; one was byMr. Fowler, which
was worked with a wire rope, and which some of then
might have seen in operation upon his (Mr. Mead's)
farm ; and he might mention that his neighbour, Mr.
Crump, had also bought one and was now using it ; but
that gentleman's fields, it should be understood, were
not limited to 3 or 4 acres, but were 20, 30, and 40 acres
in size, so that he had no difficulty in that respect, and
with his common engine he was working the steam
plough satisfactorily, Then there was Mr. Boydell's
engine, as seen at tbe Royal Agricultural Show at Chelms•
ford, wsiking about like a mammoth, and which bad
been doing work, which they would see reported in the
dowicultural Gazette by a careful witness, after two days'
close examination. It was stated that it drew ploughs
after it, and cultivated land at a great depth at a cost of
only one-fifth of that incurred in ploughing by horses,
and that the work it was doing, which would cost 15s.
by horse power, was done by it at 3s. Let them, how-
ever, give it 7s. 6d. in, and say it did for 10s. what with
horses would cost 155., and see what the result of that
saving would be to the agriculturist ; instead of the
horses being obliged to leave off at half-past one or two
o'clock, sometimes when the work was really wanting
to be done, which was necessary to enable them to con-
tinue at work from day to day, they would find that if
they bad a steam horse, they would not require to be
quite so kind to it, "but would make hay while the
sun shone." (Laughter.) He saw Mr. Boyden a day or
two ago to arrange that one or two of his engines should
form part of the civic prceession of the Lord Mayor elect
—(applause)—for inasmuch as London could not do
without country-made food, they censidered they should
identify agriculture with commerce as closely as possible.
(Hear, hear.) To return to Mr. Boydell, he (Mr. Mechi)
had no hesitation in saying that his invention was one
of those events in agriculture and in the annals of
this country that would work one of the mightiest
changes ever known ; and when be applied to Mr. Boy-
dell for his engine, he replied, "The Emperor of Russia
will have both rue and my engine in a fortnight, to use
in that country for various purposes, but above all for
drawing cannon." (Hear, bear.) It was not a little
remarkable that that engine would take a weight up or
down a bill, or over a swamp, where horses could not go
—a fact which he recently saw illustrated at the arsenal
at Woolwich, which had an inclination of one in ten.
He first saw ten strong artillery horses attached to a gun
without being able to move it, but 12 being put on, they
at last managed to get it up the hill ; whilst Boydell's
engine took the gun (which weighed 10 tons and itself
12), up the hill, and what was still more difficult, down
the hill too. Besides which, he was informed it had gone
over rough ground and deep ravines in an extraordinary
manner. (Hear, hear.) He mentioned these circum-
stances, because he thought they wore worth considera-
tion. He believed that as was the case at present with
drills and travelling steam engines, an engine of the kind
he had mentioned would also ere long be let out to work
at so much per acre ; and he had yet to learn that a
farmer would object to pay 2s. or 3s. an acre less to have
his land ploughed two or three inches deeper than at
present, and have it done at the critical moment.
(Hear, hear.) Mr. Boydell told him, with regard to
the engine to which he had alluded, that not only had
he endured the wearying anxiety of the invention, but
that it cost him 10,0001. before he could produce it.
(Hear, hear.) He believed a similar result had taken place
in the case of Fowler's plough, and money had he'en spent
for the public good, which he hoped would eventually
be for the inventor's benefit. Let them not, therefore,
threw cold water upon such inventions, but rather let
them adopt them as soon as pOssible ; but if ever he
visited their neighbourhood again (which he hoped, after
the reception they had given him that evening, would
not be long distant), he should be disappointed if he did
not see a very considerable enlargement of their fields,
and find their beautiful Suffolk horses somewhat super-
seded by the iron steamer ploughing their ground, which
would consume coals instead of oats. (Cheers.) " But,"
some of them would ask, "what are we to do with our
oats ?" Why, they must farm wheat after wheat, or take
some other little liberty with the soil. (Laughter.) In
conclusion, he would remark that he thought the ten-
dency of such meetings as the present was to make
gentlemen think these matters over, and so improve
agriculture. (Cheers.)—Abridged from the Ipswich,
Journal.

