The Sun.
London, England, 1858-04-07 00:00:00

SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, APRIL 7, 185 8,

X6l' yto give his evidence at length. The witness
aid he lighted the prosecutor and the lady over
t he stile, and that he saw a man going over the
c .ommon in a different direction. The night was so
lack that the witness wanted the prosecutor and
I ,he woman to go along the road. For some reason
ie listened, and in a few minutes heard a voice,
mud then another. He then heard a "crash," as
f they had got on to the railway fence and broken
it The witness sent a man with a lamp
tt. T see if the fence was broken, and just afterwards
tI .e express train passed without stopping. The
ace was not broken. He then went up to where
tb e man Tilley hid gone with his lamp on the com-
p to n, and saw a man going away and the prosecu-
to ,r supported in a fainting state by a man named
H exven. A woman went away with the man over
the lc( )mmon. The next morning he received the
rev ol'ver from Heaven. It was in the same state
in v, thich it now is, capped and all. On the com-
mon -.there was a fox cover.
Cr oso-examined by Mr. Huddleston—lt was so
dark I .do not think they could find the cover. The
pellet now there was on the revolver, under the
hammer, where it now is.

By the Judge.—They appeared to be going by
the hedge.. The fox cover is in another direction.
Charles Heave°, examined by Mr. Cripps, gave
similar evidence.—ln consequence of what the
stationmaster said he listened, and heard a cry out
on the common. There was a noise like some one
breaking the fence, which he heard twice or three
times. He took the light up to the spot, and was
the first who got there. He saw two men on the
ground, the one on the other, and a woman about
ten or fifteen yards off. The top man held the
other down on the throat by one hand, and his
hand with the other. Leech was the man at the
top, but I am not quite certain who the other was,
but I believe it was the male prisoner. They were
in a very bloody state both of them. I could not
see the blood flowing from the upper man. I
threw myself at the top of both of them. I could
not see that the under man had anything in hts
hand. The woman came and tried to pull Mr.
Leech off. A man named Owen came up, and soon
afterwards a man named Tilley. When Leech the
prosecutor was got off the other man got up and
searched about the ground with his baud and foot.
He had a great bludgeon stick in his right hand.
When he got up the woman ran up to him. Leech
kept hold of me, and said, " Hold this man, he
has almost killed me." The other man was near
euough to hear that, and said, "The first man
that molests me I'll blow his brains out." I made
a move towards him as if to arrest him when ho
said this. The stick was about as big round as my
arm, and tapered down to the handle. He was
holding it by the small end. The man and woman
then went away. The night was very dark, and I
did not see them again. The woman had hold of
the man's arm. They went towards Westerleigh.
Going in a line from the station to Waply a person
would go near the fox cover. The next morning
I found this revolver on the common in the same
state in which it now is, with six caps on it.
Cross-examined by Mr. Symons—The fox cover
was about 200 yards from the gate.
Henry Tilley, examined by Mr. Skinner, said,
—After the parties (Leech and Mrs. Smith) went
on the common I saw the other man go on the com-
mon. I noticed that he held his head rather down-
ward. One of the men had a bludgeon in his
hand. I tried to take it from him, but could not
succeed. It was the prisoner (Smith). I saw him
search on the ground with his hand. 1 held my
lamp to the face of the woman, and saw it was the
prisoner (Mrs. Smith). She was one or two yards
from the man. I saw them go away together.
Before they went away I saw him pick up a parcel.
I did not pick up the umbrella.
Charles Beak, examined by Mr. Cripps, said—l
am a coal merchant living near Yate station. I
SAW the Rev. Samuel Smith (the prisoner) come
from the station. I beard the call of " Murder."
The next day I found some widow's weeds on the
common ; I mean a cap. That was about 300 or
400 yards from the spot where the struggle was. I
know the neighbourhood very well. There is no
family named Isaacs who live at Waply ' • but there
is some one of that name at Yate, which is in quite
an opposite direction to Waply.
Cross-examined by Mr. Huddleston Mr.
Smith's father was vicar of Chipping Sudbury.
Elizabeth Aplin, examined by Mr. Cripps, said—
In February last I was a seryant in the employ
of the Rev. Mr. Smith (the prisoner) at Clifton.
On the 3d of February they were at home to tea
together. They went out between five and six
o'clock. I took the tea in. I saw them both take
tea together. I did not see my mistress with a
bonnet on that evening. The next time I saw them
was in the morning. Before my master went out
he told me to go to bed at ten o'clock.
He said he was going out, and he did not
know what time he should be at home. There is a
latch to the door, and I think my master had a
latch-key. The prisoners seemed to be on gaod
terms together before they went out. I had of -
served that they seemed wry happy together for
two or three days or a week before Before that
they did not live so happily together. About a
month before I observed a change. I did not hear
them come home. It was not a usual thing for my
master and mistress to go out of an evening. I had
been there nine months. Before the 3d February I
had seen a stick in the house. It was rather a dirk
rod stick, about a yard long or more. I have seen
it in the umbrella stand. It was a walking-stick.
The other was rather larger round than the handle
of the pistol. On the 6th Feb. I saw it in the garret.
Cross-examined by Mr. Huddleston—lt was a
dark red stick. I have spoken to the policeman,
Windmill, since I was examined.
By the Judge—The other stick was of a light
colour, and was a common light walking-stick.
Emma Waller, examined ley Mr. Cripps, said—l
was nursery maid to Mr. Smith. On the evening of
the 3d February the prisoners were at home at tea,
and went out between 5 and 6. On the day before
I heard my master say to my mistress, " You and
I have an invitation out to-morrow night." They
did not very often go out together. I observed
that a little before the 3d of February they were a
great deal kinder to each other than they generally
were. In the afternoon of the 3d of February I
heard my mistress tell the children she was going
out to tea. The children mentioned several name ,
and she said " No." They had tea earlier than
usual. The children asked her why she was going
to have two teas. She answered that they would
not drink tea till 8 o'clock. I saw her bonnet on the
bed. All the family are in mourning. On the morn-
ing of the 3d Feb. I saw my mistress sew a piece
of crape on her veil. She put it over her face, and
asked me if I could see her face much through it.

