The Sun.
London, England, 1804-05-05 00:00:00

D. DOMINCO,

THE 10110V:111g ettcrs, which ere written lay
Merchant at Cape Franc:ois• to hi:, P,Actuer in Frikice,
and which, in the progress of a Prize Cause, were!
deposited in the Vice Admiralty Court of jathaica,
serve to spew in the roost marked manner, the hor-
rible tyranny exercised by the French-Gov,ernruent
of Saint Domingo—a tyranny which, in the itt-:
stances alluded to in the subsequent documents, kysts
not only without excuse, but was aggravated by
circumstances of peculiar atrocity. , The unf,t-
tunate Merchants who were subjected to it, had
been alltired to Saint Domingo by the prospect
of the re-establishment of that Island. They were
afterwards utterly ruined in their private circum-
stances by the total failure of all commercial spe-
culation, and yet under this severe pressure and suf.:
fering, in addition to the most complicated evt:s,,
the French General was not satisfied until, by the
most abominable extortion, he had wrung from them
nearly their last dollar.

At the Gape, the 26tb GacJer, 1803.
Death has seized me, my good Sir, my heats
is
broke and compressed as with an errgine ; and so
great is the oppression I feel, that my blood circu,
lates with-difficulty. This day, is a day to be noted
in the annals of St. Domingo, as the most unfor.:
tunate which this ruined Colony ha's undergone.
Yesterday at nine o'clock in the morning, Of.
titer of Ordnance and two men brought- me a letter,
stamped, " Genetal en Chief ;" and as any thing
that comes from that quarter does not foretel
good, I could not help being alarmed. I opened it,
and found an order to deposit in the Public: Trea-
sury, in the course of two hours, joco dollars, lot
the pressing wants of the Army. The Officer asked
me if I was ready to obey the order of the GenerA
I answered that I would consult my means.
then told me that he would leave his two guards,
who had orders not to quit me. Soon afterward se-
veral Merchants came to toe, each of them accom-

pilled by a guard, to inquire if I was in the sime
situation as they were ; they were conyinced of it
by seeing my guards ; and discoursing together, we
soon/found that we were eleven in cumber, who were

assessed to supply 55,000 dollars. Several were only
taxed with aaooo, but the difference was made up
by those who were rated at 6000. •
Consternation was painted on everyone's face,
and asking one another, " What are we to do ?" •
Some thought it would be proper to go in a body to
speak to the General, others to send him a memorial,
staring the impossibility of paying, at least in the
space of_two hours, such a contribution, at a mo-
ment when commerce was entirely•ruined, and that
for a year past every body had been losing, and no-
thing remained but goods to offer. It was at leng.h
agreed, that without presenting a memorial as c
rn-
ing from them all, each individual should repre eat h;s
case, and send it to the General. I sat down and
wrote a very temperate letter, in which I unfolded
my situation as having a store filled with merchan-
dise and no market. I offered to igiee them all up
to his disposal. I recalled to his mind tic numerous
pecuniary services cur !tonic had terdared to Go-
vernment, in more favourable times, when it was
less difficult to assist the public cause, that', at a
moment such as this, when every one was destiente
of cash. I sent with the letter ; he foueal the
General and gave it to him ;--" lie re -does this
letter came from ?" " it is a letter fr m Mr. —,
of the house of --, Sec." The General then got
up, threw the letter at his head, and threatening him
with his fist, told hint, " Be off, and tell Mr.
to take care of himself ;" made him a boe,e,
and brought back my letter. -
The time was passing; I had oniy two hours,
and did not know what to resolve : at last came
the Ordnance Officer, -who asked the if I had com-
plied with the
,General's orders ?—" Nor. yet."
" If so, I have orders to take you to prison."--
I requested of him to allow me at leasr.the time to
call on my friends for the money : that 5000 thillars
were not so easily found. He answered that, he
would take upon him to allow me that delay ; but
at the exniration, ii I had not the receipt fionn the
Treasurer,' he would be necessitated to execute laes
orders to take me to gaol. lie gave me till half
after four. In the mean tirrae, I sent to the Trea-
surer, requesting hint to inquire of the General, if
by paying part of the sum, I could not obtain some
time for the remainder. His answer was, that he
was forbid to receive any -matey on account : that
the 5000 dollars must be paid, ksr I must go to gaol.
He was even astonished that they had transgressed
on the delay of the two hours mentioned in his vi.
derv.
At the stated hour the Officer came, and I not
being able to shew. the Treasurer's receipt, he was
going to carry me. to gaol ; but I immediately sent
the Treasurer my bond for 5000 dollars, payable
the next morning ; and he was kind enough to send
me his receipt. At the sight of that most fortu-
nate paper, the Officer congratulated me on my
having escaped going to gaol, where I was ex-
peded, and told me I was at liberty. lie took his-
men with him, who never had quitted ate, and did
not even ask for a fee. This was one heavy burthen.
from my shoulders, but another heavy one remain.
ed, which was the. fate of my ten companions in
misfortune, who, unable to make up the sum im.
posed upon them, were carried to gaol, except Mr.
formerly a partner in the House of --,
who, by a particular favour, had obtained per-
mission t 6 make a part payment, and a delay for
the remainder. Among those detained was Mr.
Clerk, who, at his departure for Anne.
rica, had left him a power of attorney to icondua
the business, consisting only in the receiving of the
house.rents, which were to be deposited with Mr.
--, the Treasurer, who was the confidential.
Attorney. This Clerk not having received any
rent, could not pay the first faulting. Mr. —,
a very ancient Nerchant of the Cape, a friend of
the General, through whose house his private business
was tranaaded, was among the number of prisoners.
,He it was who showed the' greatest sang fro; tvbe
told the bearer 'ho carried the order, " Go, and
tell your General, that when the brazen horse shall
feed, I will give him the money."—That saying
was repeated to the ,General, and made him fu-
rious. Another individual had incurred-his private
annnealty, and upon hint be revenged himself in a

