The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1805-04-13 00:00:00

I , i 1 i. CURIOUS TRU L. Bow L - jeae , ...-...- (FROM LA CLLF DU CASINKT.) ever: I 4 .."----' PARIS, APNIL -. 0 then had • The day before yesterday, the Court of Criminal t wo : . 1. 1 Justice commenced with the prosecution of a per- was son named l'l'd i r I gmis Cordon, a baker's boy, aged ' r 1 I. ' ~:..: years, who was brought before the Court for cure having, on the .10th Brum :ire, of the year 12, in eor o , s, . Concert with one Gilbert, who has disappeared, its- minr r i iiigled out of Pal is one A. Bonnassems also a that baker's boy. and of having assas-inated him on the of i • I'= vote to Vincennes. tionasseeu, who was left for lute dead, bad been conveyed by some tens d'armes, on Nr . . • the fellowing morning, the Ist Frimaire, before the 0,,, Justice of Peace of Belleville. He made, at first, a „ Air • II declaration, which he afterwards renewed to several - I other persons, with many other circumstances, c'ur- call ing the twenty-five days that he lived in the e: lim sett ' I 4L .•' • , 1 t ii he le U h' ,7 1 fo l lowing isiiipy young f s man. a ppe ar B fr ein rn g t e h e e t without to ; deposition itcn, of cow 1 ,1 " Y• the .. • ' I tent fur some time, he was solicited one day by car to go with them to Vincennes, • I Carden and Gilbert, . vebere they ;unposed presenting him to a baker, who din i / reamed a off. They pressed him to withdrew ~c from Mr. Dumas. who keeps an eating house for .. , hikers' boys, and with whom he lodged. all his he diets, consisting of a silver watch and chain, silver his buckles, gold ear-rings, linen and weerables. and an , persuaded him to answer his host, if he made any So ohjeetions, that an uncle, whom he had sit Paris, ~i n eji proposed to lodge and provide him with a place. Gi Impatient to get into employment, and confiding in i lir the promises of his two c.;:nrades. Cordon Arid Gil- na ' 1 ; herr. Bonasstrau demanded, on the 30th Brumaire, F ai in the year 12, his *frets of Mr. Dumas, who failed ree , 1; • not to make the objeetiens pre-supposed ; hut to s h . •4, which he ieplied by the falsehoods that had been sub- an IC rested to him. Dumas returned to him his effects, wi 11.. MCIf sed in a leather bag, and saw him immediately D• join Guidon and Gilbert, who waited fur him in the 6 ,, • i street, with whom he set off. he When they art ived at the barrier Du Trone, they 4 c;; stop, ed at an inn, about four o'clock in the "yen- T • ing ; they Ate something, played at cards, and lett m it a: t. e aoproach of night, to go to Vincennes. m Passing the ,ugh a narrow passage, in the neigh- h . bourhtwd of the toed to St. Mande, Benasseau oh- al served, that the 4 wei e going fi om Vincennes. Gil- vi t s bert and Lantern then said, that as night had come v , on, it would not b• p oiler to present themselves so h I : del:set - ore I e master baker. Bonasaeau proposed se • • to deter the atfair till the morrow, and return to ai 1 sls ep at Pas is ; at the •a;ee instant he was struck with a stick on the head. WI ich brought him to the c, groutel. He lost his senses, and, during his swoon, it be was pierced hr some sharp and pointed instru- ments. such as a knife, scissars, or poignard. Not- e k ' withstanding this, a little after, he was th ro wn to r i . . the ground, he was sensible that they returned, for • the purpose, no dou'it, of taking from him his lea- ei 4' cher bag, which contained his elfeas, and they p shook him to aseertain'what state he was in. d Though left in this manner for d• ad, Bonesseau c I' ; 1 e came to himself in the middle of the night, and ea- deavonned to move towards some ha httation ; but , c overcome by weakness, he threw himself on the s round, in a field of geotherry-tices, between 1 M fin etentant eel Charonne At day•hreak, the inhabitant's of Belleville found ` Wm. and benuOt. some reitv d'art/us, who carried him swore the Justice of the Peace, ti t whom Bo- 1 i __plat save the roregoing account of his sts.as- sination. t It. was known that Cardon had engaged himself to , 'replace a conscript, that he had relations at SenirS, ; and had gone there. ihe