The Sun.
London, England, 1822-12-03 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR. OF THE SUN.

Owen Glendower Chatham, Nov. 30, 1822.
SIR—I have only this day seen a paragraph in
the Morning Chronicle of the 21st instant, in
which, amongst various injurious reflections on
other officers, there is the following on me :

" Sir GEORGE COCKBURN is likewise quite au fait at the
appointment of the African station Commodore, whose exploits
I confess myself quite unacquainted with. Pray was not Sir
GEORGE once returned Member of Parliament for Ports-
mouthr

The insinuation that I owe my appointment to
political support given to Sir GEORGE COOKHURN,
at his election at Portsmouth, is obvious. I feel
it due to myself, and still more to Sir GEORGE
COCKBURN, to state thus publicly, that it is
utterly and scandalously false. I have no vote
in the Borough of Portsmouth, nor the slightest
interest there, directly or indirectly. I flatter
myself, that Sir GEORGE COCKBURN' did in-
deed contribute to my being. appointed to
the African Command, but he must have done
so from a consideration of my length of ser-
vice, and standing on the list of Post Captains„,
for I had no private acquaintance with him nor
any private introduction to him, nor any other
personal recommendation than the loss of my
right arm, and other wounds in battle, which
have perhaps procured me a consideration my,
humble merits would not otherwise have de-
served.

Having repelled in my own case this defama-
tory attack, I think it due to my brother of-
ficers, who are assailed in the same manner, to
remind the public that they are both on foreign
stations, and have not the good fortune which I
have of being able to meet so early the reflec-
tions cast upon them; but I know enough of their
public services and characters to be able to state,
without fear of contradiction, that the imputa=
tions cast upon them are as wanton, false, and
scandalous as those against me.

I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
R. MENDS,
Commodore of his Majesty's Ships
on the Western Coast of Africa.

MURDER took place a.t Middle Rainton,
near Durham, on' the evening of Saturday last.
A husbandman, 'of the name of Spraggon, belong.
ing to' Durham, and another man, entered the
kitchen of the public-house, kept there by Mr.
Robert Dawson, and in the course of conver•
sation•accosted a pitman, of the name of John
Stanwick Newton, by asking him if he was not
" Stanwicki" The latter replied he was, and
insisted upon Spraggon's disclosinghis name, which
he declined to do, and Newton seized him by the
neck, and drew his handkerchief so tight as nearly
to strangle him. Spraggon succeeded in cutting his
neckcloth in two, and a battle immediately took
place, and they fought- out of the kitchen into
the passage, where Newton struck Spraggon with
knife, which: penetrated two inches and a half
into his left temple. Spraggon escaped from the
house, and, with his companion, proceeded on
to East Rainton. Growing faint from the
loss of blood, which had flowed from his wound
in -a very copious manner, he was there put to
bed, and died in the course of a few hours. A.
Coroner's Inquest was held on his body on Mon-
day, when the Jury returned a, verdict of"
ful Murder a,s,rt.inst Newton, and against Robert
H ild ," another pitman, who was
,drinking in
company with Newton,and who struck Spraggon
a tremendous blow on the head, whilst he was in
the. kitchen. Spraggon has been buried in Pur.
ham, and Newton and Mild lodged in the Saul
in that city, to take their trial at the ensuing
Assizes.

