The Sun.
London, England, 1860-03-22 00:00:00

teered to take the helm; leaving him therefore for the time
both commander and crew of the Speedy, the order was
given to board, and in a few seconds every man was on the
enemy's deck—a feat rendered the more easy as the doctor
placed the Speedy close along site with admirable skill.
" For a moment the Spaniards seemed taken by surprise,
as though unwilling to believe that so small a crew would
have the audacity to board them ; but soon recovering
themselves, they made a rush to the waist of the frigate,
where the tight was for some minutes gallantly carried on.
Observing the enemy's colours s!ill flying, I directed one of
our men immediately to hint them down, when the Spanish
crew, without pausing to consider by whose orders the
colours had been struck, and naturally believing it the act
of their own officers, gave in, and we were in possession of
the Genie frigate of thirty-two heavy guns and 319 men,
who au hour and a half before had lacked upon uses a cer-
tain if not an easy prey."
" Shortly before boarding an incident occurred which, by
those who have never been placed iu similar circumstances,
may be thought too absurd fur notice. Knowing that the
final struggle would be a desperate one, and calculating on
the superstitious wonder which form* an element in the
Spanish character, a portion of our crew were ordered to
blacken their faces, and what with this and the excitement
of combat, more ferocious looking objects could scarcely be
imagined. The fellows thus disguised were directed to
board by the head, and the efftct produced was precisely
that calculated on. The greater porti'm of the 'Spaniard's
crew was prepared to repel boarders in that direction, but
stood for a few moments as it were transfixed to the deck by
the apparition of so many diabolical looking figures emerg-
ing from the white smoke of the bow nuns; whilst our other
men, who boarded by the waist, rushed on them from be-
hind, before they could recover from their surprise at the
unexpected phenomenon.
" In difficult or doubtful attacks by sea—and the odds of
50 men to 320 conies within this description—no device can
be too minute, even if apparently absurd, provided it have
the effect of diverting the enemy's attention whilst you
are concentrating your own. In this, and other successes
against odds, I have no hesitation in saying that success in
no sligb t degree depended on out-of-the-way devices, which
the enemy not suspecting, were in some measure thrown off
their guard."
After this brilliant -action promotion was actually
refused him and his officers, and after bringing
his prize into Malta he was despatched to Gibral-
tar in charge of a notoriously bad sailing packet,
which actually caused the loss of the gallant little
Speedy. On his arrival in England, after his
exchange, when he applied to the Admiralty for a
command for himself and pro faotion for his brave
first-lieutenant, he was met with the following cool
and cowardly reply :
" No answer being returned to this application up to the
period of my arrival in England, another letter was for-
warded to his lordship, which met with the same reception,
and afterwards a third, which produced from Lord St.
Vincent the reply that my application could not be enter.
tamed, fer that it was unusual to promote two officers for
such a service —besides which the small number of men
killed en board the Speedy did not warrant the application.'
" It was impossible not to feel nettled at a reply so unex-
pected : that because few men had been killed on board the
Speedy, her first lieutenant was considered unworthy of
promotion, though terribly cut up. To argue with a kirst
Lord is no doubt an imprudent thing for a naval officer to
attempt, and my remonstrance in this instance had such an
effect as to get my name placed on the black list of the
Admiralty, never again to be erased.
" In my letter to Lord St. Vincent, the following incau-
tious observations were made—viz., that 'his reasons for
not promoting Lieutenant Parker, because there were only
three men killed on board the Speedy, were in opposition
to his lordship's own promotion to an earldom, as well as
that of his flag-captain to knighthood, and his other of
to increased rank and honours : for that in the battle from
which Ins lordship derived his title there was only ono man
killed on board his own flagship, so that there were more
casualties in my sloop than in his line-of-battle ship.'
"From the receipt of that letter Lord St. Vincent be-
came my bitter enemy, and not he only, but his successors
thought it incumbent on them to p&petuate his lordship's
displeasure. My reply was no doubt keenly felt at the time,
when it was a common remark in the navy that the battle
of St. Vincent was gained by the inshore squadron, under
Nelson, the commander-in-chief being namely a spectator,
at a distance which involved only the loss of one man in his
own ship."

