The National Register. — London, England, 1817-05-05 00:00:00

14^ kunitap Anutocincuto. lIINDOO SU] IT is become fashionable, among certain classes of persons, who affect great liberality of sentiment on the subject of Religious Liberty, to decry all attempts at converting the Hiadoo Pagans to the Christian doc trine and practice. We are told that we have no right to meddle with the " religious institutions," as they . are called, of the Hindoos ; and that we shall only endanger our East Indian possessions by any inter ference with their long-established superstitions. • We would recommend all such monxtrousty liberal - minded Christians to read with seriousness and candour of mind a work recently published, entitled, " A View of the History, Literature, and Religion of the Hin dus : including a minute description of their Manners and Customs, and Translations from their principal Works. In two volumes. By the Rev. W. Ward, 'one of the Baptist Missionaries at Serampore, Bengal." We have often read the horrid descriptions which have, from time to time, appeared of widows dying on Ithe funeral piles of their deceased husbands ; the fol lowing is an account of a widow who perished in the same grave with her husband: a practice, it seems, also Very prevalent among these superstitious heathens. "The following cirennistance took place at Gondul-para, About 20 miles N. of Calcutta, on the 181 h of March, 1813, and thscommunicated to the author, by Capt. Kemp, an ey e withess. The description is nearly in his own words On Thursday last, at nine in the morning, Visliwitnatlin, one of our best workmen, who had been sick bat a short time, was brought down to ie river side to expire : fie was placed, as is customary, on the bank, and a consultation held respecting the the. he would die; the astrologer predicted, that his dis signiori was near at hand. The sick mall then immersed up to the middle in the river, and there kept for some time ; but death not being so near as was predicted, he was again placed on the beach, extended at full length, and exposed to a hot Ann, where he continued the whole of the day; excepting at those intervals when it was supposed he was dying, whea he ' was again immersed in the sacred stream. I visited him in the evening.; he was sensible, but had not the power of utter ance ; be however was able to make signs with his hand, that he did not wish to dell* (Maim water, which they kept al- , most coatiinelly pouring into his mouth by means of a small -shell. He remained in this Situation during the night : In the !nothing the immersions commenced, and were continued at intervals till about five in the evening, when be expired, or was literally murdered. His wife, a young woman about six . tees years of age, hearing of his death,eatue to the deeper ate resolution of being buried alive with the corpse. She wan"' accompanied by her •feronds down to the beads, where the body lay, where a small blench of Mango tree was presented to her, which (sal understood) was setting a seal to her de terniaatien ; from which, after haying accepted the branch, she could not retreat. I went to her. aid quistioned her with respect to the horrid act she was about to perform, whether it was voluntary or from persuasion : nothing of the 'sate appeared; it was entirely her own desire. I spoke to her relations on the heinonsaess of the crime they were guilty of, In allowing the young cremate thus to precipitate herself late the presence of her Creator trundled for. Mrs. K. spoke both to the mother and the daughter a good deal, but all to nu purpose. The mother declared. that it was her dastelitees elmice ;alto added, that she was determined " to g o th e ro ad her hu sband had gone." There. ass not the least appearance of regret observable in the mother's countenance, or conthiet. • woman, thriven " forget her sucking child, and forsake the child of her womb:" the prophet seemed to think it only possible that there might .exist such a monster, but here it was realized ; here was a uneasier of a mother, that could re sign her child, the fitter a gracious Providence, and design , ed to be the comfort and support of her old age ;—could, without the least apparent emotion, cousign this