The Sun.
London, England, 1812-08-06 00:00:00

SUSSEX ASSIZES.

LEWES, rrutsDA, AUGUST 4.
Esciwt GPNEItAL PHILIPniN. '
James itobinon, John Hughes Hatter,
and William Turner, were indicted for a coil -

spiraci to aid the escape of Arnaud i)hilippOn add
Philip Aiigate Garnier, French prisoners of war,
from Oswestry, in Shropshire: . •
Sergeant BEST opened the care, and detaii-
ed the evidence, which.was as follows .

Mr. Toosley proved, that General Phi'ippon wag
a prisoner at ()swestry', nd that the last time he
saw hint was about twelve o'clock on the 30th of

June. Garnier 'lad also been a prisoner about
three years. Philippon was a tall man, about
six feet, thin, with a scar over his eye, and usual-
ly wore a grey coat, with a blue great-coaL Gar-
pier was about five feet six inches, thin and pale,

end wore a blue coat, with a brown great coat.—
The defendant, Robinson, had lately taken a 41
within three miles of Qswestry, but had not car-

ried on much-business as a miller. On,the 30th
of June he sent his.servant to Shrewsbury, to get
a weighing machine, and directed him to wait his
coming At length, in the evening; Robinson
came in a gig, and had a pony tied to the shafts ;
he told the .man to go forward to. Haygate with
him; and the man rode the- pony until they
overtook a Gentleman tin the road, a small man in
a-blue coat and brown great coat. They went to
Haygate, which is on the Birmingham road, and
there Robinson bespoke a chaise ; and himself,
with two Gentlemen, got into it, and went away
for Birmingham. The post-boys then traced Ro-
binsou and tha two Gentlemen to the Shakes..
peace Tavern, at Birmingham, where they, break-,
fasted the next morning. The next morning a
:travelling chariot, with a dicky-box, took them
from the Shakespeare. It appeared that Robin-
son had passed through Birmingham about ten
days before, and had bespoke this carriage. at a
Mr. Wneeley's, a coach-maker, at Birmingham,
and had agreed at the same time with a post-
chaise driver, of the name of .Yoxall, to go with
4hini as a. servant, for which he was to give him
1/. a day, and a new bat and coat, and told him
to be ready to setoff on the Ist of July. Ac-
cordingly, Iroxall came with the carriage to the
Shakespeai.e. He then travelled with them as
servant, and hired the horses, &c. on the road.
He did not know the two Gentlemen who ac-
coMpanied Robinson, and he never heard theta'
speak. At length- they arrived at Rye, and were
put down at a public-house kept by the defeudan;
Hughes.
While they were at Birmingham Robinson re-
ceived a letter,* in the hand-writing -of lik,ghes,
Signed by Jones, that all was well and .ready.-...
Robinson, and the two persons with him; con-
tinued at Rye some days. In the mean time, the
escape of General Philippon was made public,
and a sharp look-out was kept along the coast fcr
any boat going out or coming in from sea ; at
length, on the 12th of July, an open boat was.
seen rowing into Rye, early in the morning,
which had Robinson, Hatter, and Turner, on
board. Robinson got on shore before the officers
could overtake him, and upon their questioning
the two other defendants as to who he was, they
said he resided in that neighbourhood. -He was
traced to the house of Hughes, and when the
officers entered the house his boots were wet with
sea water. lie said, upon being questioned, it
was so, and that he had,been out all night at sea,
mackerel fishing. Upon this statement, himself,
Hughes, and the other two men, were taken into
immediate custody. There was no distinct evi-
dence as 'to the identity of the persons of Philip-
pon and his companion; but all the witnesses
gave a description of their persons, answering to
the description given of them by Mr. Toosely,
the agent at Oswestry.
,Upon this evidence, the
Jury found them Guilty.

ELPHICK V. ERSKINE.

