The Sun.
London, England, 1836-08-08 00:00:00

REACTION IN UPPER CANADA. = CONFESSION of the HIGHWAYMEN
CONVICTED at the SHREWSBURY ASSIZES.

(From the Manchester Guardian.)
Between seven and eight o'clock the same even-
ing the Judge's order arrived at the Castle, containing a re-
prieve for Mulholland. His irons were immediately taken
off, and he was removed from the condemned cell. The
other four were ordered for execution on Saturday next,
the lath inst., thus leaving them II clear days to prepare
for that death to which their numerous crimes have hurried
them. Curtis, who notwithstanding the repeated assurances
he received to the contrary, bad expected that pardon would
be extended to him in consideration of the confession he
made in the New Bailey prison, as to numerous highway
robberies in which the other prisoners and himself had been
engaged, now appeared enraged to find that his fate was
sealed. He walked about sullen, moody, and when spoken
to, the glare of his eye bespoke the inward raging of his
evil passions. The M'Donnells assured the priest
that they were sorry for their crimes ; and he very pro-
perly observed, that the only sure ground for true peni-
tence was to make what reparation they could by telling
ing the truth as to the several robberies in which they were
said to be implicated. They expressed themselves desirous
to say nothing but the truth, and then Patrick M'Donnell
.stated that he and his brothers Edward and Owen, together
with four others, still at large, whose names he declined to
state, had stopped the Messrs. Royds on the Rochdale-road, in
September last, and robbed them of a gold watch, a silver
watch, appendages, some money, and other articles. Mr.
Egan deemed it his duty to communicate the fact of this
confession to Mr. Griffith, the Governor of the Castle, and
be, considering it necessary for the ends of justice, and
especially in reference to the three men convicted at Liver-
pool, last March assizes, of the
:robbery of Messrs. Royd,
and now under sentence of transportation Er life, that this
confession shOuld be made in a wore formal manner and
before witnesses, requested that Mr. Thomas would accom-
pany him to the condemned cell on the following day, in
order to hear the prisoners' statement. The father or Elson,
(one of the three men -now at Chatham under sentence of
transportation), who, after travelling to Liverpool, Dublin,
and other places, in search of evidence to establish his son's
innocence, had gone to Shrewsbury in the hope that after
the trial some of the highwaymen might acknowledge their
guilt as to this robbery, on learning that such confession
had been made, and that it was to be repeated, applied to
the governor for permission to be present, which was
kindly granted. Accordingly on Tuesday afternoon, about
six o'clock, there assembled in the condemned cell, the Rev. •
Mr. Egan, Mr. Griffith, Mr. Thomas, Sawley and Green
of the Manchester police, and Elson. Several written

questions were read to the prisoners, and they were admo-
nished by the priest that the truth alone was befitting their
awful situation. The answers, which were given generally
by Patrick M'Donnell, were taken down at the time. No
mention is made in the statement of the other two pri-
soners, Curtis and Mulholland ; and it is known that at
the time of the robbery of the Messrs. Royds, the 24th of
September last, they were in Ireland ; but as Curtis had
stated in his confession at the New Batley that he had been
told of this robbery by the M‘Donnells, Mr. Thomas asked
him if that was the truth. He said it was every word of
it true, and that they had committed all the other rob-
beries then mentioned by him, and at which he had
been present. As a striking proof of the extent to which
the gang had carried their predatory crimes, we may just
state that the highway robberies thus confessed amounted

to no fewer than 25 within three years. We had nearly
omitted to add, that amongst the robberies to which their
confession extended was that of Dr. Taylor, the Whitworth
doctor, upon the same spot as that where the Messrs.
Royds were robbed. It will be borne in mind that East-
wood and others were apprehended on suspicion of having
committed this robbery, were tried, convicted, and sen-
tenced to transportation, from which they were rescued
only through the humane exertions of Captain Hopwood,
of Hopwood, who succeeded in obtaining for them his
Majesty's pardon. Thus the case of Eastwood presents the
singular circumstance, unparalleled in the history of criminal
jurisprudence, of the same man having been twice convicted of
a capital offence, twice sentenced to transportation for life, and
(we may safely add) twice pardoned, he being innocent of both
the crimes laid to his charge. After the three brothers had
signed the statement, and declared that it was true, they
expressed themselves more easy. One of them said to the
Priest, in reference to to the men convicted at Liverpool,
" They are as innocent of that robbery as you are." Curtis
still continued sullen, only rousing himself to whisper in .the
ear of Mr. Thomas a request that he would give him a
little money and ask the Governor to allow him some
tobacco for it. Mr. Thomas mentioned this request to
Mr. Griffith, who said it was contrary to the rule of
the gaol, and he had a further objection, as the nar-
cotic quality of tobacco tended to stupefy and intoxi-
cate. Owen immediately said "We only want it to pass
away time." Mr. Thomas observed, that in their situa-