However, he soon afterwards got a ship, not from
any good will of those who were in authority, but
because he told them, on their refusal, that be
should move for an inquiry in the house of Com-
mons that bugbear of red-tapists. There is
more interest in his early career, at least as far as
this volume goes. In awaiting his ship he con-
trived to enter Parliament, and the following ex-
tract shows how he came the old soldier over the
electors, as he thought, but he found, to his cost,
that it was far easier to steal a march on a French-
man or a Spaniard than on the electors of a rotten
borough :
" Aware of my previous objection to bribery, not a word
was asked by my partisans, as to the price expected in ex-
change for their suffrages. It was enough that my former
friends had received ten guineas each after my defeat, and
it was judged best to leave the coat of success to my dis-
cretion.

"My return was triumphant, and this effected, it wag
then plainly asked, what ex post facto consideration was to
be expected by those who had supported me in so delicate
a manner.

" 'Not one farthing was the reply.
" ' But, my lord, you gave ten guineas a head to the
minority at the last election, and the majority have been
calculating on something handsome on the present °eta-
s:en.'

" No doubt. The former gift was for their disinte-
rested conduct in not taking the bribe of five pounds from
the agents of my opponent. For me now to pay them
would be a violation of my own previously expressed prin-
ciples.'

"Finding nothing could be got from me in the way of
money payment for their support, it Was put to my gene-
rosity whether I would not, at least, give my constituents
a public supper.
" By all means,' was my reply, ' and' it will give ms
great satisfaction to know that so rational a display of
patriotism has superseded a system of bribery, which reflects
even less credit on the donor than the recipients.'
" Alas I for the vanity of good intentions. The permis-
sion thus given was converted into a public treat ; not only
for my partisans, but for my opponents, their wives, chil-
dren, and friends ; in short, for the whole town I The
result showed itself in a bill for some twelve hundred
pounds ! which I refused to pay, but was eventually com-
pelled to liquidate, in a way which will form a very curious
episode hereafter."

When, after this, in command of a fine frigate, the
Imperieuse, he was despatched to aid the Spaniards
our then allies, as he best could, and with a discre-
tionary power. On arriving at Catalonia, which
was besieged by the French, he occupied a
breached tower which the Spaniards and their
British allies were about to abandon, and which
was the key to the town; by the aid of some 200
of his men he so fortified and repaired it, that the
French found that they could make little or no
head-way, and at length, when the wall altogether
broke down, and they came to the assault, they
found unexpected difficulties in the shape of beard-
ing nettings and chain-cables, and were repulsed
with great loss.

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.—(This Day.)

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

STREET ROBBERY AND STABBING.—Sarah Clarke was
charged before Mr. Bingham with being concerned with
another female in stealing a gold pin of the ♦alue of X 2 101.
from the person of Mr. W. Allingham.
Mr. Allingham said that on the previous night about a
quarter to twelve he was walking down the Haymarket
with two friends, when the prisoner and two other female.
called after them, and then came up, and one of them
caught hold of his friend's coat and another seized his (the
witness's) breast-pin, and passed it to the prisoner. He
then charged her with the robbery, and gave her into
custody.

Mr. Bingham having asked if anything was know' of the

prisoner,

0' Shaughnessy, one of the warrant officers of th• court,
said there was a warrant out against the prisoner at the
present time for stabbing a female in the face, and that it
had not been serTed in consequence of the prisoner keeping
out of the way.

The prisoner was remanded till Saturday next.

THIS DAY'S SHIPPING.

LONDON, March 2.2.—Wind this day at noon. Wilt ;
moderate breeze, and cloudy, with very cold weather.
PonTsmounr, March 21.—Wind W.S.W. to W.N.W.
blowing hard.--Arrived—Livingstone, from London for
Trinidad.

COWES, March 21.—Wind S.W., hard gale.—Arrived—
Sea Nymph, from Shanghae.
QUEENSTOWN, March 21.—Arrived—Ouda, from St.
Domingo ; Edinburgh (es), from Now York.

Wind, W.N.W.