The Sun. — London, England, 1824-12-25 00:00:00

THE LONDON JOURNALS. DAILY Extracts front the Morning Papers, Dec. 25. • [mottNING POST.] The communication between Calais and Dover were not re-opened till yesterday,and the Speech of the French Monarch, which we Otpected early on Friday morning, did not reach us till a late hour last night. It is a plain and quiet do. cument, suited to the peaceful spirit of the time in which it has been spoken, and perfectly con sistent with the policy which CharlesX. has pur sued since his accession to the throne. It com mences with an expression of grief for the death ,of the late King; and a just tribute to his merits as'the author of institutions which " uniting the past and the present," have restored tranquillity and happiness to France. It then gratefully ac kooWledges the confidence displayed by the whole nation towards its new Monarch, and de. dares that he knows and will fulfil the duties of Royalty. It states that the disposition of all fo reign Governments is most friendly, and that Charles X. will neglect nothing to maintain the - happy concord which prevails amongst them. It is with this view, the Chambers are assured, that he has consented to protract the stay in Spain of a part of the troops left in that country by his son ; but it is,positively announced at, the . same time that the measure is merely a temporary one adopted to conciliate the interests of both Mo- PnrchieS. The Speech then declares that the moment is come to execute the plans conceived by Louis XVIII., and to do a great act of na tional justice, meaning the indemnity to be granted to the Emigrants. This, it says, shall be supplied without any augmentation of the taxes, or any " cramping" of the various branches of the public service, and it ascr i bes the possi. tility of so desirable an object being easily at tained, to the fortune of the State, and the peace which it now enjoyed., His Majesty then tells both Chambers that his Coronation shall terminate their labours, and invites them to be present at that ceremony, where, before " Him who judges nations, he will take the oath to maintain the institutions granted by his Brother." [MouNuto iteßALn.] The press of other matter has prevented our noticing what passed (or rather, perhaps, what did not pass) on the expected final examination of the partners in the late banking-house of Marsh and Co. It cannot have escaped the re collection of our readers, that the late unforlu nate Mr. Fauntleroy having on his. trial made certuin statements, in the course of his defence, apparZntly impliCating his partners, those gentle men inserted a , letter in most of the neWspapers, requesting the public to suspend their judgment , upon the subject till their final examination before the Commissioners,. on the 18th instant.-- . -- It was generally thought, we believe, at the time, that no such delhY was necessary, and that it would have been as well had the information been given at once. However," the ides of March are come," and have passed by. The main point con. times in the same degreu of ,obscurity, and Mr. Fauntleroy's statement remains uncontradiated. The simple question to answer was, what became of the proceeds of Mr. Fauntleroy's forgeries and abstractions of Exchequer bills, &c.? This point seems to be one in some measure unconnected with the account due from the bankrupts to their Creditors ; and seemed rather due to the public as interested in a crime for which a fellow-crea ture was about to sutler the lent extremity of the law. We with, for the .sake of all parties, that that explanation had been promptly given. Delays are dangerous ; and, , where they can be avoided, should never be incurrecL We are 'fai from supposing, or wishing to infer, that these gentlemen, one or all of them, were privy to all or any of this wretched man's depreda tions. But when A has the assurance ; to as sert that B has received the fruits of his plunder, it is surely incumbent upon 13. to refute such an assertion if he can. Th., great body of creditors, as well as the public, looked eagerly for the promised explanation ; and. the formerot, least, must have felt somewhat mortified, instead of receiving it, to find each partner with a lawyer at his elbow, ready, we presume, to advise him professionally how to act upon the occasion. We would not deny any man professional assistance, which, in a matter so intricate as this hank. ruptcy may