Glasgow Courier. — 1858-09-23 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

COURTS-MARTIAL ON OFFICERS.  A parliamentary return has just been printed, showing the number of general courts-martial held on officers of the army during the last five years, both at home and abroad, and the number of naval courts-martial of every description in the same period. The names and rank of the officers are not given, but in many .cases the latter can be inferred from some of the particulars stated. The return briefly indicates the nature of the charge in each case, the finding and sentence, the cases remitted for re-consideration, and the result, the sentences modified, and in what respect, with some other less important details. The list of military courts-martial comprises 83 cases, in 16 of which the accused was acquitted; the remaining 67 included 1 case of manslaughter, 1 of attempt to murder, 7 of assault, 9 of embezzlement, 1 of fraud, 1 of obtaining money under false pretences, 3 of making false statements, 18 of drunkenness, 1 of indecent exposure, 1 of fighting, 9 of insubordination, 4 of disobedience, 2 of neglect of duty, and 10 of minor offences not coming under any of the preceding heads. In many instances there were two or more offences committed, in which cases the worst has been recorded in the foregoing analysis. The ultimate sentences were transportation for fourteen years for the manslaughter, the I like punishment for seven years in one case of embezzlement, and imprisonment for two years in another; of the remainder, 29 were cashiered, 10 dismissed the service, and 25 reprimanded. Seventeen cases were remitted for reconsideration, and in seven of these the sentence was revised. Two offenders sentenced to be cashiered escaped, on revision, with a reprimand, and another upon whom the like sentence had been passed was dismissed. In two cases, the accused, after being acquitted, were sentenced, one to be cashiered, the other to be reprimanded; and the sentence of four years' imprisonment, in the manslaughter case, was changed to fourteen years' transportation. Five officers who were sentenced to be cashiered or dismissed had their punishment commuted into a severe reprimand, and three upon whom similar sentences had been passed were subsequently restored to their original rank. The list of naval courts-martial includes those held upon petty officers and upon non-commissioned officers in the marines, so that the number was much greater, amounting to 323. This is reduced to 301 by the acquittals, and an analysis of the charges gives the following results :—Murder, 1; attempts at murder, 2; embezzlement, 4; theft, 16; assault, 9; desertion, 29; insubordination, 49; neglect of duty, 30; disobedience 13; drunkenness, 80; miscellaneous, 39. The punishments were more severe than in the army, 3 of the delinquents being sentenced to death; 1 to transportation for life; 5 for fourteen years; 1 for seven years; 2 to four years' penal servitude; 21 to two years' imprisonment; 6 to eighteen months; 22 to twelve months; 1 to ten months; 4 to nine months; 2 to eight months; 19 to six months; 3 to four months; 10 to three months; and 1 to one month, the shorter terms being accompanied in many instances by 50 lashes. Seven prisoners were 'sentenced to the lash without imprisonment, 1 receiving twenty-six lashes, 3 forty-eight, and 3 fifty. Two officers were cashiered, and 88 dismissed the service; 53 were rednced in rank, and fl reprimanded.