The Statesman. — London, England, 1812-05-19 00:00:00

I ``~~,, ~ ~~ IM,i i .; , :k-t` • v ll' I Vl° 1 0,0 , . , •,11- ~ : l' °i ,~(~ . ~'~, TI Ira STATESMAN. , : . volt with horror even at the idea of Perjury and A , sa , sittation ; but, can the partial massacre of the soidiers of your tyrants be called Assassination lime the weak, then, no legitimate resource against oppression." Wittier, mark well the latter part of this - sentence, and you vi ill be at no Ins= to discover the school in which the wretched Ikta.txcluAlu horned his system of morality.---" When my trial," said that unfortunate culprit, 4 i comes be fore a jury of my countrymen, it till then be de lermined how far a Minister is justified in refusing justire to an injured idiaduni." In the one case " oppression" is urged as a plea in justification of Assassination :—in the other , the Tyerpetrator of the crime pleads " injustice a n d i.ijury" a#, his vindica tiou. The direct conformity of PioNAT ELM'S argto. melds with those of BELLINGHAM is too apparent to be.suistaken, even by the most superfijal observer. flat Ire have not yet exhausted the Lot. , r,is, or rather :as - anima. letter the Neapolitan Prince. After rptotiug the remade, that'" Iliturtt's stabbed C.s.s.‘e • white he embraced him, and called him son," he proceeds:—" then, his SARDINIAN MAJES TY, though unarmed with fortresses, and surrounded with republican battalions, may slit! aspire to the glory of delivering Italy. The French troops are dispersed over Piedmont, under the faith of treaties. All that is wanting then is, to rouse the patriotism of the Piedmontese to sentiments of the most ex alted enthusiasm, and that each man should aspire to the honour of extending one of the ene elks of his country at his feet.— ..-these partial massacres will be more decisive for Piedmont than a pitched battle ; and never will a just posterity stigmatize, pith theriatue of Assassination, the ener getic acts of a whoie people marching over the dead bodies of their oppressors to the recovery of their liberty. I hope that you will make the value of these considerations be felt in the Councils of his SAttni. VIA'S MAJESTY, and that they will not be opposed in a Court which has been so cruelly rendered the• victims of tirc Republicans; and which the coalesced' Powers take under their special protection." Here then do we discover the first dawnings of this abomi neble system having been introduced into the Cabi. 1 nets of Europe. Russia, and the Ottoman Porte, era not only mentioned as the abettors of the Courts. of Naples and liardittia in instigating the subjects of "the latter to assassinate the French, but Great Mn. tain is expressly named--nay all the coalesced powers are represented as having taken them under their spe cial protection. What further evidence do we re.. quire to show that Mr. PITT and his colleagues, who then managed the affairs of this country, were assas sins by principle ? During the administration of the son of the Earl of CIIATII.OI, nothing occurred to implicate him directly in this charge, though no doubt remains of hit guilt. - But this has not been the case with his successors in office: They have given dent proofs to the world, that they so far at least ap proved of the doctrine of Prince PIGNATELLI, whO had the audacity to declare that, notwithstindingthe most solemn treaties existing between the Frenchho public and the King of SARDINIA, each Sardinian should aspire to the honour of assassinating a French man. It is true, that there is no treaty with us and BONAPARTE, and it hasbeen said by the Ministerial Prints, that it is only as an enemy he ought to be re garded as a fit subject for the dagger. Ministers even hare gone the length of disavowing the principles of Assassination altogether. But if this practice is cri minal at all, it can make no difference whether tilt object of our vengeance Is a friend or an enemy. In its very essence, Assassination is a gross immoral act ; • it is a violation of the laws of natnre, by which this • principle is clearly recogs.ised, That no man has a sight to deprive another of that which it is impossible for him to give. It is, therefore, a crime to rob one of his life without his being in possession of the means to prevent it, whether he he in a state of hos tility against us or in amity. Even in the field of battle, when the foe has surrendered to his con:: queror,• all•eivilised nations have deemed it murder to dispnssess him of his life. Neither can the denial of Minister* avail them, when it is considered, that they not only protect but reward those who preach up Assassination, mid who have insulted - thesis ion, by recoennendiag the fonnatioa of a band wreicties, like theinsilVei; to destroy the Emperor of FILANGL. The hireling journals 'of Ministers, who were for. I snotty the most • forward in vindicating the horrid practice which we aresleprecating, an now engaged . ) in raising their voice Against it, because