The Sun.
London, England, 1858-02-08 00:00:00

LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 8, 1858.

LORD BROUGHAM'S NEW BANKRUPTCY

BILL.

The following is a copy of the bill introduced by
Lord Brougham on Friday evening, and deeming
it to be a measure of va-.t importance to the com-
munisy at lirge we give it in extenso. We hear
that it is'to be followed by others equally deserving
of attention :
A Bill intituled," an 'Act to abolish impriiionment. for
debt, to extend the laws relating to bankrnpts to the
cases of non-traders,_to give farther remedies to credi-
_ tors, and to secure the due punishment of fraudulent
debtors. ' '

Whereas it •is expedient to abolish imprisonment for
debt,.to extend- the laws relating to bankrupts to the
cases of non-traders, to give further remedies to credi-
tors, and to secure the due punishment of fraudulent
debtors, be it enacted by the Queen's most excellent
majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the
Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this pre-
sent Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the
same, as follows
I. Imprisonment for debt is abolished ; and from and
after the commencement of this act no person shall be
arrested upon final process in any civil action or other
proceeding in any court exercising jurisdiction in matters
of debt or damage, or any person against whom an order
of any Court of Equity for payment of any sum of money
or of costs, charges, or expenses, "'hall 'have been made,
be committed for contempt of any such order, except in
the cases and in the manner hereinafter mentioned :
provided always that this act shall not extend to process
at the suit of the crown, or to process issued against
absconding dc
11. From and after the commencement of this act,
the laws relating to bankrcpts shall extend and be ap-
plicable to non-traders, and all persons shall be amenable
thereto, aed entitled to the benefits thereof, notwith-
standing that they may not be traders within the mean-
in„ of such laws ; and in suing out an adjudication of
bankruptcy it shall no longer be necessary 'to prove any
act of trading ; and the remedies given to creditors by
" The Bankrupt Law Consolidation Act, 1849," or by
any other act, against trader debtors, shall, except in so
far as repealed by this act, extend and be applicable to
all debtors whatsoever : provided always, and it is
hereby especially enacted and provided, that as regards
non-traders this act and the remedies aforesaid shall only
be enforced and have affect in respect of debts contracted
or liabilities incurred subsequent to the passing thereof ;
and that nothing herein container shall entitle any cre-
ditor to avail himself of the provisions of this act for the
purpose of suing out an adjudication of bankruptcy
against any such non-trader on any debt or liability,
other than as last aforesaid.
- 111. Any non-trader unable to meet his engagements
with his crditors, and desirous of availing hiinself of the
benefit of this ace, and of conforming and submitting
himself thereto, nod being also able to show to the
satisfaction of the c urt that his Available estate is suffi•
cient to pr.:duce the sum of one hundred and fifty pounds
at the least, may at any time, and notwithstanding what
is contained in the preceding section of this Act, petition
for adjudication of bankruptcy against
IV. The Court of Bankruptcy, and every commissioner
and officer thereof, shall have and exercise the same
jurisdiction, power, and authority, in all matters and
proceedings prosecu ed under this Act, as they now have
in matters prosecuted under "Tice Bankrupt La::
Consolidatien Act, 1819," or under any other Act, or as
may hereafter be given by any other Act, saving and
excepting always to so fer as repealed by this Act.
V. At the sitting for the consideration of the allowance
of the certificate of any bankrupt, not b ing a trader,
and adjudicated a bankrupt under thin Act, the Cort,
bes.de having regard to the o,ncluot of such a bankrupt
in hie pecuniaryeugagetnent4 and d,sE,}gs lalore Vie date
of the adjudication, shalt have regard to his conduct,
bath beftre and after such adjud:cation, in or relating
to any act, matter, or thing which in the Court for the
relief of insolvent debtors in England would, prior to the
passing of this act, have been a ground for a remand in
the case of an insolvent debtor, and may for any such
afence order such bankrupt to be imprisoned for such
period of time as it shall think fit ; provided always,
that such imprisonment shall in no case
:exceed the
period of two years.
VI. All dectsionsand eiders made under this act shall
be subject to the same appeal as decisions and orders
made under "The Bankrupt Law Consolilatian, Act,
1849."

