Vrintitato.

Three Courts-martial were held at Sheerness on Tuesday, on board the Waterloo flag-ship, to investigate the circumstances under which certain ships were abandoned in the Arctic seas. The first case was that of the Investigator. Captain M`C'ure, her commander, produced an order to abandon the ship, signed by Captain Kellett, of the Resolute. He gave his account very clearly and succinetly. The Investigator had been two years and nine months in the ice, and twenty months in the position in which she was left, latitude 74.6, longitude 118.15, on the 3d June 1853. Only four men volunteered to remain ; it would have required twenty to bring the ship home ; and it was impracticable to remain in her any longer. The finding of the Court was as follows— The Court is of Opinion that no blame whatever is imputable to Captain Mtlure, his officers or ship's company, or any of them, for the abandon- ment of their vessel; but that the said Captain M'Clure acted under the or- ders of his superior officer, and exercised a proper discretion in the abandon- ment of the ship and in the execution of such order'', there not being a suf- ficient number of volunteers to man the vessel. The Court is of opinion that Captain M'Clure, mid the officers 8134 crew, deserve the highest commen- dation for their exertions ; and the Court adjudges them to be fully ac- quitted, and they are hereby fully acquitted accordingly." Admiral Gor- don, in restoring Captain M‘al ure's sword, said—" The Court are of opinion that your conduct throughout your arduous exertions has been most meri- torious and praiseworthy."

The next case was that of the Resolute. Captain Kellett produced the Orders of Sir Edward Belcher for the abandonment of the ship. Sir El

- ward wrote to Captain Kellett on the 1st February 1854, requesting bun to bring all his crew to Beechey Island before the 26th August. Captain Kellett replied, on the 12th April 18E4, stating that nothing in his orders would justify the abanslonment of the ship, and asking for final and un. mistakeable odes from Sir Edwant These orders were dated the 21st April, and directed Captain X.ellett to abandon the Resolute and her ten- der the Intrepid. Both ships were to be battened down and left in a per. feet condition : which was done on the 15th May last. The Court ac- quitted Captain Kellett, as he acted under the orders of his superior officer ; and Admiral Gordon returned him his sword with a marked corn. pliment.

The third case was that of the Assistance and Pioneer, in the loss of which Commander Richards was involved. Sir Edward Belcher, called as a witness, showed that he gave orders for the abandonment of the ships, " in pursuance of the instructions of the Lords of the Admiralty." The Court acquitted Commander Richards, and Admiral Gordon restored him his sword.

Sir Edward Belcher was also put upon his trial on Tuesday, but the proceedings extended over Wednesday and Thursday. The inquiry Was made into the circumstances under which he abandoned the .Assietance and the other ships of the Arctic squadron. A great many witnesses were examined : Commander Richards, Mr. John Loney, Master of the Assistance, Dr. David Lyall, Mr. Rickards, Surgeon, Commander Osborne, Commander M'Clintock, Captain M'Clure, and Captain Kellett. From the evidence it appears that the Assistance and her tender the Pioneer went up the Wellington Channel in 1852 as far as Northumberland Sound, and wintered there until the 14th July 1853 ; that they were frozen in about the let of September, and remained there until the 25th August 1854; that efforts were made by blasting the ice with gunpowder to extricate the ships, but that after expending seven or eight hundredweight, only half a mile of way was made. When the Assistance was battened down and abandoned, on the 25th August, she was in an unsafe position, among heavy ice ; it was possible, but not .probable that she could have got out in the summer; and she might have remained during the winter III safety. She had one year's salt provisions, but no preserved meats. Dr. Lyall and Mr. Rickards state, that "the lives of several and the health of all the officers and ships' companies would have been endangered by another winter in the ice" ; that "the want of preserved meats would have had a serious and prejudicial effect on the health of the crews" ; that "the officers had no re- maining stock to make their winter comfortable" ; but, speaking for him- self and the Master, 'Loney, Dr. Lyall said, "that with the total want of comforts, probably both of us would have suffered in health, but I should have had little fear for our lives." Mr. Rickards said that the health of the crew of the Assistance was such that between twenty and thirty had in- sured their passage to England this autumn, should any vessel arrive. Commander Osborne said, that the Assistance and Pioneer were perfectly fit to encounter another winter so far as the ships were concerned ; but that as the crews were much worn and debilitated, fresh crews would have been re- quired. The crews of the Phcenix and Talbot arrived after the ships had been abandoned. Commander M'Clintock, of the Intrepid, thoughtit doubtful whether the Assistance and Pioneer could have been got down to Beechey Island this summer.

