The Sun. — London, England, 1821-12-24 00:00:00

FOREIGN INTELLIG ENCE. PAnis, DEc. 20.—The King yesterday held a Council of Ministers. Since the resignation of Count Angles, the ad ministration of the Prefecture of the Police has be-wt confided to Fortis, the Secretary- Ce4k.ral. .It is said that an Ordonnance of his Majesty haa restored to the Catholic Worship the Church of St. Genevieve, long designated under the L'a - ine of the Pantheon. The Pi ince 'de Gallitzin arrived at Frankfort au the-13th inst. from St. Petersburgh. Commercial letters have been received at Paris from Constantinople, dated the 19th November. At that period strong apprehensions had suc ceeded to a few days of apparent tranquilliity. Lattil then the efforts of the Divan had been di rected to restrain the Janissaries, whose disposi tion for war was well knowp ; but at the depar ture of the Courier, this turbulent body, with the Grand Vizier at their head, had put themselves in motion, and had sworn to exterminate all infi ticis. The publication of a finnan of the Grand ; - ;eignior, announcing , to his subjects that the Schah of Persia had declared war against him, had produced a great sensation, and had still more contributed to the exasperation of the Turks.—(Gazetie dd France.) A letter from Bordeaux, dated the 12th inst., states that the troops which are to form the Sani tary Cordon of the Pyrenees, were complete, that the moveable National Guards were organ and that an important personage was ex pected from Paris. It appears to be certain that a new Conven tion has been concluded between the Courts of Vienna and Munich, which establishes the most Intimate relations between the two Cabinets.— The amicable relations between Wurtemberg and Russia seem also every day drawing closer. (Constitutionnel.) FRENCH rusi)s. Dec. 18, Five per Cents. Deferred Stock 99 f. 55 c. Bank Stock 1590 f. c. Dec. 19, Five per Cents. B7 f. 50 c. Deferred Stock 99 f. 40 c. Bank Stock 1592 f. 50 c. FRANKFORT, DEC. 14.-Letters have been re ceived here from Constantinople of 11th of De cember, stating the taking of Bagdad by the Persians ; the Turkish garrison, and the greater part of the population were put to the sword ; the Christians alone, it is said, were spared, in con formity with the Manifesto issued by the son of the Schah. AIX-LA-CHAPELLE, DEC. 15.—A report is current here, that each of the Ministers of the great Powers accredited at Madrid, has addressed to the Spanish Government a Note, which is £tated to be of the highest importance. A foreigner of rank has, it is said, been com pelled to quit Vienna in 24 hours. LEIPSIC, DEC. B.—The Cabinet of Berlin is said to have received from Petersburgh an im poriant communication respecting the affairs of the Levant. At the departure of the last courier, nothing was talked of at Berlin but war. DEC. 9.—The news from Russia is very fa vo-urable to the Greeks. The principal forces of that empire are advancing towards. the Turkish frpntiers. ROME, Drc. s.—Last Sunday a number of Austrian troops corning from Naples passed un der our walls, and received the benediction of the Holy Father. These troops are on their return to Austria. VIENNA, DEC. 7.—lt has been reported here since yesterday, that the Divan has made fresh d!fliculties to the adoption of the Russian ulti ma tun, and that the suspicion a,gainit the Euro peans daily increases at Constantinople. The Armenian merchants in this capital state, that the whole of Armenia is in the possession of tho Persians. The accounts received to-day from the fron tiers of Turkey are quite warlike. It is asserted that the Ottoman troops have already com menced hostilities. DEC. B.—Since the 17th instant no courier has arrived from Constantinople. The last Who ar ri►ed on the 30th November brought dispatches, dated the 10th of the same month, stating that the question of peace or war was still uncertain, nothing having been finally decided. Extract of a Letter from Brody, Dec.l.—" We have received, by the medium of Odessa, intel ligence from Constantinople.to the 15th of No vember: The displaced Reis Efkruli has em barked 'for Asia, whither he has been banished. It is confirmed that the Wechabites have gained ground, and recovered from the numerous de feats they had recently sustained. There is a rumour that some movement is to be attempted in concert with the Persians. The Grand Sig nor feels most hostile to the latter, and has pub lished a Finnan, to apprise the Turks of the perfidious manner in which the Asiatic Provinces of the Ottoman Empire have been assailed. New Pachas have been sent into several provinces of European Turkey. Several of the recalled Pachas Lave demurred ; the noble Pacha of Scutari is of this rank." SPAIN. MADRID, DEC. 10. REPOP.T OF THE COMMISSION APPOINTED EY THE COX TES TO INQUIRE INTO THE STiTE OF THE COUNTRY. Yesterday, in the Sitting of the Cortes, was read the Report of the, Committee appointed to consider of the steps proper to be taken in con. sequence of his Majesty's Message to the Cortes. The Committee state, that they have carefully examined all the documents laid