ther were on board the Defence: they followed him with their eyes, and when they saw him reach the land alive, they threw themselves into the waves, and died together!-Four guns and 47 barrels of gunpowder have been got from the Defence, and it is expected that a part of the St George will be saved."

A gentleman who left Gottenburgh on Thursday last, states, that the body of Admiral Reynolds, who was lost in the St George, has been found, and that the King of Denmark had ordered it to be brought to Copenhagen, where it is to be put into a leaden coffin and conveyed to England.

EXETER.-A most extraordinary circumstance occurred in this city on Monday night last, which has excited the greatest wonder among the inhabitants. About nine o'clock, as the carriage of J. Williams, Esq. bank er, of this city, was going from Col. leton Crescent to the theatre, just as it passed the Friars in the middle of the public road, the off horse sunk into the earth, and in an instant disappear ed; the alarm the coachman was in we cannot describe, who, trembling for what was to follow, leaped from the coach-box, called for assistance, and immediately cut the traces, when several persons assembled, and discovered that the animal had fallen into a large and tremendous old well, of about ninety feet deep, which some years since had been arched over in a most careless manner, with only a single brick, thinly covered with earth, and totally neglected, since it became a public road. The late wet weather had so penetrated the brickwork as to cause it, with the shaking of the carriage, to give way in a moment. Having obtained a light, it

was perceived the horse stuck fast about twenty feet down, and with great difficulty was drawn up alive to the mouth of the well, when unfortunately the rope broke, and the poor creature was with dreadful velocity dashed down to the bottom, to rise no more alive, as it was pulled up dead four hours after.

DUBLIN. COURT OF KING'S BENCH.-Catholic Delegates.-The attorney-general announced this day, that it was not his intention to proceed to trial against any of the other catholic delegates. He moved that Mr Kirwan be brought up to.morrow, and that there shall be a nolo prosequi entered relative to the other persons concerned in violating the Convention Act.

6th.--KIRWAN'S SENTENCE.This day Thomas Kirwan appeared incourt to hear judgment pronounced. Shortly after the judges had taken their seats, Mr Justice Day addressed him to the following effect :

"Thomas Kirwan, you have been tried on an indictment founded upon a statute, the 33d of the king, commonly called the Convention Act, for having voted and acted at an election of delegates, to represent the Roman Catholic inhabitants of the parish of St Mary's, in this city, in a general committee of the catholics of Ireland. After a patient and dispassionate hearing you have been convicted upon clear, conclusive, and uncontroverted evidence. The persons entrusted with your defence had indeed themselves admitted the fact charged, for instead of contradicting or controverting it, they resorted to three different modes of avoiding a direct issue, namely, 1st, to a challenge of the array, which, after a discussion of two days, had been found

to be false and ungrounded; secondly to an unavailing and irrelevant cross-examination; and, lastly, to avoiding the merits of the case, by resting upon a certain point of variance, which, when referred to the decision of the twelve judges, had been without hesitation pronounced perfectly futile and untenable.

"The act for which you have been found guilty has been declared by the legislature a high misdemeanour; not because it is contrary to any principles of religion, morality, or justice, but for its political character and tendency. The statute has declared, that all representations by delegation are unlawful. Such is the precaution of the statute, that it proceeds to arrest them in their earliest steps towards acting in pursuance of their appointment, and the very publishing of a notice of their meeting, before any possible knowledge could be had of their transactions, is pronounced a high misdemeanour. Neither pretence nor no pretence forms an object for consideration; the construction and constitution of the meeting is what the legislature has pointed its attention to, and not the object or purpose.

"It is not, sir, the province of the bench to vindicate the acts of the legislature, but it would be easy to show that no hardship is imposed by the statute. It restrains both protestants and catholics; yet, by a superabundance of caution, it saves the sacred right of petition, as established at the glorious Revolution by the famous Bill of Rghts. This all of his majesty's subjects here enjoy, whether protestants or catholics, in the same spirit and purity in which it is enjoyed by the subjects in England. I shall never, for my part, wish to move