be very necessary, but still we ap. prebend, that the point we allude to is an isolated one; and one which, were we the advisers of these gentlemen, we should trongly recommend them, on every account, to clear up. [gEw TtstEs.l The Irish Government has with great propriety resolved to arrest the course of . Mr. O'Connell; and in so doing it has perhaps acted the most friendly part that it conkd possibly act toward the Learned Gentleman. A man like him, of aris tocratic origin, of much perional talent, in great practice at the Bar,. and at ease , in his pecuniary circumstances, can have no real wish to pluoge' his 'country into .the horrors of a civil war ; but in the eager pursuit of,popplarity he may easily be carried out of his depth, and be led, like many of his pre decesors in that dangerous course, to extremities alike injurious ,to his country end' fatal to himself. On the lath instant, at a meeting of the Catholic Association, Mr. O'Connell made a vehement sPeerh, part of which, as reported in the News papers, is certainly seditious ; and it is for sedi tion in uttering. these words that ho has been held to bail and is to be brought to trial. What ever may be thought of the ostensible , objects of the entholk Aisbeitition, it is clear that those objects might not to be pursued by'rneans of st— ditionti and intlanimatory : harangues. By such niPans Ireland has more than once been urged to ; and pesSibly time, check . which .Me. O'Connell has now received ma . ) , have saved hjni from t h e commission of offences Which he would shudder to cootttoptate. Di ft N NG 6l ' liON I C L.E.] A very silly measure has been resorted to it Dubliu—the arrest of Mr. O'Connell, for an ex pression in a speech at a Meeting of the Catho lic Assocation. Mr. O'Connell is too skilful a Lawyer to , hazard any expressions which would bring him in contest with the law. The following passage, in• a report of his speech in Saunderes News-Letter, is said to be the foun dation of this proceeding :—" Nations have," he remarked, " been driven mad by oppression—he hoped that Ireland would never be driven to re sort to the system pursued by the Greeks and South Americans to obtain their rights—he trust ed in God they would never be so driven. He hoped Ireland would be restored to her rights— but, if that day should arrive—if she were driven mad by persecution, he wished that a new Boli var may be found—may arise—that the spirit of the Greeks, and of the South Americans, may animate the people of Ireland."—That in a Country ruled over by a King, who owes his title to a Dutchman, who invaded it with a powerful army, which enabled an oppressed people to expel their reigning Monarch, it should be deemed seditious to declare, that, if oppression ever justified a recurrence to force, he hoped a suitable leader might not he wanting, is what we are utterly unable to comprehend. Why, good God, what is the burden of Mr. Locke's famous book on Government, which was long the ma nual of the Hanover family, but that nations may rise against their rulers whenever they are oppressed ? We all know what this means ; that those who rise, but do not succeed,are beheaded, hanged, and shot ; while those who do succeed have an indisputable title. Mr. Connell, in ex pressing this conditional wish, only followed the example of every popular orator in this country since the days when the passive obedience and non-resistance doctrines were first condemned by authority. • [BRITISH PRESS.] It was with some surprise that we found the Irish Journals announce the prosecution of Mr. O'Connell, upon a charge of , uttering seditious Words in a late speech at the Catholic Associa tion. Whether true policy required this measure of hostility on the part of the Attorney-General, we must be permitted to doubt. We have always reprobated the tone of Mr. O'Connell's oratory, as unadvised and intemperate ; but we recol lected at the same time, that it was the fault of Irish eloquence to partake too much of that sudden and excessive warmth, which it catches from the lively and fervent imagination of the speaker, and which, on this account, must be heard and received with many grains of allowance. Much, we think, must be par doned at all times to the enthusiasti c indiscre tion of an Irish orator. They know very little of public speakers, who do not know how likely the best-intentioned patriot ,is, when warmed by his subject, to be betrayed into . expressions, •which, though they escape him on the fervour and animation of the moment, he would be, him self, the first to smile at, and, on the return of his own more deliberate reason, would be the most forward to disapprove. We blame the Catholic leaders heartily for their injudicious and ill-timed forwardness; we blame them for displaying a turbulent activity of complaint and remonstrance, at a moment when it was least, called for, and therefore least to be justified. Rut, on the other band, it appears to us, no crisis ever less invited she making any ex periment upon the temper of a nation, than does that of Ireland at the present moment.