This was an action for an assault, by a farmer,

against General Erskine. The _statement of the
plaintiff was, that he was out coursing on his own
lands, near Eastbourne, with his 'son, and had
just put up a hare, 'at the same time that the
hounds of a Mr. Bean were. hunting another hare.
A dispute nrose Whether they had crossed each
other'S game ; when the General treated the plain-
tiff with much abusive language—told- him he was'
not, worth a yard of land, to which the farmer
gave -him the lie. The General immediately laid
his whip across his head, and gave him a beating
.With a stick; which he saatclicerfrom a neighbour-
ing shepherd.
For the defendant, it tvas stated, that be had
nothing to du with the hunting on either side,
that he was merely riding across the Downs in
company with a, friend ' and seeing the dogs in
pursuit,,he drew up to look at the chase. That
the plaintiff very rudely came up, told him he had
no business •there, and provoked him by the most
insulting language, upon which he struck
Verdict for the plaintiff—Damages 501.

His Royal Highness the Duke of YORK, Com-
mander in chief, and General CALVERT, trans'
acted busii*ss of a military nature, tits half-pat
seven o'clock yesterday evening, at his office in
the Horse Guards.

The following is said to be an exact statement
of the daily allowances granted to the- prisoners
of war in France, at the regular depots, calcu-
lated for each hundred men : beef, 52A lib.—vege-
tables, 521-lih.---,barley, 100 oz. with as much salt,
as is sufficient to season the broth, of which each
man is allowed one quart ; they are allowed like-
wise 150 lib. of bread, made of marketable wheat,
ground into flour, every thing included except the
broad bran.

IVe are sorry to state, that a dreadful accident
occurred this morning in Russel-street, Covent
Garden. . A house, situate opposite the North
West corner of Drury-Lane ,Theatre, fell down,
and buried in the ruins eight of the workmen who
were•employed in repairing it. Every effort was
immediately made to extricate the unhappy suf-
ferers,' aiNd seven of them were dug -oat alive, but
are all dreadfully bruised; one of them expired
before he could be taken to the Hospital. Seve-
ral of the others were considered to be in a most
dangerous state. A poor Woman with a basket
was passing at the time the house fell, and as the
basket has been found among the ruins, there can
be but little
.doubt that she is also buried uuder
them,

kIiER I CAN PAPERS.

BOSTON, JI.T.IE 18.

On Monday an adjourned meeting an, the
subject of the impending war,: was held by
the inhabitants of this. town. The CoMmittee
appointed on ThnrsdaY last, male a report. The
I- onourable 14.1 r Otis an Colonel. SuMner, de-
monstrated the impoiicv of the proposed, war, -and
tbe'right of the people-to endeavour by constitu-
tional means to avert it. The Report, of which
the following is a copy, was ..then accepted.

The ComMittee appointed by the Town of
Boston to .take into consideration the present
alarming state of our public affairs, and report
what measures, in their opinion, it is proper for
the Town to adopt at this momentous crisis, re,
spectfully report :
" Thai the recent proceedings of the Govern-
ment of the United. States,
.justify the belief, that
measures of direct hostility against Great Britain
havereceived the sanction of one branch of the
Legislature, and probably have already become
•lasc ; or if suspended, that they will finally be re-
stinted and enforced. While the temper and views
of the 'national administration are intent upon
war; any expression of the sense' of this town;
will of itself he finite ineffectual, either to avert
this deplorahle calamity, or to accelerate a re-
turn of peace. Bat believing, as we do, that an
immense majority of the people are invincibly
atersetvim a conflict equally sinnece.4sary, and me-
nacing ruin to themselves and their posterity ;
convinced, as we are, that the event will over-
-vrhelln theni with'a,stonishment and dismay;_ we
cannot but trust that a general expression of the
voice of the peOple would satisfy Congress that
those of their 'Representatives who have voted in
favour of war have'not-truly represented the
w4hes'of their constituents and thus arrest the
tendency of their' measures to this extremity.—
But should this be hopeless, it will enable- the peo-
ple to combine their operations, in order to pro-
duce, by constitutional means, a change of men
and measures, and rescue the nation from ruin. 7--.
From the commencement -of the system of com-
mercial restrictions, the inhabitants of this town
(inferior, we trust, to none in ardent patriotism
and attachment to the union), have appeared to
render themselves obnoxious to the -national ad-
ministration and its partizans in this State, by
their foresight and predictions of their utter in-
efficacy, destructive operations, and the ultimate
tendency of this unprecedented and Visionary
_scheme;