VII. Any person, haring obtained a judgment or
order of any court of law or equity for the payment of
any sum of money, or of demagee, costa, charges, or ex
penaes, may apply to the County Court for the district
in which his debtor shall recide for a summona c
upon him t ) show cause why he should net be echn-
mitted to prison ; and if upon the bearing of such sum-
mons it shall appear that such judgment has been
recovered for damages in any action cr proceedial for
-breach of tha revenue lawn, or in any action for
of promise of marriage, seduction, libel, xlmder, a4,ault,
battery, malicious arrea, malicious suing out au n4jaili-
cation of bankruptcy, or malicious trespass, or it the
plaintiff shall show to the satisfaction of the court that
the debt contained in any such judgment cr order, or
any part thereof, has been contracted by means of false
pretences, or by any manner of fraud or breach of tru,t,
or without his debtor having at the time of contract had
any reasonable or probable expec'ation of being able to
pay the same, the court shall have power to order the
defendant to be committed to prison for any term not
exceeding the period of two years.
VIII. Any person, having a judgment or order of
any court of law or equity for the payment of any sum
of money, or of damages, costs, charges, or expenses,
may apply to the County Court for the district in which
his debtor shall reside for a Burn eons feeling up meson's
debtor to show cause why ho does not pay the amount
of such judgment or order ; and if upon the hearing of
such summons the plaintiff aball show to the satisfac-
tion of the court that the defendant is in a condition
to pay, or that he is in the receipt of such annuzl or
other income R 9 to enable him to do so in part, the
court shall make such order as shall seem just, and
either for payment of such demand forthwith, or within
such stated time as it shall think fit, or for the payment
thereof by instalments, and if the debtor shall n obey
such order may thereafter, on proof t'nereor, order such
debtor to be committed to pr:aoa until he c-imply with
such order, or for such period of time as the court shall
think fit not exceeding the period of one year.
IX. If any judgment debtor, sumuirned as in the two
precedingsections, do not attend the oi': t as required by
such summons, or being in ationdance shall refuse to be
sworn and examined touching the matter of such sutn-

mous, or is ball refuse to make answer to the satisfac:ion
of the court, the court may order such deb:or to be com-
mitted to prison, there to remain until he submit him-
self to the authority of the court.
X. All judgment cre:lit -rs within the meanieg of ceo-
tion eighteen of the fir,t and second Victoria, chap. 110,
and all persons whose names are inserted as creditors

in the schedule of any insolvent filed in the court for the
relief of in-jolvent debtors in England, or in any of the
country courts, and to the a,nount for which they era so

inserted, chat! be taken and deemed to be the judgment
creditors within the meaning of the act.
la
wXr. for Ithf
en pr
en:an
vt he trial o
e ryofa
tiyf
sum
my actionof
money,in any
an ;1 of
which
judgment shall be recovered for the plaintiff, it shall
appear to the judge oho shall try the same that the debt
or any part thereof has been contracted by the defendant
by means of fade pretences, or by any manner of fraud
or breach of trust, or without his having at the time of
contract bad any reasonable or probable expectation of
' being able to pay the same, or if upon the trial of any
action or proceeding a verdict shall be given for damages
for broach of tho revenue laws, or for breach of promise
of marriage, seduction, libel, offender, assault, battery,
malicious arrest, malicious suing out an adjudication of
bankroptcy, or malicious trespass, the court may fer
any of such offences order the defendant forthwith to be
committed to prison for such term as it shall think fit,
not exceeding the period of two years.
XII-. Every prisoner who at the comeneneement of
this act shall be in execution on any judgnaeatr for any
debt or demand, or on any order for 'nonpayment of
ens+g, ar4eB, or expenses, may apply to a judge of one
of the superior courts at Westminster, or to tne court
from which the judgment or order under which be is in
custody shall Lave proceeded, for an order or rule oa the
party at whose suit he is in custody to seow cause wby
he should not be discharged out of custody ; and it shall
be lawful for such judge or court to make absolive such
order or rule, or for any, of the causes mentioned in
section 7 of this act, to direct such prisoner to be detained
in custody and for such time as shall seem just ; and
such judge or court may direct the costs of the applica-
tion to be paid by either party, or may make such other
order as shall seem fit : provided always, that any such
order may bo appealed against, and may be discharged
or varied, by the court of appeal, or app:ication made
thereto by either party ; and provided also, that the
judgment creditor at whose suit such prisoner khan have
been charged in execution may, notwithstanding such
imprisonment, lawfully sue forth and lave remedy against
the property of such judgment debtor in such manner
and form as he might have had if such judgment debtor
had never been taken or charged in execution.

