against the others. The quarrel continued till near
twelve o'clock, when Ellen and Isabella went to bed,
refusing at the same time to permit the eldest sister to
go with them. At half-past twelve or one o'clock the
father, on coming in, found his eldest daughter sitting
at the fire-side, and, on asking her reason for not
going to bed, was told that her sisters would not allow
her. The father spoke harshly to the daughters in the
bed, and threatened, if it had not been Sunday morning,
to "hammer" Ellen. Ellen immediately jumped up,
saying her father always favoured the eldest daughter,
and vowing that she would rather sleep in the street
than allow her sister to come to her bed. She accordingly
dressed herself, and ran out of the house,
followed shortly afterwards by her sister Isabella, her
father and sister going quietly to bed. On Sunday
nothing was heard of the girls, and the family made no
inquiry after them; and the first intelligence that was
received of the unfortunate young creatures was of
their bodies being found in the river. At the inquest,
one woman, who refused to be sworn, was committed to
prison, and the evidence of the daughter Jane was so
prevaricating that the coroner found it necessary to
caution her. The inquiry was adjourned.

Courts Martial have been held at Sheerness, to
investigate the circumstances under which several ships
belonging to the Expeditions in search of Sir John
Franklin, were abandoned in the Arctic Sea. The first
case was that of the Investigator, commanded by
Captain McClure. In his defence he produced an order
to abandon the ship, signed by Captain Kellett, of the
Resolute. He gave his account very clearly and
succinctly. 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 (he stated)
volunteered to remain; it would have required twenty
to bring the ship home; and it was impracticable to
remain in her any longer. The Court found that no
blame was attachable to Captain McClure, his officers, or
ship's company; but that he had acted under the orders
of his superior officer, and exercised a proper discretion
in abandoning the ship. They were fully acquitted
accordingly, and the president, in returning Captain
McClure his sword, expressed the opinion of the Court
that his conduct had been most praiseworthy. The
next case was that of the Resolute, commanded by
Captain Kellett. He produced the orders of Sir Edward
Belcher for the abandonment of the ship. Sir Edward
wrote to Captain Kellett on the 1st of February, 1854,
requesting him to bring all his crew to Beechey Island
before the 26th August. Captain Kellett replied on
the 12th of April, 1854, stating that nothing in his
orders would justify the abandonment of the ship, and
asking for final and unmistakeable orders from Sir
Edward. These orders were dated the 21st of April,
and directed Captain Kellett to abandon the Resolute
and her tender the Intrepid. Both ships were to be
battened down and left in a perfect condition: which
was done on the 15th of May last. The Court acquitted
Captain Kellett, as he acted under the orders of his
superior officer; and the President returned him his
sword with a marked compliment. The third case was
that of the Assistance and Pioneer, for the loss of which
Commander Richards was responsible. 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 the President
restored him his sword, saying that he had great
pleasure in doing so. The last trial was that of Sir
Edward Belcher. It was long; having begun on the
17th and continued during the 18th and 19th inst. It
appeared from the evidence 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 of July 1853; that they were
frozen in about the 1st of September, and remained
there until the 25th of 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 of 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 they
might have remained during the winter in safety. She
had one year's salt provisions, but no preserved meats.
Dr. Lyall and Mr. Rickards stated, 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 remaining
stock to make their winter comfortable;"  but, speaking
for himself 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 insured 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 required. The crews of the Phœnix and Talbot
arrived after the ships had been abandoned.
Commander McClintock, of the Intrepid, thought it 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 depôts, provisions which would have lasted until
July 1855; that it was very probable he could have
got through the ice this summer; that if he could not,
then he could safely have remained; and that he
abandoned the ships by the order of Sir Edward Belcher
on the 15th May, 1854. Sir Edward Belcher defended
his conduct 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 circumstances he was not
to push his researches beyond reasonable limits. Sir
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 his gig, he was still
on duty, ready to return if directed, again to take the
command of the squadron. The Court pronounced the
following judgment: "The Court is of opinion that the
abandonment of her Majesty'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 authorised,
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 Captain Sir
Edward Belcher to be acquitted; and he is hereby
acquitted accordingly." The President returned his
sword to Sir Edward Belcher without making any
remark.

At the Westminster Police Court, on the 20th, Mr.
Westerton, churchwarden of St. Paul's, Knightsbridge,
appeared to answer a charge of Assault. The
charge arose out of these circumstances. Last Sunday,
Mr. Ernest Fitzroy, a youth of twenty, sang, instead of
saying the service at St. Paul's. As this had been done
oftener than once, and produced a painful discord, the
officiating minister, Mr. Portal, ceased to read, and
pointed out the disturber to the churchwarden. Mr.
Westerton went up to the pew, and addressing some
words to Mr. Fitzroy, caught him by the arm. Shielded