— This legal proceetling against Mr. O'Connel cannot fail, to excite a strong commotion, and to increase considerably that ferment which al ready agitates the Catholic population. Six mil lions of subjects, full of uneasiness and ill-hu mour, and having —as in candour we must ad mit,--but too ntch.reason for both, do no doubt present a mass pf physical force, which if brought into activity, would threaten the security of the Government. But this very condition of things demands that every step likely to irritate should be an act of the last necessity, and called for by the greatness and urgency of the occasion. Whe ther the present was an occasion of this kind, re mains to be 'seen. We have the utmost confidence in the justice and moderation of Lord. Wellesley; we rely on his known ability and foresight, and we therefore wait the event of its further elu cidation. [THE PUBLIC LEDGER.] It will be been by our extracts from the Dublin Papers, that Mr. O'Connell was arrested in that city on Monday lust, and bound overto answer a charge at the Sessions fOr seditious words ut tered at a meeting of the Catholic Association. We have examined the obnoxious expressions as carefully and dispassionately as possible, and cannot find out their seditious import.—Language of a similar tendency has been long familiar in and out of Parliament, on this side of the Channel ; and it h as ne ither produced practical inconvenience at the time, nor have its general effects been very prejudicial to Government. Notwithstanding the rreedom, with which Eng lishmen are in the habit of maintaining their constitutional rights, the Keier of the Crown`, it is well known, has suffertiVuo decrease in con- ,equence since the Revolution; but where would be the rights of the people : now, if.ti les , had not intrepid, and, where the emergency retw re d even impassioned, advocates ? %We dhitke fiammatori language, as much as any one' b,. cause it injures the interests which it pretends to serve ; and therefore it may be, said to Contain 1 its own antidote. in defending popular interegs in particular, its use its mischievous to those in terests, as some of our ruling politicians may 'know -front experience ; and, so : true is this, that If ' they had any apprehensions that a cause was likely to run counter to their wishes, all they would have to do in order to prevent it would be t ° get some mintineipled demagogues to bawl on the popular Atte. We are not very partial, therefore, as may be supposed, to the high and angry tune in political discussions ; and, if we find fault with the arrest of Mr. O'Connell, it is not from a n ," j love towards the intemperance, which constitutes the charge against that Gentle man. We blame it, because it strikes us us politic ; certain to produce irritation * , withmt striking terror; and likely , to embarrass the Go. vernment, without even a chance of immediate or remote good. *Will it i nt imidate the individual,l against whom the measure is directed ? Cer tainly not. will it sink him in the estimation of the large Body, whose fearless, able and incorruptible advocate he has shewn himself so long, or will it render the Catholics more remissin the prosecution of their claims? Neither of these effects will be produced ; and therefore, as a measure of salutary terror, it will prove wholly unavailing. But it will increase the animosities that have so long distracted Ireland ; and may compel the Government, contrary to its inclina tions, to have recourse to coercive measures of the harshest character. Thus all interests may be endangered by this imprudent act—those of the People, by being subjected to a system of terror ; and those of their Rulers, by the trouble, insecurity, and expellee, that would necessarily accompany such a system. [TII E TIMES.] The hatchings of the Cabinet on the affairs of Ireland, which we hinted at not manys days ago, have even thus early burst into life. O'Connel has been arrested, and held to bail, for " sedi tious words !" as the Dublin newspapers of Tuesday and Wednesday last informs us. And what are the seditious words ?