Captain Kellett deposed, that when he abandoned his ships, the Resolute and Intrepid were in perfect condition ; that the health of his crews was good ; that he had on board,.preserved meats excepted, which he could have got from his depots, provisions which would have lasted until July 1855; that it was very probable he could have got thvough the ice this summer ; that if he could not, then he could safely have remained; and that he aban- doned the ships by the order of Sir Edward Belcher, on the 15th May 1854. A part of the inquiry bore incidentally on the safety of Captain Collinson, now in the Arctic seas with the Enterprise. One of the objects of Sir Ed- ward Beloher's expedition was to afford him assistance. Captain M'Clure described how he parted with Captain Collinson at the Straits of Magellan, in the voyage out, and had not seen him since; that if Captain Collinson pursued his track along the American continent, he was probably safe; that he -most likely had more than three years' provisions when he entered the ice in 1851; that he would not desert his ship without being reduced to the utmost necessity, or being wrecked ; "in either of which events, I think we should have heard of him this year." Should ke have- met with the no- tices, stating that the Investigator was safe but could not be got through the North-west Passage, deposited at Princess Royal Island, Captain M'Clure thinks Captain Collinson will endeavour to return with his ship by Behring's Straits. Captain Kellett thinks that he might have been of assistance to -Captain Collinson had he remained out another season. From the records found by Lieutenant Mecham at Ramsey Island, it appears that Captain Col- linson intended to follow a supposed strait as far as practicable. Lieutenant Mecham did not arrive with this information until the Resolute was aban- doned; and it was forwarded at once to Sir Edward Belcher. The ships' crews were quite equal to remaining out had it been deemed advisable that they should do so with a view of affording assistance to Captain Collinson.

On Thursday, Sir Edward Belcher read his defence; a lengthy pam- phlet on the whole proceedings of the expedition. He defended his con- duct on the ground that he had accomplished all that his instructions directed, and had acted within his orders in abandoning the ships. The instructions were put in and read; and they directed Sir Edward Belcher to make further search for the Franklin expedition if the information found by him should warrant such a course, but even under those circum- stances he was not to push his researches beyond reasonable limits. Six Edward contended that he had made all the search that could be made for Sir John Franklin; that he had found certain indications of the safety of Captain Collinson, who might be in England in a fortnight ; that he left the ships with pennants flying, in a perfect condition ; and, as he came home in jris gig, he was still on duty, ready to return if directed, again to take the command of the squadron. No witnesses were called by Sir Edward; and, after deliberating about an hour and a half, the Court found as follows- " The Court is of opinion that the abandonment of ben Majeaty's. ship Investigator was directed by Captain Kellett, who was justified in giving such order. The Court is further of opinion' that, from the great confidence reposed in Captain Sir Edward Belcher by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, and the ample discretionary powers given to him, he was author- ized and did not act beyond his orders in abandoning her Majesty's ship Assistance and her tender Pioneer, or in directing the abandonment of her Majesty's ship Resolute and her tender Intrepid ; although, if circumstances had permitted, it would have been advisable that he should have consulted with Captain Kellett previously. And the Court doth adjudge the said Cap- tain Sir Edward Bekher to be acquitted; and he is hereby acquitted accord- ingly."

Admiral Gordon returned his sword to Sir Edward 13elcher without making way romork.