XIII. From and after- toe commencement this act,
the court for the relief of insolvent debtors in England,'
and the offices the commissioners, provisional assignee,
and registrars, and other officers thereof, shall be atolt
ishel, but reserving and subject to execution by the
present commissioners, provisional assignee, registrars,
and other officers of the said court, as such, of the duties
hereinafter provided for ; and until they are released
under this act they shalt, for the performance of such
duties, continue to blve all the powers conft rred up)n
them by any act of Parliament, or others hie vested in
them, save and except in so far as the same are repealed
by this act.

XIV. No vacancy, which may hereafter Occur in the
office of commissioner, provisional assignee, registrar,
or other officer of the said court for the relief cf inso!.
vent debtors shall be filled up.
XV, On the first day of Michaelmas Term 1858, the
chief commissioner of ens of the registrars of the said
court f r the relief of insolvent debto s shall be released
from their duties, and as often thereafter as in the judg-
ment of the Lord Chancellor, from the state of bu,iness
in the said court, any other commissioner or registrar or
other officer can be spared, it shall be lawful for the said

chancellor to release any such commissioner, registrar,
or other officer, at such time or times as to him shall
seem fit.
XVI. Every cmarnissinner or other officer to be re-
leased by the Lord Cealicellsr as aforesaid Isbell have the
optioh tendered to him according to his seniority in
office; and if any such cdminiasioner or other officer shall,
for one calendar mohtli after goat option tendered to
him, neglect,or decline to avail hansaf thereof, than the
Lord Chanciellor may tender'the like option to the next
in succession in.:seniotity in offices and so tot* quoties
but when the Lord Chancellor shall' be of opinion that
the services of none of the said' commisianers• or other
officers are no longer necessary for the winding up of the
business of the said court, it shall beaiwful for him, to
release every remaining commissioner and officer, and to
make such arrangement with respect to the custody of
the records of such court as to him shall seem fi's
XVII. Each of the commissioners of the court for the
relief of.insolvent debtore to be so releised as aforesaid
shall nevertheless continue entitled to receive during his
life, by way of retiring pensibn, the full amount of his
salary as such commissioner, and such salsifies shall be
payable out of the same fund, on the days, and in the
same manner in all reepecte as their present salariee,
XVIII. In order as expeditiously as may be to wind
up all the matters and things which may be depending
before the said Court of Relief of Insolvent Debtors, it
shall be lawful for any oommissioner thereof, at any time
after the passing of this act, to-stun:non as ha shall deem
fit all or any of the parties tri.pky matter _or thing so
depending, or their solicitors, or -theitiapon to proceed
with such matter or thing, and give such directions cud
make such order as be may think necessary ler the pur-
pose of settling and winding up the same, and he shall be
at liberty to proceed for the purposes aforeasid in the
absence of the parties or solicitors neglecting or rsfusing
to attend the summons.
XIX. From and after the commencement of this act
the County Courts for the Metropolitan districts shall
have and exercise the sem) jurisdiction, power, and
authority as is given to the other county courts by the
Act of' the 10th and 11th of her present Majesty, chap.
102, save and except in so far as the same may be re-
pealed or altered by this act.
XX. So soon as the provisional assignee or any re-
gi.Arar or other officer of the Ocilla for the Relief of
Insolvent Debtors aforesaid, whose dice is hereby
abolishe I, shall have been released in manner aferesaid,
it shall b 3 lawful fur him to make a claim for compen-
sation to the commissioners of her Mejesty's treasury ;
and the said commissioners shall, by examination on
oath or otherwise (which oath each t f them shall le-
empowered to ndmini.tet), inquire whether any, and if
any, wtsat compensation ought to be made to any sue!)
claimant, regard being hai to Coe conditions on which
the appointment of any such officss was made, and also
to the nature of the appointment and the duration of the
service ; and the coinmiseioaera shall be empowered t
Ca 1 for such evidence in relation thereto as -hey may
think. necessary ; and in every cars,,uct, claim
shall he established they or any Vitae of them shall be
autholizad and empowered- to award to the claima,t,
by warrant under their hand, free and clear of all
taxes and deducti.ms whateo-ver, necept the tax on
income, such compensation as, and as such times as,
under the circuinw ancaa of each else, shall
au.t to order too pty meta thereof out of the
seem to them just and reasonable, by way of annuity or
other,viee,
Consolid.tted Fund ; and in case of the cleat!) of any
such person his executor or alniiniserator shall be
entitled to reseive the prslpoi tio,:ata pal t of such e:am-
pansation or annuity which shall have accrued up to the
day of his decease ; provided ai way., tha'. if any of the
ptl
e),rs) Bla ) may be foun I to be entitledto
any such, ii;':l,-; F;..AL-m or retiring annuity as aforesaid shell be
appoin• Ed to and accept any put to office or employment
the sn'aty whereof shall eqii,l or ( xceed in erase st th.eir
compensation r retiring ancuity, then during the time
of their cantinuanoe in stale office or employment such
compensation or retiring annuity shall alteget'acr e :1 t,e ;
and if any of them sheltie appointed to an l accept any
public office or employment of an annual valise less than
the amount of any such compensation or annuity, they,
during the Cane they may ration° in each office or
employ, shall be entitled to receive only so much of their
compensation or retiring annuity as shall, t,;gstlimr with
the salary of such new office or employment, be rgoal to
such compensation or retiring annuity.
XXI. The Commissioners of the Court of Bankruptcy,
or any two of them, of whom the cantor com Missioner
shall be one, and any tNo of the judges of the county
c urts, may from time to time make such rules and orders