—that 46 If the 44 Irish should ever (which he trusted would not 46 happen), but if the Irish should ever be 44 driven mad by persecution,—why then he 44 hoped that some new Bolivar might be found, " and that the spirit of the Greeks and of 44 the South Americans might animate the " people of Ireland." And this is sedition ? for this hypothetical effusion, and extempore speaker in a public assembly under what is called a free constitution, is to be a►tacked by the King's Attorney-General, and prosecuted as if his de signs were to overthrow the State. We have read the imputed words thrice over : we see nothing in their fair meaning which an honest man may not adopt to the letter. If O'Connell be seditious for expressing his hope that should Ireland be driven mud ky persecution, she may find a pa triot to deliver her, then are we his fellows in se dition ; for we have the same specific hope for Ire land, IF she be persecuted, for England, iv she be oppressed—for all mankind, in every region of the world, and in every age, to the remotest posterity. It is the native prayer of all English men, that oppression, where it does exist, may be opposed and punished. So far as politics went, it was the religion of our forefathers. What is Bolivar but the Washington of the nineteenth century ? What was William in principle, but the Bolivar of the seventeenth Resistance to lawless power was the characteris• tic glory of them all. bo the Law Officers of the Crown in Ireland dream of getting any but an Orange jury to convict a British subject for words like those ascribed to Mr. O'Connell? Mr. Plunkett, indeed, knows of what materials such juries are composed, and so far his confi dence may not have been rashly placed in them. But, good Ileaven ? will he descend so low as to make the authors of his own wrongs his instruments of vengeance against others ? The words reported are, as we have said, what no virtuous and intepigent Jury can convict upon —they are such As no man ho has read the history of the British Constitution, or 'v ho is animated by its spirit or principles, need dis avow ; and yet, strange to say, they are de clared by Mr. O'Connell to ,have been a gross misrepresentation of his language, and he has ac cordingly instituted a prosecution az:dust the Editor of the Paper in which thenvere, we believe, exclusively reported. However, let U 5 grant the illegality of these expressions-- that a Jury should be found to bring in a verdict of guilty—and that some Lord Norbury should, in the excess of his mach fulness over the public safety, sentence Mr. O'Connell to the almost inconceivable rigour for such an offence, of 21 hours' imprisonment, and a fine of 40s. We ask any person in his right senses—even granting the law to be with the At torney-General—what is the policy of a prosecu tion like this ? O'Connell, a chief of the rabble —a politician distrusted by nine-tenths of the Catholic Gentry for his shallowness and indis cretion—a man losing ground from day to day in the opinion of every one capable of forming an opinion,--who must have talked and tumbled himself into utter insignificance at last, —this very common personage is lifted bodily, by the act of the Government itself, which ought to have looked on and laughed at him, into a hero and a martyr! Do they want to deaden his already half paralyzed activity ? This gratuitous and egregious prosecution will quicken every pulse within him, and add another age to O'Connell's exertions as a demagogue. Is it thus the Go. vernment seek to seduce the lower orders from this scarecrow—to relax their admiration of him —to leave him no remnant of moral or political power ? 