child alive to tube tomb; and herself continue au unmoved spectator of the horrid decd. At eight I'. M. the corpse, accompanied by ibis self-devoted victim, was conveyed to a place a little be- Jow tier greands, where I repaired, to behold the perpetra• tics of a•cri Ile which I could scarcely believe possible to .be counnitted by any himum being. The corpse mos bid on t seearth by the river till a circular grave of about fifteen lest iteeircureference, and five or six feet deep was prepay -id; and was then (after some formulas had been read) :placed at the bottom of the gnaw in a sitting posture. with the face to the N. the nearest citation applying a lighted wisp of straw to the top of the bead. Ihe young widow now came forward, and haviug eircurnamisidated the grave seven times, calling eat Hume Ruh! /three OW! in which she was joined by the surrounding crowd, descended into it. I then approached within a foot of the grave. to observe•if any re luctance appeared in her countenance, or sorrow in that of her relations: in hers no alteration was perceptib:e ; iu theirs, there was the appearance of exultation. She placed herself in a sitting posture, with her face to the back of her husband, embracing the corpse. with her helm arm, and reclin- Ing her bead on his shoulders; the other hand she placed over her head, with her forefinger erect, which she moved in as circular direction. The earth was then deliberately put • round them, two rues being in the grave for the purpose of stamping it round the living and the dead, which they did as a gardener does around a plant newly.Sransplanted, till the earth rose to a level With" the surface, or two air three feet above the held: of the entombed. As her head was covered Seine time before the finger ofker right hand, I had an oppor tunity of oh...erring whether any regret was manifested ; but the finger moved routed is the same manner as at first, till the earth closed the scene. Not a parting tear was observed to be shed by env of her relations, till the crowd began to dis perse, when the usual thurentatious and lambi asommeuced, without sorrow: It is difficult, nays Mr. Ward, to form an estimate of the anntad number of FEndoos who peril& annually, the victims of superstition. He offers, as a conjecture, as correct as possible, the following statement : " Widows hnrnt alive on the inner:ll pile " Pilgrims perishing on the roads, and at sacred places 4OOO " Persons drowning thetwelres in the Ganges, or burled or Limit aiiic.. . THE NATIONAL REGISTER. " 5OO " Sick persons %%hose death is hastened on the banks of the Ganges T0ta1.... 10,5 Ctr and yet some persons would have us believe that they arc overwhelmed h the sublimity of the Hindoo Mytho legy ; and that all attempts to Christianize these cruel monsters, aic nothing short of downright reltious per secution LAII INTELLIGENCE. COURT OF KING'S III:NCH, !SATURDAY, APRIL 26. DOE, ON THE DEMISE OF H 4NDLEY, V. WOOD. The Cornish Mine cause, which has lately excited so much interest in the West of England, and which MOM on for trial at the last assizes for Launceston before Mr. Justice Holroyd, to try the right of Matthew Wood, Esq. the present Lord Mayor, to the possession of the valuable tin and copper mine, called Clinic, Mine, in the parish of St. Austcl, was again agitated this day, when Mr. Serjeant Best moved the Court, why the nonsuit en tered against the plaintiff should not be set aside, and a new trial granted. It will he rec .liected, that this was an action of ejectment, on the part of the plaintiff, fur the purpose of term% ening possession of this mine ; and the question was, whether :he deed under which the defendant a orked the mine, opus o lease se mere!), d graMor licence; and BO the trial of the cause the Attornt,-Cieneral (who a as specially retained) contended lbst it was a mere heaver, wt winch opinion the Coin t coinciding, an ejectment woltld not lie, and the plain tiff a as nonsuited. The deed aim now submitted to the consideration of the Con. Land apeeared to be granted by Sir T. Carlisle to Hal.ll - empowering 1 • to dig and search for all mines mid mi. nerala ; to dig such pits, and erect such shafts, engines, as should be necessary. By virtue of which works