The Sun.
London, England, 1822-11-19 00:00:00

IRELAND.

HORRIBLE CASE OF MATRICIDE.—An Inquest
was held yesterday (Tuesday, the 12th inst.), and adjourned to
this day, before JOUN ACKLAND, and W3I. P. BRABAZON,
Esirs., Coroners for Drogheda, on the body of Anne Curran, a
native of Mornington, who was barbarously murdered on Sun-
day night last, the 10th inst. The story told by her son, who
was in her company at the time, is this :—On Sunday evening
he accohipanied his mother to Drogheda, to make somCpur-
chases. Having bought a pair of shoes 'and some other articles,
be drank spirits in several public-houses, of which his mother
moderately partook. On leaving Drogheda she demanded of
him what money he had remaining ; he gave her some silver;
and unknown to her detained ls. 3d. When they reached St.
James's they were stopped by a man and two women. The man
knocked young Curran down, and kept his knee on his breast
whilst the other parties were robbing and abusing the old
woman, whom they robbed, but they did not attempt to rob or
search young Curran. They then retired towards Drogheda,.
and Curran having lifted As mother from the ground, found
that she was qUite dead. lie carried the body to a house at soul'',
distance on the road, and having procured a car, brought.it
home. Such are the facts detailed by Curran to Alderman
Smyth, before whom lie appeared the next morning with inforni-
ations ready drawn for the purpose of swearing them. 'But
suspicious circumstances appearing on his examination, Alder-
man Smyth conceived it his duty to detain him until an inquest
should be held, and in the mean time every possible exertion
was made by Alderman Smyth and the Coroners to elucidate
this mysterious affair. After a patient investigation, at-four
o'clock this day, the Jury returned the following verdict
" 'We believe that the deceased (Ann Curran) came by her
death by abuse that she received from her son, .John Curran."
Curran was immediately committed to jail.. He is a very young
man, and by trade a blacksmith.—( Drogheda Journal. )
ATROCIOUS OUTRAGE.-=on Wednesday night last airiest
wanton and barbarous outrage was perpetrated in Ballinea,
within about three miles of this town, which, in its atrocious
character, fully demonstrates the general spirit of insubordina-
tion that at present unhappily pervades the country. Mr. John,
Faunt, of Ballinea was under the necessity of making a seizure
and leaving keepers on some of his tenants for rent and arrears of
rent due to him. On the night above-mentioned the house ',vas
entered by an armed banditti, who, after inflicting on the bailieS
the most brutal treatment, tied them neck and heel§, and dragge,l
them a considerable distance from the house; they afterwards
carried away the entire of the property. One of the bailiff's was
in the most imminent danger of his life : After some hoar%
absence, one of the ruffians returned, and asked him,
he alive ? Supposing ,it to be a friendly inquiry, he re-
plied, that he was; when, instantly -the villain drew a
bayonet, and inflicted several. wounds on his body. The.next
night, John C. Lyons, of Ladiston, Esq., with pat promptitude
and vigilance for .which he is Oistinguihed, scouted that parl
of the country at the head of a,party of police, and appree
hended several persons' of suspicious character, one of ,tvitom,,
was sworn to, as a principal in the above outrage, and fully :
committed for trial at the next Assizes.—( Watrneath Journal.)

•
The packet froM Lock No. 16. came into`Pbrt
Hopetoun 'at ten on 'Wednesday night, crowded with -pasren,-
gers. Although there are lamps at the landing place, its un-
finished state renders it dangerous to persons unacquainted
with the spot. Among the passengers were several Meru,
bers of the Edinburgh Theatre returning from the, Was-.
gow Theatre. Whilst porter was arranging their luggage,
on a truck, a Gentleman with his trunk deviated in the
darknes's from the path and fell into the canal. Several'
persons gave assistance, and, just as he was got out, anothfr
splash was heard, and a second person immersed, whp
proved to be Mr. Hillyard of the theatre; fortunately he was
also quickly extricated, with the loss of an umbrella in the
struggle. While his friends were advising him to hasten.
home, a third splash was distinctly heard, accompa-
nied with an outcry of—" A woman has fallen in, hand
the boat-hook." The general agitation increased, but
the feelings of a husband and daughters were extreme on
covering that Mrs. Nicol, having stepped aside in search of her
umbrella, had 'gone head foremost into the basin'. By the
activity of the porters and boattift, she was, however, ;SOM.
rescued from her perilous situation, having retained sufficist
presence of mind to conclude that her clothes would support
her until she seized the proffered hook. She walked home as
quickly a 4 possible, and, every thing being done toprevent cold,
we are happy to state that this distinguished favourite of the
public, and deserving private character, has not suffered any
material injury.--(Edinburgh Courant, Nov. 6. ) •

THE LONDON JOURNALS.