tion they ought to betake themselves to some more fitting
employment than smoking ; they had yet serious duties to
fulfil, and their time on earth would shortly pass away.
Before quitting the cell, Mr. Thomas told Owen that he
had been recently at Ballybriggan, and had found his cot-
tage shut up and his wife and children gone. Owen shed
tears, and asked if Mr. Thomas could tell where they were.
To this question he replied in the negative, and shortly
after took leave of them, by their desire shaking hands with
each of them. The original statement, after it had been
carefully copied, was dispatched the same (Tuesday) even-
ing to the office of the Home Secretary of State, in order
to be laid before Lord John Russell. 'There can be no
doubt the result will be that His Majesty's gracious pardon
will be obtained for the three poor fellows, Elson, Eastwood,
and Kay, who, it will be remembered, were convicted on the
2d of April last, at Liverpool, of the robbery of Messrs.
Royds, chiefly on the evidence of Mr. Albert Royds, who
swore distinctly to the identity of all three.

It is said to be in contemplation to alter the clays
of running for the Derby and the Oaks at Epsom, so as to
have one clear day between._

The cheapness and facility of travelling to Paris

lave occasioned lately an immense number of applications for

passports to France at the passport office of th.e.French em-
bassy. The number last week was so very great that the
office was constantly crowded with applicants.

The paragraph respecting the elopement of a young
lady from the Zoological Gardens, in the Regent's-park,
which appeared in this journal, is stated to be without foun-
dation.

Extract of a letter from Antigua The inhabi-
tants of this island have need to be proud and thankful. I
planted my crop in a great deal less time than I ever did be-
fore. I commenced on the 25th of January, and on the 25th
of March I had done. Our quantity of plant canes is 71 acres.
I commenced grinding on the 25th of February, and I expect
to finish my crop by the first week in July. I shall make 150
hogsheads."
The story of " Rattlin the Reefer" edited by the
celebrated author of " Peter Simple," is likely to be one of the
most successful tales of nautical life ever laid before the
public. The character of its hero is based upon that of a
living individual whose adventures were of a most remarkable
character. His parentage, though probably traceable on both
his father's and mother's side, to a high quarter, has been en-
deavoured to be kept in mystery, and, in his exertions to
ascertain his origin, Consists much of the interest developed in
his strange history.
The steamer Oden, of the Royal Swedish Navy,
which arrived at Deptford last week, after a nine days' pas-
sage from Stockholm, conveying his Excellency Count Wet-
terstedt to this country, left Deptford for Stockholm on Satur-
day morning.
A DISCONSOLATE RELIEF.—On Friday last a
poor man drowned himself in Tyrone river, near Nenagh.
On being dragged out of the water, his wife, almost distracted,
exclaimed, " Oh, what a dead lob I"—Clonmel Advertiser.

The Scots 'Times says—lt is again our disagreea-
ble duty to notice another case (the third within a few weeks)
of alleged murder committed within this city. An English-
man is alleged to have murdered his wife. He was appre-
hended.

THOMAS CAMPBELL, ESQ.—A numerous and

highly respectable company assembled on Friday afternoon to
dinner, in the Hopetoun Rooms, Edinburgh, in honour of T.
Campbell, Esq., long known as one of the most dintinguishcd
poets of his or any other day. It is now between thirty and
forty years since the genius of Campbell arose meteor-like to
diffuse its splendour over the literary world—a splendour,
however, which was not to pass suddenly away. l'rofessor
Wilson was in the chair.

