The Sun.
London, England, 1838-01-10 00:00:00

CANADAS.

iFrom the Morning Chronicle.)
A.1.011T NEWS FROM CANADA.
We last night received from our agent at Falmouth two
New York 00111 sis of the 19th and 20th, brought by the
packet-ship Westminster, of London, Captain Moore. This
is four days later than our last arrival.
In the following extracts from the New York Inquirer
of the 20th will be found all the intelligence of interest
since our last dates :
LOWER CANADA.
The letters of our correspondent at Montreal contain
the latest intelligence from that city. By these we learn
that Dr. Wolford Nelson has been arrested ; and a
line on the outside of one of them informs us that he
was hourly expected at Montreal. The insurgents were I
still committing depredations in the neighbourhood of
Grand Brule. On the 12th instant the steamer Prin-
cess Victoria brought in twenty-five prisoners, who were '
taken at or after the affair at Missisquoi, and had
been lodged for a day or two previous, for safe keeping,
at the Isle aux Noix. Seven of these were men of some
note. Among them was Bouchette, late editor of the
Quebec Liberal, and an active agitator, and Kimbert, who
was deeply implicated in the first movement at Longueuil,
and who with Bouchette is said to have held a commanl
at Missisquoi. Desrivieres, Machesseault, and Boucher
Belleville, also among the prisoners, were active and pro-
minent at St. Charles. Jalbert was at St. Denis, and it is
supposed at St. Charles, and is accused of having been
concerned in the murder of Lieutenant Weir. Among
them also is Roi, who was concerned in the death of Char-
trend, and gave the command of fire upon him. He was
arrested on the wharf of La Prairie, in the act of putting
some oxen on board the steam-boat for the Montreal mar-
ket. Being recognised by one of the bystanders, he was
forthwith sent off in the same boat with the cattle.
Some twenty of the prisoners taken at St. Charles and
elsewhere have been liberated, on evidence that they were
compelled to join the insurgents by force or intimidation.
The Montreal Courier states that General T. S. Brown,
leader of the insurgents, and for many years the confiden-
tial friend and associate of Papineau, is not an American
by birth, but a native of New Brunswick, who has spent
some of the earlier years of his life in Vermont.
From Quebec we learn that entire tranquillity prevails.
The guns are all mounted on the ramparts of the town and
citadel, and the volunteer organization goes on with great
spirit. The 15th Regiment remains in the Jesuits' Bar-
racks. The Royal Quebec Artillery are to occupy quarters
that have been fitted up for them in the wing of the old
Parliament-house ; and the Royal Quebec Volunteers,
numbering SOO stroll,, have been provided with barracks
in the stone stores on King's-wharf.
It is stated that Sorel and Chanibly will be garrisoned
during the winter by volunteers, and that St. Denis, St.
Charles, St. John's, and the Isle awe Noix, will be occu-
pied by the regulars, with the addition probably of some
volunteers or Upper Canada militia.
The Provincial Assembly stands prorogued to the 13th
of the next month.
We find in the Montreal Transcript the following par-
ticulars of the butchery of Lieutenant Weir. If it be
true, we think it quite time to cease comparing these Ca-
nadian insurgents with the patriots of our revolution. It
is an insult to the memory of the dead to speak of them in
the same breath
:
We have received the following horrible account of the
murder of Lieutenant Weir. The story is very different from
that put forth by Mr. T. S. Brown in the Express of this
morning. By the way, the Exp"ess now avows that its some-
time correspondent L. M. N. and Mr. T. S. Brown are one
and the same person.
" After Lieutenant Weir had been betrayed into the hands
of the rebels, Dr. Wolford Nelson ordered his removal from
St. Denis to St. Charles. The person intrusted with this
dory was Jalbert, the ex-Captain of Militia. Mr. Weir's
arms were forced back, and his elbows made fast to each other
with ropes. Thus pinioned, he was placed in a cart, into
which Jalbert and another man under him, whose name we
forget, also mounted, the former armed with a sword, the
latter with an axe, and they proceeded towards Sr. Charles.
The roads wore in so very bad a state that the horse became
fatigued, and with difficulty continued at a foot-pace. Jalbert
first ordered the man to get out and walk—he afterwards got
out hirnself—and fieally he made a si;:ea to Mr. Weir, who,
although he was in so helpless a condition, descended as bast
he might. He had just reached the ground, and was steadying
himself with one hand rested on the back of the cart, when
Jaibert made a rush behind him, and plunged his sword into
Mr. Weir's back with such violence that it transfixed his body.
" Surprised, writhing with pain, helpless! I and influenced
by the fist impulse of nature, the weapon was no sooner
withdrawn than Mr. Weir got under the cart, where he lay
bleeding and in agony. After a short conference the two
assassins approached the cart, and commenced a most savege
and brutal attack on their victim, ore on each side ; the one
stabbing with his sword, the other strihine with his axe, as
the wheel and the position of Mr. Weir gave opportunity. At
length the axernan inflicted a severe wouad or, Mr. Weir's
left side, close to the hip. Roused by the brutal character
of the attach, and the reflection that to remain where he was
would be to die by inches, Mr. Weir crept from under the
cart, and regained his legs. Seeing these wretches again
advance upon him. he resorted to the only possible experiment
left, and, 'rte.'s. as by this time he was, he taised his right
leg. and made a kick at Jalbert.
" The man with the axe seized the advantage of the mo-
ment, and aimed a heavy blow at the left side of Mr. Weir's
herd. He saw the blow coming, and instinctively raised his
band. The blow took effect across the side of the head and
on a line with the temple. After cutting off' all the four
fingers of Mr. Weir's hand the axe laid his skull com-
pktely open, nearly severing the top of the head. The
your.g man then sunk upon the ground, a dreadful object to
behold."
The statemcnts of cur Correspondent in reference to
Mr. JUseph Flume end Mr. Roebuck are highly important.
It is net unlikely these gentlemen have used strong language
in their correspondence with Papinean, but we should pre-
sume that they would have taken good care to keep on the
safe silo of the law. No mention is made of the seizure
of this correspondence in the Montreal papers.
(Correspondence of the Courier and Enquirer.)
MONTREAL, WEDNF.SDAY.—WoIiord Nelson is taken,
and is now at La Prairie. This I believe to be authentic.
I send this as my letter has gone to the post, and I can
just save it.