in a larger sphere of liberty than that enlightened and brave people are satisfied with. Whether a jealous adherence to old maxims of civil freedom, or an enthusiasm in search of new additions to their rights and privileges pervaded the whole population of that great and respectable nation, in their wildest excesses, a convention such as that which had lately agitated this country, had never been known amongst them. This species of public assembly is the peculiar growth of Ireland. It is superfluous to point out how much it is in its nature calculated to produce mischief to overawe the legislature, and to controul the deliberations of parliament. Such has been the convention of 1793, such has been the volunteer association of 1782, and such has been a memorable convention of an earlier period, which was composed precisely of the same members as the convention, whose acts have lately occupied so much of the public attention, composed of peers, prelates, and commoners. An assembly of this description must by an easy and natural transition degenerate from purity of action and intention into a perfectly seditious association. I am fully aware of the high honour and public virtue of several characters who had formed members of the late committee. I am persuaded that if ever they would be betrayed into a violation of the provisions of the constitution, they would err innocently. But it is the nature of man, when he passes the boundary of the law, to forget his legitimate motives, and to launch into excesses from which his head and his heart would at first recoil. When those excesses are not countrouled, they soon acquire command and dominion; all the mischief

vous and delusive passions rise to the top like chaff, while those of intrinsic value and merit sink to the bottom and are lost. Under those impressions the government of this country stepped out to interfere with the proceedings of the catholic com'mittee. Their energy and vigilance have not been more laudable than their moderation and conciliatory exertions have been praise-worthy. When their object had been effected, the Attorney General had seized an opportunity of indulging the mild impulse of his nature; and he entered a nolo prosequi in all other actions, convinced that the loyalty and obedience of the catholics of Ireland will bow with respect to the law.

"It is fair to say, that the Roman Catholics did not wilfully violate the provisions of an act upon which able and virtuous lawyers had entertained much doubt. The transactions heretofore are therefore consigned to oblivion; but henceforward things must be otherwise. No subject, protestant or catholic, can any more violate the law by inadvertence or from want of knowledge, therefore a transgression must necessarily be visited with rigour and severity.

"Give me leave, sir, to recommend to the consideration of the catholics of Ireland, the sage counsel of the Soicitor-General, one of their best friends. I am convinced with him that the catholic committee has been the most pernicious enemy that catholic emancipation ever saw. It had diverted the public mind from the great and material qnestion, and effected no good. Emancipation cannot be legally discussed except in parliament. It is not by trampling

upon the law that its objects can be effected. It is not by intemperance that bigotry can be conciliated; it is

not by violence that the legislature can be persuaded that the claims of the catholics are just. The SolicitorGeneral's fascinating display of all that was great in the mind or brilliant in fancy will not be unavailing; I do not only not despair that the catholic committee will profit by it, but I entertain the most sanguine hopes that it will be serviceable to the entire kingdom. The act shall resume its vigorous operation; it shall awake from its long slumbering, and in future remain vigilant; the catholics will bow to it they were heretofore only ignorant of its force. Under these impressions, and imitating the mild demeanour of the Attorney-General, the court mean to punish you with only a nominal penalty.

"I cannot conclude, sir, without reprobating in strong terms, some scandalous practices which you have been guilty of upon your trial, especially the transaction of the affidavit, with which you had sought to throw an unfounded imputation on a most respectable gentleman in the jurybox. Having discharged the duty that devolved on me, I shall pronounce the sentence of the court, and that is, that you Thomas Kirwan do pay a fine of a mark, and then be discharged."

Mr Kirwan bowed and retired.

LONDON.-At nine o'clock last night, the Park and Tower guns announced the important intelligence that Ciudad Rodrigo was taken by storm on the 19th ult. The dispatches from Lord Wellington arrived about 7 o'clock. They were brought by one of his lordship's aide-de-camps, Major Gordon. Soon afterwards the following letter was transmitted to the Lord Mayor :

Downing-street, Feb. 4, 1812, "MY LORD.-The Hon. Major Gor

don, aide-de-camp to General Lord Wellington, has this moment arrived at my office, with the satisfactory intelligence of the capture of Ciudad Rodrigo by storm, on the evening of the 19th Jan. The French Governor-General, Barnier, about 78 officers, and 1700 men, are taken prisoners, and 153 pieces of ordnance, including the heavy train belonging to the French army, and great quantities of ammunition and stores were found in the place.

"The particulars of this most important event will be immediately published in an extraordinary gazette.