0f course, if Mr, O'Connell so employs his opportunity, he may defend himself in a man ner which wiiuld effect some public good. lie may explain his own politics (if he have any settled politics)—he may defend and justify the Association, stating what is the real object of its leaders (provided they have an y definitive objects)—he may minds of the People ofEngland,and undo p art of the pro dwced. But thus tranquillize the mischief which hi s prev i ous i n temperance has those enjoym ents o f se lf-love which a fresh display this is 'hardly to be expected from one who must, b y act i ng a s ober part, forego all violence maadn y umster to an appetite of tawdry v • . • insatiabl e of vulgar adoration. The sum is 7 that the Government, by this sort of peevish revived an hundred chances of evil s w ig h o ic u h r, W lfa er s e in hourly progress towards extinc tion. It lmaa recrowned a falling Monarch —it has to the honour of martyrdom, with out on him th e s li g htest of its pains• The meas ure is at once h ars h, imbecile, and raised inflictinghim only not odious because ridicnious. If this b e the com mencement of a sy s t em of energ y-...a specimen of the spirit which presided over the fate Ministerial incuhations—if this be the first chick that breaks the egg-shell, what, in the name, of wonder, will be the rest of the brood ? MELAND.--(POPERY.) ( From the Dublin Evening Post of Tuesday.) ARREST OF Al R. O'CONNELL. The town has been thrown into tT state of agi tation, on learning, this morning, the circumstances detailed in the following paragraphs. We do think, for our own part, that much greater stress has been laid on this circumstance than it merits. It appears that certain words are imputed to Mr. O'Connell, as having been uttered by that Gentleman in the Catholic Association. We believe that all the public Journals have given different versions of these words—and we doubt whether any of the reports are accurate. At all events, the speech of Mr. O'Connell must, we certainly should think, be taken as a whole—and really it would be very difficult for the informer in this case, whoever he may be, to prove that Mr. O'Connell's speech was seditious. The truth is, that if he had even shewed a disposition of the kind imputed to him,.he would not find an auditory to listen to him. Whatever may be said of the Association, it must be allowed it has been hitherto con ducted with matchless prudence, and it would be injustice to Mr. O'Connell to deny that he has not been, on all occasions, the advocate of this cautious policy, as well indeed as of the Government of Lord Wellesley. Those persons, at all events, we are quite certain, will be disappointed who augur, from this circumstance, any change in the principles or firmness, justice, and moderation, which have, heretofore, distinguished the Government of the Lord Lieutenant. At about half-past five o'clock yesterday evening, as Mr. O'Connell had just returned from the Committee of the Catholic Association, where a great deal of business had been transacted, Alderman burley and Mr. Farrell, the constable of police, were ushered into his study. After the usual salutation, the Alder man said, that he came in his official capacity, to save Mr. O'Connell die trouble of attending at the Police Office, to enter into a recognizance to appear at the next Sessions, which lie -was directed by the Attorney-General to call on Mr. O'Connell to enter into. Mr. O'CoNItELL—Upon what charge, Mr. Alderman ? Alderman DARLEY—Upon a charge of having spoken sedi tious words at the last meeting of the Catholic Association. Mr. O'CcnorELL—What words am I charged with having spoken ? Alderman DAnLEY—I am not at liberty to inform you ; you must apply to the Attorney. General. Mr. O'CONNELL—CaII I even know the name of the informer ? Alderman DARLEY—i am not at liberty to tell you ; you must apply to a higher quarter; I come merely to inform you, that legal documents have been laid before me, that entitle me to require from you a recognizance to appear at the next Ses sions. I wish to give you the least possible trouble. I have come to your own house for that purpose, and I will take your own recognizance without requiring any person to join you. Mr. O'CoxN ELL—Then, Mr. Alderman, I submit at once. I will enter into the recognizance as I am not to know for what ; and I am bound to say, that you have done your part with perfect politeness and civility. The Alderman then produced a recognizance, conditioned to appear at the ensuing Quarter-Sessions, to commence the 2d Or 3,1 of January, we do not know which. This recognizance Mr. O'Connell executed, but said, " Why, Mr. Alderman, this directly interferes with my intended journey to England ; could you not take it, as there are as yet no bills found, for the Sessions after next, or for the Term." Alderman Dit aLE Ir .4 have no discretion upon that subject; upon that, also, you must apply to the Attorney-General. .Mr. O'CONNELL--(Smiling), there is one thing you'll ad mit, Mr. Alderman, that the Attorney-General will have no difficulty in getting a Grand Jury to- find any bills he pleases against me. The Alderman made no reply ; but he and Mr. O'Connell shook bands and parted. HEAD OFFICE.