The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-03-30 00:00:00

IC I.N T ASSIZES.

MAIVAToN*, 11ARCII
TRIAL OF THEMIDAHIPMEN FOR SHOOTING AT

Plinsons AT DEAL.

Nicholas llobilleird and J. Areptirthart. two young
midshipmen. were charged on two indictments. for
&muting at two of the inhabitants of Deal, with in-
tent to murder, Ike.
As the transaction was detailed in the last MP
most Folly, we shall state that first, the caw having
been motel' misrepresented be the Comity Papers
That indictment (longed Itobillard and Arquin-
ban, the first with shooting at, and the other with
toiling him in shooting at J. ‘VI! liatult at eight
o'clock in the t vetting of the 2111 (la). of December,
*tit King-street, near the Fish-market, Deal. The
Prosecutor described himself as a mai introits(' stated
that he was returning home on the evening of the 27th
Dee. having been for a walk ; when he gilt into the
Fish-market he heard the note oftpiarrellitig, and a ov
Mr. Arquitiltatt disputing with a iecta of the name
of Robinson ; he cried out " Hallo ! what's the
matter ?" when Robillard stepped up to him, and
yon are the fellow that just now insulted site.
Ile replied, that he was not, and was ready to go
before the Allayor. Robillard had a 0001 in his
mitl after a few words fired it et lion, and
torn drew his cutlass. The Prosecutor closed with
hint, tool in doing so received a wound across his
face, but lie succeeded iu throwing Rob-alerd down,
nod escaped.
In cross-examination he denied that lie ball ever
seen Itolaillard to his knowled;,re before that night,
or that lie had been smuggling that evening.
J. Barnes, a grocer, at Deal, near whose home
the affray listi•peited, said, he heard the noise of the
dispute between A itptiobau and Robinson, mill lie
went to his door. Ile interposed, and thought he
had succeeded in restoring peace, and had returned
to his shop, when he heard the report ofa pistol.
The ball struck his window-shutter. He came out
nod found the Prosecutor and the Prisoner ltobil-
lard struggling on the ground.
-- Burnes, juit.• the son of the last witness,
paid, he saw the sci!lHe ; and he said the Prisoner
tired the pistol when he was standing about five feet
from the Prosecutor.

The Prisoners bring called upon theit defence,
Mobillard read a long paper, whir•h was well com-
posed as to style and matter. Ile lamented his
hardship in standing as N culprit at the bar, for do-
ing no more than was necessary for his self-defence
in the performatiee of a duty which had been im-
posed upon him by his siqterinrs, and. not of his
own choice, that of watching the contraband
traders : a dotty he declared much inure tiopleossatit
than facing the enemy its open battle. Ile lament-
ed also the rt; riot whit•h they hail been 'rallied
ht the Nlayor of Deal, who cominitted them to
chose custorly, and when their Captain, 'toiler
whose orders they hail acted, and whose advice
they immediately sought, was refosed admission to
them, he was told by its Mayor that they were both
drunk. Tiros not only denying them the consola-
tion and advice of their Commanding Officer, but
at the sante time caltimitiatiog their character.
The County Journals had sin It as them, by
stating their conduct as little shout of that of
assassins or mailmen, representing them as wantonly
parading the streets, and firing at the passengers at
random. Ile then alluded to the state of the town
of Deal, in which lie said that the habit of illicit
trading was so inveterate, that no reward would in-
duce nil inhabitant to give information ; and he
held in his hand advertisetuents to the amount of
many thousand pounds reward, all of alijelt
loottl been noivailing. This was the place where
his duty and ill-fortune compelled him to serve.
Ills vessel was specially appointed to watch the
smugglers,. so that every soul on board was oh.
noxious to the whole town. Ile then detailed
u variety of instances in which their officers
and parts of their crew had been beaten, gagged,
thrown ovei board, and every insult used against
them, and in the case of two seizures which he
had made, lie noticed the present
.Prosectitiors
sc-
ti.e amongst those who rescued the goods. On the
night in question, they had sentries along the
shore no the watch, end it was his duty to go from
post to post. It liaitpetiell iliat as lie and his
blather officer were passing the [Ugh-street, he Mt,
three or four men loaded with haskets, such as they
carry tubs in. Ile piorsneil, but they escaped,
except one, shorn lie overtook. The Prosecutor
then carne, ;mil by u Wow on the breast knocked
him down, attest enablttl the smugglers to escape.
As soon as lie got up and recovered himself, he made
his way through the Fish-market, and then the Pro-
secutor again came up. Ile immediate-II said, " You
are the fellow who insulted me; I will now take you
prisoner." The Prosecutor said, " I will give it
you again," and
titude. The Jury would sae that there was no
equality of personal strength between them, and
therefore lie thew Iris sword, but the Prosecutor
rushed in and bore him down ; when they were
down he told the Prosecutor to desist or lie would
shout hint; to which his answer was, Fire away
and be and kept kooreling nu hums breast.
Ile then drew his pistol fired, not intending to
kill him, hut hi alarm hint, for lie could easily
have shot him through the head or hotly, but lie
tired close to liis head, so as to pass hint. The
Prosecutor (lieu gut up, and ran away. Now,
although there acre many witnesses to this trans-
action, and could, of course, speak to the truth
his statement, yet there was no one who dared give
evidence against it smuggler at Deal, and it was
with the greatest difficulty he could procure one to
come forward, and lie must no inure dare return to
that pLicr.
_ _ _