were erected, and conduits made ; to which was added the usual clause for re entry, in rase of default of covenant ; as in case such grant or let had not been made. The Learned Serjeant now ably contended, that an eject ment Mout:, tie iu this case, as such an interest was conveyed to the lessor of the plaintiff as entitled him to bring an eject. silent ; and that be should be entitled to the Rule he wes ask ing, inasmuch as tae term hi meant frost. That the deed con. tabled all the cevenauts and clauses of a lease, :sod ei.stld be construed to mean nothing else but that species Of pm (sporty .ushich enabled hit client to maintain his ejectment ; and sited, in support of his argnment, the folios lug casts : I Sidlterbin 161. 1 Les hive 114. Coke Littleton, 11. 2 Sal. Lehi, 568. and 3 Bartow 13:16 and 1626. Role to chew cause was granted, the Court requesting to be furnished with copies of the deed. MONDAY, APRIL, 28. Mem TREMION.-31E. Justice Ilas ley, on mite: ing the Court, proceeded to dither a charge to the pram' Jews, who were in ant ndauce. The ',carded Judge 1111V1.1110'd u. the teals of indict dent a hich wound ne laud tri foie the Grand Jury, charging the crime of hich ifed•i/li against certain nub Jiduais therein 11. !LI. 1111 the mil, the defiers..., overt arts which it compris, d WOURI I 1:1111i1 e the most serious investigation. There *melee :at many cousi.leiatiems applies*. ble to each charge--iii the investigaiion of which they be satisfied that each allegation was fairly made on., °rhor they assented to h. It was Oa necessary that eve ry oseri act in the indietinent .disniel uc proved ; but, if one or inure were proved. beat ss onol Ise sufficient to Stith°. ize taem fu find the bill. They would proceed deliberatety through all the overt acts; and if they Wined alp of them snustantiateei by evidence, they would, of course, seta.. a tine bill, wilt the whole of the overt acts found ; but if ,t should turn mit that some of them weir lint proved, then it 'would i n . strike nut frum the mil such averments as were not dotssup ported by evidence. Properly speaking . , all the overt art• must amount to %bat, in law, was denowenateel levying war against the King. If certain acts were mote fur the purpose of levying war, it would be their duty to (Intl a true bill un those overt acts. As they acre the Grand Jeers for the comity of Middlesex, it was neees- , ary that one, at least, of the "se overt acts should have been e tool in 'hut county—anal, Willey were satisfied that anyone of them was committed in Middlesex, whether the others had been effected in London or in ally other comity, they world slid find the bill. In charges of high treason, it was necessary to have the facts proved by two witnesses—but, if two overt acts were charged in one count, a single witness in support of each charge would he sufficient. It' they should be satisfied, from the ge neral nature of the es idence, that the allegation of the exist enee of treasonable practices was made out, it would then lee- I come their ditty to consider the different charges, as they ap plied to the persons who were the suoject of this indictment- In cases of felony, there were access:tries before the fact, as well as principals—but with respect to treason, the case was different. Its cases of treason, there could, in law, be ne ne cessaries berme the fact. Those who, in felonious cases, would be only accessories, were, iu treason, considered prin cipals. If previous concert and conspiracy a ere proved, having treasonable objects in view, that was sufficient ; for every consultation of a treasonable nattier was looked upon, in law, as an overt act. The Learned Judge said, he offered these suggestions to the (linnet Jury, beeause they might be material in directing their judgment, and not with any inten tion of influeucing their passions. Ile was desirous of in structing them, as to vs hat was their duty in the discharge of their important functions, and not of leading or directing their minds to any derision. It was most important, if trea son had existed, that it should be developed, and that the per sons concerned in it should be brought to trial. At this time the chargo.was of the highest and most serious nature ; and, • therefore, the Grand Jury should proceed with the utmost circumspection. They ought na . , and doubtless they will not, return a time bill against those persons, unless the evidence• fully satisfied them, that they had been guilty of some or all of the charges alleged against them. The Learned Judge eon. eluded by stating, that he and leis brother Judges would be ready, when called on, to afford every information to the Grand Jury in the execution of their solemn and important duty.