The prisoner, having no further witnesses to call, here presented the following, address to the Court:
“Mr. President, and Gentlemen of this Honorable Court, – I will not presume to impose a longer task on the patience of this Honorable Court, by any further animadversion or remark on the evidence that has been given, and the various documents which have been produced; entertaining, as I do, a humble hope, that what has been urged will have impressed every individual of this Honorable Court with a strong sense of the peculiar hardships of the situation in which a young and inexperienced officer was placed. With no choice but of difficulties – abandoned by my superior officer, who would give me no orders for my guidance, it appeared to me that I could not err by a zealous solicitude to execute the public service, which I well knew His Majesty’s ships were employed in that colony to perform. I therefore submit myself and my cause, with humble confidence, to the justice of this Honorable Court, under the firmest conviction, that every allowance will be made in my favour, if it should appear, that, in difficulties so arduous and unprecedented, it may have been my misfortune to have deviated, in any particular, from that line of conduct which the rules of the service might have required from me, and which I solemnly declare it was my most earnest wish, and would have been my greatest pride, to have acted in strict conformity to.
“With the most heartfelt gratitude I intreat leave to return my humble and respectful thanks to this Honorable Court, for the indulgence with which I have been heard.
The prosecutor then asked permission of the Court to call other witnesses, and to read some letters. The Court was cleared to consider of his request, when, on being reopened, he was informed they had decided upon hearing no more evidence. After which, the Court was again cleared, and in about an hour opened again, when they pronounced the following
SENTENCE.