I told her no. Before my master went out he came
and told me I was to go to bed at 10 o'clock and
take the baby with me, and stay there in his
bed till they came home. I heard the front
door shut between 5 and 6, but nearer 6. I ob-
served my master was dressed in a blue flannel
shirt and a black neck-tie. I had never seen him
in a black neck-tie before, nor in a blue flannel
shirt. Between 1 and 2 o'clock the next morning
my mistress came and knocked at my door and
awoke me, and told me I was to go upstairs. She
went down and I prepared to go up. She came
back again, and said I had better stay a little while
longer. While I was in that room I heard Mr.
Smith go upstairs to the garret. He came down in
five minuses. After he came down my mistress came
and told me I was to go upstairs direc ly. I heard
him cough. I then went to my own bed and heard
the clock strike 2. The next morning I went into
their room about half-past 7, as usual, to dress the
children. I then saw my mistress's petticoats on
the bed. They were very dirty and splashed with
mud. One of the children said, " Mamma, how
dirty you have got your petticoats T' She said papa
and she kept slipping about last night. On the 6th
Feb., Saturday afternoon, I saw my master's great
coat in the garret. It had been put into water.
There was black dirty water at that time in the
bathing-tub. The coat was half-mourning. On
the 4th Feb. I saw my mistress washing her petti-
co tti and pocket handkerchief and master's neck-
tie and pocket handkerchief in the kitchen. I had
not known her wash things out bafote. I saw the
lane shiit when the policeman came, and observed
it had a spot of blood on the shoulder.
Cross-examined by Mr. Huddleston—The other
servant was upstairs. There are four children, the
eldest seven, and the others younger. Mr. Smith
had 16 or 17 pupils—three boarders, and the o hers
day scholars. The pupils sat in the schoolroom in
the evening. There was no assiAtnt. Mr. and
Mrs. Smith seldom want out together.
Chas. Ga!e, examined by Mr. Cripps, said—l am