ZXTIIACTS FROM TUE DAILY MORNING PAPERS,
November 19, 1822.

[TIT E TUnES.]
We have understood that notice has been taken
of the celebrated document in the Journal des
paati by the Ambassador at the Court of France
of one of the Allied Powers ; and the Ambas-
sador who has thought himself chiefly authorised
to move on the occasion, is that of Austria. But
,Arst, with respect to the document itself. It was
copied the day after .it appeared in the Jouriz2il
des. Ddbals by the Monitear ; and thus obtained
an official character, if that were doubtfulbefore.
in the instrument in question is the following pas-
sage, with others of similar import :—" Fears may
" be entertained of combinations—(that is in case
" the Holy Alliance should attack Spain)—of events.
" which would induce a Spanish party to call in a
" foreign dynasty, whose establishment at Madrid
" would change the equilibrium of the South of
" Europe, to th.: particular detriment of France."
We• hardly knew what that Power might be
which• was specifically alluded to, or whether,
;bleed, the proposition were not general, that
Spain might choose a new King and dynasty
from any of the Holy Allies. Austria, it ap-
pears,- however, has, by her Ambassador,
thought that she has the greatest right to re-
place the Bourbons- of Spain, in case' they
should be removed from the Government of
that country,. and that therefore she must be
the power meant. The Austrian. Ambassador
did, in consequence, we learn, complain of the.
article ; and the Editor of the Jim/deur was
sent for by the Keeper of the Seals, and informed
of the displeasure of his Excellency, A new
article,.explanatory of the former, was to be in-
rierted in the next number., This our readers
will see in to-day's journal, and if they can ex-
tract from it any meaning derogating from the
broad insinuations of the former, or indeed any
clear meaning at all, we confess they have the
advantage of us. The Moniteur was also obliged
to insert a paragraph from the Etoile, the paper
of the war party in the French Cabinet, denying
the official character of the article in the Journal
des De'bats.

[NEW TIMES.]
The French Papers contain accounts of the
returns of many of the Elections. The Royalist
majority will evidently be much strengthened this
year; but we see with great regret that old
Lafayette, the original mover of the mad and
fatal declaration of what was stupidly called" The
Rights of Man," has been re-elected after a hard
contest at Meaux. It is of evil omen to Europe
that the original actors in that tremendous Revo-
lutionary Drama,. which has so deeply injured the
peace and happiness of mankind, should not, so
long as they adhere to their fatal doctrines, be
every where shunned and stamped with disgrace.
M. de Lafayette might perhaps have been ex-
cused for his--first errors, at an epoch when ima-
gination led away the most virtuous and honour-
able minds; but to regard those very errors as
giving him a claim to nomination as a Legislator,
is indeed to shew a strange and unteachable
per'jersity.

[MORNING POST.]
By the Antigua Papers received yesterday to
the 16th ult., we learn that considerable disputes
had arisen at Barbadoes, between the inhabit-
ants of that Island and Judge Lucas, in conse-
quence of the latter having compelled the Jury,
im a civil case, after having given their verdict,
to return to their box and reconsider it, and
having' kept them so confined until 12 o'clock,
when they were released, without returning any
verdict whatever. A meeting had in consequence
been held upon the subject, on the 21st Septem-
ber; and it had been decided that a Petition
should be forwarded to his Majesty, praying him
to appoint a new Chief Justice; and that an Ad-
dress should be presented to his Excellency the
Governor, calling upon him to aid the object of
the petition.—Private advices from the same
place state, that a brig and three schooners, .under
American colours, from Baltimore, arrived at
Saint Bartholomew's early in September, where
the Commander, one Gouldan, an Irishman, pur-
chased a brig. They were ordered away by the
Governor, when they proceeded to the Five
Islands, and from thence to Porto Rico, and de-
clared that Island independent, under the title
of the Republic of Bougua.