Ile delivered this address in a very impressive
manner, and it evidently had great effect with the
Coast and Jury.
Mr. Arquisibmn merely said, that what his bro-
ther-officer ►aid was strictly true.
Some witins-es were Own called, who had exa-
mined the mark of the ball in the window-shutter,
and they said Irma its direction it must have bees.
1401 by a person lying on the ground.
This was confirmed by one witness who saw the
transaction.

The Jury found them Nut Guilty.
The • tiist indictment wiiv sgailo.t Nfr. A rquin-
ban alone. It appeared, that, after ran
away, he piirmird, a ni, intending in lire at Robin-
son, bib unfoituilutely hit unothtr ',croon, and

te was Lictl..l.-d fur firing at the tvliotti he
The 'Learned Jud2eitimaeiliately held, that this
would nut do, NA the crime• consisted in the Intent,
onl that lie nisi., actually be charged for tiring at
the forrmut lie intended to tire at. On this ground
he directed the Jury to find theta—Not Gaitty.
The l'iisoners were both very gentlemanly young,
men, and -elreied by their Captain for this dis-
agrrt•ahlr st-;•vice, in consequence of their prudence
and di4cretian, 111 was stated by Capt. M.Cidlocli,
their Coitimaiiiler. ROMliard is et native of Guern-
sey, and Arquinbau a native of Minorca.

FROM SATURDAY NIGHT'S GAZETTE.

Whitehall, Morris tS, 1818.
His Royal Highness the Pointe Regent has been pleased,
in the 'same and uu the behalf of his Majesty, to direct let-
ters patent to he passed tinder the Great Seal of the United
Kingibono of Great Hs itain and Ireland, irsonstitutitig and
appointing the Right Honourable Robert Viscount Ms 'vale;
Sir George Wan-ender, Hart.; Julio Osborn, Esq. ; Sir
Graham Moore, Knight Commander of the Most Honour-
able Military Order of the Rath, Rear-Admiral of the Red
Squadron of his Majesty's Fleet; Holly Somerset. Esq.
commonly called Mai gals of Worcester; Sir George Cock-
burn, Knight Grand Cross of the Mo•t Honourable Military
Mater of the Rath, Rear-Admiral of the Red Squadron of
his Majesty's Fleet ; and the Honourable Sir Henry Northam,
Knight Commander of the Must Honourable Military Order
sof the Rath, Rear-Admiral of the Sqnadoooto of his
Majesty's Fleet, his :Majesty's Commissioners for executing
the oolliec of High-Admiral of the United Kingdom of Great
its and Ir.-land, and of the Dominions, Islands, mud
Territories thereunto belonging,.

MILITARY PROMOTIONS.

Commission in the 2.1 Royal Lancashire Militia, signed
by the Lord Lieutenant of the County Palatine of
I Astenster.
Henry Hogliton, Esq. to be Captaiu—Conunission dated
March 19, 1818.
COMINtill iOllB signed by the Lord Lieutenant of ()teeming,'
of 81 idillesex.
To lie Deputy Lieutenants—The Donniirahle Charles Finch,
the Reverend TI tttttt ns R..snell, Samuel F.velingliaiii
Slictchley, Esq. nod Rich■rd Chase, Esq.—All dated Fe-
bruary 4, 1818.
Royal Eastern Rezimcnt of Middlesex Militia.
Lewis Bowen, Ecq. to be Captain—.fated October 23, 1817.

Crown-Cyfice, March 29, 1918.

MEMBERS RETURNED TO sr's:ye IN Tills PRESENT

PARLIAMENT.
Bonuses of Great Beduin.
John Jacob Balaton, E.q. in the room of James Henry
Leigh, Esq. who has accepted the Chiltern Hundreds.

Borough of Yaremodh.

John siiiirleton Copley, Eqq. of the Temple, in the co nnty
of iikUesrx, Serjratil at 1...‘w, in the room at Alexamlcr
Maconochie, Esq. who has accepted the Chiltern Hundreds.

City of Winchester.
James Henry Leigh, Esq. in the room or Richard Mcylir,
Esq. deceased.