a cooper at Wickwar. There is a siation at Wick-
war,', about 4i miles from Yee, and further from
Bristol. On the evening of Feb. 3, about half-past
9, th mile prisoner and a woman c tine to my house.
He said his wit...) was with him, and wantecla conv,y-
ance to take him to B: istol. Ho said he had beenat-
tacked by two men about half a mil© from a turn-
pike. There is a turnpike ab:mt half a mile from
Wickwir, on the road to Mato. I took them to Mr.
Robinson's. Smith had a paper parcel with him,
c:wered with blood. At Robin ou's I saw blood en
hini. I asked him how he got it. Ho said he had
got off without a scratch. 1 saw blood on his face.
He said he had been attacked by two men, but he

got two stones, and threw one, which he supposed
stunned one man, as he Raw no more of him, and
that the other seized him immediately ; that a
scuffle ensued, and he fell backward on the top of
him ; that be kept one of the stones in his hand,
and bruised his head with it. I offered to go for
the police. He said he did not think it was worth
while) as he had come off so well, and it would
came extra expense. The woman was present all

the while, and said she had never witnessed such a
scene before. lie said if he had a pistol he would
have shot him as soon as he would a fox.
Elizabeth Franklin, examined by' Mr. Cripps,
said—l am an assistant in Mr. Robinson's shop, at
Wickwar, and was present when the conversation
between the prisoner and last witness took place.
The account he has given of it is correct. The
woman had a black veil on. The man said they
were bound to get into Bristol that night, and that
his name was Henry Johnson, and livel at No. 7,
Wilson-street, St. Paul's. The prisoners are the
same persons.

Thomas Webb, the servant to Mr. Robinson,
proved that on the night in question he drove a
gentleman and lady to the White Rae, in the old
market, Bristol. They arrived there at one o'clock
in the morning. _ _

Oliver LislOury, a bookseller in Park-street,
Bristol, said he knew the prisoner, and that on the
25th of January last a card was brought to him by
a boy named Locke with some writing on it in the
prisoner's handwriting, as follows :—" M.S., Mr.
Lasbury's, Park-street, Bristol."

Some L:urprise was here occasioned by its ap-
pearing that the letters were not " 5.M.," as in
Mrs. Smith's letters, but " M.S."
I received 10 or 12 letters altogether from Mr.
Smith. On ono day I received three. I received
no other card. The card was brought by Locke, a
pupil of Mr. Smith's. I had lectors from him before
with initials. Some letters came for Mr. Smith with
letters "S. M." and "M. S." One lot of three
came, which I gave to Locke, one addressed in full
and the others with initials. Others came two or
three days afterwards, which I gave to Mr. Smith.
I also sent two to him. I know one or two were
addressed " S. M."

