A court-martial was now held on board of the Castor, to inquire into the conduct of Lieutenant Heard (our late first lieutenant), during the time that he served under Sir Edward Belcher. The court-martial had been demanded by Lieutenant Heard, in consequence of Sir Edward Belcher having written a private letter to Admiral Sir Thomas Cochrane, accusing Mr. Heard of conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman. The whole of the officers of the Samarang were subpoenaed, and there is no doubt what the result of the court-martial would have been; but the court was broken up on the plea that the charges were not _sufficiently specific_, as neither date nor circumstances were specified. Before the court broke up, however, they did so far justice to Lieutenant Heard, as to return his sword, and state that there was not the slightest stain upon his character, and that he was honourably acquitted. The reader may perhaps ask, why the court was dissolved? It was to save the honour of the cloth, that the court, composed of captains, came to that decision. Had the court-martial proceeded, what would it have proved?--that a superior officer had been guilty of slander, and had attempted by this means to ruin a most excellent officer. The court declared that the charges were not sufficiently specific. Surely, they were plain enough. Lieutenant Heard was charged with conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman--a charge sufficient to dismiss him the service, if it could have been proved. But let us reverse this case: suppose that Lieutenant Heard had thus slandered Sir Edward Belcher. Would the court of captains then have discovered that the charges were not sufficiently specific? Most certainly not. The trial would have proceeded, and the lieutenant, for making such false charges in a private letter, would have been dismissed with ignominy from the service.