[TvICYRNING CHRONICLE.I
riche French Funds have not yet, recovered
from the depression which the foolish conduct of
e Government has caused. The closing price
of Saturday was even somewhat lower than that
at which they opened.—The French Govern-
ment has certainly on this occasion cut a very
ridiculous figure in the eyes of the world. The
pretext for an invasion of Spain, and for aban-
doping the design, can deceive no one. The Spa-
niards never intended to bring either the King
or any of the Royal Family to trial, and having
never entertaied the design, they could not
of course renounce it. The shock to credit
was occasioned by the belief that the proceed
ings at Verona had led, to .the. demonstrations
at Paris. A little reflection might have shewn
that under existing circumstances an invasion of
Spain would not so very easily obtain the sanc-
tion of_ the Congress,—and without such a sanc-
tion the thing was out of the question. A divi-
sion at the Congress on so vital a question as that
of.. Spain would have lighted up the flames of
war, from one end of
.Europe to the other ; and
for that reason it was very unlikely, that a mea-
sure, calculated to produce a division would be
urged. The present Government of France
dnrst least of all act without the other Powers.
Every thing at Verona continues as unlike war
as ever.

[BRITISH PRESS.I
The Moniteur,. it is said, contains an article
somewhat in the pacific strain of the late articles
in,the Journal des Debats—a sort of composing
4raught to tranquilize the public ferment, and
alltly the storm excited by the rumour of the de-
termination of France to march an army into Spain.
It is carious that- these efforts of the French Mi-

nisters to restore the public tranquillity disturbed,'
and the public credit beaten down by false ru-
mours, should be delayed until the public tran-
quillity had been restored and public confidence
had reached its former level. It would, almost
lead one to suspect that the official people imme-
diately connected with the Government derive
an interest from the deception. The accounts
from Madrid, which come down to the Bth inst.
notice a proceeding which removes the ouly
ground on which, according to the Journal des
Daats, the march of a French army into Spain
was to be apprehended.

[MORNING HERALD.]
It may be instructive to look back for a mo-
ment upon the circumstances of the recent panic
in the money market. The first and principal
question is—did the French Government really
entertain the idea of going to war with Spain
For this, separated from the various rumours that
fluttered in its train, seems to have been the
great, if not the sole cause of alarm. It is,
prima facie, most improbable that such a mea-
sure, so vitally important to France and to
Europe—and which could hardly have been
other than concerted with the Congress—but for
which concert there was not yet time,—should
have been suddenly taken up by the Govern.
ment of France ;—and, what adds to the im-
probability is, that it
,should be as suddenly
abandoned. The Government, which could with
so. much levity change its purpose and its princi-
ples, would make a ridiculous and appropriate
figure in the Dictionnaire des Girouettes. In the
next place, there is no one act or phrase of the
French Government put forth in the Moniteur
(the only recognised official and Ministerial
Paper in Paris,) or through any other autho-
ritative medium, to justify the supposition that
war was intended. It is still more instructive—
more curious, to took back to the manners and
perhaps the means, by which the alarm was pro-
pagated and kept alive, after it had crossed over
to us. A solitary Paris Paper, got over a few
hours in advance, by the industry of speculation
—in this paper is an oracular article on politics,
in which the oracle affected to see deeper, and
know more, than he expressed ; but which, like
most oracles, might really mean any thing or
nothing. A commentary upon this article, in
the form of a private letter, dwelling upon its
importance and expounding its mystery, with a
few addenda on the ominous silence and por-
tentous shrugs of a French Minister, in passing
through his ante-chamber—these are the chief
means, which seem to have kept the bubble
whole and floating a little longer on this side
the water.

MINA'S OPERATIONS IN CATALONIA

In Catalonia there are two places named. Cas-
telfollit, one in the northern division of the pro-
vince, near the foot of the Pyrennees, on the
River Fluvia, and in lat. 42 deg. 10. min.„ the
other towards the south, within three mites, and
on the left, of Calaf, on the River Liobregos, la-
titude 40 deg. 47 min. The Journal Des D6bals,
three or four days ago, made a mistake in sup-
posinc, that the northern Castelfollit was that
which Mina had besieged and taken, and thence
argued that his march was inexplicable, as in that
case it would have been to the attack of Ba-
laguer. The same Journal on the following
day rectified its error, and accompanied the ac-
knowledgment by an interesting and 'instructive
article on the military topography of Catalonia.
We extract some passages from it:—