they find that the infernal doctrine they were so active in disse. olio:it/lig; has brought, in the first instance, on the head of their favourite, the evil whith -they tended to fall • on - others. iulittenced, however, by- motives similar to those IPIIIRI► led them to • eilvoelttethe cause of Assassirritienatisealt suited the *• • I purposes o tioy now attempt to tnrow ole odium off themsel v es, by a tt r ibuting .the crime to 1 Cie disaffecad towards the Coterentost. his a me. lantholy end undeniable fact, they say, that " the et:miles of the country beechen but too successful in Cwir ttiabolicsi attempts to pebon the minds, and ! •resclutionisis the nature of the ignorant and the thneghtless.". -How cordially do we concur in these sentimeeti ;, bet how very dkfferent must he our ap plicatide et them. It cannot be those who have un eesaingiy declaimed against the employment of spys, • Ttaitera r and Assassins by our Government, that can be charged with attempts to poison the minds of the • • people.' If V only such ns have justified the doctrines of wriesairetxt, a GOLDSMITH, and a SARRAZIN, Cat haven voted successful in their diabolical at tempts. Let us not then any longer be told •by the Treasury Journals, that the practice of Assassins• tion, of whic:t a few instances have lately occurred, has its birth either in the habits, or in the education of the people. These instances owe their origin to those Writers only who now affect •to deplore their awful consequences. If they wish to atone for their imprudence, and counteract the baneful influence of the doctrines they have so industriously circulated, it would he well for them to acknowledge their error in a formal manner, ;tither than employ their pens in • reviling others, w ho bare had no part in the introduc tion of this atrocious system, either into the Cabinets of Europe or the cottages of our countrymen. The circumstance, that the wretched BELLINGILAK, who hail iklilrerately premeditated the horrid deed, was held entitled to a regular trial, rid not condemned to be shot without ceremony, affords a sufficient proof, that the people of this country, with whom the . law emanates, ar•e enemies to all violence whatever. STATE in , ' THE COUNTRY. Cant:tst.r, Max 16.—Though during this week ) nothing lias occurred to excite public alarm in this neighbourhood, yet, we regret to: state, that our public duty compels us to narrate what instances of depredations have been committed—not against the, public at large, but against individuals. We shall, ,therefore, proceed,to give an unbiassed account of what, in this respect., has occurred since our last.— Last Saturday, our markets were pretty well sup- plied, but considerabte disorder prevailed' in the po, tatoe marke4 frrim the apprehension that there would tot be a sufficiency. of that iudiSpensible ar ticle of food, to supply the wants of the numerous poor. No outrage, however, was committed them., but a person who had kept his grain in the corn,l market to an unusual hour, and above the market price, was much insulted by the populace—at • last he was fain to sell it for somethiug less than he had been at first offered for it. The irritation of the po- i r ' pulace, however, not being allayed by this sacrifice he was assailed, whilst returning home, by sheisers of stones, by which he was severely wounded; .and it was not without difficulty he escaped with most serious injury. About one o'clock on Tuesday morning, a number of men, with their faces blacken, ed, broke into the house of George Graham, a far , mer, at Newtown, about a mile from this city,• and carried oil twelve hams belonging to different per sons, which were committed to his care to cure.—,- Mrsi Graham, on hearing the alarm, ran down stairs, but was not able to identify any one.Dur lag the time of the depredation being carried for. ward, the Beard, who were s'tationetl without, fired several shots, which were distinctly heard in the city. Ow the succeeding night, a large quantity of pota toes was stolen and carried away from Rickarby, upon the Eden, a mile distant from Carlisle.—We ' also hear, that similar depredations have been com mitted all around the country. A Circular has bees addressrd to the Commanding Officers of Local Militia, by Mr. Secretary Rider, j enjoining them to have their depots of arms in a state of the greatest security, lest they should be suddenly seized by the disaffected,—and that it would he advisable the muskets in the depots should he without flints; which (says the Circular) would in some degree prevent the immediate mischief which Might °there ise result from the seizure of the arms. Letters have been received in Carlisle, from Lan cashire, stating that considerable tumult bad taken place in Barnsley, on the borders of the county— that after the Riot Art had been read, the Local Mi. litia had been called out ; but, being averse to the proceeding to extremities, were tired upon by a party of the Queen's Bays, by which, it is said six of the Local Militia were killed. The lire was in stantly returned ; and the cavalry, after losing 12 men killed and 11 horses, were compelled to retreat. We do not pledge ourselves for the truth of this state. meat—the fact is, that letters to this effect have been received here. The account of the manner in which the assassina tion of Mr. Perceval was rervired at Nottingham is correct. Ott Tuesday and Wednesday there were the same disgusting demonstrations of joy; but the Riot Act was read, the military paraded the town, and all was quiet on Saturday. lusorne parts of Cornwall, the Cornwall Paper says, the same spirit was manifested. At Sheffield, Leeds, and Birmingham, all was quiet.