The anniversary dinner of the Grantham Agricultural Society, held on Wednesday, and attended by some of the notables of Lincolnshire, gave Sir John Trollops, one of the Members for the county, an opportunity to talk on public affairs. Some of his remarks were in condemnation of the legislative failures of last session ; but the chief part bore upon foreign affairs and the war. Sir John told how he had recently travelled in Germany and watched the proceedings ; and he was convinced that if Austria, with her half-million of soldiers, had "thrown down the gauntlet, and said to Russia, Thus far shalt thou go and no further,' there would have been no war."

Ile did not blame the Government of this country for what had occurred. "War has taken place, and we must meet it with honour and with energy, determined to sustain the honour of the crown and the glory of the country:" He had found the Germans, whether Austrians or Prussians, condemning Russia. Finding this to be so, he naturally inquired how it was that a great and enlightened people possessed no influence over their Government, or had not the power to call upon them to put at once an end to this miserable struggle between despotism and liberty. What was the answer he received ? These enlightened men, who took a rational view of the position of affairs, declared to him, that while they and the great bulk of the Germanic people were in heart opposed to the aggressive system of Russia, they were com- pelled to yield an apparent acquiescence to Russian policy, and the bias of their courts. The people of Germany said they were one thing, their rulers were another : the latter were alliea with Russia by the closest ties of mar- riage connexion, and, they added, by less honourable links, for it was well known that Russian gold, applied by Russian diplomacy, had operated greatly among the courts of Germany. But of this he was convinced, that the people of Germany were in perfect sympathy and accord with England and France at this moment. It was this that made him proud of being an Englishman, feeling as he did that no Government here could act contrary to the will of the people. It was for want of this principle that the terrible disturbances on the Continent of Europe occurred in 1830 and in 1848. There Governments were overthrown simply because they were not in accord with the people ; but in this country Parliament is the reflex of the feeling of the constlluency ; Government is the result of the will of Parliament ; and thus, in fact, the people constitute the Government of this country. If the Governments of Germany had acted with the same feeling as the Eng- lish—if they had shown their strength in the first place—Russia would have been a power weak even as a child, and would have inspired no fear.

When Russia is conquered in the Crimea, why should not the war be car- ried into Asia ? Why should not Poland be restored, as a barrier to Russian aggression ? "Let us at onoe restore the kingdom of Poland. It is the na- tural barrier between the civilized nations of Europe and the semi-barbarous despotism of Russia. I throw these thoughts out somewhat at random— they may be deemed utopian and wild ideas—still, if we cannot approach the heart of Russia and crush it in its solidity, let us at least cripple it at its extremities by lopping off limb by limb."

Major Isham, of Brixworth in Northamptonshire, imprisoned on a charge of murder, has died of epilepsy. While suffering from mania, he had stabbed his brother-in-law, Mr. Wood, in the arm, dividing the brachial artery, and causing death.

Two girls, Ellen and Isabella Robinson, fifteen and fourteen years of age, have committed suicide in the Tyne at Newcastle. They were found clasped in each other's arms. They had left their home in the middle of the night, in consequence of a quarrel with their elder sister and their father.

Two jewellers at Norwich have been swindled of a number of valuable gold watches. A young man brought a note to each tradesman purporting to be written by a lady at Calthorpe, requesting that a parcel of watches might be sent by the bearer for a choice to be made of one. The jewellers sent them. The rogue artfully complained at one shop of having to carry so heavy a packet !

Stobart, a pitman,. has been -killed on the North-Eastern-Railway, near Newcastle, from a singular accident. He was standing up in a third-class carriage, and leaning over the-side when an express-train rushed past in an opposite direction; some missile struck him on the head, fractured his skull, and caused his death a day or two after. A passenger in another carriage was hurt in the eye ; and it was found that two pieces of wood had been scooped from the side of the luggage-van. Near the scene of the accident was picked up a bar of iron, -which had evidently been wrenched from a car- riage. It is surmised that a door was open in the express-train, that it struck the bar in the other train, wrenched it off, and drove it along the side of the train, striking poor Stobart.

Several houses have been destroyed by a fire at Chatham. The flames were only checked by the soldiers pulling down some buildings. As usual, there was no water to supply the engines.