Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-11-07

1hs Made s1ScG PrtSoners--rhs st. John, ~
q. Courier of the 23d ult. contains account of
the trial aud conviction at the Supreme Court, at
'trcdcrickton, of Barnabas Hannawell, Jesse
Wheuock, and Daniel Savage, for certain "sedi-
uous acts, GAS they are called by tho Provncials)
at the Madawaska settlement" which scditious
acts eur readers have before been appriZed, con-
sisted in choosing town officers in the newly in
cerporated town of Madawaska. Tho trial took
place on tho 18th inst. Tho defendants appeared
without counsel. One of them, Hannawell, in
MS oSisnc0, said, 'that having received the war
rant, they obliged under The law of the State
OF Maine to act; thoy would have been liable to
punishment under their laws If they had declined
That III tho situation of the country there WAS 4
difficulty both sides, and of two evils they
thought they had chosen the least thcy were
led 10 suppose from what the two officers, Messrs.
Maclauchlan and Coonbss, had said, they would
not be intcriercd with, so long as they confined
themselves to tho west side of the river"
The jury, after short consultation, returned
verdict of Guilty, when the defendants were asked
whether they had any thing to offer to the Court,
answered IN the negative. Judge Chapman then
pronounced the sentence of the Court as follows:
"Ihat each OF the defendants do pay fine to
the king of fifty pounds, and be imprisoned in the
common gaol of the county for three calender
months, and stand committed until the said fines
arc paid"
The above imprisoned American citizens, with
Daniel Bean, John Baker, and twenty seven other
persons, also charged on another indictment,
presented against them by the Grand Jury, which
charges them with the intention ''to stir up and
procure scdition in the Province" &c. SC. 1t
was deemed cxpcdient, sa VS. the Courier by the
Crown officers to suffer further proceeding to
stand over until the meeting of the Supreme
Court in February next Eastport Sent.
The Portland Courier, in speaking of the trial,
Gays This State is tied down hand and foot. 1t has
no constitutional right to send force to Frederic
ton and take the prisoners. All difficulties with a
foreign power must DO ssttlod by the general GO
vNrnmeht We stated some time since that the
| y am p,t-
statement to Washington and called on the gen
era government for protection. An answer has
been received. The President expresses great
anxiety on the subject; regrets exceedingly the
measures adopted to organize the town of Madaw-
aska as throwing an unnecessary embarrassment
over the question, and desires that nothing further
may be done to increase the embarrassment. He
rever'H to the former agreement between the Bril-
fish and American Ministers, that interference
with the disputed territory should be exercised
by either party till the question finally settled.
"A request has been made by cur government
upon the British Minister at Washington for the
release Of the prisoners. How this request will be
treated is not yet known. The British Minister
however assured our government that no innova-
ton by the provincial authorities upon the stipula
tons which had been entered into by the two go
vernmcnts would be sanctioned by his govern
mcnt
But the prisoners are now suffering the unjust
penalty which the provincial authorities have seen
INT to lnflict upon them; and what can he done? In
consequences this intelligence the Governor has
called special meeting of the Council to be hol-
den at tho Council Chamber in this town on Fri
day nert.
Congress is to be in session so soon, it is hardly
probable that the general government will take any
decisive step on the subject till that time. and we
do not see how this State can do any more than
"hold fast what they've got"
From the N. Y. american.
MADAwAscA.-The Governor of tine State of
Maine has called special meeting of the Execu-
tive Council, for the purpose of advising with them
on the Madawaskn troubles. Important eonse-
quences depend on their measures writer in
the Portland Advertiser denies a suggestion in the
Washington Globe, that the Government of Maine
had any knowledge 'that there was distinct un
Outstanding, that until the question was finally
settled, each of the parties should remain in the
exercise of the same jurisdiction over such parts
OF the territory as was then held by them respect
vely."
This case has become the more urgent since the
conviction, sentence and Imprisonment, by a court
of New Brunswick, of three American cilizens,
'for conspiring to subvert II. Majesys authority
| IN those parts.