—Some additional troops have been marched into Chester, a report prevailing that tht4 rioters meant to attempt a rescue of the persons committed to Chester Gaol. A most lamentable accident happened last week In a coal mine at Orrelt, Dear t/phoHand, iti the neigh. 4 bahrhood of Liverpool. Notice had been siren. to.' the workmen belonging to the pit, that a coitain particular level was summed to be filled with in- flammable gas, and they were of course directed not ' to approach the place with a light or any other sub stattce capable of -communicating fire. Notwith.: standing this warning, one of the men, who had left his tools in the forbidden place, had the rashness to attempt to recover them, and actually entered it with a candle. A tremendous explosion instantly took place, in consequence of which every person in that part of the mine was immediately suffocated. We are concerned to say, that nine men and one woman fell a sacrifice, to this thoughtless temerity, who were all taken out dead, after the proper precautions had, been used. The men all belonged to the Leyland . and Ormgkirk Local Militia, and were most of them . I very stout and able yogi% men. The explosion was I so violent, that it shook the windows of the houses of one of the neighbouring villages. We insert the following, on authority,. is an he- I nnurable trait in the character of French fishermen, as being the result of the robbery lately committed off ni e one :—When the delinquent retuned home rr with his prise, his roguery was soon discovered by I his brother fishermen, who instantly compelled him ' to pet to sea, for the purpose of delivering up his ill-gotten treasure to the first English fishing-boat he l should meet with, which happened to be one from Hastings; and the owner, at Folkestone, is now in the possession of the greater part of his nets. LAW INTg LLIGENC COVRTOr COMMON PIaIiAti.WESTMINSTEIt. Ma 18. Sittings aft& 7'erm, before Sir JAMBS MANSFIELD. SI.INDEIt. rENWICI r. HAW. ' This was' an action brought i ly - the Plaintiff, a lace s ou weaver, .iu Colville-c.ourt, at the Defendant, a shoemaker, residing in , Street, to recove r damages for scandalous w Aleged to have been spoken by the Defoidaut to vilify the Plaintiff's character. The words in substance charged the Plaintill with having been guilty of indecent prac tices. The damages were laid at One Thousand 1 Pounds. 1 Mr. Serjeant BF:ST stated, that the Plaintiff com plained in this case of having received the greatest injury a man could receive. He was charged with an offence which, if true, would drive him from society, and unless he had had the courage to come j .into a Court to vindicate his character, life would I only, have rendered him sensible of injuries and indignity. The Defendant, in answer to this action, had said he was not guilty.—The words had been spoken two years ago, in a conversation which the Dc. readmit had with a person named Englee, and so j little reason had he to utter the scandal, that he had since treated the Plaintiff as a most respectable cha t racter. No application had been made to bring the Plaintiff to justice foruffending against the law of 1 Morals, on the contrary, he had treated him as al friend. The Plaintiff was a religious man, and al sincere christian, but in consequence of this slander, I he had been expelled from the Tottenham Chapel, of which he had long been a member. The Learned j Serjeant concluded by contending, that it was a case which required large damages. John Englee, a shoemakcr, stated, that taro or three years since he had a conversation with Haw of a religious tendency. He spoke particularly about j the " sgrdidtiess of Pharoah ;" and among the ge neral topics•of conversation Haw said, do you know Fenwick? he belongs to Tottenham Chapel. The Defendant then uttered the words which became the subject of action. They were afterwards conveyed to Fenwick, who met Haw in the presence of the witness, and Haw repeated what he said, asserting at the same time that it was true.' Fenwick said in.: answer, " If you say such things of me, 1 will not walk home with you again." ' Two other witnesses stated facts in substance the same as the above, and proved that Plaintiff and De fendant had been off