The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-06 00:00:00

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just reparation is made. But suppose the owner of the 1
injured ship "to take," as we say, " the law into his
own hands," and upon the next opportunity to get foul
of his late assailant, and again to get the worst of it, 1
the British Government would certainly give him
no help in the quarrel now of his own seeking.
If the case of Mr. Pritchard's conduct at Otaheite
has been similar to the case last supposed, we
do not see why it must not be governed by the
same principle ? We do not pretend to say that Mr.
Pritchard has been moving a private war against the de
facto government at Otaheite; but, if he has been doing
so, much as we may admire his generosity and courage,
we cannot honour his prudence, or give him great credit
, for a care for the interests of his native country. We
must say one word, too. for the members of the de
~facto government in the Society Islands. In ?[arch
that government must have believed that they were
' exercising legitimately an authority derived from their
Sovereign ; they are, therefore, scarcely to be blamed,
if they vindicated that authority without any unnecessary
violence or cruelty ; and if they found Mr. Pritchard,
who was no longer a consul, exciting a bad feeling
against their government, it was their right, as well as
their duty, to deport him. The original wrong-doer
in such cases is commonly the only wrong-doer,
for they who derive from him a de facto authority which
they are taught to believe also an authority de jure,
must, to the best of their judgment, act upon that au-
thority. We say this much in justice to all parties, for
as to the affair itself, we think it cannot possibly end in
anything serious. Such misunderstandings must be ex-
pected to be constantly arising, but it is only when they
occur between ill-disposed or extremely silly persons,
that there can be any difficulty in accommodating them
satisfactorily. .

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.
PORTSMOUTH, AUG. 4.—The Excellent gunnery ship,
Captain Sir Thomas Hastings, lint., still bears the flag of the
Commander-in-Chief, Sir Charles Rowley, Bart., G.C.8.,
G.C.H., &c. ; it will be removed, however, to the Queen, 110,
Captain Martin, on the latter leaving the harbour for Spit-
head, should the St. Vincent not be ordered from Devonport.
Mr. Thomas Howels, puller, R.N., has invented a new
" pointer " for concentrating a ship's fire, which, having been
submitted for the approval of' the Board of Admiralty, their
Lordships directed a trial to be mNle on board the Excellent ;
consequently, yesterday five guns were fitted with the
pointers, and a large target twelve feet &lime being placed at a
distance of 400 yards from the ship, at ~be first fire all five
shots pierced the target and tore it to shreJs. It is believed
that had the shot being directed in a similar canner against
a ship, and struck her near the water-line, she must have
sunk in a few minutes. The experiment, which is considered
eminently successful, was witnessed by a large number of
naval officers and spectators.
The Collingwood, 80, Captain Eden, flag of Rear-Admiral
Sir G. F. Seymour, is ready for sea. She was to have re-
ceived two months' advance on Friday, but some delay oc-
curred, and it is consequently postponed. We are informed
that the recent transactions in the South Seas will probably
alter her route on sailing, and that she only waits the answer
of the French Government to the application from her Ma-
jesty's Ministers for satisfaction for the conduct pursued
towards her Majesty's Consul, Mr. Pritchard. We are also
informed that Mr. Pritchard will be reinstated in his Con-
sulate duties at Otaheite and that he will return to that
island in the Collingwood.
The Scylla, 16, Commander Sharpe, sailed from Halifax on
the 14th ult. for St. John's, Newfoundland, where she would
relieve the ult.,
26, Capt. G. Elliott, ordered to Halifax.
The Pique, 36, Captain the Hon. M. Stopford, touched at
the Havannah, on the 15th ult., for water, &c., en route from
the coast of Mexico to Halifax, with specie.
The Illustrious, 72, Commodore R. Sharp, arrived at Ha-
vannah on the 20th of June, from Jamaica, to demand, in
conjunction with the British Consul, satisfaction for some
gross outrages put upon some English subjects in the island
of Caba. The Pique was ordered to remain to co-operate
with the Illustrious.