particulars given by Dumas 1 . . ! and lionasseau of where he lodged, were sent to all r . the tine, and he was arrested with his musket on les shoulder, white mounting guard at the door of ; • • the Military Hospital at Soasburgh. He told the • r as Warms wit., arrested him, that he had left i . Pars wish G Ilee , and in the con; se of his defence, 1 1 ' upon the 'rat, he mentioned that he had set out ato ie to join the corps of the consct:pt whom he had . • . replaced. , He assee,ed also, that he had set out on the 29th Brun:Like, but the landlord !Juntas Affirmed that he bad seen him on the 30th, waiting in the street for Bonasseau, with whom, and G•lhert, he went 1 iii ; away. and Cardon was obliged to admit hr had set out the 3oth ; he asst.:ad, that he went alone, after having petsed use morning in making some restitu- tions to his comredis ; that he had not accompanied i . mut, he went to sleep et Claic. at an inn, the' de- l'' i Bona:seau ; that, following the initiations of his i : t scription of which he gave. This description was t ; found to be exael, by the testimony of the meek: sof the inn, who were summoned to attend, but they de- ; • ; • dared they could recolleCt nothing of Cardoa for the last five months. 1 The Piesident remarked, that the accused had I lodged at diffetent times in this inn, and recollefted, thar the same day of the assassination, Cardon I might have perpetrated it about six o'clock in the evening, on the road to St. Mande, and be at Claic ; • . at eleven. According to the declaration of sonic pas d'ariazs. it appeared that Carden and Gil- -1 • best, believing that they had given the fatal blow to lionasseett, as we have reason to suppose, by the care they took to return and shake him, to ascertain, whether lie breathed, returned the same evening (3 Brumaire) to Paris, in the certainty that thi y might tenni': there some time; and when they learned that Bonasseau survived his wounds, they said to some persons, uit is time to fly." Gilbeit has not been discovered, and it is believed he has left France. The gins d'arna I added to this declaration, that they knew Carrion and Gilbert to have been implicated in a criminal process. in consequence of a robbery committed on M. Dru, a bather, at Belleville, that the chereeter of Cation was very little esteemed in the canon,. One of them said that the young man I e was violent, and that ere day he was seen to follow 1 i : Li• own wide with a pistol, because the latter bad refused to give him money. Bonawseau being conveyed to the Hotel Dieu, when be expired, after suffering for twenty-five days . / ' tee most violent convulsions, told Mr. Dumas, tha: it was Cardon and Gilbert, who had advised him to Tait his inn, and that they had pierced him with wounds, on the road to St. Mande. He told a 'wing winepresser, his companion, that Cardon had goon him the first blow; and he made the same de- Cl4l ill , oil to the mire•-cruder shortly before he died. l. ardor assn red Mat that declaration of the dead f . • • ' .tti" h 2f.r s. Y.rtr" • / e. ' ' g Bonasseau was false. To this assertion it was ob jeaed that he had been uniform in his relations to every body, tram the Ist Frimaire to the 25th, the there could he no mistake in the description that he had given of Card in and Gilbert, who had false hood marked on much of what they said, and which as evident to every individual who knew Gilbert. 'rhe Counsel for Cardon contended that the ac tse.t. hail previously engaged to replace A conscript E.ToCi francs, and having. received a part of the Loney, was established in an excellent situation ; it he could not be supposed to covet the property . Bonasseau, which was very moderate, and pol lute himself with a crime for which he had no ap arent motive. That he could not have accom panied Bonasseau to the inn, since the innkeeper vhere the report was made could not recollea him. This innkeeper told the Court that he could not call to mind one of tinee intividu ds whom lie had served the day spec fled, who pressed the two others go away, and they appeared to detain him. He coseld not recoll:a Cardon, neither ersuld he affirm that he was not one of the