A few days since a cormorant was shot from off the
vane of the Salisbury cathedral, by a lad.—Salisbury Herald.
[Cathedral cormorants must look out lest their wings be
clipped, and their sinecures lopped off.]
CORN LA.WS.—" At the election," said the Hon.
Member for Hull, " I was asked a pointed question on the
subject of this Act (the Poor Law Bill) ; and I declared that
though the limitation of the relief to the poor might be a very
good deed if accompanied by the removal of the Corn Laws,
I thought it was a very bad one if it was to come by itself;
and that my hope was, that those who had done so would have
let themselves into a good thing, and would find themselves
under an increased necessity t,f removing the Corn Laws
afterwards. And I still stick to the expectation, that the first
time the feelings of the poor become excited by one of those
fluctuations in the wrong direction which must some time or
other happen, they will discover the grotesque injustice that
has been done them, by taking away the claire they had on the
rich for support, and leaving them tied and bound from main-
taining themselves by the produce of their own indnstry."
On Monday last, Mr. Pocock, of Bristol, passed
through the town of Chippenham in a carriage drawn by two
airAtitg.l, Occasionally travelling rt the rate of 25 miles per
hour. In the vicinity of the town he was detained some time,
in consequence of the webt, getting entangled in a tree.
04 Friday the Eagle, on her passaa6 down the river,
although all were on the alert, and at their posts, made a
slight yaw, and went, stem on, into the City of Glasgow.
The heads of both ships were completely demolished,—Scots
Times,

CHANCERY COURT.--SATURDAY.

SPENCER AND ANOTHER V. THE BIRMINGHAM RAILROAD

COMPANY.

Mr. WIGRAM said this was an application on behalf of
the Birmingham Railroad Company, in the nature of an
appeal against an order made by the Vice-Chancellor. The
plaintiff, Spencer, is a livery-stable keeper and hackneyman.
residing, in Granby-mews, Granby-stect, Hanapstead•road ;
and the other plaintiff, Mr. Ward, is the proprietor of con-
siderable property in that neighbourhood, and Spencer's
landlord. The Railway Company had, in pursuance of the
Act of the Act of Parliament, purchased all the houies in
Granby-street but fur, and had excavated the line of road
passing through that street to the depth of fifteen feet, leav-
ing a passage for horses and carriages from Granby-mews
(which ran into it on the one side), through Harrington.
street, into the Hampstead-road. The excavations were
begun on the Ist of June, on the evening of which day the
plaintiff Spencer, on returning home with one of his coaches,
drove into the cut, and injured one of his horses, and ma-
terially damaged the coach. An application was made by
Mr. Fisher, the plaintiff's solicitor, demanding reparation
from the Company for the injury done to his property, and
also that a foot-bridge should be constructed across the
cut. In consequence of the application, the defendants
had caused a foot-bridge, made of strong beams of wood,
with rails and stauncheons, to be constructed across the part
excavated ; during the construction of which ' the child of
the plaintiff Spencer, who was playinc, with other children,
fell from the bridge to the bottom of the cut. The defend-
ants promised the plaintiff Spencer that the negligence of
their servants in not giving due notice of the commence-
ment of the work in Granby-street, and using proper prp-.
cautions to preVent accidents, should be inquired into, and.
if the facts turned out as he stated, lie should be remune-'
rated for the damage done. While these inquiries were
going on by Mr. Cubitt the contractor, and Mr. C. Fox.,
the engineer, for that part of the line, Mr. Fisher wrote a
kind of letter to the Company, demanding the immediate
construction of a temporary carriage-way across the rail-
road on behalf of the plaintiff's jointly ; and stating that
the plaintiff, Mr. Ward, had received complaints from
Spencer that his customers were leaving him, from the diffi•
culty of access to the stables, and that, if it were not re-
medied, he would be unable to pay his rent. In answer to
tbis application, it was stated that Spencer had only de-
manded a foot-bridge, which had been made, and that the
construction of a temporary bridge would take a longer
time to build than it would take to complete that part of
the railroad, and the permanent bridge across the street.
On the receipt of this answer,• the plaintiffs filed a Bill
against the defendants, and applied to the Vice-Chancellor
for an injunction against them, restraining theM from pro.'
ceeding further with the works until the construction of a
temporary carriage-bridge. His Honour, in giving his
judgment on the motion, accused the directors of the Com-
pany of tyrannical conduct. The Learned Counsel, in
moving to set aside the injunction, said that the accusation
of tyranny could not apply to the Company.
Mr. Jaeon, for the plaintiff, defended the injunction, and
contended that it should be sustained.

The LORD CHANCELLOR—AS the sole object of the
plaintiffs' bill was to protect the parties interested from in-
convenience, thought that end would be attained by sus-
pending the injunction for three weeks. He could not order
any compensation to Spencer, but he thought the Company
ought to satisfy him.