The Sun.
London, England, 1805-09-19 00:00:00

SKTRACT'OF A LETTER FROM CORK.

.
" A curious case was tried before the Hon. Judge.:
DAY and a Special Jury, at our Connty Assizes.
One Donovan, a baker, brought an action against
rather O'Brien, Vicar-General to Dr. Coppinger,
Titular Bishop of Cork, and Parish Priest of elo-
bakilty, for 5001. damages sustained try said Dono-
van in consequence of his havirig, been exCommuni.
caked by the Priest., It appeared on the trial that
O'Brien was building a Chapel,. and accordingly set
on foot a snbsCription ; the baker was ordered,
.as.
his affixed quota, to pay three croWtis ; which was
paid accordingly. He was called on afterwards for
nine shillings ; this he also paid, but 'obsertred'at the
time, he was exceedingly poor,, and could not aftbrd
it. A third demand of sixteen shillings was made.
by the priest, which
,the baiter refused to give..
Going,to mass the following Soiaiy,, the priest asked
him would he pay thc sixteen shillings'? lie
6d, he was not able ; the priest said,. " I will settle
'with you."---Territied it this reniarli, the poor man
sent by his wife sixteen shillings to the priest's house,
but he would not take less, than two guineas.--On
the following Sunday the priest cursed from the al-
tar all those who had not paid their demands to-
wards building the Chapel. The baker went next
holiday to mass, and was timnally excommunicated,
and the people denounced as cursed and contaMi7
hated if they*Vonld deal or hold any cominunica-
tion whatever with him : this tyrannical. order Was
so universally obeyed, that the rap) would not he
sold a sod of turf to heat.his oven by the country
.nor could he sell, in his own name, what
corn or stock, he possessed. Dismayed at his for-
lorn wtate, the baker to do penance went in a white
sheet to the Chapel; begged pardon of God the
priest for his disabedience : the priest desired hint to
attend him at his house, when he again demanded.
the two guineas; the baker declared he could nOt-
make up so much money. The- exeenunimication
was therefore continued, and the poor man was co,.
sequently obliged to shut his doors : these fekis Were
proved by two unwillnuf witnesses. Counsel for
the Plaintiff, in statingithe ctt4.e, ltnnented this in-
stance of sacerdotal pride, bigotry, atml inhumanity,
being exhibited before the Couyt and. the
.NT,ltio,n,
Excommunicatix.m was. an horrible enr2;iime and ought
to be exploded ; dreadful was the ruin it occasioned
-in privet,: fanailieS ; that it W:0 in a viroxysin of
~,pair client told his story, an..l madz:-.the. world
at:III:link:Al with a narration that Inni,,feage could not
heighten, and that hc,hoped not Ii erinalled
in the memory of any Man lb, ing ; it Was' id (h
instrument -of vengeance in 111,; hands of the Duman
Ci.mtholic Clergy, find such power should not be,.
, committed to them-4U 1./.-_!arm.A Judge, in din,
in;; time Jury, expressed his mgret that praCtices, inch
as those upon whieb the aktiou xvas broNlit, shbuld
teund to exist--,-still more that th6y bould be_
carne the sohjea. of CliSCUSSital. 1 N complitilent:Nl
the (.',oun,ici on each side for the ability with NOliCh
they bad coridated the cause;- but could' not- help
disapproving- of their Inuring involved.the itlbjCqt ill
questl, 03 apolitical cOntroversy, which would not
tail to irrii..iii., while they could not serve either party.
The)ury had head the faits given in evi&nce: that
a greSs injury had beert conuk.ted eigainst the Ptah.-
tilt was unquestionable : if they believed that evi
dt-nce, it was for them to'estimate by th,!ir
the. amount of that Jury, ebrripaied
equally of Protestants and Roman Catbolic3, ;0-0,11„1.
iz ‘erdia. of 501, d;im igi. lard Cid. costs."

The body of well-dre;:4ed lemaie y(ritei,tly
taken ant Of the ThaineA, abovo Westantiter-briage,
and Conveyed to a. pubik., hotHe for the impediOli ef
the Coroner.

Ma:tfett-critttr,