The Sun.
London, England, 1838-12-07 00:00:00

MEETING AT LLAYELLY.

On the 30th of November a public meeting of the pa-
rishioners of Llanelly was convened to consider of the case
of Mr. John James, committed to gaol for non-payment of
costs of a suit in the Ecclesiastical Court against him, for
absenting himself from the parish church.
Mr. WILLIAM REES, churchwarden (Mr. James's suc-
cessor), having been called to the chair,
The Rev. DAVID TLIOMAS moved—" That this meeting
views with indignation and abhorrence the dastardly and
cruel conduct of the parties concerned in the incarceration of
Mr. John James, and feels in duty bound to employ every
possible means to effect his liberation from gaol ; and, in
the meantime, to sympathise most deeply with him, his af-
flicted wife, and injured children." We must discounte-
nance every usurpation, from whatever quarter it emanates,
whether from civil or ecclesiastical authorities—whether
from learned prelates, or from a furious mob. 'We must
oppose every species of tyranny, against whomsoever its
weapons are directed, whether against Episcopalians or
Dissenters, against Papists or Infidels. We must condemn
every persecution, however lenient it may be considered.
Whether it exposes humanity to death or poverty, to con-
tempt or any other inconvenience, it is a practice which
ought not to exist in nay shape nor under any circum-
stance. It is the same intolerant spipit which has con-
signed many Nonconformists to the tortures of death, and
which persecutes and plunders the Catholics of Ireland and
the Dissenters of England, for non-payment of tithes and
Church-rates, that has imprisoned a respectable farmer
from this neighbourhood for non- submission to church ty-
ranny. If every one has a right to attend his own place of
worship, it is evident that the course pursued against our
imprisoned neighbour is not less absurd than if a Popish
priest had punished a Churchman for non-attendance at a
Roman Catholic chapel. Hoping that the time is not far
distant when equal protection and liberty shall be extended
to all classes of the community, I beg to move the resolution.
The Rev. DAVID REEs, in seconding the resolution, said
—I am sure you will not submit tamely to the base at-
tempts and cowardly essays of individuals interested in
the continuance of tyranny to terrify and squeeze you
into submission to their own wil!s—you will not silently
and' spiritlessly allow those dens of corruption called
" Ecclesiastical Courts" to tamper with your rights and
invade your privileges as citizens and as Christians.
Behold, then, ye men of Llanelly at an advanced period
of the 19th century—amidst all our vaunted liberties—
a bumbailiff, invested with all the authority of an eccle-
siastical proctor, at the instance of a Protestant clergy-
man, unceremoniously entering the abode of one of your-
selves, and there laying his hand upon an innocent and
inoffensive man, on the very hearth where he first breathed,
and on which he had been fondly dandled on the knee
of maternal indulgence, and tore a husband and a father
from all his domestic comforts, and dragged him away
from the home of peace and tranquillity, not heeding
the sobs and tears of an affectionate and much-afflicted
wife, nor the deep concern of interesting children. Dissen-
ters ! as most of you are, can you, who claim kindred with the
exalted spirits of the despised puritans, gaze at these things
unmoved, and let them pass unheeded and unrebukel?
Let not the sacred cause of liberty, which cost them tears
imprisonment, and blood, suffer by our indifference or,
cowardice ; they bequeathed it unto us sanctified by their
blood, upon trust, that we should preserve it for the future
generations. Our esteemed friend who is now, by the
tender mercies of a spiritual court, peeping through the
bars of Carmarthen gaol, has done his duty. The paltry
sum demanded for not attending church was of no consi-
deration, had he not had a sense of his duty to his God
before his eyes. He willingly suffered himself to be
spoiled of his liberty, his domestic comforts, and the so-
laces of home, rather than yield any submission to the in-
quisition of the nineteenth century. Let us also do our