G. M. Locke said, in January and February last
he was a pup'l of Mr. Smith. Ho took the card
produced to Mr. Lasbury's by Mr. Smith's direc-
tion. It was on the 25th of Jan., the Princess
Royal's marriage day. Mr. Smith said if any letters
came there they were to be left, and witness would
call again. He called in a clay or two, and there
were no letters. He called again and there were
three—one for "S. M.," one for "M. 5.," and
another for the Rev. Samuel Smith. It was on a
Saturd.iy. He gave one to Mrs. Smith, and sent
the others in to Mr. Smith by one of the boys. She
took all three, and chose one, and put it in her
pocket, and gave me two back.
Robert Neville said—l am assistant to Mr.
Gibbs, guninaker, Corn-street, Bristol. I remem-
ber on Jan. 26 a gentleman called to look at some
pistols. It was about half-past 7in the evening. I
believe it was the male prisoner. He called again
on the Monday evening, Feb. 2. On the second
occasion:lie purchased a pistol similar to this one.
He wished me to load it for him. I loaded all six
chambers with powder and ball. He purchased a
box of caps. I did not put the caps on. I said it
was unsafe to carry them, and he had better put
them on himself. I put a pellet under the hammer
and told him it was to keep the hammer off the
nipple while it was loaded. The pellet might be
knocked out by pulling the trigger, and a push with
the finger would send it out. I made out aninvoice
for the pistol, and he gave a name, I think Hicks,
but am not certain. I am certain it was not Smith.
I thoug t he was a clergyman, and I said—
cc Rem. ? " and he said, " Oh, no," and I wrote
" Esq ' after his name. The witness added that in
the state the pistol was now in it was not ready for
use, but the wadding must be removed.
ownton Lemon, a surgeon of Sodbury, proved
that he was called to attend the prosecutor, and
found him with two wounds, one on the fore part
and the other on the back part of the head. The
hair was saturated with blood, but he was not faint-
ing. Directed him to remain on the sofa during
the night, and not to take his clothes off. That was
to prevent fainting. Attended him for eight clays.
Cross-examined by Mr. Huddleston—l know the
prosecutor went out on Friday. The wounds were
not dangerous to life, and would not indicate any-
thing serious. I knew the prisoner's father, the
vicar of Sodbury. The prisoner had been teacher
in a school before he went to college. Ho supported
himself at college, took a degree in honours, and
obtained a scholarship.
Re-examined--I have known the prisoner.
William Windmill, policeman, produced some
articles which he found at the prisoner's house on
Feb. 4, in a wardrobe in a room.
The prosecutor was here recalled, and identified
the things as his property, which he had in the par-
cel on the night he was attacked.
Edwin Russell, another policeman, said he ap-
prehended the prisoners at their house on this
charge. After they were apprehended the male
prisoner said to his wife, "If they ask you any
questions don't say anything."
Cross-examined—That was on Thursday, Feb. 4.
He was taken before the magistrates on the 11th,
and was out on bail in the meantime.

By the Judge—Mr. Mirekouse, the magistrate,
admitted him to bail.

This was the case for the prosecution.
The Rev. Mr. Smith then addressed the jury
from a written statement which he held in his hand.
He said he should have to tell the jury of his shame
and of his wrongs, and to give the history of
his marriage. He would not conceal the truth,
but would reveal every circumstance that might
lead the jury te a right conclusion. He hoped
the jury would not be led away by the
calumnies which had been so industriously fabri-
cated and circulated against him, and that
they would deal justly by him in the dis-
charge of their sacred duty. In September, 1848,
he first met his wife and proposed marriage, being
told that she had been iu service at Swan and
Edgar's, and was going to another situation. He
would have married her at once but for his circum-
stances ; but he had been obliged to labour for his
support since the age of 15. He had gone to Cam-
bridge, where he gained a scholarship, and became
senior optima iu 1848. He married his wife in
July, 1849, but did not take her home, because, as
master of the Bic hop's school at Bristol, he had
but 1001. a year. He therefore thought it better
to leave her for a time with her friends in Keut,
where he engaged to pay fir her boar). His wife
wanted to come to him ; but as he w.is still read-
ing for holy orders, he could not receive her in his
lodging, and proposed that she should go to board
at a milliner's at Bristol. After stating some more
circumstances, the prisoner went on to state that
ultimately his wife came to live with him at Clif-
ton, in lodgings which he took for her. In 1851
she was confined in her friend's house in Kent, arid
again in 1852 ; and then she took a house, when a
third child was born, in 1854. He then resigned
his situation at Bishop's College, and opened a
school of his own, when be had a fourth child born.
He did duty in several places in the neighbour-
hood, and was making about 4001. when this cala-
mity came upon him, and a terrible disclosure was
brought to his knowledge. He had often observed
that there was a melancholy about his wife, and
she would sigh on his bosom and tell him that she
was not worthy of him. He had of ten complained-
of her staying so much in Keut, and there must be
some reason for her melancholy, though he could
not tell whet it was. She once told him of a letter
she had received from the man Leech, and men-
tioned other circumstances which tended rather to
ex :ite his jealousy. But he overlooked it as she
continued to bear him children and managed the
house well. At length, on the 22d of January last,
she told him something which made him very un-
happy, but he said be would forgive her if she
would take an oath that nothing had happened
since their marriage. She then knelt down
and teld him of the circumstances under
which the prosecutor Leech induced her to
meet him at Canterbury and committed adul-
tery with her, and that Leech afterwards
met her in London.and promised that if she would
go and live with rim he would marry her in seven
years. The prisoner then proceeded to give a
graphic description of his wife on her knees with
her child:en round her, imploring Lis forgiveness.
The idea racked his mind that perhaps the children
were not his own. His wife, however, assured him
that she had never done anything wrong since she
had been living with him, and as he believed she
had told him the truth, he promised to forgive her
afrer that discovery. He dwelt upon the wrong:
which had been done him, till he forgot everything
but himself. But he told his wife that he would
forgive her if she would bring the man to Bristol,
in order that he might retaliate. He dr signed, as
he (Leech) had lured his wife to Whitstable for his
lust, he (the pr sons r) would lure the prosecutor to
Yate, and there give him a sound thrashing. It
was under his direction his wife wrote the letters,
which he dictated. He then stated how he had in-
sisted on his wife writing the letters, and disguising
herself, as she had done, on the promise which he
made her that he would not do Leech any serious
injury. He bought the revolver for his own protec-
tion iu c .se the p -csseutor should draw a knife upon
kiln ; bat ho sol,minly denied that he had ever in-
tended to u4e the pistol ageressively against Lot ch,
fur. had he done so, he would not have acted as he
had, so as to lead to his detection. His only oh
jeer was to do what he had done—viz., to give
Leech a good beating, in order to solace his out-
reged mind. Ile owned that he could not justify
his conduct, which he should always deeply lament;
bat he hoped his conduct wou'd be justly appre-
ciated by the judge and jury, who could not blame
him for the burning indignation which had over-
come his whole being. He implo.ed the jury to
put themselves in his place, and ask themselves
what redress the laws of the land and courts of
justice could have given him. He took the law
into his own hand, but who could deny that he had
sinned against human nature, or that Leech had had
more then he deserved 7 The jury might find