before them, have heard in several different Sittings the Secre taries of. State and the Deputies of the province of Cadiz ; and have, from all these sources of in formation, drawn up a narrative of the events in question. They commence with the affairs of Cadiz—the appointment by his Majesty of the Marquis de la. Reunion to the government of that city—the fermentation caused at Cadiz by this nomination—the petitions of the inhabitants to appoint another person, and the refusal of the Marquis to accept the office, which rendered it unnecessary for the King to revoke his choice, and his Majesty's nomination of the Baron d'An dilla. The Committee then detail all the cir cumstances of the disobedience of the people of Cadiz to his Majesty's orders, in refusing to suffer the Baron d'Andilla to assume the govern ment of that city. The Report then details the proceedings at Seville, which immediately followed those of Cadiz, and were precisely of the same nature. The Committee limits its Report to the affairs of Cadiz and Seville, they being the only ones re ferred to in the communication of the Government to the Cortes, and regret that they cannot give a less afflicting picture of them. They observe,that the question is wholly distinct from the merits or demerits of the Ministers, and involves only the disobedience of the Royal Authority : his Majesty has the constitutional power of Oiling all civil and military employments, and every Spaniard ought to respect it, though he also, has the right to censure the conduct of the Minister who authorises an improper measure, or accuse hiniif he violates the law. " It is true public offices ought only to be given to those who have given positive proof of their attachment to the political constitution of the Monarchy ; and nobody can be more persuaded of this than the members of the Cmninittee ; but from the documents laid before them, it is evi dent that no objection whatever was made to the Marquis d'Andilla by the people of Cadiz, or to Don Tomas Marino Daioz and Don Joaquin Al vista by those of Seville. The Committee find that there is more excuse for the people of Cadiz than those of Seville ; the latter not having any ground of complaint whatever, but only wishing to retain Don Manuel Velano and D. Ramon Luis de Escovedo; so that those two persons have been more regarded than the respect due to the Government, the tranquillity of a whole province —more than the reputation of the Spaniards among foreign nations—more than the Constitu tion and the sacred empire of the laws. Whereas the people of Cadiz had some motive of dissatis faction at least, though none that could autho rize the mode of conduct which they adopted. " The Committee, therefore, does not con found the events at. Cadiz with those at Seville, in the latter of which it cannot help recognizing a certain character of faction ; whereas in those of Cadiz it is persuaded that the whole has pro ceeded from an error, from an excessive ardour, and a distrust which cannot be wholly condemned in those who love liberty, and have suffered much for it : the e:•ror in some points, and the aberration of some persons in others, are not such that the Committee attributes them to the will, and they cannot but merit the indulgence of the Cortes. But the National Congress cannot but expressly disapprove, in the face of all Eu rope, the disobedience and illegal proceedings of those Authorities, which will doubtless suffice to make them return to their duty, acknowledg ing that they have erred. " The Cortes may be pleased to examine, in the first place, this point ; arid above all, let the observance of the constitution, and obedience to the Royal authority, in conformity with it, be secured. These two things are inseparable : the question is not of the Ministers, but of Govern ment, and of the po%ler which the constitution assigns to the King. The Ministers may be culpable ; but the Government and authority of the King, when they remain within the con stitutional limits, ought to be sacred to all.— What would become of liberty, if the laws did not govern ; and how shall they govern, if it is lawful to disobey him who is charged to execute them, when he does not act contrary to them ? Under pretence of supporting the constitution, it has been scandalously violated at Cadiz and Seville, by creating, under the title of Juntas, authorities unknown to the Constitution, attacking prerogatives which the Constitution consecrates, and resisting orders which the same Constitution commands to be obeyed. Illegitimate organs erect themselves into interpreters of the pub lic opinion, and usurp the functions of all the powers of the State. Weakness and irreflection have yielded to their impulse, and for the first time been precipitated into disobedience. The Cortes may fear that those evils will increase, unless they are stopped in their origin. " For these reasons the Committee, though it thinks other measures advisable in our present situation, proposes them to the Cortes in the second part of this report,which it presents sealed, intimating that in its opinion the dignity of