The Sun.
London, England, 1829-09-12 00:00:00

COURT-MARTIAL ON CAPTAIN DIC-

KENSON, R.N.

PORTSMOUTH, SEI.f. 11.

(FIFTEENTH DAY.)
Ihe Court met at twelve o'clock, and after ex-
amining one witness (Weeks, the Genoa's gunner)
as to the consumption of her powder at the battle
of Nayarit), Sir Edward Codrington eves called in
by !de own desire to tender evidence in vontradic-
tine of some part of the testimony for the prosecu-
tien ; but this being irregular was disallowed by the
Court, and Captain Dickenson was next called upon
for his defenee, which he requested permission
shouldlre read by his solicitor, 31r. Minchin.
The'Court granted this request, and Mr. Min-
Olin read the following defence, with considerable
effect. The reading occupied three hours, arid its
temclusion was marked with a buzz of applause:—
" Mr. President, and Gentlemen of this Honour-
able Court, may it please you, Sir, and Gentlemen,
—ln respectfully presenting myself to you on my
defence, I have HOY to repel imputations which
Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Codrington has, at this
late period, thought fit to adduce against me, the
circumstances attending which it is uteiversally felt
are of so extraordinary a nature, and the manner in
which they have assumed atangible form, altogether
of so novel a description, that the pages of our
naval history do not, I believe, any where present
the like, involving not only my reputation as an of-
fives, but establishing a precedent which may almost
lead every other brother officer to question the se-
cur:ty e'en of his own just character, and to join in
doubting whether those hard-earned laurels, which
the sanction of our gracious and beloved Sovereign,
and the approving voice of our country, has long
e;elded to any of us, may not rudely be torn front
our brow, and at a period, too, when, by lapse of
time, it is become impossible to bring all the
proofs which had existed, to show how justly
we were, entitled to them. On this occasion, Sir,
I feel that most arduous duties are now cast on me,
not only as relating to myself, but to my brave
companions in arms who shared with me in the
battle of Nayarit), and who were more imme-
diately ender my own command during the greater
part of it, after that command had devolved on me,
by the lamented fall of Commodore Bathurst. And
not merely, Sir, to myself, and to these my brave
companions, but to the service in general does my
ti present they extend. The task incumbent on me I
shall endeaeour to accomplish with your permission,
aided by my fiend, who, on his port, Sir, with greet
respect also to every member of this honourable
Court, would earnestly for me entreat, not only your
patient hearing, but your indulgent allowance for
the imperfect manner (abounding as it must through-
out) in which his assistance is humbly rendered,
whilst he begs you to credit him for every anxiety
equally with my own, strictly to keep within my
proper line of duty on this momentous occasion ;
and that you will bca'r with a zeal arid energy,which
he flatters himself you will condescend to view as
laudable, in the midst of an attempt to give what
may appear to him a judicious direction in the de-
monstration of points connected with repulsing the
charges, cautiously, abstaining from all extraneous
matter, and confining himself barely to my vindica-
tion. In the whole of this effort I shall intrude no
more on your valuable time than the imperious exi-
gency of my case appears to require ; and thus
aided, as I state facts, it shall be plain, unvarnished,
unsophisticated. And when I come to observation
or discussion, it shall be manly and firm, without
any figure of speech beyond palpable demonstra-
tion, respectfully submitted to your scunder judg-
ment, as it must be to your final decision ;
and in all this, as discipline and an increas-
ing respect for the due subordination of the
navy (without art adherence to which on
every occasion in service it cannot exist),
must prevail even with an accused, when at a
Court Martial, he is exculpating and vindicating
himself, so I shall endeavour, in no one instance of ar-
gueoent or discussion before me, to forget that 1,
have the honour to bear a commission as Cap-
. tam in hie Majesty's navy, am now br6ught into
convict with my superior Officer, Vice-Admiral Sir
Edward Codrington, and who, on the occasion of
the battle from whence this has arisen, was my
Commander-in-Chief, also of high distinction; under
whose flag I had the extreme good fortune to serve,
and the honour to share in a great naval battle, in
whch we were victors, to the discomfiture of hosts
embodied to promote a continuance, which for cell-
twice has been endured, of the slavery and thraldom
.of 'ancient and renowned Greece, and to aid whose
liberation and emaucipation this country, with her
allies, was extending her arm, and 011 that occasion
luau! entrusted their united energies to Sir Edward
Codrington, who, on hie part, showed that the ex-
pectation of the country was not disappointed in
•feign ; yet-, whilst I deplore, as every one must (and
irnividually I have most reason to do so), that a
question should ever be entertained of the correct-
ness of any one engaged in it, I cannot, in the dis•
.cession I ant now entering upon, forget for a mo-
anent that it is incumbent on me throughout to treat
Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Codrington with all the
respect due to his rank; and reminded, too, as I am,
chat in the ship where we now are the great hero
Neltion died, and that from this very cabin in which
you are assembled was conceived and issued as a
signal to his fleet on his entering the battle of The
falgar, is which he fell, his last order—' England
.expects every man to do his duty'—an axiom, as it
is one in which England must glory as long as time
lasts, so would I, in the humble attempt of im-
bibing, though it were but a small portion of his
great mind (and my friend would not be the last to
partake of it with me),seek to discharge mine on this
most interesting occasion,trusting,in the end, it will not
only be with your approbation, but that of the em-
pire at large. But amidst the concussion of the
various feelings in which I must now Le immersed,
I do not, I am sure, venture too far in expressing
my confidence, that there cannot be found any one
.stistaining the rank of a British officerney more,
:tiny man who has the spark du Briton in him, under
aeceeatione simdar to those which altogether ate.
, MOM! brought against me, whose bosom would not
.;low with the sensibility ill all respects which mute
(lees. ft is natural, it is individual, it is the whole of
the etoPitee it must be that of every worthy com-
ponent Ceember of it, who appreciates our importance,
our dignity, or our glory, in the scale of nations.
" Although, s;re lam eeeleled to present to the
Court a series or evidence of vwious description,
which I trust will bet satisfactory to them, it must
be easily conceived that ne common share of anxiety
prevails with me on the present oheaeion, that I may
not only come forth of your judgment unsullied, but,
Sir, that your decision may be founded on the fullest
and most scrupulous investigation of my condact—
at ecrutiny which I court to the utmost, anticipating
that it will in the end be clearly demonstrated how
mistaken and wholly in error has been the Vice-
Admiral, with his recollection of some points totally
!ailing him (and milder terms, I think, I cannot use),
in adducing his charges, which, however much I
settler it: the endurance of the imputations, and from
all the pains, anxieties, and exertions which resist-
ance to them has imposed upon me,' lam not un-
willing to say that, front the cotifusion of se extraor-
dinary a battle as that of Naverin was, and the po-
sition of the different ships engaged in it, enveloped,
as all must have beets, in the densest smoke, reflder-
ing for the greater part of the battle diserlmilletion
utterly impossible, arid it may be also from an inac-
curate recollection of facts at this distance of time,
and confounding one thing with another, it is a di-
- -lemma into which lie (the Vice-Admiral) has at
length fallen. But I trust I shall receive your deci-
sion, pronouncing that, by my own conduct on that
.great day, I performed my duty in the station which
filled. •

Thitszpretnising, then, I at once grapple with
the charges which the Vice-Admiral has thought
fir, I say, at so late a period to adduce againSt me.
It cannot, Sir, but have occurred to the-Court
that I have now to repel imputations which, in their
effect, come within the scope of the 11th and 12th