At Southampton yesterday seven firemen on a troopship -Wm. Carpenter, W. Payne, John Podesta, Charles Hock, Robert Thompson, Ernest Hatton, and Frederick Mountain - were charged with unlawfully combining together to neglect duty and to impede the navigation of the ship.

Captain Roberts, commander of the ship said the prisoners, who had signed articles for the voyage, should have joined the vessel in the afternoon. Two joined later, one of them being intoxicated, but the rest did not put in an appearance at all. In consequence witness was unable to proceed with the ship and everything was dislocated.

The presiding Magistrate said it was a very serious case. All the men would go to prison for twelve weeks, with hard labour.