three individuals who 'erne to him. The Counsel contended f tr the innocence of Car don, on the grounds of the neglect of all precaution the part of the aecthed. "He went,' said he, to his corps. according to the route appointed; presented hiinseif to the General Officer, under is own name; entered tegularly into the service, ind was arrested at the moment he was mounting ;turd. Teis condua of Cardon fears no scrutiny, nil is that of an innocent person; the condill of Gilbert, who had absconded, is that of a culprit." I'he President then observed to the Jury, that the part which Cardon had taken to go to Hs corps was iedi s pensilde, since he had no, other papers hut the map of his route ; that he might believe lltmself sheltered•from suspicion under the military habit, and persnade himself that he could thus conceal with impunity his villanies in the rank's of valour. The Jury retired to deliberate at about three O'clock yesterday, and remained for twenty four hours. To-day, at three o'clock, they declared they ciuld not afire to return an unanimous verdia. They again retired, to give a return of the absolute mainity. According to this return, they unani moody agree, that it was. certain that a homicide had been comm ‘ted on the body of Bonasseau, and were of opinion, that P. 1,. Caron w is not con vieted of having cianmeted that homicide. Six voices have given it agaiest six others, that Ca:don had. het co-operated iu this homicide, ard, in con sequence of doh., the Ca,urt acqoitted P.. L. Cardon, and ordered him to he set at liberty. Before Cardon left the Bar, the President address ed him in the following words, which made a lively impte-sion on. the Court : l'ierre Louis Cardon, a capital accusation im pended neer your head, and a single voice would have Ihrceil Justice to strike the blow of death. You have been acquitted of thid horrible accusa tion; but you only owe this advantage to the a;is pesition of the law, which will,, that in case of division in the Jury,. the accused canne: be declared coaviaed. " This absolution, which restores you to liberty, cannot clear you to society; perhaps your con science is itself astonished, and whispers to you, that you are acaptitted, but are not the less criminal. s. Justice dares to hope that this indulgence may draw you back to probity, or at least that tear will prevent you from executing any bad design that you may form.We hope,that if you are culpable, remorse and repentance will prevent your co.nrnetting new crimes, and you now learn from me, that it ever your condua brings you Apia into this Court, you can no more expel to escape with impunity. " Above all, we hope that the deity, who have doubted of your culpability, may not one day have reason to lament over the crimes which you may hereafter commit, and subject themselves to hear it said, th it an 'mnest citieen would not have perished under the assassinating steel of Cordon, it lie had been punished in the first instance." TIRE BRIT4SII I. /NOON, SATURDAY. Apart. 13. We have translated front one of the latest of the Fr nch Papers. the iternt of the trial for a murder committed near \ incenncs. We understand from a private letter, that it has produced much conversa tion at Paris. Nothing could be more clear than the guilt of the prisoner, yet he was acquitted ; one half of the Jury being for, and the other against him; in which case, bT the laws of France, a Ter dift of acquittal follows. The enemies of Boma , PARTE, availing themselves of this circumstance, have insinuated that this has been the aft, if not of the Government, certainly of its creatures. The scene of the murder being near the wood of Vin cennes, is supposed to have saved the life of the Prisoner. His execution or his pardon would have alike revived the memory of the horrid mur der of the Duke D . k:NOMIEN, near the same spot. Had the Government foreseen the cir cumstance, the trial probably would never have taken place. The intriguers and plotters against Bo AAAAA TE say, that if the murderer being found guilty should receive a pardon, it would have ex . cited odium against the EMPEROR ; and that his punishment for a crime committed by the Eta P EROR, on the sante spot, and under circumstances still more atrocious, would afford room for com ments still more unfavourable to the Corsican.