The Sun.
London, England, 1856-12-04 00:00:00

THAMES.

EXTENSIVE ROBBERY AT MESSRS. MARE'S SHIP-
BUILDING YARD. —.Henry Highbrook and Wm Hedges,
the former a dealer in marine stores, the other a carman's
servant, were brought before Mr. Selfe, charged with
stealing 25 cwt. of old rope.

Mr. C. H. Falconer, formerly a Thames Police In-
spector, who apprehended the run-away bankrupt
Spriggs in Australia, said he represented the estate of
Mr. C. J. Mare, bankrupt, and he was requested by the
assignees to state that 25 cwt. of rope had been stolen,
and that he should offer some evidence of the robbery,
and the participation of the prisoners in the plunder, and
then respectfully ask for a remand.
William Smith, messenger to the Court of Bank-
ruptcy, said that about 20 minutes to seven o'clock last
night he saw a van standing near Messrs. Mare's ship-
yard, a short distance from the Prince Albert public-
house. There was a large quantity of rope in it. He
asked the prisoner where he obtained the rope, to which
he replied that he brought it out of Mr. Mare's yard,
and pointed to the water's edge. He asked the prisoner
if he bad any pass for the rope, and he said none was
necessary. He asked the prisoner where be was going
to take the rope, and his answer was to Cotton-street,
and that his master would be there shortly, and he
would give fall explanations.

Mr. Charles Young, solicitor, asked the witness if the
rope was not what is called old rope and shakings ?
Witness—lt is old rope and shakings. Highbrook run
and raised the rope, and said if there was anything on
the cross he would drop a touter.

Mr. Selfe—A touter ; what is that ?
Witness—l don't know.

Several police-constables here uttered, " It'a a sove-
reign, your worship."

Mr. Selfe said he was not quite educated in the mys-
teries of the slang language yet, and asked what was the
meaning of anything on the cross.
A police•constable--It means done on the sly ; done
wrongfully. . .

Mr. Young said—My client meant if there is any-
thing done wrong I will give you a guinea, and say no
more about it.

Mr. Falconer said the rope was worth 149. per cwt.,
and there was 25 cwt. of it. Nothing was allowed to
leave the yard
pass signed by
to Mr. Mare'sy him (witness).
He was quite without
sure t the a
rope belonged e

assignees.
Mr. Selfe said he would remand the prisoners, on
which Mr. Young offered bail for Highbrook, who, he
said, was a respectable dealer in Robin Hood-lane,
Poplar, and had often assisted the police.
Both prisoners were liberated on bail.

The English fleet will not winter at Sinope, if it is to
remain in the Blaok Sea during the winter, but in the
Bosphorus.
DEATH FROM A STAB —MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR.—Last
evening Mr. C. St. Clair Bedford, the Westminster
coroner, held an inquest at King's College Hospital on
the body of Peter Lockett, aged 33, formerly a soldier
in the East India Company's service. It appeared from
the evidence of the deceased's father and mother that
the deceased about nine weeks ago left home with a
woman named Caroline Ryan, and on his return with her
at night they observed some blood on the front of his
shirt. Deceased told them he had had a stab in his side,
but that it bad only been done in a "lark," and he
would not give them any further information on the
matter. Deceased was received into King's College
Hospital a day or two after. He made the same state-
ment to the surgeon there, but would not inform who
had inflicted the injury. Deceased got worse, and
ultimately died of pleurisy, the effect of the wound.
Police-constable 52 F stated that although he had used
every exertion he bad been unable to trace the woman
Caroline Ryan, or where the deceased was when he
received the wound. The jury, after some deliberation,
returned the following verdict, "That the deceased died
from pleurisy, caused by a wound, but how or by whom
that wound was
inflicted they have no evidence to
show."