friendly terms long since the words were spoken. Mr. Serjeant inEPIIERD contended, for the Defen dant, that the words had been spoken with no view to injure the Plaintiff. The Defendant had no means of justifying them, but under all the circumstances, the Defendant, who was a mechanic, in very low cir cumstances, ought not to be called upon to pay large damages. The Jury found a verdict for the Plaintiff—Da mages 101. OLD 1341fLEY. Yesterday G. H. Francis was indicted for uttering a forged bill of exchange, purporting to be accepted by G. 11. Francis and Son, 51, Great Armitage street, Wapping, with intent to defraud• Messrs. Ha mer and. Haler. _ _ _ Mr. CURW3On haring stated the indictment, Mr. ALLEY detailed the transaction. Mr. BARRY ' for the Prisoner, called witnesses to prove that the father was concerned in the house of trade, in Armitage-street. The Learned Judge thought this repelled the pre-' sumption of forgery, though it was a gross fraud, and directed the Jury to acquit the Prisoner.—Not Thomas Aslibie was indicted for forging and utter ing two bills' of exchange, one for 1501. and the other for 1201. with intent to defraud Messrs. Strong and Carter. Mr. Cnnwoon having stated the indictment, Mr. Am ant detailed the circumstances of these transac tions. The Learned Judge left it to the Jury to say, whe ther there were really any such firm as Sm►th and Bell, bonafide trading under that name; if nut, he thought the acceptance amounted to a forgery. The Jury withdrew for half an hour, and then returned a verdict of Guilts. MIDDLESEX SESSIONS, MAY 18. Michrsd Eddell,. late footman to a gentleman of fortune, was indicted for sending threateuing letters to the aboxe gentleman, to extort money, under pre ferment charging him with unnatural habits. Tho Prisoner, in consequence of his riotous con, duct at a Levee at Carlton-house, a few weeks since, was discharged by his master, who deducted from his wage; the amount of some articles of dress which had • Ise:n destroyed by ;hig Improper conduct. In a few shys after, the Prosectitor received a letter from the . Prisoner. demanding monk, in ambiguous terms, and oe this being unnoticed, ,the Prisoner sent an: other letter, in which lie threatened to charge ihi Prosecutor with unnatural propensities, on his re fusal to advance a sure of money. The Prosecutor applied to the Police, and the Prisoner was secured. Mr. ithiNiv mut; o, after animadverting on the atrocious conduct of the Prisoner, sentenced him to [Seven Years"fransportation. A singular circumstance occurred on board the ship Remdia, in •the harbour of Portsmouth, last , week. The Captain (Palmer) had two apprentices sent him from Loudon, by the owners ; both of wham were regularly bound, and hE►d been on board some time. A few days ago one of them fell over board in the harbour, and was with• mach clitliculty got on board the shin ; when'the supposed tad proved to be a young girl, about Iti years of ago. She said she had procured a siting near London, by working ►n the fields; but - disliking the employment, ,and without character to recommend her to any house- keeper's employment, she was Induced to pass her self off as a young lad wishing to go to sea, when she was regularly honttd.to serve its an apprentice to the owners of the Regalia. The crew handsome!) sub- . scribed to rig her out with female clothing ; and-'he is for the present ow* the tiotice of the Hon. Mrs. . . _ •' ' y~. . „ • -- limi A young Gentleman from Cambridge, confined in a lock-up-linnse, In the neighbourhood of tit. Ghment's, has amused himself since his captivity, in the! heads of al I the he rya Its of the house skaved, for whie,h he paid them a guinea a The bakers in the northern counies hare received, (hiring the last week, anoi.ymous letters, menacing their tires, and threatening th..ir properties with de.. stration. A fartror in the net - 10)(4(101(Kit' of Lewes, liar. ing a bitch that had lost her puppies, took a p 1..; from a sow which had just farrowea, and put to her, which she matures as one of her own sv!ielps, and the pig thrives apace upon her milk. A few evenings ago, as a respectable tradesman', wife was passing from it. Andrew's Church to iSrle. lane, some villain threw aqui:fortis on her clothe., some of which fell on her arm, which burnt her se. verely. Iler gown was also burnt in several place ;; The culprit, we are glad to hear, is likely to be (11; covered.