The Sun.
London, England, 1861-06-26 00:00:00

Shelley. I have come forward from the report in
the newspapers.
Cross, examined—My husband is a gentleman,
and of no occupation ; he lives on his property; the
gentleman I saw is the same I see here (pointing
out the defendant). My husband is not now in
England ; he is travelling—not, however, as a tra-
veller; he is in China, I think, but I am not sure.
The last time 1 heard from him he was there; if you
want to see the letter I could produce it.
Sir W. Stirling, Portman-square—I went to the
Queen's Drawing-room on the day in question with
my daughter, Mrs. Stapleton. I am well acquainted
with Sir John Shelley. My daughter is also very
well acquainted with Miss Shelley. It was about
a quarter to 2 as I passed. He was apparently
sitting at a table a few feet from the window. I
don't remember which window. We saluted each
other—he frequently. There was a pause as the
carriages passed, and it afforded the opportunity.
It was just before I got up with my brougham, I
cannot say whether he wore a white waistcoat. He
had on some light garment. I sate nothing in the
slightest degree objectionable in his attire. I be-
lieve my daughter recognised him, but she did not
sit on the same side of the carriage.
Mr. Corrie said, if this had been an ordinary
case he should have stopped it, but because of its
immenseimportance to the public, as well as to
the defendant, he had allowed it to go on. IL,
then recapitulated the evidence, and commented on
it as he proceeded, characterising it as incrediLh
that on the Queen's Drawing-room day, the street
full, Sir John should so have acted. In justice to
the witnesses he must say that their evidence had
been given very properly, but that it was all an
illusion. A man must have been mad, When police,
soldiers, and the public were thickly about, to c:nn-
mit such an offence as alleged, and he must say he
did not believe it. Sir John, he must say; left the
court unstained in character by this case.
Sir John, with his friends, among
.whom were
several members of Parliament, then retired !rora
the court, and, as he went to a conveyance waiting
for him was received with hurrahs from many hun-
dred persons waiting the result outside the court,
while the witnesses for the prosecution left the spot
in cabs, assailed by the most tremendous yells and
hisses.

The case did not terminate till a quarter-past 7
o'clock, having lasted five hours.

The scene at the Marlborough-street Police-court, yes-
terday, was one of such an unusual kind that it deserves a
brief notice. Long before the hour fixed by Mr. Corrie
(two o'clock) for the hearing of the case, a large crowd had
assembled round the court, and on the outer doors being
opened there was a desperate rush up stairs to gain an en-
irance into the court on the first floor. This was effected
by a large number of persons of more than usual respecta-
bility, but not without a good deal of personal inconveni-
ence. The efforts to gain admission were, in most cases
strenuous, and in one ludicrous—an energetic individual,
with the view probably of taking possession of a standing
place, having thrust in his white hat at the end of a stick,
through the half open door, but he had soon to withdraw it.
The audience portion of the court—a very circumscribed
space—having at length become closely packed, many per-
sons standing on the landing, while an immense number
remained contented on the stairs, the case was proceeded
with and lasted five hours. At the conclusion
of the case, notwithstanding Mr. Corrie's injunctions
that no expression of feeling should be shown in court,
the audience gave vent to their long-suppressed feelings in
a cheer, but it was soon checked. The arrival shortly after
of Sir John Shelley at the doorway of the court, on his exit
with several friends, was no sooner observed than a scene of
the greatest excitement ensued, for by this time about 2,000
persons had assembled in front of the court, and they set to•
cheering lustily, the scene reminding one of the return of a
favourite candidate at a well-contested election, or the de-
claration of the poll in Sir John's own city—Westminster.
Having shown their feelings on one side, a large number of
Persons still waited about the court, and, en the prosecut-
ing parties emerging from the court, they were saluted by
loud hissing and groaning, till at length there being no other'
occasion for any show of approbation or the reverse, the.
court dispersed.

PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE.

BOARD OF ADMIRALTY.

The court continued its sitting yesterday—Mr.
Henley in the chair. The other members present
were— Sir J. Pakington, Sir J. Graham, Sir M.
Seymour, Admiral Duncombe, Lord C. Paget, Sir
F. Baring, Mr. Corrie, Mr. Stansfeld, and Mr.
Phillips.

