The Sun.
London, England, 1856-12-26 00:00:00

COURT-MARTIAL AT ALDERSHOT.

The proceedings of a general court-martial appointed
to try Ensign Charles Jacquet, 23d Fusiliers, on charges
preferred again t him by his late commanding officer,
Lieutenant-Colonel Bunbury, have just been brought
to a close at Aldershot. The charges were, " for in-
famous and scandalous conduct unbecoming the charac-
ter of an officer and a gentleman—first, in having, on
the 26th of August, 1856, made a false report in writ-
ing to his commanding officer, to :be effect that certain
claims against him were paid, which he knew had not
been paid ; secondly, in having committed a breach of
military discipline in absenting himself from duty during
the month of September, 1856 ; and, tnirdly, for having
falsely reported himself as too ill to comply with an order
calling upon him to rejoin the depot of his regiment."
The prosecution extended over three days, and the
defence, in which the prisoner was assisted by Ser-
geant Ballantine (specially retained), occupied two days.
The case was very simple, and would have attracted
no more attention than ordinary instances of breach
of discipline, but from the fact that Ensign Jacquet,
who is not yet 19 years of age, had obtained his
commission in the 23d Fusiliers as a mark of
good conduct while in the Royal Elthorne Mid-
dlesex Militia ; and that Mr. Jacquet, senior, had alleged
his son bad not been fairly treated by Col. Bunbury, in
a correspondence which had taken place with the Horse
Guards in reference to the prisoner.
Col. Wellesley, 7th Fusiliers, acted as president of the
court ; Captain Marriott, 82d Regiment, was the deputy
judge-advocate ; and Major Bruce, commanding the 23d
Fusiliers, appeared as she nominal prosecutor.
Colonel Bunbury and 14 other witnesses were exa
mined for the prosecution. The facts proved against the
prisoner were, that having incurrred two debts, one with
a tradeswoman at Farnham, amounting to 2/. 9s. while
an officer of the militia stationed at Alderehot ; and
another of 41. for pipes and cigars with a Jew pedlar of
the name of Salmon, he neglected to pay the first, and
gave a cheque on Messrs. Cox and Co , which was dis
honoured, for the second ; that having been called upon
by Colonel Banbury to discharge these claims, be stated
in writing, under date August 26, 1856, that both debts
were paid ; that at that date neither of the parties to
whom prisoner was indebted had received the moseys
due to them; that having obtained leave of absence from
the depot of his regiment, at Newport, in Monmouth-
shire,
he absented himself for five weeks, residing
during this period at Brighton ; that he travelled three
times between Brighton and London while so absent
without leave ; at the same time he addressed a letter
to Captain Bathurst, commanding the depot of his regi-
ment, informing him he was unable to return to quar-
ter owing to serious sypsylitic indisposition, enclosing a
civilian doctor's certificate to this effect, and that in the
opinion of the military surgeons, who examined the pri-
soner at Brighton, such illness did not disqualify him
from being able to travel at the period referred to. One
of the witnesses created some amusement by the candid
admission that her visit to Aldershot, when she came
to demand payment of the bill of 2/. 95., was not made
specially to Mr. Jacquet, but to refresh the memories of
several ether officers in camp, who had forgotten their
pecuniary obligations to her mistress.
The prisoner, in his defence, declared himself wholly
guiltless of any intentional misstatement. With regard
to the claim of the Farnham shopkeeper, he had actu-
ally obtained a post-office order at Newport for the
amount, on the 25th of August, 1856, one day previously
to his allegation that the amount had been paid, and
that an accidental omission to send the counterpart of
the order was the reason the money had not been re-,
ceived. That with regard to the dishonoured cheque, he
had drawn it under the belief that his father had pro-
vided funds at Messrs. Cox's ; that when in the middle
of August he found it had not been paid, he sxplained
the matter to his brother, who was on a visit to him at
Newport, and received his assurance that the matter
should be settled on his return to London ; that when he
made the statement to his commanding officer he
believed it bad been so settled. With regard to his
absence without leave, the prisoner threw himself on the
merciful considee ation of the Court, alleging that he was
most seriously ill during the whole period of such
absence ; that while he admitted having acted with great
indiscretion and folly, he had no intention of disobeying
the laws of the service to which he had the honour to
belong.
The defence was supported by the evidence of the
Farnham postmaster, who produced a post-office order
dated Newport, Aug 25, taken out by the prisoner in
favour of Anne Cottle, of Farnham ; of the prisoner's
elder brother, who admitted having undertaken to pay
the dishonoured cheque, and who really calied at Sal-
mon's house with that object. The cheque was never,
however, forthcoming, and the evidence on this great
point drew from the court an emphatic observation on
the manner in which the draft had been handed back-
wards and forwards between Colonel Bunbury and
Captain Bathurst, while it was carefully kept from those
who would probably have paid it. With regard to the
prisoner's absence from duty, Mr. H. J. Johnson, late
surgeon of the Lock Hospital, proved that from the
present condition of Ensign Jacquet's health, he could
not possibly have been in a fit state to travel during
September and October last. In answer to the court,
Mr. Johnson said had he known Ensign Jacquet was
absent from his regiment without leave, in his then state
of health, though, as a friend, he might have advised him
to risk making a journey, as a medical attendant, he
should certainly have forbade such a step.
Major Bruce, on the part of the prosecution, read a
rejoinder to the defence, in which he explained to the
court that the words " infamous and scandalous," were
not his, but had been introduced into the charges against
the prisoner at the Horse Guards. He added, that the
circumstances of extenuation disclosed by the defence had
not previously been made known to the prosecution—a
fact which would explain away any appearance of harsh-
ness against the prisoner on the part of Colonel Bun-
bury ; and, lastly, he contended, that the military
medical testimony as to Ensign Jeep:let's ability to tra-
vel outweighed what had been deposed to by Mr. John-
son, of the Lock Hospital.
The Court having heard the rejoinder read, subse-
quently determined it had been irregularly put in, and
could not be received.
The President, before closing the court to deliberate
upon the finding, animadverted in strong terms upafter ,
presence of Capt. Bathurst in the room witnesses
on both sides had been specially desired to hd _
as a
proceeding which, he said, could only be deli hated
nated
wilful
defiance of the orders laid down by the court.
The decision of the court will not be made
after it has been submitted to the Horse Guards.known until

