The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-04-27 00:00:00

UPPER CANADA.

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His lordship addressed the jury in a long and able speech,
explanatory of the novel and important duties on which they
were summoned to decide. Treason being the highest crime
known to the law, and visited with the heaviest penalty, the
constitution had secured to the accused the most ample means
of defence, s'o th•it prisoners could not be immediately tried on
a true bill being found, but must have a copy of the indictment
furnished to them 10 clear days before they can be arraigned,
which copy must contain all the facts, together with the names,
professions, and abodes of the jurors who are to be on ttre
panel, and of all the witnesses who are intended to be produced.
In addressing the petit jury, his lordship said that the prisoners
being entitled to a peremptory challenge of 35, without assign-
ing any cause, the necessity of a punctual attendance was im-
perative, and fines would be inflicted on absentees. The,petit
jury were then discharged till Friday, the 23J instant.--Ex-
press, March 10.

TRIAL OF SUTHERLAND.

Soon after noon, on Tuesday last, the Yankee General Suth
erland, and his aide-de-camp Spencer, captured off Point-au
Pelee, by the gallant Colonel Prince, after the late bloody en

gagement in that quarter, were brought into town, and securely
lodged in our:garrison. Yesterday the general was put upon
his trial, before a court martial composed of the following offi-
cers:7oolone' Samuel P. Jarvis, President; Colonel Kings-
mill, Queen's Own; Colonel W. B. Robinson, 24 Siwcoe;
Colonel Carthew, Royal Foresters; Major Gurnett, Queen's
Toronto Guards; Major J. W. Dewson, Royal Foresters;
Major Henry Fry, ditto; Captain John Powell, Queen's Ran-
gers; Colonel Fllzgibbon, Judge Advocate. He is tried by the
provisions of an act of our Provincial Legislature, passed in the
last session, entituled,'" an act to protect the inhabitants of this
province against lawless aggressions from the subjects of foreign
countries at peace with her Majesty."
We attended the opening of the proceedings, and it appeared
to us that although the general deportment of the prisoner was
calm and self-possessed, he seemed taken a little aback when
he found by what law he was to be tried. However, he bore up
upon the whOle very well, and without that degree of vulgarity
and insolence we expected from him. He stated his profession
,to be that of a lawyer, and, at the same time, that he knew
little of military law on such occasions. He was anxious to
know whether the officers who tried him were of the regular
army or Of the Militia, and whether they were residents of this
country. We thought we could perceive a slight beam of satis-
faction pass over his sallow complexion when informed they
were all militia officers. Whatever may be his fate, he can
have no cause of complaint of the manner in which he is treated,
and the leniency that is shown him. He is allowed the benefit
of counsel, so far as consultation goes, but not to plead for
him. A copy of the charges, and also a copy of the act upon
which he is tried, has been furnished to him; and he is allowed
the use of a pen and ink. The court adjourned until ten o'clock
this morning.

Ile is a tall, muscular man, about five feet eleven inches in
height, with bold and strongly marked features; a full, quick,
light grey eye, dark sallow complexion, and black hair. lie
was dressed in a sort of half military, blanket frock coat, much
resembling those frequently used by the Indians, with dark
Little buttons, collar and cuffs, grey pantaloons, with seams of
dark blae.• It is thought his young Aid-de-Camp Spence will
give important evidence.— Toronto Palladium, March 14.

Postscript of the Toronto Patriot, Wednesday, March 14.
We stop the press to announce that the trial of the Brigand
Sutherland has met with a sudden interruption, in consequence
of his attempt to bleed himself to death by opening veins in his
arms and feet. His state of exhaustion is extreme ; another
half hour and he would have been dead.
AMISE.RSTBURGH.—We have seen a letter from an officer at
Amherstburgh, of the 12th March, which states that accounts
had been received there of 40 of the Americans, wounded in the
engagement at Point Pelee Island; on the 3d instant, -having
been taken in for treatment at the hospital in. Portland, and
that about 3,./ or 40 •were drowned in their precipitate flight
across the ice.' About a dozen of the company of the 83d, ivbo
had pursued the runaway brigands about fOur.miles, fell through
the" ice, but were fortunately rescued by their comrades.—
Gazette.

(-Franz the Patriot.)

TOOONTo, Ithrtotr 23.—His Excellency Sir George Arthur
arrived this mornink,in the Transit, in time to breakfast with
Sir F., B. fjewl, who leaves I-his 'evening for Kingston the
Transit. We •are. happy to learn that great preparations are
.makini.(for his respecAful reception in Montreal.
The cyow•n has closed its case against the bandit chief, Suther-
land, who, on his request, has been granted to Thursday next
to enter on his defence.