duty ; we ought to lay hold of this opportunity of creating
a storm in public opinion, and bring it to bear well upon
the citadels of our oppressors. Ye Protestants, be mind-
ful whence ye have derived your names ; recollect the
noble army of martyrs who loudly protested against giving
summary authority to Rome in ecclesiastical matters, and
against enacting and renewing sanguinary laws and edicts
against Christians ; but if protestations were at any time
necessary against the encroachments of Popish Rome, the
signs of the times indicate, beyond a doubt, the necessity of
protesting against the cruel usurpations of Protestant
Rome. Why should the raking of the filthy sinks which
received the dregs of the 12th century. for rusty weapons
of torture be tolrated in this enlightened age ? Let your
loud and long protest against the power that imprisoned
John James be heard in the chambers of royalty—in the
houses of Legislature, and let every remote and sequestered
corner in the kingdom reverberate the sound. Much has
been said and done to set forth the uncomeliness of a State
Church ; bat many people in our neighbourhood could not
comprehend the reasonings of a Redford, the arguments of
a i andtabn,d said, Burneteven
in andthenotwithstanding
Welsh
language, all
have written therewe
were many who thought that we made too much fuss and
noise about a thing which they considered of no import-
ance ; the Vicar ran to our assistance, and drew the picture
Sibree,Sm
of an Establishment in the most vivid colours. Would
that all were to act the same honest part ! Then we should
soon see what every honest and intelligent Christian would
wish to come to pass—the separation of Church from State,
and its reduction to a perfect equality with other denomi-
nations. When this will be accomplished, we shall give
credit to our Vicar for doing more than any of us for ac-
complishing this desired end.
Mr. THOMAS moved, " That a subscription be imme-
diately entered into for the purpose of liberating Mr.
James."
The motion having been seconded by Mr. WILLIAMS,
a liberal subscription was obtained, and the meeting sepa-
rated, highly satisfied with the proceedings of the day.

yeasm a' id
a: I'll noi:enn long time
t
r r CON.—A process for adultery between
N., the wife of. a Captain, in a regiment which
• e quartered in the South of France, and the
or of the same regiment, named Paulet, came
Surgeon-Mai
to a trial on Friday, before the Correctional Police. Capt.
eeling, urging the utmost vengeance of the law
N. stated lit:case himself with. a remarkable isplay of
energy
upon the
rt
arts,
u t exculpating
efnaaucl
et y
wife, s
vic-
tim
by declaring his conviction that she had been the vic-
im of the most , and nd even of m
Paulet, who had threatened that if she did not
comply with his desires, he would poison her husband
and her children, with whom she had lived for ten years
as a dutiful and affectionate wife and mother. The in-
into Egypt, where Paulet had a lucrative ap-
pom
jured husband farther stated that the guilty parties had fled
togetherintent, taking with them one of their children. Capt.
N. was on the point of following them, when he received a
letter from the French Consul at Alexandria, stating that
they were about to re-embark for France. He saw them
land, and would immediately have avenged himself on the
man, who had dishonoured himself and his family, but for
a solemn promise which he had given to the Procureur du
ltoi, of Marseilles, that he would suffer the law to take
its course. The evidence brought forward in this case left
no possibility of doubt as to the criminality of the parties.
Madame N., on being called upon for her defence, remained
mute, or answered only by a flood of tears. Paulet de-
nied most of the more flagrant acts imputed to him, but
was compelled to admit the main points. The pleadings of
the counsel for Captain N. and Paulet, and of the public
prosecutor,were most impressive. Madame N, employed
no advocate. Having taken time to deliberate, the Court
sentenced Madame N. to be imprisoned for three months,
and M. Paulet for two years, condemning him also to pay
a fine of 500 f., and 5,000 f. to Captain N. as darnagea.
When Madame N. heard the sentence upon borsch, she
fell into a violent fit of convulsions, and was carried out of
Court to the Great Hall, whore,
by proper attention, ',:le
was restored, M, Paula was conducted to prise':„ appa-
rently ovorciorne by similar feelings.
since
Referring
we went to press on Saturday to the weather, th,Zl Cork I?eporter says,
of extensi the weather has con-
tinued very temne.r4ous—,the windy steady at S.W. and
W'sl\V• with heavy and almost incessant falls of rain and
hail. From the more distant districts of the county reports
ye losses wikatuaed by the late tremendous gales
have ll" 11 veeeived. The storms along the tracts of land
stretching from Glandore round to Berehaven have been
represented as without parallel for many years, sweeping
away the unprotected oab,ins of the poor, and rendering
wasteila. rA.qtatoe pits in almost numberless cases. Altogether
the,,
0Q committed amongst the farming and labouring
classes is appalling.
Til -D4isso.s Mowry states that permission has
given
been by the authorities at the head of the navy for
docking the Great Western at Milford, in her Majesty's
Yard ; and they have tacked to the license a wish that
suitable accommodations may be in future provided in Bris-
tol for the operations of large Steam Companies.

