The Sun.
London, England, 1847-10-28 00:00:00

THE POLISH TRIALS.

Day after day thetrit:l—Oithe Poles implicated in
the late insurrection has been going on regularly and
in perfect order. Many have been set at liberty,
some entirely, others on parole : but after the trial
and defence of Mieroslawski and the three principal
leaders no feature of interest presented itself to at-
tract public attention. In the sitting of the 19th in-
stant, however, the investigation into the attempt
against Posen on the night between the 3d and 4th
March came forward. This is the most important
pert of the whole accusation against the prisoners,
Posen being a portion of the Prussian dominions.
The following are the chief points which will be
brought to bear against the accused :
In an assembly of the insurgents held at Cracow
on the 18th January, 1846, at which Mieroslawski
presided, the 21st February was fixed upon for a ge-
neral rising in different parts of the duchy. The
arrest of Mieroslawski on the 12th February, as
well as of a number of nobles, his accomplices, at
Posen, put a stop to the execution of their pro-
jects as regarded the duchy of Posen. But as the
insurrection at Cracow for a moment seemed
triumphant, the conspirators who were still at liberty
resolved to make themselves masters of the town
and citadel of Posen, to deliver the prisoners, and to
carry out their first plan against. the duchy. This
plot was under the guidance of Niegolewski, Chamski,
and Louis Paternowski. Their plans were as fol-
lows :—Niegolewski had sounded the peasantry in the
vicinity of Posen, especially those of Polish descent,
and relied on their assistance. In the town they
counted a number of adherents, amongst whom were
many of the pupils of the public seminary, who were
led by a baker of the name of Heymann, and the
director of some mills, Egsman. The head forest
ranger of Count Dzialznski had promised to join
them with a considerable body of peasantry from
Bnin. Their plans were well arranged. The move-
ment was to commence as the clock struck eleven on
the night of the 3d of March, 1846. Each party
had its leader, and its place of meeting. Most of the
conspirators were already armed, and the remainder
were to be provided with arms on the spot. They
hoped to have no difficulty in storming the citadel,
as they relied upon the sympathies of a portion of
the garrison and some Polish officers. The citadel
is situated north of the city, but at no great distance.
A single sentinel was the only guard usually on
duty here, and the gate was only closed at ten at
night. After nine the sentinel challenged all who
entered the fortress, but the reply, " officer," and the
military dress was enough to obtain admittance.
By this means it was hoped that five or six of
the conspirators could obtain an entrance into the
fortress. At the given signal (a rocket), the guard was-
te be overpowered. Measures had also been taken to
occupy all the egresses from the city, so that no orders
could be transmitted to the military outside. It was ori-
ginally planned to shoot the commander, Lieutenant-
General Steinacker, whilst on parade at noon, and
it is even said that the two conspirators selected for
the purpose had already levelled their muskets, but
did not fire, owing to the signal agreed upon not
having been given, it having been thought
more prudent to await the evening. Mean-
time, rumours of insurrection reached :the
ears of the authorities, on the morning of the 3d,
and these rumours increased almost to a certainty of
an outbreak at eight that evening. Precautionary
measures were immediately taken. At half-past ten
a battalion of infantry was drawn up in the principal
square, with two pieces of artillery, and a squadron
of huzzars. The guards at the prisons were doubled
and detachments of troops were ordered to occupy
the bridges. The muskets of the troops were loaded.
The conspirators soon got wind of these preparations,
their suspicions first being aroused by the police
commissary Kreschmer galloping through the streets;
they consequently resolved on changing their plans,
but this ultimately proved an obstacle to success, as
it was impossible to give information of this change
to those without, who on finding no one at the ap-
pointed place, dispersed. At half-past ten there were
onlp 400 conspirators assembled in the churchyard
(one of the appointed meeting places), and a dispute
arose between Chamski and Niegolewski the latter
is even said to have threatened to shoot Chamski for
having misinterpreted the orders given to him. See-
ing all chance of success was up, they dispersed,
after concealing their arms. These were the facts
alleged against the accused.
It will be remembered that the prisoners deny
having premeditated an insurrection in the Grand
Duchy of Posen.

PROGRESS OF THE CHOLERA.
The Augsburg Gazette states from Trieste, that the
cholera has broken out at Perecop, a distance of nearly
250 miles from Odessa, but that the report of its
having made its appearance at Odessa was unfounded.
It has entirely ceased at Taganrog and Marcanopel,
near the sea of Azof.
The Austrian steamer Prince de Metternich, which
arrived at Constantinople on the Bth instant, from
Trebizoix4rbrought the happy intelligence that the
ch016r44/0 almost entirely ceased in that city. The
official reports, which come down to the 4th, announce
that, from the 27th ult., the epidemic had sensibly
become less intense at Trebizond. The mortality still
amounted to ten or fifteen deaths each day, but this
result was attributed to old attacks, which terminated
fatally, less from the inveteracy of the malady than
in consequence of imprudent excesses on the part of
the persons attacked. The individuals who had lately
been taken ill were not subject by any means to such
violent attacks as had characterised the commence-
ment of the disease. The localities in the neighbour
hood of Trebizond had also become less unhealthy.
A letter dated Warsaw, Oct. 17, says " The
greatest apprehension is felt here at the approach of
the cholera. It has carried off three-fourths of the
population of Karkow, whence it comes to us. Al-
though this is the time of jubilee, the churches are
filled at all hours. The wetness of the weather has
destroyed the potatoes and wheat, both of which are
rotting in the ground, and everything announces a
cruel famine. Crowds of poor persons, scarcely clad
in rags, thronc, the streets. The charity of private
cnt”
personsie and of benevolent societies is quite insuf-
ficient."

The Prussian Government says the ('cAgne
Gazelle) is already taking measures to prevent the
anticipated invasion of the cholera. Instead of a
cordon of troops, as in 1834, very rigorous quarantines
will be established ; and in order that the surveillance
may be exercised with greater security the passage of
the frontier will only be allowed at certain points.
Moreover, all the observations it made during the
visitation of the disease in 1 834 are to be communi-
cated to the local authorities to guide them in taking
precautionary measures.

-
Baron Hugo de Hamilton, Director-General of the
Swedish Post-office, who has recently returned to Stock-
winch
holm from Copenhagen and Berlin, has succeeded in
obtaining from the Governments of Denmark and
Prussia a considerable reduction inFrancotag On letters
sent from Sweden and Norway
.to and England,
proofs of the
and vice versa. The reduction is to take place from the
Ist January next.
GREEN PEAS AT I\ TICITAELMAS.—We have been
favoured with a sample of very. fin,' peas, a peck of
nursery-ground in this town— cne among the many
was gathered lest week one Messrs.
Bunyard's
"mildness of the season."—MaidstoneJournal.