The Sun.
London, England, 1854-07-07 00:00:00

—scarcely had she been seized by the ringleader,
when her screams and entreaties alarmed the
dispersing congregation, and a prompt and ener-
getic effort was made for the rescue of the young
lady, an effort that was happily attended with
immediate success. Happily not only for the in-
tended victim, but for the chief assailant and those
who lent themselves to aid in carrying out his ne-
farious designs. Had he succeeded in carrying off this
youthful heiress, he might have subjected himself
to more stringent punishment than that to which
he is now liable. She was restored to her affrighted
sister, while he, after receiving some severe in-
juries in the affray, was speedily pursued, cap-
tured, and lodged in the county goal to abide his
trial at the next assizes.

The offence thus attempted to be revived was
at one period so common that special statutes were
obliged to be enacted. Early in the 17th century
a law was enacted for the punishment of those
" who carried away maydens that be inheritors."
And nearly 150 years after, with intent either to
marry or defile, forcible abduction was made felony,
without benefit of clergy, which subjected the
offender to the extreme penalty of the law. The
capital punishment continued in force until some
twelve years since in Ireland, when, in conse-
quence of the frequency of the offence, a more
stringent law was required than in this less excitable
country. It was then mitigated to transportation
for life, or a long term of years. It was indeed
essential to use every exertion to check the prac-
tice that prevented any father who bad a hand-
some or wealthy daughter from feeling safe until
he had disposed of her in marriage, and thus in-
terposed an insurmountable obstacle to the de-
signs of the impoverished and reckless squireens,
or farmers of the district.

Those who are desirous of reading an accurate,
and at the same time glowing, description of
the nature of these illegal proceedings, will find
well worthy of perusal the admirable speech
of the celebrated JOHN PHILPOT CURRAN, on the
trial of Sir HE-TRY BROWN HAYES for the forciVe
abduction of Miss PIKE, in the year 1797—an
event which created greater excitement in the
"beautiful city" than anything that had occurred
for a long term of years before, or at any time since.
This brilliant oration will be found in extenso in
the able work of Mr. Commissioner PHILLIPS* to
which we have had the gratification of directing
public attention on several occasions, and which we
cannot too warmly commend to our readers. The
criminal in that case was also a man of fortune and
station, who had but two years previously to the out-
rage served the office of High Sheriff of Cork. When
convicted he applied that the sentence of death
should be carried into immediate execution, but
it was commuted to banishment for fourteen
years. Twenty-three years afterwards he re-
turned to Ireland, and survived his sentence some
thirty-five years, the observed of all observers.
We trust that the unanimous feeling displayed by
men of all classes and ranks in society will prevent
the repetition of similar efforts, and rescue the
sister kingdom from the reproach under which it
so long laboured.