DREADFUL AFAI R AT THU it M ASTON.—I t be-
comes our painful duty this week, as public journalists, to re-
cord an event, which, perhaps, no affair since the celebrated
one committed in this county, many years ago, by a certain
nobleman, has had its parfdlel. Mr. John Allen, a person
possessed of independent property, and residing at Thur-
rnaston, about three miles from this town, was committed
to,our county gaol on Tuesday morning last, by William
Heyrick, Esq., charged with felony, in shooting at and
maiming William Lane, a drummer, of the 39th regiment,
about ten o'clock on the. preceding evenin'. Lane happening
to be coming through Thurmaston, on his return from Twy-
ford Statutes, was accosted by three young men opposite to Mr.
Allen's house, Where they entered into conversation together.
Mr. Allen soon after appeared at a room-window, and desited
that they would go away, or he would fire at them. The three
young men, apprehensive that Mr. A. might carry his threat
into effect, made a' hasty retreat. The drummer, however,
stood his ground, and received the contents of a gun in the
lower part of his belly, when he exclaimed that he was a dead
man, or something to the same effect, and fell, but; dreadful
to relate, not before the contents of another shot was lodged
in his arm. The young men, observing what had thus taken
place, hereupon came to his assistance, and carried him to the
Plough public house, where medical aid was instantly procured,
and every proper attention was paid to his dangerous situation.
The village in the mean time became all in a ferment, and im-
mediate steps were taken to prevent the author of it from escap-
ing. Early in the next morning he was conveyed before the
above-named magistrate for examination, who committed him
for trial as above stated and he was shortly after brought to
prison in a postchaisc. 'tire understand that bail to any amount
was offered, but refused. Lane was stationed in this town on
the recruiting service, anti hid left the remainder of his party
at Syston on the evening in question, anxioas to get home to
see his wife, who was confined in child-bed. It is bur:justice
to say, that every possible attention was shown to both Lane
and his wife, under their very distressing circumstances, by the
friends of Mr. Allen. Dr. If ill, aml Messrs. Needham, Freer,
and Stallard, surgeons, of this town, together with Mr. Bird-
sall, surgeon, of Syston, who was first called in after the lament,
able occurrence took place, were in regular attendance upon
the unfortunate man, but their skill and attention proved un-
availing, as he'expired about four o'clock on Thursday after-
noon.—( Leicester Chronicle.)

In the Coat of King's Bench on Saturday last
a new trial was granted in the case of DREW V.
GREEN, which was tried at Winchester Assizes
in March last, when a verdict of 701. was given
against the defendant (damages laid at 10001.) in
a case of seduction of the plaintiff's daughter.—
The defendttnt pleads that the verdict was given
against evidence. The new trial will take place
at our next Assizes,—(ll4mpshire Telegraph.)

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.

PARIS, Nov. 30.—A Royal Ordinance, dated
the '2oth, orderithe calling out 40,000 men' of
the class 18= The period of putting theta in
active service, and their distribution among the
corps of the army, will be hereafter determined.
According to the table annexed to this ord;i:
nance, the contingent for the Department of the
Seine is 1,079 men.
M. Oliver, merchant at Marseilles, was and
rested a few days ago, and was still in secret
confinement on the 23d. The reasons of this.
proceeding are not known.—(Journal de Paris.)
A private letter in the Journal dc Paris, dated
Verona, the 20th, is of a pacific character with
respect to Spain, and states itself to be speaking
the opinions of the majority of the diplomatists
assembled in Congress.
The Correctional Tribunal has rejected the
preliminary objections which the bookseller
Niogret had. pleaded.in justification of his repub.
lication of" The Social System, by the. late
Baron d'ilolbach." Sentence was therefore pro.
nounced against him of three months' imprison-
ment, and of 300 francs fine. The copies of the
work are ordered to be seized.—(Journal des
D6bats.)

The following paragraph appears in a morning
paper:—" It is said that the Minister of the In=
terior has given an answer to the Council-genera/
of Commerce, which had made a representation to
him. Ilis Excellency praises the intentions of
the Council, but thinks that it might lead to in-
convenient consequences if deliberate committees,
departing
kern the object of their institution,
should be able to thwart the intentions of the
Monarch, to whom the charter has given the ex-
clusive rig ht of peace and war.—(Constitutionne/.)
A courier from Italy arrived this morning at
the office of the Foreign Department. It is as-
serted that his dispatches are of the highest im-
portance. In the evening there was a meeting
of the Ministers at the house of the Duke of Bel=
luno, the Minister of W ar.—(Quotidicnne.)
The Secretaries who accompanied his Excel-
lency the Viscount de IVlontmorency to Verona
have returned to Paris. The Minister is ex-
pected to arrive himself this evening (Saturday),
unless he should stop at Lyous.—(Gazette de
France.) •

The Monileur contains nearly seven columns
of the report. of the proceedings in the Assize
Court, against several peasons who are accused of
having lressed threatening letters to the Jury
who tried General Berton. The circumstances
are not very interesting, and the trial is not con.
cluded.

tFrom the Etoile of Saturday.]
The regency of Spain is arrived at Llivia, and our fron,
tiers daily affbrd a refuge to the noble defenders of the Faith.
They have not yetlost all impe. Baron d'Eroles has divided
the remainder of his troops into bands of 200 and 300, and has
ordered them to carry on a guerilla warfare. The mountains
of Catalonia are about to be filled with soldiers, whom no re..
verses will discourage. 111equinenza and the citadel of Urgel
remain in their power; Navarre and Arragon are for the
most part relieved, and Spain will have nothing more to do
with revolution.