—This day several 'of the Reporters for the Morning Papers received notices to attend at the Police office, Palace -street, to give testimony as to the words used by Mr. O'Connell at the late meeting of the Association. Mr. Vousden, Reporter for the Morising Post, was called in and questioned by Alderman Darley, as to whether he was pre sent at the Meeting in question ?—Mr. Vousden admitted that he was present. The Alderman then questioned him as to the precise words made use of on that day in reference to Bolivar and South America. 'Mr. Vouiden replied, that he had not his notes by him; that he had no accurate recollection on the subject; and that, even if he had, he did not thing that the Press was the medium through which the business of a common informer was to be transacted. Mr. Vousden was then asked if Mr. Charles O'Flaherty was present ? Mr. Vousden replied, that he was. The Magistrate then asked, if he was present at the period Mr. O'Connell spoke of Bolivar ? Mr. Vousden replied, that be did not know ; that Mr. O'Flaherty was quite competent to answer for himself, and that he supposed he would, in courtesy to the Magistrates, at tend on the letter which the Magistrates addressed to him. Mr. Vousden then withdrew- Mr..Y. H. Leech, Mr. llaydn, and his Reporter, Mr. Byrne, 0 11h i r c . e S t r o i n c e , t a h n e d r. another Gentleman of the Bar, then entered t h e The Magistrate asked Mr. Brie if he were s ummoned ? To which Mr. Brie replied in the negative. Alderman Dan Y —This is a private information, and it is requested that every one not summoned may withdraw. Mr. Haydn was asked if he were summoned, or the Gentle men who accompanied him ? Mr. Haydn replied in the nega tive, and that one of the Gentlemen was a Barrister, who at tended on his behalf, and the other his reporter. Mr. Haydn further remarked that he came .there to protest against his re porter giving any information whatever on the subject, or in any manner being accessary to the purpose of the Attorney- General. Mr. Haydn, his reporter, and the Barrister (whose name we did not learn) then withdrew. Mr. J. N. Leech, reporter to the Freeman's Journal, and Mr. Elrington, reporter to Saunders's News Letter, if h remained in the room.—Mr. Leech wa s asked by . Graves e at tended the Meeting of the Association on Saturday last? Mr. Leech replied in the negative. Alderman PARLEY —The Meeting on Thursday, we mean. Mr. Leech—Yes, l attended the Meeting on Thursday. Alderman DAR LEY.—DO you recollect reporting the speech of Mr. O'Connell ? Mr. Leech—Mr. O'Connell made several speechei. Alderman DA It LEY—The speech about South America anti Bolivar I allude to. Mr. Leeth—That speech did not appear in the Freeman's Journal. Alderman DA IILE Y—That is not the question I asked you. What I desire to know is, Alid you take notes of that part of the speech respecting_South America ? Mr. Leech—l really cannot sav whether I did or not, with. out referring to my note-book, which I have not got about me. Alderman DAItLEY.—I see the gentlemen of the press have no disposition to give us any information on this suhject, and, if we should think it necessary to examine th e m more fully, we shall resort to the usual legal method. Turning to Mr. Elring ton, die Magistrate then said, "Mr. Elrington, it is not neces. sary to examine you in this stage of the business." Mr. Charles O'Flaherty, Reporter for the Morning Post, was questioned as to the report that appeared in that paper—lie said the words as reported in that paper were substantively cor rect—the words having been repeated to him, he replied, they were the same as reported in the Morning Post (one of the Magistrates took down the words alluded to) and that he was the person who reported the proceedings. Air. P. D. Hardy, of the Irish Times, and Mr. Elrington, of Saunders's News Letter, were subsequently examined, but the result of their testimony has not transpired. ( From the Morning Register of Tneploe.) SECOND EDITION.