The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-13 00:00:00

MANSION-lIOUSE.

TILE SCUTTLING OF TILE SHIP SEVERN.—To-day the
further examination of Holdsworth, Berwick, \Vebb, and
Dean, charged with feloniously scuttling the ship Severn,
with a view to defraud, was proceeded with before
\lr. Alderman Finuis.

Mr. Lewis conducted the prosecution.
The first witness taken this morning was Mr. li. Sharp,
one of the managing clerks of Sir J. Pieice and Company,
who was examined with a view of showing that although tke
cost out of pocket by the prisoners for the ship Severn was
only £3,000, she was insured to the extent of £19,000,
either at home or abroad.

Mr. Beard put a variety of questions to the witness in
cross-examination, when

Mr. Lewis asked whether it was customary to insure
a ship to three times the amount of its cost.

Witness —Certainly not.

Mr. R. C. Smith, of the firm of Smith, Simpson, and Co.,
Barge-yard, Lombard-street, said he knew Holdsworth and
Berwick. Both were introduced to him about six years
ago by Mr. Heathcock, of Liverpool. He had only known
Webb a few weeks. His firm were the mortgagees of the
ship Severn. Mr. Thomas Ward was the registered owner
of the ship, and Berwick was his security. Holdsworth
introduced Ward to them in the middle of February, and
then negotiations were entered into with Holdsworth to
enable him to purchase the ship. He brought forward
Thomas Ward as the owner, and ho also said the name of
the vessel was the Severn, that she was a fine ship, and
that she was in the hands of Mr. Crawshaw, the broker.
Holdsworth said Thos. Ward and Co. were wine merchants,
and were in a very respectable line of business. His part-
ner, Mr. Simpson, made some inquiries with respect to
Ward and Co., and in a-few days after Mr. Holdsworth
was told that the inquiry was not satisfactory, as they .
considered Ward and Co. were not sufficiently responsible
for the purchase of a ship like the Severn. He called at
the office a feM days after this, and he then said he had a
more responsible person who would guarantee Thomas
Ward and Co., and that was Mr. Thomas Berwick, who
had lately lost a ship. We knew this fact., and therefore
thought ho was a monied man. We then told Holdsworth
we would assist him in purchasing the ship. Holds-
worth said there was a mortgage with Crawshaw on
the ship of between £3,000 or £4,000, and he wished
us to take it. The ►hip was purchased, and the
his firm insured the hull of the ship for £5,500. He first
saw the Severn had sunk on the 30th of July. To his
knowledge the sum he had mentioned was the entire in-
surance in their office ralative to the Severn. He would
swear they never had any other policy for a larger amount
than ho had stated. The ship was valued in the policy at
£lO,OOO, and before she left London his firm had made
payments on account of the ship to the amount of £6,410.
He knew Berwick as the owner of the Jane Brown.
Mr. Lewis asked witness if their firm were the mort-
gagees of the Jane Brown ?
This question was objected to by the solicitor for the
prisoners as irrelevant to the present proceedings.
Alderman Finnis ruled that the question should be an-
swered. _ .

Witness continued—Berwick was the owner of that ship
and they made advances to him on the ship. He did not
contemplate being examined on the point, and he could
not state the amount of the advance. He could not say
whether any insurances were effected on that ship, but ho
should think there `Jere. He could not say the amount.
He had no remembrance who effected the insurances for
them on the Jane Brown. Fraser and Lupton were their
brokers, but he could not say whether they did so. They
might have transacted the business themselves. He never
troubled himself with the details of the•loss of that vessel
nor had he taken any steps since he had heard that the
ship had been bored to find out the sum she had been
insured for. He had been a ship and insurance broker for
two-and-thirty years.
The case will certainly not conclude to-day.

Tho Smithfield Club Dinner.

Tho annual dinner of the Smithfield Club took place last
evening at the Salisbury Hotel, Salisbury-square, Fleet-
street. The large room was devoted to filo purpose.

llis Grace the Duke of Richmond, the president of the
club, occupied the chair, and was supported by Lord Ber-
Imre, Lord Walsingham, General the Hon. A. N. Hood,
Mr. Wilson, Hr. Charles Howard, Mr. John Clayden
(chairman of the Agricultural Hall Company), Mr. Charles
Howard, ➢ir. John Overman, Mr. Brandretb. Gibbs, &c.
The Noble PRESIDENT, in proposing the toast of " The
Smithfield Cattle Club," made some appropriate remarks in
respeot to its origin and progress, and the groat benefits
which had resulted from its operations in the improvement
of the stock of the country. The club was originally
formed in the year 1798, and its first exhibition took place
in the year 1800, when the present club was established.
At that time it enrolled 50 members, and during the three
days which the show lasted the sum taken for admission
was £lO, whereas he (the noble chairman) had been in-
formed that in the first two days at the present time up-
wards of £2,004 had been received ; and he also found that
the 50 members had been increased to upwards of 300. In
dilating on the advantages of the club, the noble chairman
said that on occasions of this kind the small farmer and
landed proprietor met each other, and thus those mutual
feelings of goodwill so essential to the well-being of the
country were engendered. (Hear.) For his own part, he
(the Duke of Richmond) felt at all tunes delighted to meet
a body of English farmers; for he always found that there
was that sort of freemasonry among them that if one went
down, he was sure to have a host of brother farmers rafly
round him to raise him up again. (Hear, hear, and cheers.)
The noble chairman then referred to the extreme excel-
lence of the present show, and to the cattle plague question,
and said that ho had impressed upon the President of the
Council that continuing the present restriction as to
slaughtering cattle was most injurious. He had also
urged that it was desirable to establish permanent lairs at
various parts of the country whore foreign cattle were dis-
embarked. The President of the Council received the
deputation in the most courteous manner, and said he
felt much obliged to them for the suggestions which had
been made. He also referred to the renewed spread of the
cattle plague, chiefly owing to the neglect of the farmers
themselves. There appeared to have been a reckless sort
of conduct on the part of some farmers, and to that in the
main were the evils to bo attributed. (Hoar, hear.) This
point, however, was elicited, that the restriction which
compelled cattle to be slaughtered in the metropolitan dis-
trict which had been brought to their show within four
days after its closing, did not apply to sheep and pigs,
which was a groat advantage. The noble duke concluded
by proposing the toast, which was drunk avidst loud
applause. •
The toast of " The Vice-President" was responded to by
Lord BERNERS. .

The vases, silver cups, medals, &c., were presented to
the winners, and their healths were drunk.
Lord BERNEUS proposed " The Health of tho Prosident,',
and referred to the deep interest which not only his pre-
sent grace but his ancestors had taken in the success of
the Smithfield Club.
The Duke of RICIIhfOND briefly responded.

The " Healths of the Judges, the Stewards, and the Di-
rectors of the Agricultural Hall Company," coupled with
the " Health of Mr. John Clayden, the Chairman," were
also given, and most cordially responded to.