The Urgel Gazelle of the 19th of November says—lt appears
by a letter, that the Infants have both been condemned to inn.
pnsonment, and that there has been prepared for this purpose
the palace of the Duke of Liria, whether they will be conducted
and detained in custody. It is added, ,that a few days blore,
the Infant Don Carlos having gone out, the intention was form..
eel of arresting him, and that it had been attempted to prevail
on the regiment of infantry of Calatrava to undertake his ar-
rest, but that this regiment had declined. There can be no
doubt these wretches will speedily consummate their crimes
unless we receive succour from without.

PARIS, DEC. I.—Ms Excellency Viscount
3lontmorency arrived here yesterday (Saturday,)
611 his return from the Congress of Verona, and
had the honoUr of an interview with the, King.
Questions of foreign politics have this pecu-
liarity—that being combined with distant inte-
rests, their march proceeds out of the circle of
habitual speculations. Thus persons most prac-
tised in these speculations find themselves in a
situation disadvantageous for correct reasoning ;
they cannot lay hold of any decided point, nor
argue on any certain basis ; they are so much the
more exposed to be carried away in discussion
far from the course of affairs, inasmuch as these
affairs are, from their very nature, subject .to
more extensive ramifications, and consequently
demand longer time for decision. It would,
therefore, be of some advantage to know the
progress of these questions, at least in proportion
as they are accomplished. Thus, after such con-
tradictory rumours as have been current on the
state of .our relations with Spain—after the dis-
cussions which have taken place on this inex-
haustible subject during the conferences at Ve-
rona—after the indecision which so many oppo.
site opinions must have every-where produced,
we should find, perhaps, a sufficiently solid basis
for new conjectures in the assurance that France
has occupied at the Congress of Verona the place
..which Belongs to her among the monarchies of
Europe ; and that the .Continental Powers leave
to her the end and termination of the affairs of
Spain, with the intention of concurring a ith all
their force in such plans of execution as France
shall be in a situation to adopt.—ln tAkitig this
resolution the high Continental Powers mast have
acted on an idea so simple and so just, that it
will' strike all reasonable persons ; they must
have confided for the decision of a question which
interested them all, on that Power whose interest
in this question was the most immediate. This
mark of confidence, so important for France,
she owes to her own wisdom—to the power she
has recovered since ideas of order have triumph-
ed over those dissensions and errors which have
too long disturbed her: she owes it, above all,
to the virtues of her king—to the measures which
he has taken for placing the country in a suitable
attitude to observe the serious events of the
Peninsula ; fitlally, she owes it to that unanirrity
of wishes and of sentiments by which a whole

;.people have recently testified the 'confidence
-.which it places in the Government. Doubtless
-this important result must be to all the interests
engaged in this question a pledge of security with
respect to the ramifications which it may assume.
—(Moniteur.)
Viscount Montmorency arrived from Verona
last night at half-past eight o'clock, and at 20
minutes past nine, waited upon the King. When
he left Verona, all the Sovereigns were still
ttrere, The King of Prussia was to leave the
same day (Nov. 22.) for Berlin. The Duke of
Wellington was to leave for London on the 24th.
His Grace was expected at Paris in two days.—
M. Pozzo di Borgo is expected on the 3d of De-
cember.—(Journal des Debats.)
The Quotidienne, alluding to the alleged de-
claration of Verona, says—" We must now wait
to see these salutary doctrines supported by force
of arms, and all the Kings of Europe leagued
together to deliver , the 'King of Spain from the
oppression of the Cortes."
TooLous, Nov. 25.—The Trappist, who at-
tracted crowds to the Chapel of Saveur, no longer
appears at 'mass, either, on account of indisposi-
tion, or to give no inducement to the curious to
come and disturb the diving service.
On Saturday General Eguia arrived in our
city, with his wife and three children. He is a'
native of Bilboa, aged 72, and has the rank of
Lieutenant-General in the Spanish army. His
mite consists of twenty-two persons, of whom
thirteen are masters and nine servants.

