The Sun.
London, England, 1858-12-01 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

=The !following promotions and appointment were made
this afternoon at the Admiralty:—

Mr. 'To. C. Webb, Mr. Edwa4d Mourilyan, and Mr. John
Palmer, have been promoted to the rank of Master.
Mr. James H. Lawrence, second master, has been ap-
pointed to the Avon.

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, TUESDAY.
THE CANNONADING AT QUEENSTOWN.
A court-martial was held at Queenstown on Mon-
day, on board her Majesty's ship Nile, on Lieut.
Edward Alfred Luckraft, second lieutenant of her
Majesty's ship Hawke, on a charge of having acted

in an improper and unofficer-like manner on the
might of the 31st October. The alarm caused to a

large portion of the residents of Queenstownon the

might of Sunday, the 31st of October, by a loud and
!prolonged cannonading from the Hawke, must be
_ _

;still fresh in the minds of the public, and the pro-

'ceedings to-day were an investigation of the charge
against the officer who had ordered the cannon-
ading, Lieutenant Luckraft. The officers composing

'the court were Rear-Admiral Sir Henry Chads,

:K.C.8., port admiral, president; Captain Forbes,

Captain Pmmanney, Captain Chads, Captain
E'Eyncourt, and Captain Rice. Captain Crispen
-was also nominated, but having been objected to
by the prisoner, his name was struck out.
Mr. C. E. Pritchard, secretary to Rear-Admiral
Sir C. Fremantle, acted as judge-advocate; Lieut.
Pickatd, her Majesty's ship Hawke, was the pro-
Egecuting officer ; and Mr. K. Sutherland, pay-

znaster of the Royal Albert, appeared on behalf of
the prisoner.
The following charge was read, to which the
prisoner pleaded not guilty:—
" For that he, Lieutenant Edward Henry Luck-
raft, being in actual service and in full pay in her
Majesty's fleet, and a Lieutenant belonging to her
Majesty's ship Hawke, did, on Sunday, the 31st of
October, 1858, without orders from his superior
officer, beat to general night quarters, and. in an
imp-roper and unofficer-like manner, did cause fire
•to be opened from the great guns of her Majesty's
ship Hawke, the said Lieutenant Luckcraft being
at the time drunk.' .

" The charge refers to a cannonading which took
-place on the night in question from the Hawke,
while lying in Queenstown harbour, by the orders
.of Lieutenant Luckraft, who happened to be the
senior officer on board. _

" Lieutenant Pickard, First Lieutenant of the
Hawke, was sworn, and deposed to having pro-
ceeded on board the Hawke on the night of the

.31st of October, on hearing the firing iii Queens-
town, and to having been informed by the gunner
that it had taken place by the orders of Lieutenant
_Luckraft. The gunner also informed him that
Lieutenant Luckraft was drunk, and he then
placed the latter officer under arrest.
" Thomas Andrews, gunner of the Hawke, de-
posed that about eight e clock on the night of the
31st of October, he was directed by one of the men
to go down to Lieutenant Luckraft, and on going
down he found him in the wardroom with a decan-
ter of gin on the table, and a number of officers there
He asked witness would he take some gin, and wit-
ness said he would rather not. He then told witness
that he wished the men to beat to night quarters,
to which witness replied, Very well, Sir.' Wit-
ness then asked him if Lieutenant Pickard knew
of it, as it was usual when the men were beat to
_night quarters to know it some time before, and
Lieutenant Luckraft said it was all right. He
(the prisoner) added afterwards, that he had got a
letter directing him to do so. Witness then re-
marked that a number of the men were ashore, and
that it was impossible to man all the guns, and the
prisoner told him to fire four rounds from both
sides. ;Witness went to execute the order, and took
out 48 rounds. Had no suspicion at this time that
the prisoner was intoxicated. In a quarter ()fan
hour after witness was sent for again, and asked
by the prisoner was everything going on, to which
witness replied in the affirmative, and the other
then desired him to proceed and to report when all
I was ready, as he (prisoner) wanted to have every-
thing over by 10 o'clock. Everything being ready
at a quarter past 9 the prisoner came on deck, and
gave orders to the men to fire three rounds on both
sides. As soon as 48 rounds of powder were handed
from the magazine, witness told the gunner's mate
not to let out any more until further orders. The
prisoner then sent for him, and asked what right
he had to interfere, and told him he had better
mind what he was about, or he (the prisoner)
would order him down to his cabin. Witness
apologised, saying he was very sorry, and asked
would he go back to the magazine, and go
on. The other replied, You can go where you
like, for I do not want you.' Witness then ob-
served the prisoner staggered while walking, and he
desired the ship's corporal to observe him, and take
notice of him, as he was drunk. Went on the
main-deck then, and the prisoner ordered the men
to fire four rounds quick, and, turning round to
give the order, he staggered and fell against the
after-g,tin tackle on the main-deck. Witness asked
the chaplain to speak to Lieutenant Luckraft, and
persuade him to cease firing, which the chaplain
did, but he .did not order the firing to cease until
he (witness) .gave the orders himself. At this
moment Lieutenant Pickard came on board in a
boat, and witness stated to him that the men had
beat to quarters by Lieutenant Luckraft's orders,
and that he was drunk, and that Lieutenant
Pickard then ordered the prisoner to his cabin.
" John Streeting, sailmaker's mate, deposed to
the facts of the firing similarly to the last witness,
and said the prisoner appeared at the time to have
been drinking. Was led to suppose so from his
having given a wrong word of command. Observed
that after the first three rounds. Did not consider
that the prisoner was exactly drunk, but he had
been drinking, to the best of witness's belief. Saw
him reel against the foremost side tackle of the
after gun ; but he did not exactly fall. The wrong
order he gave was, Inboard secure the guns,'
instead of Outboard secure the guns.' lhat was
the only reason witness had for supposing the
prisoner to have been drinking.
"Are the main-deck guns of the Hls\wke ever
secured inboard in the, harbour after firings_lor the
purpose of being cleaned ?—Not secured, but
run in.
" Examined by the prisoner—Might not a sober
man, in turning round suddenly have staggered
as you state me to have done?—He might.
" The President—Did you consider it was from
drinking that he staggered and fell against the gun
He might have done it from turning quickly. I
have done the same thing myself. I do not think
it was from drinking.
The Rev. George G. W. Clemenger, chaplain
of the Hawke, stated that he saw the prisoner
during the firing, and he was staggering and, ap-
parently unable to take care of hi.monsieelfo:nfursliioant
partly arose from drink, and partly fi
and excidtetihneenfiti..inßg ehlaiedvd t
eexciltioadt
himthe working
in
nacit oo f the
he
t o
guns an
the drink he had taken. Saw him about 10
minutes before beating to quarters and considered
him then to be sober.
" James Hyde, corporal of the llawl:e, stated
that he was desired by the gunner to observe Lieut.
Luckraft during the firing, and notice if he was
drunk, but witness did not observe him to be so.
" This closed the case for the prosecution, and
the prisoner having asked for time until next morn-
ing to prepare his defence, it was granted, and the
Court adjourned to 10 o'clock-"