LOWER CANADA.

The following is a copy of the Rebel Proclamation,
signed by some new and unknown adventurer :
" PROCLAMATION.

" Patriot Camp, Colwell's Manor, Nov. 5, 1838,
Head-quarters of Missiskoui and Richelieu
Division.

" The oppressed inhabitants of Lower Canada having
suffered for more than half a century the iron yoke of
despotism from their cruel and haughty conquerors, have
determined to make one more effort to rid themselves of
their bloody and vindictive taskmasters, and to change
their form of Government from a miserable Colonial
vassalage to a free and independent Republic. Having
for years humbly petitioned the haughty Monarchs of
Great Britain, and also the Imperial Parliament, for the
redress of their grievances, and having remonstrated
with the several departments of the Home Government
against their ususpations and oppressions, and having
warned the people of the United Kingdom that their
sufferings must, if not redressed, at length drive them
to the last resort, their prayers, remonstrances, and warn-
ings, being unheard, or only answered by more unnatural
and cruel oppression and debasement, their last vestige of
liberty being destroyed by the annulling of their constitu-
tional rights, their trial by jury, the suspension of the

Habeas Corpus, and the declaration of martial law, and by
having a petty tyrant to rule over them, with unlimited
power, disposing by proclamation of the lives and liberties
of the people without law or trial of any form—such cruel-
ties and indignities are insufferable by any people, and, ap-
pealing to God and an enlightened world, they have taken
up arms as their last and only resort, and, trusting in the
righteousness of their cause, they are resolved never to re-
linquish their efforts to sever their connection from Great
Britain, and establish for themselves an independent and
liberal Government, securing equal rights to all classes and
conditions in the land. •

" The Canadians, without a blush, ask the sympathies of
the citizens of the United States. When your fathers
were fighting the unequal battle for independence, which
has secured you the glorious Republican institutions which
you now enjoy, our ancestors stepped nobly forward and
espoused your cause, and by their assistance of men and
munitions of war you were enabled successfully to battle
with the same haughty nation which is now grinding to the
dust the bleeding victims and liberty-seeking Patriots of
Canada. Come, then, to our assistance, ye sons of noble
sires, rally beneath the banner of freedom which is now
unfurled in Canada, and assist with your arms our suffering
country. Show your love of constitutional and universal
liberty by uniting yourselves with the Patriot army of Ca-
nada. Your sacrifices and services will be most liberally
rewarded, and you will enjoy the rich reward in after days
of having your names handed down to posterity as the ex-
ample of Lafayette, Pulaski, De Kalb, Steuben, and other
worthies of the American revolution, who left their own
native land to fight in the good cause of freedom for a
worthy but suffering people.
" C. G. BRYANT, Grand Eagle."