as they may think fit for the better carryingChi:l;C:
into exi,cuti,m ; provided always, that no 'uca rue or
orders shall be of a4ly force or tfLutnntill they,shall have
been spproved by the 1,-)rd Chancellor.
XXII. The forms given in the appendices to " The
Bankrupt L; Consolidation AA 1849," and in the
rules and Hers rnl,de in pursuance of teat act, may,
so far as the same are applicable, be altered so as to
adapt them to the cases of nor-traders proceeded against
or adjudged bankrupt older this ao►.

Ia 0'6:34 this act in other riots of Parliament,
or in anyiin.trurnent, document, or proceeding, it shall
be sufficient to use the expression "rile Imprisonment
for Debt Abolition AIL 1853."
XXIV. None of the provisions of thii act shall ex-
tend t, Ireland or Scot!and.
XXV. This ant, excepting where other 4iis provided,
shall voinmeoce and take effect from and alter tl:c
of October, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight.

TDB ENGLIS7I ENGINEERS IMPRISONED

IN NAPLES.

PROGRESS OF THE TRIAL.

. 2 .
The court opened again on Saturday moreFEB
ie '-
the 30th January. °
Some delay took place in consequence of thel trz--
tire refusal of Watt to appear. They might bind'
him and bring him down by violence, otherwise he
would not come. It was sugoested that his head
was not in a right state,
as h d been proved during
his illnes:e and that the use of force might drive
him to frenzy. It was agreed, therefore, that he
should be replaced as ill, and that th 3 case should
pr cecd. I must remind you that Parks has been
subject to fits (the lest be had on the night of the
a
earthquake), and Watt to this aLerratiou of mind
since and in consequence of his confinement.
After the usull recommendation of the President
to moderetion, the Attorney-General continued and
concluded the reading of
the " atto di accu'a,"
when began what is called the " iuterrogitorio" in
tle3 Neapolitan code. Each prisoner is called on to
asseet to or correct or aild to his former deposi-
tions, which are first read to him.
Baron 24 icotera was the first. If you don't beer
well, you may come nearer, said the President. I
hear quite well, was the anewer.
His depositions contained a full histoil of him-
self, in a political point of view, for some years
back. Ho hated Sects, and never belonged to thOm.
Thera were two great
parties in this country : the
Nation id, the Muratist, and the Piedmontrse. He
himself heionged to the first. He hated Muratisw,
and it had been one ee his objects to anticipate and
destroy it. lie never would fight against a domestic
sovereign, to put his country under a foreign rule.
France had given her
support to Muratism with a
view to extend her territory. Saliceti was at the
head of the movement.. Hitherto England had
baffled the attempt, but Muratismnumbered many
followers, and would yet suce,-.;ed. The Piedmon-
tese party was small.
Re acknowledged his full
participation in the conspiracy f r which they were
on teial, and in trying to fight against Muratism
he believed be bad done well for his country.
On the conclusion of one of the depositions Nico•
tera rose, and with great emotion F ail --S,guor
President, that was net er react to tne ; it is false.