—'Clue Grand Jury then retired. Previous to the rising of the Court, the Grend Jnry came in and dellvertsd their Hills, when it appeared they had f ('true Rills against Watson, sea. ; %Vinson, Jon. ; Hooper, Thistlewond. and Preston. And the had thrown out the bill against, the sixth. individual (tamed Keense) presented to theof. MAY 5. Opinion of the Law Officers of the Crown, referred in in the Circular Letter front Viscount Silmouth to his Majesty's Lieutenants of Counties of England and Wales, dated 27th of March, 1817. " We are of opinion, that a warrant may be issued to ap prehend a party charged on oath tier pnblishinga Witt, either by the Secretary of State, a Judge, ur a Justice of the Peace. " With respites to the Secretary of State in the case of Entiek r. Carrington, as reported by Mr. Hargrave, though the r , sort were of opinion the warrants which were then the Atibjest of discussion w ere illegal, yet Lord Camden declared, act( a which he seated the ether Judges agreed with him, that limy were- bound to adhere to the determination of' the Queen r. Des by, and the King r. &ninny, in troth of which cases it had been holden, that it was competent to the Seere tary of State to issue a warrant for the appreliviesion of a per. son charged with a scandalous 1111(1 indigene. libel ; and that they, the Judges, had no right to overturn those decisions. " With respect to the power of a Judge to issue suck warrant, it appears to ns, that at all eyelets, metier the Sta tute of the 45th Geo. 111. cb.4B. a Judge has such power, upon as :snide% it Ming made in tonrstiance of that act; a Judge would peobahly expect that it should appear to be the intention of the Attorney General to file au information against the person charged. " With respect to a Justice of' the Peace, the decision of the Court of Common Pleas iu the case of Mr. IVilkes's libels, only amounts to this—that libel is not such an rebut/ breach of the peace as to deprive a number of Parliament of his Privilege of Parliament, or to warrant the demanding sure ties of the peace Irons the defendant ; but there is no deci slots or opinion that a Justice of the Peace might not appre. bend any person. Had so privitedgeol,. and demand hail to be given to ritswe4 the charge. It has certainly been the opinion of tow of our most headed itretleeessors that such warrants Ma) be issued and acted upon by Jostler.* of the Peace, as appears by the cause allies. Spence and Alexander Hoeg, in the year MI. 1t e age ce in that opinion, and therefore think that a Justice of the Peace may,itssue a warrant to ap. prehead a person Chat Red by infbrination on oath with the publivat ion ofa scandalous and seditious libel, and to compel bins to give bail to any such charge. " W. °ARROW. " Lincoln's Inn, frb. 21, ISt?. " 11. SHEPHEHD.' , At the Lancaster Quarter Sessions, held at Ormskirk on Monday last, R. Esq. the Chairman, contninnieated to the rest of the Magisti ales on the Bench the Circular Let ter of Lord Sid.eioutli to the the Lords Lieut.-omits of Coon. ties in England anti At ales. On the penisal of this letter, Colonel Williams remarked, that the nit dim through which it was eotolunciented to the M.egistrates appeared lather extraordimity, its the Lord. latmtunant was lovingly the • •tary and nut the civil mad of the county. Hr semarked also, that the legal authorities referred to ha his Lordship, its Moving sanctioned the pottered tll4:s of tiosermatent on this subject, were assuredly objection -11)1P, as these eawofficers must be eusisideted as immediately unites the intinesice of tier Crown; and that the Judges, Ire ra Muir indepesideni situutnut, were the proper m1114'4'44 3 10 ronsolt on any great question of national