The Sun.
London, England, 1812-06-11 00:00:00

IRELAND.

Dt7YILINT, Ju N 4
FARTHER FALL IN THE PRICE OF PR.OVISIO::;S.
In the public mark,t, in Green-street, v 11c!
tbe highest price is always given, potatoes
best quality ::•ere sold this morning for is.
cwt. Yesterday, in the Spitalfield market,
potatoes were sold for 5.5. 6d. per cwt._
In consequence of this reduction in the price,
several of the owners of boats, laden with pot
toes, closed the hatches and refused to Sell ;
the. arrival of several wherries, with. thf,
kind of cargoes, made the unfeeling, avari;iov3
monopolists immediately alter their intention, and
sell as fast as possible.

CONVENTION ACT,

]li

S i hle

JUNE 6.

ACTIONS OF FALSE IMPRISONMENT • 'BROUGHT BY
THE ARRESTED CATHOLIC DELEGATES AGAINST

CHIEF JUSTICE. DOWNES,

The Catholics persevere in these actions and,
on Tuesday next, the 9th of• June, the Solemn and
long-expected argument is expected to commence
in the Common Pleas Court.

As the public attention, is fixed upon this mu--
mentous case, it is proper to lay its present state
before our readers.

On the 19th Of October. last, the arrested Ca-.
tholic Delegate's (Mr. KirWan excepted) caused
notices of the intended actions to be served upon
Chief Justice William Downes. At the expira- •
lion of a month, four declarations were filed by
them against the learned defendant, in the
mon Pleas and Exchequer Court, for arrest and
false imprisonment, the damages hr each being
laid at 50001. In February last, the learned de-
fendant applied, by his counsel, for farther time
to plead to each declaration. He obtained the
desired indulgence, and did not plead until after
the circuit. In April, and not sooner, he put in
his defence, Which consisted of three distitct

1. The General Issue, or Not Guilty.
2. His Patent as Chief Justice, and that he (iv;
such Chief Justice, and under that protection) did
issue'the Warrants of, Arrest in question, under
which the plaintiffs were arrested; and that.be,
acting generally as Cbig.Jilftlf.2;
•
raiittd cuing.
3. Similar to the-second plea, but with this ad=
dition, that three special informations were sworn
before him, which he sets out verbatim at full
length, upon which informations, as his authority,
he did, as Chief Justice, issue the Warrants in
question,

The plaintiffs have replied generally to his first
and third pleas, taking issue upon them, or, in
other words, appealing to a Jury—and they have
demurred to his second plea, thereby alleging that
he isivrong in point of law.
The demurrer must be disposed ofby the Court
before the pleas can come before a Jury—and it
therefore stands for argument on Tuesday, in the
case of Henry Edmund, Taaffe, Esq: versus the
Right Hon. Wm. Downes. The same demurrer,
in anoter action, is to be hereafter submitted to
the Barons of the Exchequer.
If the plea demurred be good in law, it will bar ,
the actions.

