The Sun.
London, England, 1860-09-01 00:00:00

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

BREAKING OFF COURTSHIP, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES.
—Mr. William Hilton, a respectable-looking, portly
middle-aged man, residing in Woodstock-street, Oxford-
street, was charged with the following assault :
Mr. Henry Bloomfield, a smart-looking young man, the
nephew of an hotel-keeper at 11, Woodstock-street, said
that on the previous evening he was standing at the door
of the hotel with the waiter, when Mr. Hilton crossed from
the opposite side of the street, and after striking him a
severe blow on the temple with his stick, causing a swell-
ing as large as an egg, was about to strike him a blow
with his crutch, but he fortunately warded it off, and gave
him into custody. He had frequently annoyed him also.
Mr. Beadon asked the complainant whether he gave the
defendant any provocation.

The complainant said he was engaged to be married to
the defendant's daughter, but owing to the defendant's
conduct it was broken off by mutual consult.
The defendant, a tailor, said the aggravation on his part
was this. The complainant asked his consent to be allowed
to pay his addresses to his (defendant's) daughter, but af-
terwards broke it off and married another. The complain-
ant and the waiter were all day long standing at the door of
the hotel making grimaces at him. He would admit the
assault, but it was under aggravated feelings.
The complainant said it was a mistake on the defen-
dant's part. The fact was, the waiter was " after" a young
lady on the defendant's side of the way, and what the de-
fendant took for grimaces towards him were the waiter's
smiles to attract the young lady's attention.
Mr. Beadon said it was very unfortunate she lived on the
defendant's side of the street.

A constable said the defendant was certainly intoxicated
at the time.

Mr. Beadon said, under the circumstances, he should
order the defendant to enter into his own recognisance in
the sum of £lO to keep the peace for three months.

THAMES.

IMPORTANT TO MARINIIRS. - Captain Alexander
Douglas, the master of the ship Blackburn, from Cal-
cutta, appeared before Mr. Yardley, to answer to a sum-
mons which charged him with having refused to give a
proper certificate of service and discharge to Mr. Join
Sharman, late chief.mate of the same vessel, in violation
of the 172 d clause of the Merchant Shipping Act 1854,
by which he had incurred a penalty not exceeding £lO.
Mr. Joseph Smith, solicitor, who appeared for the com-
plainant, said, his client possessed a master's certificate of
competency, and was substantially, as far as rating went,
in as good a position as the defendant. Mr. Sharman had
served as chief mate of the Blackburn on a voyage to Cal-
cutta and back. There had been some differences between
the captain and the mate on the voyage, and in the certifi-
cate of service and discharge, which th© defendant was
bound to give to the complainant on the termination of a
voyage, a wilful misstatement was made, and it was done
out of a feeling of resentment against the mate, who was de-
scribed as an A. 8., meaning able seaman, whereas he ought
to have been described as mate. It would be impossible
for the complainant to obtain employment as chief mate in
another ship without such a certificate.
Mr. Charles Young, solicitor for the defendant, said this
was a proceeding to annoy the captain, who had complied
with the Act of Parliament, which said that the word " sea-
man" shall include every person (except masters, pilots,
and apprentices duly indentured and registered) employed
or engaged in any capacity on board any ship.
Mr. Yardley over-ruled the objection, and said the inter-
pretation clause just quoted did not get rid of the obligation
to specify the capacity in which the defendant served ; if
cook and steward, he must be described as such. An ardiaary
seaman should be called an ordinary seaman, and a mate
should be described as a mate. It was unfair to the com-
plainant to put him down as A. B. if he acted as mate.

Mr. Smith—He was chief mate, and received his wages
as such.

Mr. Young—He was put off duty for three weeks pre-
vious to the voyage, but was not disrated we admit, and
received his pay as mate. The shipping-master made out
the certificates of service and discharge ; the captain only
signed them.
Mr. Yardley—The captain is answerable. The Act of
Parliament would be worse than useless unless officers and
seamen are to receive certificates according to their respeo-
tive capacities.

Mr. Smith said the defendant was tined 40s. and one
guinea costs, by Mr. Selfe, for assaulting Mr. Sharman,
and tho error was intentional, to injure the mate.
Mr. Young said the certificate was given to the mate at
the Shipping-office, several days before the conviction.
Mr. Sharman said he noticed that A.B. was inserted on
the certificate when he received it at the Shipping-oflce
the day the ship was paid off. He made no remark upon
it. He did not call the defendant's attention to it.
Mr. Yardley—Why not ?

.Mr. Sharman—Because, whenever I have had any con-
versation with him, ho has endeavoured to excite me.
Mr. Yardley said the case was made out. He could not
help noticing there was a little angry feeling on both sides.
He thought the complainant ought to have called attention
to the certificate when he received it, and have said I am
only described here as an A.B. I require you to de-
scribe me as a mato, in which capacity I have servpd.