the throne, the decorum of the Cortes, the welfare of the nation, and the cause of liberty, imperiously require that no debate be opened till in a future sitting, distinct from that in which they commu nicate to the Government the resolution which the Cortes may take on their first part, and con fining itself at present to the message of the King, and the exposition of his Ministers, the Congress make a solemn declaration, by means of another exposition to his Majesty, conceived in terms which it now presents separately, as a part of this report." M. Calatrava then read the minute of the ex position in question, the substance of which is as follows : " The Cortes having taken into consideration the report of the Committee appointed to consi der his Majesty' s message , w ill declare their opinion to his Majesty with the frankness be coming the lawful interpreters of the general will. If it were possible to look on the faults of the Constituted Authorities in the same light as those of mere citizens, the Cortes would be happy to throw on the conduct of the political Chief and Commandants-General of Cadiz and Seville the veil with which a paternal Govern ment should sometimes hide errors produced by aberrations of opinion, or by an exultation pro ceeding perhaps from a laudable zeal; but as most fatal consequences to the nation and to li berty would ensue from authorizing public -func tionaries to seek in such pretexts an excuse for their erJors, the Cortes will always reprobate a doctrine - under cover of which the greatest cri minality may be justified as well as an impru dence or a mistake, and which would endanger in a terrible manner the obedience which, in a constitutional State, all the citizens owe to the Government, while it does not depart in its mea sures from the line traced by the law. " The Cortes are fully convinced that the ob livion of these principles must lead to a total dissolution of society ; and that whatever pletext be alleged to authorize it, the abyss of calamities Which would he opened would be no less pro found, and could not be closed by the tardy re pentance of those who, after recognizing their -error, should pretend to seek their defence, or exculpate their insubordination, by supposing they bad been obliged to yield to insults (demo ias) instead of obeying only the voice of their duty and of reason. " But the Political Chief and Commandants- General. of Cadiz and Seville have not only failed, but have, even by their conduct, con tributed to legitimate, if it were possible, the malicious assertions by which the favourers of despotism endeavour to decry liberal institutions, and persuade that they are incompatible with order. " The Cortes cannot but express to his Ma jesty and the nation, how highly they disapprove of those events ; and believing on the one hand that the disobedience of the authorities of Cadiz and Seville arose principally from error, and on the other, that the loyalty and patriotism by which the citizens are so distinguished, cannot render the triumph of the law and of order doubtful for a moment, have resolved, first, so lemnly to declare, that both the one and the other ought to have obeyed, and ought now to obey, and punctually to fulfil the measures of his Majesty which have not been carried into effect ; the Cortes being, sure that this resolution will be sufficient for those authorities, and all whom their example has misled, to return to their duty, without placing the national represen tation in the afflicting necessity of adopting other measures." The Address concludes with assu rances of the determination of the Cortes to unite with his Majesty in maintaining the Constitution. A debate arose on the point, whether the se cond part of the report, which was presented sealed, should now be opened and read, and it was at length decided by 114 votes to 64 that it should not. The time fixed for the duration of 'the sitting being expired, it was resolved to pro long it for one hour, and Martinez de la Rosa wished to have the sitting declared permanent, thinking the debate on this important subject ought not to be delayed : it was, however, de cided that the report of the Committee should be laid on the table for the information of the mem bers, and that it should be discussed the follow ngday. The debate relative to the opening of the seal ed part of the report was of considerable length, but it appears, froni the account given of it in the Spanish papers which we have seen, to have been conducted with perfect calmness and de corum. Senor Sancho, a Member of the Committee, said that they had been unanimous in resolving that the second part of the report should be pre sented, sealed. It might be objected that this had not been the practice with other reports ; but none had yet been presented of so much im portance. The opinion of the Committee was, that the sealed part should not be discussed until the other was decided, upon, because the subjects were completely different. Don Philip Navarre remarked that there ap peared something very mysterious and ominous in this sealed paper, and insisted that