him guilty-;of an assault if they would, but he
implored them not to fiud him guilty of a felony,
which would ruin his prospects in life, and deprive
his children of their bread.

Mr. Huddleston then proceeded to address the
jury on behalf of the female prisoner, whom he des-
cribed as the victim of the seducer (Leech), when but
a child of 16 or 17 years. After the marriage the
prosecutor had still pursued her, and would not
allow her to take a respectable position in life. He
found her out when she was staying with her friends
in Kent, and, though it pleased him to decline to
answer the question, the jury could not for a mo-
ment doubt that he had committed the crime of
adultery with the young woman. At that very time
he knew she was a married woman, for he admitted
that he had addressed a letter to her in her married
name, and the fact that ho promised her, if she
would live with him, he would marry her iu seven
years showed the same. It was all very well for
the prosecutor to enjoy the immunity of the w.t-
ness-box, while the prisoner's mouth was closed in
the silorice of the dock ; but the posiiion of the
prisoners was preferable to the infamy of that man.
who did not dare to deny his guilt, because there
were people in that house at Whitstable who could
have contradicted him. The learned counsel pro-
ceeded to contend that the male prisoner never in-
tended to murder the prosecutor, for if he had done
Eo ho could have done it without difficulty. At the
most, his offence only amounted to utila4felly
wounding, as there was nothing to show that he
intended to inflict grovious bodily harm, or to do
more than give the prosecutor a good thrashing.
With respect to the female prisoner, the learned
counsel observed that the law presumed that in a
case of this sort the wife was acting ui.der the coer-
cion of her husband, though that fact might be re-
butted if she was found acting alone. He then
commented on the facts of the case, to show that
in writing the letters and in everything she did she
was acting under the authority, and even in the
eyesight of her husband, and upon that ground he
contended she was entitled to acquittal. The
learned gentleman then said that be asked nothing
from mercy, but he believed the jury would yield
isothing to prejudice ; and he called upon them to
do justice to their feelings as men by saying that
she was not guilty.