MoNraEat., 13.—The troops are new on their
march. Colonel Dundas, with his regiment, the 83d, and
the Rocket Brigade, have just passed my window. The
weather is beautiful. They will proceed to St. Martin's
to-night, and start from thence at eight o'clock to-morrow
morning, wise* I shall join them, as there will be no bed
or accommodation to be procured at St. Martin's, and I
can be there bstfere they start.
We have no news from Toronto ; but by advices fro'n
Kingston the mails have all been stopped by the insurgents.
Volunteers were flocking up from all quarters to Toronto,
and by this tine it is presumed that something decisive has
taken place.
It is reported that Cotte, one of the leaders who escaped
at the Phillipsbare- affair, is marching from Plattsburg to-
wards Hemmingford with about 400 men. This is not
unlikely, as about 200 men were dispersed and crossed the
lines to Swanton when Bouchette was taken ; and he may
have picked up some more at Platsburg, whore, it is known,
that at a meeting several of the Americans volunteered to
join. They will, however, be too late to join the force at
St. Bernard, and there are forces sufficient to meet them
at St. John's and Chambly ; probably they will remain
for a time in St. Acadia, which is disaffected enough, and
then disperse.
The papers of Papineau, which have been seized, are
said to implicate deeply Mr. Joseph Hume and Mr. Roe-
buck. The letters of the former are all tackled on his own
hand, to be, and not to be made public. It is said that they
recommend tlso very line of proceedings which have taken
place, and that they are highly treasonable. However,
they will be sent home, and the matter will not be so
easily hushed up. Should the assertions prove true, Mr.
Hume and Mr. Roebuck will have to answer to the people
of England.
The Whig Government in England are the cause of
all this mischief. It is remarkable that whenever
the Whigs have come into power we have had a revolt
in the colonies. Lord Gosford is reported to have
said, " I came to this province with the full intention of
acting upon the most liberal, even ultra-liberal, principles,
but I have been driven into Conservatism in my own de-
fence by the conduct of Government." It is a most re-
markable point, that in the Commission as Governor by the
Whigs to Lord Gosford the power of proclaiming martial
law had been erased. Lord Gosford was not aware of it at
the time that he left England. He has been now forced
to declare it, and must obtain an indemnity from the Eng-
lish Parliament when he returns.
The times have been so busy in making preparations
for the expedition, that I have not been able to gain from
head-quarters the list of volunteers in detail, as I wished to
have done ; but I have the sum total, which is correct.
Memorandem of present volunteer force, Dec. 12, 1837 :
Cavalry 257 men
Artillery
Infantry 8,573