it should be read, though it might be discussed in a subse quent sitting. Munez Torrero thought it necessary to reply to the last speaker. He observed that several Deputies had been with the Committee last night, and particularly those of Cadiz, to whom the sealed part was shewn. There was there fore no ominous mystery. lie called upon those who had seen the sealed paper to testify that there was nothing ominous in it. The Deputies who asked to speak against the opinion of the Committee were—Lopez Con stante, Romero Alpuente, Philip Navarro, Casco, Quiroga, Dias Morales, Navas, Prieto, Cortes, Quintana, Acuna, "Acho, and Alamin ; and in its favour Torrene, Martinez de la Rosa, Espleta, Martel, Dolarez, and Fraile. The Universal of the Sth contains the follow ing notice on the state of Galicia :—" An ex traordinary courier which arrived last night from Galicia has brought intelligence that the Superior Political Chief has taken the command of that province. The inhabitants assembled under their respective Authorities have manifested, in the most energetic manner, that they are ready and determined not only to obey and respect the Go vernment, but also to give up all connexion with the Authorities of Corunna, while these Autho rities are destitute of legitimate appointment, and of the liberty necessary for commanding. The inhabtants also declare, that they will consider as null any orders which may be despatched during the state of fermentation in which that town is involved." Lord Mccvti.r.r., Sir GcoaoE Coctcrturcs t , an d Sir Grmapr CLEari.,',attende4l by. MN Secretary BARRow, arrived at the George Inn, Portsmouth, on Monday evening last, from the Admiralty, and at ten o'clock the next morning they proceeded to the Dock-yard, and commenced a series of in quiries into all the various .departments., with a view to make reductions therein. Their, labours were continued on the following day ; and on Thursday morning they returned to the Admi ralty. Nothing is known of the precise na t ure of the reductions contemplated, and which are soon to take place. Agricultural meetings are assembling in all parts, to take into consideration the condition of the farmer under the present depression of price. These meetings begin to assume a very different character from what was their former aspect. Under a feeling of general distress, these meet ings are now called, - and superintended by resi dent gentlemen of large fortune and influence. who heartily concur in the representation of their tenants.—(Lcicester Journal.) On Saturday last a New Lottery was contract ed for by Messrs. Blot, (.1-laot,r., 11AzAttn and i Co., and J. SivEwßiciur; • upon the usual c on di-1 tions. CHRISTMAS DAY. An Interesting Account of the Origin of this Fes tival, the Customs and Sayings it has produced. Christmas Day is a Festival of the Church universally observed on the '2sth day of Decem ber, in memory of the NATIVITY of our blessed LORD J ESUS : and it has no doubt been denomi nated CHRIST'S Mass, from the appellative CHRIST having been added to the name of JESUS, to express that he was the Mr.ssian, or the Anointed, so long and anxiously expected in the world : in this sense it may be used singly to de note a person sent from Goo ; and consequently by way of antonomasis, or expressing the dignity of the person, instead of the name, it became pe culiarly appropriate to the birth-day, or incarna tion, of that most Holy and Divine Spirit, which came from Gon, as the minister of His will, and the messenger of His grace to Man. The name of MessiAn has been applied to kings, prophets, and high-priests ; and was designed as emble matical not only of mental qualifications, but of those gifts and graces of the SPIRIT of the AL MIGHTY so essentially requisite for properly dis charging the duties of those important offices: but the title of Al essian was principally, and by way of pre-eminence, given by the Hebrews to their expected great Deliverer, whom our Saviour ex pressly declared himself to have been ; and thenceforward CHRIST, the equivalent of Mes siah, was made an addition to JESUS, the name designed him from Heaven, by the Angel Ga briel, and which signified Saviour, or the impor tant mission our Lord had undertaken for rescu ing mankind from the dire effects of' sin, by His atoning Sacrifice. The illass of CHRIST, as originally used by the Church, implied solely the festival celebrated, in which sense it was applied to CHRIST'S Mass, or Festival, long antecedent to the introduction of the sacrifice of THE MASS, or in other words, to its present and long altered appropriation to the offices or public prayers used by the Church from Ivhich we separated, or in its more empha tient sense, as allusive to the EUCHARIST, with which Mass is now considered synonimous in the Church of Rome. The word Mass was first introduced into ecclesiastical ordinances in the year 394 ; for an account of which vide Brady's Clavis Calend. In 680 Mass was introduced into ENGLAND and, in 1201, a decree passed requiring prostration at the elevation of the Mass or Host. At the period of the incarna tion