—The punishment for the crime is trampon, tation. A melancholy accident happened at North Ferry, Scotland, on Tuesday last. On the landing of t pinnace with the mail passengers, Dub' Llttil, one of the boatmen, in stepping asiiore, misied his foqt, hr which means his leg w as s o s e vere l y hruised, be. twixt the boat and the pier, that amputation hecatile necessary, and while the poor man wai under the hands of the surgeon, ha expired. There is at this moment, a Retlhreast's nest, with several eggs in it, between the ribs of a new ship, which is building in the yard of Mesirs. flails and Richardson, at North-end, Hull. Not las than from twenty to thirty men are continually employed within and without the ship, yet, notwithstandi ng the noise and bustle occasioned by the continued la. boars of so many men, in bringing, fixing, and fait. ening the timbers of a la rv.vessel, this little opera. for has, una wed, pursued its conjoint labours to per. fection, and if not invabd, will shortly launch its progeny into the aerial regions. In the ever-memorable attack on Buenos Ayres by the British troops, nnder the command of General Whiteloeke, a Cornet, belonging to a regiment of Carabineers, was for a considerable length of time exposed to a most tremendous fire from a battery of cannon, which shot the standard he bore no less than three times from his hand.. Undaunted, amithl the dreadful carnage, the gallant youth, only 17 years of age, grasped the sh It+ered stair, and turning to his soldiers, " My lads," said he, with a smile," I ' hold it yet." It will be a gratification to know that he escaped unhurt, and reaped the fruits of his vu 1 lour in the love and veneration, almost amounting tu enthusiasm, cf all who knew him. Last week, as Mr. Marsitall, of Abbey-Street, Car. lisle,was making some repait S in lite of hisapartraent,, he discovered a six-pounder cannon ball het tYPC3 the brick work and the plaster of the chimney-piece.— It is supposed to have been lodged there whilst the Duke of Cumberland's army, daring the rebellion in 17-15, were entlettNouring to force the gate (near which the building is situated). The apartment C hided to was at that time the mess-room of the offi cers composing the reis.ll garrison ; and the' vestiges yet remain of the hall having penetrated the gable wall, and, after going through one apartment, of its having been deposited in the situation where it -wag found. Uxtos-llar.r..—On Saturday, John Day, alias Smith, was committed to Guilford Bridewell, by the R3v. G. W. OssLow, of Ripley, under the fol lowing circumstances. It appeared that after having been seen in company with another man on Friday, at Ripley, he left the town and overtook a waggoner on the road to London, to whom he applied for leave to put a bundle into the waggon, the bundle appear ed heavy and the waggoner gave him leave; he %%lik ed with the waggoner till they came to an ale-house by the road side, where they stopt to have something to drink, and the Prisoner going to his huudlo and 'untying it the waggoner observed it was full of half pence which appeared dirty; the waggoner asked him how the halfpence came so dirty to which he re plied he had buried thm," and immediately exposed a pistol to the view of the waggoner, who snatchel it from him, upon which he drew/ another from his pocket, seized'the waggoner by the collar, pa it to his head and said, if he did not return that which• ho had taken from hiM, he would blow his brains out, as that was the way he got his living ; the waggoner being alarmed, returned tha pistol, and the Obit' made off with his bundle ;on coming to the ne s t v il- Iloge, he made known the circumstance to sonic per -1 sons, and they went in pursuit of the Prisoner, aid overtook and secured him. At the time he %, as takes he had the two loaded pistols in his possession. %%hen taken before Mr. Onslow, the account 11 , g ave of himself was, that he deserted from his Majesty's ship the Romxlits, twelve 'months ago. d luforma lign was given at this Otlice of his appribrinsion, an • Gollingbourit was sent down by the Magistrates.to see if he knew him, as it is strongly suspected he is connected with a gang who have lately-been commit ties several highway robberies in the nelghbour boott I of town. , 3COTCII Sit 4CK S. Mmt.ea's Wharf. ' Arrived. Strathmore (Martin), Dundee nqd Perth 15 May 2l Ma 4l 10, A . V' Fife (Simmers). du. 15 24, at oon. Cornet (Cammicrs), Leith 1 I 14 24, ..— at Nook I) : •Gance (NV ay.on), I),lndee I - . LEITH and 13.11:RWICR Wharf. Queen Charlu:te (N Isnot), Leißi 111 • )1, : )1, AV.. B r it ann ia (Crown), Berwick 1 1 $ 21, It, A. U. Caledonia(Nisnett) , Leith i lB 12 1 , —at Noon. iiriil WATER. Al' LON i)ON BR1f)(11 4 : TIIIR DA Y ' Murnipg, 9,4) niiitutes after V. i Evetang. 5A miontee after 4. -----.••••■""=-..".'' Wk. -7-- MAR I. -On 'rand:triad, Mr. P. Moe. of the F.teel-yartl, Vogel( to Miss Davies, of Drayton, Shroptaire. Yesterday. John Burke, Vsq. Colouel of ht3th regitaeoLP Elizabeth Mary, ellest daughter of John ealer.ft. Oa Saturday fast, at t'Ludham, T. Cooper, of liighstr''' Bloomsbury, to Miss Stringer, of Cudhom Lodge Ken. DI El). -OA •be 11th tact. soddenly, at 'Stan Castle, Roxburthihtrr' Sir William Elliott, Hart. of Stubs. YeattrelAy. !t a ckvilte-street, .lam-F, the eloat Follt llous of TArl i Boller, l_sq 'a . one of the Cler of his Majesty's Mosg• able Privy Cowbell. ,••• LONDON: Printed 111111 Ptiblishml by I). LOVFI. 4 P! .•. 4TATehlt laFloiCX% r • ti *ll l I~ :~