"I have the honour to be, &c.

act made in the 49th year of his pre sent majesty, to prohibit the distillation of spirits from corn or grain in the united kingdom, as relates to Great Britain; and to revive and continue another act made in the 49th year aforesaid, to suspend the importation of British or Irish made spirits into Great Britain or Ireland respectively; and for granting certain duties on worts, or wash made from sugar, during the prohibition of distillation from corn or grain in Great Bri

tain to an act to raise ten millions five hundred thousand pounds by Exchequer bills-to an act to raise one million five hundred thousand pounds by Exchequer bills-to an act to continue the duties on malt, sugar, tobacco, and snuff-and to an act to permit sugar, the produce of Martinique, and other conquered islands in the West Indies, to be taken out of warehouse, on payment of the like duty for waste as British plantation sugar.

At the sale of the library of Sir James Pulteney, Bart. yesterday, at Christie's, the Variorum Classics sold at sums unprecedented, and the rare volumes of the Delphini Classics sold at the following prices :Ciceronis Opera Philoso

phica, editio vera, purchased by Mr Dibdin for Earl Spencer, Prudentius, Statius,

L59 6 0

16 5 6 54 12 0

NATIONAL SOCIETY.-This day was holden, at St Martin's Library, a meeting of the general committee of the national society for the education of the poor; present, the Archbishop of Canterbury in the chair.

Archbishop of York; Earls of Shaftesbury and Hardwicke; Bish

ops of London, Durham, St Asaph, Salisbury, Norwich, and Chester; Lords Grenville, Redesdale, and Radstock; Right Hon. the Speaker; Sir John Nicoll; Deans of Canterbury and Barking; Archdeacon Cam. bridge; Dr Barton; Rev. H. H. Norris; Rev. R. Lendon; F. Burton, Esq. M. P.; G. W. Marriot, Esq.; Joshua Watson, Esq.; W. Davis, Esq.; James Trimmers, Esq. It is a most gratifying consideration, that in the furtherance of the object of this most noble and laudable institution, we find the first in rank and character of both political parties in the state cordially unite, and give their best support to a system,the adoption of which must reflect eternal honour upon its founders, whilst its effects in improving the minds of the rising generation, cannot but prove a truly inestimable and lasting blessing to the empire.

8th.-EDINBURGH-HIGH COURT OF JUSTICIARY.-This day came on the trial of John Lindsay Crawfurd, some time of Dungannon in Ireland, and James Bradley, some time schoolmaster and clerk at Castle Dawson, county of Londonderry, Ireland, accused of having forged or falsified certain writings, for the purpose of supporting a claim made by the said John Lindsay Crawfurd, under a brieve from chancery, directed to the sheriff of Edinburgh, to be served lawful and nearest heir-male of John Crawfurd, first Viscount Garnock. This, from the multiplicity of papers produced, and the length and intricacy of the examination, was not concluded till 7 o'clock on Teusday morning. The jury gave in their verdict on Wednesday at one o'clock, all in one voice finding "the said John Lindsay Crawfurd, and the said James Bradley, guilty of feloniously falsifying the se

veral writings mentioned in the first, second, fourth, fifth, and sixth, charges, of the foresaid criminal libel; and, by a great plurality of voices, they find the said John Lindsay Crawfurd guilty, and the said James Bradley guilty, of feloniously falsifying the letter mentioned in the third charge of the said criminal li bel. Further, they, all in one voice, find the said John Lindsay Crawfurd guilty, and the said James Bradley guilty, of feloniously forging the se veral writings mentioned in the seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, and ele venth charges, of the said criminal libel; and they, all in one voice, find both the said pannels guilty of feloniously uttering the writings mentioned in the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth charges, of the said criminal libel, knowing the same to be feloniously falsified, and feloniously uttering the writings mentioned in the seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, and eleventh charges of the said criminal libel, knowing the same to be feloniously forged."

When their lordships had delivered their opinions, Lord Meadowbank (the presiding judge) after an address of great ability, pronounced the sentence of the court, ordaining the prisoners to be transported for fourteen years beyond seas,

The following is a sketch of the circumstances of the case :

Some time after the death of the late Earl of Crawfurd, the prisoner, John Lindsay Crawfurd, supposing that a relation of the late earl had lived as steward at Castle Dawson, thought that if he could prove a pro. pinquity to him, he might by that means obtain the earldom, and certain estates in Ayrshire; and for this purpose he repaired to Kilbirnie, in Ayrshire, and, in the hands of a de