, The number of Spanish Refugees here be-
comes daily more considerable. Military officers,
private individuals, priests, monks of every. or-
der, all appear to belong to the Royalist party,
and merit, on account of their misfortunes, and
also of • the cause which they defend, the same
generous hospitality which their nation gave to
our emigrants at a crisis which but too much re-
sembles that of which they are now the victims.
The military preparations are hastening with
great activity at Bayonne. A. large hospital is
about to be established at St. Jean Pied de Port
and at Socoa. Munitions of war continue to be
disembarked at Bayonne. Letters from Metz
state that 200 waggons and 100 draught horses
are to be forwarded from that town to Bayonne.
A letter from St. Guadens, dated the 23d,
says—" General Count de St. Chamas Eet out on
Tuesday for the frontier. On Thursday morn-
ing all the troops, with the exception of one com-
pany, marched. The Baroness d'Eroles, after
remaining three days at Fos, came here, and
this morning she proceeded on her journey to
Toulouse. She is attended by a numerous suite,
and travels in a carriage and six."
The last letters from the frontiers of our de-
partment announce that the Baron d'Eroles' army
presented themselves to our advanced posts and
solicited asylum and protection, which was con-
ceded to them after they had laid down their
arms on the Spanish territory. They brought
with them 200 Constitutionalists prisoners, who
were immediately set at liberty.
PUYCERDA, Nov. 20.—We learn from Seo
d'Urgel that Romagosa has arrived there, and
that he has taken the command. It is added
that the Constitutionalists have committed un-
heard of excesses in the. Conque du Tremp, and
that a part of its population is wandering in the
mountains. Letters arrived yesterday (the 19th)
announce that Milans, having joined Costa, had
marched out of Vich, and that having arrived at
Tonroulon, he had an engagement with a diiision
• of General Fleyres, which ended in the retreat
-of General Milans to Vich. The blockade of
Cardona is raised ; Don Joseph Valero, who
commanded it, has fallen back upon Berga.
P. S.—We learn this instant that the Baron d'Eroles, after
having displayed on the 15th and 16th eqUal activity and cour-
age, has been compelled to yield to superior numbers, and ar-
rived yesterday evening at the Seo d'Urgel.
ALEPPO, SEPT. 23.—The shocks of earthquake still con-
tinue, but they are far less violent. Most of the inhabitants are
leaving the country, and those who remain are, like us, building
barracks. Our houses are in ruins.
Coarrr, OCT. 24.—Civil war has broken out between the
':inhabitants of Middle Albania, of which Berut is the capi-
tal, and Omar Brioni Pacha of Joannina, whose harem
they have carried off: After this all the Toxide tribes '
abandoned Omar, who is greatly embarrassed from an-
other quarter. This Pacha, after the reduction of Souli,
flattered himself that he could act on the offensive against
Xero Meros, in Acurnania, and gave out that he was advanc-
ing with 15,000 men. But the Greeks discovered that he
had only 7,000, and concluded that he would never ven-
ture through the forests of Macrin-Oros. They went and
waited for him at the entrance of the Ambresian Gulf, divid-
ing themselves into small parties, and occupying the defiles
which are covered with impenetrable forests. As soon as the
• enemy landed at Loutraki, a series of actions commenced from
the 10th to the 13th. Omar was instantly beaten ; and on the
16th, after severe losses, he succeeded in reaching Vonitza,
where he embarked for Provesta, at which place he now is.
Maurocardato, Hiscos, Irati, and Macry, after having chased
the enemy, advanced towards Arta,: which they now blockade
with a considerable force.
A letter from Cerigo, of the 16th of this month, says, that
several English vessels from Malta have lately sold in the port
of Spakia, in the Isle of Crete, cargoes of ammunition, arms,
small cannons, biscuits, and salt fish, to the bray.: Greek
Mountaineers of that island.
TRIF.SIE, Nov. 11.—A vessel bass arrived at Venice from
Candia, which brings news of the surrender of several fort-

resses in that island.
It is likewise affirmed that a Greek squadron has effected a
landing in Cyprus, surprised the Pacha, who ordered such
dreadful cruelties, and burnt Famagousta, his residence.—
Letters from Corfu of the 28th, contain nothing new.
BRussELs, Nov. 28.—M. Limpens, the last of the Chan-
cellors of Brabant, terminated yesterday his long and honour-
able career. M. Limpens was Member of the Committee of the
Council of State for the affairs relative to the Catholic Church,
and Knight of the Order of the Belgic Lion.