THE LATE EXTENSIVL ROTEL ROBBERY AT

BOGNOR.

BRIGHTON, OCT,. 17.
At the West Sussex Quarter Sessions, held yesterday,
(Friday) before R. Prime, Esq., chairman, and a full
bench of magistrates, including bis Grace the Duke of
Norfolk, John Richardson, aged 25, described as a baker,
Wm. Shearing, 32, carpenter, and John Clark, 29, la-
bourer, were indicted for stealing a cash box, containing
upwar:ls (4 2001., from the Claremont iLyel, Bognor,
th property of Mr. Edwin Newman, the proprietor.
Mr. Roupell prosecuted ; Mr. Wyatt defended Shearing
and Richardson, and Mr. Johnson appeared for Clark.
It was established by evidence that the prisoners were
all three at the hotel, on the afternoon of the day in
question, for about two hours, a portion of xvhich time
they were in the bar, and two, if not the three men,
were there alone for a short time. In a drawer in the
bar the cash-box was kept, and at three o'clock it was
all safe ; but some time after the prisoners had left the
loss was discovered, and, in consequence of a telegraphic
communication from Chichester the same night, the
prisoners were captured at the London-bridge Station,
having left by the 7.55 train from Chichester. Richard-
son was then seen to throw sometbiug out of the
carriage window, which proved to be a roll of notes and
a bank post bill, and the latter and several of the notes
were identified by the prosecutor as part of the proceeds
Of the robbery.

The prisoners were found guilty, and a former convic.
tion was proved against Richardson, who was sentenced
to eight year.' penal servitude, and Shearing and Clark
to four jean each.

Naval and Military Intelligence.

The Engineer corps of the Turkish Contingent have
nearly completed depoSiting the stores brought from the
Crimea in the places selected for them at the Ordnance
stores, Chatham. The teen are under the command of
Captain Allan, of the Turkish Engineer corps, and the
stores, a great quantity of which are packed in casks,
having been landed from the vessels and placed on the
Gun-wharf, are unpacked and deposited in the store
warehouses. An immense quantity of harness, used by
the waggon-train, is now being unpacked and returned
into store.
A Chelsea board of commissioners from Chelsea Hos-
pital assembled yesterday morning at the office of Super-
intendent of the Invalid Establishment, Chatham, for
the purpose of inspecting a number of non-commissioned
officers and mon, selected from the 42d Highlanders, 74th
Highlanders, 83th Connaught Rangers, 89th, 90th Light
Infantry, and other regiments, the whole of whom were
ordered to be discharged on pensions, being no longer
fit for further service. Dr. J. R. Taylor, C. 8., (B)
Deputy Inspector-General of Hospitals, assisted the
commissioners in their inspection of the sick and dis-
abled men.
The Tribune, 30, screw, Captain Harry Edgell, ar•
rived at Rio Janeiro in 36 days from England. She
found lying at. Rio her Majesty's ships Indefatigable,
50, Harier, 17, and Spy, 3 ; the American frigate
Savannah and a corvette ; the Auguste, French frigate,
from the Pacific, with several Brazilian men of war.
The Tribune sailed on the 10th of September for the
Pacific, going through the Straits of Magellan. The
Siren, 16, was at the Falkland Islands.
The Dragon, 6, steatnvessel, was inspected on Friday
by Vice-Admiral Sir George Seymour, Commander in-
Chief.
The Cmiar, 91, Captain Robb, Colossus, 81, Captain
Thompson, and the Ardent steam sloop, are ordered to
prepare for sea.
The St. Jean d'Acre, 101, Captain St. Vincent King,
arrived at Spithead on Thursday night from the Baltic.
She will sail shortly for Plymouth.
The Gorgon, paddle wheel steam loop, sailed from
Spithead on Friday evening.
The Industry, 2 guns, iron screw steam storeship, of
80-horse power, Master Commander John E. Petley, ar-
rived at Sheerness yesterday at 9.30 a. m. from Plymouth
and Portsmouth ; she has brought round 105 supernu-
merary seamen, general service men, to join the flag-ship
Waterloo—for disposal.
The Terrible, 21 guns, paddle-wheel steam-frigate, was
brought down yesterday from her harbour moorings at
Sheerness, by the steam-tug vessels Myrtle and African,
and taken into the basin. She is ordered to be put into
dry dock for survey and to make good defects.
The Industry store-ship left Sheerness yesterday, at
noon, for Woolwich.
The Calypso, 23, has been undocked at Chatham,
where she has undergone some extensive repairs. She
has been ordered to be brought forward for commission.
The African steam-vessel, from Sheerness, and the
iron paddle-wheel steamer Triton, lately paid off at Wool-
wich by Lieut. Fletcher, were admitted into basin at
Woolwich yesterday. The Triton's boilers are to be re-
moved. She is to be new decked, and to undergo
thorough repairs.

