The Sun.
London, England, 1827-01-13 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION-HOUSE.—A young man, named Thomas Corne-
lius McMahon, applied to the Lord Mayor for relief against the
Colombian Agricultural Association, for having by false pretences
induced him to leave the country.
The. LORD MAYon, in an abrupt manner, said he bad no
power to interfere.
The applicant, who was much embarrassed, wished to know
whether there was no recompenee to be had for loss of time.
The LORD MANOR could not interfere to compel the parties to
pay wages, and therefore he should not enter into the case.
From the documents in corroboration of the statements which
he was prepared to have made to the Lord Mayor, had his Lord-
ship, either under the equitable jurisdiction which anciently be-
longed to the office, cr in his common Magisterial capacity, con-
sented to hear him, it appears that the complainant is one of a
large and decent family, who finding, in 1825, their children
burthensome, began to make exertions to get them settled. In
September, that year, the complainant, who is under age, and
had not yet got settled, was informed that high advantages were
offered by a new Company, called the Colombian Association, to
young men of enterprise, who would go out to Colombia- as settlers.
The complainant having full confidence in the promised advan-
tages to settlers, and in the high names which appeared at the
head of the prospectus, as guarantees that all the facts were
correctly stated, did not hesitate to join the speculation. The
only apprehension, indeed, was, that timber could not readily lie
procured. The complainant formed a plan of his own, which
was, to get together, in one party, a number of artizans of dif-
ferent trades, who might he of mutual service when they arrived
at the settlement. This plan was approved of by the Company,
and, after considerable exertion and great loss of time, lie succeeded
in getting together a party to the number of thirteen. They
sailed in the latter end of January, 1826, in the brig Caledonia,
of Newburgh. After a rough voyage of about ten weeks, during
which they suffered many severe privations, they reached Mara-
, caibo, where they stopped for about three weeks. Their course
thence lay through a swampy forest. They got but two miles on
the first day, which they proceeded without a leader, and found
themselves often up to their thighs in mud, and exposed to be
bitten by the snakes, which were exceedingly plentiful. At last
ten mules arrived under the escort of some men, who gave the party
of settlers to understand that Col. Piggot, the Company's Agent,
had sent the mules not to convey them, alas ! as they fondly hoped,
but their luggage, and that they were to go the next morning. The
settlers received no provision, and they had nothing with them but
half a bottle of rum each, which they dared not drink with empty
stomachs, as it would have produced a fever in that climate.—
They started in this condition, having a journey of two days and
a half before them. On the first day, the complainant towards
night was so fatigued, that he dropped behind, fell down, and
slept, notwithstanding the legions of tormenting insects which
assailed him, and the noise of the wild beasts, which were ex-
ceedingly numerous and terrifying. They at length arrived at an
opening, about three miles from a village. When they arrived
there, they were " properly done up." They started next morn-
ing again, and in the afternoon, after having climbed a high
mountain, succeeded in reaching their first place of destination,
which was a miserable town called Betjoque. They were then
received by Capt. Piggot, who, next morning, informed them
that they bad better not go down to their land, because the fever
and ague so raged that even the natives could not live there. But

that they might not he idle, he offered them Is. 6d. per day to
work for him as labourers, and in building some houses. This
offer they readily accepted. Whilst they were there two natives
were brought up dead from the ground, which was represented
to them as highly salubrious. (They had this information
from Captain Piggot;) and instead of being on a mountain,
as stated to them, it was in a valley. When Saturday
night came, the complainant requested a little money, which
Captain Piggot refused to give, and, moreover, told him
he should go down to the promised land, which the com-
plainant positively refused. The Captain then told him he must
sign a paper relinquishing all claim upon the Company, and be
off. This release the complainant' de4ared he signed under the
threat of imprisonment, as he preferred quitting the place at all
hazards. On the following Tuesday himself and others of the
party determined to return. Aman having to conduct some mules
down to the port of Sibre, they gave him .a trifle to permit them
to ride. They rode the 50 miles in eight hours. The com-
plainant had never been on horseback before, and he held to the
mane, but he lost his shoes, and at the end of the journey his
legs were bathed in blood. They got to Maracaibo in the best
manner they. could. There he was compelled to sell his clothes
for subsistence. He was taken ill of the •yellow fever, and was on
the point of death. 14 was relieved by the British Consul, who
put him on board a vessel, bound to France, where he arrived on
the 13th of last month, dreadfully reduced by his sufferings.
On his appliCatiOn to the Company for the return of his money
and compensation for the injuries he had suffered, and the time he
bad lost, in consequence of their representations, they pleaded the
release he had signed, which was as follows, on the back of the
article of agreement which he had entered into for the purchase of
land from the Company :
" Seeing, myself unable to comply with the within contract,
and being permitted by Colonel Robert Piggot, as agent to the
said Association, to withdraw, I hereby renounce all claim on the
Association for land, and further, promise never to be of any
trouble or cost to the Association, from the date hereof.
" THOMAS CORNELIUS M'MAHON.
" Betjoque, June 12, 1826.
R. H. Y. D. 111141AHON."
" E. PETERSON.
Witnesses „

The Shares of the Colombian Agricultural Company were at
one time sold for 16/. premium, and it is calculated that it has
caused from 100,0001. to 150,0001. to change pockets. They
new fetch no price in the market.
MARYLEBONE.-:.—The mothers of two young girls, the one
not more than 16 years of age, recently applied for the assistance
of the Magistrates in recovering their daughters, who, they al-
leged, had been seduced and secreted by a female living in the
house of a Mrs. Bowes, No. 16, Montagu-street. Thisselton, an
officer, was in consequence sent to the house in question, and, on
searching it, he found six or seven young females in a state of un-
tidyness, which left no doubt in his mind as to their character, or
that of the house of which they were inmates, but he found not
the young girls who were the particular objects of his inquiry.
Yesterday Mrs. Hambleton, alias Miss Benson, with two or
three female companions, Mr. Bowes, the son of the keeper of the
house, Mr. Hambleton, under whose protection Mrs. Hambleton
is said to be, together with the mothers of the children, again ap-
peared before the Magistrates, when the following particulars
transpired :

Mr. Bowes said that Mr. and Mrs. Hambleton resided in his
mother's house as lodgers, and he complained of the officers hav-
ing spoken disrespectfully of the house, because they had found in
it two or three females, who were visitors.

Mr. Hambleton (who is a foreigner) said that the ladies were
visitors of his, and he knew nothing whatever to the prejudice of
the house.

A lady, in an angry tone, thought it extremely wrong that the
officer should say that he had seen a female exposed to the waist,
when the simple truth was, that the lady had on only a low frock.
The mother of one of the, children said that Mrs. Hambleton
knew well where her child was. She (Mrs. H.) knew Mrs.
Bowes's to be a notorious house.
_ _

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The mother of the second child said that when the officer went
to the house, he found six or seven women running about all in
confusion ; but the two children he was in search of had been
previously sent away.
Mrs. Hambleton denied that there were more than five femaks
in the house when the officer visited it. She admitted that one
of the girls missing had been in the habit of attending on her