pities. He woe oo• d that a reply should be sent to the Seerrtaty of 5411 f, is rrnitil the Lord.Lientenant, porton tine that the al ititist alt I t..s 0.. s remity w ere per temly an al v of their tholes, cud a, Ind have been most ready to eosin omit their efforts to the fere serration of the pe.ece of the comity, curt shout le that t xpt,ra• recommendetieem had out inch sent : that 111i7 wore also per fvetly acquai 111 l s wi Is the just tights and presoLativ e o 1 the Executive pow 4-1, and we Hill alw ids hr loom' out Icss ready to so art every lust exerente of its authority, than to maia taiu tudcfrud lin rtubts and pt iv ilt.p.s of the people. •the cle,eireisaa opi-osed the proposition as beim¢ contrary to the n•hal pi active of the NSA! ill Cast,: 01,11j2 hasps e and he -au , no reason for dried' ting from an established 4.us tum on the present occasion. lie moved, therelMe, that the Court should now , pass to the business of tit day. Mr. Huhutshed HIM the Rev. Mr. Hamlet sl.oke on the same side of tile qesestion. __ _ . , Mr, Gialstone, af7er stating that lie should oppo:e the pro. position of Col. Withants, observed, that it wit , the doh nut only of every itlagistiate, but of rrery in.lividual, to Ilse his utmost ext.' tutus in potting down the impious and injta n . tha . li•ry publications to whi it the letter alluded: compositions adapted oitt . s to the lowest passions and 'prejudice, or the ig norant Rita unwary. The letter of Lord Side:ton:lt st;ts not intended so ninth to infosni the Magistrates of their duty, or to s tote their activity. as to acquaint them with the law on the subject. In the due execution of this low. they were, of course, intended to he left to the exercise of their own tiis cretion. Col. Williams's proposition was then negatived. OLD BAILEY. On Saturday the following were convicted of felony, viz.—T. Vickers, for stealing a lace veil from the person of Ann Coleman; G. Crew, .1. Gurney, and (W. Greenwood, aoquitted), fur stealing bulbs. of silk, the property of I. and E. I)esanges ; .1. Oliver. for stealing a tea-kettle and candlestick; E. Jones. fur stealing three pair of trowsers; Ann Jackson, for stealing a silver watch and a 11. note; S. Dynes, for stealing an oak plank ; 11. Carpenter, fur steal ing a copper. Ise. value 205.; .1. Cheshwit„ for stealing 24 panes of glass; E. Donning, for stealing a handkerchief; .1. It. Yeoman, for stealing a quilt ; Mary Taylor, for stealing a silver watch, a coat, lc.; .1. Roberts, for stealing a hand-saw, &c.; W. Ras fur stealing four glass cruets, with silver tops ; Jos. Nash, f or :toiling four bushels of barley and one sack; and J. Kirk, fur stealing a memo randum-book and a silk handkerchief. Wednesday le prisoners were tried. nine of whom were convicted of felony, viz.—J. Pale. C. Thrale, and J. Day, for stealing a quart. thy of hay ; It. Thompson and W. Alactionsid, for stealing a quail thy of wearing a 1; J. Northam. for stealing three saws; W. Benton. for stealing two gowns; J. Cruker, for stealing three table cloths; and G. Bates, for stealing a copper. And three were ac quitted, viz.—J. Ellington], J. Burden, and T. Franklin. The same day the Sessions ended; when sentence of death wet passed on J. Ilawkins, for steal* goods. value 445. the property of Anna Maria Thompson. and goods value 261. lAs. thy property of Wm. Gun, in the dwelling-house of the said Anna Maria Thompson: Ann Davis. for stealing goods, value lea., the property of .1. C. Baker, privately in his slop ; G. fates. J. Gregory. and 11. Rouse. for a burglary in the dwelling-house of T. Want. and stealing goods and Bank notes, value fAd. ss. his property; It. %idle, for stealing goods and monies. value Md. 12r., the property of W. J. Coster, in his dwelling-house; J. Warren. for stealing goods, value 1311. ts. the property of J. Earnshaw, in his dwelling-house; W. Haynes. for -sealing goods, value 5L 155., the property of Lord Say and Sale. in his dwtiling house; D. Kelly, for robbing on the highway of J. Want. and taking fmrn him monies and Bank notes, value ;L IDs. 6d.: J. Baton, for robbing .V. M•Garel, Esq. on the King's highway, of 201. in Banknotes; and T. G. GSM', for robbing W. Bautista, to the highway, of pods, value ti.