Mr. BaronChannell having summoned up the
evidence, the jury found both the prisoners guilty
of cut ing and wounding with intent to disfigure and
to do grievous bDdily harm, but they added that
the female prisoner had committed no actuil vio-
lence, and that she had acted throughout under the
coercion of her husband.

His Lordship deferred passing slntenee till the
morning, and said he would adwit the woman to
bail, and reserve the point in her favour.

HOME CIRCUIT.—KINGSTON, APRIL 6.
(Before Mr. Justice Williams and a Common Jury.)

BAKER V. FANCIITT.

This was an mtiou to recover damages for a ma-
licious proseeut,en.
Mr. Peirce was counsel for the plaintiff ; Mr.
Monragu Chambers, Q.C., and Mr. A. H. Siwon
for the defendant.

The case was of rather a peculiar character. The
plaintiff was a young woman in a humble position
of life, a domestic ;servant, and she sought to re-
cover damages from the defendant for having
falsely accused her of perjury, under these circum-
stances :—According to her evidence she met the
defendant, who is an elderly man, married, and
living with his wife at the time in the Regent's-
park, one evening in the mouth of June, 1854, and
he entered into conversation with her, and, find-
ing she was out of a situation, lie promised to get
her a place. After they had talked together some
time he proposed that they should have some re-
fresliment, and he took her to a public-house,
where she had a glass of wine, and he eventually
induced her to assent to accompany him to a house
of ill-fame, and the plaintiff alleged that this was
the first time she had ben gaily of similar mis-
conduct. It appeared that after this the defend-
ant introduced the plaintiff to his daughter, and
recommended her as a servant, and she continued
in her service for some time, and in F. b. 1855,
she was delivered of a male child. The defendant,
who, it appeared, carries on the business of a
builder at Camden-town, foe some time gave the
plaintiff money ; but upon his failing to do so, she
summoned him before the magistrates at Wands-
worth, and they made an order that he should pay
half-a-crown a week for the child. Ho complied
with this order for several months, but at length he
became in arrears, and upon his being pressed for
payment he obtained a summons against the plain-
tiff, calling uron her to appear before the Wands-
worth Bench to answer a charge of having com-
mitted wiliul and corrupt perjuy on the evidence
given by her to support the order of affiliation.
This summons was dismissed by the magistrate, and
the present action was brought to recover damages
ftorn the defendant for having, as was alleged,
maliciously preferred this charge against the plain-
tiff.

The plaintiff, a young woman rf very ordinary
appearance, waa etaninFed, and she proved a great
many of the above faces, and swore positively that
it WAS in the month of June, 1834, that she first
met the defendant, and she also stated that after
he had obtained her the situation as servant to his
daul.hter he visited her, and the illicit intercourse
between them was continued in the daughter's
hoass.

The defendant, a man over 50 years of age, and
of Beautified appearance, was called as a witness,
and he admitted having been " imprVent" in his
connexion with the plsiniiff, but he asserted that
the intercourse first commenced in the month of
September, and therefore ho could have had no
right to claim paternity to the infant.
The cross-examinatio❑ of the witness caused a
great deal of laughter. HI denied having given
himself out to EH a man who went about trying to
reclaim young girls, but he admitted that it was his
practice to endeavour to indtice young women he
met in the streets to leave off their evil courses and
go to some penitentiary.
Mr. Justice Williams inquired whether he was
to understand that the witness was in the habit of
asking every prostitute he met to do this 7

The witness said he did not refer particularly to
prostitutes,
but his observation principally appliedto girls whom ho ml.t without any shoes on.
Mr. Pearce (to the witness)—Then your practice
is, if you meet a girl without any shoes on, to ac-
cost her and advise her to go to a penitentiary.
The witness said it was.

Iu answer to further qtie-;tions, defendant ad-
mitted that he had continued the ithcit intercourse
with the plaintiff after she was in his daughter's
service, but denied that it took place in the house
of his daughter, and said it only occurred on two
occasions, and then she went out with him.