REBEL DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.
" Whereas the solemn covenant made with the people of
Lower and Upper Canada, and recorded in the statute-
book of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
as the 31st chapter of the Act passed in the 31st year of
the reign of King George 111. bath bean continually vio-
lated by the British Government, and our rights usurped ;
and whereas our humble petitions, addresses, protests, and
remonstrances, against this injurious and unconstitutional
interference have been made in vain, and the British
Government hath disposed of our revenue without the
constitutional consent of our local Legislature, pillaged
our treasury, arrested great numbers of our citizens,
and committed them to prison, distributed through the
country a mercenary army, whose presence is accom-
panied by consternation and alarm, whose track
is red with the blood of our people, who have laid
our villages in ashes, profaned our temples, and spread
terror and waste through the land : and whereas we can no
longer suffer the repeated violations of our dearest rights,
and patiently support the multiplied outrages and cruelties
of the Government of Lower Canada, we, in the name of
the people of Lower Canada, acknowledging the decrees of
a Divine Providence, which permits us to put down a Go-
vernment which bath abused the object and intention for
which it was created, and to make choice of that form of
Government which shall re-establish the empire of justice,
assure domestic tranquillity, provide for common defence,
promote general good, and secure to us and our posterity
the advantage of civil and religious liberty, do solemnly
declare—
" 1. That from this day forward the people of Lower
Canada are absolved from all allegiance to Great Britain,
and that the political connexion between that power and
Lower Canada is now dissolved.
" 2. That a Republican form of Governmentis best suited
to Lower Canada, which is this day declared to he a republic.
" 3. That under the free Government of Lower Canada all
persons shall enjoy the same rights ; the Indians shall no
longer be under any civil disqualifications, but shall enjoy
the same rights as all other citizens of Lower Canada.
"4. That all union between Church and State is here-
by declared to be dissolved, and every person shall be at
liberty freely to exercise such religion or belief as shall be
dictated to him by his conscience.
"5. That the feudal or seignorial tenure of land is
hereby abolished as completely as if such tenure had
never existed in Canada.
" 6. That each and every person who shall bear arms or
otherwise furnish assistance to the people of Canada in
this contest for emancipation shall be, and is, discharged
from all debts due, or obligations real or supposed, for ar-
rearages in virtue of seignorial rights heretofore existing.
" 7. That the Douaire Coutumier is for the future abo-
lished and prohibited.
" 8. That imprisonment for debt shall no longer exist,
excepting in such cases of fraud as shall be specified in an
Act to be passed hereafter by the Legislature of Lower
Canada for this purpose.
" 9. That sentence of death shall no longer be passed or
executed, except in case of murder.
" 10. That mortgages on land estate shall be special,
and, to be valid, shall be enregistered in offices to be cre-
ated for this purpose by an Act of the Legislature of Lower
Canada.
" 11. That the liberty and freedom of the press shall
exist in all public matters and affairs.
" 12. That trial by Jury is guaranteed to the people of
Lower Canada in its most extended and liberal sense, in
all criminal suits, and in civil suits above a sum to be fixed
by the Legislature of the State of Lower Canada.
" 13. That, as general and public education is neces-
sary, and due by the Government to the people, an Act
to provide for the same shall be passed as soon as the cir-
cumstances of the country will permit.
" 14• That to secure the elective franchise, all elections
shall be had by ballot.
" 15. That with the least possible delay the people shall
choose delegates according to the present division of the
country, into counties, towns, and boroughs, who shall con-
stitute a convention or legislative body, to establish a con-
stitution according to the wants of the country, and in con-
formity with the disposition of this declaration, subject to
be modified according to the will of the people.
" 16. That every male person of the age of 21 years and
upwards shall have the right of voting as herein provided,
and for the election of the aforesaid delegates.
.17. That all Crown lands, also such as are called clergy
reserves, and such as are nominally in possession of a certain
Company of landholders in England called the British
North American Land Company,' are of right the property
of the State of Lower Canada, except such portions of the
aforesaid lands as may be in possession of persons who hold
the same in good faith, and to whom titles shall be se-
cured and granted by virtue of a law which shall be enacted
to legalize the possession of, and a title for, such untitled
lots of land in the townships as are under cultivation or
improvement,
IS, That the French and English languages shall be
used in all public affairs.
" And for the fulfilment of this declaration, and for the
support of the patriotic cause in which we are now engaged,
with a firm reliance on the protection of the Almighty, and
the justice of our conduct, we, by these presents, solemnly
pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our most
sacred honour.
" By artier of the Provisional Government,
" ROBERT NELSON, President."