—Mr. O'CONNhI , I4. The seditious" words imputed to Mr. O'Connell appeared in Saanders's News Letter. They are foul misrepresentations of the real expressions used by he Learned Gentleman, and we are this instant informed that he has caused a writ to be served on the Editor of the Paper. (Front the Morning Register of Wednesday.) THE CATHOLIC ASSOCIATION. • We have just learned, that summonses have been issued by . the Magistrates of the Head Police-Oilice, and served upon the reporters of several of the Morning'Papers; requiring .them to appear at twelve o'clock this day,.to be examined " touching the proceedings of the Catholic Association," on the 16th of December inst. The summonses further require, that the re porters shall bring with them their notes of the several speeches made at the Association on that day. It is a curious circumstance that summonses have been is sued and served on the several Reporters of all the:Morning Papers of Dublin except one. And what paper is that ? Why, the 'paper, that has been distinguished above all others for giving the most laborious and ample proceedings of the Asso c.iation, the Morning Register, and which has actually four Reporters in attendance on the memorable 16th of December. _ _ _ • (From the Dublin Freeman's 'CONNEL Journal o f IVednesday.) MR. OL. Mr. O'Connell was held to bail on Monday evening, to an. swer a charge of having u ttered seditious expressions at tile Catholic Association. The prosecution is instituted by the Attorney-General, and the Chief Magistrate of Police, Alder. man p ar ley, was the person to whoin the duty of placing Mr. O'Connell under recognizences was confided. Nobody could have discharged it in a more correct or gentlemanlike manner. The particulars are given elsewhere. It is understood that this prnceeding has taken place in con sequence of a particular allusion to Bolivar, said to have been made by Mr. O'Connell, at the meeting of the Association on Thursday last. The reports of the speech in which the allusion was contained are at variance with each other, and the accuracy of the whole has been questioned. That upon which the pro secution is said to hinge (namely, Saunders's Report) has been in an-especial manner impugned. It is possible, theretbre, that the exact words of Mr. O'Connell have not been given to the public at all. When we recollect the disadvantages under which reports are taken at crowded public meetings—the haste with which they are afterwards transcribed for the printers of a Morning Newspaper—and the very different bearing which changes, apparently every minute, in the form of expression, will give to the sentiments of an orator, this conjecture does not seem at all unreasonable or unlikely. But even if the accuracy of the report, which is said to be re ied upon, were proved (notes of admiration and all, for &wide , s introduced no less than seven of those expressive marks) we con fess we should be at a loss to discover the sedition, taking ithe report as a whole—the only fair and legal way of taking t— with its numerous saving clauses. It is right, however, we should add, that the Morning Reg,ister declares this report to be "a foul misrepresentation:' The occurrence has created a great sensation in town--and one which will be felt all over the country, to its remotest extrem ties. Yet it is not an event to which we attach much ance. Who that knows Mr. O'Connell can for a moment sup pose that he could intend to utter seditious language--and por t- is is there a better judge of' what is, and what is not, a viola tion, of law ? import- THE MISSION TO ENGLAND. The Deputation to England from the Irish Catholic Associa tion have received a very pressing letter from the Secretaries of the Preston Catholic Association, inviting them to visit that town, which contains 11,000 Catholics in a population of 30,000 persons.—(Dublin Freeman's Joni an!.) ROBBERY OF ARMS—QUEEN'S COUNTY. On Friday night last, seven or eight men armed, with their faces blackened, broke into the house of Mr. Robert Burnett, of Fisherstown, by the rear, and forced the servants into the front parlour, where Air. and Airs. Burnett were, in which they shut them a ll up, and proceeded up stairs to his bed-cilain tier, where they took one rnusipet, two eases of pistols, two swords, and a powder-horn ; and after searching another room, where departed without o ff ering any violence —demanding or taking off any other article whatsoever. It is much to be regretted that such an outrage should commence in this hitherto peaceable county. —(Freeman': Journal.) CATHOLIC