The Nimrod, 20, Commodore Glasse, was at Bombay on
the 18th of June last from Trincomalee, where she left the
Cornwallis, 72, Captain Richards, flag of Vice-Admiral Sir
W. Parker, G.C.8., on the 27th of May, refitting for her re-
turn to England.
The Clio, 16, Commodore Fitzjames, left Bombay on the
19th of May to join the Cornwallis at Trincomalee, whence
both ships would sail for England.
The Alligator troop-ship, 22, Master Commander J. N.
King, arrived at Madras from China on the 25th of May,
with troops.
The Fox, 42, Captain Sir 11. Blackwood, Bart., touched at
Tangier (en route for the East Indies), to land important dis•
patches on the 16th of June.
The Comet steam-vessel, Commander Prettyman, on pay-
ing off the Vindictive, will proceed to Plymouth and Devon-
port with such of her crew and marines as reside in those
localities.

In Harbour—The Excellent, the Queen, the Victory, the
Vindictive, the Seaflower cutter, the Fearless, the Comet, and
the Echo steam-vessels. _

In Dock—The Prince Regent, the Athol, the Wanderer,
the Dwarf, and the Scourge (building).
In the Basin—The Victoria and Albert, the Lily, the Fly-
ing Fish, the Daring, the Osprey, the Pantaloon, and the
Waterwitch.

At Spithead—The Colliagwood.
DEVONPORT, AUGUST 2.—The Crane packet, 6, Lieutenant-
Commander T. A. Lewis, sailed on Thursday for Falmouth,
whence she sailed the same day with mails for the Brazils, via
Madeira and Teneriffe.

The Apollo troop ship, Commander Maclean, sailed on the
26th ult. for Newfoundland and North America, with two
companies and a detachment of the Royal Artillery aboard,
for service in those regions. On the same day the Ilamoaze
lighter sailed from Milford Haven, with Mr. Henderson, As-
sistant Master Attendant of this dock-yard, and a party of
riggers, to rig and navigate the Juno, 26, recently launched,
to Chatham. _ _

The Nile, 92, was docked on Wednesday to have her cop-
per cleaned and examined.
The Madagascar, 44, Captain J. Foote, is ordered to be
paid off to-morrow. Joseph Noble, the marine, who was
sentenced to be hanged last week for stabbing Mr. Prothero, a
midshipman of this ship, has had his sentence commuted to
transportation for life.
The Superb, 80, advance ship, was undecked on Wednes-
day, and will be taken to her moorings in a day or two.
In Harbour—San Josef, Madagascar, and Confiance.
In Dock—Kent, Ranger, Acton.

In the Sound—St. Vincent.

SHEERNESS, AUG. 2.—A court-martial was held on Mon-
day on board the Ocean, 80, Captain Fisher, flag-ship pro
tem. of Vice-Admiral Sir John Chambers White, K.C.8.,
to try the master's mate of the Spy brigantine, Lieutenant-
Commander Wooldridge, recently arrived from the coast of
Africa, for acts of repeated drunkenness. The charges were
fully proved, and the pri..foner was sentenced to be dismissed
her Majesty's service.
The Lords of the Admiralty have ordered a new second-
class war steamer to be built at this yard, to be called the
Fury, of the following dimensions :—Length, 190 feet ;
breadth, 36 feet ; depth, 21 feet ; tonnage, 1,123 ; horse-
power, 460.
Captain Superintendent Peter Fisher, R.N., went on survey
on Tuesday to join the Harbour of Refuge Commission.
In Harbour—The Ocean and the Raven.
In Dock—The Monarch, the Vernon, and the Herald.
In the Basin—The Amazon, the Vulture, and the Cro-
codile.

PROMOTIONS.

Commander—John Marshall (a), and F. D. Schaw, from
the retired list of 1830 to that of 1816.

APPOINTMENTS.

