COURT-MARTIAL At' Portvssaousn.—The Court met on Saturday, Monday, Tuesday, and
Wednesday, pursuant to the provisions of the Mutiny Act, which does not admit of adjournment unless de the in diem; but no business was of course transacted on those days. Thersday.--At the opening of the Court, the President complained of the con- duct of the reporters. A paragraph in the Times had attributed to him not only corrupt motives, but a violation of the obligation of his oath. Sir Edward Codring- ton also complained very warmly of the reporters in misrepresenting what he had said but did not specify the particular misrepresentations. Sir Edward was stopped in his address by Sir Robert Stopford, who said tile Court could not listen to the complaints of individuals, it could only take cognizance of attacks on its own members. The Judge-Advocate said he then produced all the letters he had received from the Admiralty in his character of pro- secutor. [There is some obscurity in the report here which we cannot un- ravel, arising probably from there being no place provided for the reporters, that which was at first set apart for them is now given up to the public.] The Judge- Advocate then proceeded to read the letters. The first was from Captain Dickin- son to Mr. Croker, dated 5th January 1829, asking permission to wear the Rus- sian Order. The next was front Mr. Barrow to Sir Edward Codrington, enclosing a copy of Captain Dickinson's letter; it bore date the 8th of June. The next was Sir Edward's reply of the 16th June, assigning his reason for withholding permission, and stating his disapproval of Captain Dickinson's conduct on board of the Genoa, also stating that Captain Dickinson had already received a Russian Order from Count Heyden, in the Mediterranean. The next was from Mr. Bar- row to Sir Edward Codrington' bearing date the '22nd of June, calling upon him Ii state specifically his grounds of disapprobation of Captain Dickinson's con- duct ; it said, if a mistake had been committed in conferring an Order on Cap- tain Dickinson, a similar one must have been made as regarded Captains Baynes and Campbell.
Previous to Sir Edward's letter of the 22nd of June being read, he was anxious to put the Court in possession of the reasons which induced hint to write it ; but after considerable discussion it was determined by the Court that his explanation was not evidence and could not be received. When that part of Mr. Barrow's letter which stated a mistake similar to that ss■hich occurred in the case of Cap- tain Dickinson to have happened to Captains Baynes and Campbell, Sir Edward interrupted the Judge-Advocate to deny that any similar mistake took place. The President said the meaning of the letter was, that there was a similar mis- take made in the cases of all the three officers.
Sir Edward Codrington again denied that the mistake was of a similar nature, quite the contrary ; all the officers in the fleet got the English Orders, so did Captains Baynes and Campbell; but here Captain Dickinson gets two Russian Orders, and Captains Baynes and Campbell get one ; it is quite evident that there was a mistake, but there was no similarity in the cases; quite the contrary, therefore it was his business to protest against it. Some conversation took place on this point, in which the President stated his opinion that nothing further than a mere correction of such mistakes as might occur in the letters read ought to be permitted. Several other letters were then read consisting of a correspondence between the Admiralty and Sir Edward--Sir Robert Stopforcl and the Admiralty—the Judge Advocate and the Admiralty. Letters were also read from the Russian and French Ambassadors relative to the orders, as well letters from the Earl Darnley, Lord H. de Walden, and Lord Grenville, in all of which there was nothing appeared to bear upon the present in- vestigation. The last letterwhich was read was the one from the Admiralty, accom- panying the previous correspondence, in whkh, in reference to Sir Edward Codrington's complaint that some letters or documents were kept back, their Lordships said they could not conceive what these papers were except it were the copy of a letter, the original of which was in Sir Edward's own possession' or two other papers contained in a certain despatch of private instructions, which were in French, and duplicates of which had not been kept in the Foreign Office. On Sir Edward's being applied to for copies of these he gave them, but it was admitted he did not get a receipt for them. Sir Edward Codrington remarked that he did not complain of the want of documents, it was only of one document, though the Admiralty made it the plural number. As to the letter of the 24th of December, from Mr. Croker, requiring copies of certain documentscontained in a private letter of instructions, if ever there were documents of importance, those were, and yet they were only asked in a letter without a name or date, with Mr. Croker's compliments, and which he gave without a receipt. They were contained U a letter of instructions, marked secret. (Here is the letter said Sir Edward, holding it in his hand.) The documents were marked 1 and 2, and the very mark upon the letter gave them a character of secrecy, and yet for these he had to receipt. He had the originals which he could produce but would not do so unless the Court wished to read them. He could not believe that when the Russian orders were sent to him, with his Majesty's gracious permission for the
officers to wear them, it was ever intended that they should have come with Mr. Croker's "compliments." He had to apologize to the Court for the great trouble he had given them; but, when they considered his peculiar situation, they would make allowances. Such misconduct had been imputed to him, that he was anxious to vindicate himself; he was anxious that he himself should be brought to Court Martial, and why did not their Lordships do it ?
Sir H. Blackwood—You are going the best way to get it done ; I am sorry to hear you make those observations.
Captain Dickinson solicited until two o'clock next day, and after deliberation twelve o'clock was appointed, to which hour the Court adjourned.
Friday.—At the meeting of the Court, which for Captain Dickinson's conve- nience was at eleven o'clock, Admiral Codrington stated in explanation, that his
Praise of the Genoa's position in tlte action was meant or the way in which she anchored. He wished to call evidence on the points of difference between his evidence and that of Captain Smith; but the Court thought it unnecessary. Captain Dickinson produced a written defence ; which was read by his legal
adviser. The reading occupied about three hours ; the donument indeed fills from nine to eleven close columns of the Morning Papers to-day. It consists chiefly of a running comment on the evidence on the different charges, which it totices seriatim. On the sub'ect of the reported death of Captain Bathurst,. Captain Dickinson defends himself on the ground that that gallant officer was really dead when the report was given in ; and he quotes as a precedent, similar reports respecting General Wolfe, General Abercromby, Lord Nelson, and Sir John Moore. His explanation of the anonymous letter, or round-rohin as it has been called, to the Admiral, is the same as was given during the evidence for the prosecution,—that it was got up wholly by the men ; and that he consented, on the second application from them, to present it, as he conceived that to be the most respectful way. When the reading of the defence was over, Lieutenant Smart was examined; and spoke to the fact of his conveying Captain Dickinson on board the Asia on the evening of the battle, the Genoa's boats being destroyed. Captain Robinson gave evidence to taking the report of killed and wounded on board the Asia, when a mistake was mentioned to have occurred in it. He carried it back to the Genoa, and thence again to the Asia. He did not know what the mistake was, but supposed it to relate to Captain Bathurst's death. Some more evidence was heard, but not of importance ; and the Court adjourned at four o'clock, as usual, to the following day.
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