The Sun.
London, England, 1824-06-19 00:00:00

SUMATRA,

To the Right honourable GEORGE CANNING.
SIR-Iti the Debate which took place on
Thursday last in the House of Commons, on the
subject of the late Treaty with the Netherland's
Government, I observe that you are reported
to have stated, that the East India Company
had given to the Spice Planters at Bencoolen the
ground on which their plantations were formed,
the plants, and the money to carry them on. Now,
I beg leave to state, Sir, that all these three po-
sitions are incorrect. So far from the Company
having land to give away, they were themselves
obliged to surchase the land on which their own
spice plantations were formed from the chiefs'
%% hose property it was ; and individuals obtained
their lands from the same source, and in the same
manner, viz. by paying for them out of their own
pockets, without, in any one instance, having
received
,on that account the smallest pecuniary
assistance from the East India Company.
With regard to the Company having furnished
the plants, it is true that in the first instance they
did so, in furtherance of the great national object
in view ; but they have ceased to do so for
upwards of 17 years, during which period consi-
derable new plantations have been formed, and
the Planters have invariably purchased seedlings
at a very high rate from each other.
As to the other assertion, that the money was
furnished by the Company, to enable the Planters
to carry on their operations, the accounts of the
Bencoolen Presidency will shew that the only
solitary instance in which such aid was given to a
single individual, was that of Mr. JANUS BooLc,
a very extensive Planter, who, in consequence of
the anxious desire of Government to introduce
into that settlement the culture of Coffee, to rival
(1w Dutch at Java,
"Peuded very large sums in
his attempts to effect that object, but having
completely failed, and his
affairs being involved,
the Company made a loan to him, which was sub-
sequently fully repaid with interest,
at the rate of
8 per cent. per annum.

I shall hereafter address you on the subject of
the Treaty concluded in Merck last with the
Dutch, my object ut the present moment being
merely to correct en error into which you have
fallen, owing probably to the misstatements
made to you by others.

18th June, 1824. MERCATOR.
P. S.--Mr. WYNNE is reported to have said,
that Bencoolen was twice taken during the last
war ; it may be right, therefore, to mention, that
it never was once taken during the war, although
it certainly was captured half a century ago by
the French, but the natives soon drove them from
their shores.

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS, JUNE 18.

OUTRAGEOUS ASSAULT, AND FALSE IMPRISONMENT,

By 01'7mi:us OF Tilt COUNTY COURT.

John Foster, William Horn. John Bradley, and
Henry Halliteell, were indicted for assault and
false imprisonment.
Mr. PLAT T, in opening the case, said it was one of great im-
portance, and of a most extraordinary nature, and not less brutal
than it was extraordinary. The prosecutrix, Miss Sydney Cowell,
and her mother, resided at Chelsea, and let out part of their house.
In the month of June,_ a Mr. Rawstorn came to reside with them,
and continued with them to the month of December, when he left
them, and at which time he was in their debt upwards of
fifty pounds. He was also indebted to one of the defendants
(Foster) who kept the Princess of Wales, a public house, in
that neighbourhood, in a trifling sum. Soon after Mr. Raw-
etorn's departure, Foster called for his bill, and was inform.
ed by the prosecutrix, that Mr. Rawstorn had left their
house, and she did not know where he had gone to. Upon
this he became very abusive, and said he would make either
her or ber mother pay the money. lie called afterwards with
another of the defendants Morn), and conducted himself in
such a violent manner, that the prosecutrix was obliged
to apply to the Magistrates at ueen-square for
protec-
tion ; and on their hearing the case they bound Foster over
to keep the peace. On the 7th day of May, the prosecutrix
being at:that time confined to her bed, and her mother absent
from home, to fetch Sir A. Creighton, her physician, the de.
fendants came to their house about eight o'clock in the even-
ing, and asked to see Mrs. Cowell. On the door being open-
ed they rushed in; Miss Cowell alarmed at the noise, got out
of bed, and came to her room-door in her night dress, where she
was Met by the defendants, who seized her
a most violent
manner, and dragged her down stairs into the parlour, where they
treated her in a most indecent and disgusting manner, saying,
they would teach her • how to take Foster to Queen-square.
They Would not suffer her even to dregs herself, but dragged
her into the street almost in a state of nudity, and afterwards
forced her into a cart, where they continued their brutal treat-
ment, until their arrival at Wbitecross-street Prison, where she
was confined from Friday to Saturday evening, when she was
liberated on liar mother paying v. Bs., the sum for which she
was detained.

The same witnesses who made these charges at Bow-street in
the first instance; were now called; anti proved the facts; and
the Counsel and witnesses for the defendants were unable satis-
factorily to meet this evidence.
The Jury returned a verdict of Guilty against ail the de-
fendants. Lientetice will be passed on Thursday,