The Sun.
London, England, 1856-05-14 00:00:00

TEE .HOUSE OF LORDS AND THE

NAVAL REVIEW.

PORTSMOUTH, TUESDAY.
A court martial was held to-day on board the Victory,
flag-ship, to inquire into the causes that led to so much
complaint in the House of Lords in reference to the de-
lays caused by the inattention to the engines, by allow-
ing the fires to get too low, &c., of her Majesty's steam
troop-ship Transit, Commander Charles R. Johnson, on
the day of the great naval review, and owing to which
their lordships were detained on the water an unreason-
able length of time. The inquiry was thrown into the
following charge against Mr. William Collier, acting
assistant-engineer of the third class on board the Transit
—" For that he, the said Mr. W. Collier, doing duty
on board on the 23d of April last (the day of the review),
was in a state of dru❑kenness, and unfit to do his
duty."

The Court consisted of Captains H. J. Codrington,
C.B. (president), Sir T. Maitland, C. 8., G. R. Mundy,
G. A. Eliott, J. E. Erskine, J. Robb, G. Ramsay, C. 8.,
J. Lyster, the Hon. J. R. Drummond, C.B. W. J. E.
Clifford, .8., R. Harris, R. S. Hewlett, C., 8., J. H.
Cockburn, and Mr. H. J. Hellyer, Deputy Judge-
Advocate of the Fleet.
Commander Johnson, of the Transit, was the prose-
cutor.
Charles Graham M'Gregor, first lieutenant on board
the Transit, deposed that the prisoner Collier was em-
ployed on the 23d of April last as acting assistant third-
class engineer on board that ship. He appeared to
have been drinking, and was certainly not sober or fit
to do his duty. Between eight an 1 ten o'clock in the
evening, about half an hour after the company had
left the ship and landed to return to town, the com-
mander sent for all the officers to assemble on the quar-
ter-deck, and severally asked them their opinion of Mr.
Co'ier's sobriety and fitness for duty. Witness replied—
" I do not consider him sober."
In reply to the Court, witness further stated that he
had not seen the prisoner previously, on that day, to the
assembling of the officers on the quarter-deck. The offi-
cers then present were, besides witness, the second lieu-
tenant, the master, and the chief engineer. The second
lieutenant gave it as his opinion that the prisoner was
not fit to do his duty, or words to that effect. The mas-
ter also said iu effect he was of opinion the prisoner hael
been drinking, and was not fit to do his duty. The chief
engineer, to the best of witness's recollection, said he
thought the prisoner had been drinking. The prisoner
talked thick, and his appearance at the time was cer-
tainly that of a man who had been drinking. In reply
to the commander, prisoner denied having been drink-
ing. He walked and stood tolerably steady ; still wit-
ness considered prisoner was in a state of drunkenness.
The Transit was at anchor at this time. Did not receive
any report during the day concerning the prisoner.
In reply to the prisoner, M‘Gregor swore that when
they were on the quarter-deck, the first named was not
sober. Toe day in question was one of extraordinary
excitement, and all the engineers had been on duty the
whole of the day. But witness did not think that this
excitement and fatigue would give an appearance of
having been drinking. Prisoner's character previous to
the day in question had been very good.
W. C. Robinson, second lieutenant of the ship, de-
posed that when he was asked by the commander, on
the quarter-deck, as to Mr. Collier's sobriety he consi-
dered he was not sober or fit to do his duty. Prisoner
was sent below under arrest.
In reply to the Court, the witness further stated that
the ship came to an anchor about eight p.m. He had
not seen the prisoner on that day before the officers were
assembled on the quarter-deck. The prisoner did not
speak very clearly to Commander Johnson. Witness
was not aware that anything bad occurred during the
day to induce a suspicion that the prisoner was not sober.
The prisoner had no question to put to this witness.
Mr. James Thomas Davis, master of the Transit, also
deposed to the prisoner not being sober or fit for duty
when the officers were assembled on the quarter-deck.
In reply to the Court, this witness further stated that he
had seen the prisoner in the engine-room at about five
in the afternoon, but not remaining there longer than to
inquire if the commander was there, he lied not time to
' notice what state of sobriety the prisoner was in at the
time. Neither did witnbss notice if any other persons
were in the eugine-room when he entered it. Shortly
after, witness went down a second time, as they wanted
more steam, the vessel having been going very slow.
He asked the chief engineer if they could not get a little
more speed. He replied, "We shall go on directly."
She did go faster immediately. The fires had been allowed
to go down. The prisoner's incapacity to do his duty, at
nine o'clock, evidently arose from drunkenness.
In reply to the prisoner, the witness said that the
former's character, prior to the day in question, had
been good.
Mr. John R. Johnson, chief engineer of the ship, de-
posed that at about 5 p.m. on the 23d of April the fires
got very low. The commander went into the stoke ho'e
at about that time, and placed the prisr ner, whose dut
was there, under arrest, for being drunk and unfi , for
duty. Witness had not an opportunity of judging then
whether pris mer was drunk or not. At 9 o'clock the
same night he believed prisoner WAS not sober.
In reply to the Court, tho witness said he did not
think prisoner was fit for duty. At about an hour before
prisoner was placed under arrest, Le (witness) saw him
in the stoke hole at his duty, and there appeared no rea-
son to find fault with him. Subsequently, and shortly
before the arrest, finding how the fires were getting,
witness sent the first-class assistant-engineer to the
stoke hole to get the steam up. It was the prisoner's
duty to keep the fires up.
After a little further evidence, the prisoner made a
brief defence, and calied Commander Johnson to give
hi 'n a character. It was a very good one.
The Court found, at four o'clock, " That the charge
was proved; but, in consideration of the previous good
conduct of the prisoner, did only adjudge him to be se-
verely reprimanded, and dismissed her Majesty's ship
Transit."

The expenses of the celebrated " Dye° Sombre" cas
in the Court of Chancery have already amounted t 3
50,0001., and the case is not yet concluded. The proceed-
ings connected with it have extended over 12 years.
At its last meeting, the committee of Drury-lane
Theatre came to the re4olutiou of not permitting enter-
taiumelits of the bal 2ituslue class to take place again in
the building.