. _
" They could discern in it nothing but a deli-
berate sacrifice of 'their best interests, and a con-
formity to the views of France,with whose system
it-co-operates, and whose approbation it receives;
and hostility to Britain, whose interests it wounds,
and whose resentment it was calculated to excite.
It
.was for the National Government to determine
whether_the decrees and aggressions of the belli-
gerent powers (which commenced With the Euro-
pean war) would probably demand of the national
ho lour retallationand resistance,• or whether the
pectdiar character of the war, and relative situa-
tion of our country, would justify a suspension of
our resentments, and an adherence to our pacific
policy.• In the one case, the years which have
elapsed should have been occupied in warlike pre-
parations, which would now have been imposing
and formidable. In the other event, it was the
dictate of sound policy, to protest against the pre-
datory-syStems which have annoyed our commerce,
and still to have pursued it by all practicable
:means, But Government has adopted neither of
these courses. It has not prepared to vindicate
our commercial rights upon the ocean, where
alone they are assailed ; nor has it permitted the
merchant to indemnify himself in any measure for
the loss of that commerce which is interrupted,
by- a participation in that Which is left.
" But, by a strange and infatuated policy, under
the pretence ,of resisting the invasion of maritime
rights, it has debarred its own citizens from the
use of the ocean ; and professing to avenge the.
injuries, it sustained flora Trance and England, it
hats ggranated them by its own measures. The
Decrees of France, the Edicts of England, and
the Acts of Congress, though intended to coun-
teraA each other., constitute in effect a triple lea-
gue for the annihilation of American commerce ;
and our own Government, as if weary-of waiting
fur a lingering .dissplution, hastens to. dispatch
the sufferer by the finishing .stroke of a British-
war.

Had the policy of Government been inclined.
towards resistance to the pretensions of the bel-
ligerents,' by open war; there could be neither
policy, reason, nor justice, in singling out Cii.eat
Britain as the exclusive object of hostility. If
the objec't of war is merely to vindicate our ho-
now', why is it not declared against the- first ag,-
gresnr ? if the object is defence ail(' success, why
is it to he waged against the adversary most able
te'aun-oy„ and least likely to yield Why at the
moment when England explicitly declares her
Orders in Council repealed whenever Frsnce shall
rescind 4.er Decrees, is the one selected for an
enemy, and the other courted as a Conqueror
These inquiries lead us to contemplations too
painful to indulge and too serious to express. • s

" Th'ough we cannot dieera theleat reason

for this discrimination in favour of France, to
justify the disproportionate measure of resentment
exhibited against England ; still in a war with
the latter pOwer there might have been found
some_ consolation had our country been in any
measure prepared. We might have hoped that
success would, in some instances, have, rewarded

the efforts of our squadrons, that our sea-coasts
v ould have been in some measure protected, that
the gloom of a long and unequal contest, Might
ne, relieved.b-ythe brilliancy of occasional exploits.,
under present circumstances, there Ail} be no
scope for valour; no field for enterprize, no chance
for sueeess., no hope of national glory ; nkp pros.:
pect, but of ,a war against Britain, in aid of the
cCiumbn enemy of the human race, and in the end
ai•inglurious peace, in Which our ally will desert
our intereBt, and act in concert with our enemy,
to shackle and restrain the commerce of our in-

