The Sun.
London, England, 1850-07-30 00:00:00

FRANCE.

The Moniteur publishes a decree of the President
of the Republic, imposing a quarantine of observation
of three days at least, and five at most, on all vessels
arriving in the French ports of the Mediterranean
from countries where the cholera prevails.
A second decree confers the powers enjoyed by the
Board of Health at Marseilles on Dr. Melier, ap-
pointed Special Commissioner under the immediate
authority of the Prefect of the Bouches du Rhone.
The same official journal contains a letter from the
Minister of Finance to the Minister of Foreign
Affairs, informing him that the yachts belonging to
various English clubs shall be admitted into all the
French ports without the payment of any navigation
dues on showing a certificate from the secretary of
the club to which the yacht belongs.
The Committee of the initiative of the Legislative
Assembly have rejected the proposition of M. Lever-
rier to remove from the town where the Assembly
may sit all persons not domiciled in the department,
or who cannot prove they possess sufficient means of
existence.

Letters from Constantine of the 20th instant an••
nounce the discovery of a gold-mine in the moun-
tains between Philippeville and Jemtnappes.
PARIS BOURSE, JULY 27.—Five per Cents., 96f.
40c.; Three per Cents., .58f. , Bank of Fraace,
2,353 f.

CHARGE AGAINST A ROMAN

CATHOLIC PRIEST.

A most serious charge was preferred against the
Rev. Mr. Parsons, the leading Romish priest in Shef-
field, on Monday last, at the Wakefield Court-
house, when a girl, who had lived with him as a
domestic servant, accused him of being the father of
an illegitimate child, to which she had recently given
birth. Mr. Girdlestone, of Pontefract, appeared for
the girl, and Mr. Hardy, a barrister, who had been
specially brought from York assizes for the purpose,
defended Mr. Parsons. The evidence in support of
the charge was, that the girl had on one occasion
been called into Mr. Parsons'e bed-room, and there he
effected her ruin. A continual system of
improper intimacy afterwards took place between
them. The reverend delinquent quieted the
girl's scruples, as she swore, by receiving her
at confessional, and granting absolution. At
length the consequences of guilt made themselves
apparent in the person of the girl, who finding her-
self enceinte, prepared to leave the service of Mr.
Parsons, under a promise from him, as she told her
fellow-servant, " that he would never see her want."
She was removed to Wakefield, where she was con-
fined at a house in New-street, but her father had in the
meantime called her seducer to account, and Mr. Par-
sons had paid him 301. as a quietus. From the inter-
ference of the parish authorities, or from some other
reason not explained, the girl applied for an order of
affiliation, and her evidence, that of her father, and
others having been given, to substantially the above
effect, Mr. Hardy, for the defence, endeavoured
to explain away the payment of the 301., by stating
that differences had existed amongst the Roman
Catholics in Sheffield, who were ready to believe any
evil of one another, and that the girl's father having
threatened to expose him, Mr. Parsons had, in a
moment of weakness, yielded to extortion, and paid
for silencing that which he knew to be a false accu-
sation. Mr. Hardy stated that an examination
into the charge had been made by Mr.
Parsons's bishop and the vicar-general of hie
district, who had entirely exculpated Mr. Parsons
from the accusation of criminality, and had continued
him in his office of priest. The learned gentleman
wound up his address by taunting the prosecution
with not having dared to put the fellow-servant of
the girl into the witness-box, although she was i❑
court on their subpoena ; but he, declaring that he
had nothing to conceal, proceeded to call her
to refute the evidence of the prosecutrix. In this
Mr. Hardy appeared to have committed an error, for
the girl rather corroborated the other witnesses than
otherwise, and, in reply to is question from Mr. Hardy,
said she had never known her master take any liberties
but once, when he " examined her." On this answer
being explained, it appeared that somebody had told her
mister that she (Ann Briscornb) was enciente ; that he
had called her up into his room one evening, and
required her to submit to an examination of her
person by himself, which he had done in a manner
which she described to the Bench, but which is not
fit for publication. It may, however, be explained
as such an examination as a matron only would
have made under very strong suspicions of crimi-
nality. This evidence virtually ended the case, and
although other witnesses were examined who spoke of
another man being on terms of improper intimacy
with the girl who had borne the child, yet immedi-
ately on the evidence being closed, and Mr. Girdle-
stone having made a short address in reply, the
magistrates withdrew, and on returning into court in
the course of a few minutes, Mr. Holdsworth said
" the magistrates are unanimous in making an order
of 2s. per week."—Leeds Mercury.

THE COUNTRY MARKETS.

The following is the official statement of the quantiti
corn, &c., received in the port of London from the poi
Essex, from the 22d July, 1850, to the 2it'n July,
both inclusive :—.

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