—srs
Erfscoren LIBERALITY.—The Lord Bishop of Glou-
cester aroi Bristol provided lodgings, at his own expense,
for every candidate for the recent ordination, an d
addi-
rected tbat all their needs should be promptly
liberally supplied. The want of a palace at Bristol has
thus not been held by the right rev. prelate to be an ex-
cuse for neglecting the rit's of hospitality.
ARRIVAL OF THE CANDIA.—The Peninsular and Ori.
ental Company's steamer Candia, Captain H. W. Po,
which left Malta on the 10th inst., arrived at Southamp-
ton yesterday. This vessel brings no passengers, those
who embarked in her at Alexandria having arrived two
or three weeks since overland, via Marseilles. The
Candia ha, made the voyage from Malta (not calling at
Gibraltar) to the Needles in 14 days and 11 hours, with
one engine, and against strong head winds two-thirds
the voyage. She experienced strong north-westerly
gales in ihe Mediterranean ; north-easterly winds from
Gibraltar to Lisbon ; off Lisbon a very heavy northely
gale ; across the Bay of Biscay easterly inds and h r
azy
weather ; up Channel nortn-westerly wind and
ke hazy
weather. Dec. 24, at 2 p in., off the Lizard, spo
Dutch brig Bantam ; asked to be reported. The cargo
brought by the Candia consists of two packages o t ape
cie (value not stated), 50 cases of gum, 15 boxes shawls,
62 barrels of dates, 2 bags of coffe,, 5 cases of tortoise
ehell, 25 cases of bilk, 2 bags of rice, 320 bales of silk,
76 bales of flax, 2 bales of wool, 3 cases of opium, 146
packages of elephants' teeth, 8 casks of wine, 1 packag,,..
of cigars, 1 package of dried fruits, and 117 packages of
general merchandise,