Mtnot require any
di aceusa" which
persisted in twat
e‘urt ; the documents aro
a; 1
11, 3 , t
el;
nrsbote
etiehmuneto•rcanheticoalernni-v:Gaee
chancery.
oyr a ltt—hh
0: Procurator-General---We
saying
The President showed as much in lulgenec as he
could t 3 the prisoner, . but the Procurator-General
insisted•onthe depontions being read without any
mht
farther interruption.
the d Nicotera,o however, still
You tray now add anything you like, said the
President.
Nicotera then handed in a totheProcu-
rator-General, Paper
.he said, a full ei-
the c-ew of the Cagl • tart, and a report
culpation of
they -
of the abuses •to which themselves had been
subjected. The Baron demanded that the paper
should be read to the coeit.
Procurator-General—lt cannot be read ; it is
con'rary to the law.
It would be as well to read it as let it be spoken,
said the President.

yanrtelatilie; jaunddgei:
aarlainmd.igtillitabtesirleciaT
...... .-- ..,.......____.
prisoner
Procurator-General—l demand that the
Le oberved.
be kept within the limits of thepl
The PrOdent then rang his belalll
r e tli rise)
believe
iteovceinsider t Ncvohneltdb er, rotthbee
log
would hive been bettor if Nicottra had confined
liim.;elf to his light of speaking. Part INT., ~ Laws
of Procedure in Penal Causes," secf-. 257 : ,c After-
wards the President shall ask the accus:d if he has
anything to ob•terve in his defence in regard to the
acts" (depositions) . • Sect. 258 says :_gi
The
answers of accused, whether they confirm, modify,
expla'n, or retract any of th 3 contents shall be regis-
t3ted." The full right of speech is thereTf re ac-
corded to thn p7isonerby the Neapolitan law.
On the return of the judges, after a long absence,
it was stated that the reading of the document could
net be permitted, but that a condensaticm had been
nude, and should be read and
.registered, if Nicet ra
approved.
This abstraCt wa3 read, stating in very w'.de 'and
general term 3 that the prisoners had sutfer,:d great

abuses, and that the craw of the awliari we-e inno-
cent_ of all kn..o-v'e.lge or' or participation in, the
crime with which they were charged.
Will that do ? said the President.
Ilicotera—May I speak or not ?
President—lf you have anything to add after
youk exculpation of the Cagliari, you can do so ;
birCon other points which are not necessary to your
defence we cannot permit you to indulge in mere
chiaecheri".(gossip).
Nico'era—Nothing is ridiculous or trifling which
touches 'our ' honour, and whether we acted as
brave men or vile, I consider it necessary to my
defence to be allowed to speak. The law accords
to me tLe lib3rty of doing so.. If, however, you
will not allow me to speak, my silence will be more
eloquent.

frocurator-Geneial (with a stentorian voice)—l
demand that the prisoner be kept within limits. I
daniand sileuce.

President.-1 think you must ba contented with
the. fortnnia"that has been read.
Nicotera—i' Niente" (not in the slightest). This
was his reply.

_ -
Another document was put in.
You would like this read ? said the President.
Nieotera—:"Faccia come e vilely," (do as you
liko).

Have you anything inora to say ? asked the
President.