" Upper Catalonia is a country so little known,
that, even with the most minute maps, one can
hardly follow the course of military operations.
To the west of ancient Rousillon, now the de-
partment of the Eastern Pyrenneei, the valley of
theSegra forms a basin like a shell, encompassed
on all sides by lofty mountains. It is the Cer-
dagne. This canton comprehends the towns of
Poycerda and Seo de Urgel. The first, being
of easy access, was occupied by the French troops
in the last Spanish war. But Urgel remained
always in the hands of the faithful Catalans.
The fort which commands the town is not in it•
self a work of any merit, but it is nearly inac-
cessible to an armed force; even though.disin-
cumbered of all but mountain guns, you can only
get there from the side of Balaguer and the plain
of Urgel, by ascending a path frequently inter-
rupted by, the windings of the Segre. The. Cer-
dagne, and especially Urgel, communicates with
France through the valley of Andorra, a little in-
dependent canton, which governs itself as a re-
public. Towards the East the Army of the Faith
extends itself into the ci-devant jurisdictions of
Campredon and Vie D'Ossone, which latter
town is in the hands of the Constitutional army.
The troops of the Regency occupy Reponil,
where there is a great manufactory of arms ; and
Olot or Au lot, an ancient convent of Capucins,
converted last war into a fort by the French
troops. It is from
.01ot, and not from Castel-
follit, that the troops of the Regency observe,
and in some sort command, the Lampurdan. The
Castelfollit of the Lampurdan is not the place
taken by Mina, as we yesterday supposed through
mistake; this, indeed, is the fort which:-.the
French captured in 1694, and which we have al-
ready described after an accurate map ; but it is
Lazed, and the position has not been occupied
during the present war. On the south of Urgel,
the Army of the Faith extends over a part of
the jurisdictions of Cervera and Manresa.. Here
almost all the towns, having been occupied as mi-
litary stations by the French, or by the faithful
Catalans in 1812, have each a sort of fort or re-
doubt, and it appears that many of these forts are
capable of being defended. We have no de-
tailed intelligence as to the manner in which
they were distributed among the troops of,Mina,
and those of Baron Eroles. It appears that the
latter besieges, or rather blockades Cardona, R
place strong by its position, where the regency
of the Catalans, armed against Buonaparte, held
their sittings in 1812. Cervera aid Citlaf form
the centre of the positions occupied by the Con-
stitutional troops. It is a little in advance (a
league on the left,--Ed.) of Calaf, where stands
the fortified post of Castelfollit, just surrendered
to Mina, but which in fact is nothing more than