Total
Dr. Wolford Nelson is taken, and expected to arrive
here in course of this day.—Half-past one o'clock, P.M.
The St. Alimn's Messenger also says :—" A Gentleman
of this village arrived in town on Monday, P.M., direct
from Yamaska. He says that the authorities are proceed-
ing with great vigilance in making arrests in St. Cesaire
and vicinity, and a state of the utmost consternation
prevails among the inhabitants ; that he saw a gentleman
at St. Cesaire, direct from Montreal, who informed him
that on Friday last twenty of the prisoners, who had been
arrested on a charge of high treason, were arraigned before
the Court-martial at Montreal, and that eleven of the

number were condemned to be shot at four o'clock in the

afternoon of that day."
The 43d British Regiment, December 9th, had not
arrived in Quebec. The Ssth is to follow immediately
after the 4Cd.

It was reported at Fredericton, that three Regiments,
destined for Canada, were expected at Halifax from Eng-
land, and would immediately march for Quebec through

New Brunswick. All these march over the territory of
Mains.

The remaining four Companies of the 83d Regiment
350 strong, arrived at Montreal on the 11th instant, also
a detachment of the 24th, from St. John's, with the soldiers
wounded in the affair of St. Charles. Two Companies of
the 32d left Montreal on the same day for St. Martin.
Seventeen individuals were committed to gaol on the
charge of treason on the 10th.
The Montreal Transcript, Dec. 12, expresses its obli-
gations to the Commercial Advertiser.

We have a valiant speech of Captain Marryat in the
Montreal Courier.

We annex the official account of the affair at Missisquoi
Bay, with such items of interest as we can glean from the
Montreal papers :
" Frelighsburgh, St. Armand, Dec. 7, L 837.