Mr. Smith said he spoke to Captain Douglas about
the certificate on the day the assault case was heard, and
he then refused to alter it.

Mr. Yardley said the mate ought to have called the cap-
tain's attention to the certificate directly he received it, and
if he had done so he would certainly have inflicted a very
substantial penalty. Ile hoped the defendant would give
the mate a proper certificate.
Captain Deuglas—Certainly. I will do so.
Mr. Yardley—Then I think a fine of is and common
oosts will meet the justice of this case.
The money was instantly paid.

VACANCIES, APPOINTMENTS, AND
PRO3fOTIONS IN THE CIVIL SERVICE.

Home-office.—The lord-lieutenancy of Berwick-
shire has become vacant by the death of the Earl
of Lauderdale.

Office of Works.—Mr. F. W. Weldon, assistant
hook-keeper, Office of Public Works, Dublin, has
been appointed accountant, Office of Works and
Public Buildings, London.
The Post-office.—The postmastership of Montrose
is vacant ; salary £l2O, commission on stamps
£l5. The Postmastership of Blackburn is vacant;
salary £2OO, commission on stamps £25, allowance
for office-rent and other expenses £4O. Mr. Old-
ham Barlow has been appointed private secretary
to the postmaster-general, Lord Stanley of Alderley.
Mr. J. Downes, first clerk at Worcester, has been
appointed postmaster of Stafford. Mr. John Gib-
son and Mr. Robert Winter have been promoted
third to the second class of travelling clerks, mail-
office department. Messrs. J. Lee, H. Barker, and
S. B. Cooper have been promoted from the second
to the first-class of sorters at Leeds.—Mr. E. Phe-
lan has been promoted from the fourth to the third
class of sorters at Edinburgh. Mr. W. H. Sten-
house, third class sorter at Glasgow, has been
appointed assistant inspector of letter-carriers.
Customs.—The following officers have been
placed on the compensation list :—Mr. W. Phil-
lips, locker second class, London. Mr. G. L. Elgan,
weigher, first class. London. Mr. B. Bond, clerk
first class for general business, London. Messrs.
W. Dotson, J. Pickett, and R. Anthony, weighers
first class, London. Messrs. R. Smith, R.Walker,
W. James, and P. Byrne, tidewaiters, Lon-
don, Mr. J. Adley, collector, Ipswich. Mr.
C. Sholl, controller, Exeter. Mr. R. C.
Hearn, collector, Newhaven. Mr. J. Mason,
controller, Hull. Mr. C. Rudwick, controller,
Arundel. Mr. John Cooper, tidewaiter, at Little-
hampton, in the port of Arundel. Mr. W. Lashman-
man, tidewaiter at Shoreham. Mr. W. Marks, tide-
waiter at Dover. Messrs. J. Yeames and W. J.
Budds, weighers at Dover. Mr. W. Lashmar, tide-
waiter at Cowes. Mr. A. Cole, principal coast officer
at Newport, in the port of Cowes. Mr. D. Clark,
controller of accounts at St. Katherine Docks. Mr.
W. Pike, superintendent locker, second class, in
London. Messrs. C. West and B. Harrison, weighers,
second class, in London. Mr. J. Henry, weigher,
third class, in London.

Inland Revenue Department.—Stamps and Taxes
Branch.—Mr. F. G. Bailey, of the Secretary's Office,
has been appointed assessor of the income tax for
.the stamp and tax branch of the department, in the
room of Mr. A. A. Watts, resigned on promotion.
Mr. H. W. Fulcher has been appointed to a clerk-
ship in the Chief Accountant's Office, and has
entered upon probation. Mr. Albert Thompson has
been appointed to a clerkship in the Legacy Duty
Office, and has entered upon probation. Mr. Charles
Ogilvy, supernumerary surveyor of Taxes in Eng-
land, has been ordered to be transferred to the Irish
establishment. Mr. George Barber, a redundant
landing waiter on the establishment of the Customs,
has been appointed supernumerary surveyor of
taxes in England, in the room of Mr. Ogilvy.
Excise Branch.—Mr. John Miller, supervisor of
Brighton district, Sussex Collection, has been ap-
pointed surveying general examiner, third class.
Mr. Thomas Pugh, supervisor of Buckingham
district, Northampton Collection, has been
appointed to Brighton district, Sussex Collection,
Mr. George Jones, examiner, has beer). appointed
to Buckingham district, Northampton Collection.
Mr. William John Poole, examiner, has been ap-
pointed to Oban Collection district. Mr. John
L. Gibson, officer of Halifax third division, Halifax
Collection, has been appointed to Rochdale first
division, Manchester Collection. Mr John Strange-
ways, officer of Bridgend second division, Argyle
Collection, has been appointed to Halifax third
division, Halifax Collection. Mr. John N. Hassam,
officer of Peterborough third division, Grantham
Collection, has been appointed export officer at the
Port of London,—Ctvil Service Gazette.