11 •
Rank. • "" • •
=
a = :Ec- 3 = - 7 1.) g
3: •1. 2 •i 1
1 Corporal.... I 1.• •• •• •• •• •• ••.. •• 1 2 1
I Private I 1•• •• •• •• •• I 2 1
1 Private .... 1 1 •• •• •• •• •• 1 2 1
1 Private •••• 1 1•• •• •• .. I 2 I
1 Private •••• I I•• •• •• •• •• •• •• 1 2 1
1 Private .... I 1 •• •• •• •• •• .• •• 1 2 1
1 Private .... 1 I•• •• I 2 1
I Private .. I 1•• .. •• •• .. I 2 1
Private . 1 2 1
1 Private .... 1 2 1
1 Private .... •• 1 1 l .• 2 1
1 Private .• 1•• I 1• • ... I 2 1
I Private .... I I 1 I 1 1 1 2 1
13 Totals.... 6 6 4 6 I 2 1 1 1 1 I I 13 26 13
"It is not necessary that the corporal should carry
his particunar set of tools ; but in dividing them among
.he pioneers each man should. if possible. carry some

"It is not nec iry that the corporal should carry
this particu'ar se tools ; but in dividing them among
the pioneers each _.an should, if possible, carry some
tools with the use of which he is acquainted.
"The whole of these tools are of the improved pat-
terns lately adopted for general field service, and in the
event of their becoming broken or damaged on service,
no difficulty will be experienced in replacing them at
any Government tool store or depot.
" It being important that the pioneer, from the nature
of his duties, should be as little as possible burdened on
the march, he will be no longer armed with a musket,
but will carry instead a saw-backed sword, which wail
serve both as a weapon and a tool. The weight of arms
and ammunition from which he is relieved by this ar-
rangement will more than counterbalance that of the
tools,
.and will enable him without difficulty to carry
his knapsack, &c., like any other soldier.
" As the nature of a pioneer force depends entirely
upon the efficiency of the individuals composing it, hie
Royal Highness the General Commanding-in-Chief di-
rects that the practice which has prevailed in many
regiments of making th• pioneers a refuge for old and
worn-out soldiers shall cease.

" On service the pioneer, if an active, intelligent arti-
ficer, would be far more usefully employed in directing
the labours of several ether men than in working exclu-
sively himself; and as, by the present arrangement each
pioneer carries tools for one or more additional men, a
portion of the force would, if competent, be always
available in this capacity.
"Commanding officers of regiments will therefore in
future be careful to select as pioneers ablebodied, active,
intelligent soldiers; and, as it is highly important to ren-
der available some of the skilled labour which each re-
giment possesses in its ranks, they should, as far as pos-
sible, be artificers and mechanics. The corporal should,
in addition, be invariably chosen for his superior intelli-
geace.
"The trades from which pioneers should be taken are
principally carpenters, smiths, masons, bricklayers, or
engine-fitters, and there should be at least two carpen-
ters and a smith among the privates. The mode of
carrying the tools will be as follows :

"NO: 1. The shovel, pickaxe, billhook, and sorer 1—
the shovel being buttoned in its case, ai suspended by
the belt from the left shoulder, so as to hang a little in
rear of the right hip, the handle being in rear of the arm,
the knapsack is then put on, and the studding-strap at-
tached to the back of the shoulder-belt is passed above
the lower sling of the knapsack round the handle of the
shovel, either once or twice as may be convenient, and
under the right arm, where it is buckled on to the belt.
" The pickaxe in its case is carried at the slope' on
the right shoulder.
" The billhook, in its case, is suspended by the waist
belt in rear of the left hip, close to
" The sword, which is in its front, and hanging down
the aide of the left leg.
2, The spade is worn exactly like the shovel ; the axe
is oarried on she right shoulder similarly to the pickaxe.
"The billhook and sword are in each, as has been
explained.
" 3. The two axes in the case are suspended by the
belt over the left shoulder, and hung on to the right hip,
rather to the front.