The Ann and the Fly, dockyard craft, are being new
rigged, and to undergo casual repair.
The demolition of the screw steam-sloop Rattler, over-
run with dry rot, and consequently ordered to be broken
up at Woolwich, is nearly completed. As the separation
of the timbers progressed it was discovered that the
disease had extended to every department of the ship.
This was a matter of considerable astonishment, as the
vessel has been scarcely 14 years afloat.

The fl.)atiog factory Chasseur has been ordered up from
the Royal Arsenal to Woolwich dockyard, and is to be
retained, without removal of the factory engines, in the
service of the Admiralty.

The folio wing promotions have been made by the Board
of Admiralty for the Transport Service during the late
war :

Commander H. J. Laeon, to the rank of Captain ;
Lieut. M. H. Rodney and Lieut. A. D. W. Fletcher,
to the rank of Commander. To be Captains on the Re-
served List—Commanders John Tudor and Chas. Star-
mer. To be Commanders on the Reserved List—Lieuts.
C. Wise, T. A. Lewis, C. K. Scott, and J. G. Ray-
mond.

The following appointments were made yesterday at
;he Admiralty :7--

John J. Crawford, surgeon, to the Raleigh ; James
Laird, Surgeon-Assistant, to the Norman Morrier con-
vict-ship ;F. R. Bowerstock, Clerk, to the Royal
Albert ; W. H. Alen, Clerk, to the Imaum.
Capt. Waller's Company of the 14th Battalion Royal
Artillery arrived at head-quarters Woolwich, from
Devonport on Thursday, and Capt. Freeth'e (Deputy-
Assistant-Quartertnaster-General's) Company of the
same battalion arrived on the same day from Ports
mouth.

CAPTAIN' Nres.--The court of inquiry into the con-
duct of Capt. Joseph Nias, C. 8., the Superintendent of
the Royal William Victualling Yard, is still holding its
sittings, and the investigation is being pursued at great
cost to the public, and, of course, to the great detriment
of the service—for it is impossible that such proceedings
as these can be instituted and carried on for weeks witti-
out much expense, and without the persons, who are the
subjects of teem, being withdrawn from the performance
of their usual duties. Fourteen charges have been pre- i
ferred by the storekeeper against his chief ; but what
they are all about has not been transmitted to transpire.
We hope that we shall one day have an opportunity of
making them known. The feeling of suspicion that the
public have against all these naval tribunals has not
been lessened by the recent decision in the case of Dr,
Budd. They are no more trusted than the military tri-
bunals, and the public are consequently most keenly alive
to their proceedings. Capt. Nias is, however, about to
try his strength in another court. We hear that he has
instituted proceedings against a local journalist, for some
remarks upon his public conduct. If he should carry
his case into a court of law he may find he has different
materials to deal with in a jury to those which lie is
accustomed to meet with in brother officials.—Plymouth
Journal.