(From the Burlington Sentinel,March 19.
TRIAL OF VAN RENSEI.AEit, FOR StiTTING ON FOOT A

MILITARY EXPEDITION AGAINST CANADA.

This trial was commenced at Auburn, New York, on Monday
of last 'week (March 12.) Three witnesses were examined
It was proved that Van Rensselaer was at French Creek with
a large armed force on the 221 ult.; that early in the moriring
he, with 22 others, rassed.over to Hickory Island; that during
the day large numbers arrived with muskets, rifles, and pikes,
came on to the island; that they had two six-pounders and one
eighteen-pounder; that 84 persons were the highest number he
could muster; that they all returned to French Creek the same
day, and voluntarily disbanded. It was also proved that Van
Rensselaer was at Oswego two or three weeks before, requesting
men to engage in an expedition against the Lower Province.
that he said, "We want men and means to go and see Papinl
eau," and that a few pistols, swords, and cutlasses were contri-
buted. It was also proved that Van Rensselaergave orders, af-
ter he left Navy Island in January, to Sutherland, to'go west.
P.S.—The examination of Van Rensselaer is closed, and as
he declined to give bail, he will be committed to gaol in Albany
to await his trial in June'.

WORKING OF THE NEW MARRIAGE ACT IN. LIVERPOOL.
—From the returns of the marriages celebrated in Li-
verpool and its vicinity during the year 1837, which re-
turns are oddly enough classified under the head of " A
General 13111 of Mortality," we find our conjectures re-
specting the failure of the New Marriage Act fully rea-
lised. Here, as well as at Manchester and other places,
this preposterous act, designed to unchristianize the com-
munity, has been almost literally inoperative. For the
purpose of showing the decided preference which the
people of this town, and its neighbourhood give to the
old-fashioned•ceremony of the Church of England, we
vital] state the relative numbers of those who have availed
themselves of the provisions of the New Marriage Act,
and of those who, have conformed to the ritual of the
church. We find that 2781 marriages have taken place
within the town of Liverpool during the past year. Of
this number we find that the

Marriages -in Churches amounted to - 2670
Ditto • in Catholic Chapels . B3
Ditto in Scotch Kirk
Ditto in Register 'Office
Ditto in all the Dissenting Chlpels 13

And of the thirteen marriages which took place in the
Dissenting Chapels it should be stated that two were so-
lemnised in the Mariner's Church, Rathbone-street,
where, be believe, the forms of the Church of England
are used.

Again, out of 236 marriages whish took place in the
immediate vicinity of Liverpool, we find that 226 were
solemnised in the Church and ten in the Roman Catho-
lic Chapel, (St. Patrick's,) whilst not a single " union
according to act of Parliament" took place
It should also be borne in mind that the marriages in
the Catholic chapels are solemnised much after the same
manner as those in the Church of England, so that the
number who have entered the " holy state of wedlock"
without the sanction of a religious service wilt be very
small indeed.

We are glad to observe that the large and respectable
body of Methodists in this town have entirely eschewed
the new-fangled mode of marrying, and shown their de-
termination to abide by " the good old way."

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Were we wrong, then, in saying that the New Mar-
riage Act would be despised by the people of England?
Is it not now evident that the act was not wanted, and
that its enactment was purely a work of supereroga-
tion ?

POSTOFFIcE REFORM.-4t. will be seen that a meeting
has been convened by the Mayor for the purpose of
urging fur% ard the refuttn of the Pustoffiee regulations.

• TRIALS FOR HIGH TREASON.
The Court, before whom the persons charged with high •rea-
son are to, be tried, cominenced its sittings on Thursday, the Bth
instant. Tile bench was occupied by the Hop. the Chief Jus-
tice, with • the Hon. Justices She'rwood, Jones, and M'Lean,
An able charge was delivered to the grand jury by the Chief
Justice. The petit jury was dismissed until- Monday, the 26th
instant, as by a mereiful arrangement, under the provisions of
the statute, none of the parties accused can be arraigned for
trial until ladays after the finding of a bill by the grand jury.—
Toronto Guardian, March 14.

HAmturOty.—The Court for the trial of prisoners charged
with high treason, and treasonable practices, was opened on
Thursday, before Mr. Justice Macaulay. After the usual fur-
thalities, the grand jury were sworn. .