or birth of our Loan JESUS CHRIST, the Roman Calendar, or Register of time, had under gone very considerable alterations, and again in the times of JULIUS and AUGUSTUS CESAR. : but their regulations were found to be insufficient, although for ages they were 'the acknowledged standard : hence, however, arose the inaccuracy which has been often and pathetically lamented, in keeping the day of our LORD'S Nativity ; which it is now settled, past dispute, by argu ments incontrovertible, did not take place on the 25th of December, but at the time the Jews kept their feast of Tabernacles. The precise year, generally considered to have been four years prior to the vulgar era, also yet remains undeter mined. The FIRST CHRISTIANS, who were all Li EBREWS, solemnized the NATIVITY on the Ist of January, conforming thus to the Roman year, though it is particularly to be noticed, that on the day of the FEAST OF TABERNACLES, they ornamented their churches with green boughs, as a memorial that CHRIST was actually born at that time, in like manner as the Jews, erected booths or tents, which they inhabited at this season to keep up, by an express command from GOD, the remembrance of their deliverance from Egyptian bondage, and of their having dwelt in tents or tabernacles in the wilderness. The custom of ornamenting the churches and houses of Christians on the day kept as the Nativity of CHRIST, still remains in general observance ; and as it is now too late to remedy any error with regard to the ce lebration of the actual natal day of our Lotto, it becomes the duty of every Christian to hallow the one which has been appointed for that pur pose, with the same fervour and devotional reve rence, as though the real day had been accurately ascertained and generally recognised. The cir cumstance of our LORD'S Incarnation is meant to be celebrated, with all its attendant superlative advantages, to such as believe and follow his Gospel ; and that man must be a very caviller. and unworthy of salvation, through our blessed Mediator, CHRIST, who can object to solemnize the day that has been set apart for that holy purpose, whether it be precisely the same or not on, which the event took place. Because. the sea son which the Church has chosen does not in volve the credibility of the fed, nor affect any Material point, either practical or devotional. CUs Togs.--The season of Christmas,it is to be re gretted, is no longer marked by that fervid hospi tality which characterisedjits observance among our forefathers ; nevertheless many customs and old sayings are yet attached to its recurrence, of the origin of which it may be interesting to offer explanations, as far as the scanty sources from whence they can be drawn will admit. During the progress of upwards of eighteen centuries, the peculiar modes of keeping up the interchange of civilities between man and man, have altered with the usages and customs of the times : still, however, something of reciprocal at tention and benevolence marked this festive sea son ; and it is most ardently to he hoped that refinementootwithstanding the prodigious strides it has already taken, may never be able wholly to overthrow that sacred hospitality and cordi ality, which originated with the Apostles, when all Christians were regarded as brethren, and all shared alike the same tables at this season of re joicing, as they alike bore the same toils and the same dangers. The Grecians, at the commence ment of every year, had festive meetings to ce lebrate the completion of the Sun's annual course, and to rejoice that he had again com menced his wonted vivifying progress ; from that people the Romans adopted the custom until its downfall ; and from the Romans our ancestors received it. The ancient Roman festivities, fraught with superstition, were carried on in riot and debauchery ; while our Christian forefathers, blessed with the light of truth, rejected, until Papal Rome gained the ascendancy, the super stition and excesses of the heathens, merely re taining those interchanges of good wishes, and of presents, which had accompanied the Pagan cele brations. But, it is to be observed, that however erroneous the Romans were in their sentiments of religion, they began their celebration of this season with such sacrifices as to their unenlighten ed minds appeared appropriate, and never closed the day without visiting and congratulating each other, and offering up vows to their Deities for their mutual preservation. The presents given by the Romans at the origin of these solemnities were called Serena?, which are thought to have taken their uame from the following circum stances : 'I'ATIUS, king of the t". , :Abines, .who, to terminate the war between that people and the Romans after the Sabine rape, was appointed joint sovereign with Romulus, considered as a good omen a present he had received on the 6th day of the new year, of some branches of vervain, gathered from the wood consecrated to STRENtet, the goddess of strength ; at first gifts among the Romans and Sabines were confined to these Strenute ; but they soon extended to honey, five dates, &c. and