Another witness swore that the first interview
between the defendant and the plaintiff occurred in
September, and it also appeared that the defendant
bad paid 351. to settle an action for seduction that
hal been brought against him by the plaintiff's
father.

Mr. Chamber?, in summing up the defendant's
case, admitted that ho had acted immorally and
improperly in regard to his connexion with the
plaintiff, but urged that he had already been suffi-
ciently punished, and that the present action was
merely an endeavour to extort more money from
him. He then called the attention of the jury to
the evidence that had been adduced on behalf of the
defendant, and contended that it had been clearly
established that he c mild not have been the father
of the child in question, and that there were per
tectly legal grounds for the charge he had preferred
against the plaintiff.
The learned Judge having summed up, the jury
after a short deliberation, returned a verdict for the
defendant.

were dissatified with the inspection, also with the
consequent detention, and raised some reports re-
specting the conduct and discipline (.f the detach-
ment, which Colonel Mackenzie declares to hove
been wholly without foundation.

Captain Stevens, the Admiralty agent of the
Columbian, at the request of Col. Mackenzie, in-
spected the Pottinger. sheuld be stated that the
Columbian belongs :o the European a ul Australian
Company's line of steamers, while the Pottiuger is
one of the Peninsular and Oriental ships. Cap ain
Stevens, as a naval officer, assisted the military au-
thority with hismarine experience and the inspec-
tion of a vessel of one company by an officer from
the ship of a rival line seems to have occasioned
some amount of ill-feeling, which the correspond-
ence
novices, Lut without giving any details. Ensign
Hope Johnstone alleges that Lieut. Morr.-il, the
Admiralty agent on board the Pottinger, did not
behave to him in a manner becoming a gentleman
bearing her Majesty's uniform. But the main point
is that the inspection made by Capt. Stevens con-
firmed the conclusion of Col. Mackenzie that the
Pottiuger was not in such a state of preparation as
to justify him in commencing the voyage with the
235 men under his charge. Capt. Stevens descrehe's
the deck of the steamer as too small, from the space
occupied by cattle pens, cabins, and the large en-
gine room hatchway, that it was in a very filthy
state ; the little space available was very im-
perfectly protected from ram by awnings that
did not meet. The only me-ins of cooking pro-
vided were not sufficient even fir 50 men. With
the ordinary passengers, the large native crew,
and above 200 troops, the vessel would have b en
too crowded for such a voyage—a tact the master
admitted —though the Pottinger had during
The Perecian war conveyed double the number
of men ; but on that service she carried no
other passengers. Captain Stevens condemus
the state of the steamer decidedly, but as to
the quality of the provisions he states that the
biscuit only was bad ' • the salt meat, on examin-
ing half-a-dozen casks, was found very good ; he
declares, in justice to those who supplied it, that
" he had never seen better in 24 years of naval ser-
vice." As the Columbian was not prepat ed for the
emergency, the master of the Pottinger was
requested " for the good of the service," to
supply the vessel so suddenly put in requi-
sition with some extra stores. This was pr,i-
mised, but not effected, Lieutenant Morrell, as
Admiralty agent, refusing to detain the Po'tinger
for the time required to trans-ship them. During
the negotiations on this point the instances of Lieu-
tenant Morrell's disc expect to his superior officer
and to Ensign H. J ohnstone are alleged to have
occurred. Finally, the Pottinger pr• seeded on
her voyage, leaving the military commanders and
the troops on board the C ilumhian in "a remark-
ably awkward position ;" but the agent of th., Pen-
insular and Oriental Company was induced to
supply the wants of the Columbian from the shore,
and she left Suez with her unexpected freight, with
the loss of only 12i hours beyond the time of leer
ord:nary departui e.

From the London tazette of L st Night.

LORD CHAMBERLAIN'S OFFICE, APRIL 5.
Notice is hereby given, that her Majesty will bold
L'ivees at St. James's Palace on the following days, at two
o'clock : Wednesday, the lith inst., and Wednesday, the
28th inst.