The atrocious practice of stealing arms has been
lately carried _to an *ming extent in the West
Ridiitg of Yorkshire. Ou Wednesday se'nnight a
number of persons, about seven or eight, went
thidisguised to the houSe of Mr.. Thomas Milncs,
in Horbury, and roust .g him From his sleep, de-
manded entrance. Mr. Milnes not appearing in-
clined to obey, they threatened; if he did not in-
stantly open the door, they would immediately
force it. Mr. Mines finding he could make no
availing resistance, gave them admittance. They
then insisted upon having his fire arms ; but •on
being 'satisfied that he had none, they de
mantled money and refreshment ; he gai:e them
some silver, and bread, cheese, and- beer.—
They then requested that he would allow them to
Ake some to some poor fellows who they said
-Were watching at a distance ; with this requisition
he thought it also prudent to comply, and they
then civilly took their leave of him. On Sunday
night following, these depredators made a farther
attack on several houses at Netherton (a place in
the immediate vicinity of Horbury), where they
succitededin obtaining seven or eight stand of arms;
and upon this occasion they behaved with peen-
liar atrocity; 'by wantonly firing several musket-
balls-into one of the houses. The shccess of these
nocturnal depredators on this occasion is the more
remarkable, as, on the day before
,(Saturday) the
Chief Constable of the district, and the Constable
of Horbury, had received direction to receive the
fire arms of such of the inhabitants as were dispos-
ed to give them up, and which they carried. into ef-
fect the same day. Most of the inhabitants readily
gave up their arms to the custody of the Civil •Ma-
gistrates, but some refused. The constables were
much hooted and 'abused by the populace whilst
they were executing this duty ; and one of the
mob had the effrontery to take from:his pocket a
handful of musket bails, which he threw. into the
air, exclaiming " Here are hail-stones-for volt."
It is said there is a person in' Horbur'Y employed
in casting these leaden messengers of death.—
Every article of lead, ,such as pumps, water-
spouts, &c. which can be readily coliveyed away,
is constantly disappearink. The glaring vihlation
of the laws of society and of private property,
evinced in these nocturnal visits, though an evil,
of great magnitude, is, as it were, lost in the
contemplation of the more atrocious purposes for
which these instruments of death are collected,
and which the imagination almost sickens at the
thought of:
In the Court of King's Bench this day,
Mr. Robert Bligh was brought up to receive
Judgment, he having forfeited his recognizance
to keep the peace against the Earl of Darn-
ley. Several affidavits, made by his Lordship;
and General Bligh, were read to shew that
Bligh had way-laid his Lordship, fre-
itently near his house, and threatened and- in-
sulted him in the Park and at the Opera. He
was committed to the custody of the Marshal,
to be brought up next AlOnday, the time al-
lowed for him to answer the affidavits.

A rule to shew cause why a Mandamus Should not
be.directed to the Commissioners for repaithag
_Piccadilly tollyde Park Turnpike ova;► obtained by
Go:IEY.

AFRICAN RECRUITS plan 'has been lately
devised for recruiting the. West 'lndia Regiments.
bv nati-.-e.Africans. The 'merit of this promisingesta-
blishmentis due to ari intelligent and spirited Dirt-
cer, Major_ Wingfield, of the Bth West India Regi-
i nt. Government have liberally provided him
With every necessary article calculated to engage
the Africans t,Oenlist. He takes with him staff,
Captains, and Subalterns, to form the sinews of
the fegiments which he is expected to raise. The
110 W-commissioned officers an I the band consist of
Africans -,who will be instrumental in inducing
their countrymen to enter.. Each recruit is to re-
ceive a bounty/ of, eight guineas, either. in money,
or in_such articles of convenience and ornament
as snit his taste. Major Wingfield is-support-
ed, not oinly.by Government, but by the African
society, and by all the friends "of the abolition of
the hive. Trade. He sails in a few days in the
.1-4croid I.irtliC4l ship, from, Portsmouth, for the
i&nsl of c-ioree, the head-quarters of the establish-
neat. That island now contains upwards of two
thousand captive blacks, who have been taken by
oar cruizers in slave • shini. Government. allow
for these captures a.bonntyof forty pounds amani-
hence this .service is become the most lucrative in
ti:e Navy. These captives are set free on their
arrival at Goree ; but few have the means or the
wish to return to. their homes, for most of them
have been taken prisoners in the petty wars of the
country, and sold to slave-inercbants. It is ek-
pected that a great number will voluntarily enter .
I LAO this service.. A Mr. Eastlake also sails in the
• This gentleman is an enterprising and
enthusiastic character, whose objectis to explore
;.he interior of.Africa,'andwho has taken every
1)7,:,r;w1101.1 to avoid the difficulties to which Mull-
. go Parke was subjected : he has likewise received
sanction of Government. He is ajOung man
• of liberal education, considerable:abilities, and in-.
defatigable perseverance. ,
Our Huddersfield Correspondent, under date of
the 4th inst. says; the 14iiddites continue active in
stealing fire :.,arins in this neighbourhood, not a
night passa-but, we, hear of them prowling in
great, numbers, throwing tire_ peaceable inhabi-
tants into :the utmost consternation, .demanding
their fire arms, and threatening. them with instant
death on refusal.—(Leeds Mercury)

LONDON.: Printed 1.)-v. THOMAS WOOD, of No. 35, Maiden-lane, -Col-ent-garden;..And .Published 1)Y WILLIAM ARNIIGER. S.CRI,PPS, South Molton treet, Crosvenor:squai
,At the Stnq OFFic4'; No; 112. s Strand, where 4dcertiscine;3ts, Orders for the Paper, Letters .for the Editer, must.be addressed,