RENT. The rent, it is now universally admitted, by the enemies, as well as the friends of that measure, is likely to prove amost powerful instrument in e ff ecting t he legitimate objects of the Association. The greatest attention is therefore given to its extension. The Finance Committee sits daily for this pur pose, at Coyne's, in Capel-street, and Mr. O'Connell, amidst his multifarious pursuits, devotes two hours every day to the details of this measure. It is his opinion, and that of the i s Committee, that one-fifth of Ireland is not yet put in a course of contribution. The collection for the month of No vember, exceeded 3,0001., which is at the rate of 36,0001. a year. A cotemporary in this city ? some time since, cor.tem plated this amount of contribution with excessive alarm — an alarm re-echoed by the Courier; but viewing with satisfac tion the legal and constitutional objects, to which the rent is intended to be applicable, we have the gratification to stt" consider it highly probable its annual amoun t will reach 150,0001. a-year.—( Cork Southern Reporter.) - RUBBERY OF TUE STIRLING BANK.—Saturd4y night last the Stirling coach was robbed of a bane. bug, containing money to a considerable amout. —The robbery must have been e ff ected voth great dexterity, us the bag was deposited the box immediately under the fee t of s hit guard, who is never at any time above a minute or two absent from it. The police are on the alert in various directions, in search of the thieves. The following account of the appre hension of the robbers is from a private letter, dated York, Dec. 21 :—" A few minutes 'before we left Newcastle, say two o'clock, a chaise and four arrived from the south. From its speed se veral people flocked round, and 1 recognized in the inside a friend, Mr. E., of the 1304 of Scotland, in Edinburgh. My imagination was immediately exerted, and I had only time to put a few queries, of which the first was, " Where did you get him ? He informed me at bed.: At t 2o tw noliloe'scloncokrthwardof Yo yesterday, the robbers in liis had the honest audacity, to the utter astonish ment of the inhabitants of Edinburgh, to pay Smith , the stabler, 401. for the gig they had destroyed on Saturday. There is no doubt now this ‘v as to save pursuit of the principal, who had q uietl y , as he thought, dropt Thirsk, probably t o p roceed across to Liverpool, or some other port. The Bank of Scotland have lost 2,5001. by stolen no) es." On Thursday afternoon, Fore-street, Lime house, and indeed the whole neighbourhood, was completely inundated by the sudden rising of the spring-tides. The water at one time was four feet deep in the streets, and the cellars of the houses were completely deluged ; much damage was done, but we are happy to say that no lives were lost. Ships at Market. 58 Newcastle 11} Sunderland Price. 29s Od to Siis !) 4 . 1 29s 6d to 40i J i COAL MARKET, DEC. 24. Ship sold COURSE OF EXCHANGE, December 24. A mstet dam Ditto, at Sight Rotterdam lt 3 :Antwerp I 3 , Hamburg!! • Altona .................. .. 37 I I ' it " Paris,3 Day's sight .................... eh 15 0 .s. Ditto ........................... .... P 25 45 I L.. Botirdeaux, ditto Berlin .............. . 7 5 Ft ankfort on the Main .••••••" 151 i Es. Mon t i q Petetsburgh Vienna . 10 0 Trieste Madrid .............. .... .. 3so 4 EleCtiff: 1 •••K Cadiz Elilboa Barcrlona • Gibralt al ...... ...... 48i Gelaia It al 27 . ver Malta Palermo Lisbon Oporto 2 48 11 , 1: Bahia . 504 Dahlia .... 9i ...... —Cork pet Ceol• , ° per of Portugal (11,1t1, i Coin * l7 9 Foreign Cild, iii BM'S 0 0 0 New Doubloons •* 0 4 1 0 1 New Dalian ... Silver Standard in Bars, ........ BULLION. U On the 21st inst., the laltl;ViEl7dward Creep, Esq., Of 5 folk-street, Pall-mall East, of a son. MARRIED. f On Friday . the 2ltlt Inst., Charles F. Engstrom , o.s laugh . street, London, Esq., to Louisa IL Meissner, yo ung et ter of A. F. Meissner, of Cloak-lane, London, E5(2......„,...0" DIED. wife of c a ptsia On the 18th inst., at Aberdeen, Eliza, the iv Joseph Walker. v 'll - the 24th of December, Matilda, wife of Gabber the Walker, of Gloucester-cottage, Albany-road, Caulw— the 29th year of her age, 0 9 d ie° Ot Thursday, the •23d insl Mr. John Price, aged . ) son of Thomas Price, Esq., oi l Leadenhall•stree ......--- Air. 1.,. in Printed and Published for the PROPRIETORS, at tosty a - OrricE, No. 112- strand, by J. B. CARTAIRS' a del 4p/ sue