. Not A word, replied the priion.r. •
Two things must .be. hare observed : there was
an evident diversity of feeling between the President
and the Procurator-G.:lmM ; and there was some-
thing in the document of Nico.era to be concealed
What. was it that they wished to suppress ? FL r,
as we have seen, and as it is int )rpreted, the law
permits full liberty of speech to the accused. The
atto di accusa says :—" The firing lasted for about
an hour from the mountains of Sanz I, and 27 of
the rebels fell, amongst whom vr;.s their leader,
Carlo Pisacane.• It is said that Nicotera's paper
stated, amongst other things, that the insu,gents .
had already surrendt-rad, and were in the han is of
the Guardia Urbana, when a conipany of soldicrs,•
by order of their officer, fired on theta from rt wall,
and killed them ; that they were n 4 kiile I in
action, but treacherously, and iu cold blond • the
officer saying that, as Iva had trot satisfied the king
on the 13th May, 1848, he was detnrminad to d'
so nor. Such, it is said, was one of the statements
which the con) t was 5) anxious to suppress, and t
do which it heFit ttcd rot *0 oonimit a gross illega-
lity. Nic4era was silence!, denied the iiberty'Lc-
corded by the law, and heac,,,for.h no ftirness can
be expec-ed in the trod,-1 ~f concluetieg the trial.

. _
..
Aft ,T this remarkable sleno, Gae•a-io Bo.ggi n.
miriner and a Piedmentese, wai c died upon. lie
maintained his perfect ixu ice of the chatic;;
imputed to him, and said that ha hal. 12PZver been a
thief, as wai P sae: ted.

Thus concludes the rep Tt of this day's trial.
Tile prri;:ipal fertturs in it are—istly, the desire
which tv:ta manifes,ed to hubh up c vain
rerek-
tions of Nicot-ra ; 2dly, the ()Toss ill-!?.ality prac-
tised to effect this object ; 3dly, the full exculpa-
tizni, by the second in c ::na%d of the expedition of
the captain and crew of the Cagliari.

NATi.A.L AND MILITARY hfiELLIGESCE.

His Royal HiQhm-ss th 3 General Commanding-
in-Oiief's Levee is unavoitLb!y postponed until
Thursday next.
A letter received by the East India speaks
of the graPant conduct of the 34th Regimen*, under
Gen. Wind Min, on tile niermr.iblo drys of the
27th and iiSth of Nov. The writer compA•ei the
action wiih Ills cavalry charge at Balaklava, and
states that upon this corro, as part of the Lig!it
some of the hottest work done iu the
• Crimea fell. The regiment went o.it to India, in
Vie Golden Fleeo, a id was among the first to Idnd
in that country, as they were also, with the 88Lh,
the first of the troops sent out. from E ;gland to
reach t.:e scene of action. A part of this regiment
was engaged wi'h the 5 ith on the 27th and 28th of
Nov. On the 28th COlonA Kelly was slighily
wounded, and Ensign L. J. Grier, the youngeA
officer in the regiment, being only 19, was shot
through the breast while, to u,n the colonel's wk.rds,
" he was bravely charging the enemy's guns with
his company, and ditd in the hospital at Cawnpoto
thd next day." Upwards of 400 more of the 34th
died in the Crimea. En-ign Grier was second sou
of the Rev. J. W. Grier, incumbent of Ainblecots,
Stourbridge.
The 2d battalion of Ilrc 2d RoyaL,, no-,c at S!.orn-
cliffe, will embark at Portsmouth for Malts on or
about the 12th inst., in her Majesty's troop.,hips
Vulcan, Cloiamander S ccombe, and Urgent, Com-
mander M‘Donald: The Vulcan will take the
he td-t,ta Ir:er3 division, consisting of 17 officers, 500
non-c:m-Tdissar.red officers and men, four officers'
wives and two children, with two female rtervim•s,
16 seldie,s' wives and 17. children. The Urg, nt
will take the remainder of the corps on her re.mn.
from Alexandria.