Sir M. Seymour, one of the members of committee,
in rep,v to questions by Admiral Buncombe,
said—Of late years I have been employed in her
Majesty's service. After serving in the Baltic, I
was placed on the India and China station. With
respect to the manning of the Baltic fleet, my im-
pression was that, considering all th'e circumstances,
the fleet was better manned than might have been
expected. A great number of different classes of
men are brought together. Amongst the most
efficient are the coast-guard. I cannot say of my
own knowledge that I recollect Sir C. Napier
making any serious complaint respecting the class
of men composing the crews. He did not consult
me as captain of the fleet previous to his writing
home complaining of the crews. When I took the
command in the East Indies I did not find any
marked superiority in the crews except in the case
of individual vessels which had been commissioned
for.two or three years. With respect to the measures
now in existence for procuring seamen, I cannot
say that they are mot equal to meet an emergency.
Tie best guarantee formanning the fleet rests with
the men actually voted, and next to them are the
coast-guard. I don't think the numbers of the re-
serve can be looked to with any certainty • I be-
lieve they came on very slowly at first. We have
had a great many legislative enactments on the
subject, but the misfortune is that they have not
been used as they might have been. If the Admi-
ralty be the authority to carry out the recommen-
dations, of course the blame rests with them ; but
I rather think there are other authorities, and that
some portion of the blame rests with the general Go-
vernment. With regard to the discipline of the
Baltic fleet, that was better than I expected or could
have anticipated. Since my return home I have ob-
served an immense increase in the number of courts-
martial. I think that increase has arisen in some
respect from the dislike of captains of ships to
corporal punishment. If they can maintain dis-
e db by
no t
shoe r
doing.m ean s IBthink
etrhe e yi ares
one perfectlyevil
jeuiPstiiifine
con-
nected with imprisonment, and that is that the sea-
men are sometimes confined for long periods. I
think that an improvement might be made in the
police of ships, which consists of the master-at-
arms and the ship's corporal. That police might
be somewhat enlarged by the addition of some men
selected from the Royal Marine corps. I was super-
intendent of Sheerness and Devonport dockyards,
and, generally speaking I found them in a satis-
factory condition. I am not acquainted with the
interior of the working of the Board of Admiralty.
I think the responsibility should rest on the First
Lord, and should not be divided amongst the other
lords.

After hearing some further evidence of a similar
nature, the committee adjourned.

THE WALLACE MONUIIIEN

Yesterday, being the anniversary of the Battle of
Bannockburn, the foundation stone of the Wallace
Monument was laid upon the Abbey Craig,
near Stirling. The monument is to be an :imitation
of a Scottish baronial tower, 200 feet high mad 36
feet square. The site is one which commands a
magnificent view of the broad valley in Ixtich
the plain of Bannockburn and the castle, rock of
Stirling, and those picturesque reacheg of the
Forth among which Wallace gained .his most
memorable victory. The procession was mar-
shalled in the King's-park at Stirling in liesf
pre-
sence of an immense concourse of spectators.
At 1 o'clock it started to the craig, which is at a
distance of two miles from the town. Th.te appear-
interesl king, the
ance it presented from the summit of the . rock, as
it slowly approached along the winding road from
tremely
ay uniforms of riflemen and the dark blu e dresses
sa s
contrastingex
Eaidnegesllaonwds,thveree
toghfr et
h e narrowA rtil i set: ey ect so, r wp
With ft Le scarlet
quaint costumes of
Gardeners, and
Sons of St. Crispin. Before different civic bodies
Freemasons, uniforms
were borne a number of interesting relics,. including
the swords of Wallace, Robert Bruce t Bruce, andl Sir Sohn
Graham. Sir Archibald Alison addressed the as-
semblage. In thanking, in the name of f hose pre-
sent, the building committee, he said that no such
gathering had mustered near that spot since the day
when the army which fought at Bannock burn as-
sembled under the Abbey Craig. Mr.. Sheriff
Glassford Bell then thanked the subscriber] ; to the
monument. Scotland and England now, he re-
marked, stand side by side. Their offspring should
remember, however, that they sprang of separate
mothers, though now

" The Percy and the Douglas both together
Are confident against the world in arms."
The Rev. Dr. Rodgers, the secretary, follow ed with
a vote of congratulation to the Wallace fa mily re-
presented in the male line at the meeting by General
Sir Maxwell Wallace. At a banquet why ich took
place in the Corn Exchange Hall, after " The
Memory of Wallace" had been proposed by Sir
Archibald Alison, and that of Brace by Sher iff Bell,
Professor Blackie proposed the toast of " ; Scottish
Literature" in a speech which was receive ed with
much applause. Other toasts having been p reposed
the meeting separated: