The Sun.
London, England, 1850-05-25 00:00:00

mental trial, instead of Monday next ; and in the
event of the engines Bing found perfect, she will be
taken to Sheerness to be fitted for sea.

CHATHAM, MAY 24.—The Otter steam-packet,
from Holyhead, arrived here last Saturday afternoon ;
she has struck her pennant, and the crew have been
sent to their homes. On Monday morning one of
the crew named Pritcher was missing from the vessel,
and as he did not make his appearance in the course
of the forenoon fears were entertained that he had
gone overboard ; a search with the drags was there-
fore made, and on Tuesday the body was found
near the Tartar frigate. An inquest has since been
held, when a verdict " Found drowned" was re-
turned. It is supposed by his shipmates that he
walked overboard in his sleep. It is remarkable that
the deceased had a brother serving in the same vessel,
and who about fourteen weeks ago disappeared from
• the vessel at Holyhead, when after two or three days
search he was found drowned; he also was supposed
to have walked overboard in his sleep.
The Magicienne steam-sloop is fast progressing,
the ship's bottom is being coppered, and the riggers
are proceeding rigging the fore and mizen masts.
The Nankin, 50 guns, is proceeding very fast with
her fittings, and the shipwrights have commenced
coppering her bottom.
On Thursday a very lengthened inquiry took place
before the captain-superintendent, Captain Peter
Richards, C. 8., and William Webb Hayward, Ad-
miralty solicitor, concerning a quantity of copper,
consisting of sheet copper, bolts, nails, &c., all bearing I
the Queen's mark. It appears that two officers were
sent down to Chatham on Tuesday, the 14th inst.,
in consequence of some information, and they sta-
tioned
themselves near the dockyard gates when the
men went to dinner and left the yard in the evening:
On Wednesday evening, at half-past six o'clock,
as the workmen came out of the yard, they followed
a caulker, of the name of Thomas Dracon, into
Chatham, when he entered the shop of Harrison,
a general dealer, and took from his breast a
piece of sheet copper, which was carefully wrapped
up in whiteybrown paper. After the copper had been
purchased the officers entered the shop and seized it,
took both Dracon and Harrison into custody, and
immediately brought them to the Superintendent's
'office, where they were ordered to be detained. The
officers then searched Harrison's premises and there
found 1551b5. of copper and metal belonging to the
Crown ; these facts were detailed in evidence, and
Harrison was ordered to pay a fine of 101. With
respect to Deacon, who had up to this time borne a
very excellent character, and has been in the yard
ever since he was a boy, the decision of the Admiralty
must be obtained before any steps are taken with re-
gard to his punishment. Of the copper thus found
some of the pieces are in the form of a shoe, others in
that of breastplates, with holes at the top for the
string to go round the neck. There can be no doubt
that this system of robbery has . been carried on to
some extent. A general search was made by the
Dockyard police yesterday in every man's box, chests,
and storerooms. The circumstance has caused much
uneasiness throughout the yard.

FROM THE LONDON GAZETTE
OF FRIDAY.
FOREIGN-OFFICE, MAY 22, 1850.
-The Queen has been pleased to approve of Mr. Charles
Fox Bennet as Consul-General in Newfoundland for her
Majesty the Queen of Portugal.
WAR-OFFICE, MAY 24.
Scots Fusilier Guards—Lieutenant and Captain Ed-
ward John Stracey to be Captain and Lieutenant-Colonel,
by purchase, vice Elringten, who retires; Ensign and
Lieutenant William Aitchison to be Lieutenant and
Captain, by purchase, vice Stracey; William Wheatley,
Gent., to be Ensign and Lieutenant, by purchase, vice
Aitchison, May 24.
15th Regiment of Foot—Ensign Francis Powell Hop-
kins to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Smith, who re-
tires, May 24.
74th Foot—Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander
Wilton Dashwood, from half-pay, unattached, to be
Major, vice Augustus Flaincis Ansel!, who ex-
changes; Captain Alexander Seton to be Major, by
purchase, vice Dashwood, who retires; Lieutenant Wil-
liam Cunninghaoae Bruce to be Captain, by purchase,
vice Seton; Ensign John Gordon, to be Lieutenant, by
purchase, vice Bruce, May 24.
98th Foot—Ent-ign Frederick Moller to be Lieu-
tenant, by purchase, vice Steele, promoted in the St.
Helena Regiment ; Ensign Frederick George Nuttall
Clark, from the 50th Foot, to be Ensign, vice Moller,
May 24.
St. Helena Regiment—Lieut. Augustus Frederick
Steele, from the 98tla Foot, to be Captain, by purchase,
vice Keating, who retires, May 24.