— It is certain that this trial has made more noise, and been more dwelled upon in Paris, than many others much more interesting. In a country where morality and religion have been sir lung extinguish ed, and the passions have ranged without controul, horrors have become familiar to the mind. It is, therefore, probable, that the recent murder near Vincennes has bean placed in so prominent a view for a particular purpose. We also know, that the fears and jealousy of the Tyrant are as much awake as ever. But it is only from private let= tors that this, or any th:ng else ungrateful or adverse to Government can be known. Years have elapsed since the * Paris papers dared to insinuate any circumstance nnfavon , -ahle to Government Tiieir slavery, however, does not yet appear coed: plete, as it is a fan well known, that new mea sures of severity have been introduced against the Public Press in France, and the Editors of se veral of the Paris papers h ive been ;arrested for inserting certain articles without the previous per mission of Government. How proud then ought Englishmen to be of their free Constitution and the Liberty of the Press which they enjoy ?--And yet there are some who would degrade the one and de stroy the other. A paper of yesterday, that sees every thing with a jaundiced eye, and sickens at the sight of excellence, dates to calumniate the Parliament and the Public l'ress, in the case of Lord MELVILLE, which has made so deep an im pression upon the public mind, and rahed the House of Commons so high in the estimation of the people. The charge brought forward against that Nobleman, and prosecuted with such success, is now abused as the device of a party, to get into power. " The sole objea of those who opposed Lord Met.vii.xt," says the paper to which we allude. " is, to turn out Mr. PIT r, and get in themselves." Never were so honourable an aa, and * so just and no ble a motive, • sn misrepresented and aspersed by so foul a calumny! 1)o Mr. WILBERFORCE and his friends. who added so much to the Majority against Lord MILVII.I.E, seek to bring in Mr. Fox? Are we to be 'old that the SPEAKER, whose vote decided the day, is anxious to turn nut the present Ministry ? Has not that very pr:nt proved itself unequal, not only to defend, but even to palliate the condua of Lord M et.vaL ? It is base to tarnish the glory of contest, by charging it as a party struggle, and attri • hitting to paltry views of place and pensioi:, a deed of Spartan virtue, an aft flowing from the purest sense of right and justice ; an aa which will give a cha raaer to the political era in which we live, and deserves to be recorded in the brightest page of history. Public rumour his produced two new successors to Viscount MELVILLE ; as First Lord of the Ad miralty, in the persons 1 Lords liratat and Ho on. We are assured the pl.ace has been offered to Earl Sr enetv, and refus^d by his Lordship. We be lieve. however, nothing ccrtail has been yet de cided upon in that quart;r. • Some mention Earl Sr. VINCENT ; hot they have no ground for their confidence, but tbei- szood wishev. . - On Mon J ty His Ma: es: r will take the diversion of stag hunting. Yeiterday morning the 110,91 AN AMBASSADOIt trans:Oleo business .tt Lord Mei OItAVL'A office. Monilay.biddings for the Irish Loma of 1,800,000 1 . w-te ret eived at the Trea-orry of Dublin ; but we sit . deist sod that nothing yet has been decided as to the terms to be accepted. The Dori+ Journals contain the following im portant article : •• Thz Decree of flit M.iesty the E.npemr, directing that e 4nni.il peskier imp. rted into F.eneh ports in vessel.: hoot &Orden, should be seized and confiscated, has been pi..t r• • pealed. , Cooseciently, colonial produce fio.n ports in erthrlt there are no Fo•tich C..nimisseties are actinissib'e into nor ;ions, II ,Oe zomtition that French manulactores to the trami ant mut shalt be exported for them. In other respects, tt.ei rrmi.sion of Ills Majesty is only piortsional, sod to cont.thie in f nec till f