On Monday the magistrates of the Sittingbourne petty sessions were
engaged in examining another alleged breach of the Foreign Enlistment Act, the Government accusing one of their own officials, Mr. Rumble, the engineering inspector of machinery in Her Majesty's dockyard at Sheerness, of being directly concerned in the offence. Late last year, an old ship of war, the Victor, nearly going to pieces, was sold to Mears. Coleman and Pearson. After the sale she went to Sheerness for repair, and while the repairs were still going on, on the 24th November, the Victor stole away, sailed for Calais, put up a Confederate flag, and took a Confede- rate captain on board, formerly mate of the Alabama, who in trying to engage the men promised that the prize-money should "go forward." The allegation was that Mr. Rumble not only helped the Confederate vessel to sea on her illegal voyage, but afterwards actually went to Calais, and helped to engage the men for the voyage. As it does not appear that any of the Sheerness equipments were equipments necessarily for warlike purposes, had not the authorities of the Vessel actually acknowledged the warlike destination of the ship there might have been no case fitters-out. Even now it is not certain that there is one, seems to be held on all hands that a ship of war may be so belligerents, though not equipped for them. Mr. Rumble however, committed for trial, and, of course, bail was taken.
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