a rock, with some old towers, on which cannon
had been mounted; but this post embarrassed the
movements of Mina's left wing. This Castelfol-
lit, of the Llobregos, to distinguish it from the
other, which is seated on the Fluvia, is distant
(due east) about 10 or 11 leagues from Balaguer;
it is two leagues from Tora, on the river Bregas,
where the late action was fought. We may con-
ceive that this country presents an inviting field
of battle, since it abounds in plains—a circum-
stance wanting to the other Castelfollit. It
appears likewise from the map, that the
troops of the Regency must have made their
retreat, either by Cardona, towards the north-
east, or by Pons, to the north-west, on the road
to Urgel—(in fact, according to Mina's official
letter, their flight was directed to Pons), and 10
or 12 leagues from that town. General Mina, by
marching upon Agramont, might hope to reach
Balaguer, which we are now about to notice.
The jurisdiction (or viguerie) of Balaguer, and
that of Lerida, comprehend the plain of Urgel,
which is fourteen leagues from the town of that
name, and which is washed by the river Segre.
It is along this river that the Army of the Faith
has fortified the positions of which, doubtless,
Balaguer is the key. This place has ancient
works of some extent, but we have no detailed
information respecting them, as Balaguer has not
formed a conspicuous point in any modern wars.
If Mina reached the line of the Segre, he might
lay siege to Balaguer, but he never could re-
ascend the valley of the Segre, (that is, towards
Seo d'Urgel), at least with artillery, for it is to
the north of this district that that tortuous path,
of which we have already spoken, commences.
Mequinenza is a strong castle on the Ebro, se-
parated from Balaguer by the fortress of Lerida,
which is now occupied by the Constitutional
forces. This point lies beyond the general scale
of operations of the insurgent army, but might
become a medium of communication with insur-
rections which might break out- in the province
of Cuenca, and in the mountainous region of Albo-
racin and the Ternel, as it must likewise incom-
mode the communications between Catalonia and
Arragon. The dilatoriness of Mina in not retaking
a place which is not considered strong, proves
either the weakness of his army, or his own inca-
pacity as a General. (On this last passage we
must observe, that Mequinenza is a point almost
insulated by the fortress of Lerida on one side,
and on another by the confluence of the Ebro and
the Segre. As for insurrections which its posses-
sion by the insurgents might favour, in Alboracin
and Ternel, Ive have not heard that any such
exist, and Mequinenza is distant from them about
120 miles., Upon the whole, this castle appears
so harmless to the Constitutionalists, that Mina
may well be justified in overlooking it, while he
has any thing else, to merit his attention—Ed).
We have next to consider those districts which the
troops-of the Regency occupy to the west of Seo
d'Urgel. In this quarter two extremely rapid
rivers, or if you will, two torrents, descend from
the mountains, a9d fall into the stream of Segre.
The first, in coming from Urgel, is the Noguera
of Pallars ; the other is the Noguera of Riba-
gorga. These rivers, which traverse the little
mountain tract formerly called the county of
Pallars, cover the territory of the Regency of
Urgel against all attacks from the side of
Upper Arragon, where the Constitutionalists
appear chiefly to confine themselves to Venasquez
(a fort among the Pyrennees), to Barbastro, and
Benavarres. It is said that the leaders of the
Army of the Faith reckon principally on the po-
sition called the Conque de Trempe. (This
conque or ' conca de Trempe' is upon the river
Noguera de Pallars, contiguous to Talaru, and
to Eroles, the domain of the rebel General, who,
therefore, in defending such a position, would
fight upon his own dunghill.) Eroles has in this
country an estate of from 25 to 30,000 francs per
annum. " Thus far the Journal des Debuts.—
But if a portion of the Catalan peasantry,
led by half a dozen discontented Chiefs,
should (as it appears they are not likely to) keep
possession for a time of some portion of this
barren district, what effect, let us ask, could
such an occupancy produce upon the general for-
tunes of Spain? All the great fortresses upon the
coast, and in the interior of the province, are in
the hands of the constitutional army,' and their
nhabitants are tried and staunch to the cause of

freedom. Let us, then, carry our views a little
farther, and imagine a French army in possession
of Madrid, with a line of operation stretching
from the Pyrennees, and exposed at every
point to the attacks, not merely of the regular
troops of Spain, but of a hundred thousand Gu-
erillas. Madrid itself is no possession. It con-
fers neither military power, nor political or
moral influence, over the people. Do the in-
vaders dream of being joined by any efficient
party of the native Spaniards ? If so, they are
grossly ignorant of the country into which they
have been desirous to plunge. Cadiz would be-
come the residence of the Cortes and the Court,
and thence the impregnable capital of Spain ; for
highly as we estimate the indiscretion which
would pass the frontier of the Pyrennees, we be-
lieve it would be cooled considerably before it
came within a fortnight's march of Cadiz.

Tuesday last the Court of Session at Edin-
burgh met for the dispatch of business. Imme-
diately on their Lordships taking their seats, the
Lord President intimated that the Court would
dispense with all amands (fines) incurred during
the vacation, on account of his Majesty's late
most gracious visit to Scotland.

At Kinross, on Saturday the 9th curt. there
was a numerous meeting of the Trustees of the great North
Road leading from North Queensferry to Perth, to take into
consideration the arrangements proper to be adopted, in conse-
quence of the death of Mr. DAVID BLACK, who had been for
many years clerk and treasurer of the trust. The LORD CHIEF
COMMISSIONER, after stating the propriety of making eco-
nomy and convenience the principles which should guide the
Trustees, and that the fit course to be pursued could only be
obtained by deliberate investigation, moved to appoint a Com-
mittee to inquire into and report as to the best manner of ma-
naging the receipt and payment of money under the triist, and
also to consider and report as to the appointing to the situation
of clerk. The Meeting unanimously adopted this proposal, and
named two Gentlemen from each of the three counties, together
With thelLonD CHIEF CommissrorrErt, as preses am? con-
vener, to be a Committee, to report to a General Meeting, to be
called by the Committee on some day before the 10th of Ja-
nuary next.—(Edinburgh Courant.)