" Sir—l have the-honour to report, for your Excellency's
information, that yesterday morning I left this, by a previous
arrangement with Colonel Knowlton, of Brome, in company
with Captain Henry Baker, of St. Armand, having under my
command a body of volunteers to the number of about fifty
men, armed with such guns as could be collected, to form an
escort to waggons for conveying the arms and ammunition of
Colonel Knowlton's battalion from Phillipsburg. I had pro-
ceeded only a few miles on my way, when an express from
Phillipsburg met me, with the information that a considerable
body of rebels had passed through that village early in the
morning to the State of Vermont, and were expected to re-
turn to burn it the same night.
" I immediately despatched expresses in different directions
to raise men, armed and unarmed, and bring them to Phillips-
burg, where I had directions from Colonel Knowlton to deal
cut the arms intended for his battalion if necessary.
" In consequence of certain information I left the waggons
four miles from Phillipsburg, and struck through the woods so
as to meet the loaded waggons, at the head of Missisquoi Bay,
in order to strengthen the escort from Caldwell's Manor and
St. Armand West. We then proceeded in company to Phil-
lipsburg, and reached it at half-past four P. M., where I found
men assembled, and assembling, from different points, and
that scouts had come in from Swanton, in the State of Ver-
mont, with the information that a body of men, well equipped,
and having with them two pieces of cannon, had taken up
their line of march for this province.
" In this emergency orders were issued to supply the men
with muskets and ammunition from the waggons, and at six
o'clock a position was taken half-a-mile south of the village,
on the west road leading to Swanton.
" We had occupied this position nearly two hours in ex-
pectation of the enemy, when positive information came in
that they had taken the cast road leading to Swanton, and
that they were within three miles of the village.
" I instantly ordered a strong guard to remain on the west
road, and marched to a position two miles and a half east of
the village, and drew up my men on a height to the left,
commanding the highway at the intersection of the Swanton_
read leading north and south with the St. Armand road, lead-
ing east and west, where I found the picquets and advanced
guard had retired unperceived before the enemy, and were 200
strong.
" The force under my command amounted to about 300
men ; but before it was possible for mq to reduce them to
order, the van of my line had commenced firing without
command.
" To a commander of your experience I need hardly apolo-
gise for the impetuosity of an undisciplined body hastily taken
away from their farming occupations, and placed in sight of
an enemy only a few hours after arms had been placed in their
hands. This premature fire was instantly returned by the
rebels, and the firing was kept up on both sides for about ten
or fifteen minutes, when the enemy retreated back towards the
state of Vermont, leaving behind one dead, two wounded and
three prisoners.
" One of the wounded is Robert Shore Millness Bouchette,
of Quebec, who led the advanced guard of the rebels, and is se-
verely hurt. The other is slightly wounded, and reports him-
self to be a nephew of Julien Gagnon, of St. Valentin, in
L'Acadie, habitan, the leader of the party. The left also two
pieces of cannon on mounted on carriages, five kegs of gunpow-
der, six boxes of ball cartridge, and seventy muskets, part of them
in boxes, and two standards. From the undisciplined state of
the Loyali.ds, the darkness of the night, it being- nine
o'clock, and the vicinity of the woods, the rest of the party
made their escape. The vicinity of the province line was also
in favour of their escape, for the universal feeling throughout
this part of the border is, that no roan shall cross the line
armed, even in pursuit of invaders from the other side, so that
to any demands made by your Excellency or the Gov:rnor-in.
Chief an answer cannot with truth be made by the general or
state governments of the United States, that the people of the
the province have done anything contrary to the treaties exist-
ing between that country and Great Britain.
" 0. J. KEMP, Captain.
" To his Excellency Sir .1. Colborne."
(Extract.)
" Frelighsburgh, St. Armand, Dee. 7.
have the honour to report, that on reaching the Isle
aux Mx, with the arms furnished for the Sheffield Volun-
teers, I deemed it advisable, before removing them from that
station, to proceed forward in order to establish relays of car-
riages, with sufficient escorts for transporting them to the
county of Shefford—immediately on procuring which, I gave
orders fur their removal, via Caldwell's Manor, and carriages
set forward ye sterday simultaneously from Caldwell's Manor,
Phillipshurgh, in St. Armand, on Missisquoi Bay, and Fri..
lighsburgin while I pushed forward from Frelighshurgh to
Brome, to bring waggons thence, so that no delay might take
place ; but knowing the almost destitution cf Missisquoi as
to arms and amunition, I had given directions that the arms
for my battalion should be used in case of an atteck by the
rebels.

