The Sun. — 1849-09-04 (London, England)

COMMANDER  PITMAN.  TIIIRD DAY, AUG. the opening of the Court this day, the President, Sir John Louis, stated that there was no desire on the part of the Court to prevent reporters from taking notes of the proceedings, but the Court wished these notes not to be published until the whole of the witnesses had given their evidence. As yesterday, so to day, the entire time was occupied in the cross-examination of the master, Mr. Elliott, by the prisoner, Commander Pitman. Many of the questions tended to criminate the witness, who was excused by the Court from answering them ; others were of no great importance, only wearying the members of the Court and all concerned, and several were merely repetitions of the same questions a,ked in a different way. Regarding the marine, White, who jumped overboard, the prisoner's questions tended to show that White was threatened with prospective and not immediate punishment. Witness, however, still persisted that it was fear of instant flogging which caused the suicide. On the production of the original order book, witness was desired to point out any order which he considered cruel, inconsistent, or severe. Ile considered none severe, but some were inconsistent— for instance, one dated Hong-Kong, December 16, 1846, when a positive order was inserted that no officer should sleep out of the Childers; and another, Hong-Kong, December 25, 1845, no officer to leave while the ship was at single anchor, without permission, and then to return by 10 r. After considerable loss of time to the Court, several suitable orders for securing the comfort of the ship's company were read by the Judge-Advocate. Witness said that First Lieutenant Tremlett was present when Commander Pitman threatened to take Nutness s commission from him, for refusing to draw a hammock cloth. On the request of particulars of eases of oppression towards Mr. Elliott, he said they were so numerous he could not give them all, but re. ferred to two in which he had been publicly repri. manded, the first for not giving exact chronometer time ; and the second when piloting the ship by night through the passage at Fisherman's Group. The weather was thick and foggy, ship going over the ground very fast, under all plain sail, except royals and flying jib, water about five fathoms, cur• rent at least four or five knots. To prevent destruction it was requisite to alter ship's course, when he was reprimanded for not having first consulted Commander Pitman, who was below. Another act of severity was when witness was brought before the Commander- in Chief in Chins, for having, eighteen months previously, gone ashore from the Childers without leave, and for being absent several days. Prisoner produced a letter from Sir F. Collier, in which Mr. Elliott was admonished to be more circumspect, but that no further notice need be taken in consequence of the great exertions which he used during the ship's perilous position at the Prate. Shoals.  To Commander Pitman's questions on another charge, Mr. Elliott said that when their ship struck on the occasion referred to, he was not below through intoxication, but had left the ship's deck because the commander refused to adopt his advice with regard to her being moved before the pinnace was sent to sound the depth of water.