'recruiting for the various Indian regitnents is
nuvr proceeding more briskly since the reduction of
the standard, upwards of 400 recruits having ar-
rived at Chatham during the past week, chiefly
from the recruiting districts of London, Liverpool,
Bristol, and York. Although most of the men are
of short stature, they appear well formed, strong,
and muscular, and are likely to make efficient troops.
Lieut. Nurse, 2 sergeants, 2 corporals, and 50
priiates of the Royal Marine Light Infantry have
been despatchtd from the. Woolwich division to
Pertsmiuth, fur service on board her Majesty's
smear steam-ship Marlborough, 131 guns, fitting
out as flag-ship, in place of the old flag-slip Vic-
tory. Capt. Allen, 1 sergeant, 1 corporal, and 50
rank and tile are also under orders at Woolwich for
the same service ; together with 1 subaltern, 1 ser-
geant, 1 corporal, 1 drummer, and 25 gunners of
the Royal Marino Artillery companies.
The Otter, paddle-wheel steam-vessel, Lieut.-
Commander C. IL Simpson, and the Locust,
paddle-wheel steam-vessel, Lieut.-Commander J.
B. Field, returned to Sheerness from Antwerp on
Saturday last. The Royal squadron, except the
Fairy, passed the outer buoy of the Scheldt on Fri-
day la.t out ward at 3 p.m. Tha Fairy was ordered
to remain at Anti-erp.
The paddle-wheel steamer Vivid, late in attend-
ance on the Royal squadron, returned to Woolwich
on Friday evening from Antwerp, bringing des-
patchs from the Royal yacht. Information was
on Saturday received in the dockyard from Count
Berustorff, the Prussian Envoy in London, noti-
fying that, by desire of their Royal Higheesses the
Princes of Prussia, he had been charged to remit a
brilliant ring and gold snuff-box for the acceptance
of the masters in charge of the Banshee and Vivid,
as a testimony of their Royal Highnesses' acknow-
ledgment of the attentions received during their
voyage to England and across the Channetin those
vess •ls.

Tile death of Vice-Admiral the Hon. W. Gerdon,
late Commander-in-Chief at the Nore, and brother
of the Esri of Aberdeen, is reported. 0' Pyrite
I says :--"This efii eetcr..d the navy en the 2d
of July, 1701, as midshipman, on board the Ileum-
lug, 36, Capt. G. Hope, whom he successively fol-
lowed, on the Lisb .n and Me literranean sta-ions,
into the Alcmene, 32, and Majestic, 74. Between
Dec., 1799, and Sept., 1803, he served chiefly on
the home station in the Immortalite, 36, Captain
the Hon. Henry Hotham ; Dryad, 36, Captain
C. J. M. Mansfield ; Leda, 38, Capt. George Hope;
Minotaur, 74, Capt. Joha Louis ; and Fisgard anti
.N.iiad, 36's, both commanded by Captain James
Wallis. While under the latter officer he contri-
buted to the cutting out, by the Naiad's boats, on
the evening of the 4th of July, 1803, of the French
national sch-ouer La Providence, of two guns and
22 men, laden with timber an.l cannon, and lying
near Brest, 'a service which was effected without
casualty, notwimhstanding a great rapidity of tide
and the difiLulties off:-red by a numbee .;f rooks
and shoals with which the enemy's vessels was sur-
rounded
(vide Gazette, 1803, page 840). In Sept.,
1804, Mr. Gordon joined the Trident, 64, bearing
the flag of Admiral Rainier, Commander-in-Chief '
in the Est Indies, where he was promoted to the
rank of Lieutenant on July 2, 1804, and furth.,r
served until Feb., 1806, in the Arrogant, 74, Cap-
tain Hood Hanway Chrislian, and the Culludon,
74,: flag cf Sir E. Pellew. After a b. ief ettachment,
towatcli ihe commencement of 1817, to the-Clyde,
33, bearing the broad pendant, cif the coast of
France, of Commodore E. W. C. R. Owen, he o -
tained a command on April 24, 1807, of the Cear-
well sloop, in which vessel he v.sii o 1. Seut h Aerie-
rica, and then proceeded to the Cape of Good Hope.
Being there posted from the Sapphire into the
Minerva hired armed ship, March 12, 1810, Capt.
Gordon in the following autumn visited the Isle of
France. His after appointments afloat were, June
23, 1811, to the La,erestirms, 24, on the South
American station ; Aug. 21, 1812, ta the Magi.
cieune, 36, uhich frigate, after havine, captured the
Thrasher, A,r.ericsn privatetr of 14 guns and 80
men, and witnessed the fall of St. Sebas•ian, he
left July 20,
and March 5, 1827, to the
Briton, 46. T 1814 ;
he latter ship was employed in vari-
ous parLieuhr service', and was ntimately paid cif
April 27, 1830. He attained his flag on the brevet
of 1816. From 1811 to 1816 he was a le)tcl of the