The Magistrate observed, that the condua of the
'nail was unquestionably very bad, and that the De-
fendant might either see what weight the mention
vi such behaviour would have with the Lady, o,r he
height endeavour to punish the man another way, as
he thought fit ; as no language which had been
used by the man cots d, in law,- justify an assault,
he must hihd him to ,stand his trial .at the next
cl.uattet Sessions.

an
Thcse two aides-du-camp were,. ILI tbroierfy
Officer in the corps of engineers, and Romeiits, a ).)oug man
of great property, whose exterior was as fiiir and ii:uidsoine,
as his interior was foul and deformed.

xtrua.s.Ll.‘•.•., 11:,,,.. 3. .
F. itty Pounds for 3-yr. olds 6sl. 21b. 4-Yr. oldstist. 5 -yr. olds.
- gst. 71b. 6-yr. olds, and aged Ist. izlb. T. M. M. 13. C:
Mr. Lagden's b. c. Buss,. 4 yrs old - - - i
Mr. Norton's h C. Floeton, 4 yrs old - - 2
Mr, HOWOrth'S Cll. c. 1;0S, by Buzzard, 3 yrs old .
, .3
Mr. W)ndhain's hr. c..b; Waxy, 3 yrs old - . - 4
Ld Grosvenor's br. c. NlontaltO, 4 }':.. old -
- 5
Mr. Lake's b. I, by .Walnut, 4 yrs- - old
.6
3 to 1 agst Floeton ; 5 to to 2 agst IVaxy ; 3 to t agst Montalto.
Sweepstakes of icgs. each, sgs. ft. by 3-yr. olds. 2-yr. old C.
Mr. Panton's Dilletante, Bst. 71b. . - - - t
Mr. HoWorth's Heeltrap, by Waxa, 7st. 91b. , - 2
Mr. Watson's 1. by, Sir Peter, out of I)readi,oug4it's dam,
Bst. 31b. • - - - - • - 3
3 to I agst Dilletante ; s to 1 agst Heeltrap ; -5 to t agst
Sir Peter. ,
Mr. Sitwell's Pipylin, 7St. beat Ld Sackville's Whirligig,
7st. roily. R. M. 'cogs. h. ft, -2 to (.00 Pipylin
D. of (4aft-on's Parasol, beat Ld•Sackv.ille's En.haoter,
Bst.. each. R. M. toogs.-7 to 4on Parasol.
lal Grosvenor'i, Bagatelle, Bst. 51b.- beat 111 r. Watson's f.
by Sir Peter, Xst. Vb. Ab. M cogs.-55 to 4 on-Bagatelle.
Mr. Howard's pek of all Trades, Bst. 91h. be,t Mr. F.
Neo Ic's Brainworm; :.,,t. 41b. Two yr old C., 2j AS.-Even
betting.
Mr. F. Neale';: Bobtail, Bst. 171 b. rec. Cogs. from Mr.
Mellisti's Surnriz.:, Bst. Across the Flat, icogs.
-Sir C. Iluilbor)'s Eleanor,-list. telb. rec 4c,gs. from Mr.
MFtlish's Surprize, Est. 71b. Two-yr old C. s,7gtt.
Mr. Mellish's Eagle, gst 41b.- agst. Mr. Howorth's Aniri-
see,..i, 7st. 91b. Ab. M. toszs. Offby consent.

' by VVIL-s. I AM
LONDON: Printed by BUCHANAN M‘MILLAN (of Bovv-Street, Covent-G i.; and 1
ard A RMIGIR Sc%sr?s, (ot Sbuth Molt ,n-stieett Grosvenor-stiti«re)i
At. the Stiri.Ort tc s, No. 1 12, 4tranat ; where ildvertiseruntr, Orden, tar the Paper, Letters for the Ejt‘or, &C. I,o7sr:paid j; inUait Oc 3.,lcife&SCtis,