in proCess of time to others of greater value. In the earliest time Clients used to carry small presents to the senat or s under whose prot e ction they were severally placed ; these presents afterwards increased to gold and silver medals, and other valuable aricles. Under AUGUSTUS C.ESAR the Senate joined with the peo ple in presenting gifts of such kind to him; after a svhile it was discontinued by his successors, but kept alive by the people. The Romans were so particular in the observation of tfris day, that the most inveterate enemies refrained-froee passing the slightest reflection upon the character. or conduct of each other. The Romans -who settled in Britain soon spread this custom amongst our forefathers. The nation continued. the custom from age to age through all ranks in social life ; while it is also to be remarked, that TOKENS, considered as a more respectable term than gifts, were continued to be received and be stowed by our Monarchs and Nobles, until tire reign of JAMES the Second. Bishop leseisleet sent to HENRY the Eighth a New Testament, richly illuminated, with this inscription on its cover, " Fornicatores et adulteros judicavit Do minus :" of the intended application of Witidt HENRY was but too conspicuous. Sir W. 7 PA GET, afterwards Lors't PAGET, in the same reign presented the Duke of SOMF,RSET with a New Year's token. Glove-money, an expres sion used in old records, may be thus ac counted for. When Mrs. CROAKER, had obtain ed a decree in Chancery against Lord Anuen she availed herself of the first new-year's day after her success, to present to Sir Tuom AS MORE, then Lord Chancellor, a pair of gloves, containing forty pounds, in angels, as a token of her gratitude : but Sir T. M. politely returned the money, and detained the gloves only. Amour other presents formerly common at this time of the year, may be noticed Pins, -which when first introduced, about the beginning of the 18th cen tury, were found so uncommonly neat, in comp , rison to the wooden skewers before in use, as to make them truly acceptable. From these done- - tions Pin-money became a familiar expression for small presents in general, and the term isJ now sometimes used in settlements made on females, either through a necessary caution on the part-of patents or guardians, or the justice of theifeeene sorts. To . the same origin may be assigned the nearly forgotten practice of bestowing Christmas Boxes : though in the middle and more supersti tious ages, the then profligate-Ministers of Religion took advantage of this spirit of liberality to fill their own coffers. Masses or Prayers were then appropriated to every purpose that could best answer the ends of religious avarice ; and it be came, among other practices of the Monks, cus tomary to offer masses for the safety of all ships that undertook long voyages : to quicken the pious gratitude, therefore, of those w ho embark ed in such ships, or were connected wilt their safety, a Box was regularly appropriated to each ship, and kept in the careful custody of the priest, into which money or other valuable con siderations might be put, to secure efficacy to the prayers of the Church !—These Boxes were opened at Christmas, in each year, arid thence got their names Curtmstes Boxes, which rca (lily, came to be understood as the title also of the presents themselves. Westhaven. F. 1.). (To be concluded to-morrow.) - ------------ BE L N 1 1 . We have seen a letter from a person who re sides near Virginia, in the county of Cavan, in which the writer gives an account of a melan choly event that occurred on the glebe-land of Lurgan, on last Tuesday. It appears that Messrs. White and "Macartney,fßevenup-officeffs had brought a party of the Staff of the Meath Militia to Correagh, and made a seizure of some. malt, which was concealed in the houe of a mitn named Michael Lynch, a carpenter. - When -the party were retiring ,from the place, Lynch's son suddenly took a loaded gun, and discharged its contents at the Serjeant commanding the party, who instantly fell dead. One of the privates immediately fired at Lynch, and killed (Dublin Correspondent, Dec. 21) SPECIAL COMMISSION. LIMERICK, DEC. IS.--This morning Baron M'CLELLAND and Justice MOORE having taken their seats on the Bench, Michael Moran, Michael Halloran, and Mi.! chael Fitzgerald were arraigned for the m u rder of Thomas Manning, on the 16th of August , The prisoners pleaded Not Guilty. On the panne' being called over, they challenged twenty'. Ayre Massey, examined by the Solicitor-Gene ral.--Witness belongs to the Police Establish ment ; was on duty at Incherourke, between 11 and one o'clock at night, on the Ist of August ; it was dark ; heard two shots fired ; heard some persons talking in the wood, and afterwards sat( a number of persons dressed in white shirts ; wit ness's party challenged them ; they called out, " who goes there ?" the other party then challeng ed them; witness's party said they were the Po lice, and told them to surrender in the King's name ; they on the instant fired 5 or 6 shots et witness's party ; the Police returned the lire, ott