" On returning to Philipshurgh this morning, about six
o'clock, I found that an engagem'nt had taken place yester-
day evening at nine o'clock, about two miles and a half east of
that village, between the Loyakts forming an escort under
Captain Oren J. Kemp, and a large body of rebels (under a
Mr. Julien Gagnon, of St. Valentine in L'Acadie) who had
embodied in Swantown, in the .state of Vermont. The enemy
were driven back by the Loyalists, with one man killed, num-
ber of wounded unknown, and the prisoners, one of whom,
R. S. M. Benchette, of Quebec, is severely wounded, and
one slightly. The Loyalists also captured two pieces of can-
non, about forty stand of arms, five kegs of gunpowder, and
sx boxes cf ball cartridge, wi7ll two flags. The muskets
captured are apparently of the kind used in the American army
during the last war. The rebels were about two hundred,
and the Loyalists three hundred s'rong. Of the Loyalists not
one man was hurt. The enemy retreated irto the State of
Vermont by the road they came.
" I have the honour to be your Excellency's most obe-
dient Servant,

" P. 11. KNOWLTON,
" Colonel of Shefford Volunteers.
" To his Excellency Lieut.-Gen. Sir John Colborne, Com-

manger of the Forces, &c. &c."
In reference to the funeral of Lieutenant Weir, the
Montreal Courier says that it was attended by all the
volunteer companies of the city, as well as by the regulars
in garrison, not on duty. A military gentleman who stood
by the Quebec gate, as the procession piissed, .counted
3,154 men under arms, exclusive of the officers. Of these,
very few comparatively were regulars, owing to the absence
of the greater part on active duty out of town. The num-
ber of other citizens who accompanied the procession was
very great, so great, indeed, that we cannot venture to esti-
mate it. The shops and offices in town were closed an
hour before the procession started. The interment took
place i❑ the military burying-ground, on the Victoria-road,
until lately called the Papineau-road.
Mr. Brown's account of the murder of Lieutenant Weir
is contained in the following extract of a letter addressed
by him to the New York Express :—" He (Lieutenant
Weir) came to St. Denis as a spy, and, by custom, might
have been hanged on the first tree. He was, however,
treated with every attention, but told he must make no
attempt to escape. He gave much trouble during the
night. In the morning he was put in a cart, to be sent
to Mr. Brown at St. Charles. On the road he sprang
out, and being an athletic man made vigorous fight with
the guard. In the struggle he was necessarily killed, for
the struggle was one of life for life ; but to us it was a cause
of great pain."

We were inforined last night that loyal addresses have
been prepared, and are now on their way to the seat of Go-
vernment, in answer to the proclamation of the 29th from
the French Canadian inhabitants of the parishes of Long
Pointe, Pointe aux Trembles, and Sault au Recollet. The
address from the last named parish is signed by about 300
individuals.

The Provincial Assembly stands prorogued to January
the 13th.

MILITARY MOVEMENTS.—Two companies of the 24th,
under Lieutenant-Colonel Hughes, and one company of tho
Royals, came in from St. John's on Monday afternoon, by
the Princess Victoria.

Yesterday afternoon a considerable detachment of tho
83d Regiment arrived from St. John's in the steam-boat
Princess Victoria.

We subjoin from the New York Express the following
details of what the worthy himself calls "the escape" of
T. S. Brown ; this escape being a dastardly flight from the
danger he had so wickedly created :

" ESCAPE OF T. S. BROWN.
"TO THE EDITORS 07 THE NEW YORK DAILY EXPRESS.'
" One brigade of British Invincibles had been driven back
ignominiously from St. Denis, a second brigade had retreated
to use the fashionable word, from St. Charles to the safe bar-
racks of Montreal, when a third brigade was directed on St.
Denis, and had arrived at St. Ours, nine miles distant. -
and myself saw that, ,there being no rising elsewhere, we
were drawing the whole force of the Government to our de-
voted district, and that, though we might maintain ourselves
in force, still we must retreat and draw the enemy after us,
whereby the thirstiness of European rage for American blood
would be satiated in the murder of grey-haired sires and smiling
infants, not to mention the destruction of property, to intimi-
date other counties from imitating our example. We, there-
fore, told our men to go home quietly for the present, and to
be in readiness to assemble at the first signal. For ourselves,