fant-tmpire; by regulations in which they.wil:
find a common interest. If
!four Commiareee, ar
correct in the opinion, that these sentiments, ai e
cherished by the great body of the .pecple, it is
highly expedient that they should he expreved by
them in their different towns and counties, and
that the most speedy and convenient mode should
be devised to give effect to their will.
`,"lshe po-iver of the counttyis-yet in the hands
of the people. Union, energy, and resolution will
cause the public opinion to be respected, Our
Constitution affords the wails of saving our coun-
, try, by changing the men and the measures,
which have brought upon us our present' embar-
rassments. It cannot be expected-that a great
people will quietly consent that-those who repi•e-,
sent thent should ahnse their 'trust, and wantonly
expose them to rain and disgrace.. if then the
people who arc opposed to the present systein will
move with one accord, and express -their disap-
probation ; if influenced by a sense of their dearest
and vital interests, they will unite without party
distinction to save their Country from-a foreign
war,
,and what is, still more to be dreaded,' 11Jc-
-reign yoke, « now isllte appointed time, now is
the day of salvation.'-' But if, overawed by. power,
huMbled by suffering, or restrained by erroneous-
considerations, they will submit to. be plunged in-
to the.troubled ocean of European wars, the me-
lancholy consolation will remain for the inhabi-
tants of Boston, while they bow in submission to
the cruel destiny of their country, that they have
omitted no just :occasion to wail' their felloAr
citizens of its apprOacb.
Wherefore your Committee recommend, for
the adoption of the town,. Cie following Reiolu-
tions—

" Whereas the proceedings of the National
Government afford reason to conclude that it .is
their- determination to involve our country in a
war with Great Britain, and meetings. of
.the
people-in a few places have been held, at which
measures haVe been adopted, and sentiments ex-
pressed, calculated' to induce Government-to per-
severe in. those hostile dispositiOns ; arist it appear-,
ing desirable that the•,Government shonld have,
full information of the opinions and wishes of the
people-7-Therefore, Resolved, That under existing
circumstances the inhabitants- of this town most
sincerely deprecate a war with Great Eritain, as
extremely injurious, to the interest and happiness
of the people, and peculiarly so as it necessarily
tends to an alliance with France, thereby threaten-
ing the
,subyersiOn of their liberty and indepen-
dence. That an offensive war against Great Bri-
tain alone, would be manifestly unjust ; and that
a war against both the belligerent powers wouldbe,
an extravagant undertaking, which iS not required
by the honour or interest of-the nation.
" Resolved, That we view with just indigna-
tion and emotions inspired by, the love of our
country, the-outrages and aggressions which are
offered to our lawful commerce, and we believe it is
the duty of Government to commence and proceed
With as much diligence asth e resources of our coun-
try will warrant,- in providing for its efficient pro-
tection by a naval force. And we deem all commer-
cial restrictions as so many engines of destruc-
tion, adapted to complete the ruin of that. portion
of our commerce which escapes the rapacity of fo—
reign aggressors.
" Resolved, That it is-the true policy and duty
of this nation to- adhere tr an impartial neutrality,
to abandon commercial restrictions, to husband
the resources of the country; and to indemnify
itself against the Josses to which its commerce is
exposed iu the present European war, by improv-
ing those casual advantages which arise from this
state of things, and which cannot be expected in
a time of profound peace : that to abstain from
efforts of *potent resentments, blind rage, or
desperate policy, is not to be deemed submission
to any foreign power, but a conformity to neces-
sities imposed on our country by an over-ruling
Providenee, for which our courage and patriotism
are -not responsible : that We should endeavour to
ride out the storm we cannot -direct • and that to
plunge into the present war would be a,wanton.
and impious rejection of the advantages with which
the Almighty has blessed our country.
" Resolved,-That our free Constitution secures
the people the right at all times to meet together
in a peaceable manner and express their oninions
on public men and measures-,. and to adopt means
for the security of their rights, and that our fel-
-low-citizens in this and the other Commercial
States, are earnestly requested to - join with us in
a-public expression of their sentiments on the
system of commercial restriction.;, and their abhor-
rence of war ; and that this town, should it 'be-
come expedient, will appoint Cbminittees for the
purpose of receiving their Corinn4ieations, and
for corresponding or meeting with -them for the
adoption of such-, constitutional measures as may
be proposed, for the restoration of our unalien7
able commercial rights ; for qbe security of Our
, „
peace, aria for the election of :such men to office
as will use-their best endeavours for the promotion
of these objects, so essential to the preservation
of our ConStitution, to. the security of our-Union;
and to the prosperity of our Country.-
-JoHN C. JcixEs,--Chairman.

. . . • .
The fore,,oinrr Report, having been repeatedly
read and debated,
.was Voted to be accepted.
" It was voted, that the Select men cause co 7.
pies of the above Report and Resolutions to !be
sent to-every town in the Commonweattb..!'