wither o , d.rs." The Captain of the Spanish frigate Fame, detained by the Lively frigate, Captain /la mop. n, took his passage to Spain in a Swedish ship, which sailed from P rtsmouth on Thursday. The report of a number of the enemy's flotilla at Boulogne having been driven ashore to the North East of that port, is confirmed. They have been several times reconnoitred by the Cyviet sloop of war, and their number is ascertained to be seven teen, eight of which are brigs, and the remainder luggers or small armed vessels. They had, on Monday, ttseir Incisors out, for the purpose of heav ing off ; but they have in general received so much damage, that it is supposed impossible for them to succeed. Waggons, and a variety of conveyances employed to carry off the masts, spars, stores, &c. were distinaly seen along the chore by our cruisers. These vessels were a past of the Dieppe division, and were wreelvd whileattempting to join the grand depot at Boulogne. The only vessel which has sailed from Boulogne for the last fortnight, is a lug ger privateer, which succeeded in making Iteriescape to the Southward, last Sunday. One of our crni's ers was soon after dispatched in pursuit of her. The naval force in the different depots at Bou logne is supposed to exceed at this moment, in all descriptions of armed vessels, the number of fif teen hundred. No extraordinary movement among the troops in the vicinity of Boulogne, nor any ma terial alteration in the encampments along the coast, has taken place of late. We learn with regret that His MAJLSTY'S gun. brig Bowser► has been lost near Dieppe. Slw struck upon a sandbank, and heat out her bottom. Th- officers and men were all saved, and are now prisoners in the interior of Franac. The first division of that remarkably fine regi ment, the Fourth, or Kin's On n Infantry, marched from Canterbury on Mond..y morning, on their route by Maidstone for Horsham, in Sussex ; the second end third divisions followed on Tuetd.y and Wednesday : this movement has taken place in con sequence of Lord CtIATHAMI'S removal to the Susses d' 11, his Lordship wishing to have this regiment, of which he is Colonel, under his own immediate command. ~ performed , part Leon are. silerable success : he %VAS to prise red to Roston to reform, and from thence to Baltimore. The se, scas had been very unsuccessful, as the following pet agraph, extraaed from a New Yolk Paper, the 26th, will chew : • " The embarrassing circumstances, which have nix:Ahmed Mr. Utility to resign the management of the theatre, a a , e eatattiLd th-ir injurious consequences to the perfo.mar, Nehos..!silarici have bent diminished or withheld, and who.: jar:hitt:as for the residue of tha season are estrrmely gkine..; To re4ctie them from a state of diets understood t b %twill and intention of the proprietors of the theatre expeaed th . it tens..orary arrstigemetits will be wad:, e the; t open the Tueatre again in the course of J (ON .14,5, at reduced ..alarm:, ditninishA house rent, and a general r•. trelichmerit of expsnee. , . Tnese irrangements, with the ca• - pech.d patronage of the public, trill, it is bolus!, experiencing those •inconveiretves and suffering. to which they have bent already m part subjected." And in a Paper of the 2d of March, is the fo'.. lowing address : " 'Cho perfornme, laving suffered incnnveuience from the interruption of the 4u.:iness of the 'theatre, &straying not orsly the re-sonsh:e expectations from their rei,.ective contracts, !„t also the customary remuneration from the Pullhe et Mae el.el of the. Seamiii, will open the Theatre under the inanegmeem o r Meters. Jrain:oit and Tyler ; and hope, be anatratiog gence And assiduity t.. int rit the public patrowag," The Soldier's Daughter; the Widow Chu./If. r! Mrs JOHNSON ; and tiovernor Neartfey. by co. ; the veteran Mr.t.mor a bad been the be g liandrith, to CuWP ER'S Arfsrvair. Yesterday morning His Mai esTv and the Duke of C NI 11E100E, and Princesses lkhas , and AMELIA, accompanied by Lord SOMERVILLE. Count Mee sTen, Generals GWYNN and FITZROY, Ste. walked to St. George's Chapel, and heard an excellent Scr. mon by Dr. COOK4ON, from the 9th Chapterof He. brews, and .22d verse. Yesterday, abut three o'clock, the LORD CHAS. CELLOR had an interview with Mr. PITT, at his hothe. IheCountess of Kterseasc has announced her musical parties for the ensuing Sundays of t:e seas in. Viscount CASTLEREAGH accompanies the Mar. (pis Conswact.isto Portsmouth this day. The Chuntess Dowager of BI CKINOISAMIIIIII hail's:en much indisposed ; as soon as her Ladyship is at all cranes:let:cent, she will go on a visit to her da.ighwr, ViscorintesS Cast LEREAGR, now at her •eAt at Ea. t sheen, Surtcy. Mrs. NIONT AGUE, Portman-square, has announced a grand musical party fur Wednesday nest. idy Dc Ct.terono will give a grand rout on the 2)th inst. Viscountess Cssvt.sasaon left town this morning for East Sheen, Stymy. Mr. l'neLiArtsost left town last evening foi Plae. ton House, near Bromley. On Thiirsdar evening the Musical Society eallel 44 The Harmonists," had *s .try numerous meetsig at the Crown and Anchnt Tavern, Cheapside. Hyde-Park was very full yesterday, but ve-t thinly sprinkled with fashion. . The most conspire ' on; were, the Duchess of St. A:Ass'', the Mar -1 (misses of DocuLas and Sr renac, the Eatl cf WFSTSIORET.APID. and Lady PERTH. His Roysl Highnesss the Prince of War. as avent in about five o'clock, and rode for half an hour. On Tuesday evening a Grand Concert was pee ' formed in the concert Room at Birmingham. Miss TENS A NT and Mr. W. ELLIOT, from Landon, were the principal attraitinns. *the room was crowded with company. Tiris loons is to undergo a dui. I rough repair by next autumn, and is to be consider. I ably enlarged for Concerts 'lrvin a grand scale. Et. Lissy. of London, is building a new organ for it. Her Excellency the Countess of HARDwICRE sailed from Dublin for England, on Monday night. in the Dories yacht, on it visit to I.er num•rnes re- I Wives and friends in this country, for a fe men•hs: On Wednesday sennight, the long coach which conveys the passengers front the Mail Co,ch tel, Dawson-street. to the Hol, head pa ka, at the Pigeon Hon se Dock, was overturned upon the South, Wall, near Dublin. Lord and Lady Co rivsoitsss were in the coach, and some of the' s r unts upon the roof, one of wh on NM unable In lot i ceed from his hurt. Lady CONY:IOI4AM received some contusions in the head, and was obliged to prore-d on foot, in the midst of rain, to the New house. Niastor BET T Y is pre, by special invita.inn, on a visit to Mi. Fox, at St. Anne's-Hill, where he's to reinlin until Monday new. It is probable that, daring his sojourn there, he will be favoured with some instructions in the part of Zeno, the stedv of which ch4r.gter was particularl y recommenk'el to him by Mr. Fox, when Master ET Y had the he. nonr of being first introduced to him On Monday the Canterbury and Favers"l...r. - lunteers met in the Park, at Nash Boughton, where they were inspeilted hl' .t • ' Wen; atter which, the two Corps mew WI.: and went through their varinus marazuvro to the satisfaZtion of the Culouzl, and StVel4l ni,,:- tary Gentlemen present. When the Paint of 32 guns, Captain the Ri g bt lion. Lord Coen a A NE, went up to her moorings ca Sunday last at Plymouth, his Lordship, by way of a bowie borrhe to gratify the seamen of his ship, and t) sh:w how luck y she has been in Spanish prizes (having made 200,0001. in specie and Spanish) merchandise, in one cruise)nrdered to be hoisted on thefore,main , an d mizen trucks of their respeZtive masts, three massy Spanish golden candlesticks, which, glittering in the sun, bad a whimsies' effea to hundreds of spedators assembled on the beautiful promenade of Richmond walk, below Government-house. At sunset, in seaman-like manner, the golden candlatieks %ere struck, with the top-gallant yards, as , is usual la the easy. 1 • a ,. 4... ,:. ;.:;.• . ''' •'' ' , i ';' k't .- . . : . i• . . • . I I mi• . - 1 ' # •i: it , . i,, ~..- ...% . • 4. ' i• • ' • lir '''N. • ~.. ~ • -- NEW YORK nißlifia cf# 4 i : —................ This Theatre closed on Fri 'February last, with Mr. Omega The performances were, The Comedy a a 1"/ and lbw a Wife, and the mudcal ente r . taMment of The Chihfren in the Wood. Mr. Cowes% performed the post of Lcou with tor.