"The felling axe, ic., as already explained.
" The saw is worn like the two axes on the right side.
"5. Toe crowbar is carried at the slope' on the right
shoulder, the point to the front.
"The bag with small tools is suspended at the right
side, like the saw and two axes.
" In every case the soldiers' waist belt, with the sword
frog supplied with tools, is worn over the belt from which
the tools are suspended, in order to steady them and keep
them in their places.
" Gauntlet gloves and aprons cease to form part of
pioneers' equipment.
" Pione;f4rs are to wear their beards and moustaches
unshaven,

f` G. A. WETHERALL, Adjutant-General."
The attention of the Duke of Cambridge and the au-
thorities at the Horse Ouards having for some time past
been directed to the marine: in which Staff appointments
in the army are made, it is in n:ntemplation to make an
entire change in the system hithertJ adopted. With this
„uris seao ap-
pointed it has been proposed that before ai;v officer
pointed to the Staff he shall undergo a props.-c
the
instruction, under officers of great experience,
several duties he will be called upon to perforat. -
order that none but really efficient officers may be v.- '
lected for the appointments, it is suggested that the ge-
neral officers, at each of the half-yearly inspections, be
directed to call upon the commanding officers of regi-
ments to bring forward the name of any officer under his
command) who may have given proof of superiority in
his profession over the other officers in the regiment.
Should the General-Commanding-in-Chief deem the of-
ficer (after a preliminary examination) so brought forward
to his notice a fit candidate for a Staff appointment, his
name will be placed on the list, and, as vacancies occur,
the senior officer on the list will undergo a course of
instruction, at the public expense, to qualify him for the
staff. The establishment for instruction is proposed to
be limited to about fifty officers, and every facility
will be given to the candidates for acquiring a per-
fect knowledge of their duties, without any expense to
themselves. A properly qualified general officer of great
experience would be appointed to examine the whole of
the officers in the establishment periodically, when the
most efficient officer would be selected and appointed to
the first vacant Staff appointment. The arrangements
proposed are under consideration, and there is little
doubt that, with perhaps a few modifications, they will
be carried into effect, the School of Musketry at Hythe,
which is conducted upon a similar plan, having proved
of such advantage in bringing forward a most efficient
body of officers as instructors in musketry.
Yesterday morning the troops stationed at St. Mary's
Barracks, Che.tham, nembering about 1,400 men of all
ranks, were assmnbled at these barracks for the purpose
of hearing an ore.ler read from the authorities at the
Horse Guards, directing the discharge from the army of
412 men belonging to various cavalry and infantry regi-
ments, the whole of wh,..ch number had been previously
rN
conducted by the Chelse Hospital Commissioners and
pronounced fitted for forthfurther service. On the assembling
of the troops the names of men ordered to be dis-
charged were announced by ideut. and Adjutant J.
Pepe, who also made each ma.l acquainted with the
amount of pension awarded him. rhe troops to be dis-
charged will all leave Chatham this morning.
The following officers having passe `a their examination
in the course of instruction in the u. se of the Enfield
rifle at Chatham garrison have been dir acted to join their
respective depots at the provisional battalion, viz.:—
Lieut. E. Gorton, 29th Regt. ; Ensign , J. Johnstone,
24th Regt. ; Ensign C. Bagnall, 53d Regt. ; Ensign W.
Thompson, 78th Highlanders ; and Ensign N. Penne-
father, 83d Regt.
The following appointments were made ye 'sterday at
the Admiralty :
missioned
Capt. John Fraser, to the Pembroke (cm
for Coastguard service); Lieutenant Logie A. Vhire per,
to the Impregnable ; Lieutenant G. L. Bridges, to the
Cornwallis ; R. Browne, Master, to;the Cornwallh ; W.
Jeffry, Master to the Pembroke ; E. Good, Chapl sin, to
the Itnauin ; W. Pearse, Second Master to the Ant elope ;
W. P. O'Brien, Paymaster to the Pembroke ; 4 .W.
Ellis, Paymaster, to the Cornwallis; W. Wills, Pay.
master, to the Southampton ; J. E. Autley, Payn !aster,
to the Meander ; H. G. Barlow, Assistant-Paymr ester in
charge, to the Pluto ; H. Prengelley, A.,..sistaut-Puymas.
ter in charge, to the Antelope ; F. L. B. Bedv jetl, As.