Lieutenants—Justus B. Kooystra* (Ig-11), from the Mada-
gascar to the Collingwood ; R. Jones (b), to the Victory;
A. F. Kingston (additional), to the Collingwood ; W. Southey,
to the William and Mary yacht, for the Lightning ; J. R.
Baker, to be agent for mails.
Master—H. B. Yule, to the Porcupine.
Mates—M. F. O'Reilly (of the Excellent), to the Albion ;
W. I?. Bishop, to the St. Vincent.
Second Master—ll. D. Beach to the Victory, for service in
the Emerald (tender to St. Vincent) ; H. Pennington, to the
Porcupine.
Assistant-Surgeons—D. Dugare (acting), to the Victory,
for service at Hasler Hospital; J. T. U. Bremner, M.D. (ad-
ditional), to the San Josef, for service in Plymouth Hospital ;
W. Fasken, to the Illustrious.

C!erk in Charge—J. C. Aildridge, to the Meteor.
Midshipman—F. Egerton, to the Excellent.
Boatswain—John Robinson, of the San Josef, to the Sheer
Hulk at Chatham, vice Flynn, appointed Master Rigger of
that yard.

COAST GUARD.

Appointments—Lieut. E. J. Ironies, R.N., to command
the station at Richam, vice Allen, removed.
Removals—Lieut. J. Allen, R.N., from Richam to Challa-
borough Station, vice Tozer, to Gorram haven, vice Lory,
to Porthpean, vice Vallack, D.D. ; Lieut. J. O'Reilly, R.N.,
from Flamborough Head to Hornsea Station, vice M.
Leicester, superannuated.
* We are informed this officer was twenty-five years a mate.

MURDER OF A POLICE OFFICER.
IPSWICH, SATURDAY.-This county has of late ac-
quired an unenviable notoriety from a succession of in-
cendiary outrages. It has this week been stained by the
still more hateful crime of murder. Committed, too,
under circumstances of extreme daring and deliberate
purpose. It is worthy of remark that the day on which
this fatal event occurred was that on which the judges
of assize had taken their departure from this town. The
facts are as follows :—lt appears that in consequence
of frequent robberies of farm-yards, the police had
received strict orders to direct their utmost vigilance to
the movements of stranger; trampers, or other suspi-
cious characters, with the twofold view of securing
agricultural property from incendiaries and thieves.
On Sunday, the 28th ult., soon after midnight, a con-
stable of the rural police, named James M‘Faddon,
who was stationed at Kessinglands, a secluded hamlet
in this district, when going round his beat, perceived
a party of men, five in number, approaching a farm in
the occupation of Mrs. Button, the stable-yard of which
stands close to the road. From the silence of the men, and
their stealthy motion, both of which are unusual with la-
bourers returning from the beer-shops, the constables con •
eluded that they were bent on mischief of some sort. De-
termined to watch their proceedings, he crouched down
close to the fence. The party, after looking round, pro-
ceeded to Mrs. Button's farm-yard, and went direct to
the barn-door, the fastenings of which they forced off.
One remained outside, to give notice to his associates
in case any one approached. The four who entered
speedily returned, laden with sacks of corn, with
which they were preparing to decamp, when the
policeman thought it time to interfere. Being then only
a few paces distant, and supposing them to be un-
provided with fire-arms, he resolved to capture at least one
of the gang. Having first challenged them to surrender,
he was advancing, when one of the party who bad
mounted a lain hedge, raised a gun to his shoulder, and
fired with deliberate aim at his victim, who received
the greater part of the charge in his thigh. The police-
man dropped into a dry ditch, and the gang ran off
rapidly in different directions, concluding that the report
of
the
i shot would alarm the inmates of the farm-house.
p addon, though suffering excessive pain, managed to
crawl to the house and aroused the servants, who ren-
dered the poor fellow such assistance as they could
command at that late hour. A messenger was dis-
patched to the superintendent of the force, and the
wounded man was provided with the best medical
aid. On the following morning, the symptoms assumed
a character so decidedly serious, that the district
Magistrate deemed it advisable to take the man's de-
position, which was signed and properly attested.
Although rapidly sinking, be was quite conscious ; he
described distinctly the circumstances already nar-
rated, and declared that the man who fired the shot was
William Howell, whom he had previously known, and
whose person he recognised when he presented the gun.