The Sun.
London, England, 1860-02-29 00:00:00

THAMES

IMPORTANT PROSRCUTION RY THE REGISTRAR-GE-
NERAL OF SEANIEN.—WiIIiam Robert James Rogers,
chief mate of the ship Theresa, lately arrived, and which
was paid off yesterday, was brought up on remand before
Mr. Yardley charged with fraudulently using a master's
certificate of competency to which he was not justly en-
titled, and which had been altered from April 1855 to
January 1859.

This was a prosecution instituted by Mr. M. Everard
Home Coleman, clerk to the marine dept xtment of the
Board of Trade, Adelaide place, London•bridge, by order
of Captain Brown, Registrar-General of Seamen. The
offence with which the prisoner stands charged is de-
clared to be a misdemeanour in the 140th clause of the

" Merchant Shipping Act, 1854," and by the 518th clause
of the same Act any police magistrate tan act
summarily in the matter, and sentence offenders,
to any period of imprisonment not exceeding
six months, with or without hard labour, or inflict a
penalty not exceeding £lOO.

- Mr. Charlet Young, solicitor, defended the prisoner, who
was residing at the time of his apprehension at No. 16 A,
P)rtland-street, Commercirl-road East.
Captain George Dunlop, the shipping master at the
Sailors' Home, Poplar, said the prisoner came to him at the
Home on the 3d of May, 1859, to be shipped as chief mate
of the Theresa, and then handed to him the master's cer-
tificate of competency now produced. Since the arrival of
the Theresa he had received a communication from the
Registrar that the certificate had been defaced and altered.
He sent his messenger to the prisoner, who accompanied
him to the Registrar. The prisoner was there given into
custody. The name and number on the certificate was
entered in the-usual manner by his (Captain Dunlop's)
clerk, under his own eye.

In answer to questions by Mr. Yardley, the witness said
that the prisoner would not have been allowed to have
shipped as chief mate of a shit if he had not produced a
certificate of competency. The one produced by the pri-
soner was a master's certificate ; but many persons after
passing examinations in the higher capacity of master,
went out in ships as chief mates only, and that was perfectly
legal.

Mr. E. R. Coleman, the prosecutor, said the certificate
by which the prisoner was enabled to ship and act as chief
mate had never been issued to him. The certificate had
been altered in many important respects, and had never
been issued by any local marine board it the state it now
was. It was numbered 12,179 when it left his office in
April, 1855—it was now numbered 12,176—and bore
the name of John Scott. That same bad been
erased for the prisoner's name, ,4 William Robert
James Rogers." It had also been altered in various parti-
culars. The certificate, No. 12,179, was issued to Peter
Wanless, and not to a person named R(gers. Mr. Cole-
man then produced the parchment certificate which the
prisoner is accused of altering. The eragires and altera-
tions were palpable. The name John Scott, which origi-
nally appeared Dn the certificate No. 12,176, is supposed to
have been erased by some chemical proce. Mr. Coleman
also produced a counterpart of the original certificate, No.
12,176, issued to John Scott.

Mr. Yardley—You have no hesitation )3. saying the cer-
tificate of competency has been altered ince it left your
office ?
Mr. Coleman—None whatever.

The prisoner, in defence, said he had pissed his exami-
nation, and received the certificate of a properly authorised
officer at Leith.

ILL Yardley remanded the prisoner unti. Monday next.